Sure, the wildlife watching was a big draw–gorilla trekking has been a dream since I first watched Gorillas in the Mist back in 1988, and I had heard that Rwanda was one of the best places to see the “Big Five” without the crowds. But I also wanted to see if I felt a connection with the culture, and the people. Would they recognize me (and accept me)?

The 10-day journey took me to all four corners of the country, where I stayed in 6 different hotels, explored 3 national parks, and visited several communities and cultural sites along the way. I spotted the Big Five at Akagera National Park; took a guided walk through the ancient Nyungwe forest, crossing a series of suspension bridges where I spotted some of the over 300 bird species that habitate the area (and some primates too); I stopped in Gisakura for an immersive tea experience with IVOMO, a social enterprise created with the purpose of promoting cultural and community-based tourism; I stopped in various communities to connect with the local culture, and yes, I trekked with gorillas too, in the same place where Dian Fossey had conducted her research and connected with the species many years ago.

I came home brimming with stories to share (links to my published work below), but there are so many more reasons to visit Rwanda. Interested in learning more and possibly going yourself? Read my stories below, and who knows, I may have more to share soon.

Beyond Gorilla Trekking: I Went to Rwanda to Connect With My African Roots (Fodor’s Travel)

Roasting Resilience: Nadine Umutoni’s Coffee Mission (Canadian Geographic)

Don’t Skip Kigali Before Heading Out on a Rwandan Gorilla Trek (The Globe & Mail)

I Got Up Close to Gorillas in Rwanda (Zoomer Magazine)

Want to see more of my adventures? Be sure to follow me on Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook for a peek behind the scenes.

The post Reflecting on Rwanda: I Went To Connect With My African Roots, But Discovered So Much More appeared first on Bits of Bee.

On a guided, all-inclusive tour with Frontiers North, we not only got up-close with polar bears (from the comfort of an elevated Tundra Buggy), but we went dogsledding (without snow), and enjoyed a night of bowling with a group of local kids/junior rangers, while getting a little taste of what life is like living in Churchill. It was an unforgettable Canadian expedition, and one that we will never forget.

To read all about our amazing adventures, check out these stories I wrote (linked below), or browse through some highlights of our trip shared through the photos below.

Travel + Leisure – This Tiny Town in Canada Has Northern Lights Views 300 Nights Per Year–Plus Polar Bears and Beluga Whales

Miami Herald – Tundra Trek: Searching for Polar Bears on a Canadian Subarctic Safari

Lonely Planet – In Pursuit of Polar Bears (feature in Epic Snow Adventures guidebook – coming soon!)

The post Charmed by Churchill: Taking a Polar Bear Trek Through the Subarctic Tundra appeared first on Bits of Bee.

From cuddling koalas, counting wild kangaroos, and spotting sea lions, to stepping through the breathtaking boulders of Remarkable Rocks and strolling along the steps of Admiral’s Arch, I was fully immersed in nature–and it was absolutely wild. I dined on some of Australia’s best fare, sipped wine in historic cellars, reached new heights with a thrilling rooftop climb, and learned about the Indigenous people who first called the region home.

Here are some links to the stories I wrote on my South Australian adventures, as well as a collection of my 10 favourite photos that highlight the best moments of my 10-day trip through three beautiful regions of South Australia: Adelaide, Adelaide Hills, and Kangaroo Island.

Story: A First-Timer’s Guide to Australia’s Kangaroo Island (Tripadvisor)

Story: Beyond the bushfires: New experiences emerge as South Australian regions are revitalized (The Globe & Mail)

For more highlights from this journey Down Under, check out the photos and Reels found on my Instagram Page.

The post Discovering Down Under: Seeing South Australia’s Most Stunning Wildlife Species and Natural Sites appeared first on Bits of Bee.

Water splashes over my lap as our small white boat bounces over the furious waves that surround Nonsuch Island. We’re within the Castle Harbour Islands Nature Reserve only minutes from the shores of Bermuda’s mainland.

This is usually a calm coastal commute, but a recent storm has resulted in rough waters, nearly causing our excursion to get cancelled. I’m with a small group of journalists and scientists, heading to Nonsuch Island on a bucket-list journey for birding enthusiasts. But it’s a way-out-of-my-comfort-zone trek for me because, honestly, I have a fear of close-up interactions with birds.

I don’t mind the sprays of the cyan water on my face, as it keeps me cool while the sun beats heat onto the back of my neck. As we navigate the short distance from the mainland to the private island, our guide shares the backstory of Bermuda’s conservation efforts, and how the recolonization of the Cahow came to be. The species is known to science as the Bermuda Petrel, Pterodroma cahow, but it is widely referred to as the Cahow, in reference to the bird’s strange call.

