Beach Travel News - Page 62
Resorts and conservation agencies throughout Florida and the Bahamas and Caribbean afford various opportunities for travelers to experience the primitive, humbling rituals of sea turtle nesting and hatching. Just to see one of the prehistoric behemoths, which can weigh in at up to 2,000 pounds, thrills even the most wildlife-blasé. On a recent trip, I got to witness a whole new generation of sea turtles come to life. Three fellow travelers and I arrived to Galley Bay resort on the Caribbean island, Antigua, in midnight blackness and decided to have a nightcap in the open-air bar. As we were winding down from a day of travel, a resort staff guy popped up and asked our help with a nest of hatching sea turtles. Being Floridians, we immediately identified the turtles as leatherbacks (the largest of sea turtle species) and saw the problem was a spotlight on the beach. We repeatedly asked to shut it off, but instead he handed us a flashlight to lead the hatchlings to sea. The four of us and staffers finally rounded up the 20-some babies, determined to head toward the spotlight. The adventure exhausted and enchanted us, and suddenly there was another nest emerging, but the flashlight had burned out. So using cell phones and powers of persuasion, we coerced the hatchlings, the size and charm of a baby’s footprint, into the sea. If you're thinking about making a trip to see sea turtles hatch or see them in their natural habitat, it's good to know what to expect. This list works its way from most observational to most interactive experiences. You don’t necessarily have to enjoy them in this order, but the steps will prepare you in the best way.
Pleasures don’t come much simpler than a zip line. But something magical happens when you stretch a cable over a great span and glide—using only gravity and a harness—across a gorgeous natural landscape like a bird on the wing. Historically, zip lines were purely functional, often used to deliver goods across great distances in mountainous countries. Then, in the 1970s, researchers in Costa Rica began to realize the potential of these cables and began stringing them up through the rainforests as a way to get around more quickly and easily. It wasn’t long before they started to see the great tourism potential of their newest mode of transportation, which allows for both an adrenaline rush and a great learning experience. Enthusiasts will assure you that riding on different zip lines can be like tasting the subtle nuances in unique bottles of wine. Thanks to variables like length, height, altitude, angle and speed, each zipline has its own character. You might encounter one that’s meandering, scenic and family-friendly. Or, like a barrelling roller coaster with a one-track mind, there are others that are speed demons, rushing back to Earth at up to 100 mph. And, like in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. Once confined to tropical destinations like Central America, commercial zip lines and canopy tours made their way to America for the first time in 2002. Now you’ll find them everywhere from a slate quarry in Wales to an underground mine in Kentucky to a former Olympic stadium in Utah to an archaeological park surrounding Angkor Wat. We’ve collected some of the longest, fastest, steepest and most unique zip lines in the world—now get zipping!
Imagine sitting on a deserted beach in the crystal clear water with a stingray tickling your toes, the palm trees swaying. That was after a beach picnic lunch of the fish we’d just caught that morning. Talk about catch of the day! Welcome to The Bahamas. Summer is a great time to visit, with hotel rates as much as 40 percent less. Watch more from Eileen Ogintz. And if you thought all there was to the Bahamas was Atlantis and the Nassau you see when your cruise ship stops there, think again. I actually had my toes tickled by a stingray on a deserted beach in the Abacos Islands. This is the real Caribbean—calm waters, warm breezes, spectacular white sand beaches --and no people. I’ve gone bone fishing and gotten up close and personal with swimming pigs in the Exumas, I danced with local kids and got a lesson in making conch salad on a Friday night at Port Lucaya Marketplace on Grand Bahama Island. I was hosted by a local Abaco family for a Bahamian feast through the People-to-People Experience that connects visitors with locals—at no charge. Cruisers can sign up to spend the day with a local Nassau volunteer when their ship is in port and see a different Nassau. This year, you can join in the Bahamas’ 40th anniversary celebration of independence. Independence Day is actually July 10, but there will be celebrations and special events all summer long—concerts, regattas, parades and more. I just got back from touring some of the Bahamian Islands. Here’s how to make the most of your time: