I have never seen so many exotic and different types of spiders until I traveled to the Amazon rainforest. They come in all different shapes and sizes – including the large orb spiders that weave intricate webs to the large ground dwelling tarantulas and wolf spiders.

One particular spider really happened to catch my attention on my recent trip to the Amazon Basin of Bolivia. I was walking on one of the hiking trails in Madidi National Park with my tour guide when I spotted a small, very exotic looking spider nested in its web amidst the dense foliage. See picture

The little gal (she) was no bigger than ¼ inch (6mm) long, but had an unusual oblong shaped body with yellow markings on her flanks and rump. I maneuvered my camera within 2 inches of the creature and snapped a couple of pictures. I know that this particular spider is by no means rare nor is it one of the more abundant spider species in the Amazon rainforest. Admittedly I am not a spider expert nor do I consider myself that knowledgeable about spiders. That being said, are there any arachnophiles out there who can identify this little beauty?

One of the most popular attractions in Penang is the Botanic Gardens. I went there on a lazy Sunday afternoon in mid December. As it was the start of the Christmas Holidays, there were many tourists - mostly from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - visiting the gardens on that day. The biggest draw of the gardens are the long tailed macaques, medium sized monkeys who freely roam the park. They are neither wild nor domesticated, as they have adapted to the frequent presence of human beings.

The macaques usually hang out near the park entrance as they welcome the many camera-toting visitors, overtly soliciting for handouts. Unfortunately many people make the mistake of trying to feed the monkeys. This is a big mistake in my opinion, as the long tailed macaque can become awfully nasty when they’re surrounded by too many human beings. Furthermore the monkeys seemed to be bothered by the flash of cameras. While I was there, I saw several gals run for cover when an alpha male made a charge at them, baring his fangs and making threatening postures. Talking about trying to bite the hand that feeds you.

One of the larger males even had the audacity to make charge at me before I scared him off by making whooping noises and shaking my fist at him. Grrhhhh

Having been in the travel business for many years, I have a pretty good
acumen for trip planning as well as understanding the psyche of the traveler. The best advice I can give to a prospective traveler would be - Make sure you plan your vacation as far in advance as possible. This tip is especially true if you are planning to travel during the Christmas Holidays or during the peak travel months to a popular vacation destination.

If you’re planning an extended vacation to Europe, Asia (or any other destination) for more than 2 weeks, you can probably “wing it” for most of your trip. Just make sure you’ve covered the basics – R/T airfare from your destination, accommodations for the first 2 nights and the last night of your trip – the rest can be impromptu.

If you’re planning a 1-2 week stay, I suggest that the itinerary be planned well in advance and hotels booked for the duration of the trip – there is simply not enough time to improvise or travel spontaneously. Unlike most Europeans, Americans cannot have an extended vacation - they are usually limited to 7-14 days.

Let’s face, it everybody (and their mother) would like to travel out over the Christmas Holidays, Dec. 20-27 or Dec 26–Jan 2/3 (the first Sunday after New Years) - these are real prime time dates, and there is extremely limited availability for affordable airline seats or hotel rooms. It is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Many people have come to me a month or so before departure, expecting me to make arrangements for those dates only to be severely disappointed when I tell them there is nothing available, or airline seats are only available at outrageously high fares. They shake their head in bewilderment. My suggestion is - Book for the Christmas Holidays no later than early July or 6 months in advance.

For travel during the peak summer months of July / August as well as January/February to the Caribbean, Mexico or to other popular resort destinations, you should book at least 2 months in advance in order to avoid major disappointment

How about me? I took take care of all my arrangements for my upcoming trip to Southeast Asia, November 18-December 30 over 2 months ago!

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I’ve been on many tours and sightseeing excursions (in addition to conducting my own tours) during my many years as a traveler, so I have a pretty good feeling of how a tour should be properly conducted.

The most common sightseeing excursion is the ½ day city highlights tour.
Many tourists who arrive in a new locale will typically go on an orientation
or highlights tour in order to get a feeling for the place. The tour may include historical points of interests, museums, monuments and parks as well as sampling the local color. Let’s not forget time for shopping.

As a general rule of thumb, the time allotted for such a tour should be approximately 4-6 hours, with the maximum distance from the point of origin no more than 30-40 minutes away. The tour should focus on no more than 3 major venues or attractions – sometimes the tour operators try to cram too many venues and attractions into the ½ day tour.

