Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris: Travel Resources

Travel Resources

We compiled this list of online resources that you may find helpful during your travel preparations. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Be sure to read our Travel Tips and suggestions too.

Destination Information

Passports and Visas. This is the official U.S. Department of State website where you will find a variety of information, including how to renew or get a U.S. passport, processing time estimates, and visa requirements. There is also lots more information about traveling and destinations.

Note concerning US Passports: If you already have a U.S. passport, check your renewal date. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of your travel. Some countries require that you have two to four empty pages in your passport. Passport requests can take a couple of months and processing times vary, so take care of this early if you need to renew! Passports can be renewed by mail (forms may be available at your post office or online at the link below). New passport applications must be presented in person and may take longer to process. If time is an issue, you may be able to expedite your applications for an extra fee plus postage.

Country Specific Information is available from the U.S. Department of State website. These pages include such information as location of the US embassy or consulate, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, and security information.

Travelers' Health section of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has lots of information about travel notices, vaccinations, insect protection, safe eating and drinking, and health information about specific destinations.

Medline Plus is a service of the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. This web site contains lots of information about travel and health from peer reviewed journals and prominent organizaions.

The Weather Channel will let you search for the current weather of cities all over the world.

Weatherbase gives you average temperatures and precipitation for each month for cites all over the world so you can plan what to pack.

Geology.com has a very nice map collection for different countries around the world, both political maps and satellite images.

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Converters

Time converter. Convert time between two cities from around the world.

Currency converter. Convert currencies between over 164 countries using the OANDA daily rate.

Airline and airport codes. Descipher the airport and airline codes you find on your airline tickets.

International Phone Codes. Look up the country codes and instructions you need to use to phone between two countries.

Translate. Convert words, sentences, and even websites between two languages.

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Travel Support

Travel Insurance. There are many types of travel insurance, including emergency medical insurance and trip cancellation insurance. Be sure to compare benefits and exclusions carefully so you will purchase the policy that you desire and need. Read our recommendations and requirements.

Travel Tips and suggestions from our long experience and our travelmates.

US Airport Security. Read the latest regulations from the Transportation Security Administration.

Restricted Items. Read about items that are prohibited and restricted from bringing into the US from the US Customs and Border Patrol (CPB), including cultural objects, wildlife parts, food, plants, medication, and embargoed goods.

Flight Stats. Find the status of any flight by flight, airport, or route.

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Gear

Electric power and plug converters. The Global Electric Directory has a nice country-by-country chart with voltage used and images of plugs so you can bring the right adapters. Also, read a short explanation of electricy around the world.

Binocular recommendations from Doug Cheeseman. Good binoculars will really enhance your experience, especially if you will be looking at birds.

Digital Storage recommendations for your photographs from Doug Cheeseman.

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Our Favorite People and Places

Bhutan Birding and Heritage Travels is owned by Hishey Tshering who is also the resident guide during our unique Bhutan tour. They have extensive knowledge and experience with the unique natural heritage of Bhutan. Their speciality is offering both nature and cultural tours customized for travelers from all over the world.

Birds In My Yard Larry and Briditte Jordan have always been in love with the natural beauty and peace that birds bring into our lives. They want to share that peace with everyone in the hope that it will bring people more in touch with nature and themselves. Their website has lots of information about birds and birdwatching, and sells supplies to enhance your experience with nature and the world around you.

Kiwi Wildlife Tours NZ has a dedicated team who shares a passion for wildlife and birds in New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Australia. We are lucky to have Karen Baird and/or Chris Gaskin lead our tours in New Zealand, gathering rave reviews from our clients.

Let's Go Birding was founded by Lisa Myers, who also worked at Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris. Lisa leads tours to California 's birding hot spots providing opportunities for the beginning and intermediate adult birder to go birding in a non-intimidating atmosphere. Along with having a lot of fun, people get to visit incredible places while increasing their birding skill level.

Moody's Namena Resort is an environmentally friendly private island getaway in Fiji that offers offers scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and honeymoon vacations with Fijian bure accommodation. This secluded paradise in the South Pacific has white sand beaches as well as hiking trails through tropical forest.

Patagonia River Guides Patagonia River Guides is a full service fly fishing company based in Esquel, Argentina, a small town in the Andes Mountains. Their fly fishing program is designed not only for anglers that come primarily to fish, but also for discriminating anglers wanting the fishing trip of a lifetime while also enjoying the beauty, culture, people, and experiences of Patagonia Argentina.

Rod Planck Photography Offers nature photography seminars and workshops throughout the United States. Rod has over 25 years of photography experience, writing instructional articles in popular magazines and publishing several photography books. His photos appear in many coffee table books and magazines. Although his photographs have been published widely, his inspiration for making beautiful images has always been purely non-commercial and springs forth from his experiences in the field. Rod's wife, Marlene, assists and manages their successful photograhy business, and is also a staunch nature-lover. They have both been an important part of all our Antarctica expeditions.

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Updated in January 2012