Quantcast
Channel: Traveler Guide
Viewing all 1406 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Amazing Places To Experience Around the Globe

December 25, 2014, 1:46 am
$
0
0


Executive summary by darmansjah

Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik – Iceland


Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy


The Dunes in Peru


Pongua Falls, Vietnam


Seychells


Bachalpsee, Berner Oberland, Switzerland


Lady Musgrave Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia


Yushan National Park, Taiwan


Kaieteur Falls - World’s Largest


Elafonisi Beach, Crete


Ben Bulben at County Sligo, Ireland


Shark Island, Sydney


Baatara Gorge Waterfall, Tannourine, Lebanon


Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand


Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece


Sichuan , China


Gardens of Prague Castle


Neist Point, Isle of Skye, Scotland


Aiguill e du midi, Chamonix, France


Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve in Texas


4 Hands, Etretat, France


Río Tampaón in San Luis Potosí, México



Madeira, Portugal


Méandre, En-Vau, Marseille / Bouches-du-Rhône

↧
Search

Armory chamber

December 26, 2014, 2:48 am
$
0
0
Executive summary by darmansjah

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its administrative, legislative, economic and educational center. It is the largest city of Russia with population of 8 million people. Founded in the 12th century with onion-shape domes of old churches and monasteries, Kremlin with its cathedrals and palaces. In the course of the tour you will visit the Red Square, see St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Cathedral of our Savior, Moscow University, and Arbat street and view the panorama of the city from Vorobievy hills.

Moscow is associated with Kremlin, an ancient part of the capital. The center of Kremlin is the Cathedral Square with five cathedrals dating back to the 15th century and Ivan the Great bell-tower. The Assumption Cathedral is the place where Russian Tsars were crowned, the Cathedral of Twelve Apostles used to be a home church of Moscow archbishops. The Kremlin palace used to be the residence of the Russian Tsars’ families. Tsar Cannon and Tsar Bell are the largest in the world.

↧
↧

Banff, Canada

December 27, 2014, 2:50 am
$
0
0
Best For: Hardy skiers and snowboarders of all abilities who love big views, wild panoramas, and bighorn sheep on the front lawn

Executive summary by darmansjah

The only town on this list located inside a national park, Banff also happens to be one of the most cosmopolitan. Typically teeming with visitors from many continents, downtown is a warren of international eateries, tourist shops, and museums, all surrounded by pristine mountain peaks stabbing thousands of feet into the sky. It’s one of the few places on Earth where you can walk out of a hip nightclub and two blocks later bump into a grazing bull elk (seriously, keep an eye out, they’re all over the place). Historic hotels and mountain hot springs add to the ambiance of frontier luxury.

There are three ski areas here within a 50-minute drive, all skiable on a single ticket. The runs of small but steep Mount Norquay, home of the one of the oldest chairlifts in North America, are visible from town. A larger and more well-rounded area, Sunshine Village—which is neither a village nor particularly sunny—sits on the Continental Divide and features the most reliable snow in the area. It also has the freeride area Delirium Dive, which harbors the kind of dizzyingly steep and rugged terrain you rarely find in-bounds in ski areas (transceivers, shovels, partners required). Lake Louise is second in size to only Whistler among Canadianski areas and features some of the world’s most scenic skiing and snowboarding. Shuttle buses are available from town to all three areas. Be prepared for cold temperatures in mid-winter.

Ask a Local
David Spence is a lifetime Banff local, former ski racing coach, and self-described “professional ski bum.” Here are his recommendations.

Best Digs
Budget: The Banff Aspen Lodge has great rates and a free skiers breakfast.
Swank: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel: Winter is actually Banff’s low season, so you can access this five-star hotel with three-star prices.

Best Eats
Cheap: Tommy's Neighbourhood Pub is the best spot in town for a burger and beer.
Gourmet:Castello's Ristoranteat the Fairmont Banff Springs has the best lamb in town.

Best After-Ski Party Spot
Downtown Banff. With over 30 bars and restaurants, Banff is the type of town where you barhop. Every place is different, and they’re all within three blocks.

Best Rest-Day Activity
The Ice Walk with Discover Banff Tours is an amazing day, a true bucket-list event.