Take San Francisco as an example, a city I am most familiar with - A well rounded ½ day tour of the City might include Fisherman’s Wharf, China Town and North Beach (all in the same general vicinity) as well as Golden Gate Park (including the Japanese Tea Gardens and the De Young Museum) and perhaps a ride across the bridge to Sausalito, a popular tourist town hugging the San Francisco Bay with marvelous views of the CITY. This would be a good 6 1/2 hours including time for lunch in Sausalito. Of course, additional time will be chewed up in dropping off passengers at their respective hotels.

An all day tour will typically last 8-10 hours. Usually, they will depart shortly after breakfast. – let’s say at 8:00AM– 9:00AM and return by 6:00 -7:00PM in the evening. The maximum distance from the point of origin should be no more than 2 hours away with 1-1½ hours as the optimal distance. Again, the maximum number venues should be limited to 3 major attractions (allowing 1 hour for lunch).

If the distance to the furthest venue is more than 2 hours away from the originating point, the tour operator should consider a one - two night overnight at the primary or furthest venue. Travelers don’t want to spend the whole day on the bus!

Here are some specific examples of all day touring:

SAN FRANCISCO - To Monterey and Carmel via Santa Cruz (a popular beach town) or to Calistoga and the wine country, the drive will take a good for two hours

In COSTA RICA, highly compact country, there are many attraction and points of interest within a 90-minute radius of San Jose including the Caribbean Lowlands, Irazu Volcano/ Orosi Valley and La Paz Butterfly Gardens/Poas Volcano

THAILAND – Originating from Bangkok, a trip to Siam Cultural Park in Ratchaburi Province, the estimated travel time is 1 1/2 hours. To historic Ayutthaya and Lopburi, the approximate travel time to Lopburi would be 1 hour.

P.S. My apologies to my valued subscribers for my absence over the last month

Believe it or not, my search for the the most eco-friendly beach destination in THAILAND has uncovered a place I haven’t been to yet, and that is Koh Libong! I am sure most travelers have never heard of this relatively obscure island as well.

Koh Libong is the largest island in southern Thailand’s Trang Province. The island is home to a rather substantial colony of Dugongs, a large marine mammal that is closely related to the manatees. These creatures feed on the sea-grass beds that flourish off Koh Libong’s southeast coast. A colony of green turtles are also residents of the island.

From what I have read, there is more of a commitment to an environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism industry in Trang Province than anywhere else in Thailand. The governor of Trang Province has gone on record stating that he wants to avoid the haphazard and reckless tourism development that has ruined other island destinations in Thailand i.e. Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi etc.

In order to protect the natural beauty of the region, the Swedish Government has funded a master plan for sustainable development in Trang Province. In particular, on Koh Libong, Swedish environmentalists and Thai academicians from Bangkok have joined forces in an effort to make the island an ecotourism model for the region.

Three small Muslim fishing villages are scattered around the island – the native people in these communities seem to be enlightened about the need for conservation and environmentally friendly practices. The interior is home to rubber plantations and is heavily forested. There are only a handful of small resorts, all located on the west coast of the island. While many small beaches surround the island, there is only one “classical tropical beach” – a 1 KM stretch of golden sand fronted by clear, aquamarine waters.

Since I have never been to Koh Libong, I will have to wait to till I visit this island (and Trang Province), before I can assess the staying power of this sustainable tourism movement. If history teaches us anything, tourism development is usually guided by greed (and the pursuit of the almighty dollar) and has destroyed many an idyllic paradise.

Only time will determine the fate of Koh Libong and other island destinations in Trang Province. I have plans to do some reconnaissance there in 2010!

For your information, over the Christmas Holidays, I plan to visit Ko Lipe, considered by many to be overall, the most beautiful island in Thailand. From what I have read, Koh Lipe is another Island Paradise that’s on the threshold of getting trashed!

In the last several days, I have done some extensive research in an effort to identify the most the eco-friendly beach destination in Thailand. To be honest with you, it is a lot easier for me to rattle off a list of beach destinations/island resorts which are not very eco-friendly. See below..

Pattaya - Truly an Abomination!

