The Howler Monkeys of Placencia Village Belize

WHY NOW To explore this compact wildlife wonderland before the rains descend 

WHERE Community Baboon Sanctuary

DATES - December to May - In Belize black howler monkeys are known as baboons, and the Community Baboon Sanctuary, 40km outside capital Belize City, is the only area established entirely for their conservation. It’s a community-based initiative, located in the village of Bermudian Landing. Landowners pledge to voluntarily manage their land in a monkey-friendly fashion, creating corridors for howlers. The scheme has spread to surrounding villages, resulting in the densest concentration of howlers found anywhere: up to 250 individuals per hectare. 

This density of monkeys makes for a particularly vocal population. When you hear their deafening calls resonating through the forest, you’ll quickly understand how they got their name. Although these howler monkeys are endangered due to habitat loss, and hunting. But thankfully, Belize still has a sufficient population of the loudest of primates. The Howler monkeys preferred to like vegetables and their diet consists of flowers, leaves, and fruits. Source - Charismatic Planet

Kiteboard on Maui

WHY NOW The wind is at its best – with August being Kite Beach’s blowiest month WHERE Kanaha, Maui, Hawaii DATES June to September Kanaha Beach, on Maui’s north shore, is a tranquil stretch of coast with wonderful views of the West Maui Mountains. But kiteboarding has become so popular here that they’ve renamed the place ‘Kite Beach’. There are even areas set aside solely for kiteboarders.

It’s an appropriate name change: Kanaha is considered to be the birthplace of modern kitesurfing, dating from the mid-1990s when water-pioneers Laird Hamilton and Manu Bertin started riding surf-style boards with foot straps on Maui’s north shore.

It’s impressive to watch, and hard to master. Instruction is available at Kite Beach. First, you learn how to fly the kite; then you practice body-dragging (letting the kite pull you across the water); finally, you step onboard. Anyone can try here, though: a reef keeps waters near shore flat for beginners, while the more experienced can head beyond the reef to tackle-breaking waves.