Banff’s Classic Ski Run
The Bye Bye Bowl at Sunshine Village is wide open, and you can’t beat the view.

↧

Bay of Fires, Tasmania, Australia

December 28, 2014, 6:51 am
$
0
0
Stumpy’s Bay to Bay of Fires Lodge


Executive summary by darmansjah
 

Round-Trip: 16 miles, 4 days

When to Go: October to May is the season for this beach route along the northeastern shore. Go with the Bay of Fires Walk; it’s the only way in or out.

From the start in Mount William National Park to the finish at the impressive Bay of Fires Lodge, the route never deviates from seemingly endless beaches of blinding white sand and surreal rock formations lapped by a turquoise Tasman Sea. Only the occasional headland of granite boulders, turned blood red by lichen or forested points of shoreline, pushes you up and out of the coves. The Bay of Fires walk is a four-day guided trip; you can’t do it solo, as there is no water on the route so no place to overnight. The first day takes you out to a permanent camp at Forester Beach. The second, longer day finishes at the architecturally striking Bay of Fires Lodge. It’s as green as they come—in fact, you’ll pump your own water up to rooftop tanks for a shower. Day three is the ultimate reward: free time on the stunning Bay of Fires coast with the comforts and fine wine of the lodge at your beck and call.

Insider Tip: Don’t bother learning to discriminate between the species of snakes on Tasmania—they all have fatal bites. Strikes are rare, however, so just keep your eyes peeled for the slithering black creatures when you’re crossing the headlands.


↧

Beautiful Mountain Lakes

December 29, 2014, 7:31 am
$
0
0














executive summary by darmansjah


Some of the most beautiful outdoor scenes to photograph are mountains. It’s even better when there are lakes next to them. If you’ve got the patience, you can try to get a perfect mountain reflection; but even without a reflection you can get some amazing shots.



Some of the most beautiful outdoor scenes to photograph are mountains. It’s even better when there are lakes next to them. If you’ve got the patience, you can try to get a perfect mountain reflection; but even without a reflection you can get some amazing shots.
↧
↧

28 Places to See Before You Die

December 30, 2014, 8:46 am
$
0
0


Executive summary by darmansjah


Taj Mahal, India



Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado



Pompei, Napoli



Tikal, Guatemala



Petra, Yordania



Great Pyramid of Giza



Easter Land, Southeastern Pacific Ocean



Great Wall, China



Northern Light, Iceland



Serengeti National Park, Kenya



Falling Water, Pennsylvania



Yangtze River, China



Antartica, USA



Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya



Grand Canyon, Arizona

 

↧

Real Travel

December 31, 2014, 7:51 am
$
0
0
Resort to a Resort

Original text by Daisann Mclane,executive summary by darmansjah

THE SEAPLANE IS BOBBING ON its pontoons in the choppy South Pacific Ocean like a plastic duck in a toddler’s bathtub. “You’ll have to wade in from here,” the pilots shouts over the propeller’s rat-tat-tat. I look down doubtfully at the restless sea, the swaying ladder, then take a deep breath and start pulling off my sandals. Suddenly, in a whoosh, I’m in the air, courtesy of a bare-chested Fijian giant who materializes from the waves and scoops me up with one arm. “Welcome to the island!” talk about dramatic arrivals: I half expect the waters to part as he strides to the beach through the roiling foam with me balanced precariously, and ridiculously, on his shoulders. We draw near to the shoreline, and I see my next two weeks spread out before me like a glossy brochure: cute thatched cottages, bright yellow kayaks in neat rows on the shining sand, pink tropical drinks topped with paper umbrellas. I’m not sure what makes me more uneasy, the thought that I might fall off the Fijian’s shoulders or the knowledge that once the airplane flies away I’ll be stranded for days on this resort island.

Resorts are a staple of the travel world, but I’ve always had an uncomfortable, double-edge relationship with them. I know that these man-made destinations-the grand hotels, the all-inclusives, the seaside, countryside, and mountaintop retreats-are protective bubbles. Yet I fell in love with travel because it offered freedom, serendipity, and a way to break out of my comfort zone. Traditional resorts wrap their guests in a cozy blanket of the familiar, filtering out risk, chance, surprises-in other words, the very things that draw many to travel in the first place.