Located about 90 minutes east of Bangkok is Pattaya, Thailand’s internationally renowned sex tourist mecca–beach town. Located on the mainland, Pattaya leads the pack of those beach destinations where development, human greed and the excesses of tourism have had a severe negative ecological impact. No other beach destination in Thailand comes close to the ugliness and urban blight which is Pattaya. Believe it or not, before the Vietnam War, Pattaya was a sleepy fishy village with lush green vegetation and sparkling white sand beaches. Not anymore!

Phuket and Koh Samui - Paradise no more!

Below Pattaya on my list (quite a step down) are Thailand’s two most popular island resorts – Phuket and Koh Samui. Both places have international airports to receive tourists all over the world; while the airport in Koh Samui is like an island boutique, Phuket’s airport is a modern gleaming affair. Both islands are abundant in natural beauty with a mountainous interior and gleaming white sand beaches, however both Samui and Phuket have suffered from the excesses of development and tourism leaving behind a severely degraded environment.

Phi Phi Island - Paradise Ruined!

Located in Southern Thailand’s Krabi Province, Phi Phi Islands – an area known for its raw physical beauty - is just another example of Paradise getting trashed by excessive development and too many tourists. Admittedly, I have never been there.

Koh Chang - Going the way of Phuket and Samui

Of all the island resorts, Koh Chang is the place I know best, having been there four times. My last visit was in November 2006. An extremely lush and mountainous island, Koh Chang is rapidly changing (and not for the good) as there are still plans to make it the next Phuket. Climbing the slopes of the jungle clad mountain slopes are many new bungalow operations and along the west coast, the land is being cleared to accommodate a variety of upscale (and opulent) albeit expensive beach resorts. If an international airport ever happens here, it will be the coup-de-grace.

In Koh Chang, proper sewage treatment facilities are lacking, and in some places near the beach you can smell the raw sewage as it trickles into the sea. If you don’t believe me, go to Magic Resort – small budget bungalow operation on Klong Phrao Beach – and take a whiff of the raw sewage on the southern perimeter of the property. Sort of reminds of the smell on the far side of Aloha Beach Resort, a first class hotel located on Lamai Beach in Koh Samui. In Thailand, only a handful of hotels in the resort areas have their own sewage treatment plant.

Koh Lanta and Koh Jam/Koh Pu - Not ruined yet, best of the lot

Ko Lanta and the relatively obscure island of Ko Pu/Ko Jum, both located in Krabi Province seem to be holding up all right from an ecological perspective. Based on my visit there in 2005, the tourism growth had not completely swallowed Koh Lanta, and Koh Jum/Koh Pu - the Island with the split personality - seems to be comparatively pristine.

Coming up, my nomination for the most eco-friendly beach destination in Thailand. Stay tuned!

Coming up on NBC in early June is the new reality show “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here”. The show will be filmed in the lowland rainforests of Costa Rica’s Sarapiqui region. Contestants confirmed to participate include actor Stephen Baldwin, former NBA Star John Salley, American Idol contestant Sanjaya and Speidi. There has been some controversy already with this production as the former Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich was rejected as a participant due to some legal issues, although his wife is antsy to be on the show and take his place. Costa Rica’s Tourism Industry will surely benefit from this TV show as more foreigners will be encouraged to visit and experience Costa Rica.

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/4/24/13157/9357/hotels/Costa_Rica_Braces_For_The_Speidi_Moon

“So ballsy former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich won’t be living the pura vida in Costa Rica after all. That pesky indictment has quashed Blago’s plans to continue his fifteen minutes with a stint on the NBC reality show “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” (He won’t be getting the rumored $80K a week that some news outlets reported he’d earn from NBC either.) Instead, reality leeches and newlyweds Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt will get to unleash their egos and suck any camera time dry all while calling Costa Rica home. (Can they move there for good, please?!)

The temporary home appears to be set on location in the Sarapiquí region and potentially at Selva Verde Rainforest Lodge. NBC is in negotiations with the hotel to house most of the cast and crew while the nearby Hotel Sueño Azul Resort may serve as the headquarters for production.

While the judge on Blagojevich’s case overpowered the good/bad television gods by nixing any travel abroad, it is rumored that Mrs. Blagojevich may take to the jungle if she can stomach eating bugs and other unsavory challenges.

If she goes for the unsophisticated but legit dough, she’ll be battling it out with contestants besides Speidi that might include: talk show host Geraldo Rivera, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, former “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar and Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman for the title of “King of Queen of the Jungle.” How kind of NBC to give these people a chance at being a winner.

