All posts by Red Hunt

A former journalist and business analyst that now works in the world of travel marketing. Based in Toronto, Red Hunt has travelled to more than 50 countries over the past 15 years. You can follow Red on Instagram or Twitter.

Six Mysterious Creatures and Where to See Them

Interesting and odd, every year scientists discover new species of animals. Sometimes they’re small insects and lizards, sometimes they discover new monkeys or fish.  I’ve come across a number of strange animals on my travels and tend to be drawn to biodiversity hot spots like Madagascar and Papua New Guinea.

A Tuatara in New Zealand
The Tuatara of New Zealand is born with a Third light-sensing Eye!

 

From the Arctic to New Zealand, here are six of the most mysterious and interesting animals I’ve heard about or seen around the world.

Aye Ayes

The island of Madagascar is home to an astonishing number of endemic species, many of which look or act in unique ways. Lemurs are the island’s most famous inhabitants, but the Aye-Aye is probably the ugliest and most mysterious. The Aye Aye is a nocturnal lemur-like creature that has developed an extremely extended baby finger that it uses like a stick to root around in tree holes. Using this unique and sensitive digging finger it taps on the wood of trees to locate hiding spots for grubs and bugs, then it digs them out! They’re believed to be evil demons by some Malagasy, who claim that if an Aye Aye points it’s finger at you, you’ve been marked for death.

Whale Sharks

These are the largest fish in our Oceans, growing to sizes in excess of 40m long! They are sharks, but are friendly, docile plankton eaters, something you typically associate more with whales. It is said that 90% or more of the large fish in our Oceans are now gone, so there is an attraction to seeing these beasts before it is too late. It used to be a rare and lucky experience to be diving or snorkelling and come across a Whale Shark, but today it is big business in places like Isla Mujeres and Holbox in Mexico, the Bay Islands in Honduras, Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia and Donsol in the Philippines.

Tuatara

How about a three-eyed ‘living fossil’, the last of it’s kind? Indeed 200 million years ago the Tuatara may have made more cousins and relatives roaming the Earth, but today they’re on their own. A vulnerable species found only in New Zealand and it’s surrounding islands, the Tuatara has a ‘third-eye’ that gets covered over by skin in adult Tuataras. This eye is sensitive to light and is believed to be a way to trigger sleep and hibernation in these odd animals. They look like lizards (but aren’t) and can hear, but have no visible ears. Your best chance to spot one will be finding one in captivity at a zoo or wildlife park.

Reindeer

They are not stuff of fantasy or only owned by Santa Claus, Reindeer really do exist and they roam free in the high Arctic. Living off the frozen tundra, Reindeer go by different names around the world, but can be found in northern Scandinavia, Russia, Canada and Alaska. We call them Caribou in North America and they’ve been domesticated enough in some extreme northern climates to be used for sledding. They are, apparently, extremely tasty to eat too. Northern Finland and Sweden are the best places for visiting Reindeer farms.

Angora Rabbits

I have never seen an Angora Rabbit, but I have been to the city that they are said to originate from – Ankara, Turkey. If you’re familiar with the internet obsession with LOLcats and furry, funny animals then you need to do a Google image search for Angora Rabbits. These furballs are enough to make you burst out in smiles or laughs! Among the first domesticated rabbits in the world, they are raised for their amazingly soft, luxurious and silky fur.

Sloths

Would you prefer two or three toes with your Sloth? These cute guys are a big draw for wildlife fans who visit Central and South America. It isn’t their odd looks so much that makes them mysterious and interesting, but their extremely slow metabolism. Sloths do nothing fast, including digest their food. It can take them a month to totally digest a meal! They spend their time in trees, but head towards the ground to relieve themselves when that digestion is finally done. They move so slow that their fur is sometimes coloured green because moss begins to grow on them! Aviarios del Caribe is a popular sloth rescue centre in Costa Rica if you’re yearning for some close encounters.

Hierapolis Roman Theatre at Pamukkale, Turkey

If you have heard of Pamukkale, Turkey you’ve likely heard of it because of the famous white terraces found there.

The white calcium pools are an honourable attraction, as is the natural hot springs swimming area. But if you take time to spend a whole day here, the nearby Hierapolis ruins are just as rewarding.

From columned walkways to ancient tombs, the ruins are spread over a large area. To me, the most impressive of all was the Hierapolis Theatre. Standing a top this theatre you can envision what it was like when great events wee once held here. The views of the surrounding landscape are amazing, putting the setting of our modern day theatres and stadiums to shame.

 

Hierapolis Theatre, Pamukkale
The Hierapolis Roman Theatre near Pamukkale, Turkey

Merry Maredsous-mas!

Christmas season is one of my favourite times of the year as a beer lover. Many breweries produce special seasonal winter beers and export gift packs of their regular beers that may not normally be available.

