Dive Vacations

Scuba diving offers travelers seeking an active vacation the opportunity to view parts of our world seen by very few. Divers are part of an exclusive club, sharing experiences normally reserved for marine life. Like few other activities, diving provides an unparalleled reason to travel and one that will leave you searching for your next marine adventure. If the idea of sharing your holiday with angel fish, eels and sharks, watching turtles gliding along the sea bed and exploring shipwrecks appeals to you, read on and learn the basics of dive travel planning.

If you already are an experienced diver, you know the joy of seeing a rare underwater species or one that you have never seen before. Add to that experience the thrill of traveling to a new, perhaps exotic, destination to explore, and you have a real adventure at hand. Setting off on a dive vacation in a distant land may seem daunting, but with the help of your travel agent – who can take care of the planning – diving will add an entirely new dimension to your adventures. If you are new to diving, traveling with a tour company that provides expert guidance is one of the best possible introductions.

A successful dive trip relies on choosing your destination and travel dates wisely, a good travel consultant to assist with the logistics, a little luck, and a lot of coordinated planning. If you currently dive, it’s likely that you have already traveled at some point to pursue your hobby. If you are new to diving, or if this is your first diving holiday, then you may want to consider taking a “learn to dive” holiday offered at many resort locations worldwide. PADI is a certification association for divers and a worldwide source of diving knowledge, advice and instructors. Dive resorts most often require PADI certification to rent equipment to divers or to provide refills for air tanks. PADI offers training through YMCAs and dive supply shops. Basic training can be done in a swimming pool with final certification taking place in “open water”. A PADI open water certificate can be gained anywhere from 4 days to 6 weeks, depending on your training time and ability, and you can comfortably go on holiday to learn about and experience diving in the ocean by the end of a week. You’ll need to learn a lot of the theory that goes with this qualification, which means you should be prepared to do some homework during your holiday – but it’s time well spent.

As you begin planning, have a general idea of the amount of time you want to spend diving and the time you want to enjoy other activities. Also prepare your budget for the trip, weighing diving costs against transportation, lodging, food, and entertainment. When you evaluate the type of experience you’d like to have, ask yourself if there are species of marine life you particularly want to see, or if there’s a part of the world you’ve always wanted to visit? Do you want a “live aboard” experience, or are you looking for a resort – and diving is a secondary activity? The more consideration you give these issues, the more efficient the planning process will be, the more you’ll enjoy your vacation, and the quicker you will be on your way.

Your first stop should be a travel agent at Maupin Travel experienced with tour operators offering dive trips and dive destinations. Because of the logistics of a diving trip and your investment in both time and money, it is important to have a practiced set of eyes watching out for you. Your travel consultant will know which destinations and tour operators are appropriate (and which to avoid) and can assist in pulling together less obvious components of the trip, often at substantial discounts.

If you are an experienced diver, then the world literally is your playground. Most divers have a long list of where they want to go and wrecks and marine life they want to see. Naturally, your budget will be a key factor when you finally decide where to go. Be sure to let your travel agent know any special preferences or requests at the first opportunity, so every possible detail is taken into account early in the planning process. In South America and the Caribbean, top destinations are Belize, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos and Mexico. In Europe, Italy, Malta and its famous Blue Lagoon, Spain, and Croatia are all popular. The Red Sea is a world famous diving destination that’s accessible from Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. South Africa offers cage diving to see Great White Sharks, and opportunities are endless in Asia and Australasia. Not to be missed are Truk Lagoon in Micronesia, and of course – the Great Barrier Reef. Very few localities require special dive permits; in most cases, a local PADI dive center can obtain a permit in short order. However, in some countries, notably in the Middle East, permit acquisition can take more than a week, so plan well in advance.

The weather at your destination will greatly affect your dive experience. And unfortunately, when traveling great distances, it is not easy to cancel at the last minute without losing some or all of your deposits. Keep your eye on the weather and be careful about booking travel during times of the year, for example hurricane season in the Caribbean, when you’ll have an above-average chance of trip disruption. Ask your travel consultant to check on the cancellation policies available from the tour operator or resort and if travel insurance is available for severe weather events.

