With revolution fever gaining momentum across the Middle East, many are cancelling travel plans and waiting for calmer skies. Tunisia, however, carried out its revolution with a combination of passion and efficiency and tourism is once again returning to the country.

According to the Tunisian National Tourism Office, tour operators will resume flights and tours in the country beginning February 27. The UK and Ireland Director of the office, Anissa Ramoundi, says,  “During the last month Tunisia has experienced a period of political unrest and great change, however the situation has now calmed down, and we are pleased to see that the FCO has changed their advice accordingly. With free elections in sight and a more open and liberal government in the making Tunisians are now optimistic about the future”.

Last year the tourism in Tunisia grew unprecedentedly, with a 28% rise from 2009.

More information at travelmole.com

We recently received a trip report from a client that had a wonderful time on one of our rides in Mexico (Colores de Mexico Ride), but was not very fond of the fact that the ranch was using stallion and geldings in their remuda together. She wondered if it had something to do with “not wanting to spend the money on castration” or maybe some sort of “Macho” thing in Mexico.
Here what our partner, Uschi, had to say … my comments will follow at the end of this blog.

Uschi Wichpraechter:
“Just a short comment on the remark of these guests about keeping stallions. Since about two years I do have more and more stallions in the group of horses (32 horses / 12 of it stallions).
It is an old myth that you can not keep stallions together and that they behave badly together and on the rides. If you observe their comment they say, they might behave badly, nonetheless, they did not or rather they do never behave badly.
When they see a mare, most of them don't even notice them and if they do, they just make a cute noise of ihihihihih (really funny) and then they walk just by.
What you have to do if you integrate more stallions into your group... you have to close your eyes and ears for a couple of days until they know where their place is in the group and keep them happy with food, so there is no reason to fight about and obviously... no mares in the group. Only stallions and geldings... and all works out fine.
It is not about the money and not about machismo, it is not necessary to geld a perfectly perfect horse. They are outside together the whole day, get their little quarrels sometimes, but once they are saddled up they behave great. Up to date, we did not have one bad experience.
And if you go to other places like Morocco, Jordan, etc they even ride stallions and mares in the same group, once saddled they behave normally very well. What people are really not used to is to see them outside together. I am sure, they are much happier like this and I did have some bad experiences with the gelding of a stallion, so if not necessary I will not do it anymore.
The horses are a great ride thanks to the great life and interactions they do have here at the ranch. No need to keep them in separate boxes living frustrating lives all day long.
I walk daily between all my horses in the corral and... they come up to me like dogs and are really in a good mood.
So why not promote a free stallion life. The only thing we humans fear, is that they could get hurt and do not look as nice as if they are prisoners each in one of his own cell. A little bite, a little kick, some fun and you have a great horse for your next ride.”

A last comment from myself…

“I have been around horses for over 40 years and at times owned a remuda of 60. Our horses had a lot of room to roam and we never separated them. The formed their little groups and families and I believe they were extremely happy and a very good ride … we rode mares, geldings and stallions together without ever having any issues.
Watching them play their roles in their little harems it warmed my heart  every time realizing that they were all very happy.  In contrast when I go to some of the most sophisticated stables in more urban areas that have all the fancy gadgets for their horses … I seldom saw happiness in their eyes ….  Let’s not forget …. horses are herd animals and not pets.”
Ryan
Hidden Trails

Namibia has declared its entire coastline a National Park. The Skeleton Coast Park covers over 26 million acres, making its total size larger than the country of Portugal! The national park even defies borders as it connects with South Africa’s Richetersveld National Park in the south and Angola’s Iona National Park in the north.

One of the objectives behind the national park designation is twofold: increasing tourism and keeping poaching at bay. The Skeleton Coast National Park includes abundant wildlife such as hyenas, black rhinos, desert elephants, African penguins, Cape fur seals, and the small prides of lions that have recently returned to the area, perhaps knowing they were being given a protected home!

Aerolíneas Argentinas is offering deeply discounted domestic flights or even free tickets provided you fly to Argentina with Aerolíneas Argentinas.
This is a huge saving that well deserves a check.
We are all aware it is not the best airline in terms of on board service and punctuality but their safety track is unbeatable.

Aerolíneas flies out of Miami, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome to Buenos Aires.

