#Plastic-free mangrove forest | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

greener-living · 5 years

Photo

HAPPI.EARTH

happi.earth is a certified organic laundry liquid based out of the gold coast that has the planet in mind. I got sent happi.earth to try and have been using it for the last 4 months. the laundry liquid came with a pump bottle and you only need 2 pumps per load which definitely does the job. if you like to get more bang for your bucks, one pouch is supposed to last 400 washes and you can can send the pouch back once you’re done to be sterilised and refilled which is pretty cool. previously I had been using soapberries (which is one of the main ingredients for happi.earth) for it’s multi-use and to reduce waste. and in no way is using soapberries any effort, but the pump bottle has made it simpler by not having to remember how many washes I’ve used the berries for, or dig around my wet clothes to find them. the only thing I’ve found is sometimes there can be a few drippy boys after pumping, and it can get a bit sticky so I’ve placed the bottle on a dish. another yay is that with each purchase, happi.earth plants a tree in their mangrove forest and right now for a limited time they are planting 5 trees. I learnt more about happi.earth from their chief entrepreneur alf orpen.

WHAT INSPIRED HAPPI.EARTH?

happi.earth has been brewing for several years. while we have been leaders in the organic industry, we knew we needed to be better, much better. happi.earth is the result of pursuing several goals.:

let’s produce a product that no one else is making with all ingredients being grown organically?

let’s create a price point that will create a happi.earth movement to enable us to plant a tree with every purchase yet still save money for the purchaser.

let’s design packaging that will reduce the need for plastic. (the inspiration came from a kraft paper coffee pouch with the question arising, how do we put a handle and a spout of such a packaging).

let’s produce a “green” product that at very least performs as good, if not better as one made from toxic synthetic chemicals?

WHERE IS HAPPI.EARTH MADE AND WHO MAKES IT?

happi.earth is made in our certified organic factory in molendinar on the gold coast, australia. ONEgroup (organic & natural enterprise group) make it and our origins stem back to the creation of the world’s first certified organic skin and personal care products under the brand miessence.

WHAT ORGANIC INGREDIENTS ARE IN HAPPI.EARTH?

all ingredients are certified organic: organic soapberry nut concentrate. organic bean glycerine. organic ethanol from sugarcane. organic eucalyptus & organic orange essential oils. nothing else.

WHAT MAKES HAPPI.EARTH PACKAGING ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS?

happi.earth packaging is not perfect. it is however so much better than the usual because it is made from kraft paper with a fine BPA free plastic lining so that it does not leak. with the capacity to hold enough laundry liquid for 400 loads of washing it replaces annually 13 plastic bottles from being produced and discarded into the environment.

WHERE DOES HAPPI.EARTH PLANT MANGROVE TREES?

we are proud to be collaborating with arne fjortoft and his team at the worldview international foundation with whom we have named a previously damaged mangrove area in myanmar the happi forest, where we have commenced its regeneration by planting mangrove trees.

WHAT’S NEXT OR IN THE WORKS FOR HAPPI.EARTH?

our current goal is to plant 1 million trees. we also have several exciting revolutionary products in the pipeline (sorry cannot expose them yet!)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TIP OR PIECE OF ADVICE FOR GREENER LIVING?

it’s the responsibility of all humans to create our preferred future by deciding to act on a scale possible for us, small or large.

SAVE 15% OFF YOUR ORDER BY USING THIS LINK: WWW.HAPPI.EARTH/BRANDPARTNER/GREENERLIVING

you can connect and find out more about happi.earth through their website, email, facebook, instagram and youtube.

#happi earth #ground bloom flourish #greener living #eco #eco friendly #green living #sustainable #reduce reuse recycle #reusable #zero waste #war on waste

4 notes · View notes

living-and-learning-lovingly · 4 years

Text

Treasures, Tchotchke, or Trash?

Scrutinizing Solutions to Pollution in Singapore

As pollution clutters up our land, gluts the seas and pervades the air, discussions about how to properly clean up and dispose of the waste produced by humanity's lifestyle have multiplied. Yet the best solution might simply be to make less.

In terms of big government efforts, Singapore has embraced some innovative and practical solutions to waste. An example is our man-made island landfill, Pulau Semakau. Waste is incinerated, reducing items to 10% of its original volume (with the smoke filtered and trapped to keep our air clean). The ash is poured into landfill cells in Pulau Semakau, and when they are filled, earth is laid and grass grows over the landfill as if it was never there1.

When visiting the island, this reporter learned that the presence of mangrove forests there further protects the ocean. Mangroves are highly reactive to toxic material, and will warn should pollutants escape.2 Furthermore, mangroves are said to neutralise heavy metal pollutants which might leak out, providing a natural solution.3 The efficacy of both these natural and man-made systems is reflected in the teeming wildlife and healthy ecosystem that supports said mangroves as well as fish farms, coral reefs and lush seagrass habitats around the island.

Lush mangroves of Pulau Semakau overlook Bazillion Snails, clustered on the shore. Photo by Ria Tan.

With water consumption, NEWater, an initiative which takes water “from toilet to tap”, treats and cleans waste water until it is so clean it can be drunk. It provides for 40% of Singapore’s total water use currently.4These strategies reuse water which might otherwise be disposed of, acting as solutions both to Singapore’s water scarcity but also as paths towards greater sustainability in this essential resource.

Yet these solutions are not sufficient. Carbon emissions will be produced during the incineration and treatment process. Additionally, at the rate we produce waste, Pulau Semakau will be filled by 2035 and space scarce Singapore will be in a bind.5

To reduce what is sent to landfills, we often focus on recycling. With only 6% of the 815,200 tonnes of plastic waste was recycled, there is clearly room for improvement.6

However, recycling, while important, should not be our primary focus because it is not as sustainable as it seems. China’s National Sword policy banned the import of most recyclables and left countries, including Singapore, scrambling to find alternative markets. With falling demand, public waste collectors admitted in an interview with Channel News Asia that unable to sell recyclables, they prefer incinerate them.7 Even if this is a minority view, and the majority of recyclables are sent to alternative overseas markets (like Indonesia and Malaysia) as NEA has claimed5, recycling is not an environmental panacea. In Indonesia, a report by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) showed that indiscriminate plastic waste incineration had poisoned the food supply8, while in Malaysia, residents complained of toxic, choking fumes from nearby factory plants.9 With Singapore’s low recycling rate and the oft-overlooked costs of recycling, we should be focusing earlier in the waste cycle.

Crushed PET bottles. Our plastic waste piles up, but how much of it is recycled responsibly?

It would be better to reduce the production of these items we consume.

Plastic bags, which make up one fifth of our total plastic waste, exemplify that much is only consumed for convenience’s sake. Anything offered free that we are accustomed to taking can lead to frankly absurd levels of consumption; Straits Times estimated in March 2019 estimated that 13 plastic bags are used by Singaporeans everyday.10 Thoughtless consumption for temporary convenience is creating a legacy of trash.

Today, grassroots movements prove it is both possible and easy to live more sustainably and “plastic-lite”. The proliferation of the straw-free movement, driven by Instagram pages has motivated institutions and corporations to reduce their use of this (usually) unnecessary disposable. Singapore’s flagship university NUS has banned plastic straws, and corporations like KFC and Starbucks are working on removing straws.

Food and fashion consumption should also be scrutinized. Singaporeans throw away S$342 million in unconsumed food annually11, and the fact that Singaporeans may hit an obesity rate of 15% by 202412 implies that not only are Singaporeans squandering food, but we are also consuming more of it than is healthy for us. And while 6 in 10 Singaporeans know about fashion’s harmful impact on the environment, 7 out of 10 Singaporeans buy clothing at least once every six months, and care not if it is sustainably sourced.13 This waste of resources is undeniable but overlooked. Our culture tells us to want more, regardless of if it is good for us.

Everything we buy is thrown away eventually, though we do not often think about it. Photo by Lily Banse on Unsplash

When we lust after new clothes, gadgets, kitchen accoutrements, tchotchke or any other knick-knacks, we should think about whether it really makes us happy. Consumer clutter is a bane to the environment, especially when unwanted or unneeded goods are produced and then disposed. The philosophy of minimalism, which has skyrocketed in popularity after Marie Kondo’s book, reminds us that it more important to focus on what “sparks joy”. We do not need to live like ascetics, but we should give more careful consideration to our choices.

Sometimes a want is just an impulsive and unnecessary whim. What we consume –or do not consume -- shapes our lives and our legacy. The Gods of indiscriminate and relentless consumption will never be satiated, and our sacrifice of nature will only win us a mountain of garbage. Treasures, Tchotchke, or Trash; we need to be more frugal and clear-sighted, and learn to differentiate treasure from tinsel before all we have is trash.

#environment #sustainability #waste managment #singapore #mine

1 note · View note

gosunsolarenergy · 3 years

Text

GoSun gives Solar Oven and Solar Powered Cooler Grants to Non Profits

GoSun is proud to announce the recipients of our Gifts of Gratitude product giveaway. 2020 was a tough year and we wanted to support individuals and organizations who are contributing to a brighter future and leading the fuel-free frontier by donating $10,000 worth of GoSun products. We had over 500 applications, which made for some very tough decisions for our team to make, but we were so inspired by the amount of people and organizations doing a lot of good in our world. Below, you will find the winners of these products, a brief description of their organization and a link to their project.

Flatware: Travel Cutlery Set: Kathryn Reinhardt,Makers Guild Inc.

Kathryn Reinhardt represents Makers Guild Inc. MGI increases impact by creating local jobs opportunities, empowering their workers and being involved in a downtown revitalization of an empty main street store into a makerspace. MGI hopes to launch a local makerspace for innovation, creative reuse/upscaling of items and job growth in a small rural, upstate New York town. MGI is an example of creative design and concern for the environment.

Flatware: Travel Cutlery Set: AI FENG CHEE, Individual as well asF&B cafe

Ai Feng Chee is an individual who has enjoyed using our Flatware often and takes pride in eliminating single use plastic. They also own a F&B cafe, where they plan to introduce and bring more awareness to eco-friendly products and influence others to make a change.

Flatware: Travel Cutlery Set: Melanie Kobran, Solidarity and Snacks (checkout @solidarityandsnacks on Instagram)

Melanie Kobran represents Solidarity and Snacks. S&S works with residents of Skid Row in Los Angeles to provide food and supplies for their living situations. These people have very limited access to power/water/sanitation in this area where just under 5,000 people are living on the streets in a very condensed area of the city. S&S works with community leaders who have established community kitchens.

Go: Portable Solar Oven: Pamela Sweeny,The Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command

Pamela Sweeny represents The Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command, this organization assists homeless veterans by providing them with backpacks filled with clothing, toiletries and other necessities. They’ve assisted over 900 veterans in 174 different countries including those who prefer to live off-grid and will benefit from a solar cooker.

Go: Portable Solar Oven: Solar Cookers International

Solar Cookers International is an organization that improves human and environmental health by supporting the expansion of effective carbon-free solar cooking in the regions of the world in greatest need. SCI leads through advocacy, research and strengthening the capacity of the global solar cooking movement. SCI has contributed to over 7.7 billion solar-cooked meals so far with various solar cookers and solar ovens.

Go: Portable Solar Oven: Stephen Gitonga,United Nations Development Programme, Regional Hub for Arab States, Amman, Jordan

Stephen Gitonga represents the United Nations Development Programme, Regional Hub for Arab States in Amman, Jordan, this organization aids countries in crisis contexts such as Yemen or those bordering crisis countries and impacted by hosting refugees. They plan to use their GoSun solar oven to improve social impact and contribute to clean energy transition and contribute to address climate change in these counties.

Go: Portable Solar Oven: Angel M. Sewell via Becky Townsend

Becky Townsend, had nominated her friend, Angel Sewall to receive a GoSun Go solar cooker. Angel is a traveling artist who lives in an RV and helps aid homeless people she comes across on her journeys. She is always willing to help everyone and will often give her last dollar to someone so they can go eat.

Sport: Fastest Solar Oven:Jennifer Gasser,Global Development Solutions, Solar Education Project

Jennifer Gasser represents Global Development Solutions, Solar Education Project, a local library that they work with has started a solar oven lending program in their community, which is the first program of its kind for solar ovens. The Solar Education Program provides educational materials, training and support. Gasser and her team are passionate about providing solar cooking educational resources to reduce deforestation and fossil fuel usage as well as educating to help eradicate poverty.

Sport: Fastest Solar Oven: Michael Chacon,Solar Smart Living

Michael Chacon represents Solar Smart Living, which is a renewable energy company focused on bringing sustainability to families. Chacon will use this solar oven to bring awareness of solar cooking to these families.

