San Blas Islands are part of Panama and it is an archipelago with around 370 islands and small sandy islands part of coral reefs. Only 49 of them are inhabited and mostly by the local Kuna Indians.
It is easy to get to.
The San Blas Islands are located in the Northwest of Panama, which borders Colombia in the East and Costa Rica in the West. You can fly from Panama straight into the San Blas Islands or you can take a boat from either Cartagena or Capurganá.
The San Blas Islands are remote but don’t feel overwhelmed by getting here.
If you don’t want to cross the jungle or open waters of the Caribbean Sea you can use a plane to get to San Blas. You can book flights at Air Panama or Aeroperlas, but make sure you book in advance.
Discover the pristine and untouched archipelagos in the world
Most of these impressively pristine islands have few roads and even fewer people. Here you can discover many new species that are unknown to the science in some of those uninhabited islands. If you are searching for that desert island feel, San Blas is the perfect destination.
San Blas is also known to have some of the best spots for snorkeling in the Caribbean of Central America. Many of the islands are ringed by healthy coral reefs and gorgeous water. The coral reef attracts many stunning species. The best time to go snorkeling is from June to October because the water visibility is better and there are fewer currents.
Photo credit: Markus Leupold-Löwenthal / Wikipedia
The Kuna People
The real name of San Blas is Kuna Yala – Land of the Kuna. The Cuna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué.
About 50.000 Kuna’s live on the 49 major islands of San Blas and are controlled by their own community leader called a Sahila.
The island is picture-perfect with lapping waves, swaying palm trees, and gentle breezes and no Wi-Fi or TVs. Evenings are leisurely, with everyone relaxing and enjoying the slow Caribbean pace.
San Blas is an indigenous territory located northeast of Panama. Discover the San Blas Islands and relax in a typical rustic bungalow over water, hosted by a native Guna family. The San Blas Islands are popular with eco-tourists due to their pristine natural state.
Featured image photo credit: Marc Veraart / Flickr
The Thompson Okanagan looks and feels different than much of the rest of British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley is a popular vacation destination and fast-growing region centered on the 155-km-long Okanagan Lake. The region is known for its dry, sunny climate, dry landscapes, and lakeshore communities and a particular lifestyle.
Home to over 90 communities and over 200 licensed wineries, the landscape is as varied as the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies to the semi-arid climate of the Okanagan Desert. It is a region rich in Indigenous culture, sun-soaked valleys surrounded by sweeping grasslands and connected throughout by water.
Thompson Okanagan Region was officially certified as the first destination in the Americas to have successfully achieved the Biosphere Tourism Destination Certification from the Responsible Tourism Institute.
Thompson Okanagan becomes the first Sustainable Destination in the Americas
Twenty regions around the world have received recognition from the Responsible Tourism Institute, most of which are located in Europe.
Sustainable tourism is measured by examining how a destination manages itself from several perspectives, including environmental, social and cultural perspectives.
The region also features world-class wineries, inventive, fresh fare, and rich indigenous culture that leaves a lasting mark. Besides the main activities like golf, powder skiing, lake sports, and wine, the region also offers peaceful fishing holes, remote horseback rides, and a selection of farm-fresh culinary treasures.
More than three million people visit the Thompson Okanagan each year, according to the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.
Photo credit: Dick Thompson Flickr
In 2018, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association was named the year’s winner of the prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Destination Award during the World Travel and Tourism Council Summit in Argentina.
Some of the responsibilities are a guarantee an economic, socio-cultural and environmental balance, satisfying the current needs of tourists and host regions, reporting significant benefits for the entity, society and the environment, and protecting and improving future prospects.
Building a responsible and sustainable destination
Treetop Flyers
Sustainability is at the core of Treetop Flyers business. From repurposed shipping containers for offices and installing the only solar-powered drop swing, they are setting the mark for taking responsibility for their footprint.
BC Wildlife Park
BC Wildlife Rescue – Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre is a nonprofit organization committed to rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife.
Ogopogo Tours
Committed to sustaining the beautiful landscape in BC, Ogopogo Tours has energy-efficient hybrid vehicles to reduce their harm to the environment.
Myra Canyon Ranch
Surrounded by Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park and 20 minutes from Kelowna, Myra Canyon Ranch is a lodge and horseback riding facility that guests call “a magic place”.
Cape Town is South Africa’s greenest city in Siemens’ African Green City Index. Cape Town’s topography allows the city to introduce new green spaces and its population has driven the rise of farmers’ markets and growth in locally sourced food.
South Africa was colonized by the Dutch in 1652 and then from the British Empire and its independence was granted on May 31, 1961. South Africa has increasingly become an attractive tourist destination due to its varied cultural offerings, eclectic food scene, architecture, and natural beauty.
In this post, we put together the top 10 things to do in the city.