Jean-Pierre (“JP”) Rouja, in addition to being a photographer, is Nonsuch Expeditions Team Leader and Sargasso Sea Commission Ambassador. He begins the boat ride by describing his involvement in the project.

“Nonsuch Expeditions is a project where we’re showcasing the conservation efforts that are happening on the island,” begins JP, his voice sturdy as our boat bumps up and down on the waves. “We’re using it as a lens through which to showcase Bermuda’s biodiversity. We’re not putting this forward as an ecotourism destination for your average cruise ship passenger, because that’s not what Nonsuch is.” 

His voice takes on a more serious tone.

“It’s a very successful nature reserve, and because of that, it’s extremely sensitive, so we just can’t put the foot traffic through there. For this reason, we limit it to small exclusive groups, and local students for whom the experience can be transformational.”

I’m starting to appreciate just how exclusive and unique this opportunity is for our group. I’m about to be one of only two Canadian journalists to see the Cahow up close, and while my apprehension about live birds persists, my curiosity calms my nerves.

JP’s voice shifts to a friendlier tone.

“I started working out there about 20 years ago now with my filmmaker hat on; I was working on a story on the translocation process, shadowing and following Jeremy,” he explains.

The Jeremy of whom he speaks is Jeremy Madeiros, Senior Terrestrial Conservation Officer and the lead scientist with the Cahow recolonization efforts. Jeremy is to meet us when we arrive at Nonsuch Island.

JP goes on to explain the challenges he faced when trying to set up the live “Cahow cam,” which has streamed over 15 million minutes of video since its installation. For starters, he had to find lights that can film clearly while keeping the inside of the nests completely dark; it was a difficult feat, but well worth it.

“Now we have people watching from around the world as the chicks hatch,” JP enthuses. “It’s such an incredible outreach tool for people to keep in the loop on what’s happening here.”

The boat turns a sharp corner, and there, standing on a small dock at the base of a rocky cliff, stands Jeremy, waving vigorously as our boat approaches. Nonsuch Island is unlike any place that I’ve visited during my travels. From afar, it looks like an average dot in an oceanic archipelago; but when you’re there, it’s revealed as so much more.

The island is effectively managed under a stringent biological quarantine. As you step off the boat, you scrub your shoes on bleach-doused mats. Scientists have found that things packed in the tread of people’s boots have introduced exotic species to the island. It’s amazing how we bring in dirt containing planarian flatworms and even earthworms that sterilize soils and put native endangered species at risk. We are asked to arrive empty-handed, and to tread carefully.

After a short briefing, we head up some stone steps, following Jeremy through the brush and into a small hut.

“Nonsuch is like no other place,” he intones, as though reading the opening line of a fairytale. “It is managed totally for the wildlife, especially the island’s most endangered flora and fauna. Several ‘Lazarus species’ can be found on the island—species that were thought to be extinct, but then were rediscovered, in some cases, like the Cahow, over 300 years later.”

There is more to Nonsuch than the Cahow. More than 7,000 plant and animal species share Bermuda with the people who call the archipelago home, many of which inhabit the 18 different islands that make up Castle Harbour Islands Nature Reserve. Jeremy and his team have made it their mission to maintain the entire ecosystem.

His overview of the matter: “This is an amazing multidisciplinary restoration attempt. It’s one of the earliest examples of ecological restoration anywhere, having started in the 1960s—back when the management of endangered species focused on breeding in captivity, back when it was thought impossible to restore an entire ecosystem. This was a fairly simple ecosystem, so it was the perfect laboratory to attempt a new approach. It has worked, and it’s been successful beyond our wildest dreams.”

Then he dives into how he got involved in this important project.

Jeremy began as an apprentice in 1984, working with a team of scientists on Nonsuch Island to help with their conservation efforts. At the time, the team was led by David Wingate, who had initiated a “Living Museum” project in 1963. The work had begun with a massive native reforestation project, in which 18,000 native plants were brought to the island. Two artificial ponds were created: a freshwater lagoon and a salt marsh. During this time, several indigenous species were successfully introduced to the island, including the Night Heron, Killifish, and West Indian Top Shell.

Prof. Wingate was one of the earliest naturalists to study the recently rediscovered Cahow. When he was a 15-year-old schoolboy and naturalist, he accompanied Robert Cushman Murphy of the American Museum of Natural History and Louis B. Mowbray of the Bermuda Aquarium, on an early excursion to the Castle Harbour Islands, where they came across the Cahow nesting in very small numbers on one of the outlying islands.

With its larger size and higher elevation, Nonsuch was an ideal location for keeping the Cahow from going extinct. It was also seen as a possible future site for relocation of Cahows from elsewhere. The Living Museum was up and running.

