Gadlinks for Wednesday 8.19.09

by Brenda Yun on


Hello from San Bartolo, Peru! The weather here is, well, misty/foggy/cold and the ocean outside my window (though pretty) is less than inviting today. So what have I been reading to pass the time? Here’s a little taste:

  • On the flight to Lima, I watched an episode of “Nature’s Great Events” about the Great Migration and was shocked by the lions’ hunting struggle during the dry season in the Serengeti. Then, reading this sad news that the lions of Kenya may be totally wiped out in 20 years makes travel to the region even more important. [via Reuters]
  • Antarctica may be a cool travel destination, but its precarious state due to climate change and increased travel to the area may force more measures to limit tourism down south — and that’s probably a good thing. [via TreeHugger]
  • This guys is nuts! Daniel Seddiqui intends to take on 50 jobs in the 50 states — all in 50 weeks. It could be interesting cultural study, but that’s a whole lot of traveling and probably a huge waste of time. Nevertheless, check out his interview. [via PeterGreenberg]
  • Talk about leaving your loved one behind when you travel! This video shows us just how important it is to communicate with loved ones while on the road. [via WorldHum]

‘Til tomorrow (pray for surf!), have a great evening!

More Gadlinks HERE.

Antarctic tourism to get safer, more environmentally friendly

by Kraig Becker on

The 20th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) was held last month, with marine safety and the impact of travel on the Antarctic environment being the main topics of discussion. Attending members adopted measures that will hopefully ensure that travel to the region becomes safer, while also forming a working group to study ways to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism on the fragile ecosystem there.

Over the past couple of years there have been several high profile incidences involving Antarctic cruise ships, including the sinking of the MS Explorer back in 2007, and two ships running aground in December 2008 and again in February of this year. In response to these accidents, the IAATO passed a series of actions to enhance marine safety. The changes include mandatory participation in a satellite tracking program for all IAATO members, the conversion of all open lifeboats to partially or fully closed boats, and a new rule that stipulates that all ships sailing below 60º South have “a captain or appointed ice pilot with Antarctic experience.” The final new rule is in direct response to an investigation earlier this year that found that the inexperience of the captain directly played a role in the sinking of the Explorer. In the report that the IAATO released on the conference they indicated that G.A.P. Adventures, the company that held the charter for the Explorer, acknowedged the negative impact that the sinking of the ship had on the entire Antarctic tourism industry, and they encouraged the changes to restore confidence with travelers.The more than 100 IAATO members, from 14 countries, that attending the meeting also acknolwedged that global climate change was the greatest threat to the Antarctic continent, which led to the forming of the working group to explore more options for sustainable travel to the region. The new group intends to find ways to raise awareness of the threats to the frozen continent, as well as explore options for reducing the carbon footprint of travel to the area.

Personally, I think that the measures adopted are good steps for the Antarctic tourism industry. Clearly there are safety concerns, and it seems that operators have been playing with fire, especially since no one has been seriously hurt or died from the accidents that have occured there in the past few years. The changes are not likely to prevent further incidences however, but they may help to ensure that passengers continue to be safe and that they can be located more quickly by rescue crews, should the need arise.

The fact that that the IAATO is thinking about sustainable travel to Antarctica is encouraging as well, as it shows that they are moving towards becoming better stewards of the environment and ensuring that the continent remains in pristine condition for future adventure travelers to enjoy as well. It remains to be seen what kind of plans they put in place in this area however and how it’ll impact the industry as a whole.

Explore Antarctica with Neil Armstrong!

by Kraig Becker on

Yesterday marked the 40th Anniversary of Man first landed on the moon. It was one of the most iconic moments in human history when astronaut Neil Armstrong took that first “small step for man” and planted his foot onto the lunar surface. Now, four decades later, he’s still showing his adventurous spirit by joining National Geographic Expeditions and Lindblad Expeditions on a 25-day journey to Antarctica.