As mentioned, a key consideration for any dive vacation is how much time you want to devote to diving. Some resorts offer diving opportunities as one of many activities for visitors, and only one afternoon of an entire week might be devoted to diving. Other destinations, however, center all activities around a full diving schedule, and travelers find themselves below the surface for hours each day – then usually relaxing at night with a big meal and a cold drink.

If you are going with a group, early in your planning, determine how much diving each traveler wants to do so you can choose the best location that offers interesting and alternative activities. Remember, too, that diving is an active sport with a small, manageable risk element. If the skill levels in your group vary greatly, your destination and tour operator should take those differences into account; if this is the case, you might not be able to dive together, unless the more experienced divers chose to do easier dives. Many dive centers will offer a range of dives allowing you to meet up with others in your group between dives. If you plan to travel with children, make sure that your travel consultant checks with the destination or tour operator about the appropriateness of the trip and alternative care, if needed.

You will most likely have a range of likely accommodation options, from budget to deluxe hotels. There are also “live aboard” options where you sleep on a boat and dive from the boat during the trip; if you go this route, you are likely to sleep in a twin bed cabin with limited space. However, if you want to maximize your diving opportunities, a live-a-board might be your best option. Imagine diving in the morning, enjoying lunch in the sun, diving after lunch and then reflecting on the day and making plans for tomorrow as you cruise to your next spot, watching the sun go down. These arrangements typically include high-quality meals and air for two dives per day in the package price. A couple of days on dry land at each end of your trip will give you a chance to enjoy life above the water as well.

While almost anyone can dive, make sure you are prepared for the physical demands of the trip and that the dive area is within your skill level. Some dives involve strong currents or extreme depths, so knowing what’s in store and getting a few hours of preliminary dive time at comparable depth and terrain will make your time on vacation more productive and enjoyable.

In addition to considering physical demands of a dive vacation, be aware of any indigenous diseases in your chosen destination, such as malaria or yellow fever, and protect yourself against them. As early as possible in the planning stage, consult a physician to determine what shots and other precautions you need prior to travel. Importantly, also consult your physician and dive masters about your flight schedule and appropriate wait periods before your first airline flight and after your last dive prior to flying to prevent problems with nitrogen build-up in your blood from the compressed air in your dive tanks.

Your tour operator no doubt will provide a complete list of recommended clothing and gear. In general, however, it is a good idea to pack as lightly as possible to ensure you can carry all of the equipment you need with you. Most airlines charge for excess baggage, and diving equipment tends to be heavy. Most airlines will carry empty cylinders, but consider renting your cylinders and weights at your destination to save baggage costs. Remember that diving knives must be packed, not carried on. Some localities do not permit spear fishing equipment, so check prior to your trip. If you do travel with your cylinder, you will have to remove the pressure valve during travel. Many destinations will have rentals of all equipment available, so just confirm the availability during your planning stages. You will almost certainly want to pack your own mask and flippers as these will need to fit perfectly. And remember to bring along your certification card, which is required by most dive locations, in addition to a logbook, sunscreen, and any necessary international travel documentation, such as your passport and visas. Prescription drugs should be carried with you, not checked. Work with your travel consultant to check in advance that your airline will be able to take everything you want to carry with you.

You may be asking, is dive travel safe? It is important to remember that diving in new surroundings will always entail a greater degree of risk. So play by the rules, listen to your tour operator and dive master, and stay within the limits of your skill level. The basics of safe diving apply in every instance, no matter where you are. Use the buddy system, be smart about your dives and take the same reasonable precautions you would in any unfamiliar dive territory. Drinking and diving? Allow adequate detox time and be responsible. Finally, remember standard precautions about airline travel post-dive.

The costs associated with your dive trip will be your transportation to the destination, your transportation at the destination and to the dive sites, your accommodations, your food, any dive master services and any additional activities. Tipping should also be considered as an additional expense. Many tour operators cover all, or some large portion, of these items in the cost of their tour. Work with your travel consultant to determine exactly what is included and what’s extra to avoid last-minute surprises.

Dive travel is almost more than a hobby, it can be a way of life. Come on in, the water’s fine. Contact Maupin Travel and start planning your dive vacation!

