Category Archives: Travel Tips

Do You Need A Visa?

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I don’t mean the kind you carry in your wallet, I mean the kind that some countries stamp on your passport.  Birders travel to very exotic destinations and visa requirements vary widely from one country to another depending on your nationality.  Here’s a tool you can use to check if you need a visa.

Let’s check some random destinations for birders and eco-tourists.

1.  American traveling to Brazil

You can see the complete result of the query here, but this is it in a nutshell – yes Americans need a visa to travel to Brazil.

2.  Australian traveling to Indonesia

Yes, Australians DO need a visa but check this out – they can get it on arrival at most major airports.  The Brazlian query above didn’t have that so that means they need to get the visa at a consulate.

3.  British traveling to Costa Rica

This is where it really gets interesting!  UK citizens do not require a visa to enter Costa Rica for 9o days but they DO need a visa to transit the USA even if they are only making a flight connection without leaving the airport.  Fortunately, this is very easy to get online and it’s called an ESTA, but it does cost around $15.

 

If the British traveler finds a direct flight to Costa Rica without transiting the USA, they won’t need the ESTA, nor do they need a visa for Costa Rica in any case as long as the trip is less than 30 days.  Note that they also require you have sufficient funds to support yourself while in Costa Rica but they will accept credit cards as proof.  In real life, you are unlikely to be questioned unless you look really down and out, pretty hard for a birder to do with all the camera gear we carry!

 

OK, I need a visa, so where do I get one?

Best place to start is by Googling “Country name visa” in either the capital city of your country or the largest city near you.

Why You Shouldn’t Go Birding In The Amazon Without A Guide

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The Amazon jungle is a dream destination for most birders, full of stunning exotic birds and animals!  Nowhere else on earth can you have such amazing adventures, even on a low budget.  Just don’t practice the false economy of going there without a guide.  It may be tempting to take a bus to a village on the Amazon, think you can hire a boat and go off in search of that one endemic on your “Lifer List” but don’t do it without a LOCAL guide, even if you are strong, fit and think you know what you are doing like Kevin Gale!  Their biggest mistake was ignoring the advice of the locals and heading off anyway and trusting Karl to know what he was doing when he was basically full of hot air.  Who survives?  Who doesn’t?  Here’s what happened to these young adventurers in Bolivia!

Don’t Fall Prey To A Pickpocket On Your Big Adventure!

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No matter how humble your income and lifestyle may be considered back home;  in many countries we travel to as eco-tourists we look like rich people.  You may be safe from worry about thieves (other than parrots and monkeys) once you reach your lodge, but you still have to get from the airport to the train/bus station and maybe visit a market before heading out.  This is where you need to be on your guard against pickpockets.  Watch this video to see just how easy it is for pickpockets to get your wallet without you even realizing!

 

The obvious solution is don’t put your wallet in your back pocket!  So where do you put it?  We use Scottevests and carry our money and valuable in one of the inside pockets.  Of course that wouldn’t help if you are attacked with a knife or gun but the majority of thieves in cities will be sneaky pickpockets and bag snatchers.  If you keep the Scottevest zipped up until you need your wallet, it is practically impossible for anyone to reach your wallet.  It’s always best to leave your valuables in a hotel safe bust sometimes you can’t if you are enroute from your gateway city to the nature reserve.  Since we usually travel to warm climates, I like to bring the lightweight jacket with zip-off sleeves for added comfort.

Scottevest

 

 

Disclosure:  These are affiliate links and I get a small commission if you use my link to buy something.  If you do, thank you so much for supporting this blog!

My Carry-On Bag-Backpack

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Some aspects of travel are just not as much fun as others.  The one thing I absolutely HATE is checking bags.  Some airlines will even charge a fee for this.   And then you have to wait around at the destination for it to come out of the carousel–IF it comes out of the carousel!  I just prefer to carry on my bag even if my free award ticket allows me to check a bag for free.  This is the bag my husband and I have been using for the last 2 years and we both love them!

