In Chiang Mai, a province of northern Thailand, jungle excursions to see Karen hill tribe villages are a popular tourist attraction. However, these excursions fail to provide a full and accurate picture of the Karen people, whose struggle to survive has been called a “forgotten story” by CNN. There are 148,000 refugees living in the […]
With Colombia’s most popular theme park dedicated to the coffee bean, it was only a matter of time before a park opened in recognition of the country’s other lucrative cash crop. “Here begins a truly wild adventure,” reads the sign above the door to Hacienda Napoles, the former grounds of cocaine-trafficker Pablo Escobar’s 3,700-acre compound […]
In early July, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) considered placing Machu Picchu, one of the top tourist destinations in South America, on its list of endangered World Heritage sites. The addition of Machu Picchu to the list has been lobbied by conservation and environmental groups in hopes that international attention would […]
The news of several recent bear attacks on humans — including one near Yellowstone and another in Alaska — serves as an important reminder to be aware of wildlife while enjoying the outdoors. Understanding the behavior of grizzlies and mountain lions can help prevent negative interactions with hikers and campers. Grizzly bears are a wide-ranging […]
As if coral didn’t have enough to worry about – global warming, pollution and excess UV radiation now threaten 60 percent of the world’s reef systems – there’s a new menace on the block, and it fits in your pocket: sunscreen. According to recent studies, some of the UV filtering ingredients in sunscreen have been […]
Despite its isolated location along the Thai-Burmese border, Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery (the “Tiger Temple”) attracts up to 800 visitors daily. For 300 baht apiece (approximately nine U.S. dollars), tourists can pose for pictures with tigers and Buddhist monks. The temple – which has been featured on Animal Planet and Slate – […]
Nora Dunn and Kelly Bedford, two Canadian travelers with a penchant for service, were in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when Cyclone Nargis struck Burma in early May. While the rest of the world watched in shock and horror as the death toll climbed and Burma’s junta blocked critical aid, Dunn (31) and Bedford (32) took action. […]
In the mid 1990’s, the federal government reintroduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park in hopes of restoring this animal to its natural landscape after eradication from much of North America. Since their reintroduction to the region, wolves have been steadily recovering and scientists believed 300 wolves distributed across the Northern Rockies demonstrated this recovery. Since […]
As they say, the shoe is now on the other foot. After years of enjoying the benefits of a strong US dollar, American travelers are now feeling the pinch as the greenback tumbles back down to earth. In the last 24 months, the US dollar has slid 10% against both the Canadian dollar and the […]
