Destination of the Month: Costa Rica

Why Costa Rica?

April 22nd 2010 marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day! To celebrate the occasion, we’re naming Costa Rica our Destination of the Month.
As a country that has dedicated over a quarter of its land to national park and biological preserve, it should come as no surprise that the UN World Tourism Organization considers Costa Rica to be the role model for sustainable tourism in Latin America.

BikeHike Costa Rica Trips

Coast to Coast Adventure (15 days)

Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Whitewater Rating
Trip Rating: Challenging

Ultimate Adventure Medley (10 days)
Activities: Hiking, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Whitewater Rafting, Zip-lining
Trip Rating: Moderate

Turtles and Trails (9 days)
Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Whitewater Rafting, Zip-lining, Volunteering
Trip Rating: Moderate

Women Only – Adventure for the Soul (9 days)Activities: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Whitewater Rafting, Yoga, Zip-lining
Trip Rating: Moderate

A Costa Rican Adventure (8 days)
Activities: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Whitewater Rafting
Trip Rating: Easy

Family Adventure Playground (9 days)
Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Whitewater Rafting, Zip-lining
Trip Rating: Easy

Highlights of Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano
Arenal Volcano is one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. Its red molten lava makes for a spectacular view on a clear night, especially when soaking in a nearby hot spring after a day of hiking along the beautiful trails surrounding the area.

Pacuare River
Rafting along the Pacuare River is an activity you don’t want to miss in Costa Rica! Its 108 km length is divided into approximately 16 sections, and has a range of rapids from Class II to V. This is one of the most thrilling rafting adventures you’ll ever experience.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
It’s not called a cloud forest for nothing; the name originates from the fact that this rain forest sits high above the clouds. Monteverde Cloud Forest is home to approximately 100 species of mammals, 490 species of butterflies, 400 species of birds, 120 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 2,500 species of plants. You won’t know what to look at first while hiking or zip-lining through this jungle of life.

Costa Rican Beaches
Costa Rica boasts a coastline stretching over 1,800 km making it one of the best places to visit if you love (really) long walks on the beach. You won’t be the only one enjoying the coastal views though, as some of these beaches are frequented by leatherback and green sea turtles making their annual migration to lay their eggs.

Interesting Factoids

• In Spanish, “Costa Rica” literally means “rich coast.”
• At 7am every morning, every Costa Rican radio station will play the national anthem.
• In case you ever get lost, note that almost all Catholic churches in the country face West.
• Costa Rica has one of the highest life expectancies in the world (77 years).
• A soda isn’t a fizzy beverage in Costa Rica, it’s a small informal restaurant that serves simple traditional dishes.
• There are approximately 52 species of hummingbirds in the country, most of which live in the rain forests.
• In 2009, Costa Rica was ranked first on the Happy Planet Index – an index measuring life satisfaction, life expectancy at birth, and ecological footprint per capita.
• Over 25% of the country is dedicated as national park and biological preserve.
• In the Western Hemisphere, Costa Rica is the only country without an army or military of any kind.

Destination of the Month: Morocco

Why Morocco?

The sun is always shining somewhere in Morocco, and we can always use a bit of sun! Our destination for the month of March is Morocco not only because we're fans of alliteration, but because Morocco is one of the best destinations in the world if you want to escape to another place and time. March also marks the beginning of the ideal season to visit Morocco.

BikeHike Morocco Trips

Morocco Mountain Biker’s Dream (10 days)
Activities: Mountain Biking, Camel Riding
Trip Difficulty Rating: Challenging
This is the ultimate adventure for the mountain biking enthusiast; tons of biking, stunning scenery, and a challenge on the quads.

Morocco – Walking with The Nomads – Part 1 (10 days)
Activities: Trekking
Trip Difficulty Rating: Challenging
Live the life of a nomad on this 10 day trek through the mountains and valleys of Morocco. This adventure is slightly more challenging than Part 2, but includes an extra day of culture.

