Author: travelnews (Page 49/70)

Last Updated on June 18, 2024

Do you know how many countries you’ve been? Let me show you how to use Humbo to create your own countries visited map.

Ever since I ticked off my 100th country, I set a personal goal for myself: to travel to every country in the world. I’ve been slowly pursuing that goal over the past few years – things slowed down quite a bit after I moved to Mexico, as flights aren’t quite as affordable or direct here – but I’m not giving up and will keep chasing that dream, slowly but surely. 

When the folks at Humbo approached me to review their site, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to reflect, take stock and figure out how many countries I’ve already visited and how many I’m left to explore. In this article, I’m going to share how to use Humbo, with step-by-step guidelines and ideas on how to make the most of this new travel platform.

Humbo: A Multi-Functional Travel Tool

Humbo is a cool platform that allows users to visually capture and share the places they’ve been. It’s like a digital version of the scratch off world map. But instead of hanging on your wall, you can take it with you wherever you want and share it with whoever you want.

Besides allowing you to create a map of the countries you’ve visited, Humbo is also a great trip planning tool that provides ideas and inspiration for your next trip. For instance, if you search for Nepal, you’ll see all the top places worth visiting in Nepal, as recommended by other travelers. They are shown on a map, as well as in list form, so you can easily get an idea on where they are.

Creating a Countries Visited Map Step 1: Join Humbo

To use Humbo, start here: humbo.com/visited.

It’s ridiculously easy to join Humbo: all you need to do is enter your name and email address, no password needed! Honestly, I hate websites that make it such a pain for you to create an account, some of them requiring extra security steps. But Humbo makes it truly a breeze.

Once you’ve entered your name and password, you’ll be sent a code by email. It’s a 4-digit code that you just need to enter. And voila, you’re in! You’ll have a personal account and a url with your name.

Step 2: Rate the Places You’ve Been

Start building your map by rating places (towns/cities/national parks etc.) that you have visited. Countries are added automatically based on the places you rate. So if you rate Paris, then France will be added too.

Humbo gives you a few suggested places to start rating. You just need to give an overall rating for “How was the place?” by giving it 1-5 stars. Then you’ll be brought to the next step, where you can add ratings for five more questions:

• How were the people?
• How were the food and drinks?
• How were the public spaces?
• How was the value for money?
• How safe did it feel?

But you don’t have to rate this if you don’t want to; just click on the X button to close the rating pop-up and the place will still be rated. You also have the option to write an actual review, but I didn’t bother with that.

Step 3: Load Your Map

Once you’ve rated the first few places, your map will be automatically created! It already looks fantastic, with a rotating globe on the left and the list of places you’ve been on the right. 

Step 4: Add More Countries to Your Map

To continue populating your map, you can either click the “Add places” button at the right and search for places that you have been to, or click places on the map. 

I rated places that I had visited in Uzbekistan – Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva etc. And just like that, Uzbekistan was added to my map. 

Step 5: Finish Your Map

It took me about 2 hours to rate the places I’ve been. I found out I’ve traveled to 149 countries and all 7 continents. It was so cool to walk down memory lane and reminisce on all the adventures I’ve had so far. 

Check out my map here: humbo.com/nellie-huang/map

Bonus: How to Create a Travel Bucket List

You can also use Humbo to create bucket lists and keep a record of places you want to visit. You search for a place (town/city/national park etc.) in the main search box at the top, go to the place page, and click “Save” to save the place in your bucket list. 

If you don’t know the exact place, but you know the country you want to visit, Humbo allows you to search for specific countries. On the country page you will find the country’s top destinations, and there you just click on the three dots in the top right corner of the place card, choose ‘Bucket List’ and voila!

I managed to add the remaining countries I’ve left to visit in my bucket list – such as Mali, Chad, Sierra Leone, Pakistan and Venezuela. So whenever I’m in trip planning mode, I can easily just go to my bucket list and get inspiration on where to go next!

My Thoughts on Humbo

After using Humbo to create my travel map, I found it to be such a simple, easy-to-use platform to keep a record of places I’ve been and find inspiration on where to go. Even if you’re not in pursuit to travel to every country, this can be such a practical trip-planning tool.

As Humbo is still a new platform, there is still a lot of room for improvement. For instance, I’d love to be able to embed the map in my website or connect with other travelers and see their maps. With more features, I can see how Humbo has the potential to be a powerful and incredibly popular tool. 