Personally, we’d much rather watch the howler and spider monkeys swing from the canopies. Hopefully the toxic cast doesn’t destroy the ecosystem.”

The answer is very simple actually - there are more bird species in COSTA RICA per square mile than any other country in the world. According to Mongabay.com, there are 838 bird species in Costa Rica, a small country of only 19,800 square miles. This translates to .42 species of birds per square mile. The runner up in this category would be Panama, Costa Rica’s neighbor to the south, which overall has a recorded 904 species (more total species than Costa Rica) but with a total area of 29,762 square miles, so the bird species density in Panama would be .3 per square mile. These figures really shouldn’t surprise anybody!

In Costa Rica (and in Panama) you will find many bird species that are found in either North America or South America, as Central America is a land bridge that connects North America to South America. In fact, over 200 species of birds from North American can be found in Costa Rica during North America’s cold winter months, only to return to their North American homes sometime during the Spring. These birds are called migrants. It is not surprising, that there only 4 bird species endemic to mainland Costa Rica.

While Costa Rica has the most species of bird per square mile, the countries which have the greatest number of bird species are primarily in South America – Colombia is the leader with 1821, followed closely by Peru with 1781 and by Brazil, the South American Giant, with 1712 species. After Brazil, the the rankings continue with Indonesia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela. Now if you take into consideration that Colombia’s total area is 440,000 square miles, that would make the bird species density .04 square mile (compared to Costa Rica’s .4 per square mile). That is a significant difference! Considering that Colombia is 22 times the size of Costa Rica, you will realize why – all things being equal - Costa Rica is considered the best (and most practical) destination for birders in the world!

Other factors which contribute to Costa Rica’s popularity among birders are:

1. It’s a very safe destination
2. Many of the popular birding spots are within 90 minutes – 2 hour radius of the capital, San Jose which is located in the Central Highlands
3. There are many dedicated ecoresorts in the most popular birding areas, many of which cater to birding enthusiasts
4. Ecotourism infrastructure is very advanced

PURA VIDA!

Curiously enough, of the 888 bird species recorded in the USA, more than 1/3 are in Hawaii

Are there any avid birders out there? I need help with the identification of a relatively common bird that I encountered in Costa Rica.

The bird in question was spotted amidst the undergrowth along the roadside in Turrialba Valley - not too far from Guayabo National Monument - about 3500 feet above sea level. Black and fairly small with no distinguishing characteristics to the naked eye, this bird had a relatively stout beak and was observed hopping up and down continuously while emitting a single plaintive note. By hopping up and down, I deduced that the bird was either trying to expose seeds on the ground or scare up some small insects for his next meal (part of the bird’s foraging behavior).

After referring to his bird book and after considerable hesitation, the young bird guide who had accompanied me from Guayabo National Moument claimed that the bird was a Variable Seedeater. I really wasn’t convinced as for such a common bird, an experienced bird guide should not have to refer to his bird book. After doing some investigation of my own – online and looking at my own Costa Rica Bird book – I think the mystery bird may have been either a Blue-Black Grassquit (most likely) or Blue Seedeater. What do you think?

What is there to see in Costa Rica? Close encounters with nature and wildlife!

I have produced a short video on the exotic wildlife of Costa Rica. To make this video, I mixed together a variety of short video clips and digital pictures from my most recent trip. Most of the footage is from Turrialba Valley, Ostional Beach and San Jose’s Culture Plaza. In Turrialba Valley, you’ll observe wasps pollinating a Heliconia at Guayabo Lodge, a sloth foraging in the tree and leafcutter ants on the march at Guayabo National Monument as well as a variety of flycatchers and an unusual hopping black bird by the roadside. In Ostional/Nosara Beach (Nicoya Peninsula), you’ll see a Black Iguana, a Marine Toad and a Great White Heron. The final segment of the video features scenes from San Jose’s popular Culture Plaza which are reminiscent of The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock’s famous thriller. PURA VIDA!

Note: The young bird guide from Guayabo National Monument identified the black hopping bird along the roadside as a Variable Seedeater (see video between 1:40.20 - 2:07). I’m not too sure about this! In any case, the bird’s hopping behavior is either uncovering seeds or exposing small insects for him to eat. The Black Iguana (who I affectionately named Jesus) and the toad were residents of Luna Azul, my hotel in Ostional.