The Monte Toboggan on Portugal's Madeira Island is just one of many ways locals have created to get from one place to another, ways that we believe are a vital part of a local travel experience

We believe that the different forms of local transport are unique qualities of a place that, when experienced, are a vital part of a local travel experience. To know a place is to get around it the way local people do: cramming yourself into a chicken bus in South America, throwing caution to the wind in a tuk-tuk in Southeast Asia or boarding a ferry in Africa. We dare you to give them a try! We’re sure you will find these rides to be a brilliant bonding experience with locals.

To inspire you… and in honour of our recent focus on local transport, we asked our network of local travel professionals all over the world to give us a glimpse of the best local conveyances in their destinations. Their responses are as varied as they are colourful – everything from trains and boats and buses to animal power and bicycles and three-wheeled wonders.

We’re pleased to present this gallery of the best of local transport inside the whl.travel network.To make it work:
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Trains on the Right Track

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Bicycles Worldwide

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Buses Not to Miss

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Muscle Power

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Transport on the Water

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Three-Wheeled Wonders

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Here is our selection of five great places for a Carnival carouse outside of Brazil.

Costumes are key in the Carnival celebration on the Maltese island of Gozo. Some take the disguise aspect so seriously that they will conceal their identities completely by remaining silent. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Thyes

Malta and Gozo

The central Mediterranean island of Malta is known to spiral into madness, absurdity and lively celebrations for the five days of Carnival, the most colourful event on the Maltese calendar. The holiday has been celebrated in Malta since the 16th century, giving it a momentum that has been building for hundreds of years.

The small island of Gozo, just to the northwest of Malta, is particularly notorious for its own version of Carnival, hosted in its capital city of Victoria on It-Tokk, its main square, and in the village of Nadur. Gozitans take pride in their parallel and distinct celebration of Carnival, which they sometimes interpret a little differently than their Maltese counterparts.

For example, in Nadur, the costumes take on a whole new level of absurdity, highlighting the grotesque and ensuring complete anonymity. In fact, in Nadur, the masqueraders are so serious about remaining unrecognised that they will don sacks, sheets, wigs and outrageous makeup. They will even stay silent to conceal their voices, which is why the party in Nadur is known as the Silent Carnival.

Each village around Rijeka, Croatia, has its own distinctive bellringer costume that appears in the International Rijeka Carnival, one of the biggest in Europe. Animal masks are most common, but variations include flower hats and coloured paper streamer headpieces. Photo courtesy of Kvarner County Tourist Board on Flickr/whltravel

Kvarner, Croatia

Croatia is another Mediterranean country with a flair for celebrating Carnival. Its all-out annual festival is headquartered in the coastal city of Rijeka in the Kvarner region, which plays host to huge street parties, costumes and parades that draw masses of people.

Croatia’s own traditions and customs make its Carnival party unique, and the most iconic revellers are the bell ringers. Shepherding in the Carnival magic, the bell ringers dress in lambs-wool costumes and huge animal masks. They band together along a procession route from village to village, and ring the bells they wear around their waists. Bell ringers from each region have their own costume and musical walk, but all of them play the same role: to ward off evil spirits. Villagers welcome them with wine and refreshments.

The several days of Carnival in Croatia culminate with a massive procession in Rijeka. The International Carnival Parade tends to be around five kilometres long, with thousands of participants from both Croatia and abroad. They outdo themselves each festival season with elaborate costumes and decorations for their floats. Spectator numbers surpass 100,000, forming a sea of masks, merriment and revelry.

The Tourism Board of Seychelles is excited to promote its first annual International Carnival of Victoria, kicking off a new tradition of large-scale celebration that will rival the biggest Carnival parties worldwide

Victoria, Seychelles

The Seychelles sells itself as a “melting pot of cultures,” an appropriate slogan given the rich blend of influences and traditions that characterise this island nation in the Indian Ocean. It is also fitting that the island aspires to host the biggest international celebration of Carnival worldwide.

This year, from March 4th to 6th, Seychelles’ capital city of Victoria, found on Mahe Island, hopes to attract the representatives of Carnival celebrations from all around the globe to an international melting pot of festivities. The initiative came from the Seychelles Tourism Board, which is planning this high-profile event as a showcase for both participating countries and for Seychelles itself as a premier international destination.

Alain St. Ange, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, told reporters “We envisage attracting a strong and varied contingent from abroad. Pledges of support have been given by several international carnivals and others probably including South Africa.”