What I Like about Humbo:

• I like the interface – it’s simple, clean and easy to use.
• The country pages are great for learning about a country and discovering new places to explore.
• The list feature is another great tool to find travel destinations for future travels. Some lists like “The best foodie cities” are useful for people like me who like to eat!
• I was impressed that Humbo has even the most remote towns in its inventory. I could even find Ishkashim, a tiny town in Afghanistan with the Tajikistan border.

What I Didn’t Like about Humbo

• The platform still seems very new and unpopulated. It would be great if they could connect countries, perhaps add in nearby countries under each country page so you can easily hop from one country to another without searching for it.
• I would have loved to be able to see other people’s bucket lists and countries visited maps. It would be so cool if they can allow users to connect with Facebook friends and see each other’s countries visited map.
• I’d love to embed my map in my website; that’s not possible now but hopefully it can be a feature they’ll add in future.

Would You Use Humbo?

I personally think Humbo is a fun, interactive tool that allows people to track where they’ve been without creating an Excel sheet or buying a scratch map. Whether you’re an experienced traveler or a newbie who’s dreaming of traveling the world, Humbo will surely keep you wanderlust spirit burning. I know I’ll be continuing to scratch off my visited countries as I go along.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Humbo, but as always, all opinions expressed are my own. I only recommend products that I find useful.

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Stretching over 300km, the iconic Chao Phraya River twists through the heart of Bangkok, weaving the neighbourhoods together with riverfront communities that are integral to the city’s identity. Riverside areas offer a scenic contrast to the bustling streets of the city centre. Here, the banks are lined with historical complexes mingling with modern attractions and tourists staying at their luxury Bangkok city hotel, creating a unique travel experience in Thailand’s busy capital.

Wat Kalayanamit

This serene temple complex features ornate architecture and a peaceful atmosphere, offering a less crowded option for those looking to glimpse into the history of Thailand’s iconic temples. The buildings loom over the banks of the Chao Phraya, with a courtyard of picturesque ponds and waterlilies.

Wat Arun

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) sits across the river from Wat Kalayanamit, with its towering prang (Khmer-style spire) adorned with colorful porcelain shards. A breathtaking landmark during the day, the unique temple is bathed in gold during sunsets and stands as a glowing fixture when illuminated at night.

Lhong 1919

A restored riverside community, the former 19th-century Chinese Mansion features a courtyard of old shophouses transformed into art galleries, cafes, and unique shops. Follow the aroma of incense around the complex that sits only a minute away from the Wang Lee Pier ferry service.

Thonburi Canals

Explore the waterways inking the map of Thonburi, Bangkok – embark on a long-tail boat tour and weave through a network of khlongs (canals), witnessing local life unfold along the water’s edge. Despite the modern characteristics of the area, the canals pass through scenes of waterfront temples and bustling markets, a glimpse into a different side of Bangkok.

Asiatique The Riverfront Asiatique The Riverfront = Image via Flickr

A destination for shopaholics and foodies alike, the riverside market and mall of renovated waterfront warehouses houses trendy shops and renowned restaurants, 5 minutes away from Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok. Additionally, for a panoramic view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya, catch a ride on Asiatique’s Ferris wheel overlooking the illuminated waters of the river.

 

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Looking for an exciting and unique eco-tour? Florida’s subtropical climate and convenient access give you that and so much more! All types of people can (and do) go on outdoor adventures here. Abundant tour options enable visitors to see and experience Florida animals in the wild. Tourism and development pressure has put many species and habitats at risk but these are the stories of how your vacation dollars help protect and preserve these endangered species.

Manatee Encounters in Crystal River Photo Credit: Discover Crystal River Florida.

By now, most people know what a manatee is. They are the cute marine mammals that congregate in the springs during the winter and eat a lot. Their closest living relative is the elephant if that tells you something about their diet and appetite. They are also our favorite wild animals in Florida and our favorite weekend getaway in Florida.

Forty years ago, there wasn’t this kind of awareness. People called manatees funny looking speed bumps. The population was in steep decline, and boat strikes alone threatened to push them into extinction. Luckily, the state and Federal Government started to develop protection plans to save these gentle giants. These plans centered on using tourism to help spread the message.