Sport: Fastest Solar Oven: Anders Hasselroth,GREAT WORLD CENTER

Anders Hasselroth represents his local resilience center, Great World Center, he has dedicated his life to creating resilient centers in order to help save our world. He raises awareness about solar products and educates people on how to use them. Anders products and distributes solar cooking videos and plans to put on events again soon after lockdowns have been lifted.

Sport: Fastest Solar Oven: Bob Lucy,Maasai Conservation Fund (MCF)

Bob Lucy represents the Maasai Conservation Fund (MCF). The Maasai village of Makuyuni is developing a permaculture demonstration farm to feed themselves and teach their neighbours about sustainable agriculture. Part of that plan is to reduce dependence on forests for fuel and are seeking the ability to cook with the sun with the aid of a solar cooker. The MCF works with the people of the village by implementing sustainable developed projects to improve education, food security and economic development all while protecting their environment and unique culture.

Sport: Fastest Solar Oven: Kim Ricket,Highlands Elementary School (Garden Program via PTA)

Kim Ricket represents the Highlands Elementary School Garden Program. The mission of the program of over 500 children is to build a love of nature in young children and to help them to understand the need to work toward a sustainable future. Ricket says that as the children take these lessons home, they see change in the community. They build an appreciation for nature in the children of today so that the adults of tomorrow will take better care of our environment. Ricket plans to use the GoSun solar oven to teach children about the science behind solar powered cooking and how it ties into their sustainability curriculum.

Flow Pro: Filter + Sink + Shower: Denise Luttrell,Colorado Navajo Resiliency Project

Denise Luttrell represents the Colorado Navajo Resiliency Project, this organization supports Navajo people who have no access to running water, this gift will go to a family living in a remote area with no access to water or power. The Colorado Navajo Resiliency Project raises money to purchase goods and accepts donations and then delivers them to individuals throughout the Navajo Nation. They supply both short and long term sustainability needs and in relation to GoSun, have already distributed over 25 Sun King Pro solar light kits!

Flow Pro: Filter + Sink + Shower: Steven Ralf,Eudaimonia

Steven Ralf represents Eudaimonia, a primary school in Kenya that is in need of a washing and drinking facility for the children and their families. Ralf’s business in Eudaimonia is committed to using permaculture pericesses and only using natural resources, they increase impact by encouraging entrepreneurial responses to social problems and developing free thinking.

Flow Pro: Filter + Sink + Shower: Brenna Holzhauer,Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Brenna Holzhauer represents the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, a nonprofit organization that offers a range of environmental education programming. ALNC leads the way to ensure visitors of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to connect with nature by offering positive and constructive learning opportunities that capture their interest, engage their senses and teach them to appreciate the interconnectedness of all living things. Some of their programs have adapted to take place mostly outdoors and they plan to use the solar powered GoSun Flow for an outdoor hand washing station.

Fusion: Hybrid Solar Oven: Greg Saxe,Freedom Trail Supply

Greg Saxe represents Freedom Trail Supply and offers free solar cooking demonstrations with GoSun solar ovens at school and events such as Earth Day and local potlucks to feed the hungry. Saxe educates attendees on the environmental, health and economic benefits of solar cooking and shows the effectiveness of everyday living to promote acceptance and use by creating familiarity and a user community.

Fusion: Hybrid Solar Oven: Pamela M. Smith,Change for Hope

Pamela M. Smith represents Change For Hope and has been working in a rural village of Kalitar in Nepal for 15 years. Smith has a plan that the GoSun Fusion solar oven will change the way that the women cook, but preventing smoke filling homes and preventing them having to haul wood for long hours everyday and ultimately will bring clean air to these families.

Fusion: Hybrid Solar Oven: Ian Dodkins,SunnyMoney (SolarAid)

Ian Dodkins represents SunnyMoney, which is a national distribution network specifically designed to ensure low cost distribution of renewable energy products to last mile communities such as Malawi. The GoSun Fusion solar oven will help Dodkins and his team test the quality, durability and feasibility of solar cooking as an alternative to wood cooking in these low income rural areas.

Fusion: Hybrid Solar Oven: Monique Pool,Green Heritage Fund Suriname

Monique Pool represents the Green Heritage Fund in Suriname. Green Heritage works to save endangered species such as sea turtles, dolphins, manatees, mangroves, sloths and anteaters. Pool and her team will use their new solar oven during their fieldwork to cook in the field without having to carry around and use a gas stove or harm the sensitive ecosystems that they work in.

Sport: Fastest Solar Oven andFusion: Hybrid Solar Oven: Solar Household Energy

Solar Household Energy (SHE) is an organization that strives to unleash the potential of solar cooking to improve social, economic and environmental conditions in sun-rich areas around the world. They employ the technology of solar cooking to combat hunger, the global threats of biomass cooking and address seven of the eight United National Millennium Development Goals; eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving mental health, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

SolarTable 60: 60W Solar Charger + Battery: Dawn Deydey,Wildsight Elk Valley

Dawn Deydey represents Wildsight Elk Valley, a non profit based in Fernie, BC that aims to protect plant and animal biodiversity and create sustainable communities in the Southern Rockies region of British Columbia. Their aim is to cultivate a thriving, knowledgeable and resilient local food culture in the Elk Valley through education, advocacy and community engagement. They’ve just launched a new local food store, run a local farmers market as well as a community garden and facilitate environmental education programs in schools. Deydey plans to use the solar table at the Community EcoGarden and Farmers Market events and access power at these events where they do not normally have electricity!

SolarEnergy Bundle: Charge & Power: Dean Seibert, MD.ACTS Honduras

Dean Seibert, MD represents ACTS Honduras, ACTS has been working in Honduras since 1986 to foster cross-cultural understanding and to promote sustainable programs for health, education, agriculture and economic development. ACTS works to address immediate needs of the community, support programs that encourage learning and leadership among adults and youth communities. Solar panels and a solar powered lithium ion battery (which also acts as a cell phone charger) will help bring clean power to the Honduras community.

Chill: Portable Fridge + Battery: Kerry Hughes,Ecosystem Restoration Camps - CA

Kerry Hughes represents the Ecosystem Restoration Camps in California and is building an off grid mobile kitchen to travel to disaster sites in California and feed volunteers who work to restore the land and communities. This organization started after the Camp Fire which destroyed the entire town of Paradise, they restore ecosystems through camping experiences that teach people how to care for the land, empower people to take this knowledge back to their communities and teach others to heal the land through restoration best practices.

Chill: Portable Fridge + Battery: Joseph Appell, Solar by Jos

Joseph Appell represents Solar by Jos, a non-profit clean energy consultant and presenter. He displays fossil-free/grid-free yard and garden solutions and works with energy fairs, Earth Day events and environmental groups such as;. Kiswaukee350, Forest City350, Audubon events, Galena Green events, and DeKalb EV show.

Solar Kitchen: Cook + Cool + Charge: Ron Swenson,Homeless Garden Project

Ron Swenson represents the Homeless Garden Project. Swenson, the landlord and a commercial solar developer, has donated the use of his land to this project for over twenty years. The project provides an incredible service to the community, bringing job training, food to the homeless and providing mid-day meals to their workers despite their kitchen facilities being very limited.

Solar Kitchen: Cook + Cool + Charge: Dave Law,Homes on Wheels Alliance, Inc. (HOWA)

Dave Law represents Homes on Wheels Alliance, Inc., a non profit organization that strives to help a significant portion of the American population who are being squeezed between the rapidly rising cost of shelter, stagnant wages or not enough retirement income through no fault of their own and at serious risk of losing their homes. Law and his team plan to use the Solar Kitchen in a recipient in need’s home vehicle.

Solar Kitchen: Cook + Cool + Charge: Cheryl Martin, donating toMedicine Horse Project

Cheryl Martin represents the Medicine Horse Project, an off-grid organization located in the high desert of Nevada that rescues abandoned, neglected or abused horses. These sentient beings provide healing to veterans coping with trauma, TBI, PTSD and re-entry to civilian life, as well as battered women and children. MHP will use the Solar Kitchen to bring warm water to clean horses eyes before medicine is applied, convert refrigeration from gas generators to solar, using solar to pump water to the horses, from the well and holding tanks, cook healthy dishes, make coffee in the morning and keep it hot all day and keep foods refrigerated.

0 notes

kanwaldesigns · 3 years

Text

Climate change and affects of species (Tigers)

Animals are drastically affected by global climate change, and humans are the primary contributing factor. The rate of change is faster than the Earth has experienced in the last million years, and we must act now before it is too late.

What is global warming?

The sun’s light passes through the atmosphere and most of it is absorbed by Earth’s surface, with excess heat radiating from the surface back towards space. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act as a blanket and trap the excess heat. The gases are then prevented from escaping, and surface temperatures are raised as a result. The higher the concentration of greenhouse gases, the greater this “greenhouse effect” works to trap heat around the planet which means an overall increase in temperatures known as global warming.

How are global warming and climate change linked?

Global warming increases the temperatures of the Earth’s surface, including oceans. This causes changes in weather patterns over an long period of time, which should not be confused with weather in the short term. These overall weather pattern changes are known as climate change.

How have humans contributed to the climate crisis?

Humans release unprecedented levels of heat-trapping and ozone layer depleting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change.

Methane, a hydrocarbon gas, is produced by human activities, including the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and livestock raised for human consumption.

Animal agriculture is responsible for 71% of all greenhouse gases.

Carbon dioxide is released through natural processes, such as respiration and volcano eruptions, and through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels. Humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution began.

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas produced by fossil fuel combustion, soil and fertilizer cultivation practices, and the burning of biomass.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are synthetic compounds made for industrial purposes. These greenhouse gases deplete the ozone layer – the layer of the atmosphere responsible for shielding the earth and its inhabitants from a portion of the sun’s radiation. Although the industrial use of CFCs is regulated, these harmful greenhouse gases are present in air-conditioners and refrigerants, insulations and packing materials, solvents, and aerosol cans.

Water vapor, while “natural” can become lethal too. As temperatures increase, the bodies of water that cover the vast majority of Earth’s surface release larger amounts of water vapor into the air. Water vapor in the atmosphere also acts to trap heat, creating more clouds and precipitation, and accounts for nearly 80% of the total greenhouse mass in the atmosphere. Water vapor not only increases Earth’s surface temperatures through its participation in the greenhouse effect, but it also increases precipitation and alters weather patterns over time (i.e. climate change). As temperatures continue to increase, the vicious cycle of excess heat being trapped and even more water vapor entering the atmosphere continues unabated, finally ending in a planet too hot for us and most species to survive.

How does climate change impact animals?

Animals have paid the price for the human-induced climate crisis in many ways. Here are some examples.

Recent discoveries of the perilous conditions of the Earth’s oceans, which cover over 71% of the planet, show huge disruptions to marine ecosystems due to climate change. “Warmer waters impact almost every aspect of ocean welfare, from coral bleaching to fish migration patterns and even alter oceanic currents. Warming causes chaos within marine life, which takes biological cues from temperatures to know when to spawn.”

Nearly 190 sea turtles died off of the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts due in part to an unprecedented weather system, caused by warming sea surface temperatures and sea level rise. Gale force winds, high tides, and unusually cold temperatures disabled migrating turtles, many of whom were found frozen as they traveled south in search of warmer water to lay their eggs.

Fifty polar bears invaded a small island approximately 1,200 miles north of Moscow, Russia after melting Arctic sea ice forced them onto land in search of food, increasing the probability of deadly encounters with humans.

Approximately 23,000 speckled flying foxes died over a span of two days during a heatwave. This species, which lost one third of its population during this event, is only found in a small rainforest region in Queensland, Australia, where the foxes play a important role in pollinating native trees.

An estimated 80,000 reindeer died in Siberia from starvation. Warmer temperatures caused the nearby Arctic sea ice to melt, and exposed the warmer Atlantic water below. The newly exposed water was released as water vapor into the air, leading to increased cloud production and rainfall. When temperatures dropped drastically over 10,000 square miles of the southern part of the Yamal Peninsula, thousands of reindeer were incapable of breaking through the thick, newly formed ice to access lichen and plants below.

The Bramble Cay melomys, a small rodent species which inhabited a coral island off the coast of Australia, became the first known mammal to become extinct due to “human-induced climate change.” Rising sea levels cause widespread habitat destruction over the past decade.

