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Delta passenger steps in dog feces

While flight crews are trained to offer impeccable customer service, that doesn’t mean there isn’t the occasional lapse. One such lapse was recently on display on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Miami this past Thursday. When boarding the aircraft, a passenger stepped in dog feces, and when he alerted the flight crew, they were indifferent at best. “It was feces,” the passenger, Matthew Meehan, told WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, “and it was everywhere. It was on my seat. It was on the floor. My feet were in it.”

When Meehan told the flight crew about the incident, he didn’t receive the response he expected. According to him they simply handed him two paper towels and a little bottle of Bombay Sapphire. Even worse, when the issue was raised to the Delta customer service manager, she said, “Well, that’s not my problem… if the cleaning crew didn’t clean your seat, I don’t have any control over that.” Understandably, Meehan couldn’t believe Delta’s handling of the situation. “I have never in my entire life felt more dehumanized,” he said. “I felt like an animal.”

In a statement to Business Insider, Delta apologized to all passengers affected and offered full flight refunds. “We are conducting a full investigation while following up with the right teams to prevent this from happening again,” they said. The statement also confirmed that passengers had begun boarding the aircraft before cleaning crews had finished their work, and that the previous flight had an “ill service animal” on board.

H/T: Travel & Leisure

More like this: 7 rights all air passengers have and should know about

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The best US national parks in winter

Winter may not seem like the ideal time to visit the wilds of a national park, but really there’s no bad time to enjoy the beauty of America’s public lands. Some national parks situated in temperate, even tropical climates are better to visit in winter, free from the scalding heat of summer. If you’re a snow bunny, you’ll enjoy relative quiet in some of the larger parks that are visited en masse during warmer months. No matter your preference, you’ve got plenty of choices. From Hawaii to Utah, here are the best national parks to visit this winter.

1. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Photo: Songquan Deng/Shutterstock

Winter brings a lull in the crowds visiting this popular southern Utah park. Running along a high plateau at the top of Grand Staircase, a series of high-desert mesas, Bryce Canyon’s high altitude (8,000 to 9,000 feet) almost guarantees light, dry snow and crisp, clean air. You can slide through the park’s famous red rock hoodoos — the largest concentration on Earth — on cross-country skis or snowshoes. If you don’t have snowshoes of your own, the park offers them for free if you join rangers for a guided hike.

From November to March, the park’s full moon snowshoe hike is an excellent option. Rangers guide you through the deep snow to locations offering the best views of the full moon filling up the dark sky, with the hoodoos looking eerie in the moonlight. A limited number of campgrounds and RV spots within the park are available during winter; you can reserve at the Visitor’s Center.

2. Everglades/Biscayne National Parks, Florida

Photo: Kyle T Perry/Shutterstock

Some consider the Everglades a murky, dangerous wilderness, but it’s actually the largest subtropical rainforest in the United States, not to mention a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance. Winter is a great time to dive into all that Everglades and Biscayne parks have to offer — without the sweltering heat and bugs of summer. Everglades is the third-largest national park in the continental US, and its 2,400 square miles offer everything from kayaking through mangroves and multi-day canoe trips to missile base tours and “slough slogs.”

Wildlife watching is one of the most popular activities here, and you can expect to see manatees, dolphins, crocodiles, alligators, turtles, and herons to name a few. You can camp year-round throughout the park and in the backcountry on the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. Just a few miles to the east of the Everglades sits Biscayne National Park, which is a great spot for water lovers. Its beaches, blue waters, and coral reefs can be explored by foot, boat, and while snorkeling. These are two great winter escapes in one place.

3. Yosemite National Park, California

Photo: f11photo/Shutterstock

Famed naturalist John Muir called this jewel of the national park system “by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter.” First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, hiking, rock climbing, and scenic vistas made famous by photographers such as Ansel Adams. Though winter isn’t the greatest time to scale some of Yosemite’s better-known attractions, Half Dome or El Capitan, it is an ideal time to enjoy the beauty of the park without the other thing it’s known for: crowds.

While some roads close in winter, Glacier Point Road is among those that stay open. Five miles in, it closes to cars at Badger Pass and transforms into the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area. Yosemite Valley also remains open, allowing hikers and snowshoers to experience iconic sights such as Bridalveil Falls, Mirror Lake, and Lower Yosemite Falls. Another popular snowshoeing option is through one of the park’s ancient sequoia groves. Lodging is also much easier to find in and around the park in winter. You’re likely to find comfortable digs in the park’s grand Majestic Yosemite Lodge, or if you’re into roughing it, you can bed down at one of the four campgrounds open year-round.

