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When I woke up in the early morning hours at the Elephant Game lodge, it wasn’t with the peaceful serenity that I expected. Oh no, it was with the sound of an elephant trumpeting as they were coming to the nearby waterhole for their early morning drink.

Now although I should count myself lucky to experience these sights and sounds, it still doesn’t change the fact that when you are fast asleep, forgetful of your surroundings, this wake up call leaves you shaken for the most part of your day. But after my initial shock subsided, I myself was ready for a whole hearty African breakfast complete with bacon, eggs, toast and my usual caffeine fix.

The smell of fresh air…
After breakfast I was joined by a couple of German tourists and a Dutch couple on our morning game drive. It’s amazing how, even though you are in an open 4×4 vehicle, you somehow create your own illusion that you are safe sitting in the middle of a herd of elephants. As one drives past you really can’t help but to be in awe of this big creature, who at any moment could capsize the heavy vehicle which gave us some delusion of safety.

Elephants have always been my favourite animal. Not so much because of their brute strength, but more so because of their almost human intelligence.

As they strolled past us on their merry way to feed their appetite we continued through the wilderness on the look out for the savage beast, namely the lion.

More than just game…
With a slight breeze cooling us, our trusty driver took us deeper into more off-road terrain. There really is nothing more rejuvenating than being out in the wild, surrounded by predators.

Entering their territory feels forbidden, but we eventually found the pride in a lazy state, resting under their favourite tree. Our driver and guide, Philemon, informed us that this was Sabi Sand Game Reserve’s biggest and strongest pride. He said that they were in fact the true kings of the wild in this area. Sitting there watching lions sleep is not exactly the thrilling experience one would hope for, not if you could be seeing the whole pride in full force take down something big, like a buffalo, Nataional Geographic style. To my dismay it was not to be.

Moving on…
We continued our journey back to the Elephant Plains Game Lodge and on the way back were indeed very lucky to see another two of the big five, Rhino and Buffalo mostly grazing. When we arrived back at camp I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into one of Sindiwe, the cook’s, homemade game pies. She really knew how to make it just right and resisted my pleas to share her secret recipe for the perfect gravy.

After eating my fill, I too, like a typical lion, could feel how the weight of my stomach was pulling my eyes to a close, so I headed back to my room for my own lazy afternoon nap.

Messing around…
While I was still half heartedly trying to wake up, I could smell that all too familiar smell of a fresh pot of coffee brewing. Following my nose to the outside wooden deck, I happily sipped my coffee while overlooking the waterhole.

The waterhole is quite entertaining. There are always animals there quenching their thirst, but what I saw at that moment was more than amusing. It was a family of warthogs with little ones rolling around in the mud, causing more chaos than what their parents could control.

The warthog has always been a funny animal to me, even before Phumba came on the scene, so watching them messing around really made for some comical afternoon fun. When the family had eventually satisfied their desire for mud wallowing they ran off swiftly with their tails in the air, all in one straight line.

An evening well spent …
On evening game drive I got what I’d hoped for, a female leopard with a fresh catch dangling from her mouth. She was standing below a tree, baboon in mouth and ready to launch herself to the security of the branches, away from any other hungry mouths that could steal away her catch.

What a sight. As she launched herself off the ground and clutched to the tree with powerful claws, I could not help think how powerful a creature she is. The baboon was about the same size as her, yet she made it look effortless. Funny, how the size of animals is vastly different to our perceptions gathered from watching National Geographic programmes!

After spending at least 30 minutes just watching as she relaxed in the tree from the exhaustion of the kill, to watching her commence consumption, I felt satisfied. I was ready to head back to camp to enjoy my last night in the bush.

I got what I wanted from my South African safari vacation. Accommodation that was relaxing, which despite the comfort still had that rugged camp atmosphere that is a must when you go on an African safari, and of course I saw the best of our African wildlife.

Sun Safari specialize in arranging tailored sunsafaris.com South Africa safaris and tours, vacations and honeymoons in Southern and East Africa.

When he was captured in the African country of Equatorial Guinea in 1966 (or ‘67 depending on the source), he was proclaimed a miracle by the local villagers. But the real miracle was the fact that he managed to live to the ripe old age of 40 (80 in human years).