In 2000, Prof. Wingate retired, and Jeremy took over as Project Lead and Warden for Nonsuch Island. Jeremy’s first priority, due to the continuing hurricane-impacted erosion of the smaller nesting islets, was to explore ways to expand the Cahow nesting colony on Nonsuch. So he traveled to Australia to learn about new techniques being used on established seabird colonies, as well as to receive training in the handling, moving, and management of seabird colonies. Jeremy decided to attempt translocation back in Bermuda.

Translocation begins with monitoring the growth of chicks from practically the moment of hatching. Hatchlings are moved at a specific time in their development from the original nesting islets to a complex of new artificial nests. They are then handfed and allowed to imprint on the new site before fledging and dispersing at sea; this is accomplished by letting the birds out at night so that they can take stock of their surroundings. The hope is that they will return to the same spot years later.

The first successful translocation of the Cahow was completed in 2004, when 14 chicks were moved from their original islets to artificial burrows constructed on Nonsuch, where Cahows bred in tremendous abundance before the 1620s. Each burrow required more than 600 pounds of concrete. The artificial nests were fitted with thick concrete lids for easy access by scientists, elbows in the tunnel to ensure complete darkness for the nestlings, and openings near the ground for the birds to enter and exit.

An immediate challenge with the humanmade burrows was that White-tailed Tropicbirds, known locally as Longtails, were finding their way into this “free housing,” killing the Cahow chicks, and usurping their living quarters. The two species’ breeding seasons overlap, and, in the early years of the translocation project, scientists lost a third of the Cahow population to tropicbirds.

To address this issue, Jeremy built wooden boards with small openings that Cahows can fit through—but that tropicbirds cannot. Some 170 custom-cut covers were placed around the island at the entrance of each nest, ensuring the safety of the Cahow chicks against the tropicbirds.

Once the Cahow chicks were relocated to the humanmade burrows, they were handfed squid and anchovies. Their growth and development were carefully monitored by Jeremy and his team, until all the chicks successfully fledged to sea two to three weeks later. The success rate was 100%!

Related: Cave, Cycle, and Catamaran – Explore Bermuda

Over the next five years, 105 chicks were successfully translocated, of which 102 (>95%) fledged out to sea. Beginning in the seventh and eighth years of the undertaking, the first set of chicks returned to the island and had their own chicks there. The translocation was, by all counts, a success.

Before we head out to see the artificial burrows and meet the latest batch of newborn chicks, Jeremy shares a little background about how Nonsuch Island came to be the acclaimed conservation accomplishment that it is today.

Nonsuch Island: Natural and Human History

Nonsuch Island is only 16.5 acres (6.7 hectares) in size, but it has a lot of history. The island was named by Sea Venture shipwreck survivors, exploring the area in 1609. They were on the island for over nine months, and fell in love with its evocative landscape, with a thick forest of juniper (“cedar”), perfect for building, and palmetto palms, an important food source. They enjoyed close access to the best fishing grounds in Bermuda, and the soil was good for farming. Also advantageous was that the island is near one of only two natural entrances through the reef line into a sheltered anchorage in the nearby Castle Roads channel. Although low-lying of course, the island was nevertheless of sufficient stature for building homes and other structures that would withstand flooding during hurricanes. And the flat, sandy beaches were ideal for landings by boat.

According to Jeremy, the first settlers of Nonsuch have had an important impact on today’s conservation efforts.

“Luckily for us and for the work that we’re doing to restore the environment, the ship had the governor on board, it had the admiral, and all the official record keepers,” he tells us. “They left several very detailed accounts of the island and its animal life, the geology, the plants, and even which plants had value as timber and such because they built two ships using some of the cedar trees to get off the island. The accounts were so detailed—especially observations of the Cahow—that they’ve provided the framework for us to do our work.”

The island is said to have been named after Nonsuch Palace in Surrey, England—one of the first modern wood palaces. Legend has it that settlers landed on the island and declared, “There is nonsuch like it in the rest of the Bermudas.” The name stuck.

Related Story: Beyond The Beaches Of Bermuda (NUVO)

Since its discovery by Europeans, Nonsuch has been put to various uses—as a privately owned farm, even as an off-island reform school for boys. Between 1934 and 1948, it was a minimum-security prison for delinquent boys guilty of petty crimes like stealing bicycles. Rather than being thrown in jail with hardened criminals, the boys were brought to the island for six months to two years. The facility was staffed by former army sergeants, and its goal was to teach boys how to take care of the reform school, while learning life skills like masonry, carpentry, plumbing, and farming.

Of the early days of Nonsuch Island, Jeremy offers a personal reflection: “My first ever recollection of Nonsuch was one time when I was misbehaving in my parents’ car. I must have been about four or five years old, and I was arguing with my sister, a couple of years older than I. We were on the causeway where you can see Nonsuch in the distance, and my father warned, ‘If you don’t behave, I’m going to send you to Nonsuch Island.’”

