The Best Places To View Penguins!

by Kraig Becker on

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

by Kraig Becker on

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.

Where To Go To Truly Get Away From It All

by Kraig Becker on

Everyone has different reasons for why they like to travel, and their destinations of choice vary just as much. Some love to visit noisy, bustling foreign cities, others prefer the quiet tranquility of a secluded beach. Then of course, there are the travelers who truly like to get away from it all. They prefer to visit remote wilderness places, far off the beaten path, with few, if any, amenities.

Veteran traveler and adventurer Jeremy Lazell has put together a list of the best wilderness getaways for the Sunday Times of London, spotlighting some of the premiere spots on the planet for those that prefer their journeys to take them to unique, and out of the way places. These are true backcountry destinations, some of which are still very wild and untamed.

All told, there are 12 dstinations on Lazell’s list, from all corners of the globe, including Mongolia, Morrocco, Patagonia, and more. His personal favorite is a place called Knoydart in the Scottish Highlands, which we learn boasts “85 square miles of Highland heather, mountains and midges”. The place has one pub, which requires an 18 mile hike to reach, and the deer outnumber the people 10-1. Paradise for any adventure traveler.

The other places offer a similar level of remoteness, as well as a variety of activites, such as trekking, dogsledding, white water rafting, and camping. Any of these destinations would serve as a perfect escape for the active traveler looking for isolation and adventure in their next vacation.

Irishman Runs Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, in Six Days

by Kraig Becker on

Irish endurance runner Richard Donovan completed an impressive series of runs a few days back when he completed his seventh marathon in just six days. Even more impressive than that however, is that each of those marathons was run on a different continent.

The World Marathon Challenge got underway on January 31st when Donvan ran a marathon in Antarctica, covering the 26.2 miles n 4 hours, 39 minutes, 29 seconds in temperatures hovering around 0º Fahrenheit. Upon completing that race, he immediately hopped on a plane and flew to Cape Town, for his second run on the same day. From there, it was on to Dubai, where the temperatures soared dramatically, but Richard completed his third marathon in two days on the 1st of February.

The next destination was London, where the city was experiencing its worst snowfall in years, but Donvan pushed through, and logged his 26.2 miles, at three in the morning no less, before jetting off to Toronto, for yet another marathon. He completed the South American leg of his challenge by running a marathon in Santiago, Chile. The last of his runs took place in Sydney, Australia on Thursday, February 5th.

All told, Richard completed his journey in just 5 days, 10 hours, and 8 minutes, collecting 26,719 frequent flyer miles in the process. According to this story from the Independent, his only opportunities to eat and rest were aboard the airplanes he was flyng on, which caused him to battle sleep deprivation and jet lag the entire was as well.

What were Richard’s motivations for undertaking the World Marathon Challenge? To raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in Darfur, and to raise funds for the Irish charity GOAL.

2009 Dakar Rally

by Kraig Becker on

After taking a year off thanks to security concerns, the Dakar Rally is back, and well underway, just not where you would traditionally expect the iconic off-road race to be. The 2009 edition is the 30th running of the famous long distance, endurance race that has historically run from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal, but this year finds itself on an entirely different continent, racing through Argentina and Chile.

Beginning and ending in Buenos Aires, this year’s race officially got underway back on January 3rd, with 540 teams setting out to cover the 5,951 mile course. Broken down into 14 stages, ten in Argentina and four in Chile, the teams will endure long days in the hot desert sun pushing themselves and their machines to the limits. The final 140 mile stage is scheduled to take place on Saturday, bringing the epic race to a close for another year. Whether or not it returns to its roots in Europe and Africa in 2010 remains to be seen.

Check out this amazing gallery of photos from the race. They give a little insight into danger and intensity of a long distance rally like this one, in which racers use motorcycles, quad runners, trucks, and cars to cross the rugged and demanding terrain.

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