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Top 10 Destinations of Asia

Travel — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:17:28 +0000

If you are on your way to Asia, then make sure you visit the following places otherwise you will not be getting your money’s worth:

The Great Wall of China

We all know the history.A human eye cannot see the whole wall at one look. Walk on it, take pictures and eat the special Chinese food.

The Apple Store China

A masterpiece honestly. Apple has spent several million dollars on its development. It is no less than a monument.

The Ruins of Mohenjo-Daro

Located in Pakistan, they are for the people who love history.

Taj Mahal Agra

This wonder of the world needs no explanation

Stockholm: The City Built on Water

Travel — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 01:13:12 +0000

A warm, vibrant city, Stockholm is an inviting venue with its glistening blue waters, facades of buildings painted in saffron and terracotta, it exudes generally what we see in most European cities: a mix of the old and new, with its lovely architecture from the past centuries still up and adding depth and vibrancy to this lovely city. Nowadays, this Swedish capital is a center for politics, fashion, business and a bustling night life, inviting all tourists to explore all 14 islands that comprise this massive urban space.

Start your trip to Stockholm from the inner city, the Old Town and historical center of Gamla Stan. Enjoy the sight of magnificent buildings such as the Royal Palace, and numerous churches and a cathedral. There are numerous shops, cafes and restaurants for you to enjoy a nice treat while people watching outside the cobbled streets of the old town, at the center of everything.

The Vasa Museum is an incredible tourist spot where you can find a war ship that was once stuck on mud along the Stockholm harbor for 333 years. The museum is really unique since it was erected in a very weird looking part of town. The ship sank in the 1620s due to bad design. The Vasa Museum is part of the National Maritime museums. If you like maritime history or ships in general, this is a good place to visit.

The Nationalmuseet (National Museum) is one of the best art museums in Europe with an extensive range of art and historical remnants available for free! It consists of old paintings, drawings, sculptures, graphic arts, a portrait gallery, royal castle collections, applied arts exhibits, prints and porcelain. If you are looking for inspiration, you will find a treasure trove of fantastic treats to appeal to your needs.

One of the best ways to enjoy Stockholm is doing some kayaking. You can never do this in any other city anywhere so be sure to take advantage of the experience and do some kayaking so that you can explore the beauty of the islands. A 2 hour boat ride across the city’s waters is like a modern Venetian gondola experience without the singing, though you can still say it is quite romantic.

If you are going to explore the entire archipelago, you will have to have a lot of time and money to do that. Nonetheless, it only reassured you that your travel to Stockholm will always be interesting and fun with new things always coming up.

If you will use the escalator, be sure that if you want to stay put, you stick to the right side of the escalator. The left side is where people in a hurry will walk through so if you stopped, you will definitely hear it from the people at the back. It is important to know that they will not address the things you are doing wrong blatantly. They will just look at you and curse to themselves. That is the way in Stockholm. You have to do things right especially when in public places since people here are almost always on the move and they reserve the right of way.

Image: © Jrandalls | StockFreeImages.com

Stockholm: The City Built on Water

The French Caribbean- Martinique

Travel — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:31:51 +0000

To the North of St Lucia and the South of Dominica is a small island called Martinique. Still under the French rule, this department of France beats anything that you might have seen in the South of France, including Antibes and St Tropez. Martinique’s coast is for the lovers of the sea, sand and sun. It is the place for food lovers. It is the place for adventure seekers. In short, Martinique is paradise. This Caribbean island is a sunnier version of France, a bit less crowded so it is a real pleasure to visit this enticing region for relaxation and pleasurable travels.

A little bit of history, the island has a dominant volcanic area, called Mt Pelee. In 1902, terrible volcanic eruption annihilated St Pierre, burying more than 30,000 people under the ashes. It was a unique kind of eruption, a horizontal pyroplastic flow that engulfed the city. Nowadays, the terror of Mt Pelee’s wrath is still visible in the remains of what was then, St Pierre. It is now a popular venue for tourists to see the incredible forces of nature taking over and showing that it is above anybody else.

If you are going to visit Martinique, then your first destination should be Les Salines. It is a long stretch of soft, sandy coastline that is free to access and is perfect for sunbathing and swimming. It is one of the most highly regarded beaches in the island due to the fact that the soft, white sands are perfect for relaxation, walks, building sand castles and more. The lovely palm trees sway along with the wind, inviting you to relax. To the south, you can find the Diamond Rock, your gateway to lovely diving areas that are extremely serene and enticing to visit. If you want to fully enjoy this area, weekdays are your best options since these are the times when travelers are least likely to be present.

For those who want to do some sailing, Pointe du Bout is a perfect option. This is located at the Three Islands (Le Trois Islet), heading to the western coast of the island. It is very easy to get to the city of Fort de France from this area. Before heading to the city, visit the marina where you can enjoy a number of sailboats so that you can enjoy the travel. There are dining facilities as well and some high end accommodations for those who like luxury.