The Florida Manatee Recovery Plan states – “Media coverage of manatee rescues, treatments, and releases helps to educate millions of people about manatees, the life-threatening problems that they face… In addition, more than eighteen million visitors a year see manatees at rehabilitation facilities and participate in manatee education programs sponsored by several parks. The publicity and outreach inherent in this program provide significant support to efforts to recover the manatee… Manatee viewing opportunities have also been made available to the public… Such efforts are essential for obtaining public compliance with conservation measures to protect manatees and their habitats. Many public awareness materials have been developed specifically focusing on boater education.“

Thanks to literally millions of people becoming involved, manatees have left the endangered list in Florida. They aren’t out of the woods yet, but there’s hope that you can continue to swim with manatees in Florida for years to come.

Diving on Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.

The Florida Keys boasts about how they have the only living coral barrier reef in America. Tour operators take boatloads of people every day to dive and snorkel in this underwater playground. However, if you read between the lines, you realize that the coral reefs of the Florida Keys are at the northern edge of their habitat. That makes the ecosystem vulnerable. As a matter of fact, Key West recently voted in a law to ban the sale of non-reef-safe sunscreen(sunscreen products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate) believed to damage coral reefs. (This progressive policy took effect January 1, 2021)

In recent years, El Nino / La Nina weather patterns exposed the vulnerability of the reef system. Coral reefs are a complex symbiotic community of polyps and algae. When the reef is stressed, it releases the algae in a process called coral bleaching. Bleaching alone can recover quickly, but the stress exposes the ecosystem to diseases like white-band and blank-band coral disease. These are infections that can wipe out entire reefs very quickly. When the reefs go, the Florida animals living on them will soon follow.

Scientists and volunteers have been working tirelessly to fight these devastating threats. They are treating infected corals and propagating disease-resistant species. Right now, they are working to contain the disease and save the species. The economic value of these reefs to the Florida Keys is, in part, why Florida’s Governor DeSantis is recommending $277,650 for “Monroe County Reef Protection.”

Dolphin Tours in Panama City Beach Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

It seems like every beach town in Florida has some kind of dolphin tour rolling, for good reason too. These little guys are pretty darn cute and we love it that people are seeing them in nature instead of dolphin shows. However, Panama City Beach and its adjacent St Andrews Bay offer something particularly unique – the world’s largest population of Bottlenose Dolphins. Of course, with a draw like that, a lot of people get into the dolphin tour business, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

St Andrew’s Bay is a particularly vulnerable ecosystem because it has minimal tides combined with a small influx of fresh water. Advocacy groups, like the Friends of St Andrew’s Bay, are taking up the banner to protect this resource. They put it so eloquently – “We can lose a great number of species within our nationally-significant ecosystem if we don’t care for it properly. If the water becomes turbid or if sediments become contaminated, we can lose everything. Property values, recreation, and fishing are also at stake. We don’t want to lose our biological treasure and the social benefits it provides.”

Sea Turtle Hatching in Fort Lauderdale Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.

When Europeans first came to Florida, they loved sea turtles because they could stay alive for months upside down in the ship’s hold until they were finally eaten. Green turtle soup canneries have decimated that species in Florida. Somewhere between the 1973 Sea Turtle Protection Act and Crush, the dude-ing turtle from Finding Nemo, sentiments have changed. Nothing captures the poetic struggle of life more beautifully than baby sea turtles hatching and rushing towards the ocean. It’s mad and perfect at the same time. Seeing these little guys running down the beach to swim out into the open ocean captures the spirit of hope in all of us.

We had an opportunity to watch a turtle hatch for ourselves with Sea Turtle Oversight Protection, a community group dedicated to saving baby sea turtles. All summer long, their volunteers watch nests that are about to hatch and help the hatchlings to the ocean if they get confused by the bright lights of Fort Lauderdale. To date, they have saved over 200,000 (yes five zeros!) baby sea turtles who would have otherwise died on the beach or on the road. (Hooray for endangered species in Florida!)

Despite growing as a tourist destination, Fort Lauderdale is now neck and neck with Oman as the largest turtle hatchery. In 1985, only 1216 turtles nested in Broward County. Today, that number is about 4,000 with more coming every year. Conservationists mark the nests and help the hatch, but you can see this midsummer miracle for yourself as an eco-tourist.

The Elusive Florida Panthers of the Everglades Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.

