Here we go again… Big Five is creating another new challenge for itself. On Saturday, March 17, Big Five had its inaugural gathering, which at the moment is dubbed the Kids Kouncil. The event took place in our headquarters and was composed of six children between the ages of 6 and 20 years of age, who are all related to Big Five employees. Two of them joined in via Skype. We took a really cool video at the end of the meeting about that experience that you can watch here.
Why? Well I promise it wasn’t to hold them captive or deprive them a fine Saturday morning outdoors.
As many of you already know, we have a family collection of trips called Precious Journeys, which features activities and hands-on learning experiences specifically tailored for children.
As we began to look for new adventures and options for this select collection, the idea was born to have a meeting for and run by kids – no adults allowed. We came up with a short list of questions for them to discuss. The oldest member of the team served as the moderator.
The objective of this exercise was to get real answers from the children directly, without the adult filter, to discover what is important to children today. We did not focus on travel much but rather on what each child looked for and valued. Questions ranged from what was the best day you ever had, to what was the grossest food you ever ate.
The only rule was that wherever the conversation went, the adults would not interfere in any way. They weren’t even allowed in the room, except for a silent Ashish to take some pictures.
We realized this was a bit risky as we did not know what to expect. Would they all sit there mute? Would the run around and talk video games? Would we get any useful data from this experiment?
But it wasn’t long before we saw that these kids had a lot to say about the world and what they expect. We learned more in two hours than we could have learned in a couple of lifetimes. What we think and what kids think are miles apart. If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, parents must be from Mercury and kids from Pluto!
Over the coming months, we are going to use what we learned to fine tune our process for family trips, and build our next Precious Journeys adventure. We are going to make family travel more purple as some of our friends in certain parts of the US would say. This goes back to one of our primary ideas that travel today is as much about why and less about where – even with kids.
We were impressed by how enthusiastic these children were and how eager they were to do it again. So we have decided to make the Kids Kouncil a formal part of the Big Five process and we are expanding the group to include children from outside our circle.
This is where you come in. We are looking for a name for our gathering. We have five choices listed below, which our kids came up with. Watch their video on our Facebook page and cast your vote in the comments section.
After a day of exploring Cairo’s glorious past, spend an evening learning about Cairo’s active present. You have been on the move all day with your Egyptologist, discovering the epic monuments of a civilization that arose more than 5,000 years ago; from the breathtaking Pyramids of Giza and the great Sphinx, to King Zoser’s Step Pyramid at Sakkara.
But what about the people?
This evening, you get a look at Cairo the way Egyptians see it. Your host this evening is Farah Abouseif, who will pick you up in her car. This is a personal outing as if you were going out with a friend who lives in the city. The drive starts with Tahrir Square. You have the unique opportunity to talk politics, which is normally discouraged when traveling in foreign countries. But right now with Farah, it is permissible. Discuss the revolution, what happened, how it was and what it is like now.
Farah will also tell you what it is like for her, as an Egyptian female, and for other women in Egypt in general today. Travel through the downtown area to Zamalek, a nice district and home to Sequoia, a relaxing restaurant with comfortable couches and overstuffed chairs, low wooden tables, draped canopies and soft light. Savor fusion Mediterranean cuisine from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Greece and Italy in simple elegance, where conversations flow easily. You talk about your journey and experience, and compare Egypt to your home and to other countries that you may have visited. The topics vary depending on what interests you most.
Cairo is complex and not easy to understand. But this evening is all about giving you a personal look at the culture and the society of the city, and the way Egyptians see it as well as the history and the monuments, many of which are around underdeveloped areas. You meet Egyptians, who are relatively open-minded, exposed to Western education and culture. Conversations range far, from politics and economics, to entertainment and lifestyles.
This very special and personal evening can be added to any Egypt itinerary that includes Cairo.
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What child, or adult for that matter, doesn’t like a puppet show?
Puppetry is one of the oldest art forms and thought to have originated some 4,000 years ago. Societies from ancient Egypt and Greece to the Middle East and India had their versions of puppet shows. Archaeologists have even discovered a terracotta doll capable of manipulation by a string that dates back to 2500 BCE, which suggests that puppets and Puppet Masters may have been used in the Indus Valley Civilization.
Puppetry in Indonesia goes back to about 800 CE. The term for puppetry, wayang, is derived from the Indonesian word for shadow, bayang. Wayang kulit, shadow puppetry, is a type of storytelling that originated on the Indonesian island of Java. It thrived at the royal courts of Java and Bali and in rural areas as a popular form of entertainment as well as to communicate ideas. It spread to other islands including Lombok, Madura, Sumatra and Borneo, each developing local variations. The puppets vary in size, shape and style. There are two main types of puppets: the three-dimensional wooden puppet (wayang klitik or golèk) and the flat leather shadow puppet (wayang kulit) projected in front of a screen lit from behind.
Shadow puppets present a singular form of narrative theater that makes use of light and shadows. The puppets are made of water buffalo hide and mounted on sticks, which can be made of water buffalo horn, wood or bamboo.
The puppet master, dalang, manipulates the puppets behind a large section of white cloth or screen with a bulb or an oil lamp used as a light source, capturing the shadows on the screen. In times past, puppeteers were regarded as literary experts who communicated moral and aesthetic lessons through puppetry. Wayang stories use characters from a variety of sources including indigenous myths, historic epics and heroes from Persian tales. Some of the plays also included local events or gossip. The repertory and performance techniques were transmitted orally within the families of puppeteers, musicians and puppet-makers.