Fort de France is a place for lifestyle tourism. It is a perfect venue for dining as well as shopping. It is at the southwest section of Martinique and is just 7 miles from Point du Bout.

If you want high end shopping, stopover at Lamentin before going home and visit the Galleria, the biggest shopping area in the island. Here, you can get tons of European labels so if you want some European flair in a Caribbean setting, this is a good option to visit to burn some money.

Hawaii Extreme: Volcanic Expeditions in The Popular Island State

Travel — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:15:05 +0000

Hawaii is not just a place of relaxation, parties, beaches and beautiful people. It is a place of adventure and extreme experiences. Case in point? The numerous volcanoes across Hawaii. There are practically hundreds across the seabed and notable ones above the ground. The volcanic islands of Hawaii are a constantly evolving area due to the extensive geological activities happening in the area. You can say that this is one of the best reasons to travel to Hawaii: to explore the lovely volcanic activity and see the results of this geological activity that dates from the creation of the world.

The Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

This national park was established at the turn of the century in the 1900s. It encompasses 505 square miles of land. It may not seem that much but what you get is an intense volcanic exploration that includes 2 major volcanic systems in Hawaii: Kilauea which is the most active volcano in the world and Mauna Loa, considered to be one of the biggest volcanoes in the world. The park is a haven to scientists and those people who like to brave the wilderness. Scientists use this area as a way to study the origins of the creation of these Hawaiian Islands.

Kilauea

When you say Hawaiian volcanoes, you think Kilauea. It is but the most popular volcano in the island. It is nestled just beside Mauna Loa. By the southwestern section of the volcano is massive fire pit that is also known as the House of Everlasting Fire or in local dialect, Halemaumau. It is a site of scientific importance for geologists. Sometimes, you can see that it forms a boiling lake of pure lava, something that you would not want to swim on. You need to wear protective gear if you want to chance a first person view of this geological wonder.

Mauna Loa

Mauna Loa is also, an active volcano aside from being massive. When it last erupted in the early 1980s, its massive eruption threatened to destroy Hilo. Nowadays, it is quiet but is continuously being monitored since it might threaten continuous flow from the crater, similar to that of Kilauea’s.

If you want to take a tour of the national park, a helicopter tour is a really nice idea to have a perfect view of the volcanoes in the national park. The hidden treasures at the national park are not only visible to the eyes. There are hidden treasures like waterfalls and rainforests making these area really important biospheres in the world.

A truly humbling experience, you will see the real earth, active with its task of creating new structures that make the island just a tad more extended than it was several years ago. If you will be visiting Hawaii soon, then take the chance to discover the real earth with its volcanic structures. You will really fall in love with the incredible and unique beauty that is present in the Big Island of this wonderful and exotic island state.

Traveling Safely across the Nazca Region

Travel — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:04:41 +0000

Along Peru’s Southern Coast is a unique region, not really due to its natural beauty but its supernatural or maybe extraterrestrial appeal. Ride a chopper across the Nazca desert and you will find something so majestic, yet so eerily unique and research worthy: The Nazca Lines. The Nazca culture was discovered in the late 1800s. The Nazca people were credited for creating these majestic lines since most of their ceramics and pottery comprise of the same patterns of animals that are seen over the desert. This region is not just about desert and lines. The Nazca culture is very rich and has very deep appreciation of handicrafts.

Going and to Nazca

From Ica, there are small buses of Collectivos that you can ride and it takes around 3 hours to reach the next stop. Fromm Cuzco and Arequipa, there are also buses that drive overnight. You can also reach the area from Lima. When it comes to traveling the area, you need not worry. It is very easy to traverse Nazca on foot but there are also some taxis available at a very convenient price. If you venture to the bus terminal, it would be best to focus on finding your driver to the hotel instead of making deals with shady personalities that thrive in this area.

Things to see

There are some notable areas to visit around town. First would be the Aqueducts of Cantalloc. The Nazca people, even before the time of the Inca civilization, created some aqueduct systems that helped in irrigating some water into the dry land surface. This helped in combating the expanding desert. The system is still used by farmers and there are around 30 of thee aqueducts across Nazca. Of course, the stars of the whole Nazca region are the Nazca Lines. The lines are quite expansive and they cover 500 square kilometers from the Nazca River and Ingenio River. They come in the form of humans, animals and different patterns with incredibly straight details and precise measurements. You can check the observation tower so that you can have a better view of 3 of these structures.