Jeremy chuckles.

“Little would I have known that a sort of nightmare would have become my dream,” he muses.

Meet the Cahow Hatchlings

We continue our trek through the arborous arches toward the other end of the island where the humanmade burrows are set up. As we approach, Jeremy turns to us and asks us to tread lightly and keep our voices to a whisper. We were nearing the nursery of the newly hatched Cahow chicks, and we didn’t want to disturb them.

We cross the threshold into the nesting area, and Jeremy’s demeanor becomes focused and serious. He’s at work now. His priorities have shifted entirely to the Cahow chicks.

In complete silence, we watch as Jeremy comes the circular cement lid—designed to cover the underground nest and provide complete darkness for the hatchling. I can tell that it’s heavy as Jeremy heaves it off to the side, and reaches deep into the dark hole. His fingers outstretched, he grasps into the darkness, pauses for a moment, and then lifts his arm back out. In his hand, he holds a fluffy ball of a baby bird, its eyes blinking as it looks around.

“This is Spirit,” Jeremy whispers as he outstretches his arm toward us for a better view. Cameras and smartphones are clicking away.

“Spirit is only three weeks old, and looks to be at a good healthy size today,” Jeremy continues in a hushed voice before pulling out his measuring and other documentation equipment.

He prepares what looks like a small linen sack, and we gasp quietly as he stuffs the baby bird inside it, loosely cinching the top of the bag. Acknowledging our startled reactions, Jeremy calmly explains that the chick isn’t afraid. He weighs the bird quickly and then takes it out of the bag, holding it gently in the palm of his hand once more. He then outstretches the chick’s tiny wing and measures the length, noting his findings in a tiny notebook as he works.

Jeremy moves slowly from one nest to the next, holding and measuring the chicks, and then putting them back into their underground burrows. When he’s finished with the last one, he stands up and waves to us to follow him out of the area.

Far enough away to talk in a regular tone, we all begin chatting about the Cahow chicks.

“When my four-year-old first saw a Cahow chick up close, she said that it looked like it was made of cotton candy cashmere,” shares JP. We all laugh in agreement. We’ve just had a close encounter with the Cahow, one of the rarest seabirds on Earth, and the experience has left us feeling giddy.

What’s next for Nonsuch Island? A brand new holographic approach to conservation has recently been introduced. Think of holography as the next generation of wildlife cams—a technology that has been spectacularly successful in getting folks fired up about owls, raptors, and other wildlife at nesting and roosting sites. Holograms take the viewing experience to a whole new level. Instead of watching from afar, as with wildlife cams, the holographic experience makes you feel right there. And that’s essential with species like the Black-capped Petrel, which, realistically, will not be encountered in the wild by most people for the foreseeable future. Making the connection is powerful for conservation, and the holographic approach offers considerable promise toward that goal.

The details are technical, but the basic concept is straightforward: In engaging a hologram, the viewer enjoys the eerie, real-time, 3D experience of “being there” with the subject. And that’s especially impressive in the case of a Cahow chick, sequestered in a burrow in complete darkness, hundreds to thousands of miles away. The high-tech video rig, installed prior to translocation, doesn’t disturb the chick at all.

Holographer Alex Hornstein walks us through the setup and maintenance of this impressive technology in an easy-to-follow online article (tinyurl.com/petrel-hologram) that features footage of the animated hologram. Alex cautions that wildlife holography is still in the proof-of-concept stage, but the promise for galvanizing interest in birds and nature clearly is there.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and his dedicated crew continue their work. It seems unlikely that the Bermuda Petrel will ever recover to such numbers as were established on Bermuda four-plus centuries ago. Nevertheless, conservation scientists are optimistic about sustained, if slow and steady, population increases—delighting both Bermudans themselves and visiting birders on ships at sea.

NOTE: This story was originally published in Birding Magazine (American Birding Association) – October 2019 Issue

The post Birding In Bermuda: Close Encounters With The Cahow appeared first on Bits of Bee.

I’ve shared many stories of my travels closer to home, and thought I would round up my favourite places found in my own backyard. From off-the-beaten-path adventures, to my favourite foodie finds, here are just some of the places to visit in BC.