The paint and plumage of Carnival costumes in Madeira, Portugal, reveal the vibrancy of one of Europe's most famous street parties. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Jamie Neely

Madeira, Portugal

Madeira is a Portuguese island that has long been a destination for fun lovers and pleasure seekers. The capital city, Funchal, certainly knows how to host a party! Its annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display reaches Guinness World Record proportions and its celebration of Carnival has gained notoriety as one of Europe’s most raging street festivals.

This year (2011), the festival begins on the 5th of February and lasts until the 8th. Thousands of participants will fill the streets in outlandish costumes that rival the most exquisite plumage and glam in Rio de Janeiro. Samba bands will play music in the streets, providing a baseline for days of dancing, singing and merrymaking.

As with many of the Carnival celebrations worldwide, Madeira’s is a burlesque. Costumes are caricatures of famous personages and parade floats are fun-poking allegories on wheels. After four days of fiesta, the revelry finally winds down for the seriousness of lent.

Unlike in Rio, the dances in Oruro never change because each one corresponds to a Bolivian folk story. The Caporales dancers shown above are presenting the story of the Yungueno slaves, and their rich costumes show the money that their slave owners paid for (and profited from) them. Photo courtesy of Maureen Valentine

Oruro, Bolivia

At 3,708.5 metres of elevation, high in Bolivia’s altiplano, is the cultural centre of the nation for the 10 days leading up to Ash Wednesday. During this time of the year, Oruro shows its true Carnival colours with ornate costumes, pumping music and plenty of heavy drinking.

An intermingling of pagan beliefs with the Catholic faith, typical Bolivian dance groups like the Morendaas, Tinus, Caporales and Llameradas parade through town and act out myths from Bolivian culture while dressed in elaborate garb that has taken the entire year to fashion. Two of the major players are the devil and the archangel and when they both arrive in the Carnival stadium on Sunday morning before Lent, there is a battle of dance that symbolises the confrontation of good and evil.

During the day, wearing a poncho and glasses is advisable; local children are out in full force with water balloons and spray foam to attack any easy targets – and gringos are notably easy targets. Also, a wise traveller books reservations in advance; the arid highlands of Bolivia can be unpleasantly cold and this small town of 250,000 will swell to more than double its size during Carnival.

If you love crowds, Alfama is the right place to go. However, if you like people and still wish to be able to walk normally, then you’d be better off visiting the Santos or Madragoa districts of Lisbon. The streets will be very animated, with restaurants appearing only during the night of June 13, when you can sit in the middle of the street and eat sardines with beer or wine. The price is a lot higher than usual, but it is worth it for the show that surrounds you.

With a bit of luck you’ll find a parade group preparing for their turn to perform at our most noble avenue, ‘Avenida da Liberdade’. You will learn some typical stories about the city, buy a special pot of flowers that can only be found on this date, and you’ll walk through the city to the Elevador da Bica district, where you will suddenly hear music and can join a lively crowd dancing in a square that has just been set up on this occasion. This is the best place to mix with the Portuguese people, hear and dance to local music and enjoy the feeling until you get too tired!

Having someone to guide you through the labyrinth of streets is highly recommended, but you can also just follow the crowd. It’s best to blend in as much as possible, so leave your expensive cameras behind and enjoy Lisbon like a local.

That said, it’s hard to find a subject that stirs as much pride, interest, passion and debate as a discussion of cuisine. Getting to grips with the local grub is as much a part of the travel experience as immersing oneself in the local culture, engaging with local people and learning the local lingo; it is definitely one of the highlights of any trip.

Thanks to the efforts of our whl.travel and Urban Adventures local partners around the globe, we’ve managed to assemble a pretty extensive selection of typical local appetisers, soups and stews, main dishes, vegetarian dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks and street foods, many even with recipes, but all recommended by inside local experts.

So start by using our photo gallery below, limber up your jaw and start munching!

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Appetisers

Soups & Stews

Main Dishes

Vegetarian Dishes

Desserts

Drinks

Snacks & Street Food

Competition is fierce for the invitation-only right to set up shop in the coveted 'Traditions' section at Lima's Mistura food festival. This special space devoted to good, old-fashioned Peruvian street food featured tamales as a highlight in 2010.

Peru, a True Culinary Crossroads

September sees Peru‘s grand culinary fiesta, Mistura, take place in the Parque de la Exposición in central Lima. This weeklong extravaganza features renowned local and international chefs celebrating the country’s cultural and culinary melting pot, which boasts influences from Africa, China, Japan, Spain, Italy and the Middle East. One of the highlights is the ‘Traditions’ section, which is dedicated to the versatility and endless variety of Peruvian street food with stalls selling much-loved goodies such as anticuchos, tamales, sandwiches and sweets.