Although often overlooked, human-driven habitat loss, pollution, and the climate crisis “may lead to the extinction of 40 percent of the world’s insect species over the next few decades.” The loss of nearly half of all insects would also lead to the loss of the animals who rely on them as a food source. Losing key pollinators and insects needed to pollinate crops and to keep soil healthy would have a devastating impact on agriculture and the economy, and prohibit feeding our rapidly increasing human population.

How Can We Help Animals And Protect the Planet We Call Home?

“From altering migratory and behavioral patterns and limiting the availability of food and water, to destroying habitats and wiping out entire species, humans are responsible for threatening the survival of animals by the lifestyle choices we make.”

Our rapidly increasing human population is the single greatest contributor to the climate crisis and the destruction of animal habitats worldwide. Every single person on Earth requires space, food, water, and infrastructure such as hospitals, schools as well as grocery stores. With 360,000 births per day, a staggering number that is double the number of deaths, animals will continue to be harmed and displaced at a reckless and overwhelming pace.

As Gwynn Mackellen, a California recycling consultant, who is based in California states “I work in the waste industry, and our waste is the downstream of people. It’s not people being bad; it’s just the effects of people. Just as it’s not only bad people deforesting, the trees are being cut down on our behalf. Plastic waste is being dumped and minerals are being mined not because of bad people, but because of people. Having fewer of us, there will be less of those effects.”

Human population growth is exponential, meaning that every single person has the ability to make a impact.There are also things you can do, or strive to do including living a car-free lifestyle, not flying, and eating plant-based foods that can help the planet.We can and should all work together to all do our very best to combat the climate crisis so every species can have a bright future.

Climate change and effects on animals

In the past century, 97 percent of the world’s tiger population has vanished, leaving only about 3,900 individuals left in the wild. Poaching, deforestation and development have driven this sharp decline. Now, from the pine forests of Russia to the rainforests of Indonesia, a new threat looms for these remaining tigers: climate change.

1. Rising sea levels

In India and neighboring Bangladesh, rising sea levels are shrinking coastal habitat for hundreds of endangered Bengal tigers that rely on the area’s mangrove forest, the largest in the world. Higher waters erode this patchwork of islands, called the Sundarbans, and cause salt water to migrate into fresh water, polluting the tigers’ drinking source. Tigers must find new freshwater sources and move to higher ground, escalating conflicts with communities living there.

2. Deforestation

Cutting down forests accelerates climate change while pushing species like the critically endangered Sumatran tiger to the brink of extinction. Unsustainably cultivated palm oil plantations are fast replacing Indonesia’s forests. This deforestation destroys important habitat, and could leave Sumatran tigers more vulnerable to illegal wildlife trafficking.

Keeping Indonesia’s forests intact helps protect tigers and address the impacts of climate change. CI is working in Indonesia, Brazil and other key palm-oil-producing countries to keep deforestation out of palm oil supply chains.

3. Temperature changes

Shifting temperatures are altering habitat for Siberian tigers in Russia and China, as Korean pine forests give way to fir and spruce trees — meaning less prey for hungry tigers that prefer to hunt in pine forests. Fewer than 600 Siberian, or Amur, tigers remain, heralding the possible extinction of the world’s largest cat within the next 100 years.

4. Natural disasters

As climate change accelerates, scientists predict more frequent wildfires in the remote regions where Siberian tigers live. Longer, hotter and drier wildfire seasons are the new reality, threatening Siberian tiger habitat and food supplies. Climate change also drives more worse storms and flooding that ruins crops, forcing people to travel farther from their homes and into tiger territory to make a living. In the Sundarban Islands, human-tiger conflict can result as displaced farmers gather seafood and honey in the same mangroves where tigers roam.

Climate change is threatening the habitats and food sources of tigers, making them vulnerable to poaching and to conflicts with communities. In many cases, protecting tigers — specifically by preserving their habitat, which is often forest — also helps combat climate change. By keeping forests standing, we’re giving tigers a fighting chance.

Tigers protection

To save tigers, we need to protect the forest habitats across Asia where they live. By saving biologically diverse places, we allow tigers to roam and hunt the many other endangered species that live there. As a large predator, the tiger plays a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Reason For Tiger Disappearing

Deforestation loss of Habitat-Forests are being cut down for various purposes like paper, palm, housing, furniture, firewood. Deforestation has been the cause of a truly massive number of species extinction in modern times and historical times. It always lacks the large biodiversity of its previous state. With the disappearance of the original forest, many species go extinct, and many that don’t lose a great deal of their genetic diversity and variation.

Tigers skin-Consumers demand for tiger body parts poses the largest threat to the tiger. Tigers are being illegally hunted for their skin, bones, teeth, nails, etc. which are highly valuable for medicinal use and remedies. In the past 10 years over 1000 tigers are hunted to meet the consumer demand. Chinese people use tiger skin and other body parts for medicinal use and black magic with the disappearance of the original forest, many species go extinct, and many that don’t lose a great deal of their genetic diversity and variation.

Spread of disease among the tiger population-There is a certain disease that spread like an epidemic. Diseases like Feline Panleukopenia, Tuberculosis, Sarcocystis have to lead to endangered tigers. Health Management of wildlife is neglecting.

Loss of Habitat-Tigers need an intact habitat in order to live. They like to live in the depth of the thick forests. 100 sq km area is sufficient to survive about 15 to 16 tigers. Males’ tigers run throughout the forests to hunt and mate. This then means habitat loss causes birth rate and lowers overall survive.

Tiger Hunting-There are many peoples who hunt tigers for sports and for other decorative purposes. A recent trend has been the hunting of tigers for human consumption. Many people in China believe that tiger meat and bones have medicinal elements which are beneficial for human health her body parts for medicinal use and black magic with the disappearance of the original forest, many species go extinct, and many that don’t lose a great deal of their genetic diversity and variation.

How To Save Tiger?

The tiger is not just a wild animal living in the forest. The tiger is a unique animal which plays a important role in the health and diversity of an ecosystem. If the Tigers go extinct the entire ecosystem would collapse. When a species goes extinct, it leaves behind a scar. This affects the entire ecosystem. Tigers can be saved in the following ways:

Spread the news and tell others that tigers are dying and they need to be protected. In every media, the advertisement should be given. The government should be aware of the people regarding saving the tiger.

Responsible Tourist wilderness is to be experienced not to be polluted. While experiencing the wilderness following the forest department guidelines. Don’t leave anything behind except some foodstuffs. Don’t throw garbage here and there, maintain cleanness.

Inform the police If you see any illegal activity like hunting and poaching give the information to the local police station and forest department or the people who look after the reserve.

Educate the local peoples those who live near the forest need to be educated about the importance of tigers in the ecosystem. If there are no tigers there will be no forest as all grass eaters animals will live.

The Government should give punishment to the hunters those who hunt tigers and wild animals. If somebody is hunting tigers immediately inform the local police station and forest department.

Stop poaching, don't buy goods made from tiger’s skin and bones. Sale of tiger skin and body parts is banned by the government. If somebody is doing the business of tiger body parts, inform it to the police and make sure that they receive severe punishment for this crime.

Donate Fund The easiest way to join for saving the tiger is to donate the money to the organization those who are supporting to save the tiger. Some of the well-known organization Panthera, World Wildlife Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Big Cat Rescue

Spread Awareness through social media. Encourage others to support the efforts being made to save the tigers. Social media is a very handy tool for this-post links to interesting articles about the plight of the tigers, spread word about petitions that your friends and family can sign, and follow your favorite tiger organizations on Facebook, Twitter, or any of the other various platforms out there.

We’re facing the biggest environmental challenge our species has ever seen. No matter what we’re passionate about, something we care about will be affected by climate change so it’s time to take action and look after the planet we live in not only for us humans and the planet but for the animals as well.

0 notes

kathrinapineda · 4 years

Text

THE FREE, DAMNED ISLAND

"Future generations may well have occasions to ask themselves, 'What were our parents thinking? Why didn't they wake up when they had a chance? We have to hear that question from them, now." This was a quote from Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, a movie so controversial for its brutal honesty. It presented the existence of global warming, which many people tend to not believe, and its effects and danger to not just our lives but the future generations'.

Imagine your child seeing the destroyed nature -- bald forests or even when they would only see some animals in books for they would probably be extinct by then and also the photos of what nature used to look like before it all became covered in trash or replaced by skyscrapers. It would not be a surprise if nature became history, it would just be a myth someday, stories we would tell to our children and grandchildren when we tuck them in to bed or they come to us in our rocking chairs asking for stories. "Those were the days", we would heavily sigh. All of these are if we are lucky, of course - if we even get to reach old age without pollution getting the best of us first.

Freedom is more often than not abused for people are unaware that freedom is absolute. People just throw their trash everywhere willy-nilly and are not even aware of how big the impact of a little candy wrapper is considering there would be millions of them together.

When a foreigner would ask where the nearest mangrove forest lies, the nearest place to go bird-watching or some place they could get a view of nature, they would probably be asked to go to farther provinces -- why not in Metro Manila? We have lived up to that image that nature is not really our forte. We have huge skyscrapers and multi- starred hotels to send the foreigners to impress but what about a place to see trees and birds? Where could they and even we find a nearby place to breathe in fresh air to de- stress our full and heavy burdened minds?

There is a place in Las Piñas and Parañaque that is heartbreaking to think and see is now under critical condition. The Freedom Island is a man-made island in Manila Bay created by land reclamation and an island in the south of Las Piñas called Long Island forming the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area. The island was declared a critical habitat by the government in 2007.

It was a long tricycle ride to get to the Freedom Island if you are to get there by commuting like I did. On my way, there was a foul stench that welcomed me from all the fishes that people caught and are to sell. People have fishing as a livelihood near the island. There were also a myriad of informal settlers living off the side of the small pathway on the way to the island living off the waters -- there was even a bridge made out of bamboo woods leading to an enclosed 'comfort room' which the residues go straight to the waters .There are houses off of nipas and also boats where some people seem to be sleeping in. It made me wonder how that place could be a tourist spot with all the unpleasant view. It was not a very nice sight to see. Before the island, there is a gate guarded by securities. A visitor application form is needed and asked for to be able to get through and in the gates to the Freedom Island from the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area. It asks for the company or any affiliation of the visitors and the activity to be done - be it photography, ecotour, nature walk, bird- watching, outreach, community works or others.

It was breathtaking to see the mangroves. It's almost unbelievable that there could be such a place in the busy city of Metro Manila. It s also a place with an overwhelming view of the sunset especially for people who are suckers for the sun setting like me and a place to go bird-watching.

According to a local fisherman, all the trash covering the place came from the bodies of water connecting to the islands' -- it's not from the local informal settlers. "Nakakahuli pa kami ng mga isda dyan (Freedom Island)." (We still catch fishes from the island) according to a member of the The Manila Bay United Fisherfolk and Urban Poor Organization. We caught him sitting on the ground sewing his net for catching fishes on the side of the island. According also to him, the island is somehow theirs - the guards don't have a word to say to them. He has been a fisherman for ages and the island is a great place to catch fishes. Yes, there are still live fishes there. "Yung mga basura dyan nanggagaling sa kung mga ilog kung saan saan." (All the trash came from rivers all over)

The Freedom Island has become the catch basin of all the trashes coming from bodies of water of Las Piñas and Parañaque. The trash mindlessly thrown by people all became collected in the island and formed an island of trash. Rubber slippers, plastic bags, styrofoam, empty packets of assorted instant food and drinks, toothpaste tubes, shampoo sachets and wrappers are the main rubbishes found in the island.

An operation called Save Freedom Island Movement has been established to help the island rise again. The movement's aim is to protecting the environment, the last remaining mangrove frontier in Metro Manila, bird sanctuary, the livelihood of local fisher folks and residents of Las Pinas & Paranaque. They are also Anti-Reclamation Project. Community services and clean up drives are also being done to help in reclaiming the island and its potential to be a place of sanctuary.

#project #projects

0 notes

wwfvolunteers · 6 years

Text

Helping Mumbai’s Mangroves Breathe Again!

Every minute spent for the Earth, is a minute well spent! Just two hours of these volunteers’ dedicated time left the mangroves along the Dahisar river in Mumbai cleaner and greener.

On 19 November 2017, more than 50 volunteers from various organizations, including the WWF-India Volunteers, descended upon the Dahisar river with gloves, sticks and garbage bags to join the the Maharashtra Forest Department's Mangrove Cell for a clean-up along the banks of the river. For the next two hours, these dedicated participants worked as one, towards their common mission of cleaning the mangrove floor to free choked aerial roots.

And their efforts showed through! With 35 large loads of mostly plastic waste removed from about 250 square metres of its east bank, the mangroves looked cleaner and healthier.

