Tour Like Tarzan
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I've tried the usual adventure tours - rafting, safaris, mountaineering - so now what can you suggest for an unusual eco-adventure?
Canopy tours first took off in Costa Rica then jumped to other countries like Mexico, Ecuador and South Africa. You glide from tree to tree along cables and rest on viewing platforms to observe wildlife not usually encountered on ground level. Just inquire to make sure that the tour isn't just about swinging around; a genuine eco experience should teach you something about the biodiversity of the canopy.
- Most national parks in Costa Rica offer canopy tours.
- Abang Africa (http://www.abangafrica.com/index.asp?typeid=1), a Fair Trade Tourism accredited company, begins with a lesson about biodiversity and tree identifcation before the Treetops Tour begins. Three hours swinging through the South African forest of Tsitsikamma will cost you about $55.
- A guide provides interpretation of the habitat you're gliding through in The Original Canopy Tour (http://www.canopypago.com/index.html), which operates in Belize, Jamaica and Mexico, as well as Costa Rica.