Pitahaya, also known as dragon fruit, is actually the fruit of the cardon cactus. Native to Mexico, it is also cultivated in parts of Asia.

Prickly and Fruity in Baja Mexico

Every summer, the coastal area of Los Cabos at the southern tip of Mexico‘s Baja California Sur, likes to show its appreciation for the pitahaya (dragon fruit) harvest, during the famous Feria de la Pitahaya. Held in the charming village of Miraflores, just 30 minutes from Cabo San Lucas, this festival is, as one might suspect, all about this succulent fruit of the cardon cactus, with homemade pitahaya ice cream and candy, as well as fresh fruit and a crowning ceremony for the pitahaya queen, as well as the less fruit-focused pursuits of donkey racing and arts and crafts contests, all accompanied by the mellifluous strains of music from a mariachi band.

San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize plays host to the annual San Pedro Lobsterfest. The last and longest of the three lobsterfests in Belize, it's five fun-filled days of BBQs, carnivals, block parties, cocktail parties, pub crawls and music.

A Belizean Fishy Fiesta

With 198 miles of Caribbean coastline and the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, Belize can always be counted on to feature its fresh fish and shellfish cooking. To celebrate the start of lobster season (in June), there are annual summer lobster fests that kick off in Placencia Village before moving on to the island of Caye Caulker and wrapping up at the San Pedro Lobsterfest in the main town on the island of Ambergris Caye. The towns slip into lobster lunacy, as stalls selling all manner of lobster dishes set up along the streets and beaches, bands play day and night, and the rum and beer shacks are in full swing. With most restaurants offering all-you-can-eat lobster buffets as well, this two-week party is guaranteed to satisfy your king-of-crustaceans urges until next season.

Cooking and Culture in Australia and Portugal

Australia has a large Greek population, so it is only fitting that there be celebrations of Hellenic hospitality. The city of Brisbane has its own in the form of the Paniyiri Greek Festival in late May. This largest cultural festival in the state of Queensland is in its 34th year and is a three-day extravaganza of food, drink, fashion, fireworks, music, eating contests, grape stomping, dancing and cooking demonstrations, all adding up to more than 50 hours of non-stop entertainment. Zorba would be proud!

Machico Gastronomy Week on the island of Madeira, Portugal, is one of the highlights of the island's social calendar. Not just content to showcase local cuisine, the event also features a very popular cocktail festival.

The Portuguese island of Madeira celebrates Machico Gastronomy Week at the beginning of August. Visitors and locals descend on the seaside town of Machico, famous for being the landing point of Madeira’s first settlers, to enjoy a vast array of local dishes and delicacies. Although there are a few other food fests on the island, this one draws the biggest crowds and culinary talents and acts as a showcase of traditional Madeiran cuisine and produce with the aim of widening its appeal beyond the island. Food is of course the rich principal attraction, but the addition of sports tournaments, live concerts featuring local bands and artists, and even a cocktail festival adds to the fun.

Wet Your Whistle in India (wine), Malta (beer) and South Africa (whisky)

Proudly billed as Malta‘s largest free outdoor festival, the Farsons Great Beer Festival has celebrated the humble ale annually in since 1981. The 10-day mid-summer festival boasts over 300 hours of music, 40 live performances from local bands, 15 bars, two stages, a daily beer drinking competition and a variety of international cuisines complemented by a large selection of beers produced and imported by Farsons. The bars and souvenir stalls also sell the official festival beer mug, which has become quite a collector’s item!

A wine festival in India like the Grape Escapade Festival in Goa might seem rather unusual, but the country does actually produce both decent vintages. Of course, there are a few wacky interpretations thrown in for good measure. Herb-infused health wine anyone?

The beginning of every year sees wine fever hit India’s small, southwest state of Goa with the Grape Escapade Wine and Haute Cuisine Festival. Going strong since 2005, it attracts India’s biggest wine makers, guaranteeing some great local nectar. In addition to some traditional grape crushing, which lures in participants eager to dance barefoot in a vast tub of grapes, the event features free wine tastings, top-notch nosh in the food courts, dancers, fire-breathers, artists, fashion shows, live music and the crowning of the Grape Escapade Queen. Started by the Goa Tourism Development Organisation as a fun platform to promote Goan lifestyle, culture, food and drink, the event has certainly done that and more and regularly attracts between four and five thousand visitors a day.