“...and it only took us two hours!”, said a WWF-India Volunteer. “Some of us pass by this area every day, think about how dirty it is, and wish we could do something. But look at what we’ve accomplished in only two hours! It really makes you believe in the power of volunteering.”

#WWF India Volunteers Maharashtra

2 notes · View notes

fuckyeahmedicalstuff · 7 years

Text

Brain Parasites: Part I.

In some parts of the world, brain infections may be due to worms or other parasites. These infections are more common in developing countries and rural areas. They are less common in the United States. Trichinella Spiralis, A Parasitic Roundworm

Trichinosis is a disease caused by parasitic roundworms (nematodes) that can infect and damage body tissues. Nematodes are a major division of the helminth family of parasitic worms (for example, Trichinella spiralis). When ingested, these parasitic worms can pass through the intestinal tract to invade other tissues, such as muscle, where they persist. Trichinosis is also termed trichinellosis, trichiniasis, or trichinelliasis. Trichinosis is caused by Trichinella species (parasitic nematodes, intestinal worms, and roundworms) that initially enter the body when meat containing the Trichinella cysts (roundworm larvae) is eaten. For humans, undercooked or raw pork and pork products, such as pork sausage, has been the meat most commonly responsible for transmitting the Trichinellaparasites. It is a food-borne infection and not contagious from one human to another unless infected human muscle is eaten. However, almost any carnivore (meat eater) or omnivore (eats meat and plants for food) can both become infected and, if eaten, can transmit the disease to other carnivores and omnivores. For example, undercooked or raw bear meat can contain livable Trichinella cysts. Therefore, if humans, dogs, pigs, rats, or mice eat the meat, they can become infected. In rare instances, larvae in cattle feed can infect cattle. There are six species that are known to infect humans:T. spiralis found in many carnivorous and omnivorous animals worldwide.T. britovi found in carnivorous animals in Europe and Asia.T. pseudospiralis found in mammals and birds worldwide.T. nativa found in arctic mammals (for example, bears, foxes).T. nelsoni found in African mammals (for example, lions, hyenas).T. murrelli found in wild animals in the U.S. Cysticercosis

This infection is caused by pork tapeworm larvae. It is the most common parasitic infection in the Western Hemisphere. After people eat food contaminated with cysticercus eggs, secretions in the stomach cause the eggs to hatch into larvae. The larvae enter the bloodstream and are distributed to all parts of the body, including the brain. The larvae form cysts (clusters of larvae enclosed in a protective wall). These cysts can cause headaches and seizures. The cysts degenerate and the larvae die, triggering inflammation, swelling, and symptoms such as headaches, seizures, personality changes, and mental impairment.

Sometimes the cysts block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the spaces of the brain (ventricles) putting pressure on the brain. This disorder is called hydrocephalus. The increased pressure can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and sleepiness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) can often show the cysts. But blood tests and a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid are often needed to confirm the diagnosis.

The infection is treated with albendazole or praziquantel (drugs used to treat parasitic worm infections, called antihelminthic drugs). Corticosteroids are given to reduce the inflammation that occurs as the larvae die. Seizures are treated with anticonvulsants.

Occasionally, surgery is necessary to place a drain (shunt) to remove the excess cerebrospinal fluid and relieve the hydrocephalus. The shunt is a piece of plastic tubing placed in the spaces within the brain. The tubing is run under the skin, usually to the abdomen, where excess fluid can drain. Surgery to remove cysts from the brain may also be needed. Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri is a heat-loving (thermophilic), free-living ameba (single-celled microbe), commonly found around the world in warm fresh water (like lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and soil. Naegleria fowleri is the only species of Naegleria known to infect people. Most of the time, Naegleria fowleri lives in freshwater habitats by feeding on bacteria. However, in rare instances, the ameba can infect humans by entering the nose during water-related activities. Once in the nose, the ameba travels to the brain and causes a severe brain infection called primary meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is usually fatal. Naegleria fowleri has 3 stages in its life cycle: cyst, trophozoite, and flagellate. The only infective stage of the ameba is the trophozoite. Trophozoites are 10-35 µm long with a granular appearance and a single nucleus. The trophozoites replicate by binary division during which the nuclear membrane remains intact (a process called promitosis). Trophozoites infect humans or animals by penetrating the nasal tissue and migrating to the brain via the olfactory nerves causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Trophozoites can turn into a temporary, non-feeding, flagellated stage (10-16 µm in length) when stimulated by adverse environmental changes such as a reduced food source. They revert back to the trophozoite stage when favorable conditions return. Naegleria fowleri trophozoites are found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and tissue, while flagellated forms are occasionally found in CSF. Cysts are not seen in brain tissue. If the environment is not conducive to continued feeding and growth (like cold temperatures, food becomes scarce) the ameba or flagellate will form a cyst. The cyst form is spherical and about 7-15 µm in diameter. It has a smooth, single-layered wall with a single nucleus. Cysts are environmentally resistant in order to increase the chances of survival until better environmental conditions occur. N. fowleri can spend long spans of time just hanging around as a cyst, a little armored ball that can survive cold, heat, and dry conditions. When a cyst comes into contact with an inviting host, it sprouts tentacle-like pseudopods and turns into a form known as a trophozoite. Once it’s transformed, the trophozoite heads straight for the host’s central nervous system, following nerve fibers inward in search of the brain. Once it’s burrowed into its host’s brain tissue — usually the olfactory bulbs — N. fowleri sprouts a “sucking apparatus” called an amoebostome and starts chowing down on juicy brain matter. As the amoeba divides, multiplies and moves inward, devouring brain cells as it goes, its hosts can go from uncomfortable to incoherent to unconscious in a matter of hours.The symptoms start subtly, with alterations in tastes and smells, and maybe some fever and stiffness. But over the next few days, as N. fowleri burrows deeper into the brain’s cognitive structures, victims start feeling confused, have trouble paying attention, and begin to hallucinate. Next come seizures and unconsciousness, as the brain loses all control. Two weeks later, the victim’s most likely perishes — although one man in Taiwan managed to stick it out for a grueling 25 days before his nervous system finally gave out.Although N. fowleri infections are rare in the extreme — worldwide historical totals number only in the hundreds — they’re almost always fatal, and tricky to catch and treat before they spiral out of control. Even so, you’d be wise to avoid warm pools of still water, lest you end up with an uninvited guest on the brain. Loa Loa

Loiasis, called African eye worm by most people, is caused by the parasitic worm Loa loa. It is passed on to humans through the repeated bites of deerflies (also known as mango flies or mangrove flies) of the genus Chrysops. The flies that pass on the parasite breed in certain rain forests of West and Central Africa. Infection with the parasite can also cause repeated episodes of itchy swellings of the body known as Calabar swellings. Knowing whether someone has a Loa loa infection has become more important in Africa because the presence of people with Loa loa infection has limited programs to control or eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). There may be more than 29 million people who are at risk of getting loaisis in affected areas of Central and West Africa. The deerflies (genus Chrysops) that pass Loa loa on to humans bite during the day. If a deerfly eats infected blood from an infected human, the larvae (non-adult parasites) will infect cells in its abdomen. After 7–12 days the larvae develop the ability to infect humans. Then the larvae move to the mouth parts of the fly. When the deerfly breaks a human’s skin to eat blood, the larvae enter the wound and begin moving through the person’s body.It takes about five months for larvae to become adult worms inside the human body. Larvae can become adults only inside the human body. The adult worms live between layers of connective tissue (e.g., ligaments, tendons) under the skin and between the thin layers of tissue that cover muscles (fascia). Fertilized females can make thousands of microfilariae a day. The microfilaria then move into the lymph vessels of the body (the lymph vessels contain the blood cells that fight infection). Eventually they move into the lungs where they spend most of their time. These microfilariae enter the blood from time to time, usually around midday. It takes five or more months for microfilariae to be found in the blood after someone is infected with Loa loa. The microfilariae can live up to one year in the human body. If they are not consumed in a blood meal by a deerfly they will die. Adult worms may live up to 17 years in the human body and can continue to make new microfilariae for much of this time.Most people with loiasis do not have any symptoms. People who get infected while visiting areas with loiasis but do not come from areas where loiasis is found (travelers) are more likely to have symptoms. The most common manifestations of the disease are Calabar swellings and eye worm. Calabar swellings are localized, non-tender swellings usually found on the arms and legs and near joints. Itching can occur around the area of swelling or can occur all over the body. Eye worm is the visible movement of the adult worm across the surface of the eye. Eye worm can cause eye congestion, itching, pain, and light sensitivity. Although eye worm can be scary, it lasts less than one week (often just hours) and usually causes very little damage to the eye. People with loiasis can have itching all over the body (even when they do not have Calabar swellings), hives, muscle pains, joint pains, and tiredness. Sometimes adult worms can be seen moving under the skin. High numbers of blood cells called eosinophils are sometimes found on blood counts. Some people who are infected for many years may develop kidney damage though development of permanent kidney damage is not common. Other rare manifestations include painful swellings of lymph glands, scrotal swellings, inflammation of parts of the lungs, fluid collections around the lung, and scarring of heart muscle. The vector for Loa loa filariasis are flies from two species of the genus Chrysops, C. silacea and C. dimidiata. During a blood meal, an infected fly (genus Chrysops, day-biting flies) introduces third-stage filarial larvae onto the skin of the human host, where they penetrate into the bite wound . The larvae develop into adults that commonly reside in subcutaneous tissue . The female worms measure 40 to 70 mm in length and 0.5 mm in diameter, while the males measure 30 to 34 mm in length and 0.35 to 0.43 mm in diameter. Adults produce microfilariae measuring 250 to 300 μm by 6 to 8 μm, which are sheathed and have diurnal periodicity. Microfilariae have been recovered from spinal fluids, urine, and sputum. During the day they are found in peripheral blood, but during the noncirculation phase, they are found in the lungs . The fly ingests microfilariae during a blood meal. After ingestion, the microfilariae lose their sheaths and migrate from the fly's midgut through the hemocoel to the thoracic muscles of the arthropod. There the microfilariae develop into first-stage larvae and subsequently into third-stage infective larvae. The third-stage infective larvae migrate to the fly's proboscis and can infect another human when the fly takes a blood meal.

#brain parasites #brain infections

69 notes · View notes

kristablogs · 4 years

Text

Half of the Earth is still free from human impact, but it’s not all good news

Deserts are some of the least touched biomes (Pixabay/)

The idea of reserving half of the Earth for nature has been gaining traction among conservationists in recent years. Organizations like Nature Needs Half are pushing to protect 50 percent of the planet’s lands by 2030, saying it’s necessary to preserve biodiversity.

That enormous area may seem impossible given all we’ve done to the planet, but a new analysis of global human impacts published in the journal Global Change Biology says there are still large amounts of land available for conservation—perhaps even enough to meet bold conservation goals. “We still have quite a bit of the planet that has fairly low human impacts,” says Jason Riggio, a conservation biologist at the University of California, Davis and lead author of the new study. “These ambitious targets are potentially within reach.”

Ecologists have produced a number of maps that include spatial data on various human impacts, such as whether the land has been converted to dwellings or agricultural fields, or used for mining. As leaders around the world plan to meet next year for the Convention on Biological Diversity conference, Riggio wanted to see how much relatively untouched land is out there. By using multiple maps with varying data sources, he hoped to provide a solid estimate of less-impacted areas globally.

Riggio overlaid the low impact areas defined by four of these maps to find out, focusing on land that had low or very low human influence. In neither category are there no humans at all, he says, nor do the designations mean that somehow those areas are unaffected by global forces like climate change or plastic pollution. In general, “very low” means there are few or no people and livestock, no dense settlements, and a lack of other intensive land uses. Lands with “low” impacts may have more people and livestock, but contain no urban centers or cropland.

Green areas indicate areas with low human influence (Source: Riggio et al., (2020) Global Change Biology) (Courtesy of Jason Riggio/)

The maps agreed that about half of the Earth’s land has low or very low human impact. However, the overwhelming majority of that land is cold, high, and dry landscapes—tundra, boreal forests, and desert. In other words, it’s places that people are generally not eager to build cities in or farm. The maps did show, though, that a large portion of the Amazon basin remains unscathed from intensive agriculture and development. “What surprised me is that there was so much very low influence land that had good agreement among the four methodologies in the Amazon Basin,” says Virginia Matzek, an ecologist at Santa Clara University who was not involved in the research. “That’s very encouraging.”

Now for the bad news. The maps also show that numerous ecosystems are nearly wiped out; less than one percent of grasslands, tropical coniferous forests, tropical dry forests, and mangroves with very low human influence remain. Only about 10 percent of those ecosystems remain with low influence. “That’s one of the caveats to all of this,” says Riggio. “The distribution of impacts is not even across all biomes.”

