Lots to do in Florida

DREAM ADVENTURE 27: Visit Florida

There's a lot I want to do in Florida. South Beach would be an awesome town to explore with the big nightlife scene. And the beach. Perhaps swimming with the dolphins?

Then, of course, there is Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and all the other Disney affiliated parks: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks

Five day tickets to Disney World are about $70 a day for a 5 day pass to any park with the Park Hopper and Water Park offers included coming to about $250 for the 5 days.

Visit the Monkey Jungle!

"Where humans are caged and the monkeys run wild!  

Visitors today are immediately welcome by the Java monkey troop, now numbering in the 80’s. The Java monkeys forage through the Jungle eating natural foods. This experience with the monkeys continues to be a highlight of Monkey Jungle. The Java monkey is a skilled diver in the wild, collecting crabs and other shellfish along the riverbanks and mangrove swamps. Scheduled feedings at MONKEY JUNGLE show off these water skills as animals dive into a pool to receive fruit from the guides.

As part of the park’s continuing effort to promote the understanding of primates, MONKEY JUNGLE has given a new look introducing audiences to the lifestyle of the orangutan. Always unpredictable, the audience often witnesses impromptu acts by these lovable apes.

A total of 30 species of primates are represented at MONKEY JUNGLE including gibbons, guenons and spider monkeys. The Golden Lion Tamarin is native to the Brazilian jungle. Threatened with extinction, MONKEY JUNGLE proudly participates in an international effort to save the tiny creature."

Visit the Miami Zoo, with over 2,000 animals and more than 1,200 plants.

 

After all that city entertainment, I'd definitely want to visit the Everglades. The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee. Water leaving the lake in the wet season forms a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long, flowing southward across a limestone shelf to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state. Writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas popularized the term "River of Grass" to describe the sawgrass marshes, part of a complex system of interdependent ecosystems that include cypress swamps, the estuarine mangrove forests of the Ten Thousand Islands, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rockland, and the marine environment of Florida Bay.

 

How could one go to Florida without checking them out. Maybe not Bear Grylls style but kayaking would be AMAZING, hiking and of course I'd have to go visit the alligator farm!

If I've piqued your interest, check out the National Park Service website for the Everglades.

 From October to May in Key West and Miami, you can learn to kiteboard.Check it out for yourself at TheKiteHouse.com. I think if I added any pictures of kiteboarding in Florida it'd make all the other things look way less awesome in comparision.

Last but certainly not any less epic, CAVE DIVING! 

"Few people ever witness the strange sights of these underwater chambers—fossils, sunlight beaming in from holes in the cave ceilings, and even ancient mastodon tusks—because the only way to see it all is by donning a mask and flippers. Cave diving is rife with potential dangers. The good news is beyond good training, all it really necessitates is a little nerve.

Test the waters at Ginnie Springs Cavern, a beginner cave that Jacques Cousteau once described as “visibility forever.” It requires only an open-water diver certification. From an aquamarine, cypress-lined pool, descend and enter a chamber called the Ballroom, 130 feet (40 meters) long and 55 feet (17 meters) deep. There you can see water’s artwork in the limestone formations and feel the force of 30-plus million gallons of water per day pouring out of the inner cave entrance.

To graduate to the 6.5 miles (10 kilometers) of passageways in the Devil’s cave system, take a cavern or cave certification course at Ginnie Springs. Claustrophobes be forewarned: The tiniest swim-throughs require divers to take off their tanks to squeeze through. But the reward of these contortions is witnessing a vast watery underworld, some of which still remains unmapped." - National Geographic

photo by Nat Geo photographer Wes C. Skiles

 I can't think of Florida without thinking of Will Smith's song Miami... I'd definitely have to rock that while getting ready to go out.

sea kayaking and snorkeling in Ha'Apai

DREAM ADVENTURE 26: Go kayaking and snorkeling in Tonga's Ha'Apai islands

WHEN: July
LENGTH: 13 days
COST: $5,500
HIGHLIGHTS: tropical islands, coral reefs, humpback whales