There are some Florida animals you’re not likely to see, but that doesn’t mean tourism isn’t helping them too. Per the Florida Panther Recovery Plan  – “Panthers require large, contiguous areas of suitable habitat to meet their social, reproductive, and energetic needs. Panther habitat selection is related to prey availability, which means they select habitats that make prey vulnerable to stalking and capturing. Dense understory vegetation provides some of the most important feeding, resting, and denning cover for panthers.“

The plan goes on to explain “The breeding range of the Florida panther population is currently restricted to habitat south of the Caloosahatchee River in southern Florida.” For the lay folk, it means Everglades National Park and the associated wildlife preserves. Activities, like airboat rides in the Everglades, introduce people to this unique ecosystem and dispel myths and fears about swamps. People are learning why wetlands are worth saving instead of draining for more condos. Is it working?

The Florida panther population has increased from about 20 adults in the early 70’s to almost 300 adults today. Breeding females have been found north of the Caloosahatchee with individuals regaining historic ranges in Georgia. Scientists continue to fight the fight and introduce fresh genetic stock from related pumas in Texas, but it’s up to us  to choose the wildlife of the Everglades over the nightlife of Miami.

Miniature Key Deer on Big Pine Key Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.

Have you ever heard of a Key Deer before? Perhaps not because there’s only 800 of them in the world and they only live in the Florida Keys. But, if you’ve ever seen Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer cartoon, they look just like that (minus the nose). They are about the size of a big dog and cute as a puppy.

Not so long ago, Key Deer were a few gunshots from being extinct. Poaching in the 1950s reduced the population to only a few dozen animals. The establishment of the Key Deer Refuge and the subsequent 1967 status of the endangered species act allowed for a dramatic recovery of the species. Now, nearly a thousand Key Deer live in the Keys, mostly around Big Pine and No Name Key.

When you’re planning your visit to the Keys, consider visiting the refuge to see these cuties for yourself. It will be a reminder of why you should drive the speed limit on Highway 1, especially at night when these Florida animals are more active.

Goliath Grouper Aggregation on Florida Shipwrecks Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.

For our next “only in Florida animal encounter” we have the Goliath Grouper aggregation. They are the diametric opposite of Key Deer in every way except how ecotourism is helping to save the species. These enormous fish are the apex predators in the shallow reefs surrounding Florida. Epinephelus itajara, aka Goliath Grouper, are the largest grouper species in the Atlantic Ocean weighing up to 800 pounds.

They were considered for inclusion on the endangered species act in 1991. By 1993, all commercial fishing was prohibited in Florida and the Caribbean. Florida began to add artificial reefs along the coast from Miami up to Palm Beach. In all, about 300 ships were sunk along the coast. The grouper population responded well. By 2006 they were removed from the species of concern list.

With numerous shipwrecks populated by 800 lb fish, the Florida Reef Tract has become a destination dive location. Perhaps the most famous dive is the grouper aggregation on the M/V Castor in Palm Beach. In the late summer, hundreds of enormous fish gather on this deep wreck in one of the most impressive pelagic viewing dives on the planet.

Florida’s Wild Monkeys Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

On the Silver River, near Silver Springs State Park, eco-tourists can experience another ‘Only in Florida’ encounter – wild monkeys. If you have the means to travel the world, you’re bound to see monkeys in the wild, but for many blue-collar tourists, this might be their only chance.

No, these monkeys aren’t native Florida animals. In 1938 Colonel Tooey imported six monkeys for his wild Jungle Cruise. A few years later, he brought in six more. Now, over 200 monkeys are swinging through the cypress swamps. That means this entire population came from a minimal genetic stock. Only, unlike the Florida panther, scientists are not looking to introduce genetic diversity. You can see their crooked tails and other traits from a shallow gene pool in this isolated population. Even if they are a non-native species, a kayak trip down the Silver River is still a fascinating and fun animal encounter! Native or not, they are wild animals so don’t feed, approach, or harass the monkeys. Just enjoy them from a distance.

Hope for Florida Animals Photo Credit: Discover Crystal River Florida.

Animal encounters only in Florida are real. America’s subtropics are filled with stories of challenge, redemption, and thousands of volunteers working to save species and habitat. Eco tourism driven education and funding have helped further that cause. From manatees to sea turtles, dolphins to divers, animals are coming back from the brink and having a fighting chance. We hope you are inspired to come to Florida for an amazing eco-adventure.

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