“To me, [the study] exposes some of these overly simplistic framings of the half Earth measure, when we see that there is about half the Earth out there but that it’s mostly cold and dry places,” says Matzek. “That says what we should be doing is focusing on those areas with one percent.” If we want to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services that the threatened ecosystems provide, Matzek says we’ll need to also restore degraded landscapes. In other words, simply protecting the half of the Earth that remains in good shape leaves a lot of ecosystems—and the people that depend on them—out of the picture.

Kerry Griffis-Kyle, an ecologist at Texas Tech University who was not involved in the study, also cautions that the maps themselves don’t tell us everything about the state of those ecosystems. The analysis doesn’t include, for example, the number of species present in a given location, which would tell us more about the local biodiversity. Moving forward, she says, “this work should be combined with information about the sites themselves and the biodiversity they contain to further enhance the conservation targeting.”

Riggio says the study shows what’s possible for conservation as well as what areas we’re at risk of losing. It also highlights how setting large, simple conservation targets runs the risk of glossing over threatened landscapes. As Riggio and his coauthors noted in the study, while there’s a great need to increase global conservation targets, “a simplistic focus on meeting area‐based targets alone is inadequate and more nuanced targets are also needed.”

0 notes

scootoaster · 4 years

Text

Half of the Earth is still free from human impact, but it’s not all good news

Deserts are some of the least touched biomes (Pixabay/)

Green areas indicate areas with low human influence (Source: Riggio et al., (2020) Global Change Biology) (Courtesy of Jason Riggio/)

0 notes

topfygad · 4 years

Text

Where To Go in 2020: For the Love of Water

Look past Goa and Pondy—go rafting in Pancheshwar in Uttarakhand, bar-hop in riverside Mahé, and swim in a little-known island within the Andamans.

India Itinerary 2020 Ocean NGT Employees | POSTED ON: December 20, 2019

There are a number of roads and bridges connecting some villages however most of Munroe Island remains to be navigable solely by boat, creating an expertise way more intimate as in comparison with the extra touristy Alleppey. Picture by: Hoshner Reporter

Munroe Island, Kerala

As an alternative of Alleppey

Drifting down the backwaters of Alleppey, on an enthralling, typically luxurious, houseboat, stays the quintessential Kerala expertise. However if you’re on the lookout for one thing extra offbeat, extra Indiana Jonesesque, then pack for the slender lagoons of Munroe Island. A cluster of eight tiny islets interconnected by an internet of slender canals within the forested backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake, Munroe Island, to some extent, evokes scenes from the Sunderbans, as dropped at life within the pages of Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide. There are after all no man-eating tigers right here, solely waterways flanked by coconut and pepper plantations, prawn farms, cheerfully painted properties, every with a bit boat parked exterior, and the few odd pan-beedi retailers.

There are a number of roads and bridges connecting some villages however most of Munroe remains to be navigable solely by boat, creating an expertise way more intimate as in comparison with the extra touristy Alleppey with its wider canals and enormous, motorised boats. In Munroe, however, someplace between gliding alongside channels shaded by thick mangroves and palms, barely large sufficient for 2 barges to go, tuning into the calls of the Malabar trogon, attempting to identify water snakes stir beneath jalebi-like ripples, you get the texture of the famed Kerala backwaters—minus the commercialised chaos.

Find out how to go:

Munroe is 79 km/ 2 hr drive, and a brief boat journey from Thiruvananthapuram. Board at Perumon ferry level, about 12 km from Kollam, the closest city.

–Hoshner Reporter

Kasargod, Kerala

As an alternative of Alleppey

The backwaters of Kasargod in North Kerala affords is unperturbed vistas and a traffic-free journey. Picture by: Neil Mcallister/Photolibrary/Getty Photos

Houseboat cruises alongside Kerala’s palm-frocked, mirror-like backwaters maintain an iconic standing amongst travellers. Whereas the backwaters of Alleppey (Alappuzha) in South Kerala has been the much-loved poster boy, no person likes a dreamy afternoon interrupted by honking boats. What the Valiyaparamba backwaters of Kasargod in North Kerala as an alternative affords is unperturbed vistas and a traffic-free journey.

Hop aboard Bekal Ripples, the area’s premium houseboat, and snake by means of the sleepy backwaters previous islands of coconut timber whereas gorging on scrumptious Moplah delicacies. The wealthy heritage of the Mappila Muslim group interprets on plate as spice-rich dishes equivalent to mand and alissa, and desserts like kalathappam and ada. An in a single day cruise additionally presents the chance to be docked in the midst of the water, in contrast to in Alleppey the place boats come nearer to the shore. This a part of Kerala is broadly famend for its mussels and oyster preparations, whose farming could be seen first-hand.

Past its meditative waters, immerse your self within the distinctive tradition of the Malabar area, none extra alluring than a ritualistic Theyyam efficiency, a mélange of dance, music, and mime. Within the neighborhood lies the colossal Bekal Fort, whose distinctive location—towering over the Arabian Sea and surrounded by a spotless seaside—makes for clutter-free photograph ops.

Find out how to go:

Kasargod is greatest accessed by way of Mangalore, linked by prepare and flight to main Indian cities. Cabs (52 km/1.5 hr) could be employed from each stops. Choices of keep are in loads, with Taj Bekal Resort Neeleshwar Hermitage providing unbridled luxurious. Tyndis Heritage, a boutique journey operator, is among the many many that may curate a visit of this character to this idyllic location.

–Vikas Plakkot

Dandeli, Karnataka

As an alternative of water sports activities in Goa

On the subject of water-based journey actions, Dandeli within the Western Ghats is sort of a mini-Goa, minus the din and the haggling. Flowing by means of Dandeli, the turbulent Kali river could be touted to have a few of India’s greatest rapids for a hair-raising white-water rafting expertise. Greatest executed with a gaggle, one can select from between a 9 kilometres/four hours run and a crisper four kilometres/2 hours jaunt, relying on time and health stage.

Alternatively, give your muscular tissues a severe exercise by kayaking within the man-made Supa reservoir, set to background scores orchestrated by unique birds. One other exercise on supply is zorbing, the place one rolls alongside the water floor locked inside a clear plastic ball—not one for the claustrophobic. Within the evenings, chill at a jungle camp within the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, simply organized by means of Jungle Lodges & Resorts. All water sports activities could be pre-booked on Dandeli.com. October to March is the perfect time to go to, due to breezy climate and teeming birdlife.

Find out how to go:

Dandeli could be accessed from the gateway hubs of Goa and Hubli, each linked by prepare and flight to main Indian cities. Dandeli is 125 km/Three hr from Goa, and 73 km/2 hr from Hubli—cabs can be found at each airports. www.junglelodges.com

–Vikas Plakkot

Pancheshwar, Uttarakhand

As an alternative of rafting in Rishikesh

White water thrills in India are synonymous with Rishikesh, the nation’s unofficial rafting capital. An awesome different for rafters in the hunt for offbeat stretches—and a superb problem—is Pancheshwar in jap Uttarakhand.

Journeys kick-start on the confluence of the mighty Kali river—named aptly after the fierce goddess—and the Saryu. Itineraries often embrace a three-day run stopping in a single day within the villages of Chuka and Parigaon, and ending on the metropolis of Tanakpur, the place the river is often known as Sharda. The 70-kilometre stretch opens up landscapes like in a movie reel: pristine valleys which have hardly ever been explored, turbulent rapids, and huge, silent stretches of seashores the place you’ll be able to camp out, ought to an in a single day breather beneath salt-and-star skies attraction. To prime all of it, rafters straddle the border between India and Nepal by means of the Kali’s size on this journey. Flanked by dense forests on both facet, it has fast grades progressing from two to a few and 4 over the times. It tapers to smaller rapids once more in direction of the top because the river widens. The luxurious solitude, barring military personnel and the odd traveller, implies that when you style an expedition on the Kali, it’s powerful to return to the rapids (and crowds) of Rishikesh.

Find out how to go:

From Delhi, take a prepare to Kathgodam after which rent a taxi to Pancheshwar; you’ll be able to cut up the 12-hr journey with an in a single day cease close to Kathgodam. Being a river on the border, rafting on the Kali requires particular permits that ought to be pre-arranged by your agent.

–Shikha Tripathi

Pamban Island, Tamil Nadu

As an alternative of Havelock Island

Situated within the ecologically wealthy Gulf of Mannar, Pamban’s lush with coconut tree-lined seashores and crystal-clear waters. Picture by: Hoshner Reporter

Need to money in on aquamarine waters with out coughing up the large bucks for, let’s say, the Andamans? Pamban is your house. Situated within the ecologically wealthy Gulf of Mannar, it’s lush with coconut tree-lined seashores and crystal-clear waters. On Pamban’s menu are kitesurfing, snorkelling, diving, kayaking and windsurfing. Gorge on contemporary seafood, and discover all that abounds its floor and the (marine) life under… pearl oyster, sea horse, barracuda.

Take a day to discover the bustling, 17th-century Rameswaram Temple. Mentioned to have the longest corridors on the earth, it flaunts a thousand ornate pillars; a rewarding go to even for the non-religious. The temple city itself teems with crumbling outdated wood properties wealthy in character, and stellar vegetarian thalis. Don’t depart with out a darshan of Dhanushkodi. Perched on Pamban’s tip, solely a strait away from Sri Lanka, it’s a ghost village (the settlement was worn out in a single day by a cyclone in 1964). Immediately, apart from a number of forlorn constructions and cerulean waters, what Dhanushkodi affords is a satisfying sense of seclusion.

Find out how to go:

From Chennai trains ply to Pamban by way of the century-old rail bridge, the longest sea bridge till Mumbai’s Bandra Worli Sea Hyperlink got here up. You may also fly to Madurai from the place Pamban is 170 km/Three hr drive away.

–Hoshner Reporter

Diglipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

As an alternative of Havelock Island

Diglipur in northern Andaman is blissfully underexposed—to date. Plans for an airport are underway. So go earlier than the world does, and if you happen to do, count on top-notch pure wonders. The dual islands of Ross and Smith, separated by a svelte sandbar, are Diglipur’s largest draw. Cowl the sandbar on foot, pausing for a swim or some sea-watching. Plan your hours effectively, authorities solely allow three.

A hike contained in the Saddle Peak Nationwide Park takes you to the very best level within the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 2,400 ft. Kalpong, Andaman’s solely river, flows by means of this forest. On the park’s foothill, Lamiya Bay Seashore is ideal for idling. The close by Kalipur Seashore is a turtle nesting floor, claimed by lots of of olive ridley, leatherback and hawksbill by means of December to January. The Alfred Caves echo with fruit-eating bats and contained in the jungles of Shyam Nagar thrive mud volcanoes. Craegy Island, a brief swim from Kalipur, is excellent for snorkelling… colleges of parrot fish, stingray, angel fish and moray inject the blue waters with colors you’d discover in a bag of confetti.

Find out how to go:

Port Blair, a ship or a brief flight from Chennai, is the closest hub. The 298 km/12 hr journey from Port Blair to Diglipur winds by means of the disputed Andaman Trunk Street, the place buses ply, albeit beneath safety. A extra accountable possibility, is to take a ship. The Aerial Bay Jetty close to Diglipur connects to Port Blair by sea thrice every week. Some islands want permits, so do test upfront.

–Edwina D’souza

Mahé, Puducherry

As an alternative of Pondy’s French frills

In Mahé (prime), one can discover a much less touristy model of Pondy with classic bungalows, well-known church buildings, spooky outdated graveyard; Stroll round Tranquebar (backside) to discover the 18th-century, Indo-European Protestant Zion Church and New Jerusalem Church. Photographs by: Olaf Krüger/imageBROKER/Dinodia Picture Library (road), Vishyvarne/shutterstock (coast)

At first look, Mahé seems to be nothing however a busy stretch of freeway lined with low-cost bars—its standing as a part of the liberal Union Territory of Puducherry is what units this 3×Three sq. kilometre city aside from the encompassing liquor-prohibitive Kerala. Right here, one can discover a much less touristy model of Pondy: classic bungalows, test; some well-known church, test; spooky outdated graveyard, it’s proper there.

Mahé simply opened its first heritage resort, Villa De 1945 (villade1945.com) which brims with teakwood and Belgian glass home windows, however in contrast to motels elsewhere charges begin at Rs3,000 and one can spend leisurely evenings sipping tea on an enormous balcony.

