The Best Places To View Penguins!

There is something about penguins that seem to capture our imaginations. Perhaps it’s the fact that these funny looking birds are flightless, and a bit awkward while moving on land, and yet so beautiful and graceful when floating through the water. Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve been the subject of so many Hollywood films over the past few years, but there is no doubt about it, we’re fascinated by penguins.

Many people have the misconception that the only place to really see these birds is in the Antarctic, a costly proposition for most. But, there are actually a variety of species of penguins, and they can be found in a variety of places as well. The National Geographic Intelligent Travel blog recently took a look at the top places around the world to see penguins in their natural habitat.

The article actually gives six great places around the globe to go to see these lovable birds. They include Chile and Ecuador in South America, as well as the Falkland Islands. Australia and New Zealand make the list as well, as does South Africa. Each location comes with an explanation as to what to expect there, including the species of penguin that inhabit the region. And if those international destinations are a bit too remote for your taste, the article also lists the best penguin colonies in American zoos as well.

If you should venture abroad however, each of these trips is environmentally safe, allowing humans to interact with the environment in a sustainable way, ensuring that the penguins will remains safe and protected for generations to come.

Five Great Road Trips From Around The World

Australian newspaper The Age has put together a list of five of the top drives from around the world. These scenic byways encourage drivers to get behind the wheel, explore, and, as the article says, take the long way home.

Some of the roads that make this exclusive list include the Hana Highway in Hawaii, which is lauded for its 80km of winding road, that includes 56 one lane bridges, that meanders past beautiful beaches and up and down rolling hills, with small ocean villages and spectacular waterfalls as a backdrop.

For something a bit longer and more epic, the Pan American Highway from Lima, Peru to Santiago, Chile is offered as a suggestion. This stretch of road is more than 3000km in length, a mere fraction of the 48,000km total distance of the Pan American, which runs from Alaska to the tip of South America. Running along side the Pacific Ocean for much of the way, this route wanders past the famous Nazca Lines and up into the high desert of the Atacama, all the while weaving in and out of small Peruvian and Chilean villages along the way.

The classic road trip is still one of the best ways to see any country, and each of these drives will not only show you the scenic side of the places they run through, but also get you immersed in the unique cultures of those places as well. So, jump behind the wheel and take in one of these amazing road trips for a travel experience unlike any other.

44 snakes and lizards almost smuggled on a plane

Not that I’ve thought much about smuggling lizards and snakes on a plane, but reading about this Australian guy who was nabbed a couple days ago trying to smuggle 44 snakes and lizards from Australia to Bangkok got me thinking. Why 44?

Seems to me that’s overshooting one’s luck. Wouldn’t it have been better to stop at 10, perhaps? Not that I want to give anyone smuggling advice since I think animals and plants should be left where they’re found unless it’s legal to transport them and a person has a permit to do so, but I’m flummoxed that this guy thought he could get by with it.

Look at the X-ray. A snake looks like a snake in an X-ray, and a lizard looks like a lizard. Not long ago a woman was apprehended trying to smuggle three banana plants in her underwear. If that didn’t work, considering that plants are inanimate objects, it seems three black headed pythons might attract some attention.

Along with those three he had an Albino Carpet Python, 24 Shingleback Lizards and 16 Blue Tongue Lizards. He must not have seen Catherine’s post from 2007 when a snake smuggling culprit was caught in Cairo. Or maybe when he saw that the Cairo guy was trying to transport 700 snakes, 4 snakes and 44 reptiles didn’t seem like all that many.

For his efforts, he could spend 10 years in jail and be fined a hefty sum. [via Buzz Feed]

Nine wonders in 26 days

Planning ahead has never paid off quite so much. If you’re thinking about a big trip for the fall, kick around Abercrombie & Kent‘s “Nine Wonders of the World” excursion. A private jet will cart you to the most impressive destinations our planet has to offer over 26 days, and you just won’t want to come back to reality.

The experience kicks off on October 19 at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, where you enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers. The next day, you dash off to Lima, Peru, which is your gateway to the former world of the Incas. Explore Machu Picchu, and roam around this part of the world for a few days.

Your next stop is Easter Island, which includes a walk through the caves of Ana Kai and a horseback archeological excursion. The lava tunnels will be particularly interesting. After Samoa, it’s off to Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Other stops on this trip include the Angkor complex of temples in Cambodia and the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities (home to relics from Tutankhamun). The full list, it feels, is endless.

Of course, this sort of life-changing experience isn’t cheap. You’ll spend close to $90,000 to enjoy the luxury that A&K puts together, but you’ll never doubt your decision.

To get a sense of the trip’s full scope, take a closer look at the itinerary.

The friendliest expat countries

I’m not a big fan of lists, so please don’t be surprised at my dismay with Forbes.com’s newest attempt to show how Western countries are full of the friendliest people on earth. In its latest “Top Ten” list, David Sutton identifies what he believes to be the world’s friendliest expat countries. The top three on his list: Canada, Germany, and Australia.

Please don’t get me wrong. I think these countries are wonderful, and they clearly offer great working opportunities for people who hope to live abroad. However, I noticed a few unfortunate gaps in the list — the biggest of which are Indonesia and Costa Rica. I believe these countries are full of happy and friendly expats. The article’s obvious third world country oversights are dismissed by claiming that “cultural differences from the West [makes] integration difficult.”
I would argue that the real issue here is that businessmen living abroad don’t bother to integrate and adapt to their environments. It should certainly not be the host country’s fault that it is a third world country and therefore unable to accommodate for a rich expat. As always, lists like these could create unnecessary fear in travelers and continue to widen the gap between privileged and unprivileged nations rather than bring people together and teach us how much can be learned about cultures unlike our own.