Posts Tagged ‘Adventure Travel’

By Dian Hasan | January 15, 2010

Calling out all Biking Adventure lovers: Destination Sulawesi, a 525 km adventure route in and around Tana Toraja (Feb 1 – 13, 2010)

Indonesia is renowned as the last eden on earth, home to the second largest rainforest biodiversity after the Amazon. Adventure awaits at every corner, replete with among the friendliest people in the world and a culture and fiery cuisine like no other.

They say the closer you get to the ground and to the people, the better to appreciate their culture. Such is the philosophy behind Cycle Sulawesi, a 13-day biking adventure tour organized by Jakarta & Sydney-based Cycle Indonesia.

Colin Freestone, Founder of Cycle Indonesia, is avid cyclist, die-hard Yoga practitioner, and old Indonesia hand, will be your guide par excellence. Mr. Freestone, who happens to be my uncle, will lead the group tour through Tana Toraja’s famed natural beauty and her unique culture. This is Cycle Indonesia’s second year, after last year’s successful debut (see pictures below), which was a much longer trip covering Makassar to Tana Toraja (27 days, 1,200 km)

Other activities include: Daily Yoga Sessions lead by in-house guru, Mr. Freestone himself. Trekking, Rafting, Village Stays and a chance to dabble into Bahasa Indonesia.
ARE YOU GAME? To learn more about pricing and registration, click here. Or email Colin Freestone of Cycle Indonesia at: cycle_indonesia@bigpond.com.au Read the rest of this entry »

By Dian Hasan | October 20, 2009

Not bad for a day's catch. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

For the seasoned Bali visitor who yearns to explore all the Isle of Gods has to offer (even an extended vacation will never suffice) and anyone who is intrigued by unique travel experience, with some fishing thrown in, here’s a Safari Camp like no other.

Join Cyrus Boyum and Michael Owen, two American adventurers and fishing aficionados for a safari camp to Grajagan, East Java, for some serious Ulua fishing. For the novice, Ulua is Giant Trevally. All fishing trips depart from Bali.Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures. And while in the area you can always go surfing at the world-famous G-Land.

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By Dian Hasan | October 12, 2009

The animal world is more captivating than ever. With the explosion of media, especially TV programs dedicated to animals and wildlife, and with a big help from the internet, information about animals have become readily available like never before. The most intelligent of animals, apes, are of particularly interest, as they… well, remind us so much about ourselves.

With continued research we are learning about just how intelligent they are. Recent research indicate that Orang Utans have the ability to heal themselves with self-made medication when they are sick, making concoctions of herbs and leaves they find in the forest. An interesting find indeed, as research has demonstrated that Orang Utans in the wild are healthier than those in captivity, that are more prone to ailments. Germs passed from humans are one reason to blame. The fact that Orang Utans recognize which plants to use for medication is fascinating. You can get involved by becoming a volunteer to work with these fuzzy, cuddly & friendly Man of the Forest (Malay translation of Orang Utan)!

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By Dian Hasan | October 3, 2009

Peponi Hotel, a small family-run hotel on the unspoiled Swahili island of Lamu just off Kenya’s coast.

Sitting at the entrance of the Shela channel that runs between Manda and Lamu Islands, to the south of the hotel lies a 12km stretch of beach open to the full force of the Indian Ocean. Traditional Arab Dhow sail boats still ply the waters, as they have for hundreds of years. The sight of these boats leaving the harbor at dusk, with their sails’ silhouette against the sunset is simply magnificent. To the north is Lamu town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that sits in a time warp, where the streets are just wide enough for a fully laden donkey to pass, the perfect place to explore Swahili culture and the town’s rich history as a spice trade hub.

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Casa Quetzal is located in the historical center of the Colonial City of Valladolid in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Valladolid is in the heart of the Mayan world. If you are interested in history or nature, this is the perfect place to discover endless Mayan archeological sites, colonial convents, and the amazing Cenote watering holes, which are typical from this magic Mayan region. Read the rest of this entry »

By Dian Hasan | October 7, 2009

La Pleta is an luxury health hotel located in the heart of the Pyrenees, in the Baqueira-Beret Ski Resort. One of Spain’s premier 5-star ski hotel, and a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

La Pleta is a 3-hour drive from Barcelona, located on slopes at a height of 1,750 meters above sea level. The hotel is surrounded by some breathtaking picturesque mountain scenery. Managed by Rafael Hotels, La Pleta is the Pyrenees leading destination, an ideal base for winter sports and summer leisure activities.

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By Dian Hasan | October 7, 2009

Explora started life as Chile’s leading adventure tour operator, taking world travelers to witness her majestic – and diverse – landscapes that are distinctively different. Atacama Desert in the north and the world-famous Patagonia in the south that leads to the southernmost tip of Tierra del Fuego.

Evolving into hotels was a natural progression for Explora. And it opened its first – Hotel Salto Chico in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, in 1993. Following its success, Hotel de Larache opened five years later in the Atacama Desert, and in December 2007 the newest hotel, Posada de Mike Rapu, opened on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Posada Mike Rapu is Chile’s first LEED-certified property, Chile’s first when it opened.

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By Dian Hasan | October 5, 2009

Malawi may be a small land-locked country in Africa whose claim to fame in recent times is probably Madonna’s adopting a Malawi orphan. There is of course more to the country, blessed with a natural beauty, although less known for its safaris, compared to her neighbors Kenya and Tanzania. And not having a coast doesn’t stop Malawi to mesmerize with her beautiful beaches on Lake Malawi. Pumulani Lodge is your perfect base to explore her natural assets.

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By Dian Hasan | July 27, 2009

If there’s any similarity between Hollywood movie-making and hotel creation, it’s this: they take years to plan, scout and develop, and require so many logistical challenges along the way that simply to finish one, to say nothing of a whole trilogy, is possibly enough achievement for a lifetime. The trilogy here comes from Francis Ford Coppola whose movie-making accolades now include the new roles of vintner and hotelier.

And a very specific hotelier at that, creating exquisite eco resorts. Coppola is now on his third and last of trilogy of eco resorts in Central America, with La Lancha, on Lake Peten Itzá, near Tikal, in Guatemala.

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By Dian Hasan | September 29, 2009

Cars have always played a major role in our lives, as well as in pop culture. Marking certain milestones and historic eras. And we’ll all admit to relating personally to our vehicles.

One such vehicle that is synonymous with the care-free hippie movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, is the VW Combi Van. A vehicle forever linked and etched into San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood, Jimmy Hendrix, and Woodstock on the East Coast. Replete with the Peace Sign and… a flower in your hair!

And while the US population of the VW Combi Vas has dwindled, Europe still has a few. And retrofitted as an RV (Recreational Vehicle) for the modern age too. So anytime you itch for some nostalgia, you can rent one of these RVs that are about the size of an American RV’s cooler box… and hit the road. After all, everything in Europe is smaller and more quaint, making for a truly unique travel experience.

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