Other details

There are numerous hotels in the area and it is very important to make business deals with them as early as possible and finalize them for your trip. They range from cheap bed areas to more polished commercial hotels. These hotels offer tours across the Nazca area. It is very important to stick with more or less, legitimate tour options. One of the biggest setbacks would have to be dealing with very annoying people at the bus stops and the streets, egging you to join them. They send you to cheap but not pleasing options. Stay firm with your options since if you already reserved your hotel, then chances are, it will still be there. Nonetheless, a trip to Nazca will render you all happy and amazed with all the beauty that is awaiting you over there. You should definitely visit this after your trip to Macchu Picchu.

The Best Paris Restaurants to Dine in

Travel — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:00:51 +0000

The French…they love—no, are in-love– with food. There seems to be an open romance with Europeans and food that most people might find unique but that is something that makes France, or Paris in particular such a pleasure to visit. Even if your reason is just to eat, or buy a bread, or get an authentic omelette du Frommage, it is all worth it, because dining in Paris is a true journey on its own. Here is a list of restaurants offering fine dining and traditional French cuisine. Try them out and enjoy the unique gastronomic journey that they can offer you.

Fine French Dining

Le Meurice

The interiors of this fine restaurant at Hotel Meurice will transform any beast to a refined gourmand. It was redecorated by the renowned Philippe Starck. There may be some modern twists to its classical interiors; it still kept much of its French allure and charm. The chef, Yannick Aleno, holds 3 Michelin stars and he has a very inventive way of cooking, based on vintage Escoffier techniques. For, ma diverse range of lovely dishes, he mixes rare produce from Ile de France.

Carre des Feuillants

Always aiming for perfection but still with a bit of quirkiness, completing its refined French Charm, eating at Carre des Feuillants is always a pleasure. With its clean and simple interiors, diners experience tasteful environment that really emphasizes the stars of the restaurant: the food. Enjoy incredible cuisines inspired from the Southwest of France. Enjoy unique dishes made from seasonal ingredients, masterfully rendered to perfection.

Traditional French cuisine

LE TRAVERSIÈRE

Offering a traditional décor it shows an easy going attitude, very much like its owner and chef, Johny Benariac. Ingredients are always fresh and are chosen meticulously in order to create an impeccable traditional French dish that really stands out. Every month, the menu changes, always giving their patrons something to look forward to. The wine selection is also diverse with classic options and some new, but promising ones.

La Table Lauriston

Warm colors, ambient lighting and a compact, homey style, La Trable Lauriston offers a colorful palette of colors into his traditional French restaurant, with incredibly colorful dishes to match. The food has that emotional feel to it, made meticulously without losing that refined and warm touch to it.

Exploring Amsterdam: A Basic City Guide

Travel — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:16:16 +0000

Creative, quirky, liberated, fun, and not sober: these words perfectly describe Amsterdam. Nurse a drink on a cafe near the canals; see people whose looks will only cause rolling eyes in the prudent Americana culture. You find windows with women in questionably scanty garbs and see incredible architecture, flourishing art culture and a diverse lifestyle. That’s what you will find here at Amsterdam. Are you ready to see it? Here are some things that will be hard to miss out on your trip to Amsterdam

The architecture

Having the biggest concentration of lovely architecture from the early 19th century and beyond, this massive historic center is teeming with incredible sites to visit like Begijnhof which is a medieval courtyard. Of course, the Canal Ring is the quintessential spot that any traveler should come to visit in Amsterdam. The Canal ring was created in the 17th century and you can ride and see some prestigious buildings, giving you an incredible look of the lovely city. Together with the Synagogues, the churches are incredibly beautiful churches. Some of them use the classicist style of architecture.

Museums

Enjoy hundreds, even thousands of Heineken advertisements in the dedicated museum for the brand called The Heineken experience. This is more of a visual history of Heineken branding and how the advertising has changed through the years. Another good option to visit is the Vodka Museum where you can educate yourself about everything vodka: its history, manufacturing process and of course, the taste.

The Anne Frank Museum which is dedicated to Anne Frank who hid herself during the time of the Nazi persecution. Another option is the Rijksmuseum which is a great place for art lovers and students who want to be immersed to the Dutch Golden Age. From Vermeer to Rembrandt, there is something to keep your eyes glued on for hours. Lastly is the Van Gogh Museum where the biggest concentration of the late artist’s works can be seen.

The Red light District

It is highly crowded and has tons of policemen on patrol. It is a place for bachelors and indeed, is a place where you can explore in the fullest sense of the word. Do not take the photos of the women on the streets because you might lose your camera.

Uncovering Angola: adventure on a flexible budget

Travel — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:47:43 +0000

Miss Angola, Leila Lopes is one of the most beautiful women I have seen in the last few years of Miss Universe and she was an eye opener for me in revisiting my geography lessons on the hidden gem that is Angola. Until the 1970s, this remote country was hidden amid the cultural riches that it offers. For an outsider, Angola presents a humbling place with natural beauty and historical depth. At the intense heat of Equatorial Africa, you will find the loveliest people and some really interesting secrets.