His name was Snowflake and this is his story

Snowflake’s first encounter with Lady Luck was when he was discovered as an orphaned gorilla by a hunter. Whether the particulars of his discovery are accurate or not, what is not in question is the good fortune that landed him in the hands of a Spanish naturalist for the princely sum of sixty pounds.

Snowflake suffered from a condition known as albinism (individuals with this condition are referred to as albinos) which occurs in individuals who lack the pigment melanin. Albinos typically have very pale skin and are also very sensitive to the sun and light in general.

There are those who may argue that it was misfortune rather than fortune that ultimately landed Snowflake in captivity, but the reality is, an albino gorilla would have next to no chance of surviving in the wild. Not only would Snowflake have had to deal with the daily ravages of ultra-violet rays from the equatorial sun, but due to his color he also would have been a walking food advertisement for natural gorilla predators.

Okay granted, gorillas have few predators other than man, but they do exist, and the one that springs foremost to mind is the leopard. The white color of his hair (gorillas have hair not fur) would have made Snowflake unmistakably easy to spot in the wild by a prowling predator such as a leopard, be it night or day.

Anyway assuming tale of his discovery is accurate, it may suggest that Snowflake was ostracized and ultimately abandoned by his gorilla group, including his mother. And why not! This scenario is not too far fetched; if man is not above discrimination or ostracization of those who are different, even in this present day and age, why should we expect radically different behavior from gorillas who also happen to be one of our closest relatives, as far as DNA goes.

How A Colorless Gorilla Put The Color Back Into Barcelona Zoo

Barcelona city embraced Snowflake as one of their own, or more accurately, they simply adored him! Known as Copito de nieve in Spanish, Snowflake soon enough became the City Mascot and the overwhelming crowd-puller at Barcelona Zoo. The young white gorilla was featured on postcards, stamps and posters and was responsible for drawing millions of tourists to the zoo.

But how did all that new found fame affect Snowflake? Well, in his 37 years at the zoo, Snowflake fathered 22 offspring (grandkids included) from three females, gawking tourists notwithstanding. Much has been made of his scowling demeanor and apparent irascible temperament, but as mentioned before albinos suffer from extreme sensitivity to light and thus characteristically squint…which on the face of a gorilla may seem like scowling.

Also it should come as no surprise that Snowflake was not much inclined to gambol and frolic in the sun for the zoo visitors’ entertainment…his condition largely precluded such tendencies.

And so what if Snowflake wasn’t always amenable to playing the game of be-nice-for-the tourists. Would you? Just imagine how you would feel if you were subjected to constant scrutiny, day-in-day-out, by rude, bad mannered hairless apes (people).

Having said that though, Snowflake’s situation could have been much worse; if he had stayed in the wild it is highly unlikely that he would have survived for long. Also, by the time Snowflake was introduced to Barcelona Zoo, many of the misconceptions about gorilla lifestyles had since been resolved.

It was due to such prevailing ignorance with respect to gorillas that not long before gorillas in zoos were fed on a diet of meat and kept in solitary cells. For a gregarious, vegetarian species, such conditions had to be sheer torture!

Death of A Star

Like any well known celebrity, Snowflake’s death in late 2003 caused a minor ripple on the Richter scale, and by the time the dust finally settled what remained was a city one-in-mourning yet strangely divided. (Snowflake was put to sleep because the symptoms of the malignant melanoma (cancer) which was diagnosed in 2001 were becoming increasingly painful…besides he was pretty old for a gorilla)

There’re many who claimed and felt that the zoo authorities had unashamedly exploited the ailing gorilla to the point of undue cruelty. The zoo authorities countered that they were merely giving the citizens of Barcelona the chance to bid a final farewell to the most famous of their eminent sons. But like a hit movie oozing with sequel potential the good folks at the zoo left nothing to chance.

Although none of Snowflake’s offspring turned out as albinos the authorities were indeed hoping to breed a dominant variant of the gene (another albino gorilla) from the offspring gene-pool. It is not unreasonable to speculate that they were hoping to recapture Snowflake’s superstar appeal with a next-gen Ghost Gorilla.

What is Group Travel?

