Bulgaria for Beginners

by Bruce Taylor, Brussels-based travel journalist I have not been back to Bulgaria since June. I’m suffering withdrawal symptoms. Above all, I miss that spectacular scenery, fresh food and heart warming rakiya. Nazdrave! However, my last visit did inspire me to take up golf. I started seriously in August and am just about to take the French ‘Carte Verte’ exam* which will allow me (hopefully!) to come back to Bulgaria and play properly at Pravets, as well as on most golf courses around the world. But I’m still a beginner and will probably be so for many years to come. But anyway, thank you again Bulgaria and Odysseia-IN for the inspiration. As in the past, I bring you some more tips, comments and facts for first-timers to help you discover the real Bulgaria…… Meet another internationally famous Bulgarian Larger than life Bulgarian-born artist Christo lives in New York where he dreams up his fantastic creations. But he continues to work all over the world. You name it, Christo... Read More →

Family Eco-Vacation Trailblazer Greenloons Singles Out Four Eco-Lodges as Top Examples of Reputably Certified Green Accommodations / Programs

Vienna, VA– Eco trailblazer Greenloons helps families source the green vacation of their dreams with a Greenloons-vetted list of eco-lodges that various reputable entities have green certified in destinations ranging from the Amazon to Kenya. “I think the most effective way eco-lodges enhance a family travel experience is by introducing travelers to how to live responsibly and comfortably without taking something away from nature,” said Irene Lane, visionary founder of Greenloons. She added that eco-lodges recommended by Greenloons are community owned and operated, use environmentally friendly building materials, buy locally and responsibly grown produce, reduce overall water consumption, use renewable energy sources, carefully dispose solid waste, and utilize indigenous plants for landscaping. Additionally their guest programs, such as treetop game viewing in lieu of safari drives in Kenya, are also environmentally astute. Here are Greenloons’ top examples of ecologically sustainable... Read More →

Of Guides, Artists & Linchpins

“Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.” - Seth Godin I just finished reading Seth’s latest book, Linchpin – Are you Indispensable? It’s a challenging and  inspiring call-to-arms for each and every one of us to become a linchpin…”the people that invent, lead, connect others, make things happen, create order from chaos, figure out to do when there’s no rule book, and delight their customers and peers. Linchpins love their work, pour their best selves into it and turn each day into a kind of art.” It was when I read the word last word line paragraph above—art—that I thought of guides…the trip leaders who I’ve traveled with that made my journey one that exceeded my expectations, surprised me, delighted me, changed me. Their joy, passion and enthusiasm were immense…and genuine. The best guides are ones who routinely and seemingly without effort are able to elevate their work into an art form. And it made me realize that given an identical itinerary,... Read More →

Watching Bonobos Deep in Equateur Province of the Congo

At Off the Radar, we usually write about trips you can book immediately – but traveling deep into Equateur Province of the Congo to visit the Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve to see Bonobos in their natural habitat is not something you can do…yet. In April 2009 primatologist Jef Dupain of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), in partnership with Jengai Tours out of Cameroon, led a group of 12 adventure tourists to test out a trip that AWF hopes to begin running four times a year. The Lomako reserve is the only place in the world tourists can visit to view Bonobos in their natural habitat. The endangered Bonobos are our closest living relative. They only live in the dense lowlands of the Congo Basin, and are rarely found in zoos, likely because of their sexual repertoire: they use sex for most types of communication, including greetings and conflict resolution. The group flew into Basankusu, where they climbed in pirogues – traditional dugout canoes carved from one tree, for... Read More →

Kite the Costa Esmeralda in Veracruz

Off the Radar is the online magazine for adventure travelers featuring responsible adventure operators, news from adventure destinations, images and personal accounts from the field.  Sign up for our newsletter here Peppi Stunkel and Omid Kay recently founded Elemental Kite Club on the Costa Esmeralda, in Veracruz. We first met Peppi in 2007 when she was working with volunteer-adventure tour operator Protect the  Earth, Protect Yourself, in Cambodia. Now far from the rice fields, Peppi’s new project opens up her favorite bit of coast in Mexico to new and experienced kiters. What she loves about the new business: “miles of empty, hazardless beach, and the mango margarita at the palm-thatch Palapa Bar!” She and Omid have spent countless hours scouting the best areas for kiters of all levels, and also put together trips to the nearby El Tajin ruins and white sand beaches. Elemental guests can stay in their partner hotel, the Taboga, an eco-boutique facility catering specially... Read More →

