Lighten Up Backpacking

by Kelly Amabile on

Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools always points travelers to interesting stuff. This week it’s a
handbook for light and ultralight backpacking.

 

We know it surely makes our trips more engaging when we’re carrying less baggage. The creative and cheerful cartoons
by illustrator Mike Clelland make it seem so simple to do. This handy reference guide coaches chronic overpackers on
how to let go and enjoy the journey instead of juggling too much stuff.

Readers at Backpacking Light magazine give it 4.5 out of 5 in their
reviews.

Top 25 of Cape Town

by Kelly Amabile on

I haven’t gotten my October Budget Travel
mag in the mail yet, but an abbreviated
TOC is up online, so
it should be arriving shortly. One of their online features is a list of
25 things to
love about Cape Town. Their suggestions are not ranked in any particular order, but I pulled out five that are at the
top of my list to experience, once I get a chance to visit:

See the tablecloth lift over Table Mountain, hike
Cape Point to see where two oceans meet, take a drive to taste some wine in
Stellenbosch and visit both the
townships and Robben
Island to learn about the communities, culture, politics and hardships of South Africa’s history.

Extreme Sports in the UK

by Kelly Amabile on

You know those activities we
mentioned that some travelers insurance policies don’t
cover? Well, in today’s Telegraph, Sophie Butler’s essential checklist
tells us the best
spots in the UK for high- adrenaline sports.

There’s paragliding in the shadows of the Black Mountains. Or
pick from a huge selection of outdoor activities (mountaineering, alpine skiing or rock climbing, just to name a few)
at the breathtaking Plas y Brenin, the National Mountain
Center in Cpel Curig, in the heart of Snowdonia National Park. Or
white water rafting at Canolfan Tryweryn in Bala. The places I’ve
mentioned are all in Wales, but the article lists additional locations that are great for adventure sports in Scotland
and other parts of Great Britian.

I should note that many of these activities, like skiing and rafting, are covered by travelers insurance plans. And
if you have regular health insurance through your job, you are good to go.

Remote Travel

by Kelly Amabile on

Just a quick reference to a place I wrote about a few weeks ago that popped up again in my reading.

Travel Post points to an
International Herald Tribune piece
about the latest trend in guesthouse locations — it’s all about creating an atmosphere that promotes a remote
“state-of-mind”, while still providing all the luxuries of tourist accommodations.

The article mentions the Tasi walks I wrote about as an
example of creating a “remote” travel experience. The two day trek that guests take to get to their hard-to-find lodge
makes them feel like their adventure is off-the-beaten-track. But in reality, their destination is not really
that removed from the comforts of home. When the vacation ends, the bus ride back to town via a nearby road reminds
travelers that they were actually not very far from anything except a truly remote location.

Costa Rican Botanical Excursions & Tours

by Kelly Amabile on

Botanical Garden Excursions, SA offers daily excursions to three
horticultural areas of the Pacific coast of central Costa Rica. Destinations include a vital regional botanical
garden, tropical waterfalls and an essential oils and spice farm. They also run week-long tours of the entire region
with a detailed itinerary.

The company was formed by horticulturalist Donna Porter,
who works to educate visitors about the ecological wonders of the land, as well as the importance of ongoing education
in the area. Through the company’s Fare Share program, they
donate 5% of the proceeds from all tour groups to the Organization for Tropical Studies, the managing, non-profit
organization of the Wilson Botanical Garden and the Las Cruces
Biological Station, for continued preservation of the garden’s plant collections.