South Africa pays its respects to the aqua vitae with both Cape Town and Johannesburg playing host to a three-day FNB Whisky Live Festival every November. With the Scotch Whisky Association confirming the spirit is fast becoming a tipple of choice to young, upwardly mobile South Africans, it’s little wonder that this is the largest whisky and lifestyle event of its kind, attracting more visitors and brands than any other whisky festival globally. Divided into zones, the display area is definitely not short of attractions, including a chance to sample over 180 whisky varieties in the tasting hall, expert workshops and tutorials on whisky jargon, distillation and cocktail making, guided tours and food and whisky pairing. The event is capped off with a big party, where everyone still standing can indulge further before heading home to sleep it off.

They were built using the resources at hand: stone or wood for the walls and straw from the once-abundant wheat fields for the roof. The palheiros served the locals for centuries as stables and dwellings. The most well-known type of house is the triangular one with the thatched roof coming all the way down to the ground. Inside there is an attic for storing agricultural products and a ground floor divided into two rooms, one of which was the bedroom. Cooking was done outdoors.

For practical and economic reasons, these houses are no longer built. Similar ones are used to shelter animals in the fields, but are covered with corrugated iron instead of straw. Cereal is no longer the main crop in the area and the straw needed to replace the roofs every four or five years has become scarce and very expensive.

There are a number of the triangular palheiros in and around the Santana village. Some, like the ones in the picture above, have been built to serve as showrooms and keep traditions alive.

One of the most strikingly beautiful and undisturbed of these parks lies in Portugal’s extreme northwest, just four hours from Lisbon by car and a stone’s throw from the Spanish border. Dominated by ancient granite massifs, the vast expanse of Peneda-Gerês National Park was established as Portugal’s only national park in 1971 and now welcomes more than 250,000 visitors annually, all eager to spend time exploring its deep woodlands, ancient archaeological sites and wide open spaces.

“There are ancestral trails from the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, you can enjoy all the animal species in their wild ecosystem and the landscape, as you can see, is very peculiar,” says David Marques, product manager of Waypoint, a certified local business partner of PAN Parks and licensed ecotourism company. “Portugal has some more natural reserves with great experiences, but Peneda-Gerês is crystallised in time and you feel surrounded by this atmosphere that you can’t reproduce anywhere else. It’s a big, overwhelming, wild landscape and it’s only two hours from Porto airport.”

Natural Highlights

Formed by glaciers more than 300 million years ago, the Soajo/Peneda, Amarela and Gerês mountain ranges are a natural barrier between the park’s eastern plateaus and the seashore plains to the west. Within this space of more than 700 square kilometres are high windswept plateaus, old growth forests and majestic mountains.

Oak forests, as well as mixed forests of deciduos and evergreen trees, are among the most characteristic habitats of Peneda-Gerês National Park. Copyright: PGNP Archive

Along the park’s horseshoe-shaped valley and upland granite landscapes, visitors will encounter a wide range of microclimates and ecosystems that shelter an incredible diversity flora and fauna. Some of the most common trees and shrubs include oak, holly, yews and silver birches, as well as several endemic species of lily and fern. This all provides ideal shelter to wild goats and a large population of otters, not to mention roe deer, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and some of the continent’s last surviving indigenous wolves.

One native animal that deserves special mention is the garrano, a wild pony of Celtic origin with an ability to travel across steep and rocky terrain. Their profiles can be found on many ancient rock carvings. Due to domestication, however, the breed was nearly extinct by the mid-20th century. Fortunately, a successful program has reintroduced the breed into today’s national park.

As one of the wettest areas in all of Portugal – there are more than 130 rainy days per year in certain areas – the park has a real abundance of rivers, reservoirs and waterfalls. One of the most spectacular cataracts lies near the old frontier station at Portela do Homem; others include the waterfalls of the Ribeira de Campesinho along the eastern edge of the park.

“What I liked about the part of Peneda-Gerês I visited was the untouched nature, which in some areas gives the feeling that very few people have been there yet,” recalls Virginie Grimault of Saga Travel, a local tour operator in Lisbon. “You’ll get beautiful panoramic views as you drive up and down into the forest and have a glimpse of a lake which appears from time to time.”

Outdoor Adventures

Whether your interests lie in bird-watching, rock climbing or a cool relaxing dip in a clear mountain stream, the natural scenery of Peneda-Gerês has much to offer in the way of outdoor pursuits.