Puppet shows remain popular in Indonesia, but have had to undergo some changes in style and subject matter to compete with today’s video and digital world.
Wayang puppet theater has been recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
You can add a visit a puppet-making shop in Solo to see how this amazing art form is created on any exploration of extraordinary Indonesia.
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As you meander the streets of a vintage city like old Cartagena, Colombia, take time to notice the details – plant-strewn balconies, antique cracked windowsills, the intricate doorways with sometimes massive doors and… the door knockers.
Yes, antique door knockers adorn the doors of many older period houses and mansions. Cartagena is known for door knockers, aldabas, which were used to indicate the status of the residents inside. The larger and more elaborate the aldaba usually signaled wealth and referenced status. Lizards, for example, were associated with a family’s royal Spanish heritage.
The use of these attention-getters is said to date back several thousand years to ancient Greece. Doors replaced hangings for improved safety and privacy. Spartans would simply yell to alert the homeowner of their presence. The more sophisticated Greeks such as the Athenians adopted for the use of a door knocker.
But not just a door knocker.
Upper-class Greeks had slaves whose sole purpose was to answer the door. In fact, the door-opener slaves were chained to a heavy ring attached to the door in order to greet guests. If the slave fell asleep, the visitor rapped on the door with a short bar of iron attached to a chain. Evidently, some people took to using the bar as a weapon to attack the householder so property owners turned to new technology.
The knocker evolved into a heavy ring fastened to the door by a plate to serve as both knocker and handle. Early designs were based on statues that stood in front of old Greek houses. These statues were created with distorted, grotesque features, and were thought to be useful to banish malevolent spirits and witches. Churches were the exception as they had no such statues outside. They had a holly water stoup by the entrance of the church’s main door that they thought was enough to deter malignant spirits.
Good luck door knockers were used to insure good fortune to the dwelling, and were said to have magical or healing properties. These door knockers were crafted using a motif of good luck charms including horseshoes, stars, suns, angels and flowers. Many intricate door knockers are in the shapes of human heads or mythical beasts.
One popular shape is a hand. This is often seen in Muslim countries, and is thought to symbolize the Hand of Fatima protecting the house from evil as well as showing that the occupants of that house followed the Muslim faith. It was also assumed that there were different knockers, one male and one female, to avoid women opening the door to a man. Each knocker made a different sound, so the woman would know when to open the door.
Elaborate or plain, door knockers around the world have been used to symbolize hospitality and good luck as well as to serve as a warning or to ward off bad spirits. So be sure to keep an eye out for these striking door adornments in the old town sections of Cartagena and Quito as well as in colonial towns such as Colta and Ingapirca in our newest President’s Pick: Ecuador & Colombia Exploration.
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First, a note: Since the beginning of this blog, no other issue that we have explored here has more closely aligned with one of our tours than does this one. At the risk of seeming self-serving, it is important to understand that even before we knew about TOFTigers, we developed our Precious Journeys® India: Saving Tigers precisely for this reason.
Now, on to the blog.
Tyger, tyger burning bright… She is absolutely gorgeous as she steps noiselessly out of the brush and onto the trail. The largest member of the cat family, the Bengal tiger walks casually past disappearing into the jungle as silently as she appeared.
An encounter like this is something most us will sadly never experience. She is one of a shrinking global population of tigers in the wild, estimated to be around 3,890, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This is down some 97%, from around 100,000 at the start of the 20th century.
These graceful creatures once ranged widely across eastern Eurasia. They could be found from the Black Sea, to the Indian Ocean, and from Kolyma to Sumatra. Over the last century, tigers have lost a massive 93% of their historic range. Today, they are limited to 13 countries in Asia and the Orient, including India Bhutan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Russia.
Major reasons for the population decline include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching. The extent of area occupied by tigers is estimated to have declined a whopping 41% just since the mid-1990s.
These territorial animals are apex predators, preying mostly on ungulates such as deer and bovids. Tigers are solitary but still social animals, and need large areas of habitat to support their prey requirements. But they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on earth, which has, of course, lead to significant conflicts with humans.
Big Five has joined with the nonprofit organization TOFTigers in its global campaign to support wildlife conservation on the Indian subcontinent through better planned and more sustainable tourism practices. TOFTigers seeks to plan and promote the best practices of nature tourism both inside and outside protected areas.
“We decided this platform was needed, because so far the only response has been to ban all forms of nature tourism in India,” says Ashish Sanghrajka, president of Big Five. “A ban is not the answer. We believe our partnership with TOFTigers is the right avenue to do our part in preserving what is left of the endangered species in India.”
Experience and research show that responsible wildlife and nature tourism can provide an invaluable platform to support and sustain parks, wildlife conservancies, buffer zones and local communities. It can also play an important role in poverty eradication through education and employment. It is critical that local communities become stakeholders, rather than conservation victims, in the battle to save India’s forests and wildlife. Join us on TOFTigers.
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We just completed one of our most compelling national rituals – the annual battle between worthy challengers which millions of us wait impatiently for throughout the season. This super rite of passage comes with a tiny promise tucked inside that spring may not be far away (well, maybe not this year).
We thought we’d take a look at a Superbowl of a different kind – the Superbowl of nature’s super bowls, if you will – craters!
Formed by the very forces of the nature, these massive depressions come in a smashing variety of shapes. Impact craters form when meteorites or asteroids strike the earth. Calderas are the remnants of volcanic activity, usually the result of very large explosions that open up the magma chambers below the volcanos allowing them to empty and collapse. Shield volcanoes are created from fluid lava flows that spill over in all directions from a central summit vent or vents that build a broad, gently sloping flat, domical-shaped cone.
