Looking to inject a little excitement into your summer?  Costa Rica surf camp can offer more than your average surfing lessons.

The flavor-of-the-week viral video being passed around the surfing community doesn’t feature a crazy surfing move or a star athlete.  The video, shot in Florida’s New Smyrna Beach, features a decent-sized shark jumping over a surfer.

An Orlando Sentinal cameraman reportedly shot the video by accident while filming footage for a story about surfing.  Sharks are a common sight at New Smyrna Beach during this time of the year, and they are known to jump – sometimes a few feet – over the surface of the water.  The inlet is populated by a small breed of shark called the “spinner shark” that preys on fish and are not known for being harmful to humans.

The video shows a camera pan of a heavily-populated wave, and a few seconds in a four-foot shark can be seen jumping over a surfer on his board.  The surfer continues to ride his wave, and it appears that the people on either side of him did not even notice.

For an amazing vacation and a chance to be jumped over by sea life, Beach Travellers offers surfing adventures to Latin America, Thailand, and Bali.  Their sejours thailande are available in English or in French, and travelers are guaranteed a one-of-a-kind trip and an experience like nothing else.  For more information, visit http://www.beachtravellers.com.

Avec le chauffage dans le tapis et les imaginations figées sur des scènes de plages tropicales sublimes, la vaste majorité du temps l’image préconçue que les gens se font du surf implique un ou plusieurs des éléments suivants: homme adonis, peau bronzée, moitié audacieux moitié fou, tout à fait fascinant, et véritable dieu des eaux. Maître des mers impétueuses, genre.

Et les déesses des vagues? Ces aventurières intrépides? D’où sortent-elles? Si on jette un coup d’oeil sur les gagnantes des championnats de surf mondiaux féminins, c’est certainement les Américaines et les Australiennes qui dominent les plus hauts niveaux compétitifs. Toutefois, il y a des amantes du surf de tous les niveaux et des des quatre coins du monde, et de plus en plus à chaque jour, tel que témoigné par l’immense croissance de ce sport nautique dans les dernières années.

Si c’est depuis les années 1700 que le surf est observé en Polynésie par les grands voyageurs européens, et que les femmes y ont toujours fait partie intégrale, ce n’est que lors des années 50 qu’une planche plus petite, légère et facilement manoeuvrable pour les femmes a vu le jour. Armées d’un nouvel outil adapté à leur réalité physique, les femmes transforment le monde du surf et réclament une juste reconnaissance de leur maîtrise et grande contribution à l’avancement du sport.

Qu’elles veulent un jour s’unir au monde compétitif du surf, ou tout simplement s’initier à un sport fantastique, jamais n’a-t-il été aussi facile et accessible pour les femmes (et les hommes) d’en faire, et jamais n’y a-t-il eu un meilleur moment de s’y lancer. Pour en savoir plus sur les sejours Thailande et sejours de surf au Costa Rica, le groupe de voyage canadien Beach Travellers vous offre des voyages en Thailande, au Costa Rica, au Brésil, Bali, et encore plus. Faites un petit tour au www.beachtravellers.com pour de plus amples renseignements.

Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Eastern Asia.  With a huge variety of things to do and see over the country as well as a rich culture and history, sightseeing and backpacking in Thailand has become one of the top excursions for young people interetsed in foreign travel.

Here are some of the most popular things to do and see on sejours thailande:

• The Bridge over the River Kwai.  Brought to fame by a 1957 movie of the same name, the bridge has a historical connection to WWII.  Over 15,000 Allied prisoners were forced to perform back-breaking labor here as prisoners of war and died in captivity.  Today the bridge represents their memory and serves as an important historical marker for the country.
• Beaches of Phuket.  Phuket is one of the most beautiful and important islands in the country.  The beach runs along tropical rainforests and is studded with waterfalls, resorts, and spas.  Whether you’re a beach bum or not, this is one attraction not to be missed.
• Duty-free shopping.  Centralized in Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the airports, these shops provide a range of luxury and everyday items at great prices.
• Nightlife.  Bangkok, the capital city, hosts a range of restaurants, bars, clubs, parties, cocktail lounges, and more.  Many places are open all night, and there’s never a dull moment at night in Bangkok.

For sejours thailande and sejours du surf au costa rica (en francais or in English), Canadian tour group Beach Travellers offers trips to Thailand, Costa Rica, Bali, Brazil, and more.  Visit them online at www.beachtravellers.com for more information.