For hikers, although the central and northern parts have better access and a greater diversity of terrain, as well as more agricultural activity, one can choose from among 31 reasonably well-marked trails that range from short day hikes to treks lasting several days. The popular hiking season is in the months of April and May, when the park’s meadows are teeming with blooms of colourful wildflowers, although April to mid-June is a particularly rewarding time of year to visit for anyone. Hiking maps are available for download and can also be picked up at park offices.

For cyclists, popular and scenic rides are to be found along the giera – an old Roman road complete with ancient mileposts and several crumbling Roman bridges. The road once connected Astorga, Spain, to present day Braga, Portugal, and long stretches along the Homem River are still remarkably well preserved.

Anyone drawn to water should head right to park’s scenic lakes – Canicada, Salamonde, Lindoso and Touvedo – natural gems where windsurfing, kayaking and boat rental are possible. Near the spa town of Gerês in the park’s central region, the Barragem da Caniada (Caniada Dam) is a popular spot for canoeing and fishing.

Northern Portugal is very different from the lower, mainly flat areas of the south. Visitors will discover mountains and high plateaux, cut through by deep valleys. Copyright: PGNP Archive. Photo by Edit Borza

Historical Sites

Early signs of human history within the area of Peneda-Gerês date from around 3,000 to 4,000 BCE. Dolmen graves and megalithic monuments can be found along the Castro Laboreiro plateau, in Portela do Mezio and Chã da Serra Amarela or in the high plateaus of Mourela Mezio, Paradela, Cambezes and Pitoez. Many historians believe that more prehistoric settlements have yet to be discovered.

Evidence of the medieval times can be found in the castles and churches located throughout the park. Some of the most picturesque include the Castro Laboreiro, the Santa Maria dos Pitões monastery and the Castelo do Lindoso. Espiguerros – corn granaries – dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, like those near the towns of Soajo and Lindoso, are topped with a cross symbolising God’s protection of the harvest.

The park’s rustic hill towns and mountain villages with cobblestone streets are also a throwback to another time. The very highest lands were once cultivated as summer pastures in which small summer brandas (villages) were constructed for people accompanying their cattle, sheep and goats. Today these remote settlements are largely abandoned, as are the simple abrigos (shelters) used by past generations of herdsman. That being said, and even though the pastoral way of life is slowly fading as younger villagers head into the cities, within the park, are rural communities where oxen are still used to plough the fields.

Wet soils within the park have produced some rare and vulnerable habitats that include peat-bogs and humid bushes. Copyright PGNP Archive. Photo by Marcos Veiga

“One of the best times to visit the park is in the spring – there will still be snow on the highest peaks but the weather can be excellent for walking and climbing to the remoter areas,” says Paulo Almeida Lopes from Oficina da Natureza, a tourism company that leads guided treks within the park and throughout the north of Portugal. “It is a time as well to find, even today, the occasional herdsman walking out to the uplands with his flock, an isolated speck, lost in the huge backdrop of wide open spaces, wild country and remote views down to the Atlantic some 50 kilometres to the west.”

Although plenty of areas in the park can be explored on one’s own with a good hiking map, several local outdoor outfitters and area guesthouses offer all sorts of guided adventures and excursions. PAN Parks has also launched an 11-week-long online competition giving travellers an opportunity to win prizes each week with questions designed to test your nature knowledge. The grand prize is a guided outdoor holiday in PAN Parks’ Majella National Park, Italy, where 740 square kilometres of pristine parkland offer phenomenal hiking in the Italian Abruzzo region. Other weekly draws include bags, binoculars and various types of camping gear.

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Aivar Ruukel (@ruukel and @soomaa_parnu) – the former whl.travel local connection in Pärnu and Soomaa National Park, Estonia

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Slavica Vukcevic (@slavicaMA) – the whl.travel local connection in Montenegro (Budva, Bay of Kotor and Podgorica & Central Montenegro)

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Guilherme Mendes Thomaz (@guimendesthomaz, @CURITIBAtravel and @ILHADOMELtravel) – the whl.travel local connection in Curitiba and Paranaguá & Ilha do Mel, Brazil

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Paula Ferreira (@WHLmadeira) – the whl.travel local connection and Urban Adventures partner in Madeira, Portugal

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Ng Sebastian (@basINCITO) – the whl.travel local connection in Komodo & Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

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Lee Sheridan (@Lee_Sheridan) – the whl.travel local connection in Laos (Champasak, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Vang Vieng), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Sukhothai) and Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville)

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André Franchini (@andrefranchini) – the WHL Group’s Hotel Link Solutions

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Wallace Faria (@wallacefaria) – the WHL Group’s Central and South America Regional Office

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Stephen Chapman (@maketravelfair) – Make Travel Fair

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Luke Ford (@gunyahtravel) – Gunyah

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All of these #whltravel tweeps, plus those presented on Make Travel Fair as well as all the rest, can be found on the WHL Group Twitter list.