To celebrate the season I’ve cracked open my Maredsous 3-pack of beers, brewed in Belgium by Duvel Moortgat (yes, the same brewery that makes Duvel.)

Three Maredsous Beers from Belgium
The Maredsous 6, Maredsous 8 and Maredsous 10 in all their Glory

As a collector of beer glassware, I enjoy that the people at Duvel Moortgat have varied the glassware included with their holiday gift pack over the years. Fittingly I now have three different Maredsous glasses to match with the three different beers we can get here during Christmas time.

So Merry ‘Maredsous-mas’ – I hope you have enjoyed some great beers over the holiday season this year!

Maredsous 6 ‘Blonde’

Appetizer time. This is a Belgian Ale style beer of light orange colour, the lightest of these three. It poured with more carbonation than I expected, with a constant amount of bubbles helping to create a fluffy, white head.

Very Belgian aroma of yeast, orange and sweet citrus smells. A very welcoming aroma that is complemented nicely by the taste. It wasn’t anything overly complex, but simply balanced. Taste was somewhat sweet and fresh with a possible pineapple twist. A great beer by most standards, but only slightly above average by Belgian ale standards.

Maredsous 8 ‘Brune’

This is an Abbey Dubbel beer and if the Maredsous 6 was the appetizer this is the main course.

It is typically darkish, pouring deep brown in colour and with very little carbonation, this was the flattest of the three Maredsous beers. An off-white head lies atop this one, buoyed by big bubbles. It is a bold beer of varying smells and flavours.

Mostly caramel and somewhat figgy on smell, the taste is nutty with a more subdued caramel. That sweetness then blends into a spicy, smooth, fig-raisin flavour transition. Very nice and enjoyable from start to finish. This is the kind of beer that makes you appreciate the term that beer is a ‘meal in a glass’. If you ate all of the smells and flavours of this beer, you’d be gorging yourself on a buffet meal.

Maredsous 10 ‘Tripel’

Weighing in at 10% alcohol, this Abbey Tripel is a great way to finish off the trio. Dessert time I suppose, as this beer is best savoured slowly.

In terms of looks this falls in the middle, with a deep golden honey colour. It is a lively beer though, pouring with a big, dense head that lasts longer than the dubbel or blonde.

Classically Belgian on aroma, it surprises on taste. The aroma is big yeast and a wet battle of sweetness vs. bitterness. The alcohol comes into play here somewhat, not allowing the smells to break through as much as the dubbel.

Taste is a slightly bitter citrus if such thing can exist. It has a zip to it that is tangy, but not sour or sweet. Likely the alcohol is balancing out the sugary sweetness, or perhaps my taste buds are zoning out near the end of this session! Well done beer. I always enjoy Belgians that drink well without being obviously sweet or bitter. They have a unique way of finding balance between the two ends of the spectrum and this beer does it well.

The final verdict on Maredsous was that I enjoyed the dubbel most, closely followed by the tripel.

Sitting on the Edge of the Grand Canyon

I’ll admit I avoided visiting the Grand Canyon on a number of occasions.

Something so big and so constantly revered as an iconic landscape was sure to disappoint, right? I finally gave in on a road trip from Phoenix this year and will admit the landscape was colourful, imposing and impressive all at once. The views were great to make this my third favourite National Park in the US.

However, what made my Grand Canyon trip most enjoyable was visiting at the end of April. Why? No crowds! Even the staff working there said this was the best time of year to go. The shuttle bus rides I took were often empty, the trails I hiked were quiet, even the walkway along the south rim Crater seemed deserted at times.

This couple were two of only a handful of people I came across one morning. I can’t imagine visiting during the mid-summer crowds – I know I wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much.

Taking a Break at the Grand Canyon
A Couple Enjoying the View of the Grand Canyon

Maldives Cruising Safari

The Maldives Islands are one of those rare travel destinations that can live up to the label of ‘paradise’, but for most people they’re out of reach either because they’re so far away or cost so much to visit.

Vaavu Atoll, Near Thinadoo Island, Maldives
Local fishing Boat near Thinadhoo Island in the Vaavu Atoll, Maldives

 

If you can fore go the extreme luxury treatment and pampering, then there is a lesser-known adventurous way to enjoy the islands at a very affordable price. What is even better? You don’t have to be a couple on your honeymoon to enjoy the affordable Maldives.

Taking a Maldives Dhoni Cruise is not only the most affordable way to visit the islands, it is also the only way to explore around some of the more remote atolls and uninhabited islands. To put it in perspective, spending 36 hours at one of the nice (not ultra luxury) Maldives resorts costs as much as a 7-day cruise.