Best Things to do in Cape Town
Cape Town has plenty to offer from its world-class restaurants and golden beaches, colorful historic districts and hipster farmer’s markets to the stunning coastal suburbs of Simonstown, Hout Bay and Fish Hoek await nearby and award-winning vineyards.
The name of the island come from Dutch for “seal island.” Robben Island is a World Heritage Site and museum, offering daily tours. This was a place of isolation for nearly 300 years, housing many political prisoners and serving as both a lunatic asylum and leper colony, one of them was the legendary South African president Nelson Mandela who spent 18 years here during his imprisonment.
The tours are led by former prisoners and include a return ferry ride from the island, a tour of the island and also a visit to some of the old cells.
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top.
The ride on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is one you’ll never forget. The journey up the mountain takes about five minutes and the car rotates 360° as it ascends, slowly revealing better and better views as you approach the summit.
The Cableway operates from 8:30am until 5:30pm in winter and closes later in summer
You can gain free entry to Table Mountain Aerial Cableway with Cape Town City Pass. The pass also gets you free entry or amazing discounts on over 70 other Cape Town attractions!
Here’s a selection of tours to Table Mountain – both hikes and cable car; a mix of the two, or a proper adventure:
Boulders Beach is located in the Cape Peninsula, near Simon’s Town towards Cape Point, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Cape Town has many beautiful beaches, but Boulders Beach offers up something the others don’t – a large colony of African penguins!
These African penguins are only found on the coastlines of Southern Africa – South Africa & Namibia. They are adapted to live in a warmer climate and you can see these little birds up close at Boulders Beach. It is located approximately one hour’s drive south of the city center. At the beach, an observation platform gives you the option to observe the penguins. There is a small conservation fee, which goes towards ensuring the future of this sadly endangered species.
Here’s a selection of the best tours that go to Boulders Beach:
If you want to explore outside the city borders Cape Winelands is one of your choices. It spreads out around the famous wine-making regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Here you’ll find some of the world’s finest vintages.
Groot Constantia has been producing wine of outstanding quality uninterruptedly since 1685 with its award-winning wines still celebrated around the world today. The Simon’s and Jonkershuis restaurants at Groot Constantia offer visitors al fresco dining expertly paired with the estate’s award-winning wines.
If you have limited time then one of the best ways to see several different wineries is to book a tour on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. You can enjoy wine tasting, go for a tour of the cellars or a gourmet meal in a local farm restaurant with breathtaking views. Another wineries that you could add to your list are the iconic vineyard Spier Wine Farm.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is an oasis in Cape Town’s city center. Nestled beneath Table Mountain, this botanical garden is one of the most famous places to visit in Cape Town, this garden is one of the most beautiful in Africa. It is the first botanical garden in the world to be declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
It offers many fantastic places to have a picnic. It also hosts concerts between November and April every Sunday, art exhibitions and more.
Locally growth produced is boost also by the restaurants who offer fresh, local ingredients. The South African capital has a unique multi-cultural heritage that inspired culinary scene influences. The wineries themselves often house some of the region’s best restaurants. It has some pretty amazing restaurants, some of whom have earned internatonal awards.
V&A Waterfront Food Hall is one of the best places to eat in town.
Cape Town’s coolest restaurant strip is Bree Street in the Central Business District.
Bo-Kaap is known for its brightly coloured homes and cobble stoned streets. The area is traditionally a multicultural neighbourhood with immigrants from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia, and most of its population is Muslim.
Translated from Afrikaans, Bo Kaap means ‘Above the Cape’ and it has a long history dated back to the 1760s. It is a former township, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city center and is a historical center of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town.
The area is filled with history, visit the museum for a glimpse of the past and find out about the architectural heritage.
Camps Bay
Camps Bay is considered Cape Town’s most beauteous living. It’s also known for its white sands and dolphin sightings, natural rock swimming pool and views of the Twelve Apostles mountains. Just a walk from the beach where you can find many trendy restaurants and cafes, cozy accommodation.
Nearby you’ll find also the Promenade Mall boutiques selling fashion and beachwear and the intimate Theatre on the Bay performing drama, musicals, and comedy.
Photo credit: Stockvault
Walk Around the Beaches
Cape Town is home to some of the most picture-perfect beaches in the world, each with its own unique advantages.
The beaches along the False Bay coastline boast warm water and good swimming conditions when the Atlantic coast beaches have much colder water with a brilliant shade of turquoise.
Zeitz Museum offers the largest collection of contemporary African art on the continent features works from all over the diaspora. You can check out the Afro-futurist goggles by Cyrus Kabiru, anti-patriarchal needlework by Ghada Amer, oil portrait by Kehinde Wiley, and cowhide sculptures by Nandipha Mntambo.
The museum located at the V&A Waterfront opened on September 22, 2017.
Responsible Tourism is a unique approach to the management of tourism, which aims to maximize the benefits of the destination for both tourists and locals.
Want to learn more about South Africa? Check our other posts.
Main photo credit: Pe_Wu / Wikipedia