Kiting the Kenyan Coast

Off the Radar is the online magazine for adventure travelers featuring responsible adventure operators, news from adventure destinations, images and personal accounts from the field.  Sign up for our newsletter here Spice up your classic Kenyan safari by following it up with a few days of kite surfing on Kenya’s coast. Glassy bays and the challenging waves of the Indian Ocean beckon kite surfers to Che Shale where lessons and rental equipment are available for newbies. On the days you’re not in the water, visit Malindi or head to Tsavo National Park, famous for being the real site of the 1996 thriller about Tsavo maneaters, The Ghost and the Darkness. The founders of Che Shale take their responsibility to the community seriously and eight years ago built a school which now serves 180 students. They also established the Che Shale Kasimani Community Program which offers incentives to local people to identify, develop and manage their own small business projects. The program is managed... Read More →

Off the Radar talks to Eagle Creeks Stasia Raines

Off the Radar is the online magazine for adventure travelers featuring responsible adventure operators, news from adventure destinations, images and personal accounts from the field.  Sign up for our newsletter here Ever wonder about the people making the great gear you use when you’re hiking the Annapurna Circuit or cycling through Moab’s Canyonlands? They’re people like Stasia Raines of Eagle Creek, who just returned from a mixed adventure-volunteering trip through Thailand and Cambodia. In addition to its efforts at creating more sustainable fabrics and equipment, Eagle Creek supports a number of philanthropic projects around the world, often discovered through the traveling adventures of their staff. Stasia visited a couple of projects when she mixed her recent dive holiday with a stint volunteering in a North Thailand orphanage and short visit to Cambodia. In Cambodia Stasia visited PEPY, a volunteer-adventure tour operator featured in past editions of Off the... Read More →

Kiting Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge

Off the Radar is the online magazine for adventure travelers featuring responsible adventure operators, news from adventure destinations, images and personal accounts from the field.  Sign up for our newsletter here Some of the best kitesurfing in the world is found over 100 miles from the ocean in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge.  Local kiters turned us on to Big Winds in Hood River,  where you can get safety-conscious instruction from people who are passionate about kite surfing, the Gorge and the Hood River community. Atmospheric pressure differences between the east and west side of the Cascade Range create the wind tunnel effect in the gorge, which generates reliable winds for kiters all year round.  Learn on solid ground with a “trainer kite,” and then take it to the water! And if you find yourself tired at the end of the day, try one of the local sustainable beers and organic wines, as well as local fruit, meat, and goods on the not-to-be-missed Fruit Loop! -... Read More →

Off the Radar’s Ten Tips for Making Adventure Travel Easier

Off the Radar is the online magazine for adventure travelers featuring responsible adventure operators, news from adventure destinations, images and personal accounts from the field.  Sign up for our newsletter here Always pack a shawl or sarong and keep it handy in your pack. It’s good for covering up your legs or your head; good for sitting on; great for wrapping around your waist while you change out of a swimsuit and back into your jeans; excellent for warming up, shading yourself, or replacing a towel. Scan your credit cards, passport, and vaccination certificates and keep them in your email in case you lose them while traveling. Don’t bring anything you don’t mind losing. Bring one bag. Only. Pack a jar of Iodine tablets for water purification. Carry a a simple but thorough first aid kit for internal and external problems, from heartburn to puncture wounds. Don’t forget your sense of humor! It’s nice to have a comprehensive travel guidebook but also... Read More →

Packing List

Download Printable PDF Checklist Please note: Always check seasonal weather and destination activities to further fine-tune your proper attire and gear Also check local cultural restrictions to determine appropriate attire Gear and vendors recommended by the Adventure Travel Trade Association is in parenthesis following select items Pre-Departure Personal identification Passport Visa Health documentation Insurance for trip cancellation/medical/evacuation (Medjet Assist, Travel Guard, Travel Insure, or World Nomads) Emergency information Transportation tickets (www.Away.com, www.Orbitz.com) Frequent flyer information Lodging, transfers, and activity reservations (www.Away.com, www.Orbitz.com) Hotel/tour contact info Traveler’s checks Currency Money belt (All Terrain Money Belt) Credit & ATM cards Copies of airline tickets/passport/etc. Security pouch and/or organizers for passport, tickets, etc. (Security and ID) Reconfirm/check-in online with airline Positive attitude and an open... Read More →

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