The Earth Impact Database by the Planetary and Space Science Centre at the University of New Brunswick, Canada, lists the number of confirmed impact craters around the world at just 190. Not as many as you might expect. But a source has noted that there are about 1,500 volcanoes (not all have craters) that have been active over the past 10,000 years, with some 600 active during the current period through recorded history. About 50 to 60 active volcanoes erupt at least once a year. There is some evidence, however, that suggests that millions of volcanoes may have existed dating back to the origins of earth.
In Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is, of course, the reigning star with the highest point on the continent at 5,895 meters/19,341 feet. But its remnant caldera does not match that of Kenya’s Empakai Crater, 3,200 meters/10,500 feet, for sheer good looks. This is one of the most beautiful craters in Ngorongoro Conservation Area and measures about eight kilometers/five miles in diameter. From the rim, you enjoy fantastic views into the craters’ lush green floor, a large portion of which is covered with a lake with a wall rising 300 meters/984 feet.
Because of the altitude, the area is often shrouded in mist that when mixed with the green lake creates an almost enchanted atmosphere. The views from the trail into the crater are spectacular, and on the way, you may encounter buffaloes, bushbucks, blue monkeys and birds such as sunbirds and turacos. You may also find waterbucks and elands when you reach the lakeshore. From the northern and eastern side, you can see the dramatic cone of the still active volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai. On clear days, you can see even further to the Great Rift Valley and Lake Natron. If you love hiking, think about including this remarkable environment as you plan your Kenya safari adventure.
New Zealand’s has its share of craters in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on the southern end of the North Island. Mount Ruapehu, also simply called Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of this volcanic zone. Its most recent major eruptions were between 1995 and 1996 with more activity in 2007. It is within Tongariro National Park on the North Island a short distance Lake Taupo.
The largest active volcano in New Zealand, Ruapehu has the highest point on the island and encompasses three major peaks: the highest is Tahurangi, at 2,797 meters/9,177 feet, followed closely by Te Heuheu and Paretetaitonga. The deep, active crater is between the peaks and the crater’s lake sits on top of the vent, making it subject to change as the activity of the volcano changes. Activities on the mountain range from skiing to ice climbing to hiking. Consider including this active volcano as part of an outstanding New Zealand journey.
Colombia’s Purace Volcano is a 4,750 meter/15,543 feet dormant volcano situated in the Purace National Park. In the southwestern region of Colombia, it faces the Pacific Ocean to the west. Most of the park is over 3,000 meters/9,843 feet high. Two of the highest peaks are Purace and the Pan de Azúcar, both well over 4,500 meters/14,764 feet. Both mountains offer easy hiking opportunities. To reach the summit of the Purace Volcano, one of Colombia’s most beautiful, you need only your trekking gear and water-proof clothing. You enjoy spectacular views of Popayan’s valley and other Coconuco Range volcanoes from the summit on clear days. Purace’s crater is 500 meters/1,640 feet wide. The park also contains the sources of four of Colombia’s greatest rivers: Magdalena, Cauca, Caqueta and Patia. You can incorporate a volcano hike into this lush environment on our 19-day Volcanoes of Latin America.
Don’t wait for next season or next year to set out to find your own Superbowl challenge… The rewards are worth far more than a trophy.
Seems a little unlikely, I know, but necessary. Last year, we launched galapagos.com, a site dedicated to making sustainable travel in Latin America more easily understood and applied, and it includes rankings for individual countries.
Galapagos.com will soon be joined by a partner site that will serve the same purpose for Africa, including our rankings of individual countries. Why, you ask.
Africa is unique in all the world. The second most-populous continent covers six percent of Earth’s total surface, and is home to 16% of the world’s human population that includes a variety of distinctive cultures. It also encompasses the world’s largest combination of density and free-ranging wild animal populations. That makes its conservation, preservation and environmental issues completely different from anywhere else on earth, and they must be confronted with unique approaches and solutions.
Even though the concepts around conservation have been talked about in Africa for years, the necessary actions have not always been as forthcoming. With so many different narratives out there, how do you plan an authentic African journey if you care about sustainable travel?
Add to that, the way we travel in Africa has completely changed from previous generations. Once there was a hierarchy of sorts for safari travel. First timers usually traveled to Kenya and Tanzania, while seasoned Africa hands ventured into countries such as Botswana and Namibia.
Not so today. First time travelers are just as likely to go gorilla trekking in Uganda or to meet the Bushmen of South Africa. That makes it more important than ever that we offer you an easy, understandable approach to sustainable travel in Africa.
So…. Keep your eye out for the new (oops, I almost spoiled the surprise), coming soon.
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What if we asked Big Five’s CEO and CFO (aka Ashish’s parents, aka The Founders) if we could change our name to Big Six Tours? After all, we are often asked why we still call ourselves Big Five since we do so much more than just Africa.
It will come as no surprise that they responded with a resounding “no.” Especially, they pointed out, since the company has been doing just fine for 45 years as Big Five Tours & Expeditions.
Okay. We get it – some things just shouldn’t change. But where you want to travel is not one of them. It is our job to make sure we keep track of the changing expectations of our travelers, and alert them to upcoming trends in travel.
So what destinations are trending with our travelers? We see six standouts that they are intrigued with – Nicaragua, Northern Peru, Uganda, Ethiopia, Chile and Colombia. Each of these countries offers our senses new opportunities to experience the world in all its radiant uniqueness.
