Travel Blog

Sleepy Polar Bear - Ultimate Bears and Belugas Adventure

ULTIMATE BEARS & BELUGAS TOUR

On this Ultimate Bears & Belugas Summer Adventure we leave the Churchill estuary to explore the Hudson Bay coastline and observe Polar Bears and thousands of Beluga Whales up close and personal along with many other wildlife.
With 60,000 Beluga Whales filling the Hudson Bay and Polar Bears leaving the melting sea ice, summer is an amazing time to visit Churchill, Manitoba, Canada! Come aboard our brand new flagship vessel the Matonabee, the ONLY Arctic touring vessel with underwater viewing on the planet, and explore the Hudson Bay coastline where the majestic polar bears are migrating at this time of year! Our beautiful Arctic Crawlers™ will take you to experience the vast expanse of the tundra with its beautiful flora, fauna and wildlife.

Santa Catalina - Beyond the Canal: Exploring Panama’s Hidden Treasures

BEYOND THE CANAL: PANAMA’S HIDDEN TREASURES

When people think of Panama, they often picture the bustling skyline of Panama City or the country’s legendary canal. And sure, those are both amazing but there’s so much more waiting for visitors who venture beyond the city.

Discover a new species of moth - Peruvian Amazon

BECOME A CITIZEN SCIENTIST IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON

A Rewarding Trip to Peru’s Amazon If you are anything like us Wordly Girlies, you are likely interested in wildlife, conservation and cool, remote locations! One of the things we also always seek out when travelling is how we can support or give back to the communities or places we visit. During a recent trip to the Peruvian Amazon, both me (newbie Jenn here, hello!) and Keri experienced a taste of what it’s like to be a citizen scientist with Rainforest Expeditions. Located in the remote rainforest along the Tambopata River, ecolodges Posadas Amazonas, Refugio Amazonas and the Tambopata Research Centre offer guests the ability to learn about and take part in wildlife conservation efforts through Wired Amazon projects designed and implemented by Rainforest Expeditions. Here are 6 super cool projects where anyone can take part! So, we did this exercise in the pouring rain but, hey, that’s the rainforest for you! One of the coolest things about setting up traps is that once home, besides being able to see the footage, volunteers can virtually assist with the tracking and identification program of jaguars and other species via the Amazon Cam Tambopata. Using over 100 camera traps, one can help note jaguar spot patterns from the comfort of home! Spot patterns are unique, much like fingerprints and through this project on Zooniverse, volunteers can choose from a list of identifiers to help them recognize different animals. The more inputs, the better. 4. Become an expert in Harpy Eagle behaviour! If… Read More »BECOME A CITIZEN SCIENTIST IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON

FINISTERRA JOINS THE ADVENTURE TRAVEL CONSERVATION FUND

by Jenn Smith Nelson Finisterra Travel Forwards Global Conservation Efforts By Joining the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF). ATCF members provide direct funding to support natural and cultural projectsin worldwide destinations July 10, 2024— Finisterra Travel is proud to announce their membership in the Adventure TravelConservation Fund (ATCF), an international nonprofit focused on funding on-the-ground conservationprojects around the world. The ATCF provides members in the travel and outdoor industry an avenue todirectly support projects that are critical to protecting the future of adventure travel. “Adventure and outdoor organizations have an opportunity to come together as members of the ATCF toprotect international travel destinations where we all love to explore, learn and play,” says Soraya Shattuck,ATCF Executive Director. “Without the conservation of these unique environments, cultures andcommunities, we risk losing the very experiences that we seek when we travel.” The adventure tourism industry is highly dependent on conserving the world’s natural and culturalresources, which is why Finisterra Travel and ATCF members from across the globe are uniting to protectthreatened communities, cultures and wild places for current and future generations. Once a year, theATCF awards grants to organizations seeking conservation funding. Grant recipients are nominated andvoted on by members of ATCF, whose membership dues fund the chosen conservation projects.“The adventure travel community has the power, the resources, and the responsibility to make anincredible impact on the world,” said outdoor industry pioneer Steve Barker, Founder of Eagle Creek andATCF Board Chair. “Through ATCF, companies around the globe unite their influence and passion to… Read More »FINISTERRA JOINS THE ADVENTURE TRAVEL CONSERVATION FUND

COVID TRAVEL TIPS | PANDEMIC TRAVEL|

As the world opens up again, travel looks a lot different than it did before Covid. Gone are the days you can throw things in a bag and run to the airport a couple of hours before your flight. With the ever-changing landscape of travel these days, we’ve put together a few Covid Travel Tips to get you prepared for your next international trip, whenever you are ready to go!