We all have heard the news about Tunisia and Egypt. Of course we have suspended trips to these two countries for the time being. We all hope that in the end the situation will improve for the people that live there and make them even bigger tourist attractions in the future once they have stabilized their political situation.

At the same time we can confirm that there are no troubles in either Morocco, Jordan or Oman and our trips will continue as normal.
Here is a short report from our partner in Jordan:

"Dear partners,
A good day to you from Jordan!
Seen the recent events in the news about the middle east and the situation in Egypt and Tunesia, we like to inform you that there is no simular situation in Jordan.
We have a stable and democraticly chosen government and a well liked King.
The economical situation is also different in Jordan in comparison to Egypt and Tunesia.
There have been a few requested and approved demonstrations in Amman on Fridays after the prayer.
These are about the high petrol & food prices. The demonstration are held in an orderly manner with no rioting and with approval of the government and police.
We here in the south of Jordan, (Petra, Wadi Musa) haven’t noticed anything at all. Life goes on as normal.
We also do not expect an unstable political situation in the future.
So you can all still advise your guests that travelling to Jordan is safe.
We haven’t received any cancellations from guests, but we did receive some questions about this situation.
That is why we would like to inform you from our side."

Here on the south coast of Canada our suburban farming communities have recently been prey to a wild animal: a cougar roaming the area of Maple Ridge has recently killed seven farm animals in the last ten days. Its most recent victim was a horse. Local authorities are saying that the animal is “very unpredictable and is a genuine cause for concern”.

We all know that wild animals enter residential neighbourhoods due to encroaching development or a lack of natural resources but, despite the unfairness of the situation, no one wants to lose their beloved animals to the cause. However, not all horses take the presence of wild cats lying down. There have been reports of horses successfully defending themselves and defeating mountain lions – just going to show that no matter how well trained your horse is, there remain innate animal instincts lying beneath the surface!

Cougar in Maple Ridge, CBC story: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/01/24/bc-cougar-maple-ridge.htm

Story by Pepe Schravesande  Valle de Bravo, Mexico

People interested to visit foreign countries during their vacation time usually choose places where they can easily know they will not have any problems during their holiday. Often we easily become the prey of the sensationalist media news and without making any further research, we simply decide to put aside any country that has the minimum amount of violence related information. Sensationalist journalism influences tourist decisions and make them reluctant and hesitant to visit a country where they may otherwise have an enjoyable vacation. So when it comes to Mexico ... is it a safe country ?

Many well informed citizens from countries all over the world, but specifically from the USA and Canada, make Mexico their "Retirement Home"  Statistics show an increased number of retired “baby boomers” from the USA and Canada that are deciding to live their retirement days in a country with a mild weather, warm and hospitable people, and good and accessible variety of food.  All these people have surely made an intensive research before deciding to move and live permanently in certain specific regions in Mexico.  They cannot all be wrong; if you study carefully each region, Mexico is a good place where to live! Therefore, many regions in Mexico are also an excellent choice where to have a great vacation.

Of course nobody can deny that violence has increased in Mexico.  A comparison with violent acts happening in the country before year 2007 demonstrates this fact.  But something important to know is that the so called “drug war” is mainly taking place in the Mexican northern states that border with the United States of America, the biggest consumer of drugs in the world. There are some other small specific areas in Mexico that are affected with this violence, but in most of the cities, towns and villages people continue to live in peace and harmony.

During his term of office, President Calderon has made a big effort to break down the multiple drug cartels that work in the country sending drugs to neighbor countries, Canada and USA; the same as to many other countries in Europe.  The result of this hard and risky work made by municipal, state and federal police with the help of the army and the navy, shows that multiple leaders of these mafias have been arrested and many of them killed in violent confrontations.  The process followed by the Mexican government, with the advice and help of American and Colombian specialized agencies, is working as predicted.  But the temptation of “easy and big money” has made the drug cartels become very aggressive between them trying to occupy the spaces left by the arrested or killed leaders.  The violent deaths that are mentioned in the sensationalist media come from these drug gang confrontations.  Most of the people that die work in the drug related commerce and, regrettably, some policemen and soldiers working for the benefit of Mexican citizens also die in the line of duty.

