Tangkoko Nature Reserve – Sulawesi, Indonesia

by Justin Delaney on

Sulawesi is the type of place that looks exotic even on a black and white map. Located just east of Borneo and shaped like a mythical beast from some old world coat of arms, it jumps out at you from the Indonesian archipelago, begging the intrepid to visit. The island’s most interesting nature reserve, Tangkoko, is located at the northeastern tip of Sulawesi. Several rare and bizarre creatures call this reserve home, from the Mimic Octopus to the Tarsier. It is a wild place, more National Geographic than Conde Nast.

Tangkoko feels like the end of the world. A gigantic volcano looms over the park, perpetually draped in thin narrow clouds. The dark beaches are scattered with crushed sea shells and Crested Black Macaques foraging for snacks. The dense rain-forest spreads out across Tangkoko, draping the park floor in a constant shadow and bumping up against the beaches that meet the savage sea. The waters surrounding the park hold a vast array of marine life. Sea gypsies live just offshore in stilt homes built around the reefs, dependent on the ocean’s bounty for sustenance. It is a land unchanged by modernity.

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The animals of Tangkoko are a derelict crew. From carnivorous primates that live inside trees to Red Knobbed Horn-bills with wings like pterodactyls, the creatures are a menagerie of the curious. Among the most unique are the Tarsier, the Crested Black Macaque, the Giant Civet, and the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus. The Tarsiers live in family units inside gigantic trees, and hunt for insects under the cover of night. Each eyeball is the size of their entire brain. Perhaps most strangely, the carnivorous Tarsier cannot be kept in captivity, or it will commit suicide. The crested black macaque is a promiscuous old world monkey endemic to northern Sulawesi. They live in massive tribes of about twenty and spend their day foraging along the forest floor. At night, they retire to the rain-forest canopy. The Giant Civet is the largest mammal in Tangkoko, reaching about three feet in length. The medium sized cats have been known to ambush massive horn-bills on branches high in the cloud forest.

Getting to Northern Sulawesi is simple on Silk Air from Singapore. Silk Air flies the Singapore-Manado route nonstop on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; it typically costs around 300 USD. It is also possible to fly to Manado from Bali on Garuda Air, though you must stop in Makassar en-route. Manado is the largest city in North Sulawesi and has many accommodation options. If you want to stay near the nature reserve, Pulisan Jungle Beach Resort provides basic beach-side bungalows with a great view across the water towards Mount Tangkoko. Utilize your guesthouse to make arrangements to visit the park. Other activities in Northern Sulawesi include climbing volcanoes, visiting the floral highlands around Tomohon, and diving the Lembeh Straits or Bunaken Island – two of the top dive sites in the world.

Discovery Adventures travel company debuts 2011’s Discovery Channel-inspired trips

by Laurel Miller on

Armchair traveler red alert! Discovery Adventures is offering eight new Discovery Channel-inspired cultural trips for 2011, including Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, Japan, and East Africa. Explore archaeological sites near Athens, visit wineries in Tuscany, safari in Kenya, or soak in hot springs in the Japanese Alps. Trips are limited to 16 people, and run from eight to 15 days. Accommodations range from boutique hotels and inns with local character to eco-lodges.

Discovery Adventures has teamed up with adventure travel industry leader Gap Adventures and non-profit Planeterra to offer travelers more opportunities to positively impact the lives of communities around the world. Each trip provides travelers with an opportunity to visit destinations (often traveling by traditional modes of transport such as rickshaw or elephant) and interact with local people in an ecologically-responsible manner. In addition to your guide, you’ll be accompanied by local historians, archaeologists, artisans, and naturalists. Time to get off that Barcalounger!

[Photo credit: Flickr user Arno & Louise Wildlife]

Rarest mammal in the world caught on video in Indonesia

by Justin Delaney on

The Javan rhinoceros is widely considered the rarest mammal in the world. Flirting with extinction for decades, it is estimated that only forty of the beast remain on the island of Java in Indonesia and less than ten in southern Vietnam. Once the most widespread rhino species, poachers and human development have made life increasingly difficult for the small rhino. None exist in captivity.

The enigmatic creatures have eluded documentation, and this camera trap footage is a boon for conservationists. Separate cameras filmed two distinct adult and calf groups. This proves that the rhinos are mating and perhaps even increasing in numbers. According to National Geographic, the footage was shot at the western tip of Java – the most populated island in Indonesia. For rhinos, they sure are cute.

IAATO comments on missing Antarctic yacht

by Kraig Becker on

The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) has released a statement regarding the Berserk, a Norwegian yacht that went missing in the Antarctic last week. While calling the incident “tragic,” the statement reiterates that the ship was not part of the organization, and was operating without regard to important safety guidelines.