4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina

Photo: Robert Bohrer/Shutterstock

As rich in history as it is wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains Park is a perfect place to while away short winter days. Thanks to its temperate location, snuggled in the rolling hills shared by Tennessee and North Carolina, the park has year-round wildflowers and rich wildlife-viewing opportunities. You might spot black bears, white-tailed deer, coyotes, groundhogs, wild turkeys, raccoons, or skunks — or you can fish in the rivers, streams, and lakes. Five drive-in horse camps provide access to the 550 miles of hiking trails open to horses. History fans will be awed by the park’s more than 150 historic cemeteries, and a walk amongst the headstones provides special insight into the communities that once called the area home. You can camp year-round with Cades Cove being one of the most popular campgrounds.

5. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Photo: kan_khampanya/Shutterstock

If you like playing in the snow, this is the spot to be in winter. Rocky Mountain National Park spans 415 square miles of spectacular mountain environments — from subalpine to alpine. You can cross-country ski throughout the park, as well as snowshoe. Beginning in January, park rangers host regular snowshoe tours, which are a great way to get familiar with the craggy surroundings. Sledding and ice skating are popular at Hidden Valley, a former ski area. Rocky Mountain National Park is also one of the country’s top wildlife viewing destinations, and that’s the number one rated activity by a majority of the park’s 3,000,000 annual visitors.

The biggest draw is its big mammals, and in winter, you can spot massive herds of elk, bighorn sheep, and mule deer with a few moose sprinkled in. While Moraine Park Campground is open for overnights, a more comfortable option may be heading into one of the nearby towns of Estes Park or Grand Lake for a warm bed and a famous Colorado microbrew in front of a roaring fire.

6. Big Bend National Park, Texas

Photo: randy andy/Shutterstock

One of the largest national parks in the continental US, Big Bend is also one of the most remote. The closest large city, El Paso, is a 5.5-hour drive, meaning that crowds in the park aren’t much of a problem. What can be an issue, though, is the heat, which is why visiting Big Bend in winter is ideal. Temperatures in December average 70 degrees during the day and 50 degrees at night. It’s dream camping weather, and though the park has more than 200 campsites to choose from, choice locations can fill up quickly.

Big Bend has more types of birds, bats and cacti than any other national park, and there are countless hiking options to enjoy them within its 801,163 acres. Winter is also a good time to float down the Rio Grande by canoe, which can be done independently or with a professional guide service. If you’ve got a passport on hand, a $5 row boat ride ferries folks across the river to the Mexican town of Boquillas. It’s a prime place to spend a winter’s day eating hot enchiladas, drinking a cold margarita, and maybe taking a warming dip in the town’s funky hot springs.

7. Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii

Photo: Vlue/Shutterstock

For those heading to the islands, a visit to Maui’s Haleakala National Park is worth the effort to get there. Meaning “house of the sun” in Hawaiian, Haleakala is actually a huge domed volcano that covers three-quarters of the island. Visiting this national park is among the most popular things to do to on Maui, especially in time to watch the sunrise from atop the volcano. Mark Twain described sunrise from atop Haleakala as “the most sublime spectacle I have ever witnessed.” Apparently, many agree. If you want to jostle with the crowds for the perfect photo of the dawning of a new day, book with a local tour company or be prepared to obtain a permit in advance as parking space at 10,023 feet is limited.

Another option is to head up the mountain to experience a famed Hawaiian sunset. Permits are not needed, and it allows for a day of exploring the park’s other beautiful sights, from otherworldly deserts of rock to lush Hawaiian rainforest. You’ll spot nenes here, Hawaii’s state bird and an endangered species. Haleakala National Park actually protects more endangered species than any other park in the National Park Service. You can camp or stay in cabins in the park and, for complete immersion, it’s a great thing to do in the winter.

8. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Photo: Doug Meek/Shutterstock

Actor Will Rogers once called Carlsbad Caverns “the Grand Canyon with a roof over it.” It’s an apt descriptor, and the park attracts nearly 500,000 people a year — most of them in the summer. Winter is the perfect time to skirt the crowds and quietly appreciate the beauty of this unusual spot. Over 119 caves are hidden beneath the Chihuahuan Desert, all formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the limestone remnants of an ancient fossil reef.

If you arrive just as the park opens, you may find yourself the only one meandering down the 1.25-mile, 750-foot-deep Natural Entrance Trail into the mouth of the caverns. Inside, the Big Room is an alien-looking limestone chamber almost 4,000-feet long, 625-feet wide, and 255-feet high — the fifth-largest chamber in North America. Above ground, the desert is alive with flowering cacti, wildlife, and rocky canyons prime for hiking. You can’t camp at Carlsbad Caverns, but if you’re adventurous, you can boondock on neighboring Bureau of Land Management land. For more comfort, the town of Carlsbad has plenty of hotels, and year-round camping is available at “sister park” Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which is 40 minutes away in scenic west Texas.

9. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Photo: noppawan leecharoenphong/Shutterstock

Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been called the “Calistoga of the South,” and it’s easy to understand why: The entire north end of the city is a national park built around hot springs. For years, people have been flocking to this town to take advantage of the much-touted health benefits of its bubbling thermal mineral waters. Winter is an ideal time to soak in the warmth. Hot Springs National Park’s visitor center is located in the historic, stained-glass-and-marble Fordyce Bathhouse, which sits on the city’s Bathhouse Row. Visitors can opt for a hot soak in a traditional bath at the Buckstaff Bathhouse, which has been in business since 1912 or opt for a more modern spa experience at Quapaw Baths and Spa.

After you get thoroughly pruned, walk around the city to check out the stylish Art Deco buildings. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, miles of trails run through the park. The longest and most popular path is the Sunset Trail, which covers more than 10 miles and crosses the varied terrain of the Ouachita Mountains. Since Hot Springs National Park is located in an actual city, you’ll find plenty of places to rest your heads. If you want to sleep under the stars, Gulpha Gorge Campground is open year-round.

More like this: 15 US state parks that are just as epic as national parks

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Corn and Q’eqchi life in Guatemala

A few years ago I visited Ted, a friend of mine who was living in Guatemala as a member of the Peace Corps. He lived among an indigenous community of Mayans called the Q’eqchi in the isolated village of Saint Laguna Lachua. Because of its remoteness, the villagers see very few foreign visitors. I was interested in experiencing how they live on a daily basis, and after some time, I was struck by how much importance corn had not only in their lives but also their history and culture.

Corn tortillas are a staple of each meal: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The women take the corn, grind it up, and create tortillas almost around the clock. It seemed to me that after each meal, they were already on their way to go grind up corn for the next meal.

To the Q’eqchi, corn is also the central force in their creation story. This short documentary is an exploration of corn and its place with this community, and it is also a record of the unique language that the Q’eqchi speak — a language unlike any I’ve heard before in my extensive travels.

Special thank you to Ted “B’ex” Joseph for his help with the translations and to the Q’eqchi community who welcomed us and shared their lives.

More like this: How Goslings Rum defines Bermudian culture

The post How corn shapes every aspect of Q’eqchi life in Guatemala appeared first on Matador Network.

Most underrated NYE destinations

Poor New Year’s Eve. While people will climb all over each other to proclaim their love for Christmas or Halloween, mention NYE and most people respond with a drawn-out tirade about “crowds” and “amateur hour,” ending with “I’m probably just going to stay home.”

But they never do.

Because New Year’s Eve, if done right, is a lot of fun. And every year we try and find a way to make it more enjoyable. So now that we’ve all admitted we’re doing something for NYE, perhaps it’s time to find a destination that will bring a good party without any of the price gouging and stumbling idiots we find at home. A place where we can experience this global celebration with another culture — or at least with a drag queen getting lowered from the side of a building instead of a crystal ball. From the tundras of Alaska to the desert palms of Aruba, here are seven places with phenomenal NYE parties you’ve probably never thought to visit.

1. Aruba

Photo: littlenySTOCK/Shutterstock

Watching the last sunset of 2018 over pristine Eagle Beach is a helluva way to end the year. And while most of the Caribbean is a good bet for NYE, desert-covered Aruba guarantees your party won’t be rained out. The grand tradition on the One Happy Island is lighting off pagara, little firecrackers you’ll see bursting all over the streets of Oranjestad. Their smoke is said to ward off bad vibes, or fuku, for the upcoming year. There’ll be a whole line of them going off along the entrance to the Hilton Aruba, which in addition to throwing a huge New Year’s Eve celebration also hosts the biggest fireworks show on the island at the beach in front.

2. Madeira, Portugal

Photo: SJ Travel Photo and Video/Shutterstock

When planning island escapes for New Year’s Eve, Portugal isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind. Nor is this little archipelago off the coast of Africa a top destination for NYE Eurotrips. But it should be. The islands are a renowned wine region, so the parties here are endless flowing bacchanals of diverse, local wines. Residents flood the streets for all-night parties that go until well after the midnight fireworks over the Atlantic have dissipated. And oftentimes that celebration flows over onto the beach, where you can dance in the sand until sunrise.