Luanda and the Atlantic coast

Even with infrastructures being built to connect various areas, adventure is still the biggest advantage of Angola for tourism. This is not for the faint of heart and those who like to travel on a budget since cost of living here is pretty low. One of the best places to visit in Angola would have to be the capital city of Luanda. At the turn of the millennium, this once poor city has started to show signs of progress with an increased number of construction projects happening here and there. The incredible Atlantic coast, architecture (Old Portuguese churches) and museums offer incredible appeal to travelers who want to take it slow and easy without leaving the city.

Other areas of interest

Benguela is a popular spot due to its incredible desert beaches. You will also find some really nice architecture inspired by Art Deco movement. For those who like to explore the wilderness, travel across the Cubal Canyon at Kwanza Sul, and the plains at Waka Kungo. Visit areas like Cunene, Huambo, Malange, Huila, and others to find lovely waterfalls and generally lovely scenes. The city of Lubango is a perfect place that was perfectly pristine despite the difficult years in Angola. Lastly, you should take the time to visit Parque Nacional da Kissama. This is considered as one of the most expansive national parks. It is a true wilderness with expanses of empty quarters and a surreal landscape that is different from anything you might have seen or not imagined before.

Surely, the new Miss Universe is the pride of her country and we all can’t help but to be mesmerized and inspired also by this incredible country with a lot of potential for the wandering tourists.

Penguins In The Mist: Best Penguin Sights To Enjoy

Travel — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:14:13 +0000

If you are looking for the best spots to see penguins and maybe, do some happy feet moves with them, do not settle for the conventional zoo. A real penguin in their natural habitat is a traveler’s revealing experiences. Not all of us are aware of the numerous penguin varieties so it is fun to see them in actual wilderness. The question now is where to start.

Antarctica

A perfect destination for penguin sighting… for the deep pocketed travelers. If you will not land in these inhospitable icy slopes, you will pay up to $5000 just to find penguin sites through your binoculars. However, expect fees up to $10000 for a walk on the paths to see penguins close to their natural habitats. The thing is that there are numerous species of penguins that you can find here. Sadly, the Emperor penguins are out of sight from tourist spots and are only reached by professionals for studying and such.

The Chilean and Argentine Patagonia

You will find a lot of Magellanic penguins around Isla Magdalena and Punta Arenas. You will find some Humboldt penguins in the northern area and they extend up to Peru. In Argentina, the Magellanic penguins are also plentiful especially at Punta Tombo. It is necessary to be noted not to go too close and not to feed or touch these penguins since they are not tamed and security could be volatile for those who wish to take risks and get closer.

New Zealand

Most of the species of penguins are bred in the outer islands and it is very hard to find them. There are, however destinations where you can discover a parade of penguins. Go to Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony close to the city of Christchurch. A short day trip there will be enough to satisfy your penguin sightseeing in the area.

Ecuador

It sounds very unlikely that a penguin would naturally thrive in these areas but they can in the exciting Galapagos Islands. These are the so-called warm water Galapagos Penguins. A visit to the island can be difficult since there are limited runs for trips but the experience and waiting is worth it.

Tour America- Traveling Across The Legendary Route 66

Travel — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:12:05 +0000

America has changed considerably in the last century and its rapid development required more efficient, straightforward highway routes to connect state to state, city to city. However, there is this one route that you should never fail to take advantage of if you want to experience America in a whole new light this travel guide to America will take you to the historic Route 66, the sinuous road that extends from Chicago and crosses the expanse of the country to the state of California.

For most local and international travelers, Route 66 is considered an icon. It is not just a road; it is representative of many virtues that are defined the modern American consciousness like freedom. It also gives us a glimpse to the heartlands of America and the unique diversity that is apparent from every section of this route. In 1926, the road was introduced. With the help from authors like John Steinbeck especially in his infamous Grapes of Wrath, the Route 66 was romanticized and was taken into attention by the readers. Ever since, travelers have started to take keen attention to this historic road.

The Route 66 on its own is your travel guide to America and poses a great potential for incredible beauty and appeal. It is necessary to know that most areas here are remote and made up of wide expanse of open land. Be sure that you have enough water for both the car and yourself and stock up on food. The travel starts from Chicago and heads to Springfield then to St Louis, Rolla, Joplin, Miami, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Texola, Amarillo, Glenrio, Santa Rosa, Albuquerque, Gallup, Winslow, Flagstaff, Topock, Barstow, San Bernardino, to Santa Monica. The travel can take 9 days and on each area, you will find a unique piece of history and heritage. This “travel guide to America” is as unique as it could be.

Taking that trip to Route 66 is a great way to have a unique summer adventure with friends and family. It is necessary to reserve on certain areas as early as possible in order to enjoy the whole experience. The exploration in the heart of America will change your views of what actual beauty it possesses.