It’s amazing how much you can pack inside one of these Motherlodes!  I can easily get my camera, lenses and usual clothing inside and have room left over for souvenirs!  They are on sale now and come in 7 colours.  I like the green one as it’s so easy to keep track of.  It really makes things easy when we are hiking on a small footpath to get to a jungle lodge.  They also have a laptop pouch in the back which is very well hidden from a potential thief as it sits between your back and the main section of the bag.  It’s very versatile and converts from a bag with a handle to a backpack.  I’ve always preferred backpacks and I don’t care if people stare at me in the lounge.  When it comes to mobility, this bag just makes it so easy to escape the airport and deal with public transport at the destination.  The dimensions (9 x 22 x 14 inches; 4.4 pounds) are designed to maximize your carry-on allowance and be as light as possible, no wheels to add weight, although they do make a similar product with wheels which you can see if you click on the link.

Since most flights also have a weight restriction with the carry-on, I use this bag in conjunction with a Scottevest and put the heavier items in the Scottevest.  Once on the plane, I can easily put the Scottevest along with it’s contents in the Motherlode.

***Please note that this link gives me a small commission at no additional cost to you.  For more information about the Scottevest, please click on the links in this post or on the right side banner ad.  I am happy to answer any questions you may have about these products as I use them in all our trips.

Why Even Innocent Eco-Tourists Should Be Careful

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Is anyone else addicted to the Nat Geo series “Banged Up Abroad” aka “Locked Up Abroad“?   I am!  In most cases, the people locked up are involved in drug trafficking and deserve their punishment.  But sometimes, even innocent eco-tourists can stumble into a bad situation, so take a lesson from these Orchid Hunters (who were traveling in Panama which is also a birder’s haven) and be careful where you travel to!

 

Recap – Building Your Eco-Tourism Adventure

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Over the past couple of weeks, I have shown you the different elements to consider when building your customized ecotourism adventure and how to facilitate it with miles and points so you have more to spend on the eco-lodges and supporting the local economies.  During the course of this blog, I will be adding MANY destinations that are ideal for birders and eco-travelers in general but this is a good start!

 

1.  Identify the goal of your trip.  What bird species are you most interested in?  Are birds the only focus or do you want other animals too?  Use the right guidebooks and resources to help you plan.  Use the maps in the book to help you locate the best places to see your target species.

2.  Be familiar with airline alliances.  There are 3 alliances:  Star Alliance, One World and Sky Team.  Know which one can get you to your destination as easily and cheaply as possible.  Check this example of using miles to get to Lima, Peru.  Know how to use airline partners such as credit cards, online shopping malls and services you already use such as phone companies, internet providers, supermarkets and insurance companies to get free miles for paying for things you already use.  Don’t shop more, shop smarter!  Check the resources tab at the top of this blog for advice on this.

3.  Know how to save money by using hotel points for free nights at the gateway city before you head off into the bush.  Depending on your flight schedule, you may need a gateway hotel in your home country before the flight and/or the destination country between your international connection and domestic flight to the staging point.  See this example of Lima, Peru.

4.  Research how exactly you get to your main destination.  Can you fly?  Drive?  Take a bus or riverboat?  Or maybe a combination?  What do you have to pay for and what is included in the cost of your eco-lodge’s package.  See this example of Tambopata National Reserve for ideas on how to do this.

5.  Know how to choose an eco-lodge in an area where there are many options available.  How do you find the various options?  See this example of Tambopata National Reserve’s lodges and how I analyzed an area where there are a lot of choices and sorted them out by my priorities.

6.  Read as many reviews as possible of the lodges and try to get a feel of the people who posted them.  For example, one lodge may get a bad review because they were too remote and hard to get to by someone who likes more of a bar/social scene.  Or one lodge may get a bad review because there were or were not facilities for kids.  Trip Advisor, Fat Birder and Surfbirds all have lodge reviews or trip reports from people of all walks of life so try to find reviews by people who are similar to you.  Here is a review I did for Tambopata Research Center.  My priorities were sustainable, helping conservation efforts, abundance of parrots and other birds and preferably adults or at least teens only(no small kids).  Remoteness, social life not an issue but I did need to keep in a budget.  They have packages of various sizes to suit most anyone.

