Florida small group tours
| country: | USA |
| location: | Florida |
| departures: | 2010: 27 Mar, 24 Apr, 8 May, 22 May, 5 Jun, 19 Jun, 3 Jul, 17 Jul, 31 Jul, 14 Aug, 28 Aug, 11 Sep, 25 Sep 2011: 26 Mar, 9 Apr, 23 Apr, 7 May, 21 May, 4 Jun, 18 Jun |
| price: | From £525 (8 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |

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introduction to Florida small group tours
Chase the sun west-bound on this seven-day Overland Adventure. Kick off in the crazy theme parks of Orlando and then regain the equilibrium on a nature tour of Everglades National Park. In between all the mayhem and exploration, soak up the sunshine on the white sand beaches and round off in Miami where play time oscillates between beach fun and night escapades. The Florida rays will ensure that this west coast adventure is never dreary.
day-by-day itinerary
| Days 1-2: | Orlando. Synonymous with entertainment, Orlando is also host to many theme parks, so why not arrive early to discover them all. |
| Day 3: | Tampa/St Petersburg. Enjoy a day of sun and surf on Florida's west coast. Spend the afternoon exploring the cities of Tampa and St Petersburg, chilling out at a harbour-side cafe or simply whiling away the afternoon on the pristine beaches. |
| Day 4: | Naples. Embellished with palm trees and tropical flowers, balmy Fort Myers makes for a tantalising stopover en route to Sanibel Island. Adventure lovers can canoe through the wilds of JN 'Ding' Darling Wildlife Refuge before heading to the sun-kissed beaches of Naples. |
| Day 5: | Everglades National Park. An important subtropical wilderness area, the Everglades are home to alligators, snakes and sea turtles. Skim over swamps and seagrass on an optional airboat adventure. Fall asleep to the sounds of the Everglades' animal orchestra. |
| Day 6: | Key West. For many years the southernmost point of the USA has served as a refuge for city folk wishing to flee the humdrum of high rise metropolises. Experience a slice of this laidback Caribbean-infused culture at Key West, where snorkelling, diving and swimming are all on the agenda. End a perfect day with a slice of key lime pie as the sun sets on the Florida Keys. |
| Days 7-8: | Miami. Combining the best of both worlds, Miami is a cosmopolitan city that features fine beaches and high urban living. There's no rest for the wicked as Miami's nightclubs, restaurants and hole-in-the-wall dives come alive at night. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. The central tenet of the Awards, in which winners are nominated by tourists, is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Our Florida trip is carbon offset so you can be sure that all carbon emissions generated from travelling on this trip, are offset by investments into sustainable projects around the world including a rice husk biomass project in Thailand as well as hydro electric projects in China and India. This trip includes Everglades National Park where our travellers have the opportunity to experience this wilderness area and appreciate the delicate natural environments that makes it a highlight of any trip to western Florida. Where we include national parks we provide written information for our travellers to peruse while in transit, to learn of the local flora, fauna and key issues that threaten the environments. On this trip we'll have the opportunity to experience several wildlife refuges and nature preserves and to learn about the importance of wetlands for the environment. We set up our tents at environmentally friendly campgrounds. In the J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge we can view wildlife by environmentally responsible ways such as canoeing and walking through designated areas, to keep plants and wildlife undisturbed. Spanning the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and most of Florida Bay, Everglades National Park is the only subtropical preserve in North America. It contains both temperate and tropical plant communities, including saw grass prairies, mangrove and cypress swamps, pinelands, and hardwood hammocks, as well as marine and estuarine environments. The park is known for its rich bird life, particularly large wading birds, such as the roseate spoonbill, wood stork, great blue heron and a variety of egrets. It is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. Everglades National Park has been designated a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance. We take care not to disturb any animal or plant life within the boundaries of Everglades National Park. We can take part in an airboat ride over the wetlands offered by a locally owned and responsible operator. Community We travel in small groups of 13 people to minimise the effects that large groups have when visiting remote areas and small villages. It is easier to 'blend in' with a small group and it allows us to stay in smaller properties and eat in more local establishments - where a group of 40-50 would need to eat in more touristy places. We have an expert Operations based in the USA so our team is fully aware of current affairs. We have found that local operations is a superior way to ensure the quality and safety of our travellers. Each year we conduct extensive safety audits to ensure our properties comply with local regulations as well as our own safety requirements. We also conduct reviews of our itineraries to ensure they include as much local interaction opportunities as possible, where our travellers can engage with the locals and learn their way of life and the local cultures of the places we visit. These experiences often make our trips unique. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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