Though the airlines and hotels have different definitions of what makes a group, in general group travel is when friends, family, coworkers, classmates, and teams travel together. Group travel crosses the spectrum from student groups, school bands, friends getaways, to large offsite corporate meetings and annual church conventions.

Travel Industry Definitions of Group Travel

The airlines generally consider a group to be ten or more individuals traveling together on the same itinerary. If a group of travelers meets these minimum seat requirements on a flight, typically group rates are available. Many travelers are surprised that group rates are higher than the lowest available single seat price. There is a very good reason for this. The lowest available price is usually a discounted rate code, which is limited to a certain number of seats on a given flight. Not every individual in a group of ten is likely to get that same low discount rate, especially for popular routes or seasons. What the group rates allow is for a consistent price across the group, and the cost of the entire booking often represents a considerable savings and the convenience of ensuring the same flight for an entire group.

Hotels define groups by the number of rooms in a reservation. The minimum size group booking is between 5 and 10 rooms. Most hotels welcome group business, and depending on the size of group a variety of upgrades or amenities may be available to travelers. This often includes complimentary room nights, discounted group rates, and other group travel incentives. It is beneficial for group travelers to use an experienced group travel professional because he or she knows how to get upgrades, extras, freebies and special services for a group. By optimizing their existing relationships in the travel industry travel professionals can often secure better rates and services than the traveler booking direct.

The Benefits of Group Travel

The growth in group travel is part of the larger social phenomenon termed “togethering”. It is a fact that more vacations are being taken in groups these days because people want to share memorable experiences with the people they care about most. Examples include growth in destination weddings. Couples are deciding more and more to have their weddings in a warm destination such as Hawaii or Caribbean, and they are inviting their families and their close friends to be there with them. We also see growth in intergenerational travel: trips in which you may find grandparents taking their children and grandchildren on an extended safari trip to Africa, a grand tour of Europe, or a family cruise.

Group travel provides extraordinary memories that do bring people together. People are yearning for these experiences, and the growth in group travel reflects this.

When you book as a group, there are many travel benefits. It is often possible to lock in exceptional group hotel rates, especially if you have a sizeable group. By using a group travel professional, you can access many of the benefits that airlines, hotels and cruises offer.

Popular Group Trips As you might imagine, group travelers take all kinds of trips. For guys trips (now known as Mancations), girlfriend getaways, family vacations, and bachelor & bachelorette parties road trips are a great option, and they provide some of the best memories. A few road trip gems are the following:

Hana Highway, HawaiiHighway 1, California CoastHighway 12, UtahMillion Dollar Highway, ColoradoRoute 179, ArizonaSeward Highway, Alaska Also popular for group travel are beach vacations, which are a great option for family reunions, friend trips, off-site corporate meetings, and incentive trips. According to nationalgeographic.com/traveler/” target=”_blank National Geographic Traveler, following are the top ten beach U.S. destinations:

Miami, FloridaMyrtle Beach, SCPanama City, FloridaWaikiki, HawaiiTampa Bay, FloridaSt. Thomas, U.S Virgin IslandsKey West, FloridaKaanapali, HawaiiSt. John, U.S. Virgin IslandsNaples, FloridaGroup travelers have lots of options these days, including the ability to plan and book group travel online. Take advantage of group travel expertise, and use an expert such as groople.com/hotels/default.aspx?source=ARTICLES&kw=what-is-group-travel” target=”_blank Groople.com.

The advancements in science and industry in that last 100 years have left us humans somewhat baffled. You will often hear it said that in the last century, we as human beings have made more accomplishments than at any other time in recorded history. But did it all get a little big, a little to fast?

It seems that these days’ people tend to be more afraid of different things and as humans; we seem a lot more ‘phobic’ than our recent ancestors. I don’t for one minute think that we have evolved into complete phobic beings, but more like the world, science and industry have all evolved and left us behind, thus creating loads of new unnatural scenarios to intimidate us.

I believe that one of these ‘unnatural scenarios’ is flying. For instance it was only a couple of life times ago (if that) that the Write Brothers created their flying machine. And It wasn’t until the middle of the last century (not even a lifetime ago) that we began to fly commercially and start taking our holidays abroad, however just because it may be unnatural, it doesn’t mean that we have to keep any fears of flying that we may have.