WORLDLY GIRLIES TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Who are we? We are Keri & Nicola and we LOVE to travel. To say that we are travel enthusiasts would be a gross understatement, we are travel addicts often planning our own travels a least two adventures in advance. Needless to say our day job (co-owners of Finisterra Travel) helps us to fuel our obsession. Not a day goes by where we don’t squeal with excitement over the possibility of exploring a new destination. Our mutual travel obsession, an insatiable curiosity about the world, and passion for sustainable travel are what really bonds us. What are we about? We do our best to tread lightly in the destinations we visit whether we are travelling alone or with a group. Our philosophy is to travel responsibly for the long-term benefit of the local people, the travellers, and for the environment. During our world travels, we’ve experienced the many sides of tourism from the good to the bad to the truly heartbreaking. We are aware that there are many troubling issues around the globe, but one of the most obvious is the disturbing plethora of plastics discarded everywhere. Literally everywhere. From the stunning coastlines of Bali where we snorkelled beside fish gobbling down plastics to charming villages, we hiked through in the Andes where plastic bottles cascade down into the rivers below. It is heartbreaking to witness and heartbreaking to know that those plastics will still be on our planet for hundreds of years to come. Did you know that 50% of… Read More »WORLDLY GIRLIES TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

FLYING DURING COVID

Late July 2020, during a pandemic, Nicola decides to travel overseas…all in the name of love. She travels from Vancouver, Canada, to the Canary Islands, Spain and tells us about her experience flying internationally during COVID 19. These are her travel tips on how to keep safe while flying during a pandemic.

THE SISTERHOOD ON A SURF & YOGA RETREAT

I bobbed in the ocean, sitting on my board, breathing heavy from the paddle out past the break. I already felt like giving up, but my eyes were zeroed in on the horizon, squinting away the sunrise. My brain was on overdrive. This one? …
Travel Blog Entry & Photos by Sherry Ott

TOP 5 PERUVIAN DISHES

My first backpacking trip to Peru was when I was 20 years old and an idealistic vegetarian on a $20 per day budget. That’s $20 per day for everything – transportation, hostel, sightseeing entrances, and food. Being a vegetarian anywhere is South America is a challenge but particularly when you are on a super tight budget. This all being said, my first introduction to Peruvian cuisine was very lack-luster and involved mostly potatoes (of which there are some 4000 varieties), avocados, quinoa (ancient protein-rich super grain), corn, and runny eggs. Needless to say I did not return home after my first foray to South America and rave about Peruvian cuisine (though I did rave about almost everything else). Oh how times have changed. I am no longer a vegetarian. I do not travel on a $20 per day budget. I have been to Peru at least a dozen times. I love Peruvian cuisine. Over the past decade and a half my love affair with Peruvian cuisine has become very potent but apparently, I am not the only one. Peruvian cuisine has recently received an immense amount of attention in the culinary world and is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Modern day Peruvian cuisine is a melting pot indigenous dishes combined with nearly 500 years of Spanish and more recently African, Japanese, Chinese, and Italian influence. Peruvian cuisine is varied in colour and texture, extremely fresh, and mildly spicy. From the seafood-rich Pacific, to the fertile Andes where potatoes, corn and tomatoes… Read More »TOP 5 PERUVIAN DISHES

Keri Packing Tips - Worldly Girlies - Finisterra Travel

PACKING TIPS BY KERI

Packing. Ugh. Just the thought of it stresses me out which seems odd as I do it so often. I travel about 20ish weeks of the year, essentially living out of a bag for a great part of the year. I can’t say that I have a fool-proof packing agenda, but I have definitely learned a few things along the way. KERI‘S PACKING TIPS FOR ALL TRIPS:If you can carry-on, by all means, do it. It saves you so many potential headaches. I’ve had my checked bag go on many adventures without me (finisterra.ca/walking-across-tuscany-blind). However, if you must check your bag, I cannot stress the importance of packing your carry-on bag with all your essentials. Besides medications, extra contacts/glasses, chargers, etc, I always recommend carrying a change of clothing which is appropriate for the destination (ie/ if you are going on a hiking trip, make sure you are carrying a hiking outfit as well as appropriate shoes, hat, etc) just incase you are without your bag for a few days. KERI NEVER LEAVES HOME WITHOUT…A headlamp, phone portable battery pack, sunglasses, extra contacts/glasses, tiny speaker, downloaded maps on my phone, little black dress, Birks, Steripen for water purification, thermal water bottle, shampoo bars, scarf, little back-pack, waterproof shell, a purse with a cross-body strap… 1. PACKING TIPS FOR VARIED CLIMATES:We always get asked, “How are we supposed to pack for this kind of trip?” For example, our most popular destination, hands-down, is Peru, and for good reason. Peru is a… Read More »PACKING TIPS BY KERI