In this issue: Competitours & Mexico: Mountains to the Sea

This month we share what we’ve turned up on a recent Xola consulting project in Mexico and introduce our new partnership with StepUpTravel.org.

Our two businesses share a similar mission: to promote responsible tourism entrepreneurs and connect them with travelers who share their values. From now on you’ll find Off the Radar feature stories also appearing on StepUpTravel.org. We’re encouraging the businesses we work with to post their trips on StepUp, and travelers to post reviews about your trips! If you haven’t already, join StepUp community (you can do it through your Facebook account) and write reviews about the local businesses you love.

Also visit our site for a visual blog from Mexico, Vista Verde Ranch, and Info on the new ATDI 2009 Rankings.

Competitours – Get Your Adventure On!

Last year we introduced you to Competitours before they launched their inaugural tour – It was a massive success and they are running new routes again this year.

As we know, adventure travelers have a reputation for fearlessness and at times, let’s be honest, a competitive nature.  Competitours is the Amazing Race for regular people – and perfect for the Adventure Traveler. Teams participate in a series of challenges through a mix of Eurail-connectd cities and out of the way villages, to claim victory of first prize: $5500 or 200,000 starpoints (there are also 2nd and 3rd place prizes).

So assemble your team, pay your trip fee, and get your adventure on! The price includes your airfare, which on the outbound flies you to a “surprise European destination.”  Once you arrive, you have seven days to demonstrate your travel prowress.  There are no physical stunts, teams have to use their brain power to complete the challenges. A challenge might be visiting the Torture Museum in Prague to shoot a video “explaining how an instrument of torture could be used as a nonlethal household item.” The Judges use videos filmed by the teams to announce each day’s winner, but no videography experience necessary.

Visit their site for more info.

PS: Your Canadian editor would like to point out that, unlike the Amazing Race, people from all nationalities can participate in Competitours!

Mexico: Mountains to the Sea

Mexico is as varied as it is magical. Whether charmed by the narrow, cobbled streets of San Cristobal de las Casas, stirring up bioluminescent plankton on a nighttime swim, or dropping into Class V creeks in your kayak – Mexico reveals its adventure to those willing to venture off the resort.

Whitewater in Veracruz

Dario Lopez Vives at K360 in the town of Jalcomulco has been running the three stretches of river – the Pescados, Antigua, and Barranca Grande – for 15 years, and he specializes in teaching whitewater kayak skills. His giant smile and elegant skill have made him a popular guide and revered in the rafting world.

Mauricio Morales, a legend and pioneer in the Mexican whitewater world, has created a self-contained ecolodge across the way at Mexico Verde, where everything from leaves to gray water is recycled or composted.

On the other side of town, check out Rio y Montana and Okavango, and find out about the hike to the village of Chopilapa on your day off from the river.

And down to the ocean breezes…

Fly in and out of Veracruz City, a port city with a lively colonial downtown, complete with a traditional coffee drink from La Parroquia. The Costa Esmeralda north of the city offers a chance at a great sport with one of our favorite guides: Peppi Stunkel from Elemental Kite School. After dinner head out to the beach to assist on a turtle conservation project; patrols are needed nearly year round for multiple species of turtles that nest along the beaches of Costa Esmerelda.

Oaxacan Culture and Surfing

Once you are ready for old world charm, cobbled streets, markets glowing with intricate alebrijes, and the taste of authentic molé and mescal, head south to Oaxaca City. Tour the Santo Domingo church and the botanical gardens, then book a trip to the Sierra Norte and Pueblos Mancommunados with Expediciones Sierra Norte. Rent a bike, or a horse, or use your own two feet to explore the trails with a local guide. Your guide will tell you about every plant in the cloud forest, from leaves that have the taste and effect of aspirin (since you’re at nearly 8,000 feet you might try it to get rid of that altitude headache!) to plants that are sweet and lemony.

Surf

The flight from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido is breathtaking. In Puerto Escondido find Roxelle Perez Contreras and her husband at Bazar Puerto Excondido, who can teach you how to surf or boogie board. Try a surf lesson from the man legendary for surfing in a luchador mask – ask for Angel! – at Central Surf Shop. Here, you can try out paddleboarding as well and get to know the man who is coordinating a surf championship for handicapped surfers this spring.

At the end of the day, call Lalo Tours to take a night boat ride through a nearby lagoon, where a plunge in the water leaves you glowing—with bioluminescent plankton all around. As people swim away from the boat you’ll see only the glow around them in the water, radiant light speckling the calm waters.

Into the Wilds of Chiapas

Catch your next flight to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital city of Chiapas, and take a quick 30 minute cab over the mountain to San Cristobal de las Casas. At Na Bolom, spend the night and explore the anthropology museum’s many rooms and courtyards with artifacts curated by the Bloms, founders of Harvard’s Anthropology Department and the first documenters of the Lacandon culture preserved in the deep rainforest until the 1930s.

Driving south, and make your way to the Monte Azules Biosphere Reserve and locally run Las Guacamayas Ecolodge to float the Tzendales River and watch toucans cruise through the air. Crocodiles and eerie howler monkeys await you at Yaxchilan, an extensive archeological site tucked into a bend on the Usumascinta River.

But the coffee…

Our hearts took us to Argovia Finca Resort, where their passion for the best coffee aligned with ours. Fly into Tapachula where you’ll be met by the Ruta del Café Volkswagen. Wind your way up into the steep jungle. Bruno Giesemann’s family has owned the coffee plantation for 4 generations, and you’ll love touring his coffee production facility, eating beans off the trees, and harvesting flowers in his gardens. Take a horse or a mountain bike to any of the four surrounding fincas, and your gear will be shuttled there for you.

Most importantly, taste the signature Chiapas coffee, perfectly roasted to bring out its unique feature: the chocolatey aftertaste.

Photo Contest

February, 2010 Photo Contest

This month, see if you can identify the famous track in this picture. The locals call the island where it’s located Te Wai Pounamu, and our friend Ange says it’s HEAPS of fun. Be the first to email our editor at editor@travelofftheradar.com with the correct answer, and we’ll ship a piece of ExOfficio gear off to you!

Photo by Ange Gervan

Last Month

Congratulations to Benj Binks from Australia who correctly identified the photo from last month: the Solaar de Uyini in Bolivia.

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