3. Bratislava, Slovakia

Photo: RastoS/Shutterstock

Not only is New Year’s revelry in Bratislava hands-down the best in Eastern Europe, but the city is also one of the cheapest capitals on the continent. Meaning once you arrive, your night will probably cost less than it would back home. And it’ll definitely be a better party. Bratislava strikes a stark contrast to stuffy neighbor Vienna; instead of confining the best parties to high-society balls, it closes the streets of the city center and turns it into a giant pedestrian party. You’ll spend the day sipping inexpensive beers and watching live concerts on the Main Square and Hviezdoslavovo Square, the music blending with the traditional rehtacka noisemakers used to chase away the previous years’ bad juju. As the day rolls on, the crowds fill in, and it all culminates with midnight fireworks over the Danube.

4. Niagara Falls, Ontario

Photo: Scott Heaney/Shutterstock

“But Ontario is COLD in December!” Well, l that never stops a gazillion people from packing Times Square to watch a ball drop, so frigid temps are never an excuse to miss a great New Year’s Eve party. The Canadian side of the falls hosts the biggest NYE in Canada, a daylong celebration along Clifton Hill that ends with an all-Canadian concert at Queen Victoria Park. As the sun goes down and evening approaches, you’ll see two fireworks shows, plus an impressive light show against the thundering water of the falls. Then you can finish the night sitting out on the patio at Niagara Brewing, watching the madness in the streets below.

5. Anchorage, Alaska

Photo: Mt.8180/Shutterstock

If you’re looking for a New Year’s ski excursion, Anchorage is a less crowded alternative that boasts one of the coolest NYE events in America. This Alaskan city has emerged as one of the hottest ski destinations on the continent, and the slopes at Girdwood 2018’s final night will bring a torchlight ski parade where skiers and snowboarders will careen down the mountain with flaming red torches in hand. The sight at the Alyeska resort is one of the more surreal New Year’s images in the world, leading up to midnight fireworks and the best late-night après ski you’ll ever attend. Plus, there’s always the chance you may see the Aurora Borealis this far up north. In the city, you’ll find a big party in Town Square Park where fireworks go off at 8:00 PM to honor the hour when 2019 first reaches America. Also because when it gets dark at 3:50 in the afternoon, staying up until midnight is tough.

6. Key West, Florida

Photo: Daniel Korzeniewski/Shutterstock

Though Miami might have Pitbull dropping a giant orange on national TV, the Sunshine State’s best New Year’s party is still in quirky, funky Key West. It’s fully recovered from 2017’s storms, and as an average weeknight here is better than NYE in a lot of places, it’s the perfect place to go for an uninhibited end-of-the-year celebration. You’ll find the traditional collection of street performers, artists, and musicians playing at Mallory Square. But the most unique tradition in the Conch Republic is at the Bourbon Street Pub where instead of dropping a ball they drop a drag queen named Sushi, who descends from the side of the building in red high heels as the countdown commences. It’s an only-in-Key-West sight that’s exponentially more enjoyable than anything on the mainland.

7. San Juan, Puerto Rico

Photo: ESB Professional/Shutterstock

Perhaps the greatest thing about traveling to Puerto Rico for Americans is the ability to immerse oneself in another culture without actually leaving the United States. Never is this more apparent than when you spend New Year’s in San Juan, where the streets of the old city turn into a blocks-long salsa and meringue party as the bars set up on the street and dancing on the cobblestone continues well past midnight. San Juan also has prices like you’d expect to find in other countries with big, fancy parties like the one at the Caribe Hilton are under $100 a ticket. But attending isn’t necessary to make the most of New Year’s here. Just stroll along the waterfront and catch the fireworks over the Caribbean, reflecting off the walls of the historic forts behind you.


More like this: Take this flight and ring in 2019 twice on two continents

The post 7 underrated destinations with epic New Year’s Eve parties appeared first on Matador Network.

Amsterdam's beer and shot tradition

The beer and a shot, also known as a boilermaker, is a classic dive bar order in bars around the US. It’s straight and to the point: one part beer (usually cheap lager) and one part spirit (usually whiskey, but the options are endless). It’s such a natural combination that it’d be hard to say someone “invented” it. It’s more than likely the combo just came about naturally — but there’s a good chance it came about first in the Netherlands.

The bar De Drie Fleschjes (“The Three Little Bottles”) opened in what is now the middle of Amsterdam’s Red Light District in 1650. Times have changed, and so has the surrounding area, but the inside feels ancient with sawdust on the wood floors and barrels of liquor lining the wall opposite the thick wood bar. The drinks passed over that bar are pretty similar to what has always been served: one beer alongside a tulip glass of genever, the signature Dutch spirit. That specific order is why people have been going to De Drie Fleschjes for centuries, and it’s why I was at the bar before lunch on a recent September day.