BC’s West Coast Road Trips

From cruising along the Sea-To-Sky Highway with kids, to journeying off the beaten path along the Pacific Marine Circle Route on Vancouver Island, these are some of my favourite road trips that we’ve enjoyed around BC’s West Coast (starting with some tips that I shared on how to save money on your next road trip):

(The Globe & Mail) How to save money on your next road trip

(Trivago magazine) Weekend Road Trip: Adventure Along The Sea-To-Sky Highway With Kids

(BC Living) The Ultimate Vancouver Island Road Trip

Exploring BC’s Culinary Gems

As a self-professed foodie, exploring the culinary offerings available in my province has been just as exciting as enjoying the outdoor adventures offered in BC. Here are just some of the food and drink stories I’ve written on BC’s best culinary gems:

(Montecristo Magazine) At Sula, Two Vancouver Restauranteurs Return To South Indian Roots

(Globe & Mail) Hidden Canada: Secrets of Sechelt

(Western Living) Bond Over Local Brews and Sky-High Views in Sechelt

(WestJet Magazine) Visit North America’s First Indigenous Winery

(WestJet Magazine) Where To Eat And Drink In Richmond, BC

(TripSavvy) Victoria’s Best Brunch Spots

(NUVO Magazine) Sip, savour, and save the bees in BC

(BC Living) Dig into the Gibsons food scene like a local

(Vancouver Sun/Province) 10 sun-drenched patios on the Sunshine Coast

BC Adventures You’ll Want To Try

From searching for Sasquatch in Harrison Hot Springs, to making Parksville your own outdoor playground, here are some fun adventures you’ll want to try while you’re exploring your way through the province:

(Canadian Traveller) Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge: A Secretive Escape

(Lonely Planet) Vancouver’s most amazing city parks

(Canadian Geographic) Bigfoot emerges in BC’s Harrison Hot Springs

(Here Magazine) Finding Reconnection Through Solo Travel in Vancouver

(Vancouver Sun/Province) Make Parksville your outdoor playground

(Vancouver Sun/Province) BC’s best boating lakes

(BC Living) Explore These Hidden Hideaways in Harrison Hot Springs

(Vancouver Sun/Province) Hike and seek: 5 family-friendly hikes along the Sea-to-Sky Highway

(BC Living) 5 things to do at Big White Ski Resort (besides ski)

Enjoy A Wellness Weekend In BC

BC is the perfect province to find nature and namaste, and I’ve shared some great spots to connect and wind down. Here are just some of the best spots to enjoy a weekend of wellness:

(BC Living) Where to enjoy nature and namaste on Bowen Island

(BC Living) Romance and relaxation at Sparkling Hill Resort

(Vancouver Sun/Province) Surprise your sweetie with a romantic weekend in Victoria

For more of my travel stories, please visit this page.

The post Best Of BC: A Roundup Of My Favourite Places In My Province appeared first on Bits of Bee.

The reason behind my visit to Baden-Baden, Germany was twofold: I went to enjoy a bonding getaway with my oldest daughter and aunt and uncle for an epic birthday celebration and my first-ever visit to a European city, but I also went to explore the world-renowned wellness offerings in the bare-skinned baths of Baden-Baden, Germany. My aunt and uncle visit the fairytale town quite frequently, and insisted that I experience the wellness scene firsthand.

On the morning of my 40th birthday, I headed to the Friedrichsbad – a 19th century Roman-style bathhouse featuring a series of thermal pools and resting rooms. There, I moved through the silence-mandatory, 17-step circuit alone, in my birthday suit, facing my fears of public nudity.

Related: What You Didn’t Read About My Trip To The Galapagos

Following the wall maps, I wandered through the quiet halls of the spa, dipping into ice-cold tubs of water while struggling to stay submerged for the mandatory number of minutes, and sitting in brightly-lit steam rooms with naked strangers while in complete silence.

Related: 5 Reasons To Add Baden-Baden To Your Travel Bucket List

Along the way, I stumbled into a surprise hammam-style scrub down, where I was directed to lay down on a cold marble table while a large German woman scrubbed me from head-to-toe with a rough scrub brush while other naked ladies watched on as they waited in line for their turn. The three-hour process ended with two women towelling my naked body dry, applying moisturizing cream to my cool skin, and directing me to the relaxation room where they wrapped me in a cocoon of warm blankets. I feel asleep there, and awoke a new person.

It all sounds embarrassingly uncomfortable, but the experience was surprisingly soothing. I forced myself to settle into the process, and I emerged feeling completely rejuvenated and inspired. I took comfort in knowing that for the people around me, this was a regular practice. They didn’t care about being nude in public, and paid no attention to my presence as they soaked their stresses away.

I was humbled by the experience, and would definitely do it all over again. I wrote about this and my other experiences in the quaint German town for the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers. Check out my story here.

The post Why I Chose To Spend My 40th Birthday At A Nude Spa In Baden-Baden appeared first on Bits of Bee.

The plan was to land in Phoenix, pick up our pre-booked rental car, and then head south, exploring castles, caves, and cowboy adventures along the way during our weeklong jaunt. Little did I know, the trip almost didn’t happen, thanks to my trip up upon arrival.