A Traditional Style Boat in the Maldives
Many fishing boats are still built by hand in the Maldives Islands

 

There are a few suppliers out there, Voyages Maldives has a solid reputation and was the company I was with. You can book direct with them, although if you don’t mind giving up some privacy, you can book an organized tour from them via G Adventures. The Voyages Maldives crew was amazing and made the trip a real cultural experience too, not just a relaxing escape to the Indian Ocean.

A Typical Cruising Safari Boat
My Cruising Safari Boat in the Maldives Islands

 

With a four person crew and an amazing chef on board for just me and the six other boat guests it was an extremely chilled out tour. Sure, the rooms were a bit cramped and hot, but there were three bathrooms between us and a ton of deck space to lounge around or enjoy some card games, watch the sun set or drink some beers.

That last point may be a big one for some people. The Maldives is a dry country. No alcohol allowed. The entire main island of Male’ is alcohol-free. The only places you can drink alcohol are at the resorts or on a boat safari. Be prepared to disconnect too, as you won’t have TV’s or internet while cruising around most of the islands.

A sunset in the Maldives
Watching the sun set from our Safari Boat in the Maldives

 

Every day was full of laughs and surprises on the Maldives cruise safari, with multiple snorkelling expeditions every day. The colourful fish and reefs we visited were more impressive than anything I’d seen in places like Belize, the Galapagos and Malaysia. Part of what made it extra special was the near fish-like capabilities of our boat captain and guide. They were both so at home in the water that they could free-dive down to insane depths and hold their breath for minutes at a time. Leave it to them to find all the hiding spots for the most elusive sharks, eels, rays and fish!

Snorkel time in the Maldives
Snorkelling near an uninhabited island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives

 

Our cook would always greet us with some tea and either fresh coconut slices or chocolate cake after our snorkels too. Luxury? No. Pampered? We thought so! Spicy, spicy was the name of the game for lunches and dinners. If you like hot food, then you’d love some of the meals in the Maldives, where we’d usually have a spicy and plain version of each salad we had. While we did have some chicken and meat, the big thing – not surprisingly – was fish.

Lunchtime on the Dhoni Cruise Boat
Getting ready for Lunch in the middle of the Indian Ocean

 

In fact, we had more than one lunch disrupted as our fishing lines trailing the boat had caught huge deep sea fish. The crew would spring into action to haul in the fish, which would become that night’s dinner or tomorrow’s lunch. I have no idea what most of the fish were that we caught but they were big and they were tasty.

Trips to some of the smaller inhabited islands were a real treat too. The islands that are home to people of the Maldives, not resorts. We had to get special permission from the local chief to visit these islands and see where local children went to school, how people lived on the islands and what they did for entertainment. The Muslim influence was quite evident, but the people were surprisingly outgoing as well.

Convenience Store, Maldives
A Small Shop on one of the Villager Islands in the Maldives

 

The further north we went, the less touristy the islands became and I loved it. Fewer and fewer resort islands, more and more traditional islands where they still built wood boats, fished for a living and everyone owned their own patch of coconut trees. This was the real Maldives, not the Maldives found in glossy honeymoon magazines. Probably the most relaxing trip I’ve taken anywhere in the world.

Local Villager and Palm trees in Maldives
Simple Village Life in the Maldives - Notice the Coconut Trees are painted Blue or White, so people know who owns them

 

If you’re thinking of visiting the Maldives, here are some helpful travel tips.

First, don’t forget alcohol isn’t permitted. Your luggage does get checked and alcohol gets confiscated. If you’re transiting through the Maldives, you can usually have your alcohol stored away at the airport so you can pick it up when you leave.

Second, the airport is on it’s own island and you cannot arrive without a hotel or accommodation booking. They won’t let you leave the airport until you’ve booked something. If your cruise or resort stay doesn’t start on the day you arrive, you do have a few options.

Playing beach Volleyball while Picnicking in the Maldives
Enjoying a Game of Beach Volleyball on a Private Island in the Maldives

 

There is one hotel on the airport island called the Hulhule Island Hotel, which is convenient but pricey. There are many hotels on Male’ Island, which is a quick 10 minute ferry ride away (ferry taxis run at all hours). Some of them such as the Mookai Hotel are safe, simple and affordable. Or there are a few resort islands within a 30 minute fast ferry ride of the airport. Most resorts only run their shuttle ferries or helicopter transfers during daytime hours so if you need to go far and are arriving at night you’ll need to use one of these other options.

Third, don’t forget to bring a weaterproof camera with you! They really aren’t that expensive and will provide you with some stunning photos above and below the water.

Snorkel time in the Maldives!
Returning by Dinghy after a Snorkel Trip in the Maldives

 

Finally, especially if you take a safari or cruise in the Maldives, is bring your own snorkel equipment. While it is provided, you are in the water so often that ensuring you have fins, a mask and snorkel that fit properly is crucial and well worth the hassle of packing them in your luggage.