Hypnosis, EFT and NLP can all be used with extreme effectiveness to eliminate your fear of flying, however I use all three as to make sure it goes away and stays away! This way you aren’t always sitting there just waiting for it to come back, but actually enjoying the experience that once terrified you.

Whether it affects you in your business life or just the family holiday, a fear of flying can cause no end of upset and unhappiness, however there is now an effective and in most cases a quick solution.

For years Hypnotherapy has been used by so many people worldwide to allow them to swiftly get rid of their fear of flying and allow them to feel comfortable and in fact rather enjoy the whole experience.

If you are tired and always regretting not doing the things that you have always wanted to do because of a fear of flying, then why not see how Hypnotherapy and Self Hypnosis can help you further.

The process is so simple and natural that you will be amazed just how quickly you will see the benefits! Just imagine yourself laying on that beach now. A thousand mils away and not a care in the world! How fantastic would that be?

Leading Hypnotherapist – Richard MacKenzie has a great site where you can get infomation on richardmackenzie.co.uk/fear-of-flying.htm hypnosis for fear of flying, he also has a very effect richardmackenzie.co.uk/et.htm hypnosis downloads

Named after Lord Shiva, Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, is a traveller’s destination who seeks temples for peaceful solace. Numerous temples adorned the land of beaches and some of the finest lakes in the country.

The city of Temple, Bubhaneswar had a thousand temples at one time of which many still exist to provide the complete record of the Kalinga style of architecture. Of these, the magnificent temple of Lord Lingaraj (known as Bhubaneswar, literary the Lord of the Universe) soaring up to a height of about 54 metres, dominates the skyline for about a kilometers.

One of the most important events in Orissa is Lord Jagannath’s ‘Rath Jatra’ (Car Festival) festival held during the months of June-July every year. It is the greatest and most colourful festival. This mega-fest involves months of preparation and complicated rituas. The climax is the drawing of the huge chariots by hundreds of the devotees. Lord Jagannath’s chariot, known as ‘Nandighsha’, is 45 feet high, has 16 wheels which are 7 feet in diameter, is painted with dazzling yellow strips. Balabhadra’s chariot is called ‘Taldhwaja’ which stands 44 feet high, has 14 wheels and is painted blue. Subhadra’s chariot – ‘Darpadalan’ is painted deep-red, stands 43 feet high and has 12 wheels. This festival, the most important of the 62 annual festivals celebrated in Puri, is an unforgettable experience of faith, colour and sound.

Apart from the main temple, one should see within its precincts the smaller temples of Goddess Vimala, Kaxmi and Vishnu. The most famous dinning in Puri in Orissa is of the Mahaprasad from the Lord Jagannath Temple. Strictly vegetarian, a wide variety of food is served from what must be the biggest kitchen in the world.

Mukteswar temple is known as the gem of Orissan architecture with its famous stone arch at the entrance. The temple is filled with sculptures on its outer walls. The Parsurameswara temple has equally exquisite carvings on its walls but is more famous for its latticed windows. Rajarani, another temple complex is also an architectural model by itself. The slender waisted life –size figures, languorously poised, reflect the wealth of feminine charm.

Ratnagiri-Lalitagiri-Udayagiri excavations unearthed a prominent Buddhist complex in the triangle formed by the hills and the environs of Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri. These places were important places of learning. The ruins and sculptures provide a glimpse of the impressive past.

Ratnagiri in the Birupa river valley is a famous Buddhist centre. A large scale excavation has unearthed two large monasteries, a big stupa, Buddhist shrines, sculptures and a large number of votive stupas.

Lalitagiri is the earliest Buddhist complex dated 1st century AD. The excavations have brought to light significant archeological material which upholds Lalitagiri as a great Buddhist centre. Udayagiri is located in the basin of the U shaped hill. The site is still not comletey excavated and exposed.

Dhauli Hill on the bank of the river Daya stands as a mute witness to the great Kalinga war which was fought in the 3rd century BC. It is famous for the Asokan rock edicts which are inscribed on a rock, with the relief of an emerging elephant at the top.

