Two exciting new UK challenges

CHARITY challenge operator Global Adventure Challenges has launched two exciting new UK challenges, and is encouraging anyone looking to conquer an iconic UK challenge in 2019 to join them!

The Snowdon at Night and Yorkshire Three Peaks treks will see people of a range of ages and abilities come together to conquer some of the UK’s highest peaks. Whether your goal for the New Year is to build your fitness, raise funds for a cause that’s close to your heart, meet new people or just to step outside your comfort zone, taking part in a challenge is a fantastic way to achieve it!

The Snowdon at Night trek is a challenge with a twist, taking adventurers to the summit of Mount Snowdon by starlight, just in time to witness the sunrise across #Snowdonia National Park. The #Yorkshire Three Peaks trek is a classic UK challenge, taking trekkers to the summit of the Yorkshire Dales’ three highest peaks.

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Picture Credit: BrianTaylor42 Snowdonia via photopin

Grand Canyon West: Open for Visitors

THOSE looking to experience the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon amid the federal government shutdown can do so at Grand Canyon West.

Grand Canyon West is owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe through its Grand Canyon Resort Corporation. Grand Canyon West is not part of the National Park Service. Thus, the tourism center, which attracts more than 1 million visitors each year, has not been at all affected by the current federal government shutdown.

Visitors are welcome to explore the world-famous Skywalk glass bridge, which hovers more than 4,000 feet about the floor of the Grand Canyon. Other Grand Canyon West experiences include Hualapai Ranch, which is a replica of an old western town, and majestic viewpoints like Eagle Point and Guano Point.

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The True Spirit of Alaska

BEAR Viewing in #Alaska with the assistance of Captain Mel Erickson and his famed boat aptly named the Alaskan Gamefisher can help you to discover the true spirit of the location and its natural inhabitants namely the bears. You get the opportunity to watch the beautiful creatures in their own habitat without being threatened in the least.

While Alaskan Brown bear viewing might be your primary objective, the Alaskan Gamefisher enables you to widen your experience by permitting you to fish for the choicest salmon and halibuts in the icy waters of Alaska as well. 

The proficient guides accompanying you are quick to show you the tips and tricks of digging clams while the astounding sight of five magnificent snow-covered volcanic mountains all around the National Park area is sure to make you wonder at the magic of nature.


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Visit the Alps, Down Under

VISITORS to the Alpine National Park can now experience the Bogong High Plains like never before thanks to Parks Victoria’s new Alps Discovery Days at Wallace’s Hut Heritage Trail. The Alps Discovery Days experience will immerse visitors in the cultural heritage of the Bogong High Plains, while showcasing the unique flora and fauna of the Alpine National Park. 

The Volunteer Park Guides will lead both guided tours and more informal chats of Wallace’s hut and the surrounding wetlands between 10am to 2pm during the summer school holidays and on the Easter long weekend in April 2019.

The Alps Discovery Days tours will be available on Thursdays, Saturday and Sunday. They are free, fun and educational for all. To book a place on a Volunteer Park Guide tour, visit www.parkstay.vic.gov.au/alpine-discovery-days or simply arrive at Wallace’s Hut within the designated time.


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Picture Credit: By Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Wallace's Hut, Bogong High Plains, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29767279

Roaring to life in the Blue Mountains

SCENIC World Blue Mountains is a private, family owned tourist attraction located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, about 100 kilometres west of Sydney. 

Their new attraction, Dinosaur Valley has opened, bringing the ancient rainforest to life with prehistoric dinosaurs, daily events and family fun from November 1 – January 28.

Marking the first event of its kind in the Blue Mountains, Dinosaur Valley will take visitors on a journey through time to explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs among towering Jurassic rainforest.

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The Perfect Road Trip

THE perfect road trip involves three people, covers 190 miles and is accompanied by rock music, according to new research by British Airways. To celebrate the airline’s new route to the South African coastal city of #Durban; the gateway to national parks, African plains and safaris, travellers were also asked to name the celebrity they would most like to see in the passenger seat, with James Corden topping the poll (11 per cent), followed by Tom Hanks (9 per cent) and Stephen Fry (9 per cent). 

To be considered a road trip, the journey needs to be at least 190 miles long and last three hours and 42 minutes and the ideal drive should take place in a VW camper van (16 per cent), Range Rover (14 per cent) or Ford Mustang (8 per cent). There needs to be at least one toilet stop every 100 miles, good weather and a reliable sat nav, yet one in three Brits (33 per cent) said getting lost is the fun part of a road trip. 

The study also found that the music played on a road trip is more important than the destination, but your road trip companions topped the list as the most important factor with 62 per cent, closely followed by the scenery outside (60 per cent). 

More than half (57 per cent) of Brits like the idea of a ‘fly drive’ holiday and 35 per cent would happily drive in a foreign country, even if they hadn’t before. 