Morocco – Walking with The Nomads – Part 2 (9 days)
Activities: Trekking
Trip Difficulty Rating: Moderate
This trip is recommended for anyone who needs to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. The most difficult part of the journey back in time will be learning to live without internet, your cell phone, and regular showers. You'll come home with appreciation for both the little conveniences of city life, as well as the unique nomadic lifestyle.

Highlights of Morocco

Ait Benhaddou
It has served as a backdrop for many well-known films like Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and Gladiator. But even before it went Hollywood, this complex of adobe Kasbahs was well known as a stopping point along one of the busiest trade routes across the High Atlas. Ait Benhaddou is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is the most popular village in Morocco.

Authentic Cultural Encounters with Nomads
There are few places on earth where you can live the life of an authentic nomad. Morocco is one of those few. On either of our Walking with the Nomad adventures, you’ll live with and walk alongside a tribe of Berbers to discover their way of life.

Vibrant Markets and Alleyways
If you’ve ever wanted to take a travel photo worth printing in National Geographic, this is the place to try! The famous souks (markets) and alleyways of Morocco offer a feast for the eyes. You can lose yourself wandering from stall to stall sniffing the vegetables, examining hand-crafted souvenirs, and going snap-happy on the locals (remember to ask for permission first though if you’re planning on taking a close-up).

The Jebel Saghro (aka Jbel Saghro)
This remote and dramatic mountain range of Southern Morocco will leave you breathless. The region is best visited in the cooler season between October and April, and takes a full week to hike across the entire area.

Interesting Factoids:

• Morocco is one of two countries in Africa that are not part of the African Union, the other being Eritrea.
• Morocco has both a King and an elected parliament.
• The name ‘Berbers’ originated in 440BC when Romans gave them the nickname, which means ‘those who speak noisily or confusedly’.
• In Islamic teaching, Allah is sometimes embodied as a stranger, so for this reason unknown visitors are often given preferential treatment.
• In Muslim countries, the left hand is considered the dirty hand because it is the hand that is used after using the loo. For this reason, only use your right hand when eating, touching money, or shaking hands.
• It is impolite to decline meat at a Moroccan home, since meat is a luxury and the concept of vegetarianism does not fit into Moroccan culture.
• The window handles in taxis are often removed because of a commonly accepted myth that the wind makes you sick.
• Some superstitious Moroccans believe that the chameleon possesses magical powers. But unlike cultures that provide preferential treatment of magical creatures, Moroccans throw chameleons in wood-fired ovens and add chameleon meat and bones to food in their efforts to ward off misfortunes and restore fidelity (respectively). Poor chameleons...
  
• Camels (which are found in Morocco) have 3 eyelids to shield their eyes from sandstorms.
• In the southern Sahara, locals eat camel, gazelle and hedgehog meat.

Anny Chih

Destination of the Month: Panama

For the lovely month of February, our Destination of the Month is the amazingly diverse country of Panama.
Why Panama?

Apart from being absolutely gorgeous during the dry months of February and March, Panama also offers culture, an abundance of wildlife, and convenience for the adventurous traveller.

Culture

Though Spanish is the country’s official language, you might hear Japanese, Cantonese, Arabic, Panamanian Creole, Kuna, or even Eastern Yiddish along your travels through Panama. The country has an unusual mix of cultures as a result of its turbulent past. Despite Panama’s history, indigenous traditions have thrived throughout the centuries and have in some cases influenced the imported customs from around the world to create the eclectic experience you’ll still remember years later.

Creatures

The name ‘Panama’ means “abundance of fish, trees and butterflies” in indigenous cultures. It’s not difficult to understand how they came to that definition.

As a country with both rainforests and mangroves, bordering two seas and sandwiched between North and South America, Panama is practically the definition of diverse wildlife. The country is home to jaguars, pumas, crocodiles, nearly a thousand species of birds, various swamp creatures, unique neotropical rodents and many more varieties of animals you probably haven’t even heard of!