Flood waters fill the Avenida Arriaga of Funchal, Madeira, the day after heavy rains provoked deadly mudslides

Drenching Rain

Madeira usually enjoys mild weather all year round, but this winter brought unusually heavy precipitation, beginning as more or less steady rain starting back in October. As a measure, the rainfall of 426mm recorded during the first 22 days of February is equivalent to approximately 70% of the total annual average.

With so much water in the ground, on 20 February, the soaked mountains could retain it no longer and finally gave out. The water drainage lines that lead across Funchal to the sea were unable to channel the vast quantities of water, rock and dirt that came coursing down the mountains carrying away everything in its path.

The result was a sea of mud in the heart of Funchal and Ribeira Brava, houses destroyed, shops flooded, people evacuated, streets packed with rubble and mud.

Click image to enlarge: Mud and earth choke the Avenida do Mar and Marina of Funchal

Click image to enlarge: Three days later, the Avendia do Mar of Funchal is almost clear of debris

Quick Response

There was an immediate response by firemen, the army and the police. After the shock and following ‘this can’t be happening!’ feeling, an information network formed immediately via Twitter and Facebook, carrying regular updates about people missing, people found alive and people found too late. Helicopters and more manpower flew in to aid in search and rescue, and the distribution of food and supplies to isolated villages.

By the next day, cleaning and recovery operations were well underway and involve around 2,000 people from the public and private sectors, the army and volunteers.

Two days later, on Monday, as we crossed the very heart of Funchal to reach our office, there was no water or mud whatsoever. Soon after, essential services, including electricity and water, were restored, as was mobile phone reception and Internet on most of the island. We could almost wonder if it had all been a terrible nightmare, but the noise of heavy machinery and ongoing cleaning proof of the reality. (See videos of the cleanup effort.)

Click image to enlarge: The day after the mudslides, the people of Funchal don't let the mess in Rua Bom Jesus deter them

Click image to enlarge: Three days later in Rue Bom Jesus, work crews have quickly and effectively made it look like nothing ever happened

Facing the Aftermath

The bitter toll is now: 42 dead, 18 missing and 18 injured still in the hospital. Six hundred people were dislodged, of which 193 families have been allocated temporary shelter.

We are mourning our dead, taking care of those who lost everything and, above all, working hard to bet back on our feet.

It was all but natural for us, as travel agents, to expect cancellations or zero bookings. We were wrong. Although we did have a couple of cancellations, we continue to receive bookings for individuals and groups alike.

After all, the hotels were unaffected and are fully operational, as are the airport, the harbour and the main tourist areas. And, of course, the beauty of the land no less spectacular.

Click image to enlarge: Boots are best on the Avenida Arriaga of Funchal on the day after the rains

Click image to enlarge: Three days later, the Avenida Arriaga is as clear and clean

Support Comes from Far and Wide

The support we have received from all around the world touches our hearts deeply and give us strength.

What can you do to help? You can contribute through the official ‘Conta Solidariedade com as vítimas da Madeira’ relief fund maintained by BANIF – International Bank of Funchal (IBAN PT 50003800011986711677151 and SWIFT code BNLFPTPL).

You can also spread the word that the worst of our misfortunate has already passed. We are working hard and Madeira continues to be an amazing destination to visit and experience. We will be right here waiting for you.

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For more information about Madeira, including hotels, tours, activities and the kinds of tips you can only get from a local, please contact Madeira Intertours, your whl.travel local connection at www.madeira-hotels.travel.

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Urban Adventures range from two-hour to one-day adventures and uncover back streets, hidden gems and fascinating sights. While these adventures may be short in duration, they’re long on real-life experiences. Step into the lives of the locals, find out what makes the city tick and get acquainted with the local food, culture and traditions, all in the company of an expert local guide. See more than just the usual sights on an Urban Adventure.

