It's time for some active pursuits. And considering the islands have an average year-round temperature of about 75 degrees, there's no good reason to stay inside.
We're all about supporting the underdog. In tourism terms these days, that'd be Kenya. But last week European travel agencies publicly endorsed the recently troubled country as a recommended and safe summer safari destination. Sweet!
This summer we're backing an awesome Kenyan adventure from UK-based Exodus Holidays called the Classic Kenya Safari and Kili Climb. A word to the weary: It's not your grandmother's safari.
The 14-day excursion takes you from Nairobi to stunning Lake Nakuru National Park, then on to the Masai Mara Reserve where big time animal migrations start in July. After sleeping in a bush camp and comparing battle stories with local Masai warriors, it's off to Tanzania where it's man versus mountain. You'll spend the next six days climbing Kilimanjaro's Rongai Route until reaching the summit where you'll do that tribal victory dance your Masai friends taught you.
The safari departs from Nairobi on Aug 10 and costs £1,399 ($2,717), not including flight.
By now your pockets are overflowing with seashells, after all, yesterday was spent combing the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva, by far two of the best islands in the country to spot a rare find. Looking for a break from the sand?
Head to JN "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge--with over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest and submerged seagrass beds, plus more than 220 species of migratory birds, the refuge is perhaps one of Florida's finest sites to view nature in the raw.
It's not just the presence of some of Hawaii's best surf schools that make this town on the north side of Oahu a prime surfing destination. In its evolution from remote plantation to tourist destination, the city of 2,225 described by Outside magazine as "the anti-Waikiki" has lost none of its charms, and the waves still hit its shores in a way that makes even experienced riders say, "Dude!"
With a high sand-to-reef ratio and a low difficulty rating, new surfers can feel comfortable, too. Major surfer dude and singer Jack Johnson even wrote a song called "Haleiwa."
To get you in the mood, we've also got some footage from the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, held in Haleiwa in 2005, just after the jump.
We already credit the Swiss with being quite good at a range of things: Army knives, watches, chocolate and banks. Turns out we can add something else to the list: an impressive network of hiking, cycling, skating and canoeing paths perfectly signposted for us to use, as part of the SwitzerlandMobility project.
Apparently all of these trails and paths have been around for ages, but now that they've got them properly interconnected and have standardized the signage, there's no stopping us, whichever method of getting around we choose.
Hikers can choose from almost 4,000 miles of paths, cyclists from nearly 5,300 miles and even mountain-bikers get over 2,000 miles of signposted Swiss beauty. Those clever Swiss have even tied in public transport routes to help us get to and from these trails. No excuse for staying still in Switzerland now.
Ever in search of the real (or imagined) next thing, The New York Times was off surfing in Peru lately. And the little surfing town of Punta Hermosa was the standout in a country fully stocked with deserted beaches.
It sounds like something we'd definitely wanna get in on:
Curling waves fan out in all directions like Neptune's block party. Each break point presents a different challenge. There's Kon Tiki, which offers untamed waves so massive that it takes a strong arm even to paddle out to it; La Isla, where homegrown pros...can often be found; and Pico Alto, a brawny break with swells that can range up to 25 feet high.
Most people won't be tackling those waves, so the Times has info on a couple other surf destinations that are well off the beaten path. (We're talking epic taxi rides and Soviet-era puddle-jumpers.) These aren't the types of towns you just jet to for a weekend, but from the sound of it you could definitely melt into the sand if you had a week or two to spend in Peru.
Yeah, pedals, not petals. Something about this super nice weather has us wanting to rent a bike and ride around some parks. Picnicking and day drinking are, of course, optional.
In Paris, those Velib bikes are the way to go, and other European cities have similar bike-sharing programs. Stateside, Washington, DC is launching a similar program next month, starting with a fleet of 120 bikes. The initiative is called SmartBike DC, though its set-up seems a little less tourist-friendly than some other programs. (Something about a $40 annual fee...)
At NYC's Central Park, you can go official and rent bikes at The Boathouse or just grab one from a tout in Columbus Circle. Oh, and if you shoot a crazy video while biking, do send it our way.
A town can pick up some serious surf cred when it's name-checked in the ultimate ode to the sport, "Surfin' USA." And among the other names you'll hear in the Beach Boys classic is Swami's, one of Encinitas' 11 beaches and probably its best known.
That said, it's not the nicest spot for just relaxing. At high tide, the rocky beach is submerged and you'll have to go straight into the water. With lots of surfers in the water, this isn't the best spot for newbies, either.
Other beaches worth checking out are Cardiff and Stone Steps, on either side of Swami's. To gear up, stop by the two classic surf shops in town, Encinitas Surfboards and Hansen's.
And if you're skipping the surf for some reason, the Encinitas Garden Festival is happening on May 3. But check out the waves you'll be missing after the jump...