Konark Sun Temple which is 35 km from Puri is a unique treasure of the country. The sun God is depicted on his chariot with 12 wheels drawn by seven horses. This 13th century temple is a culmination of the evolution of the giant Orissa temples. There is also a museum which has sculptures from the temple ruins. The walls of this magnificent ruin have exquisite sculptures covering many aspects of life. Scenes of love and war, trade and court transactions, hunting, catching elephants, sages teaching, childbirth, amorous dalliances, dancers and mythical figures all vie for attention on the panels and niches of this immortal work of art.

Travellers may enjoy the Konark Festival which is held during December every year. In this festival, eminent classical dancers of India gather together to present live performances. Designed as a chariot of the Sun God, the Natya Mandap is a complete lexicon of Odissi dance. The finely carved graceful figures of the dancers in different poses and the musicians with their instruments are so lively that they create a fantasy of vision and a melody of rhythm to the viewers. The classical extravaganza at the Konark festival is indeed a journey of eternal ecstasy.

Mohen Naorem is a travel writer from india. Read more family adventure travel related articles from his website, family-adventure-travel-india.com family-adventure-travel-india.com

The everyday life is full of ups and downs, full of dramatic twists and is full of exertion. We all take life as it comes but some of us do dare to challenge the course of life to make it more beautiful and adventurous. Life is a journey where we all get tired and bored of walking the same path everyday. And we all crave for a nice and a memorable change in the course of our daily lives. And one of the most preferred and one of the best ways of going in for a change in life is to indulge in and enjoy a nice vacation. And when I talk of vacation the one place that comes to my mind is the Bahamas. The Bahamas is that one place where anybody would want to go whenever possible and treasure the memories of the moments that they had spent there. Making Bahamas a holiday destination in your list has now become even simpler. And this has been possible as a result of the Discount Bahamas Vacation Package. In fact the discount Bahamas vacation package has helped to attract more tourists to the Grand Bahamas.

The Discount Bahamas Vacation Package is good option to opt for as it is not only reasonable and helps to curb some heavy expenses, it also adds more fun and frolic to your vacation to the Bahamas. Finding about discount Bahamas vacation package has become relatively easy as internet has facilitated the collection of sufficient information. Various travel agents all across provide adequate information on discount Bahamas vacation package over the web from where you can easily select the deal that suits you the best. Moreover by any chance if you feel that you would not want to spend hard cash from your pocket for this trip, you can easily choose for a vacation loan to go and enjoy the exotic islands and the beauty of the Bahamas Island.

All you will need to do is accurately decide on the discount Bahamas vacation package that will suit you and if you want to apply for a loan then you would also need to select the best loan for yourself. One of the best things about choosing a discount Bahamas vacation package is that you and your family will get to completely enjoy the advantages of the package along with enjoying the beautiful moments of the magnificence of the Bahamas Island. But then there are certain things that you will need to do even when you go in for a discount Bahamas vacation package. You will need to reconfirm all the details like the hotel reservation, other facilities that one can’t do without in a trip and that also to the Bahamas. In fact when you choose a discount Bahamas vacation you get all the facilities inclusive in the package deal. This is the biggest advantage of choosing a discount Bahamas vacation package.

So now you can easily choose a discount Bahamas vacation package and indulge yourself in the arms of the grand and the exotic Bahamas. Now this is called some real fun holidaying.

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How long is the history of stunt kites? Or, since when have kites had 2 or more lines attached for doing tricks and stunts? Here’s a few details if you’re curious!

The Beginnings

During the second world war, some naval antiaircraft gunners were trained using steerable 2 line kites that flew like modern stunt kites with two control lines. A pilot on the ground would fly the kite around, making it hard to hit. I’ve seen a photo, the kite itself really looked like a diamond stunter. A fairly big one, standing about as tall as the man holding it. The concept was developed by Paul Garber, a U.S. Navy Commander. Perhaps the history of stunt kites starts right here!

Decades of Popular Stunt Kites

However, until the 1960s, 2 line stunt kites for the general public weren’t to be seen. These kites really started to become more popular in the 70s. Most kite flyers have heard of the Peter Powell Stunt Kite, which Powell came up with in 1972. At last it was much easier for anyone to buy and fly a stunt kite. His design was a diamond with a very long, inflatable tail. The idea at the time was to trace big patterns in the sky with the tail! Surprisingly, this design is still popular today.

