Don’t tiptoe thru the tulips – cycle!

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Imagine cycling through the countryside among fields of colorful tulips stretching for miles with the sight of a pretty windmill in the distance. Just over a rustic bridge, you stop for a rest, inhale the scent of the fragrant flowers and take photos of the scenery surrounding the path you are traveling.

Biking through the Netherlands provides a form of slow travel that allows you to experience truly local sights and get a fitness fix at the same time. This beautiful European country has charming towns, quaint villages, and lovely countryside that will keep you entranced. Biking tourism is popular for many reasons, including how easily you can hit the bike brakes to stop and admire the sights and then continue your adventure when you are ready.

For the Dutch, cycling has become a way of life – almost everyone owns a bike, including children and the elderly. The biking culture is so popular in the Netherlands that most people ride every day and some paths serve double duty as bike paths and power generators because these solar cell-covered paths collect energy!

Narrow streets and canals means you get to your destination faster than by car in Amsterdam.

The flat landscape of the Netherlands makes it easy for leisure riding, so you don’t need to be ultra-fit or a serious cyclist to enjoy this mode of travel when you visit. Those with young children or in their retirement years, might dismiss biking as being too energetic and demanding, but once you see how the locals embrace biking, you might be tempted to give it a try. The locals will always be cheering you on in their warm and friendly way, as they love seeing visitors embrace their biking culture.

Tulip time provides not only beautiful scenery for a bike tour, but a delightful scented tour as well.

Since travelers are all different, you will find different kinds of bikes for your journey, including recreational bikes, e-bikes and road bikes. Depending on your experience and fitness level, you can match the right bike and tour, so you have a wonderful time cycling the great outdoors. You can even choose your bike seat to help you have a comfortable ride.

There are many kinds of bike tours available with something for everyone from hour-long tours to full or multi-day tours.  You can find group tours, luxury

tours, and family-friend tours, making your bike trip a great social experience. For those that enjoy time in the company of friends and/or family or even alone, you can head out on a self-guided tour through a tour company, leveraging the services just like you would get on a tour.  This more independent style of bike travel works out to be affordable yet still comes with services including routes, information and a help hotline.

There is nothing like being able to enjoy your pedal-powered travel without the hassles and logistics. All the details are arranged when booking a group or self-guided bike tour. When moving on to a new hotel, your baggage will be transported for you while you use peddle power to reach your destination. If your bike needs a repair or the weather turns bad, you will be rescued, making it a stress-free adventure that will be exhilarating. Getting to your destination promises to be both rewarding and exciting.  After biking thru the scenic countryside all

Due to its biking culture, you frequently see crowded bike parking lots.

day, indulge in some guilt-free local cuisine with drinks and dessert. The beer that waits for you at the end of a fun day of cycling will taste incredible.

Life in the Netherland’s bike lane is great for first-time bike tour travelers. It is a very safe place to cycle, so safe that wearing a helmet isn’t required. Even with group tours, you can ride at your own pace and enjoy the sights and scenery; taking your time to experience the environment is what it’s all about. Once you experience the fun of cycling in Holland, you might consider bike tours in other countries too. Barge cruises and biking trips are also popular for travelers who like to mix it up. This different kind of travel is easy to get used to and might be your new-found pastime.

See the Netherlands by land and water on a bike and barge tour.

The Dutch constructed over 35,000 km of bike paths where you can see lush forests, pristine rivers, ocean, plains, towns and more. You might stop to explore a local bakery and farmer’s market with the freshest cheese for your picnic later. You are free to ride and park as your wish, making every day full of unexpected surprises.

Bike sightseeing provides a great way to immerse yourself in the communities you visit. Conversations with locals flow when they see you are riding through

their country and often, questions about where have you been and where are you going spark meaningful exchanges. These rich travel experiences probably wouldn’t happen if they were on a tour or driving by car.

As well as health and fitness benefits, cycling means you contribute to improving the environment. You will notice how fresh the air is, especially in the countryside. As you can tell, there are numerous benefits to biking in the Netherlands. If you’ve been considering a bike tour, I am sure you will find it immensely enjoyable. If this idea is new to you, I’m excited to help you discover this new form of travel.  Just give me a call!

Even cheese goes by bicycle in the Netherlands!

Pat Ogle-CollinsDon’t tiptoe thru the tulips – cycle!
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Mother Nature makes Australia’s route B100 GREAT!

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In the Australian state of Victoria, get behind the wheel for the scenic drive of a lifetime. The Great Ocean Road tops the list of must-do road trips for visitors to Australia because it’s one of the MOST iconic areas in the whole country.