Itinerary:
*WildernessTravel.com

Days 1-5
Foa / Nuku’namo / Uoleva Islands

From a comfortable resort set on a private beach, we paddle to nearby islands to snorkel among spectacular reefs with an amazing geography of caves, canyons, vertical walls, and colorful coral gardens. We also enjoy outings aboard a sailing catamaran in search of humpback whale encounters. We observe these marvelous cetaceans breaching and spy hopping, then with snorkel, mask, and fins, slip into the water to swim alongside them! Our underwater show may reveal elaborate courtship displays and the haunting echoing songs of the humpback. On Sunday morning, we attend an island church service and hear a chorale of Tongan singing, one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

Days 6-9
Uoleva / Uiha Islands

Traveling as the ancient Polynesians did, we paddle to a series of remote islands for incredible snorkeling in pristine waters, island explorations on foot, picnics on deserted beaches, and visits to isolated villages where the way of life remains unchanged. Our base is a rustic hideaway on a white-sand beach beneath swaying palms.

Days 10-13
Uiha / Foa / Ha’ano Islands

Sea kayaking along an isolated chain of reefs and islets, we rendezvous with our catamaran for a sail to Uiha Island for an authentic Tongan feast of roast suckling pork, fresh root vegetables, reef fish, and vegetarian dishes—all steamed in a traditional underground oven called an ’umu. The next day we snorkel in aquamarine waters with visibility exceeding 95 feet; it’s easy to view the large schools of fish, along with huge table, brain, and soft corals. Paddling to Ha’ano, we enjoy some of the best snorkeling in the Tongan Islands. We see plenty of reef fish, including Moorish idol, butterfly fish, wrasse, and clown fish, and might even catch a glimpse of the elegant stingrays and sea turtles that inhabit these extraordinary reefs. Depart on Day 13.

Khao Sok National Park

DREAM ADVENTURE 23: Visit Khao Sok National Park in Thailand

Khao Sok national park (Thai: เขาสก) is located in Surat Thani province in Thailand. The park comprises the largest area of virgin forest in Southern Thailand and is a remnant of rainforest which is older and more diverse than the Amazon Rainforest. The wild mammals include, Malayan Tapir, Asian Elephant, Tiger, Sambar Deer, Bear, Guar, Banteng, Serow, Wild Boar, Pig Tailed Macaque, Langur, White handed Gibbon, Squirrel, Muntjak and Mouse Deer.It is perhaps most famous for the Bua Phut (Rafflesia kerrii) flower which grows within the park. In addition to its exotic flora, Khao Sok is inhabited by a wide variety of animals, including gibbons and barking deer.

"Khao Sok is connected to two other national parks, Kaeng Krung and Phang-Nga, as well as the Khlong Saen and Khlong Nakha wildlife sanctuaries. Together, these reserves form the largest contiguous nature preserve – around 4000 sq km – on the Thai peninsula. A major watershed for the south, the park is filled with lianas, bamboo, ferns and rattan, including the wǎi tào phráw (giant rattan) with a stem more than 10cm in diameter. A floral rarity in the park is the Rafflesia kerrii Meijer, known to the Thais as bua phút (wild lotus), one of the largest flowers in the world. Found only in Khao Sok and an adjacent wildlife sanctuary (different varieties of the same species are present in Malaysia and Indonesia), mature specimens can reach 80cm in diameter. The flower has no roots or leaves of its own; instead it lives parasitically inside the roots of the liana, a jungle vine. From October to December buds burst forth from the liana root and swell to football size. When the bud blooms in January and February it emits a potent stench resembling rotten meat, which attracts pollinating insects." -LonelyPlanet.com

All the pictures just like stunning. If you want more information, check the park's offical website: http://www.khaosok.com/



There is lots of stuff to do during a short stay here: kayaking, jungle trekking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, caving, birdwatching, swimming and hiking. And zomg! Wild elephants!!!

I've read that the best times to go visit are between December and April but it's a nice spot regardless year round. Just at certain times you're going to have to put up with a lot of rain.

Upon arrival, you'd have to set yourself up with a floating bamboo hut on Cheow Lan Lake.



One interesting excursion was the Nam Thalu cave. You get there by kayak and you have a short walk til you reach the cave and I've read that the cave has absolutely amazing stalactites, stalagmites and limestone formations and an amazing colony of bats and a stream that runs through the middle of it.

Information about their bungalows: http://www.khaosok.net/