The youth of North America have spent the past few months wrapped scarves and buried in snow, waiting for the ice to melt and the chance to leave the house without digging out their cars.  With the end of winter nowhere in sight, it’s time to start making plans to enjoy summer.

Starting this February, Canadian travel company Beach Travellers will be offering one of its Facebook fans a free summer 2011 trip to Bali, Brazil, Costa Rica, or Thailand with their online “Hunt for the Golden Ticket” contest.  The winner will receive a pair of sunglasses from Spy, clothing from skating line DC, and a free trip to the Beach Travellers’ destination of their choice.

Eager travelers can enter by “liking” Beach Travellers on Facebook, filling out a brief entry form, and giving an amazing answer to the question, “what’s most important to you while traveling?”  They’ll then be entered in a draw, from which ten finalists will be selected.  After sending in a photo and a write-up of why they should win, the public will vote on their favorite finalist and the winner will spend the summer du surf au costa rica, on the beach in Brazil, on exotic sejours thailande or exploring a whole new culture in Bali.  “We’re trying to see who our audience is,” says Costa Rica guide Mitch Martin.  The Beach Travellers team hopes that the contest will help them learn more about their followers.

So which trip is the best choice?  According to Mitch, Brazil is his hands-down winner.  “I’m a surfer, so there has to be good surfing,” he says, citing the food and the language as other top motivation.  “Plus, my best friend is the guide…I think it would be cool.  I’ve always wanted to go to the Amazon.”  Beach Travellers, which has just released a new Costa Rica surf camp video on their blog, offers amazing guide jobs for people with expertise in travel and an adventurous soul – and as a guide, Mitch loves showing people Costa Rica and “seeing the looks on people’s faces when they learn how to surf.”

Contest entries will be accepted until early April, with the winner’s dream trip kicking off in the summer.  And Mitch’s answer to the official contest question of “what’s most important to you while traveling?”  Short and immediate.  “Surfing.  And food.  And cheap beer.”

Vancouver’s HUSH magazine stays on top of the city’s high-energy culture and lifestyle – and they’re continuing the tradition with a special feature on Canadian tour group Beach Travellers.  Founded by two friends with a mutual love of surfing and adventure travel, the company has built a reputation for life-changing vacations with guides who really know their way around.

Founders TJ Hermiston and Graeme Barker founded Beach Travellers after an epic trip through Southeast Asia.  Reflecting on what they had learned and what they’d do differently, they wondered what would happen if they could bring the same feeling of excitement and adventure to others – and with a team of experienced guides leading trips with constantly changing itineraries, their careers were born.

Beach Travellers currently organizes trips to surf au costa rica, sejours thailande, Brazil, Bali, and El Salvador.  Varying in length from one week to 36 days, the trips are guided by experienced and like minded adventurers who know all about the region – and can help you get the most out of your trip.  Enjoy surfing in Central America, rock climbing, hang gliding, and experience a new culture that you may have never known existed.  Parles-tu francais? Beach Travellers’ bilingual guides can give tours in French or in English, plus help travelers get around in their countries.

Perhaps one of the best features of a Beach Travellers vacation is the security of paying up front and knowing that your trip is going to be fantastic – as TJ and Graeme themselves admit, they wish they had the opportunity to take one of their own vacations and not worry about a thing.  Making the decision to open up your life to new experiences is what helps someone grow as a person, and taking an amazing vacation makes it even sweeter.

Check out the video here, and visit Beach Travellers online for more information and upcoming trip dates!

The surfing world is abuzz with the recent death of surfing champion Andy Irons.  One of the most famous professional surfers in history, Irons was a three-time world surfing champion and had built both a brand and an empire around his name.  He was found dead in his hotel room in Dallas, Texas on November 2, 2010.  He left behind a wife and a newborn son.

Irons had been en route to seek medical treatment for a battle with dengue fever, a tropical disease contracted from insect bites that can be fatal if untreated.  However, police discovered the drug methadone hidden in a Zolpidem bottle on the bedside table in his hotel room – indicating that his death may have been caused by something less innocent.

Irons’ widow’s reaction to the situation makes things look even guiltier.  In December, she arranged for a court injunction to be issued blocking the release of Irons’ autopsy results to the media until May of 2011, stating that the results would destroy the brand associated with his name that currently supports her and her son financially.