With your favorite soundtrack blasting, you are free. Locals with surfboards on their roofs and tourists in camper vans will be your new friends on the road. Stop at Split Point lighthouse, enjoy the fresh salty sea air, indulge in fresh seafood meals at local restaurants, and enjoy the views.

Expect not only scenic ocean views along the Great Ocean Road but also sights of lush rainforests.

Rent a vehicle in Melbourne or Torquay and head along the southwest coast of Victoria to Allansford. Downunder they drive on the left side of the road, so you’ll be on the ocean side for the most amazing views if you take that route. It’s also easier to pull over for those Instagram-worthy photos of the limestone or sandstone cliffs and endless ocean views.

Loch Ard Gorge is seen in scenes in The Pirate Movie (1982) and Journey to the Center of the Earth, a 1999 television series.

While it can be daunting to be driving on the other side of the road, there is no better place to gain confidence than the Great Ocean Road. You can take your time and there usually isn’t a lot of traffic. It’s also easy to pull over and let cars pass. Well-paved and spacious with many long stretches make driving past the pristine beaches and through green rainforests easy. Best of all, most people driving The Great Ocean Road, built to commemorate the sailors and soldiers who served from 1914 to 1919 in the Great War, are out for the scenic views as well so they drive at a leisurely pace as well.

By the time you arrive at the famous Twelve Apostles near Port Campbell, you will feel happy and confident driving the 244 kilometers trip.

This stunning collection of limestone stacks is an awe-inspiring sight. It is estimated the rocks that rise out of the ocean are over 20 million years old. Sunrise and sunset create spectacular lighting to see the famous rocks (there are only eight still existing from the original dozen) from the boardwalk located in Port Campbell National Park. Explore the Gibson Steps leading to the beach for a new perspective of the rocky scene. Just past the Twelve Apostles discover the Loch Ard Gorge, a location included in several movies, and The Grotto, a photogenic sinkhole. Take a photo under the naturally formed London Arch before hitting the road again.

Plan to be on the road for at least three days if driving. But if your time is unlimited, you surely will want to stop for scenic nature walks, shopping in quaint towns and maybe a dip in the ocean. You might go zip lining, take a surf lesson, hike to a waterfall, go bird watching or fly a drone from one of the many gorgeous lookout points. Of course, seeing some cute koalas in their natural habitat would top off the trip. At Kennett River on the Grey River Road, a number of these cuddly creatures reside, or you might spot them anywhere along the Great Ocean Road, which has an abundance of wildlife and nature.

Other sights that produce oohs and ahhs along the Great Ocean Road include koala bears seen along the Kennett River Koala Walk.

Driving and sightseeing can be tiring so luckily there are many lovely accommodation options to choose from. Spend an evening relaxing in style and comfort with dinner and drinks, scroll through your picturesque photos taken that day, and get ready for another epic day of discovery.

Early rises are more valuable than sleep-ins because the soft morning light is so pretty, especially for photos and videography. This tranquil time of day is also quiet, with less traffic than later in the day. So if you fancy cruising in solitude, this is going to be your favorite time of day to be driving.

Erosion, Mother Nature’s sculpting, creates numerous photo-worthy sights long the Great Ocean Road, including the London Arch.

If you are driving back to Melbourne, try to stop at the Grampians National Park for some of the lushest rainforests you’ve ever seen. You can hire bikes and get some exercise and tourists often report having kangaroos hopping around nearby. You’ve heard of diving with sharks, but did you know cycling with kangaroos was a thing? Expect the unexpected and a whole lot of beauty in nature when you travel The Great Ocean Road, also known as the B100. Spend as much time as you can because there is so much to see and do during this once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Contact me today if this sounds like the trip for which your soul yearns. I’m ready to help you plan your trip to Australia, including a fabulous trip along the Great Ocean Road!

Pat Ogle-CollinsMother Nature makes Australia’s route B100 GREAT!
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This natural zoo boasts no bars, but some amazing walls!

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Picture hundreds of animals going in and out of a gigantic crater, similar to the proverbial Noah’s ark. Lush vegetation, which hosts thousands of animal and bird species, is found in and around the crater. Ngorongoro Crater offers this and more to visitors considering making their first trip to Africa. It is also a natural wonder that earned it a spot on the famous World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1979.

The game species, diverse terrains, and significance in human prehistory make it a “must visit” attraction

25,000 large mammals reside in the Ngorongoro Crater including elephants,  lions, black rhino, wildebeest, and cheetah and more.

for thousands of visitors ready for an exhilarating expedition. If the thought of spending time at one of the few intact calderas in the world excites you, then Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania is your next destination.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled caldera in the world is 2,000 ft deep and covers 100 sq miles.