Mahé’s small bars are of great worth: drinks are principally offered at MRP whereas grub consists of contemporary seafood and Malabar-spiced non-veg for a mean Rs150 per plate. Bar-hopping favourites embrace Cee Cee’s in an oldish bungalow and the International Liquor Palace—proper by the Mahé Bridge, the latter affords views all the best way to the Arabian Sea. Tax-free liquor procuring is one other pastime—go online at Maveli Wines on Railway Station Street the place a bottle of tequila is Rs1,090, Jim Beam Rs1,250.

Find out how to go:

Mahé lies on Nationwide Freeway 66 between Kerala’s Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The closest airport is in Kannur, 35 km/1.5 hr away.

–Zac O’Yeah

Tranquebar, Tamil Nadu

As an alternative of Puducherry

Go away the Frenchified flavours of Puducherry behind, and transfer additional south to Tranquebar, on a quiet nook of the Cauvery delta coast. The patois on the lanes of this seaside city is rustic Tamil, however with scattered remnants of a Danish rule that got here sandwiched between the Tamil Chola–Pandiya kingdoms and the British.

The most important attraction at Tranquebar is Dansborg Fort, a 17th-century Danish fortress, which is not too long ago renovated and has a museum with an fascinating assortment of outdated maps and artefcats on the highest ground. Stroll across the metropolis to discover the 18th-century, Indo-European Protestant Zion Church and New Jerusalem Church, the small Maritime Museum, and the Ziegenbalg Museum Complicated on Admiral Avenue the place you’ll discover probably India’s first printing press. Stroll down the slender Goldsmith Avenue to discover a row of conventional Tamil properties renovated by the Indian Nationwide Belief for Artwork and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Come night, be part of the locals on the seaside for decent fried molagai bajji (inexperienced chilli fritters), or watch the sundown close to the brightly repainted 14th-century Tamil Masilamani Nathar Temple, devoted to Shiva.

Find out how to go:

Whereas Puducherry is the closest airport (120 km/Three hr), a extra scenic drive is from Chennai alongside the East Coast Street (270 km/6 hr).

–Charukesi Ramadurai

Suryalanka Seashore, Andhra Pradesh

As an alternative of Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam affords a superb dose of Vitamin seaside. Proceed southward alongside the identical stretch that hugs the Bay of Bengal and also you’ll see one other vibrant seaside, which, though widespread, remains to be not the place vacationers wind up in droves. In ambiance, Suryalanka Seashore is an in-between, neither forlorn nor too frenetic. Situated within the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, solely a six-hour drive from Hyderabad, it’s principally frequented by locals who reside near Bapatla city.

The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Improvement Company has constructed 12 cottages alongside the periphery of the seaside to supply a seaside resort expertise, one which, at Rs2,500 an evening, is pleasantly reasonably priced. Blue waters, latte-brown sand, a clear shoreline… Suryalanka is certainly a really perfect weekend getaway, good to swim, sunbathe and, most of all, decelerate. Must you get uninterested in doing nothing although, there’s one thing you are able to do: binge on barbequed palm shoots and toasted peanuts, which distributors on the seaside by no means appear to expire of. And people are simply munchies. For the principle course, the resort’s in-house restaurant serves some imply barbecue and prawn curry.

Find out how to go:

From Hyderabad, take an in a single day prepare to Bapatla. On the railway station, both take a shared autorickshaw, or rent an unbiased one to take you on to the APTDC resort, bang on Suryalanka Seashore (9 km/15 min drive; tourism.ap.gov.in).

–Swetha Dandapani

Honnavar, Karnataka

As an alternative of Gokarna

Honnavar (prime) is an ideal getaway for individuals who wish to dip their ft within the surf after a morning hike; Manapad (backside) has a novel shoreline which has been shaped by a number of layers of lava accrued over centuries and presents stunning wave formations. Photographs by: Prashant Sankaran (bridge), Sindhuja Parthasarathy (church)

An hour’s drive south of Gokarna lies a small port city located on the Karnataka coast. Honnavar is the title of this settlement cradled between the ocean and the hills. An ideal getaway for individuals who wish to dip their ft within the surf after a morning hike, additionally it is a much less hipster different to Gokarna.

The township of Honnavar is a beautiful mixture of modern-day facilities with old-world village allure. Forests skirt the city space and it’s dwelling to many tribes who nonetheless retain their conventional lifestyle. Furthermore the Sharavati river flows by means of it and makes for a spectacular fall into the Arabian sea.

Aside from walks on the seaside, guests with inexperienced thumbs may wish to spend time on the BuDa Folklore NGO, which works with the world’s river and forest tribes. The NGO welcomes volunteers to take part in actions like paddy planting or kokum fruit harvesting. Friends can even be taught conventional crafts like weaving baskets, cook dinner conventional meals over firewood, and work facet by facet with the tribes. Free from the trimmings of noisy, pollution-laced metropolis life, Honnavar is a refreshing change.

Find out how to go:

Honnavar is a 460 km/9 hr drive from Bengaluru. The closest airport in Dabolim, Goa, is a 178 km/four hr drive away.

–Maitreyee Chowdhury

Manapad, Tamil Nadu

As an alternative of Kanyakumari

Skip touristy Kanyakumari, and provides Manapad, a quiescent coastal village in India’s far south, a attempt. The clear blue seas, naturally shaped dunes, shallow lagoons, fishing boats docked within the tiny islets of the ocean, stunning church buildings steeped in historical past and the gregarious individuals of the fishing village make a go to to this hamlet a surreal expertise. Manapad has a novel shoreline which has been shaped by a number of layers of lava accrued over centuries and presents stunning wave formations, making it an excellent spot for surfers and kite boarders.

Manapad is the place St. Francis Xavier arrived in 1542 to start his missionary service. The Holy Cross Church, constructed near the ocean atop a sand hill in 1581, has a relic fragment believed to be from Jerusalem and the cross is publicly displayed for hundreds who attend the Exaltation of the Holy Cross pageant, held between September 1-14 yearly. If you happen to go to throughout Dussehra, make a detour to the Kulasekarapatinam village close by, to witness the fascinating celebration of Goddess Kali’s victory over evil on the Mutharamman Temple.

Historical past buffs, stroll throughout the coast exploring the wealthy heritage of the place, strolling to the Previous Saint Francis cavern, Holy Cross Shrine, and St. James Church. And for sunrises and sunsets rivalling these in Kanyakumari, head to the Holy Cross Church. The mesmerising view from right here stretches throughout the blue lagoon and sea.

Find out how to go:

From Chennai, take a prepare to Tiruchendur. Then rent a taxi to Manapad, which is 17 km/30 min away. Alternatively, you could possibly fly to Tutucorin and rent a taxi or a bus to Manapad (50 km/1.5 hr).

–Sindhuja Parthasarathy

To subscribe to Nationwide Geographic Traveller India and Nationwide Geographic Journal, head right here.

(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.5&appId=440470606060560"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));

source http://cheaprtravels.com/where-to-go-in-2020-for-the-love-of-water/

0 notes

indochinavoyages · 4 years

Text

Top best Cambodia beach resorts for perfect Cambodia tours 2020

Top best Cambodia beach resorts for perfect Cambodia tours 2020 https://www.indochinavoyages.com/travel-blog/3-best-cambodia-beach-resorts

Cambodia might not be the flash idea when they talk about beach destinations. Yet not many people know that beaches in Cambodia are as beautiful as Thailand’s islands, and far less crowded. While the beach town Sihanoukville is now full of constructions, not one sleeps well at night without hearing the noise, the pristine islands are ideally for sun-sea-sand seekers. These untouched islands are mostly accessible via Sihanoukville, using ferry or speedboat. But no worries about how to book the sea transportations as those are normally included in the hotel/resorts’ rate. In the heaven of beach resorts, one thing should be the top priority – where to stay? You may follow this short guide for the best Cambodia beach resorts, selected by heart.

[caption id="attachment_16103" align="alignnone" width="960"] The stunning scenery of Cambodia beaches[/caption]

Koh Rong island

This is the largest island in the Koh Rong Archipelago, also the most developed one for tourism which appeals to several travelers from around the world. Long beach (so-called Soksan beach), Lonely beach, etc. are the hot names with plenty of choices for resorts. Here below are some:

1. The Royal Sands Koh Rong – the 5-star beach resort: you are just a minute-walking away to the 550-meter pristine, soft, white sandy beach – a private area for in-house guests only. In the style of luxurious villa, there are more than 60 units for friends, couples, and especially families as they have 2 to 3-bedroom pool villas. This is one of the very few resorts in Koh Rong island offering private speedboat only for their guests. Others may hire local/public speedboats.

[caption id="attachment_16104" align="alignnone" width="960"] The Royal Sands Koh Rong[/caption]

2. Sok San Beach Resort: “into nature” is the main theme of this unique resort. It is providing guests a stay in pavilions and wooden chalets. Each of the room does have a balcony area where the guests can stay chill while looking at the beach or emerging in its tropical garden.

[caption id="attachment_16105" align="alignnone" width="960"] Chalet in Sok San Resort[/caption]

3. Ariya Resort: for those who love bungalows, this is what you are looking for. The lovely bungalows nestled in the green garden would bring you all the privacy you want for a honeymoon. The private beach area is so close to finding.

Koh Rong Saloem

Koh Rong Saloem is a smaller yet more peaceful neighbor of Koh Rong island. Saracen Bay, the longest beach, is set up with tourism purposes with some beach bars and seafood barbecues. But for those who find peace in the no-where, Lazy Beach is the best choice. Head to the west side of the island, you can spoil yourself with a beach paradise with turquoise water, less visited.

1. Sara Resort: one of the cleanest resorts on this untouched island, with professional staff. It is more suitable for those who find the relaxing vibe with a specific standard of services. Other than that, there are other cheaper bungalows which are also good for low budgeters.

2. Tube Resort: the uniqueness is all of their rooms are private bungalows in the garden but in a tube shape. Imagine the inside is like you are living in one of the houses in Santorini – Greece.

[caption id="attachment_16106" align="alignnone" width="960"] The private bungalows in Tube resort[/caption]

Song Saa Private island

Being an idyllic desert island without human discovery, Song Saa was visited by Rory and Melita Hunter – an Australian couple in 2005. Then the private luxurious resort was finally opened in 2012 inspired by the Cambodian fishing villages found throughout the Koh Rong Archipelago. It aims to improve local livelihoods and preserve the region’s marine life and rainforests. So that is why travelers have a chance to see how coral is grown and experience the local mangrove forests.

This island is located just 45 minutes away from the Sihanoukville if you transport by the speedboat. Song Saa’s luxury 27 villas were all built with sustainable materials and furnished with a refined grace that reflects the natural environment. Each and every villa has its own swimming pool which brings you the utmost privacy.

[caption id="attachment_16107" align="alignnone" width="960"] The amazing view of Song Saa Private Island from above[/caption]

With all that benefits a private island brings you, the price is also the highest among all other places in Cambodia; starting from a thousand USD per night – totally high-end!

Kep

Kep is a beach town that is located pretty close to Vietnam. For some adventure lovers, cross the border and enter Cambodia by waterway is one of the interesting highlights. To get to Kep Cambodia, firstly you will need to transfer by speedboat from Phu Quoc island to Ha Tien. From Prek Chak checkpoint, drive to Kep city via Kampot which takes about 2.5 hours.

Samanea Resort: nestled in the only botanical park in Kep, with a wild mangrove and the longest pier in the region, Samanea offers you garden/sea view villas in traditional Khmer style. Not only bringing the vibe of living in the woods, Samanea lets the travelers feel like they are staying at home with a spacious living room area, comfy bedding, the warming lighting & family-friendly villas. With an aim to protect the environment, Samanea put “plastic elimination” first on their list using corn straws, aluminum water bottles, and natural/chemical-free cleaning products.

[caption id="attachment_16108" align="alignnone" width="960"] Long jetty at Samanea Resort[/caption]

Suggested Cambodia tours

Grand Cambodia 16 Days

Relaxing Cambodia 11 Days

Southern Cambodia 5 Days

Cambodia Highlights 11 Days

Not far from the beach, the Cambodia beach resorts offer panoramic sea views and a spectacular view of sunset and sunrise. These beach resorts also provide fine services and modern amenities for you to have a complete trip to Cambodian beaches. Visiting the beaches in Cambodia is now still appealing as most of them are untouched, so come leave your footprint before it gets crowded.

Daniel Nguyen

#Indochinavoyages #Indochinatours #Timlee #Vietnamtours #Myanmartours #Cambodiatours #Laostours #Thailand tours

0 notes

thisisluxurytravel · 5 years

Text

Reconnecting with nature at the Four Seasons Costa Rica

This is Luxury Travel spent one week at the Four Seasons Costa Rica. It was a week of adventure and pure relaxation. It is the perfect place for families or group of friends wanting to connect with nature. Read on for my review and practical tips.