Convenience

For travellers that hate the idea of losing money through fluctuating exchange rates and fees, Panama is the place to be! The country technically has its own coins, but Panamanians use the American greenback for all paper currency and will accept US coins as well.

Panama has made it so convenient for its friends up North, that many Americans also flock to the country for their medical needs and made it the number one medical tourism destination in 2008 (eTN). With all the experience Panamanians have had treating visiting American visitors, you don’t have to worry about your experience in the event that you need medical attention (knock on wood).

Upcoming BikeHike Adventures in Panama

Rumble in the Jungle – Panama (10 days)
April 15 - 24, 2010 Guided by BikeHike Owner & Founder Trish Sare

This is the ultimate adventure for the adrenaline junkie. In 10 days, you’ll traverse the country from Pacific to Atlantic on your own sweat and steam. You’ll bike along twisted trails in deep fertile valleys, hike and zip-line through lush rainforests teeming with exotic wildlife, bounce down thumping rapids on a frothy world class river, snorkel in translucent seas filled with tropical marine life, and sea kayak amongst twisted mangroves and coral reefs.

Note: Because this trip is guided by Trish, places will fill up faster than normal. To reserve your spot, call 1.888.805.0061 or e-mail info@bikehike.com asap.



Other Interesting Factoids About Panama

• The closest living relative to the dinosaur (aka the crocodile) can be found in Panama.
• In 1999, Panamanians elected their first female President, Mireya Moscoso.
• Panama is one of the world’s top producers of collectors stamps.
• The Panama Canal is man-made and was created by Americans in the early 20th century.

Destination of the Month: Belize

Our feature destination of the month is none other than beautiful Belize!

Why: Belize is a tropical paradise with more than beach life to offer for adventurists. As one of the few destinations that offer entrance to the underworld, 300ft drops into the dark, and swims alongside rare manatees and reef sharks, Belize is a hot (in both senses of the word) destination from December - April.

Upcoming BikeHike Adventures in Belize
The Belize Blast starting every first Saturday of the month until May. You can start a new date with as few as two people.

Highlights of Belize

The Mayan Ruins of Xunantunich (pronounced "shoo-nahn-too-neech")
These ruins are arguably the most popular remnants of the Mayan civilization in Belize. The population in Xunantunich never exceeded 10,000 but they left a lasting impact with their architecture built in the 7th century AD.

Interesting Factoid: The friezes you see today at El Castillo are actually replicas; the originals are kept underneath for safekeeping.

Underwater Cave Systems
These dark caverns house more than stalactites, stalagmites and crytalline formations. The Maya believed that these caves were the homes of important dieties including the rain god, Chac. They would build ceremonial shrines for these gods and sometimes offer human sacrifices.

Interesting Factoid: According to Mayan beliefs, people were first created from corn dough taken from the flesh of the Maize God, the principal deity of creation. Mayans still consider themselves "corn people".

The Black Hole Drop
The abseil down this 300ft sinkhole called the Actun Loch Tunich takes you through forest canopy, past the mouth of a sacred Maya cave and down into a tropical forest paradise.

Interesting Factoid: One of the most popular questions people ask when they get to the bottom is "how do we get out?"

The Barrier Reef
The Belize Barrier Reef is the second longest continuous reef system in the world (the first is Australia's Great Barrier Reef). The reef can be accessed in Ambergris Caye, where rare manatees (aka sea cows) and reef sharks live. No need to worry about the sharks though, they're even more scared of people than we are of them.

Interesting Factoid: In the popular Disney movie Finding Nemo, Nemo's father stays male after his mother dies. In reality, if the head female clownfish dies, the head male clownfish will change its sex to become female.

Other Interesting Factoids About Belize

• Although many languages are spoken in Belize, it is the only country in South America where English is the official language.
• Over 40% of Belize's land is under legal protection.
• Belize's national anthem is "Land of the Free by the Carib Sea".
• Belize was known as the "British Honduras" until 1973.