Wine Regions

 

 

Wine Tours

A tour of any of the great wine country regions of the world is an opportunity to explore culture, history, cuisine and wine in a single trip. Without exception, the scenery is beautiful, the people passionate, and the wine — nothing short of phenomenal.

What is a wine tour? It’s a tour through a region that has developed a substantial vineyard and winery presence. Usually, a wine tour consists of visiting the wineries and tasting rooms to sample their current wines, often paired with food. Sometimes, a tour of the winery itself is included, and visitors can see where the wine is grown, processed, barreled, aged and eventually bottled.

Most people would first think of areas like the Napa Valley region of California or the Burgundy region of France as ideal locations for wine tours, and that’s with good reason, as those are outstanding locations. However, there are vineyards the world-over. For the majority of United States travelers, wine regions are within a few hours driving distance of their homes or an easy weekend fly-drive retreat, provding plenty of options. And if you are looking for a truly great epicurean vacation, you’ll pleasantly discover that the experience ends up being about much more than the wine.

A number of tour operators specialize in regional wine country tours. Chances are, your travel consultant has access to excellently priced tours of wine regions throughout the world, offering a variety of accommodations from luxurious villas to budget hotels. In many wine regions, wineries have formed “wine trails” to make it easy for visitors to find the participating wineries and to sample the wines. Often, tour operators can provide discounted passes to each of the tasting rooms at the different wineries. Along with a good travel consultant, you are sure to create experiences that would be hard to find on your own. On the best tours, you’ll discover small, unknown producers, meet top winemakers and in some cases, even receive an invitation into a home of a vigneron. Top tour operators can give you the opportunity to enjoy meals and tastings as guests of the estates – just one example of the kind of event often not available if you travel on your own, even if you visit the same cellars. However, many tour operators can even arrange independent, self-drive opportunities with the same privileges as their group tours.

Top Regions to Tour

If you want to tour some of the finest wineries and taste some of the world’s finest wines, certain regions are considered the regions to tour. They consistently produce excellent wines year after year, and some have been doing so for literally thousands of years.

Tuscan, Italy – Italy’s most famous wine region has over 157,000 acres of vineyards throughout its picturesque countryside. The Italians have been making wine for thousands of years, and Italy boasts the largest output of wine in the world. Its climate and soil are ideal for growing grapes, and nowhere is the setting more ideal than Tuscany. The region is most famous for producing Chianti, a wine that pairs naturally with most Italian foods.

Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone, France – France has many wine growing regions, and each is worth a visit. The Burgundy region is especially popular because it is legendary for producing both excellent red and white wines. The rich history of wine making dates back to when the Romans first invaded the area. Visitors can tour old and new wineries that produce several well-known wines like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Beaujolais.

Australia – In the past few decades, Australia has emerged as one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world. Although many wineries have been around for over a hundred years, the public has only recently taken a serious interest in this region. More than 70 wineries in the New South Wales region are located just a few hours drive from Sydney. Wineries here are best known for producing excellent Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc.

USA – In the United States, the most popular region is certainly California’s Napa Valley, which is also one of the world’s newer wine regions. Its wine making history dates back less than 200 years, but those years have seen the birth of more than 260 wineries famous for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. Not to be outdone, however, Oregon, Washington State and New York all boast thriving wine industries and vineyards. Smaller regions include the Texas Hill Country, as well as areas in Connecticut, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Germany – German wines have historically been mostly white, made from Riesling grapes more suited to the northern climate. German wines are produced around the Rhine and its tributaries, and the vineyards are sheltered by mountains so steep that while they catch the most sunlight, they are difficult to harvest mechanically. Germany’s 13 regions include Ahr, Baden, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Mittelrhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Saale-Unstrut, Sächsische Weinstrasse and Württemberg.

South Africa – Cape Town is the trailhead of the South African vineyards. The local wine industry has become a global force, producing approximately 3% of the world’s wine production, ranking as 9th largest producer in the world. New wineries are opening at a fast clip. Pinot Noir and Reisling varietals are predominant.

But this list is far from comprehensive. Chile, Spain, Portugal and dozens of other countries have robust wine economies where local vineyards have adapted varietals to changing climates and soil conditions.