However, almost half (48 per cent) worry they won’t be able to get used to driving on the other side of the road and 39 per cent worry they won’t be able to read or understand the road signs. 


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Inclusive accessible travel for all

ADVENTURE tour operator, Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia, have claimed another title, this time winning Best Transformational Travel Experience at the 2018 PURE Awards held in September. In 2017 EcoCamp brought the first disabled visitor to explore Torres del Paine and in 2018 their tours became fully inclusive. In January they trekked a wheelchair-using guest around the Park in their uniquely-designed wheelchair.

This is the second year in a row that they have taken home this prize, with their Dientes Trek on Navarino Island winning in 2017. This year their efforts promoting inclusive travel and accessibility in the travel industry helped them earn this award.

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Trek The Peaks and raise money for charity

TrekFest The Peaks returns on Saturday 31 August 2019 in the stunning Peak District National Park. The ultimate UK trekking challenge involves hiking in the rugged countryside for either 25km or 50km, whilst raising vital funds for the charity of your choice.  This year’s TrekFest The Peaks was a huge success, with over 1200 people signing up – and 2019 is going to be even bigger and better!

Company Director at Global Adventure Challenges, Peter Robinson said: “Since launching TrekFest in 2013, it has quickly become our most popular event - with a record number of trekkers joining us on our 2018 challenge. TrekFest is a fantastic opportunity to take on an adventure whilst supporting a cause you’re passionate about. Since its launch in 2013, TrekFest has raised an amazing £2 million for charities nationwide.

www.trekfest.org.uk

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Saving Patagonia's legendary Torres Trail

SOUTHERN Explorations, specializing in crafting custom small-group trips and itineraries to Latin America, has partnered with the Torres del Paine Legacy Fund to help save Patagonia's legendary Torres Trail. 

Visits to the trail in world-renowned Torres del Paine National Park have rapidly increased. The trail can now receive as many as one thousand hikers a day. Such intensive use has resulted in serious deterioration of the trail and addressing these impacts is now an urgent priority.

Under its partnership agreement with the Chilean National Forest Corporation (CONAF), the Legacy Fund has joined AMA Torres del Paine to launch the "Tu Mejor Huella para el Paine" (Your best footprint for Paine) campaign.

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Accessible Yosemite National Park

WITH the reopening of the Mariposa Grove this summer, Yosemite National Park unveiled a natural area that’s both free of commercial operations, and accessible to wheelchair-users and slow walkers. And those features are highlighted in the second edition of Candy B. Harrington’s popular title, Barrier-Free Travel; Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for Wheelers and Slow Walkers.


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Yosemite Valley reopens following recent wildfires

CONDITIONS in California's High Sierra region around Yosemite National Park have allowed Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to reopen to visitors with vastly improved air quality.

Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta today issued the following statement regarding wildfires in the vicinity of Yosemite National Park:

"Today's reopening of Yosemite Valley is immensely encouraging – both for the thousands of travelers with plans to visit the area this summer and the communities that rely on visitors to fuel their economies.

"Yosemite is one of California's most iconic experiences for residents and visitors alike, and now is the time to visit.

"Though other wildfires continue to burn in some remote areas of the state, California is safe to travel to and travelers can access information about all Golden State destinations at VisitCalifornia.com"

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Picture credit: By Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30101374

A truly unique experience

THE Masaya Volcano National Park in Nicaragua offers visitors the rare and unique opportunity to see an active volcano up close. It’s the only volcano in the western hemisphere where you are able to drive right up to the edge and one of only 11 volcanoes in the world with an active lava lake.

The volcano has erupted several times in history, feared by both the indigenous people and Spanish conquerors. The Spanish baptized the volcano “La Boca del Infierno” or “The mouth of hell”. 

ORO Travel offer the rare opportunity to experience the volcano at night an amazing photo opportunity.

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Picture credit: Amaury Laporte Red Hot Flowing Lava 81 via photopin

Terranova

TURTLE Season is about to start in the Tortuguero National Park. Visit to see this natural wonder, enjoy the impressive rainforests and the abundant wildlife. 

The place is breath-taking and the turtle season enhances this magnificent place filled with exotic flora and abundant wildlife. There are several choices to stay comfortably and enjoy leisure and rest while delighting in the pure life of #CostaRica.

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Explore East Africa

AFRICA is becoming an increasing popular tourist #destination and those who love nature and wildlife love to explore this amazing continent. However, East #Africa is still unexplored by many African safari lovers and Augustine Tours is bringing these beautiful destinations within reach.

The most popular tour offered by Augustine Tours Limited is an exciting seven-day trip to Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. The trip will take these tourists to the hills, parks, lakes and other historical, natural and cultural destinations of these amazing African destinations. 