The Urban Adventures business is a unique and exciting new concept developed by leading adventure travel operator Intrepid Travel and WHL Group, the biggest local travel company in the world. Urban Adventures relies on a combination of Intrepid Travel’s experience in designing and running the world’s best experiential trips; plus WHL Group’s whl.travel network of local operators and the technology to sell these trips at low cost. Intrepid and WHL Group share a commitment to sustainable travel and minimising impact on the environment and on communities.

Anchored at launch in approximately 20 cities, Urban Adventures will be available in 65 cities with over 200 trips within six months. Departures are daily and prices start from US$15.

whl.travel is particularly proud of its partners in the following destinations who have been selected as Urban Adventures Partners and are or will soon be offering tours that bring their cities to life: Athens, Boracay, Brunei, Cappadocia, Dominica, Foz do Iguassu, Jamaica, Livingstone, Madeira, Riga, Rio, Samoa, St Lucia, and Thessaloniki. More will be added in the weeks and months ahead.

Urban Adventures drop the barriers between visitors and hosts, bringing you in direct contact with the people who give a place its character. Kids in Cambodia are especially expert at making you feel right at home.

So whether you’re after an evening of home cooking and hanging locally in Istanbul, a full-day exploration of the magnificent temples of the Angkor complex in Cambodia, visiting the history and people of Johannesburg by bicycle or sampling Los Angeles, from Hollywood glitz to the quirkiness of Venice Beach, Urban Adventures really connect with the destination.

Become a Free Urban Adventures Tester

To celebrate the launch of Urban Adventures, Intrepid Travel and WHL Group are offering travellers (and locals) the opportunity to tour for FREE.

Travellers can register to become an Urban Adventures tester. By doing so they will be notified of free spots on Urban Adventures around the world that will be allocated on a first-in-best-dressed basis. The first trips will be made available on 21 October. In return for a free adventure, testers write trip reviews and take photos for the Urban Adventures website. In addition, travellers who submit feedback could win a monthly Urban Adventures prize pack.

Being an Urban Adventure tester suits everyone from round-the-world backpackers to business people and travellers who enjoy discovering what makes cities tick. The program is ongoing so people can register whenever they go on holiday.

The crystal clear waters of the Garanjau Nature Reserve make marine observations easy during monitored dives

Covering nearly two-thirds of Madeira, the Parque Natural da Madeira (PNM) (official park site in Portuguese) includes the Laurissilva Forest, said to be the planet’s largest surviving tract of rare subtropical woodland from the Tertiary Era, alive with a wealth and diversity of flora and fauna, including many endemic species. In 1999, the Laurissilva Forest was classified by UNESCO as a natural World Natural Site.

Created by regional decree in 1982, the PNM plays a pivotal role in protecting this Portuguese island’s unique nature and local habitat (like the Laurissilva Forest) by focussing on maintaining its ecological equilibrium and safeguarding the landscape. PNM-inspired initiatives reach far and wide across Madeira and include prohibitions on removing anything; depositing soil, trash, pollutants, rubble or scrap; and requiring special authorisation for any building, road or bridge construction.

Given the vast area of the PNM, though, other less well-known parts are also deserving of attention: the Garajau Nature Reserve and the Desertas Islands.

The Garajau and Desertas Islands Nature Reserves

Located east of Funchal, Madeira’s capital city, on the island’s southern slopes, lies an area of about 376 hectares called the Garajau Nature Reserve that includes a coastal stretch of seven kilometres. This short strip combined with the offshore arid Desertas Islands, also a nature reserve since 1990, constitute the first protected marine area in Portugal.

Garajau was established in 1986 in an effort to prevent the progressive desertification of the deep-sea bottom, to contribute to the resettlement of native fauna and to protect the wide variety of native wildlife. Garajau marine space is today home to a variety of fish, including grouper, a favourite of divers because of its large size and sociable nature. Crustaceans, urchins, rays, moray eels and what is known locally as the “sea wolf” all call this area home.

The large size and sociable nature of the grouper attracts the attention of divers

Saving the Sea Wolf

Branded the “sea wolf” for its bark-like call, the Mediterranean Monk Seal (see a short video), with a current population of fewer than 500, is one of the planet’s rarest and most endangered marine mammals. One sizable colony inhabits Madeira’s Desertas Islands, but their territorial waters have expanded as far as Madeira proper, where they have been observed since 1997. Although today they are protected by law and safe while on the Desertas Islands, hunting, mesh nets, motor boats and the explosives used in fishing, as well as the hostility of fishermen supposedly protecting their fish stocks, have had a devastating effect on them.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal is now also actively monitored through environmental education campaigns and there has been a special rehabilitation unit for them on the Desertas Islands since 1997. In addition, the whole PNM region is under permanent surveillance by the Corps of Nature Vigilantes of Madeira Nature Park (Corpo de Vigilantes da Natureza do PNM). They look after the parklands, but also help enforce fundamental legislation forbidding fishing, be it for commercial reasons or sport; underwater hunting, navigation using motorboats except to disembark on beaches; capturing or removing animals or marine plants; and extracting sand or other materials of geological origin.

