When I first visited this park I was a little disappointed as I though it would be my favourite and wasn’t. However, on my return visit in October 2008 I enjoyed the park more. This park closes pretty early (6pm) so to make the most of the park its one you want to get to fairly early.
My ‘must do’s for this park are – ‘It’s Tough to be a Bug’ 4D show, the 4pm parade, the new Finding Nemo’ musical, ‘Kilamanjaro Safari’s’. We aren’t into thrill seeking rides so Expedition Everest isn’t for us – but by all accounts it’s a good ride and if you like that sort of thing you should add it to your list.
Check out my ‘ears’!
It’s Tough to be a Bug – this is one of the best 4D shows around. When we went 2 years ago we went to see it first, and the queue was torturous. This time we left it until nearly the end of the day and walked straight in with no queues – so I’d recommend you do that too. If you do have to queue it winds around the beautifully carved artificial tree.
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OK, so we’ve ‘done’ snow igloos (great for freezing your bits off!), glass igloos (great for viewing Northern Lights) but how about metal ones?
The speciality of this place is possibly the best view of icebergs from a hotel room that you can get!
Situated on the west coast of Greenland on Disko Bay and 250 miles within the arctic circle, you will get views of the harbour, the town of Ilulissat (about a mile away which is good as you don’t hear barking dogs!) and of course the ‘bergs’.
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Tue 7th October 2008 at 03:23 AM, Filed in Wildlife, December
December through to February is the peak season for Manta watching in this region, and this is one of the best places in the world to see them. Yap is actually four islands sharing a coral reef and all islands are covered with pretty dense vegetation and are situated just 9 degrees north of the equator.
Manta Rays have wing spans up to 5 meters (16 ft) and visit the ‘cleaning stations’ in the channels between the shallow lagoon surrounding Yap where cleaner wrasse do the grooming. Whilst 100 or so of these great fish seem to have made Yap their year round home the numbers swell during the winter mating season.
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This unusual ‘dinner party’ has been held annually for about 20 years now so you would have thought that the guests-of-honor would know how to behave. Well unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for the sake of a spectacle) – no-one has yet taught the wild long-tailed macaques monkeys table manners.
The location (the Khmer ruins) is some 70 miles north of Bangkok, and the host of this particular event is a grateful local hotelier. He is grateful for the business that the monkeys bring, and it is held that villagers believe the monkeys protect the village and even bring them good luck. The 600 or so guests are served a sumptuous feast of fruit, vegetables, rice, noodles, coca cola (apparently a favorite treat). Even menus, table-cloths and napkins are provided – I guess more for the photos. I wonder how they know its time to tuck in....or even which day to turn up?
The event now includes a procession, children dress up in monkey costumes (of course) and live music. Well – the festival works because it now draws in some 10,000 visitors – so I guess that’s the best tip the hotelier (and indeed whole village) can receive! Who said you make your own luck……? If you want to go the fun takes place on the last Sunday in November, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to eat the banquet yourself as the monkeys don’t always take too kindly to it.
This eco hotel (formally called ‘Fur ‘n’ Feathers Treehouses’ has won many awards. Not surprising when you understand the hotel has a passion for the environment and wildlife. Small is amazingly beautiful, and luxurious, in this instance. So what does The Canopy offer its visitors?
Accommodation is provided in the following:
• 5 two bed-roomed luxury timber and glass tree houses are fully self contained, (all totally secluded and private with fully equipped kitchen, spa baths, a balcony with a BBQ and hammock.
• One larger 3 bedroom house (called the Bower House) with spectacular views of the valley and is on top of a ridge in the rainforest.
• A further two bed rooms are located at ground level within the main building (called the Rainforest Unit) and has wheelchair access.
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