Sadly, the media sensationalism has taken advantage of this situation and converted Mexico into a country that frequently appears in the TV and press with only bad news (which of course sells more than good news!). 

In counterbalance, some weeks ago two different well known publications showed how fallaciously this information has been manipulated and blown out of proportion.  In New York, a local newspaper published a research comparing violent deaths in different countries.  Separately, in Mexico City a prestigious medicine magazine with information from the World Health Organization made the same type of analysis.  In both of them, Mexico appears in a position lower than the middle of the table, below many other countries that do not have the same scandalous coverage by the media.  The difference is that these other countries have had the same amount of violent deaths for many years whilst Mexico’s violent deaths suddenly increased since 2007.  This is what makes Mexico very attractive to the yellow press!  But still now days, Mexico has less violent deaths per inhabitant than almost three fourths of the countries that appeared in these analysis.  The heartbreaking part is that this type of information does not easily appear in press releases around the world.

Tourism in Mexico represents the third source of income of the country.  It is a very important activity which provides many Mexicans with a way of living.  In year 2009 this industry was seriously affected by noisy news coverage of an influenza epidemic alert in Mexico that, at the turn of the weeks, affected more people in many other countries than in the country where the alarm was first given.  In year 2010, again a noisy news coverage informing about drug cartels and violence, also hit all tourism related business.  Now days this industry reports 40-45% occupancy against the 80-90% that it had in previous years.

Mexico is a big country with a wide variety of ecosystems that provide a great diversity of flora and fauna.  From the tropical jungle to the high altitude mountain forests and from the blue seashores to the golden dessert, Mexico has a broad biodiversity.  This is also reflected in the different physical traits and behavior patterns that Mexican citizens have throughout the country.  Visitors can distinguish the different regions not only by their geographical location, countryside, flora and fauna but also by their particular history, culture, food, music and handicrafts.  All are different and each region is unique, including its people with their behavior and activities.  One cannot generalize.  Each region and its people should be analyzed individually.  Therefore the sensationalist media should apply the same criteria when informing about what happens in Mexico.  This way, tourists would be better informed about the reality of the different regions that shape Mexico.  The U.S. Department of State knows this and clearly informs about the regions they consider their citizens shouldn’t visit. Still, because of the sensationalist media news, most of the possible tourists make a generalization of the whole country, instead of individualizing each region. 

The Mexican tourism board is making a significant effort to promote the different regions of the country.  Special advertising campaigns in magazines, newspapers, TV, fairs and exhibitions have been created to inform tourists around the world about all the regional beauties that Mexico has.  The campaigns show the different tourist places that can be visited including seashores, prehispanic ruins, colonial cities, natural wilderness areas and the “Pueblos Magicos” (Mexican magic towns).  Amongst this last group is Valle de Bravo, located in the State of Mexico.  Due to its location, landscapes, weather, and the special security system that the governor of the State of Mexico has displayed in this area, Valle de Bravo is considered “The Jewell of the State of Mexico”.  Being the most important tourist place in the State of Mexico, favored by the presence of bankers, industry men, politicians, ambassadors and high society families, Valle de Bravo is one of the best taken care regions in the country.  The wealthy and important families from Mexico City have made of this peaceful place their weekend home where they have the opportunity to practice an extensive variety of outdoor sports and activities that includes one of their favorite ones: horseback riding. 

For many years hundreds of riders from different countries have come to ride to Valle de Bravo.  All of them have enjoyed the natural beauties of the colonial town, its blue lake and the evergreen forests that surround it.  Many of these tourists have made of Valle de Bravo a return place for their vacations.  Experiencing the real Mexican way of life, international visitors have enjoyed riding in a peaceful and hospitable region that makes them want to return for more.


January 11, 2011.
Jose Schravesande Brun

Because it is the best way to find your dream vacation .....

In today's world of the internet it seems that all the information is at your fingertips ... just search in Google ... and you will find your dream horseback vacation right away. Really? As fantastic as the internet is to find almost anything you want ..... it also creates a lot of clutter and unqualified information. Today it is more important than ever to get good advice - unbiased and objective advice that is. It is the main purpose of an agency, like Hidden Trails, to find the right trip for the right person and to give them proper information so they can make the right choice for their "dream horseback vacation" - it is even more important for horseback riding vacations than any other type of vacation, because equestrian vacations are not just comparing one 4 star hotel to another 4 star hotel. Ther are many variables to consider, especially in relation to the horses, pace and riders abilities.