But why these destinations? Look beyond. Our guests are adopting our attitude of “What box?” They do not want to be prodded into the predictable. They want to stretch their boundaries, and try something new. In Nicaragua, they can climb the youngest and one of the most active volcanos in Central America and swoop down its slopes on an ash board; and spend time at Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge on a hidden bay where snorkeling, diving, sailing and whale watching happen year round.
In Peru, they look north beyond fabled Machu Picchu to ancient Peru and the Tombs of Revash high in the hills of a cloud forest on the edge of a limestone cliff. And they engage with untouched communities as well as enjoying exclusive activities such as the behind-the-scenes access at Leymebamba Museum in laboratories where bio-archaeologists are preserving and cataloging the Laguna de los Cóndores artifacts.
Uganda, of course, is home to the legendary mountain gorilla. Only a handful of people on this planet will ever see this magnificent and intelligent animal in its natural environment. Those who do report that the sometimes-arduous trek to spend just a moment in the company of a family of gorillas is a unique and, in some instances, life-changing experience.
Ethiopia beckons the adventure traveler, and is only now beginning to take its place again on the international scene with places such as Axum, renowned for its cathedral of St. Mary Zion, where legend has it, the original Ark of Covenant is housed; several standing monolithic stelae; and the ruins of Queen of Sheba’s palace.
Beyond the great Atacama Desert, Chile presents an array of other options well off the tourist beat such as the fascinating region in Northern Chile with its isolated villages set amid striking mountain landscapes; horseback expeditions to the roof of the Andes; ancient petroglyphs, some dating back 4,000 years, make this an intriguing exploration; and the caves of Pichasca, a ceremonial site reported to have some of the oldest traces of human settlement in this region.
We have been fans of Colombia for some time now. This year, it promises to be even more exciting as we delve deeper into this small but dynamic nation to discover places such as San Juan of Pasto, called the “Surprise City of Colombia.” Known in Colombia for its impressive religious architecture and for Pasto’s Carnival, with traditional parades commemorating the arrival of the Castañeda family, a colorful cast of characters who arrived in 1929. Although their destination was unknown, the family is portrayed as outlandish characters who travel with all their luggage and kitchen utensils to prepare food anywhere along the way. In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tierradentro Archaeological Park, travelers enter an incredible subterranean world of galleries and tombs that are called “hypogeum.”
We may not change our name, but our urge to change, explore and learn continues to evolve. And those who are lucky to be endowed with that ‘gypsy spirit’ will always look to the next horizon and the one after.
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Apparently, the Whitsunday Islands, a collection of continental islands off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, should have been named the WhitMondays.
In 1770, English explorer Captain James Cook sailed through a passage he named “Whitsunday’s Passage”, which he did in honor of Whit Sunday, a Pentecost holy day in the Christian tradition. Based on his journal date, Cook believed that the passage was discovered on Sunday of the feast of Whitsun. As the International Date Line had not yet been established, the day of discovery was, it turned out, actually Whit Monday.
Regardless of the day, Cook sailed his ship, the H.M. Endeavour, into one of the most beautiful tropical paradises in Australia. Cook wrote: “The whole passage is one Continued safe Harbour, besides a Number of small Bays and Coves on each side.” He noted that the land “looked green and pleasant.”
Some 560 miles north of Brisbane, this group of 74 islands sheltered behind the Great Barrier Reef were originally inhabited by the Ngaro people and the Gia people (from the Birri Gubba language group). The Ngaro are among the earliest recorded groups in Australia. Often called the ‘Island People,’ their territory expanded north – south along the island chain. They also inhabited the coast of the adjacent mainland. In their occupation as maritime hunters and gatherers, the Ngaro became well known as skilled navigators.
During the mid-1800s, the Whitsunday Group first attracted the attention of the pioneers on the mainland coast, and soon grazing leases were granted. It was not until the 1920s that some began to see the islands as a place to attract visitors. Early ‘dreamers’ built galvanized iron huts for guests. Cruise ship passengers rowed ashore for tropical fruits, tea and scones. The first day trippers from the mainland arrived on the island aboard the weekly mail boat.
Today, the most notable islands in the main Whitsunday group are Dent, Hamilton, Hayman, Hook and Whitsunday. This playground offers a vast menu of opportunities for adventure and exploration as well as relaxation. You are free to explore the islands, their history and historic settlements as well as a staggering marine ecosystem.
Discover our newest President’s Pick that offers this and so much more – New Zealand and Australia: Land, Sea, Sky.
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Time is a subtle thief. Even, when we love something, time often slips in the door, and before we realize it, the deadline is here…. or worse, passed. That is especially painful when the thing we’ve missed is something we love to do, like vacations.
New places and people, exciting things to do and new sights to see. Why then do we habitually put off making decisions about our next adventure? We are busy, period.
Nearly a half century since computers began to infiltrate our lives, and, in spite of stunning technological advances, we are busier and more harassed than ever. Work is decidedly more efficient, but we remain overwhelmed. Time is the new luxury.
What’s the remedy?
Find the experts who can take over the things you simply do not have the time to do. We can help.
Since the holidays, we created a complete Chile adventure on 24-hour notice; set up a Colombia tour for a client that included a myriad of details including reassigning guides in just 48 hours; set up a safari in Tanzania for clients that decided to go just two weeks prior while on a holiday break; and managed to snag the last state room for a journey on the Irrawaddy River along with some of the last rooms in the city hotels with three weeks notice, and assign one of our top guides in Myammar.
Pulling off the nearly impossible in record time is what we do so well so often. If time has snuck up on you that doesn’t mean it is too late. Check out the Top Five Destinations we are helping procrastinators travel to today. Then call us… tomorrow.