I’ve had plenty of experiences with boilermakers in the States (though usually not before lunch). It’s my easy, go-to order when a place has questionable draft lines but cheap bottles of both beer and whiskey. But this was my first experience with what the Dutch call it a kopstoot, or “headbutt.” The name is like an instruction manual for how to drink it. First, one must get in a position close (but not too close) to the tulip glass on the table. Genever is filled to the top, so much so that the meniscus rises ever so slightly above the lip of the glass. It’s impossible to move without spilling, so you move your body instead. Then, you put your hands behind your back, bend at the waist, and slurp a healthy bit of genever. Once that’s done, you can use your hands to sip back and forth between the beer and the liquor as you please.

The ingredient that makes a kopstoot a kopstoot.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Aside from the theater of drinking, what sets the kopstoot apart from every other beer and a shot is the spirit. Genever (sometimes spelled jenever) is somewhere between a gin and a whiskey. In fact, it’s the precursor to the modern London Dry Gin of today. Genever uses a whiskey-esque base spirit made from grains like barley, rye, wheat, and corn. Juniper and other botanicals are added for flavor. If you think of gin as botanical-flavored vodka, genever is like a botanical-flavored light whiskey. Unlike gin or whiskey, though, genever is traditionally between 30 and 35 percent ABV so that it can be drunk straight.

Genever dates back to the 1500s when it was made as a medicinal product. Alcohol was a cure-all liquid back in the day, kind of like aspirin, Nyquil, morphine, Pepto, and Viagra all mixed into one. Then in 1606, the Dutch instituted the first tax on genever, signifying its transition from medicine to recreational beverage. De Drie Fleschjes popped up not long after. Who knows when the kopstoot came about, but it probably happened the first time a drinker saw that they could order a beer and a shot at the same time.

There’s an easy argument to be made here that the kopstoot is the mother of all beer-and-a-shot-drinking traditions. Of course, proving the “oldest” of anything involving alcohol and centuries of alcohol-fueled stories is a drunken fool’s task. But the kopstoot is deeply ingrained in Dutch culture and has been around longer than anyone can remember. It’s also been drunk the same way.

“Do you know why it’s filled to the very top?” Piet van Leijenhorst, the master distiller at BOLS, asks me as he signals for the bartender to line up another kopstoot. “Because we want to make sure we get what we paid for,” he says, ending his sentence with a chuckle and a motion to join him back at the bar.

I haven’t seen any evidence of Dutch frugality other than bar patrons demanding healthy pours of genever, but if this is what being cheap looks like, then I wouldn’t mind some cheapness at American bars.

An Amsterdam tradition modernized.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Modern kopstoot-ers are keeping one foot in line with tradition and one moving forward with drinking trends. Heineken, which is based in Amsterdam, and other regional light lagers are the most common beer back options. Amsterdam’s craft beer scene is quickly growing, however, and where there’s beer, there’s a tulip glass of genever to pair it with. Breweries like Brouwerij ’t IJ, Oedipus Brewing, and Brouwerij Troost are making every style of beer imaginable — even ones like the hop-forward New England IPA. De Drie Fleschjes and other bars around the city are pairing the beer styles with the different genever styles from distilleries like BOLS, Rutte, Notaris, and Hooghoudt.

It’s also more common to appreciate what’s in your glass these days, so people are sipping, not shooting, their drinks.

“I like the kopstoot, but I don’t like to do it in one go,” Myriam Hendrickx, the master distiller at Rutte, says. “Call it a sipping kopstoot.”

Whatever you choose to call it, make sure you partake in the tradition without headbutting anything off the table.

Where to drink a kopstoot:

Photo: Wynand Fockink/Facebook

Every respectable bar in Amsterdam will serve you a kopstoot. While other vices get more attention in the city, Amsterdam is indeed a drinking town. That said, some places are better than others.

De Drie Fleschjes: About as old school as you will find in Amsterdam, the bar has a wide range of genever options and plenty of beer options to match. There’s also a vibe here you just can’t get anywhere else, making it an ideal spot to stop by for a quick drink before going about your day in the Red Light District.

Proeflokaal A. van Wees: The small bar was once a distillery and still sources genever made in Amsterdam. There are more than 17 authentic genevers to choose from alongside traditional beer pairings.

Wynand Fockink Proeflokaal: A genever tasting room and liquor store located in a tight alley near the Dam square, this bar started as a distillery in 1679 with a tasting room. It now has loads of different genevers to taste (including its own brand) in a range of styles.


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Where to see Bengal tigers

One of the most majestic sights you could ever hope to see in nature is a big jungle cat. Bengal tigers, a subspecies of tiger found primarily in India (but also some other parts of Asia), are one of the most sought-after animals to spot in the wild, likely due to their striking black-and-orange striped coat and their sense of sleek, coiled power.

