ZECO TRAVEL TALK

The cover story for Smithsonian Magazine’s July issue is the Casbah of Algiers, a World Heritage Site. This fascinating story details the Casbah’s intriguing history, and the need to preserve the place. Zegrahm travelers will have a good look at the Casbah of Algiers on our April 2008 voyages aboard Wind Spirit.

If you find yourself with a long layover in Singapore’s Changi Airport (5 hours or more), you can take one of the free city tours sponsored by the Singapore Visitors Centre. The tours operate on a first-come, first-served basis, last about two hours, and are conducted in English. There are six tour departures daily, starting at 9 a.m. The last one leaves at 5 p.m.

To reserve a time slot, stop by one of the Singapore Visitors Centre tour counters in Terminal 1 (next to the Nexus Lounge at Transit Mall East, Level 2); or in Terminal 2 (near Sweet Treats at Transit Mall North, Level 2). The tour counters are open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:25 p.m. This is a wonderful, visitor-friendly way for the city to promote itself and a great way to while away those long hours of waiting in-between flights.

As the ornithologist and birding leader for Zegrahm Expeditions, one of my greatest joys is the start of a trip. The air is charged with anticipation with people arriving from all corners of the globe. There are smiles, handshakes, and humorous banter as you meet previous traveling companions and relive previous adventures shared together. However, despite all this fanfare, what you really are eagerly awaiting is the start of the next great adventure.For one couple, Don and Donna, the start of our recent Azores to Gibraltar expedition was filled with even more excitement and anticipation than usual. Keen birders, they have traveled the world in search of birds and had arrived at São Miguel in the Azores on April 13th, 2007, poised to break the 5,000 barrier. For the uninitiated, the 5,000 barrier may not mean that much. However, to a birder it is one of life’s mega-events. Managing to see your 5,000th bird species puts you in a class all on your own. With 10,068 known species that means that you have seen just about half of all of the bird species that inhabit our planet. Read more