Getting to the Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

There are 2 options to arrive at the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo:

You can fly to either Liberia or San Jose. San Jose has more flights options, but it is at least a 4-hour drive. We arrived in San Jose and rented a car. The road is excellent and easy but can be slow at a time as some sections have only one lane. The drive is not particularly scenic, but pleasant enough.

On the way back, I flew out of Liberia Airport. It is only 40 minutes away from the Four Seasons, so it was a much better use of my time.

If you have booked a residence at the Four Seasons, you will have a full kitchen and might need to stock up on groceries. There is a Walmart in Liberia. It is about 1 hour from the Four Seasons, so it is best to do it on the way.

Checking in at the Four Seasons Papagayo

Our check-in was a bit of a disaster. But don’t stop that from going to the Four Seasons Costa Rica because the rest of our stay was fantastic! Feel free to skip to the next section if you want to avoid my (too long) rant about our check-in mishap.

The entrance of the Papagayo Peninsula is stunning with palm trees and dramatic cliffs views at every corner. We were excited to see a few coatis by the side of the road.

We arrived at 11 am and were told that the people previously in our room had already checked out. Our room would be ready at around 12:00.

We asked them to put our groceries in the fridge and went for a walk.

I call the reception at 12:00, and I am told the room is not ready yet. At 12:45, I call again. I talk to a different person who tells me that our room won’t be ready for at least 2 hours as the previous guests just checked out a few minutes ago. By this time, I am confused as we were told differently before and would have changed into our swimming suits to enjoy the pool if we had known we had 4 hours to wait instead of one hour. The receptionist responded in a curt way that anyway check-in is at 3 pm and that I must have misunderstood.

At 3 pm I get a call that our room is ready. They drive us to a room in building 62. The bell boy tells us he has already put our groceries in the fridge.

I realize that my room key is for a different room in building 60. So, I suspect that they gave our original room to someone else, and that might be why we had to wait much longer than expected. Our groceries where nowhere to be found. They brought them after 20 minutes. They were warm, and we had to discard some of the food. All in all, not the kind of check-in we would expect from a Four Seasons hotel.

Our check out was a bit chaotic as well. I was walking back to our room to get a quick lunch before departure when I met a lady leaving our room. She thought we had already checked out and had emptied the fridge. I found the groceries getting warm again on the kitchen counter. I am sure those isolated incidents, but I do think some frustration could have been avoided by better communication between the staff.

The resort at the Four Seasons Papagayo Costa Rica

The Four Seasons resort is located at the tip of the Papagayo Peninsula. It is a stunning piece of land covered with tropical rain forest. It felt like staying in a national park, and we often encountered wildlife just steps from our room: coatis, monkeys, and iguanas were all casually seen around the place.

The central point of the resort is around the reception area. There you find the 4 swimming pools, the restaurants, the spa, and the 2 beaches. One beach is facing the Papagayo Bay, and the other one is facing the Pacific Ocean. Both beaches are beautiful and great for swimming. The beach on the Pacific side also enjoys a beautiful sunset.

The hotel has usual bedrooms but also residences. Boasting 2 to four bedrooms, they have a kitchen and are much more spacious than standard rooms. They are great for families. We stayed in a three bedrooms residence, and you can read my review below.

Upon arrival, I was a bit disappointed by the old looking pools and buildings. The pools look very 80s and are quite shallow. The residences don’t really have a sea view or the wow factor of some of the other Four Seasons residences. It took me a few days to really appreciate the spirit of the Four Seasons Costa Rica. They built this resort to be in true communion with nature. This place has not been designed for Instagram.

Review of the Pacific 3-bedroom residence at Costa Rica Papagayo in Costa Rica

The 3 bedrooms residences are perfect for a family or a group of friends traveling together. The rooms are located near the reception amongst the canopy trees by the entrance of the resort. The residences are spacious and great for entertainment and relaxation.

The interior of the rooms is inspired by natural beauty. The color scheme of the rooms is in contrast with the surrounding scenery. The lighting of the rooms is so well-balanced. The wooden furniture makes the room eco-friendlier and provides a partial indoor-outdoor experience. All the windows and doors have a screen for mosquitos, which is excellent if you like sleeping with your windows open with the sound of the waves lulling you to sleep.

From some residences, you can enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Ocean from your room windows. My room didn’t have much of a sea view, but I could still enjoy the sound of the waves. At first, I found the obstructed view frustrating. What is the point of coming for a beach holiday if you can’t even see the sea, right? I quickly changed my mind. Preserving the trees and building in communion with nature is what makes this resort truly special. You can barely see the buildings from the beach, and it gives the feeling of being in the middle of nature.

TIP: If having a sea view is essential to you, ask for a residence with sea view. Many residences’ views are obstructed by trees, but some do have a sea view. In general, Residences on the third floor have a better view. There are no elevators in the residence building, so if you have mobility issues, you will be happier on a lower level.

Our residence had 3 bedrooms. They were all comfortable with large bathrooms and dressing area. It felt very spacious for 6 people. The insulation is excellent as we didn’t hear the downstairs neighbors for the whole week. We also had a semi-outdoor terrace with a coffee table as well as a large living room with a fully equipped kitchen.

TIP: Tap water at the resort is 100% drinkable, the fridge had an extra filter for purified cold water so no need to use plastic bottles.

It is a great place to entertain, and it had a Bose speaker for music. There is also a room with a washing machine and a dryer which is convenient if you are on a long trip or to dry swimming suits after a day at the beach.

We were in building 60, which is the closest to the reception. On the one hand, it was great to be so close to the spa, gym, and pools. On the other hand, it could be noisy at some times of the day. We could hear the music from the gym spinning class early morning, staff cleaning the Gym at 3 am or the music from a wedding reception at night. Fortunately, they stopped all the music at 10 pm.

What to do at the Four Seasons Papagayo

The Peninsula Papagayo is a great place to reconnect with nature, and most of the activities reflect that. There is so much to do at Peninsula Papagayo and the seven nights we spent there almost felt too short. Make sure you book a long enough stay.

The Four Seasons has a fantastic program of complementary activities. It is one of the best programs I have ever seen in a hotel, so take advantage of it.

TIP: Book the activities as soon as you arrive as the events are often fully booked. We could not do activities for the first day and a half after our arrival as everything was full. We were, however, able to book everything we wanted for the rest of the week.

Even if an activity is full, it is worth showing up. We learned through the week that most people book and don’t show up. We were often the only participants to activities that had been booked by 8 or 10 people… Please, if you can’t make it to an activity, cancel so that other guests can enjoy the activity.

Golfing at Papagayo Peninsula and the Trail of the Giants tour

The golf course is truly spectacular, and it is no surprise that so many people come to the Four Seasons Papagayo to golf.

If you do not golf, the tour Trails of the Giants is a great way to see the golf course and encounter wildlife.

We were given golf carts and went on to explore the most scenic parts of the domain.

It lasted about 90 minutes and was a great introduction to the Peninsula and its natural beauty. Our guide explained the fauna and flora, and we saw coatis, monkeys, and many birds. This is a great tour to do with kids

Birdwatching at the Four Seasons Papagayo

The bird watching tour is an easy walk in a beautiful forest. Our guide for the day brought binoculars and had a fantastic eye to spot birds. From the smallest Colibri to the largest eagles, we saw countless species of birds. We also watched a family of monkeys playing in the trees and beehives in activity.

We finished the tour by a visit to the nature center, where we learned plenty of cool facts from the center manager. Did you know that some birds use spider webs to tie their nests? Like the Trail of the Giants tour, the nature center visit is an excellent activity to do with kids.

Mangrove tour at the Four Seasons Papagayo

We took a car to Nacascolo Beach and went for a 90-minute walk to the mangroves behind it. Our guide was great at explaining the geography of the land. We learned a lot about plants and animals’ behaviors. I love seeing all the crabs in the mangrove carefully watching us. Don’t miss this tour. The walk is flat and easy

TIP: Put some mosquito repellent on. There were no mosquitoes in the four seasons resort, but the mangrove area had many mosquitos

Kayak tours at the Four Seasons Papagayo

Kayaking is a great way to see the Peninsula and all the secret beaches around. We did the kayak tour to Nacascolo beach. It is the most extended kayak tour, and it was a good workout. We paddled for about 40 minutes each way. It was over 5 kilometers of paddling! My arms felt very much alive by the end of it. Nacascolo is a very nice-looking beach that is full of wildlife. We had sore arms the next day, but it was definitely worth it.

TIP: If you want a shorter kayak tour, try the Jicaro beach tour. It is the beach before Nacascolo, and it covers about half the distance.

Snorkeling expedition at the Four Seasons Papagayo

I had booked the snorkeling excursion for Monday, but somehow the schedule of activities changed from week to week, and the snorkeling tour had been canceled. True to its fantastic service reputation, the concierge told me not to worry that they would organize a private snorkeling tour for me. I was most impressed. We snorkeled right off Playa Blanca to the little rocks on the right side of the beach. There were plenty of fishes and even a nurse shark at about 2 meters depth. I also found a scorpionfish. Not bad for 60 minutes of snorkeling right of the beach!

Rhum and chocolate Tasting and Mixology

Every day, the Four Seasons offers a tasting class. From rhum and chocolate to mixology or infused rhum, the choice is yours. Those classes are entertaining but also very different from the other activities at the Four Seasons.

Mixology is outstanding if you want to learn to make cocktails in a fun and relaxed way. We made a Mojito and a mango margarita. It was also a great way to meet other guests.

Rhum and chocolate tasting was a lot more serious. This workshop gave us plenty of information about the history or Rhum, Rhum making, … And of course, we got to taste four different rums that had been paired with chocolate.

Exercising at the Gym and Yoga

Yoga is a great way to start a day at the resort. I did the gentle yoga class and really enjoyed it. The only downside for me is that the yoga room was indoor without much of a view and was too cold for my taste. The teacher had a gentle yoga flow going. We were the only 2 participants, so it was very relaxing. The Four Seasons has a great yoga and exercise schedule with 3 to 4 classes to choose from every day. There was a fee of 25 USD per course.

A great gym is also available for the fitness freaks who never compromise their lifestyles (yes, even on vacation). And on this trip there was a lot of those, as the gym was often busy.

Relaxing at the Spa

In most Four Seasons, the spa is fantastic. The Four Seasons Papagayo Costa Rica did not disappoint. I did a rainforest massage, and it was incredibly soothing. Softness was the theme of the day. My therapist had the softest hands ever. The bathrobe and massage bed cover felt like silk. Don’t miss it if you like being pampered.

TIP: The spa has a beachfront hot and cold plunge pool and a steam room that you can access even if you are not doing a treatment. I ended up going almost every day as I found it so relaxing.

Diving from the Four Seasons Papagayo

The water around the Papagayo Peninsula is teeming with life. If you are a certified diver, don’t miss your chance to dive up there. From manta rays, bull sharks, white tip sharks, nurse sharks and plenty of nudibranchs, the diving is incredible. Diving and water activities are provided by outside companies. We booked directly with Rock Divers Costa Rica and had a great day out on the water. You can read the full review of our diving adventure here.

Sustainability at the Four Seasons

The Four Seasons Costa Rica has a healthy sustainability initiative going on. We could see in the room that they only use glass bottles and that no plastic straws are available. But the Four Seasons also does a lot behind the scenes. The hotel has a solid waste and electricity management program. Furthermore, all employees are trained in sustainable practices.

The Papagayo Peninsula has committed to keeping 70 percent of the land untouched to protect biodiversity and have a protection program for animals and trees in place

When to go to Papagayo Four Seasons Costa Rica?

The Guanacaste state, where the Four Seasons is located, is protected by volcanoes and therefore enjoys a microclimate with less rain and hurricanes than the East coast of Costa Rica.

We went there mid-August, which is the rainy season (that many trendy hotels now call the “green” season). The rainy season didn’t disturb us much. It rained mainly at night. We experienced a total of 3 to 4 hours of rain during the day over the whole week.

Conclusion

Four Seasons is probably the best hotel in Costa Rica. The hotel has been providing excellent service to its customers for over a decade. The hotel offers a classy ambiance, cozy rooms, delicious food, spa, fantastic nature activities, and beautiful beach experience

People looking for the nightlife of Instagramable hotel won’t be happy at the Four Seasons Papagayo in Costa Rica. But if you are a nature lover, Four Seasons should be next on your bucket list. Nature, stunning location, and fantastic Four Seasons service all complement each other to offer you the vacation of a lifetime.