Unfortunately, animal lovers and ethical adventurers are not the only ones who have had an interest in this breed of tiger. Hunting the Bengal tiger was a favored pastime of India’s elite — and when the British introduced guns to the sport in the late 1800s, the species went from eight tiger subspecies to the five that exist now. With poaching and an accelerated loss of habitat due to human population growth, the Bengal tiger is now an endangered species. Today, according to the WWF, the total population of wild Bengal tigers has fallen from hundreds of thousands to around 2,500.

Fortunately, if seeing a wild Bengal tiger is at the top of your bucket list, there are ways to do it in an ethical manner that help support tiger populations rather than impose further stress upon them. Before you go, do your research to find out what environmental challenges the area faces, as well as how the tour in question helps to benefit the natural surroundings, the local population, and the tigers themselves. Here are seven epic places to see Bengal tigers in the wild.

1. Sundarban National Park — West Bengal, India

Photo: oTTo-supertramp/Shutterstock

At the Sundarban Tiger Reserve at Sundarban National Park, one of the largest tiger populations in the world lives free to roam over 540 square miles of remote land. An estimated 350 tigers, as well as other endangered animals, reside in this massive mangrove forest — which is threatened itself — that straddles the border between India and Bangladesh. One of the unique draws of tiger-spotting at Sundarban National Park is the ability to take a river safari for the chance to spot swimming tigers.

2. Chitwan National Park — Chitwan, Terai, Nepal

As of a 2013 census, southern Nepal’s Chitwan National Park is home to 120 tigers, and Nepal is committed to doubling its tiger population to more than 250 tigers by 2022. The park recently celebrated consecutive years of zero poaching incidents. It takes about a half-day to travel from Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park, where you can take a Jeep safari tour or elephant tour at dusk in hopes of spotting tigers, leopards, sloth bears, one-horned rhinoceroses, and gharial crocodiles.

3. Bandhavgarh National Park — Madhya Pradesh, India

Photo: Yvdalmia/Shutterstock

Central India’s Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the most popular places to seek out Bengal tigers, as sightings are relatively frequent due to a more dense population of tigers. Safari excursions run twice daily from a resort located inside the park, and the 50 tigers that call Bandhavgarh National Park home roam along with leopards and other large jungle cats, including the rare white tiger.

4. Ranthambore National Park — Rajasthan, India

Ranthambore National Park was once home to the hunting grounds of the maharajas of Jaipur, but in 1973, it was one of the original parks involved in the Project Tiger conservation program, and today supports tiger conservation efforts. The low undergrowth of this woodland park makes it easier to spot wildlife. Plus, visitors can see temples and Mughal ruins while on their guided safaris.

5. Kanha National Park — Madhya Pradesh, India

Photo: Joe McDonald/Shutterstock

Kanha National Park offers vast grasslands and forests for tigers and other exotic animals to roam, including sloth bears, leopards, striped hyenas, jackals, and monkeys. Home to around 45 Bengal tigers, sightings are less common here than in other parts of India, but the park is said to have inspired Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, so you’re sure to enjoy the experience no matter how many tigers you do (or don’t) spot. It’s recommended that you spend at least a few days here to increase your chances.

6. Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park — Bhutan

Tiger safaris and tours are new to Bhutan, and the chances of seeing a tiger are still quite low, but the forests of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park are home to untouched wildlife — think golden langurs, musk deer, clouded leopards, red pandas, and a variety of birds — as well as the elusive Bengal tiger, so there is a chance to spot tigers in this off-the-beaten-path location.

7. Corbett Tiger Reserve at Jim Corbett National Park — Uttarakhand, India

Photo: Anuradha Marwah/Shutterstock

Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Corbett Tiger Reserve is India’s oldest national park and is home to 215 Bengal tigers as well as leopards, elephants, and 650 species of birds. Thick foliage makes tigers harder to spot here, and parts of the region are closed off to visitors — dedicated entirely to conservation instead — but the park remains a major destination for ecotourism due to its abundant flora and fauna.

Lastly, don’t discount zoos as an epic place to see Bengal tigers (albeit not in the wild). Some zoos have excellent conservation programs in place to help protect and preserve the natural habitats of tigers in the wild. If you can’t squeeze an ethical tiger trek into your next trip, do your research and find out if there are any tiger programs at zoos near you.


More like this: The world’s 7 big cats and where to see them in the wild

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See northern lights from a jet

Witnessing the northern lights is not as easy as heading north — the season has to be right, the weather has to be appropriate, you need to be awake and at the right spot, etc. So, to remove the uncertainty of seeing the aurora borealis, Consulta Meta has organized the Aurora 360 Experience, a trip in the Yukon in northern Canada that includes a private flight into and around the “Aurora Oval” — a territory where the lights are strongly visible — on a chartered 737 jet.

Running from February 7th to 11th, 2019, the Aurora 360 Experience is a five-day trip. It will offer the exceptional northern lights flight, as well as a range of activities on the ground, including traditional Yukon dinners, cultural activities, entry to Takhini Hot Springs, and a guided tour of the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. There will also be a variety of guest speakers, including astronomer Dr. Phil Plait, William Murtagh (assistant director of the Space Weather, Energy, and Environment Division at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy), and Pierre Paquette (Astronomy Ambassador of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada).

Space aboard the flight is limited, with only 80 seats available. The flight underwent a test run last year, with passengers able to see the lights just nine minutes following takeoff, as well as for three straight hours afterward. If the stunning lights aren’t a big enough incentive, you’ll also be provided with complimentary gin from the local Yukon Brewing company.

As can be expected, tickets for the flight aren’t cheap. The flight alone costs $796, while the entire experience — including all the cultural and culinary activities, and four nights’ lodging in Whitehorse — costs $2,239. To book your spot, reach out via the official website.

H/T: Lonely Planet

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New Delta A220s to have big upgrades

Window seats are highly coveted, and if you’re stuck with a view of the aisle carpet or the dreaded middle seat, a view of the sky is always welcome. Soon, all Delta passengers will have the chance to sit by the window, at least for a few minutes, as its new aircrafts will feature windows in each of its three bathrooms. The Delta A220-100 will be the first-ever commercial plane to include bathroom windows, and the windows are just the start of this plane’s unique upgrades. Although some airlines are scaling back entertainment options, recognizing that passengers often bring their laptops or iPads, Delta is installing seatback screens on all of its A220s, as well as 2Ku Wi-Fi — the latest Wi-Fi technology.

And the upgrades aren’t all technology based, either. Economy passengers will also be able to enjoy seats widened to 18.6 inches — the widest on any narrowbody aircraft — roomier overhead bins, larger windows, and atmospheric LED lighting throughout the plane. If you’re flying first class, you’ll have the luxury of extra-large seatback screens; Comfort Plus passengers will also have more legroom and dedicated overhead bin space.

The planes are expected to be 20 percent more fuel efficient than many other aircrafts of similar size. It’s part of Delta’s broader goal of modernizing its fleet, making all of its aircrafts more fuel efficient, and eventually replacing 20 percent of its older aircrafts by 2020. Delta is the first airline to operate the A220-100s, and the maiden flights will depart on January 31st, from New York City to Boston and Dallas. According to Delta, additional routes will be added shortly thereafter.

H/T: AFAR

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Official motto of every US state

Attempting to characterize an entire state by its motto alone would be unfair, but state mottos do provide an interesting glimpse into a state’s history and the priorities of its people. If there was ever any doubt that the United States is a nation defined by diversity, a quick glance at each state’s motto will put it to bed.

Photo: SavingSpot/Reddit

This map, created by SavingSpot and posted on Reddit by user ivyplant, lists all of the states’ mottos. It’s immediately obvious how certain areas of the country seem to share certain values. New England’s mottos hark back to the country’s founding, with liberty-driven sentiments like “Live Free or Die,” “Freedom & Unity,” and “Virtue, Liberty, and Independence.” In the South and Midwest, the emphasis seems to be more on personal values and faith. Texas’ “Friendship,” Florida’s “In God We Trust,” Oklahoma’s “Work Conquers All,” Colorado’s “Nothing Without the Deity,” and South Dakota’s “Under God, the People Rule,” really drive home the importance of religion and hard work.

Other interesting and fitting mottos include Montana’s “Gold and Silver” — a reference to its Gold Rush past — Alaska’s “North to the Future,” and Michigan’s rather literal “If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You.”

H/T: Reddit

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PDA rules around the world

Everyone remembers the first bloom of love when you just can’t keep your hands off each other. But world travelers can get into some serious trouble by smooching their honeys, depending on location. In some countries, like Italy, France, or Spain it’s not uncommon to see lovers seemingly welded to each other while leaning against bridges in broad daylight and nobody batting an eye. But I once walked down the street holding hands with my boyfriend and leaned over to give him a peck on the lips when we were in Tangiers, Morocco, and a guy opened his window overhead and yelled at us to get a room. More seriously, engaging in public displays of affection in some countries can lead to physical harassment or even criminal penalties. Navigating the potentially dangerous waters of PDA can be difficult, so here’s a handy guide to follow if you can’t keep your hands off your partner.

In India, PDA is a criminal offense.