7.  If you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask questions!  Use the comments on any of my posts if you have a specific question or want to request advice on a specific location.

Shopping To Support Conservation – Peru

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Tis the season to shop, so why not give some wonderful gifts that in turn give back to the environment?  If you go to Peru to see the macaw clay lick in the Tambopata National Reserve, you will find these beautiful wall-hangings called arpilleras being sold at the airport gift shops and in some of the lodges. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t buy more of these when I was there and also some of the other crafts they have as they are absolutely gorgeous!

But even if you don’t have a trip planned, you can still get one of these gorgeous artworks for yourself or as a gift for someone!

  These are handmade by indigenous artisans in the jungles of Peru. Each wall-hanging is an original; hand-sewn and unique.  Your purchase will aid local communities and protect wild areas.  These amazing one-of-a-kind fabric artworks support indigenous communities which in turn protect their local clay licks – an arrangement that benefits parrots and humans alike. Funds raised from each sale encourage this sustainable trade.  There is more information here about how arpilleras support conservation and ecotourism.

OK, so now you want one (or 10) and you don’t plan to go to Peru in the near future?  Don’t worry!  They can be ordered from the World Parrot Trust and you have a choice of a USA based store and the UK/Worldwide based store.  All profits go to support their conservation projects that save wild parrots around the world.  I have seen many wild parrots rescued and returned to the wild because of World Parrot Trust over the years.

I have 4 arpilleras in my home and they are treasured featured artworks in my bird room.  If you can’t go to the rainforest, why not bring the rainforest to you?   (And then plan a trip there in the future!)

Top Travel Gear Outfitter – Scottevest Offers 30% Off For Cyber Monday!

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GEARING UP FOR YOUR ADVENTURE

I’ve been a traveler for many years.  I first started as a budget backpacker in the 80’s and 90’s, then when I discovered the world of miles and points I upgraded myself to more of a flashpacker.  My husband and I usually travel in business class for long haul these days and we stay in 4 and 5 star hotels at gateway cities before heading off to our eco-lodge in the rainforest.  The one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of traveling light.  Many times, you will be transported to your lodge down a river in a small boat and they won’t have room for large suitcases.  Also, most airlines have extra fees for checked bags.  That is why we both now travel with only one carry-on and the most versatile travel gear on the planet – the Scottevest!

As birders, we have heavy camera gear, lenses, a laptop and guidebooks in addition to normal clothing.  Many airlines have such a small carry-on allowance such as 5-7kg, we would be stuck having to check a bag and risk damage to our gear if we didn’t have the Scottevest to help us sneak the extra gear onboard.  I usually put my netbook in the left pocket, some people put an iPad  or a Kindle there.  I have my iPhone in the top left pocket and documents in the pocket below.  I may have an extra lens in the right pocket or a sandwich if the airline doesn’t serve food.  My husband will have his pockets stuffed with birding guides, maps and any travel guidebooks.  We are never asked to weigh our Scottevests on check in and security doesn’t care as long as we don’t have LAGs or other no-nos.    They are very versatile for all weather conditions and have zip-off sleeves to turn a jacket into a vest.

 

Here we have an X-Ray view of both sides of a Scottevest so you can see exactly how much you can carry in one of these!

 

Scottevest has both a men’s and a women’s line with just about anything you could ask for-jackets, vests, pants, shorts, hats and many different travel accessories.  So what could be better than traveling with a Scottevest?  Getting 30% off on Cyber Monday!  Click on any of the images to visit their website.

***Disclosure:  I am a marketing affiliate of Scottevest and receive a commission on sales generated through my link.  I wouldn’t be recommending this product if I didn’t use it myself and absolutely love it!  Thank you for using my link!