Safaris in 2013 - Guaranteed Departures!

Details

Published on Wednesday, 24 April 2013 19:10

All remaining 2013 safaris with Calgary Zoo trip hosts are guaranteed departures. This means the trip is guaranteed to go in the company of an experienced trip leader and wildlife expert from the Calgary Zoo. Space is LIMITED - we urge you to call us today!

Kenya Summer Safari, July 29 - Aug. 8. SPECIAL PRICES. Great for families

Tanzania Summer Safari, Aug. 10 - 25. Unique chance for walking safaris in the Serengeti!

Tanzania, Kenya & Rwanda, Sept. 6-15. A true "best of" including Gorilla trekking

Tanzania & Kenya - Sept. 17 - Oct. 1. A luxury safari in search of the Migration!

Postcard from Sri Lanka

Details

Published on Monday, 01 April 2013 09:27

Excerpts from the notebook of Tiffany Corrie, Senior Adventure Travel Specialist, who just returned from an adventure to Sri Lanka: 

I have just returned from Sri Lanka and without a doubt, I can say this is a truly magical destination! This tiny little country in the Indian Ocean is just 30km from India, but it is quite different from its bustling neighbour. This is a land of tropical beauty, history, culture, great food and people who have so much pride in their country. I was also pleasantly surprised at how clean and developed this little nation is.  My tour began in Negombo – a beach town located north of the capitol of Colombo. From here, I travelled north through the lush tropical countryside to the region known as the “cultural triangle” which is rich in the history of Buddhism where I bicycled around visiting a number of temples and stupas. I also had the opportunity to climb to the top of the massive Sirigaya rock with its stunning views and architecture. My next stop was Kandy – the cultural capital of Sri Lanka to visit the The Temple of the Tooth, where Buddha’s sacred tooth is kept. The journey continued by train, a 7 hour trip winding uphill into the hill country which is riddled with waterfalls, forests and tea plantations – the beauty and varied geography was incredible!! I spent two days trekking through tea plantations before heading south to the pristine beaches of Mirissa on the south coast for some relaxation – it was so beautiful – I didn’t want to leave!! While in Mirissa,  I also took in a whale watching trip to observe the great Blue Whales – seeing these massive creatures was unreal! My trip came to an end with a visit to the historical Fort of Galle, and then to the bustling capital city of Colombo. If there is one way to sum it all up, I can say Sri Lanka is a very special place which is still quite untouched by tourism and is truly a little gem!

Postcard from Myanmar

Details

Published on Thursday, 21 March 2013 14:57

We have an update from our product manager, Anne Wolever, who is just finishing up her trip in Myanmar!

We’re back in Yangon, in what now seems like an extremely modern, vibrant city! Tomorrow is our last full day in Myanmar, and I’m already thinking about all the places we didn’t see that I’ll have to come back to one day. We just spend 2-1/2 days at Ngwe Saung Beach, overlooking the Bay of Bengal. It took a 5 hour drive to get here (it took 1 hr just to get out of Yangon) across Ayerwaddy delta country. It was flat and quite green as we wove our way along the narrow road - barely wide enough for two vehicles, so a  bit challenging for our driver as he dealt with bicycles, motorbikes, tuk tuks, a variety of trucks, roadworks, cows, narrow bridges and even the odd goat! The last 25 miles or so was through unexpectedly undulating terrain, taking an hour to cross what must’ve been an amazing rainforest at one point. we saw the odd huge tree dwarfing new rubber plantations, gravel pits and villages. We were vibrating a bit by the time we got to the beach, but once we saw the setting, all was forgotten! We had a seaview room with a verandah complete with rattan chairs where we enjoyed coffee in the morning and the sunset at night. the beach is 16 miles long, and is one of the nicest I’ve seen. We’d go for a walk, then a dip in the Bay, then a dip in the pool, then back to our verandah. Sounds like we were there for months, doesn’t it? It was so relaxing that it felt that way.

Myanmar is a challenging country to visit, especially with the heat. Days climb to 40+C, and temps barely drop at night. I’ve seen so many things, from bustling markets filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and products I can’t identify, to caves carved out of mountains protecting revered Buddha images and intricate mural paintings. I’ve been on lake boats, river boats and horse-drawn carriages, and I’ve ridden a bike through the ruins of Bagan on tracks that finally flattened my rear tire. I’ve eaten wonderful Myanmar cuisine enjoying things like pickled tea salad (so much nicer than it sounds) and fantastically fresh seafood. I’ve seen the world’s longest teak bridge, the world’s tallest Buddha, and the world’s longest reclining Buddha, and a site where temples were carved into a chasm, reminiscent of Petra in Jordan.

This trip has been a jumble of experiences, some were a bit tough at the time, but looking back it has been a fantastic journey, made especially memorable because of the people we’ve met who have been exceptional.

We’re now at the historic Governor’s Residence in Yangon - a fabulous teak mansion and now an Orient Express hotel. Tea on the lawn anyone? Tomorrow we visit Scott Market for a last kick at some shopping, if we can find an ATM that works!

Cheers and Mingalabar (auspiciousness upon you),    Anne.

Cambodia - making a difference

Details

Published on Friday, 08 March 2013 18:05

Civilized Adventures owner, Denell Falk, is currently leading a group through Cambodia and Vietnam.  Our Civilized group is busy "making a difference" in Cambodia by donating bicyles and wells...read on:

We left behind Cambodia but each of our guests left a piece of their hearts in Cambodia.  We visited the sites of Angkor Wat,  got up very early to see sunrise at Angkor Wat but the “Marigold God” opened up the clouds and gave us all a refreshing shower—so the sunrise was not visible BUT we took advantage of our early start and toured Angkor Wat while it was still cool and before the crowds arrived. 

The next day we visited the people in the countryside. We stopped to purchase 8 bicycles (recycled)  for a total of $380US.  We visited the well sites that our 2012 group had financed,  AND delivered the bicycles to the poorest families who have children who are going to school.   For many of our guests, this was truly the highlight to witness the smiles and laughter from the children and parents alike.  As our bus pulled away, we looked back to see a young gal (13 years ), doing the “happy dance”  as she now was the proud owner of a bicycle.   These Cambodian people are so warm and friendly yet so very shy, so very poor but yet so proud.  I am proud to say that our 2013 group have committed to finance an additional 21 wells!  Over the past two years,  we have generated funds for 40 wells—that means we have given 120-150 families access to CLEAN source of water—their life line.

Yesterday we travelled from Cambodia to Vietnam via speed boat along the Mekong,  today we toured Chau Doc by boat – Now we are driving from  Can Tho… more to come later. 

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Details

Published on Friday, 08 March 2013 17:53

 new excerpts from Anne's Myanmar trip: