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DIY African safari on a budget tips

We’re big believers in stepping away from pre-packaged travel experiences and getting elbow deep in assembling your own. The research and autonomy needed to pull off a do-it-yourself adventure in Africa can make it a richer experience — for a cheaper price tag. Here are some helpful tips for shaving some dollars off your African safari, which will also land you an adventure that is truly unique.

Explore one country in depth.

Photo: rm/Shutterstock

When traveling to a part of the world you rarely visit or might not get the chance to visit again, it’s understandable to want to do it all. Plus, with European tour packages offering seven countries in 15 days, who could blame you for wanting to get the same out of your African adventure?

Here’s the thing, though: Africa is enormous. You could fit the continental US, China, and India into the African landmass and still have room for most of Europe.

While a full African tour is possible, it’ll cost you. Going big with a transcontinental adventure isn’t the cheapest way to experience the wild pockets of Africa. If you want to travel on a budget, hone in on one particular country and dive deep into what it has to offer.

Did you grow up wishing you could sit quietly in the luscious green of a rainforest watching chimps like Jane Goodall? Then choose Tanzania or Uganda. If you want to experience rolling woodlands and the Big Five (African lion, elephant, leopard, black rhinoceros, and cape buffalo), think Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, or Zambia. Want to see more stars in the night sky than you could have ever imagined possible, and maybe even catch a glimpse of the elusive oryx? Visit the dunes and deserts of Namibia.

The wonderful thing is that within a single country there can be multiple ecosystems and biomes to explore. Figure out what it is you’d like to see and experience, then put in some research and find out which destination best suits your goals. South Africa alone can give you snow-capped mountains, fynbos, rainforest, desert, Highveld savannas, and the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

Visit during the off season.

Photo: Henk Bogaard/Shutterstock

Most places in Africa don’t experience the four seasons that people in North America and Europe are used to. Generally speaking, there’s a dry season (roughly April to October) and a wet season (roughly November to March). Temperatures are cooler in the dry season and hotter in the wet season. The farther away from the equator, though, the more pronounced the temperature changes. Near the southern point of South Africa, Cape Town has warm summers and cool winters at opposite times to the northern hemisphere.

The dry season tends to be the best time to visit national parks. The cooler temperatures lend themselves to sitting in a vehicle and watching game animals all day. Also, it’s much easier to see wildlife in the dry season because there’s less foliage, and the scarce watering holes attract large numbers of different animals.

The big disadvantage of the dry season is that it’s more expensive. If you want to save money, go in the off season. The bush will be full and green, and you’ll see more birdlife and young wildlife yet fewer cars on the road. Besides, the best time to see wildlife is at dawn and dusk when things are cooler anyway.

You might just need a little more patience while staking out a watering hole. You should also be prepared to ask about accessibility in the rainy season, as some roads take a beating from erosion. On the plus side, you’ll probably get to experience mighty thunderstorms.

Rough it.

Photo: Fabio Lamanna/Shutterstock

If any of us got offered the opportunity to stay at the five-star Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Spa in South Africa’s Cederberg mountains, we’d jump at it. (Brangelina stayed there back in the day.) But let’s get real for a second. Anywhere that’s so fancy it doesn’t display its prices on the website is not going to be a budget option.

Besides, while the lap of luxury is lovely from time to time, there’s nothing quite like roughing it to give you an unfiltered wilderness experience. You can save a lot of money when arranging your accommodation by side-stepping safari lodges and opting for a no-frills campsite to pitch your tent in. If you’re not ready to rough it completely, you could also choose rest camps, which usually offer small huts or chalets, raised semi-permanent tents, or A-frames.

If you do choose to camp, keep in mind that you will be in a minimally curated environment. Depending on where you stay, there may be no safety nets whatsoever. Monkeys will try to steal your breakfast, so pack, store, and prepare your food with this in mind. Elephants will smell your oranges from miles away and do anything to get them, which is why you should never take fresh fruit to a national park. Hyenas will lurk just beyond the glow of your campsite fire and its sizzling meat, which will most definitely get your adrenaline going.

It’s important to understand that wild spaces are dangerous. You have a responsibility to be informed, but this should not put you off from roughing it. You’d be robbing yourself of the experience of falling asleep with nothing but the canvas of your tent between you and the sounds of the African wilderness at night — sounds which are deeply embedded in our collective DNA.

All you need is some good horse sense and to keep in mind some key points, including these:

If you’re in the wild, you’re part of the food chain. Get informed before you set up camp.
No matter how cute the animal, do not even consider touching or feeding it unless a professional has told you it’s safe to do so.
When in a national park or wild area, your mere presence is invasive. Be humble enough to admit that you might not know best. Be considerate. Speak softly. Don’t take or leave anything. Maybe put your camera down and just watch in silence for a while.

Choose a lesser-known national park.

Photo: Great Stock/Shutterstock

The Maasai Mara National Reserve and Kruger National Park are household names. They’re famous for a reason, but with celebrity comes higher prices. You can have cheaper, and often wilder, experiences in lesser-known national parks.

This just takes a little bit of research. Leave Kruger’s tarred roads behind in favor of the red-dirt roads of Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, which is about six and a half hours away by car. It’s the oldest nature reserve in Africa and has the largest population of white rhino in the world.

We’ve rarely come across a wilder place than Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. There’s very little infrastructure. There are no fences. It’s pure, untamed wilderness. This does mean, however, that you’re unlikely to get rescued if you get your 4×4 stuck in the mud. (As noted above, researching road quality in the off season is critical.) Then again, it doesn’t get much more DIY than getting ankle deep in mud and losing your shoes as you try to free the wheels of your truck!

Which brings us to our next point…

Drive yourself.

Photo: JaySi/Shutterstock

Many national parks have decent enough roads for you to explore without the need for a 4×4. If you’re traveling in a small group, splitting the rent and fuel for a decent sedan or hatchback would be cheaper than a choosing a guided safari. You’d also be a lot freer to plot your course across the country you’ve chosen to explore.

Driving yourself and camping rather than staying in a lodge are the two most significant ways you can add depth to your DIY safari. Both options require you to research, observe, and be humble. You will most likely be out of your comfort zone and realm of expertise. Use the opportunity to expand your knowledge and empower yourself.

Without the help of a guide, it will be up to you to research how to identify animals by their markings, spoor, and droppings; how to interpret their behavior; and how to behave safely and respectfully around them. There are all sorts of books and apps available to help you along the way, such as Sasol eBirds, which covers over 950 species with over 2,800 photographs and has audible calls for over 630 species.

If you haven’t had much off-road experience, research the dos and don’ts of driving in sandy, muddy, and/or wet conditions. Learn what to look for under the hood of your car and how to change a tire. You’ll have to rely on yourself, so be prepared. After you’ve seen just one animal in the wild, you’ll know the extra effort was worth it.


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The post How to plan a do-it-yourself African safari on a budget appeared first on Matador Network.

Jay-Z and Beyonce-themed Louvre tour

It might not be the tour of choice for art purists, but this 90-minute Beyonce and Jay-Z tour is the Louvre’s newest attraction. The museum was the site of the music video for Apes**t, the couple’s successful new song, and the tours (only available in French) will highlight 17 pieces of art featured in the video. These include Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s Portrait d’une négresse (1800), Jacques Louis David’s The Coronation of Napoleon (1806-07), and Théodore Géricault’s The Charging Chasseur (1812) and The Raft of the Medusa (1818–1819). The tours are self-guided and explain each piece’s significance.

This isn’t the first time the Louvre has used pop stars to attract visitors. Curators at the museum put together an audio guide for the Mona Lisa by using parts of will.i.am’s song, “Mona Lisa Smile”.

If for some reason you’re visiting the Louvre and not looking for a hip-hop themed tour, you can check out the other thousands of amazing pieces of art that the museum houses. After all, the Louvre was extremely successful even before the Carters showed up.

H/T: Lonely Planet

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The post The Louvre is running a Jay-Z and Beyonce-themed tour appeared first on Matador Network.

Taxi service accepts payment in song

If you felt bad for Uber drivers dealing with drunk college kids at 3:00 AM, imagine constantly driving cars full of people absolutely butchering your favorite songs. That’s what drivers at Fortum Singalong Shuttle, a new service in Finland, are signing up for. The Fortum shuttle is a ride service that only accepts singing as payment. Fortum, a clean-energy company that’s converting a series of BMW electric cars into emission-free taxis, is trying to promote a cleaner world with its karaoke-powered taxis.

The eco-friendly rides will be introduced at the Ruisrock festival in Turku from July 6 to July 8, where riders can use the cars without spending a dime. All they have to do is choose a song from a tablet and sing. If they stop singing, however, the ride stops too. Fortum’s brand manager Jussi Mälkiä said that with this new service, the company “want[s] to show people in a joyful way how comfortable and easy it is to drive an electric car… the silent electric cars make it possible to enjoy singing without background noise and emissions.”

During the festival weekend, the shuttle will operate between the Aurajoki riverbank and Ruisrock festival bus station from noon to 5:00 PM.

H/T: Lonely Planet

More like this: Is it cheaper to rent a car or take an Uber? Everything you need to know.

The post This taxi service in Finland only accepts payment by karaoke appeared first on Matador Network.

World Cup countries by travel appeal

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is coming down to the wire with only eight teams left standing and the final just over a week away. On the internet, another World Cup competition has been quietly working its way towards completion, developed by transportation company Taxi2Airport. The World Cup of Travel follows the exact same bracket process as the World Cup of football, but it pits the countries against each other based on tourism appeal. Your country might field a good football team, but how easy is it for a visitor to find the perfect local wines pairings with dinner? How about landing a visa or finding quick transport from the airport to a hotel?

The World Cup of Travel started with countries matched in the same groups as we’ve watched the teams progress in Russia over the past two weeks. Each of the 32 teams that qualified for FIFA’s event had a place in the eight groups and began with head-to-head competition inside that group. Factors weighing in a country’s favor included cuisine, weather, culture, nightlife, shopping, and scenery.

There were several upsets, including Mexico toppling Switzerland and the early elimination of Iceland. The preference for sunny weather over legendary winter destinations could potentially be called out as referee bias, but alas, the matches moved on with Spain, Brazil, France, and Japan reaching the semi-finals.

Photo: taxi2airport

Spain ultimately brought home the title of World Cup of Travel Champion, which isn’t much of a surprise considering you can spend your days in Spain lounging on the beach, enjoying the legendary Mediterranean climate, and your nights eating tapas and drinking wine in historic plazas. And anyone who has spent time in Madrid or Barcelona can attest to the country’s epic nightlife, which kept Spain consistently on offense as it knocked off Egypt, Argentina, Japan, and finally Brazil — all countries with thriving tourism industries. But this is still a huge victory for Spain since its actual World Cup team has been knocked out the competition.


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The post This bracket determined which World Cup contender is the best travel destination appeared first on Matador Network.

Check out National Parks in a BMW

There is quite simply no more beautiful place during the summertime than the Pacific Northwest. Towering, jagged peaks reflect off deep blue water, as giant clear skies contrast with the deep green of the well-watered forests. The air is a pleasant 78, the humidity is low, and the people who live there are gleeful to be out from the grey blanket they usually live under.

That’s why going to Seattle or Portland is a perfect summer trip. And while both those cities have plenty to offer, getting out and seeing the nature that surrounds them is as much a part of the trip as Pioneer Square or the Voodoo Donuts shop. And this summer, ReachNow — BMW’s car-share service that allows you to tool around town in a Bimmer for cheap — is making that nature fully accessible to everyone. And free.

ReachNow’s new “Wild Within Reach” program is giving its members free admission to all the state parks in Washington and Oregon, all summer long. So you can hit spots like the very not-disappointing Cape Disappointment on the Washington coast or the Trail of 10 Falls at Silver Falls in Oregon at no extra cost.

“With more and more people in urban areas forgoing car ownership to avoid traffic and parking headaches, getting outside the city has become a greater challenge,” said Laura Gonia, head of marketing for ReachNow said in a press release. “ReachNow members can find a car within walking distance and take a road trip without the need to plan ahead.”

The whole experience isn’t free, mind you. But it still makes for an amazingly affordable way to take in all that glorious nature through the open sunroof of a snazzy new BMW. ReachNow has a one-time $15 sign-up fee, but is giving out $15 credits to new members — essentially paying you five bucks to sign up.

Download the app and you’ll have access to a whole fleet of BMWs, most of which are within walking distance of anywhere you’d want to be in Seattle or Portland. Cars rent from 45 cents a minute to $80 a day. Slightly more than Enterprise, but more convenient than getting to a rental-car agency anywhere other than the airport. Also, you’re in a BMW, not whatever motorized roller skate they’re calling a midsize now.

Once you’re in your car, you’ll find it equipped with a state park pass for whichever state you’re in. So you can just roll through the front gates like you own the joint.

You can make the experience even cheaper by doing what you already do and social media-ing the hell out of your state park getaway. Post a picture of yourself by the shores of Lake Wenatchee or in a cabin over the sea at Cape Lookout, tag @reachnow and #WildWithinReach, and you’ll get another $10 off. Plus, ReachNow will donate $30 to the Washington and Oregon State Park Foundations for every visit you make. So you can feel even better about yourself while tearing up the highway in a new 3 series.

The whole deal runs through September 3rd. No word on whether the promotion will run longer, or extend into other states as the weather cools off and skies in the northwest return to their familiar grey. But, if you’re headed that way this summer, or live there now, you’ve got more access to nature than ever before. And a decidedly-cool way to see it.


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The post This car-share service wants to give you free admission to National Parks appeared first on Matador Network.

The most exclusive restaurants

While some food lovers may be satisfied with a simple traditional meal made with love in a local, family-owned restaurant, gourmets seek something extraordinary. They want to sit in a dining room worthy of the long-standing Michelin guide or a prestigious “best restaurants” list.

These dining experiences are unique — and usually require extra effort to get a table. This guide is all you need to make a reservation at some of the most famous restaurants in the world — all of which have Michelin stars.

1. Osteria Francescana

Modena, Italy

Photo: Osteria Francescana

Massimo Bottura, the chef behind Osteria Francescana, did not have an easy start when he opened his restaurant in 1995. His effort to take traditional Italian food on a modern creative journey met negative response from locals at first. But his restaurant was named the best restaurant in the world in 2016 and has been visited by international foodies. Inspired by childhood memories of his grandmother’s cooking and contemporary art made by Damien Hirst and Maurizio Cattelan, Bottura’s food is refined yet tastes like family love. “Never trust a skinny Italian chef” is Bottura’s motto. Let me tell you, his dishes Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano and The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna are not to be missed.

How to get a reservation: The only way to make a reservation at Osteria Francescana is via online booking on their official website. Reservations open at 10:00 a.m. on the first of each month and have to be made at least three months in advance. For example, at 10:00 AM on July 1st, the booking was open for the period from October 1st to October 31st. Tables are usually gone within a few minutes. If you cannot make your booking at that exact time, try to put your name on the waiting list of fully-booked dates.

2. El Celler de Can Roca

Girona, Spain

Photo: El Celler de Can Roca

Housed in a purpose-built modern space, El Celler de Can Roca is an interesting contrast to the medieval architecture of Girona in Spain. Not only does the architectural design of the restaurant have a meditative effect, but the gastronomic experience is also rather spiritual. The tasting menus of El Celler de Can Roca tell the stories of the three Roca brothers through visually-appealing dishes of divine quality. Among the more than 10 dishes that I tried, I was especially impressed with the refreshing olive ice cream and the sensational orange blossom dessert. No wonder the restaurant was ranked the best in the world twice.

How to get a reservation: The online booking of El Celler de Can Roca is open up to 11 months in advance at midnight on the first day of every month. You can only call or send an email to make changes of confirmed bookings. Similar to Osteria Francescana, El Celler de Can Roca requires a debit or credit card to guarantee the reservation. In any case, it is always a good idea to register on the waiting list.

3. Noma

Copenhagen, Denmark

Photo: Noma/Facebook

Noma was the best restaurant in the world three times in a row in 2010, 2011, and 2012. After being closed for a while in 2017, Noma reopened in Copenhagen as Noma 2.0. For chef René Redzepi, Noma 2.0 was his own way of exploring creativity. He said of his new restaurant on The World’s 50 Best’s blog, “The point is that we dare again to fail, whereas, with the old Noma, it had to be perfect.” The restaurant features three unique New Nordic menus, which rotate with the seasons: the Seafood Season from winter to spring, the Vegetable Season from summer to early fall, and the Game and Forest Season from early fall to the end of the year.

How to get a reservation: Reservations at Noma for parties of two, four, six, and eight must be made online and require a full payment of the menu. A booking for eight to 20 guests at the private dining room can be made via email. Students may get a special discount by registering on a waiting list for a shared table. The students will be chosen randomly when seats become available.

4. Eleven Madison Park

New York City, USA

Photo: Eleven Madison Park/Facebook

Named the best restaurant in the world in 2017, Eleven Madison Park in New York City serves modern European cuisine with a New York twist. One of the restaurant’s iconic dishes is the honey lavender roasted duck, which is usually included in their seasonal tasting menus. At the moment, the restaurant offers a Dining Room Tasting Menu including eight to ten courses and a Bar Tasting Menu consisting of five courses. The executive chef of the restaurant is the Swiss-born Daniel Humm, who invented the intriguing dish celery root cooked in a pig’s bladder.

How to get a reservation: You can only book around one to two months in advance on the official website of the restaurant. Tables for one, two, and three persons usually sell out quickly. To guarantee your reservation, you must pay in advance. The purchase is non-refundable, but you can transfer the reservation to another person should something come up.

5. Gaggan

Bangkok, Thailand

Photo: Gaggan

Ranked by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants as the best restaurant in Asia, Gaggan is a contemporary Indian restaurant located in the district Pathum Wan in Bangkok. The restaurant is the brainchild of the chef Gaggan Anand, who was born in Kolkata, India, and arrived in Bangkok in 2007. The restaurant’s only menu is known as “The Gaggan Experience,” and features progressive Indian cuisine. One of their most exciting dishes is “Lick it up,” which invites diners to lick up the food directly from the plate. The dish is served in sync with a song by the rock band Kiss.

How to get a reservation: Only two time-slots are available for reservations: 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Reservations for up to six guests must be made a month in advance on the restaurant’s website. After booking, you’ll have to wait for a confirmation email from the restaurant. If you’re unable to get a booking, call the restaurant on the day you hope to dine to check if there are any last-minute cancellations. Gaggan in Bangkok will be closed in 2020, so make sure to plan your big meal before that.

6. Central

Lima, Peru

Photo: Central/Facebook

The restaurant Central by the husband-and-wife chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pía León received the title of Best Restaurant in South America in 2018. Inspired by nature, the theme of Central is the diverse ecosystems of Peru. Each dish on the two menus, Vegetal Elevations and Mater Elevations, is built to represent different measurements below and above sea level. For instance, the dish Sea Coral is at -10 meters below sea level while the dish Land of Corn is at 2010 meters above it. The chef’s signature dish, known as The Diversity of Corn, is designed to showcase the restaurant’s thorough experimentation with contemporary Peruvian cuisine.

How to get a reservation: Reservations are made online via the restaurant’s website and open 30 days prior to a new four-month period. For example, reservations for May to August started on March 26th, 2018. Debit or credit information is required in order to confirm the booking. As always, register on the waiting list if the restaurant is fully booked.

7. Sukiyabashi Jiro

Tokyo, Japan

Photo: Sushi Jiro

You may have heard of the sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro while watching the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, an award-winning film telling the story of the Japanese sushi chef Jiro Ono (born in 1925). At the age of 92, Jiro continues to strive for perfection in his art of making sushi. He even customizes the sushi pieces to suit each diner. His Michelin-starred restaurant is located in Ginza, a shopping hub in Tokyo, Japan. The whole dining experience lasts approximately 30 minutes at the cost of 30,000 JPY (which is around $270). While the food critic Andy Hayler argued that the restaurant was not worth the hype because of the rushed service, it is a once-in-lifetime chance to taste super high-quality sushi made by a passionate Michelin-starred chef.

How to get a reservation: Since Sukiyabashi Jiro has only 10 seats and diners occasionally fail to show up for their reservation, the restaurant no longer accepts personal bookings via telephone. As a foreigner, the only way to make a reservation is to ask your hotel’s Japanese-speaking concierge to call the restaurant for you.


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Patriotism around the world

It’s a busy week for Americans. Whether you’re heading up to a lake house, stuffing your trunk with fireworks, hosting a BBQ, or just drinking beers on the beach, everyone plans to celebrate the Fourth of July somehow. But the Fourth of July is more than just an excuse to drink — it’s the holiday wherein our national pride is on full display, where even the least patriotic of us feel compelled to don flag-themed bathing suits. Celebrating our Independence Day is a crucial component of our national identity, so it’s easy to assume that the same is true of other countries; particularly older countries, with a longer history to be proud of. But our tradition of patriotism is actually strikingly unique. For many countries, public, elaborate celebrations of national identity are even considered taboo. Here are three countries that view national patriotism completely differently than Americans, which may make you rethink the compulsion to wave a flag when you travel abroad.

Sweden

Founded in 1397, Sweden is a much older country than the United States, and yet their “Swedish National Day” has only been an official holiday since 2005. More popular with immigrants and expats than native Swedes, National Day’s rise to popularity has been incredibly slow. While it gives new Swedish citizens a way to feel connected with their adopted country, for native Swedes, the holiday is rife with political associations. Wary of the rise of conservative nationalist movements, many Swedes view the holiday as a step toward the far right.

Jonas Engman, ethnologist at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, told the TT news agency that, apart from sporting events, Swedes rarely display the Swedish flag on their clothing or houses, or sing the national anthem. “We are very ambivalent when it comes to National Day,” he says. “We get a bit uncomfortable with national holidays that clearly highlight Swedishness.” Indeed, my last time in Stockholm I spoke with the superintendent of a local school district, who told me that if he ever suggested a “pledge of allegiance”, or anything like it, he would be immediately fired. The omission of a single word — “God” — in our pledge is enough to cause riots, yet in Sweden, simply displaying a flag in a classroom pushes the boundaries of what’s considered appropriate.

Germany

For Germany, it’s the past, rather than the present, that governs their attitude toward national pride. Cultural and historical symbology, especially the German flag, are still displayed somewhat reluctantly. This doesn’t mean Germans aren’t proud to be German, that they’re ashamed of their country, or even that they fear an imminent nationalist uprising; it’s rather because of their profound awareness of recent history. Just 80 years ago, Hitler’s elevation of the Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans) above all other races, defined one of the most hateful regimes in human history. Rampant nationalism and identity-driven politics plunged Germany into a war still too fresh in their minds.

Germans are fighting an uphill battle against memory, and against history, to reclaim their national pride. They worry that “their patriotism can turn into a dark obsession,” Stephen Grünewald, a psychologist and author of “Germany on the Couch”, told Handelsblatt Global. Even when Angela Merkel won re-election for Chancellor in 2013 — an occasion for flag-waving, one would think — she snatched a small German flag away from one supporter, with an admonishing look. However, Germans are slowly becoming more comfortable demonstrating their national pride, especially after their hosting of the 2006 World Cup. “It was then,” says Grünewald, “that the Germans realized they can be passionate without scaring the rest of the world.”

Ukraine

Celebrating your national identity becomes infinitely more difficult when your country is divided on that identity. Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9th to commemorate the end of World War II and to honor its fallen veterans. But, for former Soviet states, celebrating Victory Day is complicated. Ukraine, for example, is moving away from its Soviet past and trying to carve out a distinct Ukrainian identity — which isn’t easy when your recent past is dominated by a communist superstate. This period of de-communisation has led to “Victory Day” being rebranded in 2015 as the “Day of Reconciliation and Remembrance,” and “World War II” now replacing “The Great Patriotic War”. Monuments honoring communist officials were removed, streets named after them were changed, and, in an even more extreme move toward westernization, denying the criminal nature of the Soviet regime is now illegal.

While millions of Ukrainians subscribe to this new identity, others are more deeply attached to their Russian past. For Mikola Martinov, head of Kiev’s Organization of Veterans of Ukraine, Victory Day is a time for celebrating Russian pride, and fondly remembering the liberation of Europe by the the Red Army. “How can the government ban the symbols of our victory?” Martinov asked the Irish Times. “The red flag, the star, the hammer and sickle?” Volodymyr Viatrovych, head of Ukraine’s Institute of National Memory, disagrees. “The new Ukrainian identity is an anti-Soviet identity,” he said. “It is a pro-European, pluralistic, and democratic identity – this is what has been denied to Ukraine until now.”

In the Ukraine, we have the clearest example of how complex demonstrations of national pride can be. Holidays are battlegrounds between old and new traditions; between a culture borrowed from the fatherland, and a distinctly local culture. For many around the world, patriotism isn’t a celebration at all — it means looking into the mirror, and choosing a side.


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The post Patriotism defines America, but what about the rest of the world? appeared first on Matador Network.

Looking for wild cats in Borneo

The torrential downpour left a layer of mist in the night air, and out of the mist, the great silent shapes of Borneo pygmy elephants float into the muted beams of our headlights. One by one they emerge out of the darkness like a fleet of ghost ships drifting at sea.

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

This is the third night of 10-day wildlife watching trip in Borneo’s Deramakot Forest Reserve. Lying in the heart of the Malaysian state of Sabah, this selectively logged forest supports an impressive 75 percent of Sabah’s mammals, including all five species of Borneo’s wild cats (Borneo Bay cat, Sunda Clouded leopard, Marbled cat, Flat-headed cat and Sunda leopard cat).

It is the rare tropical cats that bring our small team of mammal-watchers to Deramakot. On top of our bucket list is the notoriously elusive Sunda Clouded leopard — a cat so rarely seen that even the researchers studying it almost never see one in the wild.

Led by Mike Gordon from Adventure Alternative Borneo, we go ‘nocturnal’ to match the leopard’s activity pattern. Like the cats we seek, we laze around during the daylight hours and prowl the jungle roads at night, hoping that the stars will align and a Sunda Clouded leopard will emerge on the road as we are driving by.

The first cat we spot is the dainty Sunda Leopard cat chasing some unseen prey in the wet grass. When it emerges on the road, its coat glistens with droplets of water it collected during the chase, and like any self-respecting cat, it spends the next ten minutes fastidiously cleaning its fur.

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

Yet, this trip is not all about cats, as we discover when we find ourselves surrounded by Borneo’s largest mammals, the Pygmy elephants. While we wait for them to drift off the road, a young female becomes obviously interested in us. Flaring her ears and bobbing her head up and down, she walks towards us dancing from one foot to the other.

Caught in her own excitement, she turns around mid-step and continues walking towards us bum-first, turning her bobbing head back to see where she is going.

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

She almost touches the front bumper of our truck with her great leathery bottom before quickly walking away, as if she is afraid to get in trouble with the adults. She needn’t have worried; the adults pay no attention to her antiques. They are too busy consuming immense quantities of grass.

When by day seven we still haven’t spotted the Sunda Clouded leopard, Mike changes strategy. We head out at 2 PM — an early morning in our nocturnal world. Driving to the sound of singing gibbons, we come across a giant snake slithering across the road. Impressed by its formidable size, we flip through our field guides attempting to identify it.

“Clouded leopard!” Mike’s urgent whisper comes like a bolt out of the blue. Our safari truck lurches to a sudden stop, and we scramble out still too shocked to fully comprehend what is happening.

I follow Mike at a ninja trot for a couple of meters up the road, crouch down, look in the direction he is pointing and see the back end of the most exquisitely-beautiful cat. It is walking into the thick vegetation on the side of the road; its exceptionally-long tail held off the ground and coiled at the end.

As it walks higher up the slope, it turns sideways, and suddenly, I see the entire animal — its beautiful feline face and the sharply-defined black clouds on its velvet grey coat. It is walking completely at ease, undisturbed by our arrival.

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

I stare at the footprint she left in the mud and realise that it has taken me a total of 21 nights in the field to spot a Sunda Clouded leopard in an encounter that lasted about 30 seconds. But it is the 30 seconds that I will remember for the rest of my life.

The following night we get word that a Marbled cat has been sighted near the kilometre 10 marker. Not as well-known as the Sunda Clouded leopard, the Marbled cat is just as elusive and rarely seen. We all but inhale our dinner eager to hit the road. By the time we reach kilometre 5, the sky suddenly opens up, and a solid wall of rain drenches us in seconds. The rain is so heavy, we can barely keep our eyes open.

“Rain is good,” yells Mike over the thundering sound of raindrops hitting the roof of the truck. “In the rain, the cat will stay put under the relative cover of the tree”.

We make it to kilometre 10 and escape the deluge in a small shelter on the side of the road. When the rain is reduced to a light trickle, we climb back into the wet truck, turn around on the slippery road, look up and immediately spot the Marbled cat, curled up on a branch 40 meters above us. The beam of Mike’s spotlight isolates the small patch of forest from the surrounding darkness, and we stare at the sleeping cat in mute amazement.

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

Just as we are ready to leave, we notice another pair of shining eyes higher up in the tree. Unbelievably, it is another Marbled cat staring at us from above. Not as happy at being discovered as its neighbour on the lower branch, it slinks off into the thicker part of the canopy, leaving us guessing whether it was the parent of the younger and more tolerant cat below.

Photo: Margarita Steinhardt

On the way back we come across the elephants again. They send us off with a bout of loud trumpeting as if reminding us who the real masters of this forest are.


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La Graciosa is the new Canary Island

Say hello to the newest Canary Island. The small island of La Graciosa, which has only 721 residents, has officially become the eighth Canary Island. The official designation comes following a campaign by the Popular Party and the local Council of Citizenship; the island will retain its administrative links with Lanzarote but now be classified as its own entity with a separate legal personality.

At 29 square kilometers in size, La Graciosa hosts about 25,000 tourists each year, with its beaches ranking among the best in Spain. The two main towns are La Caleta del Sebo and Casas de Pedro Barba. Most residents get around on bicycle as there are several trails leading to all corners of the islands.

Photo: Oleg Znamenskiy/Shutterstock

The island’s residents lobbied for the new island status, gathering over 4,000 signatures on a petition before being granted official recognition as the eighth Canary Island. While the new classification will undoubtedly increase tourism, some are actually afraid it might bring too many new visitors to the island. There are currently no airport or tarmac roads on the island, but with the right demand, that might change.

H/T: Lonely Planet

More like this: 20 reasons why you should never visit the Canary Islands

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Seattle bans plastic straws and more

If you enjoy sipping your drink through a straw, whether it’s a cocktail at a bar or a soda at Chuck E. Cheese (through a Spiderman-themed twisty straw, of course), it’s time to start changing your habits. More and more establishments, companies, and even entire regions are banning plastic straws in an effort to curb plastic waste, and now, Seattle just became the first major US city to ban them. Since July 1, Seattle has prohibited restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, grocery stores, delis, and cafeterias from providing customers with plastic utensils, plastic straws, or plastic cocktail picks.

Seattle is the first major US city to enact a plastic straw and utensil ban (though smaller cities like Malibu and Santa Cruz beat it to the punch). Restaurants are still allowed to offer customers “durable” alternatives, like metal straws and utensils. The aim of the ban is to reduce pollution caused by plastic. According to Greenpeace, 40 percent of plastics in the ocean come from single-use items, and Seattle is taking a proactive approach to tackling the problem.

The city took its first stab at eliminating single-use plastic items back in 2008, but alternatives were hard to come by, so the city allowed for several exemptions. Nowadays, however, there are multiple compostable, environmentally friendly options for utensils and straws, so the ban is expected to be far more comprehensive.

Lawbreakers can expect to pay a $250 fine though the penalty won’t go into effect until the second year. In the meantime, the focus will be on continuing outreach and assistance to businesses to make compliance as smooth as possible.

Similar legislation is currently being considered in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

H/T: Thrillist

More like this: 5 easy ways to go plastic-free while traveling

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