A lot of manufacturers came out with delta shaped stunt kites in the 80s. Watching or competing in kite flying contests became a cool thing to do. At this point in the history of stunt kites, team flying became a spectator sport with stacked kites performing colorful precision maneuvers in the breeze. People flew deltas, diamonds or flexifoils, depending on their preference. Apart from the still-popular Peter Powells, these kites had names like Hawaiians, Hyperkites, Flexifoils, Trlbys, Rainbows and Skynasaurs.

Flexifoils were similar to the parafoils which had been invented in the early 60s, but had a flexible spar running the entire length of the leading edge. These flexifoils flew really fast through the air!

Any history of stunt kites would not be complete without mentioning one particularly notable design of the period, the Mirage. This was a cleverly designed tailless delta that managed to win a lot of contests in the mid to late 80s. The design was inspired by the writings of two kite experts, David Pelham and Peter Ianuzzi. In those days, flyers would do 3 compulsory maneuvers rated 1-10 plus a 1-3 minute freestyle demonstration.

The ‘big wing’ stunt kites were also invented during the mid 80s. These kites were deltas with wings up to about 2.5 meters (8 feet) across. The first of this kind was called the Hawaiian Team Kite.

Starting in the 90s, the early parafoils were developed into traction or power kites. The main idea here was to get pulled along on a surfboard, kite buggy or snowboard. However, some of these parafoils remain in use as sparless stunt kites by a lot of people because there’s nothing rigid to break! But say ’stunt kite’ today, and it really means ‘delta stunt kite’ to most people.

Since the 90s

Rip-stop nylon has become the favorite material for kite sails. This material is tear-resistant, light and doesn’t let any air through. It is used in all types of modern stunt kites.

The Stardust CAD is an example of a sparless stunt kite. A beginners’ kite, it’s hardy and doesn’t have a huge pull. There are plenty of parafoil stunt kites on the market, with the main advertising catch-phrase being ‘nothing to break, just have fun’.

A more high-performance kite is the Prism Stylus range of kites. These come in ready-to-fly packages which include Spectra lines, winder, flight straps, and a tiny stuff sack or bag for storing and transporting.

Seattle Airgear is a company that is very serious about designing, making and flying stunt kites. They use aeronautical engineering know-how to develop their kites. For the more discerning flyer they produce the WindDance Dual-line Parafoil Stunt Kite.

The design of future stunt kites will likely be affected by new space-age materials that allow even more lightness and for the delta, stiffness.

Tim Parish and his family are rediscovering the joys of kite flying. They log their kiting fun on their My-Best-Kite website, and also research the kiting world. This site, and its my-best-kite.com/kites-newsletter.html” target=”_new single-line kiting newsletter will introduce you to many kinds of kites and kite flying activities.

There are two ways of looking at the word houseboat: a house that floats on water or a boat with all necessary amenities you get at home. Either way, a houseboat is a permanent place of residence, where you can enjoy the benefits of a house on land.

Houseboats can either be recreational or residential. A recreational houseboat is more compact in nature, though with most amenities intact. Also, it may have the luxury of powerful motors to take it places, apart from facilities like a water tank, a generator and other services. Conversely, a residential houseboat is pretty much resigned to a life beside the dock.

Houseboats may be new to the United States, but Asian and European countries share a long history with them. It is common in some parts of Asia to see fishing communities living on temporary houses that are floating on logs. In the Netherlands, at Amsterdam and other cities linked by canals, houseboats are more modern in character and can often be sighted along waterways.

Although an attractive proposition, it is sensible to check out the local laws before buying a houseboat. Many cities have stringent laws on its use, particularly when it comes to sanitation. It is imperative for a residential houseboat (or more precisely one with permanent residents) to be suitably connected to the power supplies and a sewage system. Luxury houseboats that have temporary use of a dock are usually not subject to those laws.

The reasons for owning a houseboat are manifold. One is the aesthetic setting of the location where the houseboat is anchored, which is often underdeveloped and with a natural feel. Secondly, it could be that property on water is less exorbitant than on land. Houseboat owners generally have their own society, with people sharing the same interests.

Of course, houseboats are now fast becoming a tourist attraction. In the state of Kerela, in India, houseboats with luxurious amenities are a great attraction.

