Gap Adventures - Travel Tales Entries, 7 Wonders of Central America, New Trips and more!

This issue of bridging the gap brings you the newest list of World Wonders! Ok, it's our unofficial list, but we know the 7 Wonders of Central America list will get you seriously thinking about travel to this great region of the world!

We have some exciting newsour collection of 2011 Canada Goose tours is now online. Discover our cold weather adventures to places like Finland and the Canadian Arctic!

In other news, we have a quick call for entries for Travel Tales . If you have a special "Lost & Found" story to tell from your Gap Adventures travels, enter by September 30th and you could receive 10% off a future trip!

We also have a Photo Contest with the Matador Network, with the grand prize being a US$1,500 travel voucher from Gap Adventures and a MatadorU Photo Scholarship!

Last, but not least, it is high season for southern Chile and Argentina! We sprinkled in a blog post form the travel oasis with some tips on travelling and trekking around this region known as Patagonia


Happy travels,

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Central America is pretty much perfectly suited for travelling. Just look at it on a map. A collection of 7 countries, conveniently wedged together so that a border crossing is rarely more than a 1/2 day bus ride away.

This part of the world is so enticing that we offer more than 100 tours to Central America , ranging from quick 3-day volcano or beach breaks to multi-country odysseys lasting 59-days!

Belize Guatemala El Salvador Honduras Nicaragua Costa Rica and Panama could each be one of the 7 Wonders of Central America.

7 countries for 7 wonders, right? But that is too easy. So here are some top spots you won't want to miss while venturing around Central

Wonder #1: The Belize Barrier Reef
When you hear people from Australia say that the snorkelling and diving here is better than the Great Barrier Reef, you have to stop and take notice! At 300km long it is a part of the world's second largest reef and sports more than 500 species of fish! What makes it even better is easy access from Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye, two laid back islands off the coast of Belize where coconut lobster and Belikin beers are plentiful.

Wonder #2: Tikal Mayan Ruins
One of the most impressive Mayan sites anywhere, Tikal is a massive complex of pyramids and structures set deep in the Guatemalan jungle where colourful birds and noisy howler monkeys are seen and heard. You'll feel like you've been transported back in time as you wander around Tikal and soak up so much ancient history. The stories that these structures could tell! A guide is highly recommended for full enjoyment.

Wonder #3: Cerro Verde National Park
There is some remarkable nature to be discovered in El Salvador, and the Santa Ana Volcano, which lies in Cerro Verde Park is one of the best. In fact it is one of three volcanoes in the park that offers up challenging nature treks to the heights of El Salvador. With roads and developed trails it only takes a few hours to climb to the top of one of these volcanoes. Santa Ana gets our nod though as it offers the best panoramic views, and takes you past some impressive crater lakes. The nearby areas are home to many indigenous people too, making for a great culture and climbing combination.

Wonder #4: The Ruins of Copan
The site of Copan in Honduras represents the southern extremity for the Mayan civilization and offers a great contrast to the jungle pyramids and complex seen in Mexico and Guatemala. Here, you'll be treated to intricately carved stellae unseen at other Mayan sites. With widespaces, the site is easy to walk around and a great spot to stop, relax and have a picnic or soak up the sun.

Wonder #5: The City of Granada
Colourful colonial buildings are commonplace in Granada, one of the most attractive cities in all of Central America. A great place to base yourself and spend extra time, Granada lies on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, a popular area for swimming and beach time for locals. It is an especially busy place around the Holy Week of Semana Santa. Cheap food and drink as well as easy access to some popular nature spots like Masaya Volcano make Granada our choice for favourite colonial city in Central America (sorry Antigua!).

Wonder #6: The Monteverde Cloud Forest
Zip through the air like a bird, walk among giant trees of the forest and take a hike in lush greenery where birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and an almost countless number of animal and plant species call home. This is Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. Perhaps the most adrenaline-filled wonder of our list, you can enjoy zip lines and canopy walks or just find a quiet spot in the morning mist to watch the forest come alive.

Wonder #7: The Panama Canal
The most modern wonder of our Central America list, the Panama Canal remains one of the greatest feats in recent human history. The tumultuous story of how the Canal came to fruition makes for a great read and brings this place to life. The greatest ocean going vessels age through the canal which saves thousands and thousands of kilometres of travel for shipments of fruits, commodities and engers.

Gap Adventures offers more than 100 tours to Central America

Celebrate snow, ice and the beauty of the Arctic and Argentina! We launched our Canada Goose tours in 2010 an have added some exciting new itineraries for 2011.

Few landscapes are as beautiful as freshly fallen snow. From the Andes of South America to north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. As a special bonus on these tours We provide you with your own Canada Goose Adventurer Parka, for free! (It's valued at over $650USD.) That's a pretty hot bonus for some pretty cool trips!

With more than 4 million people living in the Arctic, there is an abundance of activities to enjoy. From dog-sledding and reindeer experiences to sleeping in igloos or ice hotels, these are truly unique adventures! For 2011 we've created some independent Canada Goose tours

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