Posts Tagged ‘Taking’

Taking a Family Holiday in Ibiza

The small Island of Ibiza, part of the Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain, is home to some 84,000 people yet attracts more than 10 times that number of holiday makers annually. Ibiza is most famous for its nightlife and thousands of partygoers are drawn to the island every year by top name DJs playing at some of the worlds biggest and best clubs. However Ibiza offers more to see and do besides drinking and dancing and is perfect for family holidays…

Ibiza is approximately a two and a half hour flight from the UK and flights depart from all the major UK airports throughout the summer.

The high season in Ibiza for the nightclubs is between August 1st and September 15th. If you are embarking on a family holiday in Ibiza at this time you should avoid booking a holiday in Ibiza town, Playa d’en Bossa and the hostels and apartments in San Antonio. These are all popular with clubbers and will get very lively and noisy at night time.

The resorts of Santa Eulalia, Es Cana and Cala Llonga on the east coast, San Antonio Bay and Cala Vadella on the west coast, and Portinatx in the north are all suitable for families throughout the summer. Journey times from the airport are approximately 40 to 50 minutes for the east coast resorts; 30 minutes to the resorts in the west and around an hour to reach Portinatx. The ideal way to get around the island is to arrange holiday car hire; however regular buses and taxis are available from the airport. The normal taxis carry a maximum of four people and will not usually be able to provide safety seats for children so it may be necessary for you to book a private transfer.

With temperatures rising above 30ºC in the height of summer and even water temperatures reaching 25-27 ºC, the beach is the ideal place to be. The waters of Ibiza are amongst the cleanest in the Mediterranean with many of the beaches repeatedly awarded the EEC blue flag denoting cleanliness and safety. The beaches at Cala Tarida near San Antonio Bay and Cala Portinatx both possess this coveted award and are very popular with families, while the very shallow water and lifeguards at Sa Caleta make it ideal for young children, although it can get busy at weekends.

Young children will also enjoy the play parks and play areas in Playa d’en Bossa, San Antonio Bay and Cala Llonga. Here you will find climbing frames, trampolines and plently of enclosed, safe space for children to run around and play. Also look out for the mini trains that make frequent tours of the countryside.

For older children, the Aguamar water park in Playa d’en Bossa is very popular. The park features 7 sets of water flumes and a huge swimming pool. Entrance fees to the park are approximately €18 for adults and children over 12 and €10 for younger children. For more aquatic fun you can enjoy a variety of water sports in Ibiza including windsurfing, sailing, pedaloes, banana boats and parasailing. Also worth a visit is the medieval Eivissa castle at D’alt Villa which overlooks Ibiza town.

Other attractions in Ibiza include glass bottomed boat trips for a unique view of the marine life, a round of golf at the Ibiza golf course in Roca Llisa (beware the rather steep green fees), shopping in Ibiza town or simply driving around the island to admire the beautiful countryside.

Taking the Tamiami Trail. Unique wildlife in the Florida Everglades

In the south west corner of Florida lie the Everglades, 7 million acres of low-lying wetlands, a unique and delicate ecosystem of huge ecological importance.  Constantly under threat from human activity, the area supports a unique variety of animal and plant life.

Driving along the Tamiami Trail, beneath a dull grey sky, we were surrounded by an endlessly flat and seemingly uninspiring landscape.  From Lake Okeechobee in the North, the land slopes only 2 inches per mile as it edges towards the Gulf of Mexico.  But the mix of land and sea, salt water with fresh and the constant ebb and flow of the seasons make the Everglades dramatically surprising.

The rainy season begins in May, flooding the lake to create a sheet river system, which drains off slowly over a period of months.  We went out canoeing in the peace and quiet of the mangrove swamps for a couple of hours, although the truly adventurous can take a week to navigate the Wilderness Waterway.  Easily visible in the clear waters were the distinctive roots of the mangrove tree, adapted to survive in the watery, salty swamp where other trees would drown.

Turning off the Trail to the Everglades National Park we found deserted, dusty Wagon Wheel Road.  This former logging trail, abandoned when logging was stopped in 1950, is now guarded by alligators.  Hoards of these big reptiles float in the roadside river and lounge on the banks.  I swear they watched our every step, and they moved horribly fast when disturbed.

We stayed in Everglades City, a former Pioneer camp consisting of a pub, a school and an ice cream parlour.  The town has hardly changed since the 19th century but our accommodation in a log cabin was nicely cosy.

The next day we took a boat trip into the Ten Thousand Island Archipelago, finding amongst the tiny tree covered islands, snowy egrets, great blue heron and nesting osprey.  We also saw dolphins, shy to perform here, but better by far than in a tank somewhere.

North of the town is Big Cypress Swamp, a huge area of sandy islands, wet prairies, dry prairies, marshes and estuarine mangrove forests.  The cypress cover about a third of the swamp, growing in the big long strands which give the area its name.  We took one of the area’s boardwalks skirting the edge of this huge, primeval area, looking out for a Florida panther or black bears.  I’m not sure if I was disappointed to see only a couple of shy deer playing hide and seek as they watched us pass.  We also saw mahogany, tropical hardwood hammocks and the alarming strangling fig.  This last seeds itself in another tree then grows downwards to the earth, wrapping its unsuspecting host in a hand-like iron grip.

After only a couple of days we left the area, rejoining the modern world, a world which sadly exists in direct competition to the life of the Everglades.

Taking A Bird Watching Vacation

Bird watching has quickly become one of the most popular hobbies in the World. What at one time was just a backyard interest has now grown into extensive bird watching vacations. When looking for a bird watching vacation, you can choose from one as simple as a weekend getaway or you can elect to go on one as long as a 14-day extravaganza full of rare and interesting birds to watch.

There are more than 1000 different species of birds in the United States alone, all of which are unique in their own way. Each species of bird has their own call pattern, sound, shape, and even a different beak. As a bird watcher, you may only have about a half a second to identify a bird by seeing how it moves through the trees, or by the shape of its wings. For the amateur bird watcher, it can be frustrating out there alone, not knowing what to look for, or what type of bird you have found. That is why a bird watching vacation can be quite an adventure for you, as well as a time for you to learn a hobby that you may soon fall in love with. Usually bird watching vacations are guided tours with a large group of people who enjoy helping others discover the love of bird watching.

Where to Go On a Bird Watching Vacation

The possibilities are endless when deciding where to go on a bird watching vacation. Here are just a few choices that have been rated some of the best bird watching vacation spots in the World. Costa Rica has often been considered the Mecca of bird watching. With such exquisite locations as the reserve of Bosque de Paz and the La Ensenada refuge, Costa Rica is one of the most popular bird watching vacation spots to be found.

South Africa frequently offers bird watching vacations to Kruger Park, Pretoria, Hluhuwe Game Reserve, and everywhere in between. Birders can experience a great variety of local birds, migrants, and endemic birds that make up the almost 850 species that can be found in this stunning location.

During a winter bird watching vacation, you may want to find yourself on the sandy beaches of The Grand Bahama Island. Grand Bahama Island has the distinction of being the 2nd most bird-populated island in the Bahamas. The Rand Nature Centre is home to West Indian Flamingos, Red-legged Thrushes, the endangered Bahama parrot, as well as numerous other species of birds. While kayaking in the crystal clear water you will have the chance to see rare birds that live in the Mangrove swamps, and the Caribbean Pine Forest.

Opportunities are plenty on any of these bird watching vacations. It is up to you to choose the one that takes you both to a beautiful location and one that will thrill the bird enthusiast within you.