Boats-web.com Boats provides detailed information on Boats, Sail Boats, Used Boats, House Boats and more. Boats is affiliated with Boating-Web.com Boating Accessories.

Taking a cruise to Alaska? No doubt you’ve read about all the wonderful helicopter tours or float plane adventures you can have on one of the many shore excursions during your cruise. You may also have noted the price of some of these excursions. And, while a helicopter tour is great fun, tacking on several high-priced adventures onto your moderately-priced cruise can quickly add up to one very expensive vacation.

Can you have fun shore excursions without over-taxing your travel budget? Absolutely, especially if you plan in advance. Also, be aware that you don’t have to go on the shore excursions through your cruise ship. You can always venture out on your own and explore Alaska, sometimes getting to destinations on the city bus for much less than what you’d pay for transportation through your cruise ship. Remember to always compare the cruise ship’s shore excursion prices with similar tours offered by independent tour companies.

What cheap Alaska shore excursions are waiting for you? Here are several inexpensive shore excursions at some of the most popular Alaska ports of call:

Juneau:

Want a great adventure for under $25? Take the Mount Roberts Tramway, a 6-minute ride to the 1,800 foot level of Mount Roberts. The great thing about this excursion is that the tramway is located where the cruise ships dock, so you can just walk to the tramway at your leisure.

If you want to get out and see Alaska’s beauty as well as take a hike, then the tramway is perfect for you, as there are trails on Mount Roberts for all levels of ability, from nature walks to strenuous climbs, including a trail that is handicap-accessible. Depending on the time you have, some people like to take the tram to the 1,800 foot level and hike down. There is also a restaurant on the mountain, as well as a nature center.

Another inexpensive, yet must-see Juneau shore excursion is a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier. No doubt your cruise ship offers some type of package tour to the Glacier, ranging from the inexpensive bus/walking tour to the more expensive adventure tours where you can kayak, canoe or ride a float plane. If you want just a no-frills bus ride to the Glacier so you can explore on your own, there are many tour bus companies offering such rides. MightyGreatTrips.com offers a roundtrip service to the Glacier for $12, with transportation running every 30 minutes. If you don’t mind the extra walk, you can also take a city bus which will drop you off a mile and a half from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. City bus fares are $1.50 for each direction of travel.

Skagway:

One inexpensive shore excursion in Skagway is a float tour, which combines sightseeing and rafting. Skagway Float Tours offers a tour lasting approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours which includes a 10-mile drive along the coast to the Dyea Valley, with a 45-minute gentle float down the Taiya River. This excursion costs $75 and is suitable for all skill levels. Call 907-983-3688 for more information.

If floating’s not your thing, but riding a bike is, consider a bicycle tour of the Rainforest. This bike tour is suitable for all skill levels, and follows a flat path through rainforest, historic ruins and coastal tidal flats. Your cruise ship may offer this as a shore excursion, or you may go independently through Alaska Bicycle Tours, for a price of $78 for a 3-hr. tour. You can also rent bikes by the hour if you wish to ride around town. Rentals are $14 for 2 hours, $25 for 4 hours, or $35 for 8 hours. Call 877-292-4154 for more information.

Just want to get out and explore the town of Skagway by foot? Go to Skagway.com to download a walking tour map and have a great shore excursion in Skagway for free.

Ketchikan:

Ketchikan is a wonderful place to see totem poles, and many cruise lines offer shore excursions where you can tour the city of Ketchikan and then go view totem poles at the Saxman Native Village and Totem Bight State Historical Park. While these tours usually are inexpensive, you may be able to see the totem poles for even cheaper if you take the city bus on your own to Totem Bight State Historical Park – $1 each way.

Researching and planning ahead is a sure way to find fun, cheap shore excursions. Not only will you keep your cruise within your budget, but you may also find you save enough on one shore excursion to help pay for those more expensive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as a seaplane exploration of the Misty Fjords. When booking independent excursions, do keep in mind the time you have in each port of call, and book trips with plenty of time to arrive at the departure point and get back to your ship on time.

Shari Hearn is a writer and creator of a boating-vacation.com/ boating vacations website, where you can learn about such things as boating-vacation.com/Cruise-Line-Vacations.html cruise line vacations.