Happy Holidays!

The post Reconnecting with nature at the Four Seasons Costa Rica appeared first on Luxury travel Inspiration.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2UDwEtl via IFTTT

#This is Luxury Travel

0 notes

lucids · 5 years

Text

How This Beach in India Went From Trash-Ridden to Pristine in 2 Years

“A man could drown in the plastic."

A lot of people take part in community clean-up efforts — spending a Saturday morning picking up litter in a park, mowing an overgrown field, or painting a fence.

But not everyone has the drive to do what a young lawyer and environmentalist in Mumbai recently accomplished.

In 2015, Afroz Shah moved to an apartment near Versova beach, an ignored strip of ocean near slums. He was shocked by the pollution that he saw — the beach was covered in rotting garbage. Nobody could walk along the beach, let alone swim in the water, without being assaulted by the smell.

"[The plastic] was 5.5 feet high. A man could drown in the plastic," Shah told CNN. "I said I'm going to come on the field and do something. I have to protect my environment and it requires ground action."

At first, Shah and his neighbor, an 84-year old man, would go out and pick up as much trash as they could.

After a while, Shah realized that he had to expand his team if he was going to make a dent in what was essentially an environmental crisis. He began knocking on doors and talking with local residents, explaining the harm caused by marine pollution. His determination inspired a lot of people and soon dozens, hundreds, and eventually more than a thousand volunteers from all walks of life pitched in.

Cleanups were ironically called “dates with the ocean,” because they were really arduous affairs, “shin-deep in rotting garbage under the scorching Indian sun,” according to the UN.

Global Citizen reported on the 33-year old lawyer’s efforts last year, but his volunteer organization, Versova Residents Volunteers, was only half-way through with the massive undertaking, which is being hailed as the “world’s largest beach clean-up effort.”

Now, after 21 months of toil, they picked up 11,684,500 pounds of trash, most it plastic, that had accumulated along the shoreline. They also cleaned 52 public toilets and planted 50 coconut trees.

Read More: India Banned Literally All Disposable Plastic in Delhi, a Major Win for Planet Earth

For his vision and hardwork, the UN awarded him the “Champion of the Earth” award.

“I am an ocean lover and feel that we owe a duty to our ocean to make it free of plastic,” he told the UN. “I just hope this is the beginning for coastal communities across India and the world.”

Shah’s work didn’t end with the last piece of trash picked up, either.

He wants to plant thousands of coconut trees to return the beach to the lagoon it once was and he now works to limit the amount of garbage that makes it to the beach in the first place, by, for example, building barriers along creeks upstream that carry litter to the beach.

He’s also planning to expand his clean-up effort to the coastline’s mangrove forests, which are similarly infested with garbage. When clean and unobstructed, these forests can act as powerful filtration systems and also form a natural defense against storms.

Shah also hopes to bring grassroots clean-up efforts to other parts of India, inspiring a nationwide awareness of environmentalism. Ultimately, Shah wants to export this mentality throughout the world, cleaning up oceans and ecosystems to create a world that can foster life in all its splendor.

It’s going to be an uphill battle.

Each year, 8 to 13 million tons of plastic make it into the world’s oceans each year — the equivalent of two garbage trucks filled with plastic every minute. Throughout the world, there are about five plastic bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline. By 2050, plastic could outweigh fish in the oceans.

While companies are to blame for the massive amounts of plastic produced and sold, plastic pollution often happens on an individual level.

But if Shah’s work proves anything, individuals can transform their relationship to garbage.

And if his style of enthusiastic environmentalism catches on around the world, then more beaches will begin to look like the Versova beach of today than the Versova beach of two years ago.

Source: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/versova-beach-india-massive-clean-up/

0 notes

headlines-twentyfour · 6 years

Link

Adi Godrej, 76, chairman of the Godrej Group, has moved into his role as chairman emeritus of Godrej Consumer Products and Godrej Properties, even as he remains on the board of Godrej Industries. While he has handed over the mantle of leadership of the two companies to daughter Nisaba and son Pirojsha, he is a regular at his office in Godrej One, Vikhroli, Mumbai. In an interview with ET Magazine, Godrej spoke about the Indian economy and his companies. Edited excerpts:On consumer and real estate demand in IndiaConsumer demand is growing well. GST is increasing consumption. GST rates on consumer products are lower than in the past, which is encouraging consumption. I expect overall consumer demand growth to be good.Real estate is a little complicated because the new RERA has come, and there are a lot of changes. But with the economy doing well, I expect real estate to also pick up.On the rupee and the current account deficitThe rupee has slid in the last couple of weeks. But for five years before that the rupee was quite steady. If you look at a five-year picture, the rupee is not doing bad. Current account deficit has gone up a little, but our foreign exchange reserves are very good. And now the government is taking steps to correct the current account deficit.On GST implementationGST has gone off very well. It has added to growth. It has helped reduce prices in many areas. From the very beginning in July 2017, GST rates on toilet soaps were lower and we passed on the benefits to consumers, and demand has increased. GST has been well implemented. The government has corrected some earlier infirmities and it is a great reform and will help India considerably in the future. It is helping already.On the opening up of Indian economyWe, at Godrej, have always been for the opening up of the economy. Even before 1991, we had advocated openness. Even now we advocate open trade, no protection. Competition is the best.On Chinese imports coming in at lower costsWhy should they come in at lower costs? We, at least, do not face any Chinese competition. In soap, hair colour, where are the Chinese products? In fact, we export our oleo chemicals to China.On Indian competitiveness versus Chinese companiesOne has to be competitive. Indian businesses, for various reasons, are sometimes not competitive. Earlier we had restrictions that did not allow private companies to expand. There used to be a licence for everything. Now there are many other restrictions like in the movement of goods. GST is a good development: now there will be free movement. We used to have taxes when we moved goods from one state to the other. Even today our corporate taxes are the highest in the world, especially for large companies. For small companies, steps have been taken to make them competitive. We (large companies) pay more corporate tax than the Chinese companies. And the government had announced that it would bring the corporate tax down to 25% but it has done that only for small companies, not the large ones. The ones that compete globally are the large companies. Then we have labour restrictions. So these are some of the reasons our competitiveness is affected.On the Godrej Group companies growing globallyWe expect good growth both from our Indian businesses as well as from our international businesses. We are mainly in developing countries; they are growing much faster than developed countries. At the same time we keep looking for new opportunities for acquisitions, we keep looking at new geographical entries, we keep looking at growth all the time.On the sale of the UK business and global focus on emerging marketsThe UK business was our first acquisition in Godrej Consumer Products. It’s an old acquisition. The main reason we acquired it was that the same owners had hair colour businesses in Africa. We thought it would give us an entry into those businesses, which it did. Later we acquired the same owner’s African hair colour businesses. So it was very useful. Now there is no purpose in continuing in a developed country.On becoming a carbon-neutral groupWe have recently become carbon-neutral. It has also saved us costs. The cost of alternate energy is cheaper than it used to be and in the long run it will be much cheaper than carbon-emitting energy like coal or oil. We have a mangrove forest. Then we use a lot of solar energy at our plants. We have also gone for water recycling. We also recycle waste into energy. We have a large operation in palm oil manufacturing. We are the largest in oil palm cultivation in India. In our factories, the palm waste, which you get after the palm fruits are crushed for oil, is recycled to produce energy. In Godrej Properties, all our buildings are certified green buildings. We have also created a CII Green Business Centre — and now India has the largest number of green buildings outside US. Our headquarters, Godrej One, is platinum-certified. In Hyderabad, we converted plastic into oil.On what has changed at Godrej over the yearsFirst of all, we have grown tremendously. When I joined the business in 1963, the total turnover of the business was `10 crore. We have gone into new areas, value-added areas. We have done a lot of R&D. We have globalised, with manufacturing operations in a lot of countries. In Godrej Consumer Products, for example, we have higher per capita sales in countries like Indonesia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, than we do in India. We have globalised a lot and we have size and scale in our operations.On how the group uses modern management training and practicesI went to a management school in the US, when there were no management schools outside America. The IIMs had not yet started. I did both my undergraduate work and master’s from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. So I was able to bring in a lot of management practices which have been very helpful over the years. We have expanded them, added to them. I also started recruiting graduates from IIMs, many, many years ago. We started having management trainees; they have all grown through the companies. For example Balram Yadav, who was recruited from IIM-Ahmedabad, has become the managing director of Godrej Agrovet. from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2Qno1zR

#Blogger

0 notes

theglobediary · 6 years

Text

There are many factors that may fuel our thirst for travel. We may yearn for a sense of adventure; to engage in extreme sports and other physically gruelling activities in unfamiliar climes. We might want to completely immerse ourselves in an unfamiliar culture. We may want to mark the most picturesque and most historically fascinating areas in the world off of our bucket lists. But sometimes we might just want to relax amidst gorgeous environments and clement weather. There are many destinations around the world that enable us to do just this, but few consider the extremely picturesque Cayman Islands as a legitimate vacation spot.

Read: Our Day in Paradise (Cancun, Mexico)!

The Cayman Islands have long been regarded as a tax haven due to their liberal income tax laws but the association with tax avoidance has given the islands a misleading representation in popular culture. The fair weather, gorgeous landscapes and topographical diversity of these islands mean that whatever you’re looking for, you can find it here. The surprisingly reasonable rental cost makes it a great choice for those looking to invest in a holiday home. But there are also incredible hotels like the Luxury Seafire Resort & Residences make you want to stay forever! Here are just a few of the pleasures that the Cayman Islands have to offer…

#1: Cayman Turtle Farm

Hey, who doesn’t love turtles? While they’re a fairly common sight in the Caribbean, they were so proliferate in the Cayman Islands that Christopher Columbus dubbed the areas “Los Tortugas”. In recent years, however, populations of these wonderful creatures have begun to dwindle and efforts have been made to conserve turtle populations, especially of the now endangered green turtle. If you love these wonderful little fellas and want to see them in a protective and caring environment the Cayman Turtle Farm is the place for you.

#2: Go to Hell… No, seriously

Want to tell your friends an original vacation story while you gather round and sip coffee? Tell them about the time you went to Hell. The aptly named scorched and barren landscape (which looks like Mordor from the Lord of the Rings movies lies near the hard to reach town of West Bay and is notoriously hard to find. While it is free to visit, there are paid guided tours.

#3: Bloody Bay marine park

Like many Caribbean islands, the Cayman Islands are a haven for divers. It’s diverse and spectacular marine life has to be seen to be believed and the Bloody Bay marine park has some of the best diving the area has to offer. While the park reaches depth of up to 5,000 feet below sea level it is accessible to both veterans and neophytes alike.

#4: Walk the Mastic trail

The Cayman Islands have a lot to offer below sea level but there are plenty of spectacular sights to see on land too. Nature lovers should not leave the area without visiting the Mastic trail. The 200 year old gravel path winds around an impressive mangrove swamp and a forest area that’s around 2 million years old and is home to some of the areas rarest and most spectacular plant, animal and bird life.

#5: Visit Stingray City

Stingray City is a shallow sandbar in the middle of the bay where you can encounter wild Southern Stingrays. There are many tour boats that you can take and the crew will usually have squid for you to feed the stingrays. While I usually would er on the side of caution, after all Steve Irwin met his maker with a Stingray, this seems like a once in a lifetime kind of experience and there are raves reviews on Tripadvisor. #DoItForTheGram

#6: Search for Starfish

Get to the beach at Starfish Point early to avoid the crowds and get up close with the colourful starfish in shallow, clear waters. But remember to keep in mind, you shouldn’t man-handle the starfish or take their out of the water. Instead of taking them out, why not grab a cool underwater shot!

A post shared by Christine Tran ✈ Travel (@tourdelust) on Dec 3, 2017 at 11:43am PST

#7: Ferry to Kaibo & Rum Point

Take the Cayman Ferries from Camana Bay Harbour to Kaibo & Rum Point to relax, have lunch and the famous mudslide made of Kahlua, Baileys, vodka and at Kaibo, a drizzle of chocolate sauce rolled around the plastic cup.

A post shared by Christine Tran ✈ Travel (@tourdelust) on Dec 6, 2017 at 12:34pm PST

PIN THIS FOR LATER

The Best Things To Do In The Cayman Islands… That Have Nothing To Do With Tax Savings There are many factors that may fuel our thirst for travel. We may yearn for a sense of adventure; to engage in extreme sports and other physically gruelling activities in unfamiliar climes.

#Beach #Beach Holiday #Cayman Islands #Island #Travel

0 notes