Horseback riding vacation trips may be as old as the ancient explorers, but to manage a successful outdoor adventure company today means being proficient with modern technology.  Hidden Trails offers a wide variety ofequestrian  adventure trips from horser and cattle drives or pack trips to riding from lodge to lodge or even castle to castle. They find that offering a buffet of detailed trip descriptions, slide shows, and trip reports on their website www.hiddentrails.com is only the first step to properly inform their clients.

Travelers are bombarded with multiple offers of trips, and a tour company must help ensure that customers select the right trip.  So the Hidden Trails staff welcomes calls from people maneuvering through the over 300 trips (toll free in North America and via Skype worldwide).  Having been on the majority of the trips, the owner operators Ryan Schmidt and Barbara Arnold have developed an understanding of how the different trips work, the pace of the trips, and the different accommodations and food types.

With a tourism skill set first sharpened through managing his own guest ranch and fishing lodge in northern BC over 12 years ago, Ryan guides customers through hard choices as they make their dream of an outdoor riding vacation a reality.  To find the right trip for the client's skill level is a key ingredient for success. 

A Trip Finder helps customers navigate by filtering trips by date, holiday season, cost, and destination.  The company has trips in around 40 countries, most recently adding a variety of trips in Israel, Oman and Mozambique.  Once a filter is applied, a map shows the location of the trips.  Customers can either research their results or re-apply the filter.

A customer can add trips of interest to the online cart and produce their own free Digital Brochure as a pdf file which serves as a personal brochure.  The pdf brochure offers targeted, complete and updated information in much more detail any print brochure would be able to.

As technology and the travel industry are constantly changing, companies such as Hidden Trails have no real choice but to stay up to date.  It’s the only way to be and remain a market leader and Hidden Trails offers more details and options than any other travel company with over 2000 information pages online.

For more information, contact:

Ryan Schmidt

Hidden Trails
Vancouver, BC, Canada
www.hiddentrails.com

mailto:ryan@hiddentrails.com

(604) 323-1141 or Toll Free  1-888-9-TRAILS
Skype:hiddentrails

One of the perks of my job is I get to go and check out the rides we offer. I have travelled all over the world and have been on some of the best horses, seen some of the most beautiful sceneries and met some of the most interesting people. Even though I was quite busy in the office my wife, Roberta, and I decided to go and check out some of our offers in Arizona again  this December – it had been quite some time that I had been there. It is only a short flight from Vancouver and the fact that it had been raining for 2 weeks straight, helped to make a quick decision.
As I said – it had been a while – and I certainly did not remember the variety of the different landscape you find between the southern part and the northern part of the state – it was amazing, but we get to that later.

We found a direct flight into Phoenix, where we rented a car (Jeep Wrangler) and started our journey in the late afternoon.

White Stallion Ranch

Our first stop was the White Stallion Ranch. We have been selling the White Stallion Ranch for over 10 years, so I knew I would find a great place, since all the trip reports have been excellent. My job was to identify what makes the ranch special and what type of our clients would be best served with a stay there – not all great places are perfect for everyone, which is of course true for any of our trips.

The first observation was an extremely friendly staff from the beginning – which contributed to the overall friendly atmosphere of the ranch. They had a full house with over 40 guests, and while at times that can seem isolating if you are on your own – that is not the case at the White Stallion Ranch. It seems the warmth of the staff and owner, Russell True – a very charming man, creates an ambiance that includes everyone.  It does not matter if you come with your family, a group of friends or alone:  it will not take long before you are part of a group of people. I was riding on my own (my wife does not ride – figure that!) and immediately became part of a group of four when we competed in the Cattle Penning, which is a lot of fun for anyone at any riding level. The guests come from all over the world and most of them come year after year – some even several times a year.

The riding is very well organized and can cater to any riding level. They are extremely safety-oriented from start to finish.

Any time you mount a horse they have a raised platform for you and a wrangler is there to hold your horse (even out on the breakfast ride). Each group of riders (usually 8) will be accompanied by 2 wranglers; one in the front and one in the back. The riding pace is fairly slow, but the “loping rides” do offer several nice short, controlled canters. Two all day rides are offered every week and 2-3 times a week you can participate in the team penning, which was my highlight of the riding part.