It’s ok. You can admit it if you are a procrastinator.
With the launch of the newest in the Star Wars chronicles – The Last Jedi – just around the corner, we thought it only fitting to acknowledge the first aircraft to truly open up the skies to the future… the biplane.
In the early 1900s, the idea of the biplane must have seemed as outlandish to the people then as the concept of an X Wing starfighter seems to us today.
The Wright brothers designed and constructed the Wright Flyer, (also called Flyer I or 1903 Flyer), with two main wings stacked one above the other. This became the first successful heavier-than-air, powered aircraft.
The biplane configuration was first developed from the box kite, invented by the Australian Lawrence Hargrave in the late 1880s. By 1896, Octave Chanute, a French-American aviation pioneer who later advised the Wright brothers, was flying biplane hang gliders.
By the start of the First World War, biplanes were preferred over monoplanes because of the monoplane’s structural failure issues. From 1914 to 1925, most new aircraft were biplanes. But by the 1930s, better structural techniques, superior materials and the pursuit of greater speed made the biplane obsolete.
Yet, biplanes remain a crowd favorite today at airshows across the globe. Indeed, modern biplane designs still exist in specialist niche roles such as the aerobatic stunt planes seen at airshows and in competitions, and for agricultural purposes.
If you have been lucky enough to fly in one of these heroic planes, you know the feeling of soaring in an open cockpit with the wind in your face and the ground rushing past, seemingly close enough to touch at times. It is a personal and even intimate experience; indeed, the antithesis of the enclosed, crowded cabin of a modern aircraft with its recirculated air.
Now, imagine flying in a biplane above the African wilderness! Yes, the biplane has returned to Kenya. You can soar in one of the only two open-cockpit WACO biplanes in all East Africa.
With a helmet and goggles, you can revel in fantasies of Out of Africa or create your own! You can capture this thrilling experience above the landscapes of Lewa Wilderness in northern Kenya. Savor a classic aerial safari on one of our Kenya adventures such as Kenya Highlands or Classic Kenya Flying Safari.
P.S. That’s right, I’m a Star Wars geek
The most lasting progress is often the hardest to spot. Indeed, one of the examples Merriam-Webster dictionary cites to demonstrate the concept is: gradual betterment; especially: the progressive development of humankind.
When we began this year, we were delighted that the United Nations proclaimed 2017 as The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. We ran a series of blog posts throughout the year that outlined how we support the tenants of responsible tourism, which encompass utilizing environmentally friendly practices; supporting the protection of our global cultural and natural heritage; and supporting social and economic benefits to local people.
Our goal has been to show that each traveler can make a difference without relying solely on philanthropy. Change happens with each choice and decision they make about how and where they travel.
For example, supporting social and economic benefits to local people includes empowering women in the workforce, which improves the livelihoods of entire communities. Gender equality in the work place is win-win for everyone. In both Egypt and India, we work with female guides, both for their unique insights into the local culture, and as well as serving as a powerful way to elevate women into the workforce.
Exploring environmentally friendly practices for Big Five means that we seek partners that share our sustainability ethic. We consider their operations, the sustainable systems they have in place, projects, plans they are working on, and do they employ local people. On Australia’s ‘Top End’ in the north, Bamurru Plains is a small camp on a private buffalo pastoral property with nine safari bungalows built on stilts overlooking the floodplains and the Mary River Delta, west of Kakadu National Park. The camp has carefully planned every aspect with an eye to minimizing impacts on the land. The design includes energy usage, waste disposal, choice of linens, recycling bottles and the use of eco-certified cleaning materials. The bulk, about 75%, of the camp’s power is generated by the sun through an array of 128 solar panels. This not only ensures a predominantly clean source of energy but also allows guests to hear the sounds of the bush at night without the noise of a diesel generator humming in the background. The camp also supports communities by using products that are produced locally.
Protecting the world’s cultural heritage is key element in responsible tourism. A vital part of the reason we travel in the first place is to encounter other people and learn about other cultures. In Chile at Huilo Huilo, the Mapuche community is a collection of indigenous groups who share a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage as Mapudungun speakers. The Mapuche community today is working to maintain a proud living heritage that encompasses their rich traditions, customs and mythology through a number of initiatives that include community workshops that include teaching the next generation.
Protection of the natural heritage is just as important as we strive to save the rich and unique biodiversity of planet Earth like that of Grootbos Nature Reserve along the South African coast. South African Fynbos is recognized as one of the six botanical kingdoms of the world, and is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% (8,500) species of the Cape Floral Kingdom where nearly 6,000 species are endemic. It also hosts six mammals of conservation concern.
We also understand that you are known by the company you keep. We choose our partners carefully. One such partnership has been with the nonprofit One More Generation (OMG), founded in 2009, by then eight-year-old Carter Ries and his sister seven-year-old Olivia Ries. Already passionate animal lovers and budding conservationists, they began OMG after their family “adopted” cheetahs in South Africa and they began to question why that was even necessary. Today, Carter and Olivia give talks in schools and at events across the country, and OMG has run several campaigns to help preserve endangered species – from cheetahs to sea turtles to orangutans. They also have programs that encompass the myriad environmental and conservation issues such as the OneLessStraw Pledge Campaign to build awareness of plastic waste such the estimated 500,000,000 plastic straws disposed of in America every single day.
Why vs Where
As the year-long U.N, campaign highlighting sustainable tourism development concludes, we recognize that there is much work left to do. It’s never easy changing old habits. We have chosen a revolutionary path with Galapagos.com that asks you to consider not simply where to travel but why you travel. Galapagos.com is an easy-to-use tool to learn about sustainable travel in Latin America. We are currently creating a sister site for Africa which will launch early next year.
