Recommended tropical nature locations for pensioners / disabled

Nature Talk
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… it may be weird for some, but it’s a serious question: can you recommend locations in tropical areas which are stunning, but easy to access? I mean, not too far from an airport, reasonable transfers available, location in natural surroundings / national parks / mountain forests / at riverside, lakeside etc. Accommodation good to sit and observe, excursions of a few minutes already leading into nature, easy access also for pensioners, less mobile iNatters and good value for money, with the idea to sit there for a week or a month. …I would be particularly interested in tropical South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oriental and Australian region (India, S China, Indonesia, Papua, N Queensland). Thank you

(please no adverts here! just names of locations, your adventures, and perhaps a link to a few of your observations you made in that location)

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I could not speak to value for the money, as I sense everyone’s budgets vary, but you might consider the Yucatán. Although technically in North America which you did not specify, it is east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and thus unique from the remainder of the country. Depending what you wish to see (birds, insects, reptiles, flora, all of it), any number of excursions would work but honestly the nature is everywhere here. edit to add: Pronatura Península de Yucatán, which is a local conservation organization, has an abundance of images on their website showing natural areas: https://www.pronatura-ppy.org.mx/

For example, CICY (here is an English link) has a botanical garden where you can see numerous insect species in an extremely accessible setting, as well as learn more about the plants before heading out.

The abundant ruins are wonderful for seeing reptiles, large and small, who seem to bask on the stones. Some of the more accessible ones (IMO) are Uxmal, Dzibilchaltún (temperature dependent), Mayapán, and Xcambó, which is on the coast.

The coast also provides access to coastal species, including flamingos and other coastal birds. There are numerous guides available but one with an excellent reputation is Luis Trinchan, who is also here.

The state also boasts mangroves (spelling?) in Celestún and you can travel through them by boat with a guide. I have not done this yet but have friends who have and very much enjoyed this.

There are also cenotes here which have strange pale fish which species I cannot identify but those you will only find here, so they are a nice thing to see. Accessibility for many can be problematic however they are extremely well documented so research on the front end would be the solution.

As far as protected areas of nature, here is a map showing the current ones.

I do want to mention that mobility is an issue here for our residents who utilize wheelchairs largely because sidewalks are the responsibility of property owners rather than maintained municipally, so they vary in height and surface composition from house to house. Additionally historic buildings are attempting to become inclusive but ramps are often too high or doorway width is not expanded. That said, people here have extremely good hearts and will always pitch in to assist (solution finding is very much a thing here) but I do want to mention that.

As far as observations go, you are welcome to look at mine but they are all made in my own garden. (Did I mention nature is everywhere here?) I might look up some places you could go here (or anywhere!) and look through observations there.

Best wishes as you plan your exciting trip!

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What is your country of origin?

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This can make a big difference in visa requirements, for instance.

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Perhaps we might presume the original poster is a capable adult who will do any research necessary through proper channels to determine visa requirements, travel logistics, etc. If one has a recommendation, please make it, as I am sure there are many who might benefit from these.

But especially as requirements for visa eligibility will vary from country to country based on a variety of personal factors, and may include changing covid requirements in some locales, it might be best to just answer the questions as asked instead of bringing about new ones.

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I live in Hong Kong (which is admittedly semitropical rather than tropical). There are excellent opportunities for birding in spring, autumn and winter. There are tons of insects to photograph in spring, summer and autumn. Most places are accessible by public transport. If you don’t want to climb mountains, there are plenty of very easy walks to choose from. Sometimes, even a small urban park can hold interesting wildlife.

In this sense, Singapore (which is actually tropical) is similar.

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In Far North Queensland at the Cairns Airport you could try the The Jack Barnes Bicentennial Mangrove Boardwalk. When I lived there I walked it quite often. It’s just on your left after you exit the airport on your way to Sheridan Street. It’s a lovely boardwalk through the Mangroves and is easily accessible to anyone.
https://www.cairnsairport.com.au/corporate/environment-and-sustainability/jack-barnes-bicenteniall/

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By the way, a few comments about other places you are considering or might be considering:

Papua, whether Papua New Guinea or the western half which is part of Indonesia, will not be an easy trip at all.

The famous birding locations of Malaysia (Mount Fraser and Langkawi come to mind) and Indonesia (Borneo is famous for its jungle wildlife and Bali can be good for birding) will be easier.

My birding acquaintances have also visited the Philippines, Cambodia and Thailand. They enjoyed those places.

I have never been to Africa, but for comfortable lodgings in Africa you would be paying a lot of money.

I’m not too sure to what extent these locations suit less mobile iNatters, except that the more famous and popular birding locations are much likelier to be able to make suitable arrangements for them.