The company also arranges trips to Tanzania and Kenya, which are already some of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa. 


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Canada's best kept secret

CANADA'S best-kept secret is being shouted from the roof-tops of social media as more and more Aussies discover Canada’s beating heart in its central province of Manitoba. With its rolling prairieland in the south, sub-arctic tundra in the north and the rugged terrain of the pristine lakes region, Aussie road trippers are living the dream. 

#Manitoba is Canada’s sixth-largest province, has more than 100,000 lakes and a population of 1.2 million. It is bordered on the north by Nunavut Territory, on the west by Saskatchewan, on the east by Ontario and on the south by North Dakota and Minnesota. While considered one of Canada’s Prairie provinces, Manitoba actually has three distinct geographical zones: the agricultural triangle in the south; the sub-arctic tundra in the far north; and the predominant Precambrian Shield with its rugged terrain and thousands of pristine lakes. 

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Picture Credit: By Green slash at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67877145

Stunning Slovenian landscapes

SLOVENIA'S Julian Alps have been announced as one of the world’s top three must visit regions in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018. The Julian Alps feature alongside world leading regions including Alaska, Italy’s Aeolian Islands and Kii Peninsula in Japan.

Beautiful alpine landscapes with over two-thirds of the region protected by the Triglav National Park and one of the best regions in which to see wild flowers in Europe. The Triglav National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Europe, is renowned for its unique natural heritage with hikes taking visitors past sights including the Peričnik waterfall.

Home to some of the country’s most iconic sights including Lake Bled and its medieval castle, adrenalin seekers can explore the area via kayak or raft with the Soca Valley perfect for white water rafting and water sports. 

A haven for winter sports with impeccably maintained slopes and some of the best-value skiing in Europe. On the edge of the Triglav National Park find the picturesque resort of Vogel providing panoramic views over Lake Bohinj. On the outskirts of the National Park is Kranjska Gora, named the best value ski resort in Europe in the Post Office’s annual price survey, a resort perfect for families with a range of slopes.

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Happy to have you . . .

THE Old Stocks Inn in Stow-on-the-Wold have been announced in The Caterer's 'Best Places to Work in Hospitality 2018'. The hotel have taken the 8th place in this year's, recognising them as one of the best in the industry.

The Old Stocks Inn operates within a 17th century coaching inn which lies in the heart of the stunning #Cotswolds National Park. The Inn consists of a bar and restaurant along with their 16-bedroom boutique hotel which has recently been refurbished to incredible standards.

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Exotic journeys in India and Nepal

THE thick forests of #India and #Nepal host some of the most exotic and rare #wildlife species in the world. The sub-continent has thousands of verity of animals including over 350 mammals, 1500 bird species and 50,000 plant species, many of these are unique to the sub-continent.

Exotic Journeys’ offers safaris to the most popular Tiger Reserves and National Parks including Ranthambhore, Bandhavgarh, Kaziranga, Gir National Park, Periyar, Kabini, Chitwan, Periyar, Sariska, Jim Corbett, Kanha and many others.

The wildlife authorities restrict the number of visitors as well as the size of lodges in the parks in order to follow the laws of conservation and maintain the pristine environ without disturbing the natural habitat.

Wildlife enthusiasts may select one Tiger Reserve or national park for a 4-day safari or opt for multiple sanctuaries for greater possibilities of tiger sightings. 

Exotic Journeys is offering 15% savings on 4-day safari and 20% savings on longer safaris. Book a safari by October 5, 2018 and travel any time by December 31, 2019.




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Welcome Back!

BANYAN Tree Jiuzhaigou is set to reopen to guests on April 28th this year following the reopening of Jiuzhaigou National Park in early March after 7 months of post-quake reconstruction efforts. A UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the mountainous region of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou National Park is famous for its otherworldly beauty and diverse ethnic cultures.

Opened officially in March 2017, Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou is a picturesque mountain retreat 2,500 metres above sea level. Located 2.5 hours away from Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport and a 60-minute drive from Jiuzhaigou National Park, the resort allows guests easy access to the nature reserve while providing a Sanctuary for the Senses away from the hustle and bustle of city life and tourist crowds.

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Just a 45 minute boat ride . . .

FITZROY Island Resort will undergo a $2.5 million refurbishment and expand its Great Barrier Reef experiences to include diving and sunset cruises. Rainforest-clad Fitzroy Island is just a 45-minute boat ride from Cairns city and where you will find secluded Nudey Beach, Australian’s Best Beach for 2018. 

A National Park with rainforest walks and a summit hike to the lighthouse, the island is home to the volunteer-run Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre where visitors can meet Jet, an eight-year-old green sea turtle rescued off Fitzroy Island in July 2017. Fitzroy Island Resort is also supporting the Reef Restoration Foundation with the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef’s first offshore coral nursery in the island’s waters. 

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