2018… Just the beginning.
The U.S. is celebrating Thanksgiving this week, and Canada celebrated theirs’ last month. As we reflect on what we have to be grateful for, the obvious things come to mind – our family and friends, our work, our health and so much more.
But when we look at the direction the world seems headed, it can be tempting to drop your shoulders a bit, sigh and bury yourself in a good book. Our task is to do the opposite, to look beyond to the broader picture. And to be thankful!
Nothing galvanizes a people or a nation like failure and suffering. While we certainly don’t wish that on anyone, it is a catalyst from which tomorrow’s light is born. We come together and give thanks when we finally accept that our collective vision is bigger than blame and beyond arguments. It is this higher level of conversation that is evolving that we are thankful for. Many of you saw the recent news of the lifting on the ban on trophy hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia, a death sentence for endangered species in those countries. However, if we step back, we notice that the people we least expected to are calling for a hold on lifting this ban, and actually want to have a higher level conversation. For that we are thankful.
We are beginning to look beyond debating each other to engaging in meaningful dialogues that are filled with hope and focused on solutions.
We wish each of you and your families a welcoming and safe Thanksgiving holiday, and thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Just how many of the same island or river cruises can you sell, or plane tickets can you generate before it all becomes so routine that you need your own escape? Or, maybe you think it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish yourself from the crowd; or, as one agent commented recently “There just isn’t enough really new and different product in the marketplace.”
If you’re bored and restless, what about your clients who may also be looking for new challenges?
Doug Gollan, writing in Forbes Online, talks about consumers returning to travel advisors like you. He cited a recent report from American Express that “revealed an 110% increase in intent by consumers to use retail travel agents for this upcoming holiday season and 79% growth in actual usage year over year from 2015 to 2016.”
And when they come back to you, what will you have to offer them?
Many of our partners turn to us precisely for this reason – we don’t think outside-the-box – we say “what box?” We jump ahead of the crowd and seek extraordinary locations and unique experiences that others miss or simply do not see. And, always with an eye to sustainable travel.
Just take a walk through our President’s Picks to see for yourself why we are the next generation company for the next generation of travelers.
In Northern Peru Warriors of the Clouds, discover Kuelap, the most important pre-Inca Chachapoya site and one of the largest ancient stone complexes in the western hemisphere. Astonishingly few travelers have yet made their way to this remarkable site, which includes more than 400 hundred interior buildings and massive exterior stone walls. This unexpected city has been called the Machu Picchu of the north.
Sri Lanka A Natural Adventure takes you into obscure small towns and villages and into the private homes and kitchens of everyday Sri Lankans to see how they live and to share a meal with the family. Travel north by train to Jaffna and northern Sri Lanka that until recently were cut off from the rest of the world for some three decades. This journey into the central cultural triangle and beyond offers a variety of opportunities for genuine encounters.
In Botswana & South Africa, you have the unusual chance to participate in the Facial Recognition Research Project that uses innovative technology for animal conservation. All photographers can participate in gathering data in the field. You are supplied a camera with GPS capability, and the images you shoot are collected and sent for scanning. The software can recognize the individual species, principally the big cats, and a movement map using the GPS data embedded in the image is created.
We also seek out the most interesting and satisfying accommodations. In Cambodia’s Unique Treasures, you go glamping in a safari-style tent at Banteay Chhmar, an exquisite 12th century Temple complex that UNESCO has listed as one of the ‘four most threatened sites in the world.’ Adventure Guatemala & Panama presents you with a different kind of room outside Guatemala’s Antigua, where you overnight in an Airstream trailer, equipped with all the comforts of home, from a kitchenette, to cable TV to a terrace and outdoor Jacuzzi. Then there is Pretty Beach House, which is just about as far removed from a safari tent as you can get. In our Australia Unbound journey, you stay in this stunning luxurious retreat just north of Sydney, set amid ancient aboriginal sites, and nestled in lush landscapes of trees, lakes and rivers.
When your clients come back looking for something new and maybe just a bit different, remember we are here to help you.
Each day, more than three million tourists cross international borders, and every year more than one billion people travel abroad. Simply put, travel and tourism combined are now one of the world’s largest industries. To make sure that the power of travel is harnessed as a positive force for people and the planet, the United Nations declared 2017 The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The three key pillars of Sustainable Tourism are:
Environmentally-friendly Practices
Support for Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage
Social and Economic Benefits to Local People
At Big Five, our longstanding commitment to sustainable tourism runs deep, and we are proud to have won the prestigious Virtuoso Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award, twice (2014 and 2016). We know that experiencing an outstanding vacation and supporting the pillars of sustainable tourism can go hand in hand. We are proud to share with you how traveling with Big Five can help to support cultural heritage, protect endangered species, deliver local economic benefits, and further cross-cultural understanding and peace in the world – all wrapped together into the journey of a lifetime.
When many people think about the protection of cultural heritage, what often comes to mind is protecting archeological sites, such as the ancient Mayan pyramids of Mexico and Belize or historic landmarks like the age-old wooden temples of Kyoto. Of course, they are right, but protecting cultural heritage as part of sustainable tourism best practices goes beyond simply historical structures and archeological treasures. It also embraces what is called Living Cultural Heritage, which encompasses language, craft, music, dance, art, textile and culinary traditions.