At this point, it’s almost undeniable that – even if they didn’t cause his death – Irons was using a substance of mass reputation destruction.  But his fans have until May to relish in his good name, and a lifetime to miss him for his accomplishments.  The surfing community has suffered a great loss, whether Irons was a drug user or not.

Interested in joining the surf community – or just learning how while traveling?  Canadian tour group Beach Travellers offers tours de surf au costa rica – not to mention sejours thailande and trips to Bali – with an experienced guide and a group of fun-loving, like minded youth.  Trips are year-round and a great way to escape the cold (or spend the summer).  Visit Beach Travellers online for more information.

Surfing is a prime activity along coastal areas with waves and sand – but few know the complex and colorful history of this favorite summer pastime.  Though many think of avid surfers as “beach bums” with poor English and alternative ambitions, historical surfers considered their hobby religious expression and a form of art.

The origins of surfing are not completely known, but can be traced back to Polynesian peoples and existed before the first Europeans arrived to the Pacific islands.  Surfing was first described by a crew member of the HMS Endeavour in 1779, who noted that locals wooden boards made from long trees on the waves.  The upper classes were afforded the best surfboards – and took control of the best parts of the beach.

Ancient Hawaiian culture was also richly involved in surfing.  Considered an art form, surfers would begin their surf by praying for protection and visiting a preist if necessary to provide them a strong wave and protection from the ocean.  Surfers also placed fish as offering to the gods in the holes left by the trunks of trees that they dug up to fashion their surfboards.

Surfing spread by means of word-of-mouth and modern transportation to Australia and North America, and around the early 1900′s it began to grow in popularity in Hawaii and surfing was revived as a sport.  Today, interested French- and English-speaking young surfers can surf au costa rica with Canadian tour group Beach Travellers.  Enjoy all the best surf spots Costa Rica has to offer with the fun and security of a guide as well as a group of like-minded individuals.  Beach Travellers also organizes trips to Bali, Brazil, and sejours thailande.  Visit them online for more information.

Costa Rica is known for its incredible beaches, fantastic surfing, and a unique Central American flavor of cooking.  Costa Rican cuisine is generally mild but flavorful, featuring exotic local fruits and vegetables as well as easily recognizable staples.

The cuisine relies heavily on locally available staple foods, such as plaintains, bananas, zucchini squash, peppers, and a mixture of rice and black beans called gallo pinto.  Tortillas are also common.  Breakfast often consists of foods that other cultures would normally consider dinner items – such as fried plantains with gallo pinto.  As corn is also a huge crop, corn soup and corn pancakes called chorreadas are also frequently served dishes.

Orange juice and other fruit juices are common as beverages.  Another common drink is agua dulce, a water made with a sweet brown-sugar-like paste.  Fruits are often liquefied and mixed with water to be served with lunch.  Coffee and shaved ice are also staple beverages.  The national liquor of Costa Rica, guaro, is often served alone or mixed with soda.  The country also produces and exports excellent rum.

For adventurous French and English-speaking travelers interesting in organizing a voyage du surf au costa rica, Canadian tour group Beach Travellers provides surfing trips and sejours thailande, bali, et bresil.  Enjoy a fun trip with like-minded young travelers – a great way to see the world.  Visit them online for more information.

Though most people may not associate Canada with surfing, for those who are willing to don a wetsuit and brave cold water Canada’s shore has some fantastic surfing spots.  Surfing in Canada gives travelers a break from their typical mountaineering and Northern-style outdoor sports – and a fun opportunity to hang out at the beach on off-days.

There are some great spots to surf in the far North, but one of the greatest is in Montreal, Quebec.  Habitat 67, in Lachine Rapids, hosts two surf schools and a series of fantastic waves formed by rapids running over underwater boulders.  The weather is great in the summer – and best of all, it’s in Montreal!

For Montreal residents – or anyone, for that matter – who enjoy surfing here and are looking for a new place, Canada travel tour company Beach Travellers offers amazing tour packages for surfing enthusiasts.  If you parles le francais and you’re looking to surf au Costa Rica, consider their Costa Rica adventure tour package.  Surfing excursions are all-included and guides take you to all the best spots – making this the best way to enjoy foreign surfing.  Interested in a longer, different excursion for some French-speaking fun?  Beach Travellers also offer sejours thailande (Thailand tours) of all the best beach, party, and must-see spots.  Visit them online for more information.