Preservation efforts throughout the PNM are alive and well, and proactively ensuring that this unique and thriving ecosystem persists well into the future.

Become Part of the Solution

The best way to be part of the local community’s conservation efforts is to visit Madeira, show your awareness of the issues and be a responsible traveller. whl.travel’s local partner in Madeira can assist you in exploring the area in a sustainable way, as well as help you connect to the diving centres offering trips into the Garajau Nature Reserve’s crystal clear waters. Monitored dives are one of the only ways to truly experience the area’s underwater beauty.

Of course, if you’ve got a little extra time or are willing and able to make a donation, please check with the Garajau Nature Reserve’s Funchal desk (located in the Centro Polivalente do Funchal on Largo do Lazareto, open 9am-7pm Monday to Friday, telephone +351 291 238445; English sometimes spoken) or connect with the whl.travel local partner in Madeira about volunteering with the Corps of Nature Vigilantes, who can gladly always use an extra pair of hands.

The beautiful Portuguese island of Madeira, located off the coast of Morocco, is considered the Pearl of the Atlantic. It truly has it all – magnificent mountain views, spectacular beaches and coastal villages, beautiful waterfalls and gorges, and of course, quaint hotels – as well as a smaller sister islet, called Porto Santo. Together they are perfect for travellers who want to mix things up during a holiday: contact with nature, experiences of unique scenery and special marine environments, and even the rush of the capital city of Funchal. Madeira Island is easily accessible from any city in Europe.

The view from Cabo Girão - the second highest sea cliff in the world - affords wonderful views of the sea, terraced farms and villages below, where cultivation is done entirely by hand since the land areas are too small for either animal or machine and often on the edges of the mountains

whl.travel’s launch of www.madeira-hotels.travel now connects travellers to local destination experts in Madeira: Emilio, Maribel, Guida and the team of Intertours Travel Agency!

“We are aware that the tourism, because of its versatility, is a sector of the market that can help the economic development and social sustainability of an area,” says Emilio about joining the whl.travel network. “Therefore, we want to contribute to a type of tourism that respects our environment. We use new ideas involving our natural resources, specifically places and characteristics unique in our island and our people, which will in turn help to distribute the wealth, energise our local economy and reinforce our social, cultural and environmental potential.”

The Madeira whl.travel portal promises to offer interesting accommodation and tours, especially for travellers with an eye toward making the right kind impact on the local host communities.

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IN PORTUGUESE / EM PORTUGUÊS:

Santana is a town in the north of the island, where there are traditional thatched-roof houses. In summer corn is placed on the rooftops to be sun dried before being ground into corn meal.

Uma bonita ilha em Portugal, considerada a Pérola do Atlântico.

A Ilha da Madeira é facilmente acessível através de qualquer cidade da Europa. A ilha realmente tem de tudo – praias, montanhas e as cidades – perfeita para viajantes que gostam de fazer variadas coisas durante as suas férias. Com magnificas vistas montanha, espectaculares costas marítimas, cachoeiras, desfiladeiros, belas e pitorescas aldeias e fantásticos hoteis. É uma ilha perfeita para ser desfrutada por eco-visitantes de todas as idades.

Recentemente o whl.travel lançou o site www.madeira-hotels.travel, que liga agora os visitantes a experientes prestadores de serviços na Madeira, Emílio, Maribel e Guida, bem como toda a sua equipa, da Agência de Viagens Intertours!

Sobre a adesão à rede, Emílio diz que “Estamos conscientes que o turismo, devido à sua versatilidade, é um sector de mercado que pode ajudar o desenvolvimento económico e a sustentabilidade social de uma área. Por isso, queremos contribuir para um tipo de turismo que respeite o ambiente. Nós usamos novas ideias que envolvam os nossos recursos naturais, especialmente locais e as características únicas da nossa ilha e do nosso povo, que, por sua vez ajuda a distribuir a riqueza, a dinamizar a nossa economia e a reforçar o nosso potencial social, cultural e ambiental.”