As travelers, one of the most valuable, and often most cherished, things we seek is to engage with authentic living cultures in other parts of the world. For one person that might mean attending a performance of the Morin Huur Ensemble (Mongolia’s Horsehead Fiddle Orchestra) in Ulaanbataar. For another, the experience might entail learning to make traditional Peruvian ceviche in a hand-ons cooking class before dining in one of Lima’s celebrated restaurants. Or, it may be visiting a local Maasai Women’s jewelry–making group in Kenya, where each handcrafted bead tells a story – the colors and patterns of each bead reveal a different cultural meaning that has been passed down through generations of mothers and daughters. The choices are endless.
This has always been at the core of Big Five. From its beginnings in Kenya, Big Five has sought to share Africa’s living cultures as well as the phenomenal wildlife with its guests. And we have carried that theme around the globe.
In Australia’s Arnhem Land, you can explore ancient territories that have been in habited for some 50,000 years by Aboriginal peoples. You experience this remarkable traditional culture. Arnhem Land is perhaps the one area in Australia where the indigenous culture is still dominant, despite a long history of interaction with other cultures. Arnhem Land today has managed to maintain its frontier identity and is the homeland of some 20,000 indigenous people. In our Wild Australia journey, you engage with stories and traditions of this community, see ancient cave paintings, watch women weave pandanus baskets, and learn about its myths and legends such as the creationist tales of Dreamtime.
In Chile at Huilo Huilo, you can encounter the living heritage seen in a collection of indigenous groups that are known overall as the Mapuche, who share a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage as Mapudungun speakers. The Mapuche community today is working to maintain a proud heritage through a number of initiatives, including workshops that benefit local students such as art, painting, dance, wood carving, music, and baking and chocolate-making. You interact with members of this community and learn about their rich traditions, customs and mythology. You can discover this traditional community on our Chile’s Patagonia & Mapuche Culture.
Looking for more information on Sustainable Travel? Visit our informative site for sustainable travel efforts.
The spooky & ghoulies holiday is sneaking up on us. Yes, Halloween is Tuesday, and all our little masked miniature munchkins will take to the streets seeking candy dressed as Batman, Wonder Woman, unicorns, bunnies, zombies, pirates, aliens and other creatures that we can scarce imagine. While you’re prowling the neighborhoods with your kids for Tootsie Rolls and tiny Snickers, think about your next family vacation.
Wait… what?
If you’re lucky, you get only about 273 days of holiday time with your family when the kids are between 5 and 13 years old. That is not a lot of time.
Some people have the attitude that during a family vacation, parents need a timeout of their own get away from the kids, who need to be kept busy. They opt for a beach or cruise vacation where the kids and parents are more or less separate, coming together for meals and bedtime.
In that case, you can stop reading now.
Children don’t need to be entertained. They need to be inspired, involved, impassioned. And so do the parents. We created Precious Journeys® and Precious Journeys® College Edition because we believe that the family experience can be one where the entire family is immersed and enchanted by the experience. And, where kids might be introduced to new ideas that may affect their futures.
For example, during the Guatemala, Colombia & Argentina: Graffiti Art Experience in the College Edition collection, aspiring artists can explore the fascinating world of graffiti art on this unique journey through Guatemala, Colombia and Argentina, meeting some of today’s recognized artists in the medium. They learn how Colombia has embraced graffiti as the artistic expression of its people and discover the street art of Buenos Aires, a city that has becomes a flourishing center for restriction-free graffiti and other art that is attracting both local and international artists. They travel to villages in Guatemala with artistic traditions that reflect the indigenous Kaqchikel and Tz’utujil peoples.
The Precious Journeys® India: Saving Tigers offers younger children the opportunity to learn what it mean to be a park ranger. In Satpura National Park. The Junior Naturalist Program, is designed for children and interested adults, who want to learn the basic knowledge of jungle to derive greater enjoyment and understanding of any wilderness. Spread over three days, the course operates for about two hours a day with sessions held between safaris and in the evening for 30 – 40 minutes, covering topics including basics of ecology, learning how to identify different species, how to use field guides, make field notes and sketches, identify tracks, and basics of nature photography. You learn how to identify different habitats, forest types and the animals that inhabit them. Learn to identify tracks and signs of animal presence as well as how to measure prints, identify droppings and other jungle craft.
The point is that you want those precious 273 days to mean something, to be a time when your entire family can play as well as learn, be productive as well as relaxed… together.
After the trick-or-treating, discover more about Big Five’s ideas of family travel, please explore Kids.
No matter how often the subject comes up at conferences, meetings and one-on-ones, the conversation often comes back to some of the same basic questions. Is it real? What is it? Where do I begin if I want to do it?
We launched the new Galapagos.com about sustainable travel not to lecture, and, certainly not to sell. So what gives? Why do this now?
Over the years, even decades, many voices have been talking about responsible tourism; and how, when done right, it has the power to change societies and even nations.
That is exactly the reason behind Galapagos.com. We have come to understand that travel today is as much about the why as it is about the where. It is time to reset the bar and talk about the importance of sustainable travel in a real, everyday context. Not to preach but to inform; to answer the vital where do I begin question.
If you think about it, the same general questions can be applied to anything from buying a new car to creating a new world.
Some might think we are taking a risk with this site; some country leaders may take issue with a particular ranking. Galapagos.com aims to reach beyond the fabled islands to focus on Latin America, and offers ranking based on our experience. We hope this becomes a platform where you can come to understand the exciting global sustainable tourism transformation underway, and how you as a fellow traveler can be part of this.
You have to take a helicopter to get there – unless of course you’d rather hike a few days along a rugged path through thick jungle. At first, you see nothing but lush rainforest treetops. As you fly closer, an island of trees seems to stand a bit taller than the rest. Then, you see it – the jagged top of a temple with a wooden staircase – the first hint of what’s coming.