According to the Indian Penal Code, “public displays of affection” are a punishable offense, and transgressors can receive up to three months in prison or a large fine. That said, Indian residents say that corrupt police departments use the vague wording of the law to harass citizens who aren’t actually doing anything wrong, and activists are staging “kiss-ins” to protest what they see as an overly strict and easily misused law. Young Indians are still conflicted about sexuality in general: 61 percent of Indians under 25 said they believed premarital sex was no big deal, but 63 percent believed their future spouse should be a virgin. With the recent landmark decision by India’s Supreme Court to legalize gay sex, however, it seems likely that the culture will get more permissive rather than less, so the future seems bright for anyone who wants to kiss their sweetie and not get arrested.

More than 84 diverse cultures think kissing is icky.

We tend to assume that kissing is a universal display of affection, but, according to a 2015 study from the University of Nevada’s anthropology department, nearly half of 168 different cultures don’t do it. Many smaller and more pastoral societies tend to shy away from romantic kissing entirely; for example, the Mehinaku of Brazil told the researchers that kissing was “gross” because it seemed like “sharing their dinner.” Many Native American tribes did not adopt kissing until they had contact with Europeans. Platonic kissing is common in many cultures, though, with parents kissing children or adults trading closed-lip kisses much like handshakes, to establish social hierarchy. Similarly, it’s becoming more common in Western societies for friends of any gender to kiss each other on the cheeks without any sexual intent.

Holding hands is expected in Arab countries — but only between friends.

While Arabic cultures vary wildly based on country, in general, it is common for good friends of the same gender to hold hands, especially men. It’s a sign of strength and solidarity — President Bush made confused headlines when he and Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia held hands at a meeting in 2005, but to Arabs, it demonstrated the strength of the bond between the two countries. However, touching someone of the same gender that you don’t know can be subject to severe penalties, even if it happens by accident. Touching, or sometimes even speaking to, someone of the opposite gender in public can be punished with stiff fines or deportation.

Dubai prides itself on being open, tolerant, and even welcoming of LGBTQ guests, but, according to The New York Times, foreigners have received jail time, been deported from the country, or faced torture designed to elicit a “confession” for offenses as mild as visiting the country with their partner while pregnant, making an “obscene” hand gesture at a driver, or even Tweeting rudely. The basic guideline for travel in the Middle East is to keep PDA at a strict minimum and be aware that, just because you see others engaging in behaviors, doesn’t mean they’re legal. Strictly speaking, gay sex is punishable by death in the UAE, even though there are popular gay clubs and sex shops everywhere in the red light district. To avoid potentially serious consequences, it is, unfortunately, best to keep your hands to yourself unless you’re the best of pals, and your gender presentation matches.

Europe can seem liberal, but keep the kissing out of the countryside.

In North America, Europe may seem sexually permissive with kissing seen as just a regular part of everyday life and explicit sexual education in schools. For example, super liberal Copenhagen in Denmark or gay mecca Sitges in Spain are relaxing and welcoming destinations for LGBTQ travelers, who can walk the streets and kiss their partners without locals blinking. But even with these relaxed attitudes, PDA in most Western European countries mostly happens in big cities and not in smaller or more rural areas, so keep the kissing and touching at a minimum when in the sticks or in doubt.

PDA isn’t illegal in Japan, just gross.

Kissing, hugging, and hand-holding aren’t technically forbidden in Japan, they’re just deeply frowned upon. Japanese culture prizes emotional reservation, and anyone engaging in icha-icha (a blanket term meaning anything from a kiss on the cheek to heavy petting) is likely to shock those around them. For a country that has sex toy stores and love hotels on what seems like every corner, this can seem bizarre to visiting guests, but there are also some unspoken rules about when canoodling in public is more acceptable. For example, when you’re drunk, a certain amount of sucking face is expected, while others get up to more shenanigans if they’re dating a foreigner, since foreigners aren’t expected to understand the nuances of Japanese culture. Same-sex couples who might be worried about traveling to Japan can rest easy — you’re more likely to get frowns for kissing than you are to get frowns for being gay. All couples should keep public makeouts to a minimum, and it should be smooth sailing.

In Russia, avoid the PDA if you’re in a same-sex relationship.

Russia got a lot of negative attention recently for almost banning same-sex hand-holding in public spaces, while gay World Cup attendees were warned against showing their love on camera and on the streets. Activities “promoting” same-sex relationships among minors, such as pride festivals, LGBTQ-specific events, or even wearing a rainbow patch on your clothing, are illegal according to 2013 legislation. Neo-Nazi group Occupy Pedofilyay lures gay boys to remote locations using targeted online personals ads, and then beats them and posts the videos of the attacks online. Gay culture in Russia is being driven underground, and the consequences of engaging in PDA can be both deeply politicized and somewhat dire, depending on where you are. Visitors should avoid gay dating apps in Russia for their own safety, even in larger cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, which have vibrant, if hidden, gay communities. Straight (or straight-appearing) couples can kiss with impunity wherever they feel like it, however.


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