Team Penning: Everyone gathers in the large arena in groups of 4 riders. The job is to ride (race) to the end of the arena, where several steers are being held in a corner. The “lead man” gets there first and cuts out 3 of the steers and starts moving them to the right along the fence line. The other 3 riders cover the flanks, so they cannot break out. The goal is to manoeuvre them around the fence and then into a small holding coral. Of course these cattle know what is going on and kind of go on their own – but not always. For example, on our first try one of them decided to head back so our time was not great. But the second and third attempts were excellent at 18 and then 16 seconds – a pretty good time for a bunch of rookies!

Accommodations were spacious, clean and very comfortable. Wi-Fi inside the casitas was very good. Meals were very good buffet style with several options each day. The ranch grounds are immaculate with a very nice garden (lots of cacti) all along the casitas, the walkways and other areas. There is a nice small pool and an indoor Jacuzzi. The massage service seemed to be a great hit with the guests, but we did not use it.

Overall, this is a great place to go relax, have fun and enjoy the Arizona desert. Perfect for couples, groups and individual travellers. It is very close to Tucson but still secluded enough that you can truly “get away” – they have 3000 acres of private land and the rights to ride into the adjoining National Park, which is home to thousands of magnificent cacti.  Probably not the best place for people looking for more independent riding or fast paced riding or those that want to have a closer contact with their horse – like brushing and saddling – since this is all done for you by the time you come to the corals. Even though there may be 40 riders it does not feel like it once you are out on the trail.

Rancho de la Osa

Our next stop was to the south – way south. The ranch is fairly close to the Mexican border, but completely untouched from any kind of the issues that one may hear in the news. This is one of the oldest haciendas in Arizona that has been inhabited throughout the times. The thick 3 foot adobe walls must have some stories to tell. The ranch has very much a different feel to it; more of a Mexican influence with palpable history. They were not very busy – just getting ready for the Christmas guests to arrive. Each bedroom, suite, dining room and bar has its own atmosphere with different colors and decors- very unique. The owner of the ranch has a real touch for vogue painting and we were told that it changes on a regular basis – he just loves to paint!

The dining room had a classic historical feel to it.  I am sure some movies were made here in the past or will be at some point. It is more like a traditional hacienda rather than a guest ranch. Here the guest will find a very personal ambiance – a perfect place to find peace and quiet for a week. Each ride and activity is personalized to your wishes so riding groups are usually quite small.

Coming from the last ranch we missed some of the abundance of the cacti around the buildings, but overall we felt very comfortable and at home. So if you are looking for a getaway with a historic background … you will love it here.

Tombstone Apache Spirit Ranch

From the border we drove all the way east to visit and inspect this new guest ranch that just opened up outside of Tombstone. I assume everyone has heard of the “tourist” town of Tombstone, its gunfights and other historical re-enactments. Well I had and so thought this was a place for the kids and romantics of the Old West – not really my kind of thing. However, I was in for a very pleasant surprise! At first it all appeared just like I had expected when driving into Tombstone for dinner at the saloon (not the ranch yet) and yes it is a bit touristy, but it became apparent that the people that actually live in Tombstone really like their history and their way of life. They actually dress up the part and it almost looks all real if it was not for some of the tourists around. It gives you a feeling of what it was like in the old days. Having a beer at the bar of the old saloon – knowing that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday once shared a beer at the same place – was special to me, to my surprise!
Then we drove on to the ranch, which is just a few of miles outside town. The owners (some investors from Germany in co-operation with some of the business men of Tombstone) created a smaller version of Tombstone itself; of course a newer version, but just as captivating and at a 4-star level. They created a small Western street with the facades straight out of the movies. The only things missing were a couple of horses tight up in front of the rooms and they are working on that.You could not find more friendly and hospitable hosts – always eager to please. Everyone that works at the ranch seemed to be living their dream  (they all were really into it) which was a nice atmosphere to enter into.