We arrived in Phoenix in the early evening, and had planned on stopping for supper during our two-hour drive to our first destination: White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Laughing and chatting excitedly about our plans, my son and I stumbled up to the car rental desk, and dropped our bags as a customer service rep welcomed us warmly and waited eagerly to fetch our rental so we could be on our way.

RELATED: HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT ROAD TRIP – THE GLOBE & MAIL

“Reservation number?” he asked, and I slid a neatly-typed itinerary across the counter and into his view. “Ok great, we have you down for a nice economy car, does that work?” he continued. “Sounds good to me!” I responded enthusiastically. “Alrighty then, I just need your credit card and driver’s license, and then we’ll have you two on your way,” he said.

As I passed him my cards, I asked my son if he was hungry yet, and if he had any requests for a dinner stop. “Can we try to find an In-N-Out Burger? I’ve always wanted to try that place!” my son proclaimed loudly, and as I laughed at his obvious burger choice, the customer service rep called my name formally, in a less cheerful tone. “Mrs. Bujan, unfortunately I can’t rent you a car at this time, my apologies.”

Dumbfounded, my mouth dropped and my eyes widened. Was this some kind of joke? Was I on some stupid prank show? I stared at him blankly, speechless. “ I’m sorry ma’am, it looks like your driver’s license is expired, and has been expired for… the last 3 months,” he said slowly while studying the fine print on my card, grasped loosely between his thumb and middle finger. He looked up me and shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing left to say, and then looked beyond me to the next person in line.

RELATED: FIND CASTLES, CAVES, AND COWBOYS IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA – WESTCOAST FAMILIES MAGAZINE

I could feel a lump in my throat, and my heart started racing as panic started to set in. This trip (also a work press trip for a story I was doing) HAD to happen. Stay calm, the boy’s watching, I thought to myself. Don’t swear, don’t freak out.

In a haze, I thanked him and stepped aside so the next customer in line could have a turn. My son and I dragged our bags to the nearest bench, and I went to work on my phone as my son quietly mumbled, “Do we have to go back home mom? What’s going on?” I could see that he was holding back tears, and I did everything I could to do the same.

First, I called ICBC. They explained that I could expedite the renewal of my driver’s license, but in order to do so, I’d have to either visit an office in person, or fax the necessary paperwork and receive a temporary paper version – but that they could only send it to me by mail, and only to a BC address.

I looked up the cost to take an Uber to our first stop. $350, ouch. Then what? Since it was supposed to be a road trip with multiple pre-planned stops, a shuttle, Uber, or taxi would only get us to our first destination. We were stuck at the Phoenix airport. I didn’t know what to do next. I ran through every possible solution in my head – I even contemplated stopping a police officer, thinking maybe he could force the customer service rep to make an exception, or somehow help me find another way to gain a last-minute, temporary license.

Out of options, I hung my head in shame, and sheepishly called my destination contact who had set up our trip. It was my last resort. By then it was past her office hours, and I was horrified to be calling her on her cell phone at dinner time. She reassured me, remained calm, and told me to stay by my phone and she’d call me back ASAP.

My son and I shuffled to the nearest airport vendor, and had doughnuts for dinner while we waited to hear back. We sat in silence, unsure if our first mother-son trip was about to come to a screeching halt.

My destination contact was absolutely amazing and saved the day. She managed to book a town car, with a personal driver who picked us up from the airport within minutes. He drove us the full two hours to Tucson. He came back to get us a couple of days later to take us to all of the other stops on our road trip, and even joined us for meals along the way.

While we felt a bit awkward popping into small town cafes with what looked like a suited-up body guard, we made a new friend, and our epic road trip was saved thanks to some amazing people. I shared about our road tripping adventures in this story for WestCoast Families magazine, but what I didn’t share, was that I wasn’t the one driving.

For more of my travel stories, check out my work.

The post How My Trip Up Almost Ended Our Epic Road Trip Across Southern Arizona appeared first on Bits of Bee.

While it was truly a magical adventure, my trip took me outside of my comfort zone on more than one occasion. Departing for the Ecuadorian paradise, I didn’t know what to expect on my journey, and I’m still surprised to this day that I was able to see and do some of the things that I experienced while I was there.

THE JOURNEY

The long journey to get to the Galapagos Islands came with some unexpected hiccups. It began with a red-eye flight to New York, followed by a 12-hour layover (of which I was sure to take advantage of as it was my first time visiting the Big Apple). I cabbed into the city, and then saw everything by foot, equipped with a long list of must-see spots, and while I checked many off my list (Times Square, the rink at Rockefeller Center, the Macy’s Christmas window, FAO Schwartz, Grand Central Terminal, and the Empire State Building), I did so during a torrential downpour (which turned into a snowstorm). The city was empty, and by the end of the day, I ended up throwing out my sopping shoes and purchasing a new pair.