“I have never felt more like Indiana Jones,” said Ashish Sanghrajka, president of Big Five, “than when I trekked the ruins this summer. The contrast with a site like Tikal is truly amazing. A thousand tourists swarmed over that site, while only ten people, including my group of six, were here to witness this ancient Mayan city. The hardest places to get to have the most to offer and this is a pure example of that!”
Well, he has a point. Even after landing you still have to hike a bit to get there. This remote archeological site deep in the Guatemalan jungle flourished as a trade center from about 300 BCE to 150 CE, with a peak population of perhaps between 100,000 and 250,000 people. It is fascinating for its two large pyramid complexes, El Tigre and La Danta. The La Danta temple rises 236 feet above the forest floor with a total volume of 2,800,000 cubic meters. Add to that the large manmade platform beneath the temple, another 18,000 square meters, and that makes this one of the largest pyramids found anywhere; possibly one of the most massive ancient structures in the world, according to some archeologists.
It is remarkable to think that a site this massive was not discovered by the outside world until 1926, even then, the remote site gained little attention until Ian Graham made the first map of the area in 1962.
Then, in 2003, Richard D. Hansen, an archeologist from Idaho State University, initiated major investigation, stabilization, and conservation programs here with a multi-disciplinary team gathered from 52 universities and research institutions from throughout the world.
As you maneuver around trees that grow from nearly every crevice and crack in the rocky landscape, you come upon gray tarps strung above sections of stones where the archeologists are actively working.
According to Hansen, director of the Mirador Basin Project, the more than 45 mapped sites in the Mirador Basin may have formed the earliest well-defined political state in Mesoamerica. And, it appears that a large amount of construction predates other Mayan sites including Tikal.
El Mirador Basin in the far northern Petén region of Guatemala is known for its abundance of sites, many of which are among the largest and earliest in the Maya world. Of 26 known sites, only 14 have been studied, with an estimated 30 more on the list to be explored, which we hope can be protected from looters until the researchers can explore them.
You can now discover this incredible archeological wonder on our 18-day President’s Pick: Adventure Guatemala & Panama.
It seems that most of us fall into one of two basic categories – Not Leaving Home without My Plan and Oh, Come on Take a Chance. The differences are obvious, with pros and cons on both sides. Planning promises that you will get the room you want in the hotel you want in the place you want. Spontaneity, on the other hand, might mean that you may have an unexpected but lovely hotel in a surprising place you had not realized you might want to be.
What makes this fascinating is when Strategizer A travels with Free Spirit B. Each has his or her own ideas about what makes a rewarding travel adventure. We encounter this frequently and making both happy can be an interesting challenge. But it’s doable.
Even with a last-minute getaway vacation, you and your family can enjoy spur-of-the-moment activities within an overall plan as long as you remain flexible. Last-minute anything requires us to be malleable to the sometimes limited but no less intriguing choices and possibilities.
We currently have limited holiday space available in Kenya, Indonesia, Thailand and India as well as several Latin America destinations, including Guatemala, Galapagos Islands, Peru, Chile and Argentina. Maybe you had not thought about escaping to one of these exotic locales, or just maybe one of them is exactly what you had been thinking about. Either way, this may be the perfect time to do some unexpected exploration.
“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.” – Gael Attal.
Neither were those of us born to explore the world. A new unplanned place can offer us fresh adventures. Indonesia, for example, is a country of islands… more than 17,000! Here you find not only warm, pristine sands for the beachcomber in you, but also a wealth of traditional cultures, unique and rare wildlife, and adventures from exploring cave systems to spectacular diving. And, few countries in the world can rival Peru for the sheer drama of its archeological sites and the awesome physical beauty of its landscape as well as distinctive cultures.
Well planned or on the fly, you can count on us to help you make the most of your last-minute holiday vacation. Contact us for more places that still have some space available. And stay tuned. We will keep you updated to last-minute availability as we have it.
Checkout our new Sustainable travel educational site.
Okay, so most of us like lists. In fact, some of us are obsessed with lists – making them, revising them, and crossing things off them. And, we make lists for everything – laundry lists, grocery lists, take-the-dog-to-the-vet lists, don’t forget lists, what-do-I do-next lists. You name it and it is on someone’s list somewhere.
The word ‘list’ dates back to Shakespeare (yes, most things seem to date back to Shakespeare) in his play Hamlet, when he writers “a list of landlesse resolutes”. Not dramatic by itself, admittedly, but there it is.
Making lists is almost a national pastime. One of the more famous list makers today has to be David Lettermen and his Top 10 List. Famous list makers of the past included Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
People create lists for many reasons – to create order out of chaos; to hopefully remember everything in our frantic daily schedules; to relieve stress; to help us focus; establish goals; and sometimes to make ourselves feel we’ve accomplished something at the end of the day if we have crossed off an item or two.
Among the most popular lists today seem to be the myriad of articles, books and websites devoted to lists focused on what to do, what to see and where to go before we die. Whew, talk about stress…
We can help with that last one. About a year ago, we started our Favorite Five list, which reveals the top destinations people are booking right now. Booking, not traveling, so this list reflects where people will actually travel in the next three to six months. That gives you something to think about when planning your next grand adventure.
Sometimes lists show you something unexpected. This month our favorite list includes, for the first time, Colombia as the top destination our travelers are booking. So keep checking our Favorite Five as it changes every month so you can stay ahead of the crowd.
Looking for more information? Checkout our new sustainable travel website.
