The World is Your Oyster Volume 2: Don Martinson and Steve Selden of Natural Habitat Adventures

The World is Your OysterOur second episode of The World is Your Oyster brings you to Northern Canada to Churchill, Manitoba. We had the privilege to speak to two incredibly knowledgeable people at Natural Habitat Adventures about this Northern Wonderland where you can experience nature and exquisite wildlife up close. We’ve known and worked with Don Martinson at NatHab for years and he introduced us to one of their excellent guides, Steve Selden, who’s been with the tour operator since its beginnings. Steve also designed the topic of our discussion, their Belugas, Bears & Summer Wildlife of Churchill Tour.

Did you know that over 3000 Beluga whales come into the Churchill River each summer? Get in a Zodiac or a kayak to see them in their habitat. Next you can climb aboard a helicopter and search for Polar Bears from above. If you’re super lucky in the wee hours of the night and if you’ve put your “Please Disturb” sign on your door, you may be awoken to see the Northern Lights! That’s what they call the Trifecta!

Have a listen to the video to hear all about the joys of seeing Churchill, Manitoba, in the summertime. Don and Steve share wonderful stories of their time up in this beautiful part of the globe. Then contact ActiveTravels so we can put you on one of their July trips!

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Think a safari has to be exorbitant, especially when staying at 5-star accommodations? Not necessarily true. African Travel is featuring a 12-night itinerary to South Africa in September, with stays at some of the top properties in the country, including the wonderful Twelve Apostles just outside of Cape Town, Rhino Sands Safari Camp in Mayoni Private Game Reserve, and the Oyster Box in Durban. Cost starts at $5995 per person, including the international flight from New York. Book this trip before March 31, 2019 and you’ll receive an extra night at the Oyster House for free. Please contact ActiveTravels for more information. 

 
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When visiting another country and booking a room, I always seek out local travel writers or outfitters who know every decent hotel in their country and have a basis for comparison. I’m not going to spend thousands of dollars, only to leave the important decision of where to stay to some stranger commenting on TripAdvisor. More than likely, it’s his first time in this country and it’s all bliss. But I know Africa too well and realize there are hotels that cater primarily to large tour companies from Asia and Europe, delivering the Disneyesque version of being on safari. So I asked Jane and Felix Pinto, owners of the Nairobi-based Micato Safaris, known for their boutique, small group outings, to find me the real thing, an authentic travel experience in the bush. They pointed the way to Shompole.

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During the day, Maasai villagers take you on nature walks to show you the natural remedies they use to cure their ailments. I’m sure pharmaceutical companies have sent teams to visit the Maasai to hopefully recreate these cures in pill form at a much more exorbitant price. We also were guests in their small homes and took bush drives to spot lions, Cape buffalo, and pink flamingoes that stand in the shallow waters of Lake Natron, the volcanic slopes of Tanzania seen in the distance. Unlike the Masai Mara, there are no other Jeeps taking people on drives, because there are no other travelers within a 50-mile radius! One night at twilight, the local villagers performed a dance with Mount Shompole looming in the background. Unlike hokey Hawaiian luau dancers that I’m used to seeing, this felt genuine. See for yourself.

Watch the video below, or if you do not see it view it on YouTube.

Puffin Fever, My Latest Story for Yankee Magazine

Blame it on the beak, a multicolored spectacle where orange and yellow stripes jut from the base of black. Or perhaps it’s that adorable plump body that resembles a petite penguin. Whatever the reason, the Atlantic Puffin has received top billing. Just ask Coca Cola who gave the bird a starring role in one of its most successful commercials as it struggles to crack open a bottle of Coke, urged on by a family of polar bears to use that legendary bill. This surge in popularity has had a regional effect, says Captain Andy Patterso, skipper aboard the 40-foot boat, the Barbara Frost. Come summer, Patterson make the almost daily jaunt from Cutler, Maine to Machias Seal Island, the southernmost nesting grounds of puffins on the east coast.

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