After a long (and wet) day exploring the city by foot, I was notified by email that my evening flight from New York to Guayaquil, Ecuador had been cancelled. Starving, I found a restaurant that literally had my name on it (La Pecora Bianca), where I noshed on pasta and sipped on red wine while trying to figure out what to do next. Thanks to the hard work of my trip host, I ended up spending an unexpected night in the city, in a cute little pod hotel in Brooklyn (Pod Brooklyn Hotel). I had to leave at 2am to catch my updated flight so it was a short stay, but definitely worth revisiting on my next New York adventure.

Upon arrival in Guayaquil, another flight delay meant another last-minute overnight stay. I met up with the rest of my travel group there and we spent the night at Hotel Del Parque, a serene spot just outside of the city. The next morning we were on our way – the last leg of our journey before arriving at our final destination.

I had left the Vancouver airport at 8pm on December 1, and didn’t land in the Galapagos Islands until around noon on December 4. My long-awaited journey was finally about to begin and I was pooped but pumped!

RELATED: CHECK OUT MY FIRST-TIMER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – LONELY PLANET

THE ADVENTURE

Once we landed on Baltra Island (one of the 13 islands that make up the archipelago), it took a bus, a boat ride, and another shuttle to get us to our resort, and boy was the journey worth the wait.

Set in the centre of a private giant tortoise reserve, nestled between two inactive volcanic craters, and surrounded by stunning Scalesia trees, I soon discovered that Pikaia Lodge was an eco-lodge like no other, one that not only provided the creature comforts of home, but that provided a fully-immersive experience for guests, allowing us to walk in fields with wild horses and crawling tortoises, dine on five-star meals, and then plant a tree to help the surrounding species grow and thrive.

RELATED: CHECK OUT MY STORY ON THE BEST WAY TO EXPLORE THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – BC LIVING

For the following five days, my time was packed with adventure. Days were spent either exploring the sights found inland, creeping through caves and tracking giant tortoises, or aboard the private luxury yacht of Pikaia Lodge, visiting the varying species in the area, hiking up volcanoes, kayaking, and taking it all in.

At first, the close encounters with wildlife had me feeling uneasy, but I quickly warmed up the unique environment. From the adrenaline rush of snorkelling nose-to-nose with white-tipped reef sharks, and standing between two alpha male sea lions as they charged each other in a fight to show dominance, to the heartwarming sight of a sea lion mother giving birth to and nursing her pup before my eyes, and watching a male blue-footed booby (a species found only in the Galapagos) sitting on his soon-to-hatch eggs while the mother searched for food, I was able to experience firsthand how locals coexist in harmony with the creatures of the Galapagos Islands – home to the rarest and most diverse species found in the world, and the inspiration behind Darwin’s theories of evolution after having walked in the same footsteps.

The journey was nothing short of magical, and I came home brimming with stories to share. I ended up writing about my experience for Lonely Planet, BC Living, and WestCoast Families Magazine, and I feel like I could continue to write more about all there is to see and do there.

RELATED: CHECK OUT MY STORY ON HOW TO EXPLORE THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS WITH KIDS – WESTCOAST FAMILIES MAGAZINE

Now may not be the time to travel, but when we can explore the world once more, be sure to add the Galapagos Islands to your bucket list (if you haven’t already).

The post Galapagos Islands: What You Didn’t Read About My Bucket List Adventure appeared first on Bits of Bee.

This song plays in my mind as I push the Start button and turn the shift dial to Drive in the new 2021 Kia Soul EV Limited – a sharp-looking compact crossover SUV that I’m test driving for the week. 

My first time ever driving an EV, I’m hesitant to trust the technology. As I slowly ease my foot off the gas pedal, the vehicle smoothly rolls in reverse, and I watch the guiding lines on the back-up camera as I’m directed out of my driveway. When I’m ready to shift back into Drive, I reach for the gear shifter (usually found to the right of the steering wheel in my own vehicle), and then laugh, realizing that it’s not there. Instead, another turn of the dial on the centre console propels me forward and I’m on my way.

When I pick up my kids from school, they’re impressed by the sleek design of the exterior, but are most excited to check out the interior. Our usual family vehicle – an oversized SUV from 2003 – lacks all of the flashy features of this new daily driver, so the heated seats, sun roof, and Apple CarPlay integration leave them starry eyed. Then, my son spots the slide-up hidden hologram display above the driver’s dash (known as the Head Up Display) and asks what it’s all about. When I explain that this feature allows me to see the posted speed limit, my own speed, and any cars that might be passing, he fixates on that feature, leaning into me to watch it at work as I drive us home.