Ngorongoro crater is a beautiful sight to behold and is often the first stop when you visit the highland area. The 2000ft deep crater, which would have been one of the highest peaks in Africa, formed after a volcano erupted. The geological landform is over two million years old, covers over 100 square miles, and is surrounded by a conservation area of 3,200 square miles.

As you descend into  one of the largest intact calderas in the world, you will witness a changing

landscape every few turns. Visitors get to experience ashy marshlands, patchy forests, grassy plains, and savannah filled with different vegetation. For thousands of years, the nature of geography at Ngorongoro has evolved, resulting in a distinct ecosystem. The caldera terrain includes Lake Magadi, a shallow but large lake; Lerai Forest, a thick forest filled with fever trees; Gorigor Swamp, a wetland popular with hippos and open grasslands teeming with thousands of game species.

No trip to Africa is complete without taking a safari, but the one in Ngorongoro is one of a kind. Game drives give you an up-close look of the enormous crater plus the flora and fauna of the area. Safety is guaranteed for visitors as they move around the crater in a safari vehicle while enjoying the serene environment and diverse animal species.

A stopover at Lake Magadi, which is at the center of the crater, is a perfect way to see some of the

Rains change the colors of the Ngorongoro Crater and bring the wildebeest thru parts of the conservation area surrounding the crater.

popular animal species. The vast population of animals that call the lake home includes crocodiles, hippopotamus, and pink flamingoes that add color to the lake. Other bird species can also be spotted at the lake making it a perfect spot for bird lovers.

Lerai Forest, a wooded area filled with yellow or green fever trees, brings you into another world. The straight trees are breathtaking when in bloom, with bright yellow flowers covering the entire forest canopy. Hundreds of baboons and elephants can also be spotted in Lerai making it a paradise worth exploring.

The Lerai Forest in the Ngorongoro Crater provides a shade to elephants and a hiding place for leopards.

Besides the famous “Big Five” you will see thousands of wild animals in Ngorongoro. The area is home to over 25,000 wild species giving you a chance to interact with wildlife you may have only seen online. Wildlife spotting is popular with tourists as they get a chance to see large mammals such as wildebeests, hippos, zebras, hyenas, wild dogs, gazelles, buffalos, and black rhinos. The large population of mammals also attracts predators such as lions, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards. It is common to come across them feasting on a mammal as part of your safari.

Wildebeest migrations in Ngorongoro are an exciting time and a highlight for visitors from all over the world. If you travel during the right time of year, you can watch them move in their thousands. From afar, the wildebeests resemble a snaking line as they plod along a course that is invisible to the human eye. One unique fact about the famous crater is that you will not come across giraffes, impalas, or topis that find the cliffs too steep to maneuver. Also, insufficient grazing areas in the crater make it unable to feed antelopes that move in large herds.

Bird lovers also have a reason to take a trip to the crater, which is home to over five hundred bird species. The birds which live in bogs, savannahs, and forests are easy to spot using binoculars in their natural habitat. Some species to look out for include secretary birds, ostriches, eagles, weaver birds, kestrels, and sunbirds, among others.

Did you know you originated from Africa? All humans emerged from the continent, specifically Olduvai Gorge located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area,

Lake Magadi located in Ngorongoro Crater draws wildlife to its shores.

about two hours away from the Ngorongoro crater. The area hosts two archaeological sites within Olduvai Gorge that are important to the evolution theory. Visitors get to explore the area in which the discovery of the first Proconsul skull by famous paleontologists, Louis and Mary Leakey was unearthed. The skull is said to be an ancestor of the Homo Habilis and was unearthed in 1959. Evidence of the lifestyle of the human ancestor, which included scavenging and the use of stone tools, is available at the site.

Monument commemorating the discovery of two species of early man at Olduvai Gorge

Ngorongoro’s Olduvai Gorge is also home to another discovery, the Laetoli footprints, which are over 3.7 million years old. The human tracks discovered in the 1970s, preserved in volcanic ash, are evidence of humans walking on two feet. According to anthropologists, these two discoveries by the Leakey’s remain one of the most important breakthroughs studying the origins of humans. If evolution interests you, then Olduvai Gorge is a “must-see” on your itinerary.

Besides visiting the two archaeological sites, you can also tour the museum and listen to presentations by resident guides. The museum has several sections that provide information about the site and its history, plus details of the fossils. Replicas of the Laetoli Footprints and information of mammals that inhabited the gorge for millions of years are on display. For the latest research taking place at the gorge, you can chat with an archaeological expert stationed at the museum.

Your first trip to Africa can be unique, memorable, and hassle-free. I am your best bet when visiting Ngorongoro Crater and its environs. Call me and let’s plan your trip today!

Pat Ogle-CollinsThis natural zoo boasts no bars, but some amazing walls!
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