Outdoor and Adventure Travel Quickies (4/12/2019)

Each week I post quick recaps of stories, travel deals, gear reviews, and other items that I didn’t have the time or space to write about elsewhere on The Adventure Blog. Here’s the run-down of cool and interesting things that happened over the past few days that I didn’t get the chance to cover earlier.

First Photo of a Black Hole: The big science and space story of the week was of course the news that astronomers have taken the first photo of a black hole. The impressive image of the most destructive force in the universe was captured by the combined efforts of eight observatories from around the world, with data being collected and reconstructed using super-computers and an advanced algorithm. The process should open a new era when it comes to space exploration and observation.
Ancient Species of Humans Discovered in the Philippines: The photo of the black hole wasn’t the only major scientific news this week as it was also revealed that an ancient species of humans –– heretofore unknown to researchers –– was discovered in a cave in the Philippines. Extinct for at least 50,000 years, these relatives of homo sapiens were said to have walked upright, but still had feet designed for climbing and living amongst trees. Dubbed homo luzonensis the species was said to be no more than three feet tall and well adapted for living in the jungle environments found on the island.
Team Columbia Vidaraid Wins Expedicion Guarini Adventure Race: The AR World Series held its second event of the year in Paraguay and it was a tough one to sas the lest. Team Columbia Vidaraid of Brazil took home the victory at Expedicion Guarini, but it required a 27-hour paddle to reach the finish line. Only three teams managed to complete the entire course, which stretched for more than 500 km (310 miles).
Celebrity Cruises Offers 25% Off the Galapagos: The Galapagos Islands are a bucket-list destination for man adventure travelers and now you can get there for a lot less. Right now, Celebrity Cruises is offering a savings of as much as 25% when you book your Galapagos excursion before June 5, 2019.
Over 1000 Trips From Intrepid Travel are 20% Off: Speaking of saving money, Intrepid Travel has put its entire catalog on sale, taking 20% off all excursions that are booked between April 16-24, 2019. That means that more than a thousand itineraries will be on sale, and since Intrepid pretty much goes everywhere, you’re sure to find something you like.
Celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Havana with Austin Adventures: To say that the city of Havana, Cuba has a rich and extensive history would be an understatement. This year, the city will celebrate the 500th anniversary of its founding and you can be there to take it all in. The travel experts at Austin Adventures have announced a special itinerary from November 10-17, 2019 that will take travelers to Cuba in time for the big celebration. Check it out here.
Get Mobile Data in 160 Countries with New Service: Frequent travelers looking for an affordable and reliable way to stay connected on the go may want to take a look at KiMiFi. The new service that is launching soon promises data connections in up to 160 countries at an affordable price. The KiMiFi-K5 device is a mobile hotspot that allows five devices to be connected at once while offering LTE connections without the need for sim cards or roaming costs. Early backers can get up to 57% off the price of device when it launches in a few weeks time.
Freewheel Holidays Offers Self-Guided Bike Tours of Eastern Europe: Looking for a cool and unique way to explore parts of the former Soviet Union? Freewheel Holidays can help, as the company offers self-guided cycling tours of Romania, The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The tours include bespoke itineraries and routes, all accommodations while traveling, breakfasts, bike rentals, and plenty of suggestions of what to see and do while on your adventure. Not included? The guide! You’ll be doing that all on your own.

That’s it for this week. I’ll be back next Friday with more adventure quickies and news briefs!

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Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.