I, too, am dazzled by the flashy features of our new four-wheeled friend. For me though, I am most impressed by how easy it is to drive (powerful!), charge (easily plugs into our garage outlet), and load (the trunk is surprisingly spacious considering its compact size). I had only recently begun to contemplate the possibility of adding an EV to our roster of family vehicles (which consists of one car for my commuting husband, and a larger vehicle for the daily back-and-forth of school drop-offs, dance classes, and sporting events for my three kids).

My hesitation: concerns around price, power, and ease of use. And apparently, I’m not alone.

What I didn’t know about EVs:

In a recent study conducted by Angus Reid, Kia Canada gathered Canadians’ knowledge about electric vehicles (EVs) to identify common misconceptions that act as barriers to trial and purchase. In their results they found that:

• 82% had never driven an electric vehicle (EV)
• 47% of Canadians are hesitant to purchase an electric vehicle due to common consumer misconceptions, and of this group:
  • 59% of Canadians believe EVs are too expensive and costly to maintain
  • 50% of Canadians feel that finding a charging station is a nuisance
  • 49% of Canadians feel that EVs cannot drive long distances
  • 30% of Canadians feel that it takes too long to charge an electric vehicle
  • 54% of Canadians are more likely to purchase an EV knowing the Canadian government offers sales incentives to offset the higher cost of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)

Through my 10 days behind the wheel of an EV for my first time, I realized that there was a lot that I hadn’t known about EVs – my mind filled with many of the same misconceptions as noted above.

I’ve discovered that EVs don’t have to be expensive. The 2021 Kia Soul EV Premium for example, starts at $42,895 (far less than the base price for one of the more commonly known EV brands). Plus, Canadian residents are eligible for up to a $5,000 rebate when purchasing a zero-emission vehicle. 

I worried about difficulty finding charging stations when on longer drives, and was pleased to discover that the display on the centre screen shows the closest charging station in your area as you drive. I was also pleased to learn that one full charge loads the car up with (approx) 383 kms, allowing me to drive far longer distances without charging than I had thought possible. I also learned that with the right adapter, the 2021 Kia Soul EV can be charged to 80% in under an hour using a level 3 (100 kW) DC fast charger, a huge benefit when considering long road trips. 

Final thoughts: 

Overall, I loved my first experience driving an EV. Over the 10 days I saved nearly $200 in gas (which would equate to a savings of approx $5,200/year). The car had power, and the easy-to-use features made it simple for me to get comfortable with the technology that I was hesitant to trust in the beginning of the test drive.

The 2021 Kia Soul EV was surprisingly spacious (I was able to comfortably drive myself, two children, and all of our gear to Mount Seymour for a ski day), and so easy to charge when needed. 

For our family, I think the Kia Soul EV would make the perfect commuter car for my husband, offering him an abundance of gas savings, and enough power to satisfy his need for speed. While it’s not quite large enough to be a daily driver for our family of five (plus Dalmatian), we could definitely fit comfortably for day trips and weekend getaways.

Interested in learning more? Check out the Kia Canada website. To learn about Kia Canada’s green car line-up and commitment to sustainability visit kia.ca/greencars.

Disclaimer: This is sponsored content created in partnership with Kia Canada, however the opinions in this post are completely my own.

The post Road Test: Going EV With Kia Canada appeared first on Bits of Bee.

Last October, I enjoyed a multi-day food tour of Barbados, celebrating the “culinary capital of the Caribbean” with a visit to the Barbados Food & Rum Festival, and some tours of the best local hidden gems found all around the island.

Bajans – the people of Barbados, love their Caribbean comfort foods, and after a scrumptious tasting tour of the best local food spots around town, I shared my thoughts on the five absolute must-try dishes that I discovered along the way with the readers of BC Living.

For the full story, click on the link below (or bookmark it for later!).

Read More: How To Eat Like A Local In Barbados

During my visit to Barbados, I also discovered some amazing, off-the-beaten-path culinary creations. From a back-road Barbadian cheese-making shack (such a hidden gem that you can’t find it on a map), to a decadent chocolate factory offering cocoa sweets made on-island, these businesses are spicing up the “culinary capital of the Caribbean,” introducing new, groundbreaking offerings — all made, sold, and consumed on the island of Barbados.

I shared my tasting tours of these spots with the readers of the Vancouver Sun newspaper. For the full story, click on the link below.

Read More: Groundbreaking cheese and chocolate artisans add new flavours to Barbados

If you’re still feeling hungry for more, I also wrote a story on how to dine in Barbados two ways – hands-on (at a farm and nature reserve found inland), or high end (at a stunning dining spot found by the sea) – for the readers of BOLD magazine. This story was only available in print, but you can read it by clicking on the link below.

The post Barbados Food Guide: Where (And What) To Eat While You’re There appeared first on Bits of Bee.