All the rooms have their entrances off the “main street” and each room has its own ambiance and style. I would certainly rate all of them 4+ stars and one of a kind as a guest ranch. The whole set up comes with an excellent restaurant (many dinners are taken outside on the main street) with a superb chef, a full Western saloon with authentic bar and poker table. We had some of the best lamb ever and played poker with Doc Holliday (the one in the show in Tombstone). My wife, who had never played in her life of course, cleaned up and won everything, but I think Doc must have cheated a bit and gave her the good cards.

The riding was very enjoyable with lots of options for a nice canter and my horse was one of the best horses that I have been on for a while. The ranch is working on some great day trips where they will take the horses and rider to different trailheads for a good variety of scenery and trails.
They also took us into the Dragoon Mountains, which was a great experience. Two native guides took us along, explained their history and culture and traded stories of the time of Cochise and his favourite hangout. They brought some of the roots of cacti and other natural foods that can be found in abundance out there which were quite tasty. Some of the walls had rock paintings dating back to the Anasazi people that were there long before the Apache. We all returned to the ranch with a feeling of better understanding the old times … wonderful, but my wife said that she is glad that she did not live back then …  I think I would agree even though it was probably a bit better for us guys than for the women … what a tough life … or what do you think ?  We both came back appreciating our life today just a little bit more. We cannot wait to go back to the ranch, maybe in February.

Apache Ride/Cross Country Arizona

Our next visit was to our partners, Dominique and Ron, who run the Arizona progressive camping rides. From Tombstone we drove back to Tucson to meet with them. Their little horse ranch is just 30 minutes south of Tucson, but you think you are in the middle of nowhere. They are very happy in the little hideout with all of their horses. From November to March they are off after a 9 month “camping trip” all across Arizona from the Apache Ride and the Cross Country Arizona to the Geronimo/Grand Canyon and Monument Valley rides. Driving across Arizona we actually had the privilege to see many of the different riding areas and they were really spectacular, especially the Superstition Mountains. Dominique and Ron are true horse people: they live and breathe “horse”. They have chosen a very unique lifestyle and seem to be very content with it. We talked a lot about the horses, tack, the horse trailers and the shower set up, the limitation of water in some areas and how beautiful Arizona really is. I am glad that we found these great people to run our trips.

Cattle Ranch in Pleasant Valley

From Tucson it was a long and beautiful drive to the north (5 hrs). The cattle ranch is just outside of Payson, which seemed to be in a different state altogether. Desert and cacti gave away to mountains, canyons and large forests. Here there truly were some of the most spectacular US sights that I have ever seen.

We reached the ranch after dark and had to drive the dirt road going in very carefully. I recommend that if you drive in do so while it is light out. Also you will be able to see more of the great surroundings!

The lodge is breathtaking, spacious and far beyond anything one would expect at a cattle ranch. The dining and living areas are comparable to a 5-star resort, the kitchen is top notch and the rooms are very, very, very nice. I would say that from a “cattle ranch” perspective this is the most luxurious.

We were greeted by the owners’ daughter who specially came up to the ranch just because of us, since there were no guests at the moment (full house the next week). She is an excellent host and fantastic cook (don’t plan on losing any weight up there – it is just too good). We met Pete, the manager, the wrangler and his two young sons (he has a total of 5) and had a great time. All of them are truly interested in providing a great time for their guests.

The ride out into the ranch and range further opened my eyes to the beauty of the area; pictures just cannot do justice – you must see it to appreciate it. Wide open grasslands, big canyons, meandering creeks; all were just spectacular and my horse was very nice to ride. There are plenty of elk and deer, and some black bears and cougars in the area. We did not see them all except plenty of the Whitetail Deer. The ranch also offers skeet shooting (from 10 stands), an archery and shooting range, sightseeing trips by jeep as well as good fishing in their own private pond.

After our relaxing stay we headed back to Phoenix along the “back road” which we truly enjoyed and I would recommend to anyone that decides to drive in and has an extra hour to spare. You could not ask for more spectacular scenery including big canyons, lakes and desert full of typical cacti. The highlight was the area of the Superstition Mountains, which we now saw from the other side, rounding out the impression they left. I should not forget to mention that the ranch is in the Tonto National Forest which embraces almost 3 million acres of rugged and spectacularly beautiful country, ranging from Saguaro cactus-studded desert to pine-forested mountains beneath the Mogollon Rim – worth visiting for anyone that spends any time in Arizona.