The adventure begins on November 15 of this year, when travelers depart for Chile, where they’ll board the National Geographic Explorer chartered out of Ushuaia. The ship will head south across the Drake Passage towards the Antarctic Peninsula, where travelers will have the opportunity to explore Deception Island, Paradise Bay, and Port Lockroy. From there, it’s on to Elephant Island, South Georgia, and the Falklands, before returning to Ushuaia and returning home.

Over the course of the three-and-a-half week voyage, passengers aboard the Explorer will have an opportunity to watch whales swimming in the Southern Ocean, walk amongst King Penguins, and kayak along the Antarctic Peninsula, exploring waters that few ever have the opportunity to visit. And joining them at every step of the journey will be Mr. Armstrong, making an already unique travel experience, even more amazing.

As if venturing to the Antarctic with one of the most well known explorers to ever live wasn’t enough, this year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty, which established the continent as a scientific research location and banned all military actions there, while proclaiming that Antarctica belonged to no single country. That historic event will be commemorated while aboard the ship, and all passengers will receive a special duffel bag, courtesy of Patagonia, in celebration.
National Geographic Expeditions offer some of the best adventure travel opportunities in the business, and they always find a way to make their tours unique. Where else could you possibly find the opportunity to visit one of the most remote and pristine ecosystems on the planet with a legendary figure like Neil Armstrong along for the ride?

For an overview of the itinerary click here, and to find out more details click here.

Write a blog, go to Antarctica!

by Kraig Becker on

Ever had the urge to visit the Antarctic? Do you have a knack for writing interesting, inspiring, blog posts? Then check out the latest contest from Quark Expeditions, an adventure travel company that specializes in journeys to both polar icecaps.

Quark has launched the aptly named BlogYourWayToAntarctica.com and has invited adventurous travelers to register to the site and write a 300 word blog post on why they should be the Official Quark Blogger. Writers are encouraged to be creative and use their imaginations, as others will be reading, and voting, on the best entry. The blog post with the most votes at the end of September will win an all expense paid trip for two to Antarctica.

The Antarctic cruise is scheduled for Feb. 20 to March 3 of 2010 and includes airfare from the U.S. to Ushuaia, Argentina, as well as one nights stay in that city. The next 11 days are spent aboard the cruise ship Lyubov Orlova exploring the Southern Sea and making day trips to the Antarctic Penninsula.

The contest just got underway a few days ago, and it runs until September 30th, but the sooner you get your entry in, the more time you’ll have to lobby your friends, family, and complete strangers, to vote for you. Head over to the website now and get blogging!

Visiting Every Country On Earth

by Kraig Becker on

Most travelers have a “life list”. That is to say, a list of travel destinations that are amongst their “must see”, such as the Great Pyramids or Machu Picchu. Others set goals to visit certain countries, selecting ones that appeal to them on some level.

That’s exactly what Chris Guillebeau did when he was 22 and working in Africa for an international charity group. At the time, Guillebeau says, that he was traveling a lot within Africa itself, and making frequent trips back to Europe as well. He was visiting a lot of unique and interesting places, and remained fascinated with the cultures that he saw.

Then, in 2006, at the age of 28, he set a goal for himself to visit 100 countries before he turned 30, somehting he accomplished last year. But in this interview for the New York Times, he admits that about halfway through his quest to reach triple digits, he began to realize that he was setting his sights too low, and has now set a new goal for himself – to visit every country on the planet before he turns 35.
Guillebeau admits that things are starting to get tougher, as he is running out of countries that offer easy access. He mentions that he’ll have to start focusing on making arrangements to get to Chad, the South Pacific, or Central Asia soon, but he makes no mention of visiting such places as North Korea or Somalia, which aren’t exactly welcoming to foreigners.

Of course, with all of this travel, Guillebeau knows all the tricks to make things as easy as possible. He generally has upgrades to first class on domestic flights, many of which he trades away to other passengers, and he recently talked his way onto a flight to Karachi, without the proper paperwork or visas to enter the country. He also knows how to play the system to get as many frequent flier miles as possible, something he shared with us a few months back.

I have to hand it to Chris. When he creates a life list, he doesn’t think small. My question is, what do you do when you hit age 35 and you’ve already visited everywhere? He better hope Virgin Galactic expands its routes, and quickly.