Considerations

Tell your travel consultant if you would prefer to travel independently or with a fully-guided tour group. In an independent setting, your agent will create an itinerary of wineries to tour, as well as any special events to attend, transportation, and lodging. You will then be on your own to follow the itinerary, which offers a great deal of flexibility.

A fully-guided tour provides you and other travelers with a knowledge-packed tour of the wine region. You will not have to worry about transportation, and the itinerary will include fixed times to visit wineries and other attractions as well as some free time to enjoy the wineries on your own. A fully-guided tour is an excellent choice for those who are going to regions so large that the options can be overwhelming, or for those who would rather leave transportation and other logistics to someone else. In addition, most tour companies provide a multilingual tour guide able to speak both English and the language of the region.

Remember, too, that you can travel a little more creatively. Hike or bike your way through wine country, and have an experience you could never get from a car or bus!

Prepare for your journey by reading about the region and its wines. Your travel consultant will obtain any materials from your tour operator to assist your studies, including maps, itineraries or brochures. If you’re going to a region where you don’t speak the language, learn a few choice phrases in the language before you go as a courtesy to your hosts.

If you are planning to purchase a lot of wine while you are on your trip and want to ship it back home, research your home’s laws concerning importing alcohol from outside the country. Your wine could sit in customs for days or weeks before delivery, and in the heat of summer, wines could go bad while they are waiting to be delivered.

Many of the great wine regions offer seasonal festivals when it is time to bring out the new wines. Bigger wineries will hold their own festivals, while smaller wineries will often team with others in the region and have a festival where guests can taste the new offerings from all of the wineries in the same location. Travelers who time their wine tours right have a chance to experience a true cultural celebration. Many wine regions also offer activities such as spas, cooking classes, museums, arts and crafts festivals, music festivals and other events – just ask your agent what’s available.

Most wine regions also offer restaurants that showcase both local cuisine and wineries. Also note the growing trend for restaurants that allow you to bring a bottle of your own – visit wineries during the day and choose a favorite bottle or two to enjoy with your meal in the evening.

It’s impossible to come away from a wine tour without also getting a lesson in local culture. Most winery owners are not only passionate about their wine; they are also passionate about the land and region that supports their lifestyle. It is not unusual to hear about an immigrant family that bought a piece of property years ago and was told by their neighbors that they could never operate a successful winery on the land – and who eventually proved them wrong.

Those who choose a wine tour come away with much more than just a few new bottles of wine. They leave having experienced a deeper cultural appreciation of wine and those who make it.

What are you waiting for? Contact Maupin Travel and get started.

Australia

 

Australia is a hot destination and will continue to be for quite some time. With landscape that varies from parched red desert to Mediterranean vistas, golden beaches to tropical green rainforests, snow capped mountains to untouched islands, Australia sometimes seems like a microcosm of the entire world.

The past and future come together in the great coastal cities, with a forward-looking attitude that embraces Australia’s Pacific Rim location. This gives a decided contrast to a country that is so rich with remnants of its past. Australia has a wealth of prehistoric Aboriginal art that paints telling pictures of a distant time gone by and the fabled ‘Dream time’. Colonists have added tales of early prison settlements which have been replaced by Victorian Architecture that adds a distinctly European feel to the cities.

Australia’s beaches and surfing are legendary around the world and bordered by resorts and cosmopolitan cities. The country’s largest and best-known city, Sydney, is a more fashionable and cosmopolitan than many people think. Melbourne, historically the great rival to Sydney, has a more European ambience of sidewalk cafés, parks, and a more temperate climate.

Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city is the capital of Queensland and sits upon the Gold Coast, a seemingly endless stretch of beautiful beaches. The other coastal cities of Adelaide, Darwin, Perth and Cairns offer other experiences and individual character — each with much to see and do.

But of course, in a country whose size rivals the eastern United States, the cities are only the tip of the iceberg. Once you leave the cities and head into the outback, Australia is open and almost empty.There is a great sense of openness that people may never have experienced even in the more remote part of ts of the U.S. It is entirely possible to not see a person as you travel from horizon to horizon. The centerpiece (figuratively and literally, if you will) of the country is the great monolith of Uluru (Ayers Rock) which rises some 1400 feet from the desert and has a circumference over 5 miles. The rock is considered sacred and spiritually significant to the Aboriginal people and when you see it, it is easy to understand why. The amazing red sandstone takes on various hues depending on the position of the sun.