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Germany

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You are correct in that…like if origin is USA, then they can travel visa free to many “tropical” areas…such as Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, etc.
My question was based more on the area they are from because there may be an area close to them that they are not aware of.

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The original poster specified areas of particular interest but also asked for

If you think Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, etc. meet those parameters, then perhaps you could offer more specifics, as asked they are

Perhaps we might presume the original poster is capable of identifying tropical areas in general and their distance from his departure point.

Assuredly if someone makes a recommendation for a place that is not workable or is of no interest to for the original poster, he will be the one to determine that… however that recommendation may work yet for someone else.

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I’m from Hong Kong as well. It has a surprising amount of biodiversity, and many natural places are accessible via public transportation. There are plenty of easy trails to walk along, with ample opportunities to spot a variety of wildlife. Some places that are easy walking (ie. minimal uphill climbing) and public transportation accessible would be:

  1. Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve. It’s a small area containing a multitude of butterfly food and host plants, but is also good for observing other insects and spiders etc as well.
  2. Lions Nature Education Centre. A sort of “nature reserve” with facilities, and contains a small nature trail.
  3. Hong Kong Park. This is an urban park but there are some flowerbeds that attract many of the common pollinator species.

Singapore is similar in that regard too, where many natural areas are also accessible through public transportation.

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Let’s stay on topic, please.

Although it’s a bit far afield (but reachable by transit/taxi), I had a good time at the Hong Kong Wetland Park. If I remember correctly it had flat, easy paths, as well as some hides you could stay in for a while to rest and watch birds.

If I remember correctly, The Habitat in Penang was pretty accessible, although the trails do go up and down a bit. Nothing too crazy, and you can go at your own pace. Here are my observations from there.

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That is actually what I am attempting. That the original poster was questioned as to whether or not he overlooked areas is slightly offensive, bordering on ageism and or ableism. I assume the poster meant to recommend tropical destinations he has visited regardless, so I encouraged him to do so.

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That’s another great place to go, thanks for reminding. Good for arthropods in the summer and in the winter time a good relaxing opportunity to watch migratory shorebirds. I agree it is a bit far but it is easily accessible solely using public transportation.

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Right. The way I read it, the mentioned areas, viz., “tropical South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oriental and Australian region (India, S China, Indonesia, Papua, N Queensland)” indicate that countries per se were not what the question was about. Now this reply:

…addresses the following specific parameters: “not too far from an airport, excursions of a few minutes already leading into nature, easy access also for pensioners, less mobile iNatters.” As I read the original post, alfamax’s is one of the most on-topic replies.

Whereas the reason I have not made any suggestions is because the places I know do not meet the mentioned criteria. I mean, La Selva Biological Station (Costa Rica) is a beautiful nature place, and there are easy trails there, but it isn’t really near anywhere; I remember a long bus ride to get there.

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You might want to consider Kuala Lumpur. We had the good fortune of having an apartment for three months. In itself, KL offers a lot as a city. The edge of nature is never too far away and in some cases looks like it is winning as it takes over sites that have not been completed. You can check the various indices to compare living expenses but it was favourable for newly retired Canadians.

Our temporary residence was a jumping off place to visit Singapore, Bali, Sumatra, Borneo, Java among other places - flights were relatively inexpensive. Malaysia was comfortable to drive - preferred hires for Indonesia. Depending on challenges most was reasonably accessible, minus the odd jungle trek.

The primary focus at the time was to visit nearby World Heritage Sites and to look for birds but also anything else that stood out at the time. Places that stand out and have my observations in the links are Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Bukit Fraser, Gunung Mulu (on Borneo with airport right there), Komodo National Park (boat access and a bit of sandy walking), Kuching, Mount Kinabalu

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Here are a few more from Kuching. It wasn’t a difficult hike.

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Perhaps we might also presume that people here are able to have a conversation without being hectored on which questions they should be answering, and how they should answer them.

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Costa Rica might be a good option in Central America. When I was doing research there, my family (including my 80+ year old grandma) came for a vacation. There are reliable buses to near most of the national parks, although I don’t remember seeing any with wheelchair lifts if that is an issue. It is also pretty easy to hire a vehicle & driver or rent a car if that sounds better. I also met a number of German visitors there, so I assume the logistics of getting to Costa Rica aren’t that bad.

Places my family (including grandma) went included Arenal Volcano, Monteverde, Palo Verde National Park, and one of the beach areas (Playas del Coco, I think). My grandma was able to do some trails at each of them and pretty much everywhere I’ve been in Costa Rica had some sort of patio, porch, or veranda where you could see a lot of nature by just sitting and watching. On the eastern side of the country, La Selva Biological Station has a lot of paved trails (of varying quality/difficulty) and one specifically accessible trail.

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