The IAATO is a member-based organization that is focused on delivering safe and environmentally responsible options for travel to Antarctica. The association is made up of tour operators and travel companies who work together to ensure that sailing through the Southern Ocean is free from danger and available to all. Members are required to obtain all the necessary sailing permits from national authorities before they set out on their voyage, as well as provide an itinerary that offers details on what course they will be following as they travel throughout the region. The crew of the Berserk, did none of those things before setting out on their ill fated journey.

On Tuesday, February 22, the Berserk was sailing 18 nautical miles off the coast of Antarctica when it activated its emergency locator beacon. Massive storms were hitting the area at the time, and the high winds and rough waters prevented rescue operations from commencing for more than 24 hours. By the time search and rescue teams hit the area, the beacon was no longer transmitting and the yacht could not be reached by radio. It was believed that the ship had five passenger on board, but two of them were later found, alive and well, on the Antarctic continent, where they were embarking on a journey to the South Pole. The story took an ominous turn later in the week when an abandoned life raft was discovered adrift in the ocean, with no sign of passengers. Later, it was discovered that the Berserk was sailing without permits and without alerting any kind of national authority of their planned course.

Sailing in the Southern Ocean is a dangerous proposition, even in the best of times. The storms are powerful and massive icebergs lurk just beneath the surface, waiting to punch a hole through the hulls of passing ships. Because of these dangers, the IAATO released a set of guidelines for independent sailors on private ships passing through Antarctic waters. Sadly, had the crew of the Berserk heeded those guidelines, there is a better chance that they would be alive today.

To read the full statement from the IAATO, click here.

[Photo credit: IAATO]

African safari: then and now

by Kraig Becker on

African safaris are one of the most enduring travel experiences ever. For decades the safari has remained at the top of the “must do” list for many travelers. Such a trip is often seen as the ultimate escape, giving them a chance to visit a wild and untamed place, encounter amazing wildlife, and add a bit of adventure to their lives. Over the years, the traditional African safari has evolved greatly, and today it is still a fantastic experience with options for nearly every type of traveler, under nearly any budget.

The word safari traces its origins back to the Arabic word of “safara,” which when translated means “to go on a journey.” It was originally used by merchants traveling long distances trade routes throughout the Middle-East and Africa. As late as the 18th centuries, the term continued to refer to those traveling caravans that roamed the continent selling all kinds of goods, which was a profitable, yet dangerous, venture during that era.

During the 19th century, the writings of a number of prominent naturalists and explorers, such as Henry Morton Stanley, kept the public enthralled. They told tales of Africa that included vast herds of wild animals, deadly predators, primitive cultures, and dark, unexplored jungles. Those stories sparked the imagination and painted the continent in an almost mythic light. Many readers wished to travel to Africa themselves, and see these wonders with their own eyes, but in that age, few could make such a journey for a variety of reasons.The modern safari as we know it had its origins early in the 20th century, when larger than life figures such as Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway made frequent visits to Africa on big game hunts. Tales of their daring exploits were popular with the public as well, and soon the safari became synonymous with bagging big game on the wildest continent.

For the hunter, the ultimate prize was to shoot one of the Big Five, which include elephants, rhinos, lions, buffalos, and leopards. Well heeled travelers came from around the world just to have the opportunity to stalk one of these creatures and take its pelt home to put on their wall. Roosevelt himself once spent weeks on the hunt with his son, and over the course of their expedition, the two men claimed more than 500 kills, including 17 lions, a dozen elephants, 20 rhinoceros, and much more.

In those days, travel was often done on foot or horseback, with dozens of porters carrying gear, food, and other supplies. Travelers stayed in tents, although they were often quite luxurious in nature, with plenty of comforts from home. Later, trucks would make travel easier, as they could carry the travelers and their gear over rough terrain much more quickly and efficiently. In those days, the vehicles were prone to frequent breakdowns however, and they were far from reliable in the field. Later, more durable and sophisticated trucks, jeeps, and SUV’s would hit the open savannas of Africa, allowing for even more travelers to experience the safari first hand. The Land Rover was just such a vehicle, and for decades it was seen as the only way to travel throughout the continent.

The advent of cheaper, more reliable, vehicles meant that people no longer needed to be rich to go on safari. That realization brought a more diverse, and discerning, traveler to the Serengeti. One that wasn’t all that interested in killing the creatures they saw, but would rather see them thriving in their natural habitat. Slowly, the safari evolved once again, this time away from shooting the animals with a gun, to shooting them with a camera instead.

Today, travelers can go on safari in a number of countries across Africa, each offering a unique and amazing experience. You can now have a safari experience that is expensive and luxurious or affordable and basic, with just about every option inbetween. For example, you can catch the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania from a comfortable vehicle or go deep into the bush on foot in South Africa. You can glide across the Okavango Delta in dugout canoe in Botswana or sail above the African plains in a hot hair balloon in Zimbabwe. The options are nearly endless, and there is little to keep adventurous travelers from making the journey themselves.

The concept of the safari has come a long way in the past hundred years, and it is likley to continue to evolve in the future. No matter how it has changed however, the African safari remains a fantastic adventure that is unlike any other.