But no guide book, narrative, or Internet photographs can do Australia the justice it deserves. For that, you will just have to visit yourself!

What are you waiting for? Contact Maupin Travel and get ready to go.

Australian Adventures

60 Second Geography – Australia

Australia boasts many cities rich with culture. Melbourne, the second most populated city on the continent, was named one of the most livable cities in the world; it is home to various festivals like the Melbourne International Arts, Film, and Comedy Festivals, and even the Melbourne Fringe Festival – an independent arts festival hosted yearly.

On the east coast, Sydney awes visitors with its beautiful Sydney Harbour and famous, shell-style Sydney Opera House, both of which have been featured in various movies and children’s flicks – like the 2003 Disney-Pixar animated movie, Finding Nemo.

• The Great Barrier Reef, a must-see on any visit to Australia, is one of the most mind blowing reefs in the world, spanning over 1,600 miles – a diver’s paradise.
• For those who prefer land-based excursions, the notorious Australian Outback is a great alternative to water activities. Red hills dot the horizon as far as the eyes can see, inviting visitors to explore the burning sunsets and lush waterholes that spot the landscape.
• Australia is a very affordable destination with activities for every age range.
• Given the diverse climate, Australia is a perfect vacation country year-round. In the wintertime, you can snowboard or go whale watching; in the spring and summer, you can carve up some waves with the locals – one of the national past-times.
• Combining the best of both worlds, a visit to Cape Tribulation shows visitors a one-of-a-kind site – the location of the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree, and the oldest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef.
• The eastern coast city of Perth is another unique destination as it contains the world’s largest inner city park. Sprawling over 1.57 square miles, the dense region provides remarkable views of the Swan and Canning Rivers.
• Interested in golfing? Australia plays host to the world’s largest golf course – it takes four days to complete! Nestled on the southern coast of the continent, the course stretches over 800 miles from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie in the west and provides plenty of places to rest in between holes.

What are you waiting for? Contact Maupin Travel and plan the Austrlia experience of a lifetime.

Australian Vino

The Aussie Wine Industry

By: Globus
It’s hard to believe today, when Australia’s wines are world famous and fine vintages are readily available in every pub and café from Wagga to Oodnadatta, but it was not until the 1970s that Aussies really began to appreciate the virtues of the grape. Thanks to the post-war waves of immigrants from Italy and Greece, Aussies shifted away from their traditional passion for beer, port and rum and began what experts have dubbed the Great Wine Revolution. By 1985 wine consumption had tripled. But even many Australians don’t realize that the local wine industry is actually as old as white settlement itself.

The first vines were brought from Brazil and South Africa on board the very first convict fleet in 1788, and planted in the British Governor’s private garden. Twelve years later, a pair of French prisoners-of-war from Napoleon’s armies were purposely sent to Sydney to provide a little Gallic know-how. Although these two clumsy Frenchmen produced wines of “very indifferent quality,” by the 1820s Aussie farmers were gamely sending their best wines back to European wine competitions, with mixed success. (The persistence with which wine growing was pursued in the colony is hardly surprising, given the importance first settlers placed on alcohol as a panacea for loneliness and isolation; although rum was preferred, and even became the effective currency for many years, any drink was accepted).

Some of the great names of Aussie winemaking – Thomas Hardy, Dr. Henry John Lindemann – got their start in the mid-19th century in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney and Barossa Valley north of Adelaide, but production was hampered by a small local market and the dreaded phylloxera disease, which wiped out many vineyards in the 1870s. Today, there is no looking back, with some 1,500 wineries now scattered across every Australian state. Travelers will find wineries in some improbably remote regions, including the Margaret River in south-western Australia, the Yarra Valley near Melbourne and Tamar Valley of Tasmania – each offering a broad range of tastings to visitors, and many complete with their own elegant restaurants. Destinations have stories. We bring them to life. What Globus story might you discover in Australia next? Contact Maupin Travel and start planning!