For those us who plot our travels to maximize contact with real people and places, the idea of squandering precious vacation time in curated, controlled surrounding feels almost like a felony. Guilt kicks in : Really, I should be booking that guesthouse with the shared bathroom in the undiscovered neighborhood. Or kicking back in a string hammock by a beach shack in that little fishing village.

Yet there are times, I’m embarrassed to admit, when I don’t want my travel to be so real. Browsing the Web, I’ll stumble on a hotel and, instead of continuing my search, I’ll linger and allow the resort sirens to whisper in my ear: “Space! Quiet! Privacy! No decisions!” then I bargain with my self: if I start my trip with a lazy, insulated week, won’t I have more energy to do serious traveling the next?

The truth is, sometimes after working hard  at travel, it’s nice to have travel take care of you. The first trips I remember taking with my family were to resorts-not the sleek all-inclusives of today but old rambling countryside manors in New York and Pennsylvania surrounded by acres of farmland and forest. Long before the word “sustainable” became a buzzword, these resorts were. The staff were local students or members of the owner’s family, and the activities were low-impact things like swimming in the nearby lake, playing tennis and badminton, walking in the woods, and devouring three home-cooked meals a day (remember the “American Plan”?). my sentimental attachment to these mostly vanished hotels of my childhood probably explains my taste in resorts today.

What seems to make all the difference in my resort experiences is local character. Even a bubble can lead to a sense of place. My resort “Big Fails” have been hotels like the concrete compound in the Bahamas I booked as a quick getaway packages one cold New York winter. The setting was beautiful but the property so anonymous and anodyne that after three days, dying of boredom in my beach chair, I slipped out the gate and walked to the nearby town. After inquiries at the local conch-fritter joint,  I met up with a lady who had a room for rent. I retuned to the hotel, packed up my things, and fled to the other side of paradise.

The there are the resorts I enter and never want to leave, like the loopy beach hotel in the Dominican Republic. Architecturally, it was anonymous as the Bahamas hotel. But the  owner, a middle-aged Italian expat, had found himself a local girlfriend and become well-known character in town. Every night he would host a party by the pool for his guests and invite all the neighborhood musicians, who would pass beers and guitars around and sing Dominican merengues and bachatasunder the moon. In his resort, you never forgot where in the world you were.

Quirky owners, landmark old buildings, fellow guests who don’t speak your language – when a resort has one or more of these wild cards, you can embrace your craving for an escape while still feeding your traveler’s sense of discovery.

Perched on the bronzed shoulders of the Fijian man, I felt I had “tourist” written all over me. But not for long. It turns out my porter and the other workers at the resort hailed from the only village on the little island-and the village controlled the island’s land, leasing it to the resort’s foreign owner. The workers were the bosses, which meant the bosses, ultimately, worked for the workers. I swam in the ocean, went to church in the village, and one night even played the ukulele with the man who’d carried me to shore. I was in a bubble, I know, and not exactly travelling. Yet I felt like a traveler still.


↧

Okinawa, Japan

January 1, 2015, 7:48 am
$
0
0

Executive summary by darmansjah

Why Go? 

Okinawa is the largest of the Japanese Southwest Islands, home to the prefectual capital, Naha, and the historical seat of power of the Ryukyu dynasty. A place where cultures collide: think ryukyo, Japanese, American, Chinese and Korean, Okinawa is home to excellent beaches, delicious food and a friendly people.

When To Go

Okinawa’s subtropical climate means the rainy season lasts from May to June. Summer is hot and humid with temperatures reaching highs of 35`C and September brings fierce typhoons. March, April, October and November are good months to visit.

How To Go’
Naha International Airport has services to Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. From Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, fly into the mainland Japan airports of Tokyo or Osaka before connecting with All Nippon Airways (fly-ana.com) or Japan Airlines (jal.com).

See

Best For Museum

Okinawa Prefectural Museum’s comprehensive exhibition traces the island’s history from ancient times of the Minatogawa man, through the time of the ryukyu kingdom, the Battle of Okinawa, and up to present day; a great introduction to the island history and culture (81 98 941 8200; museums.pref.okinawa.jp; 3-1-1 Omoromachi, Naha City; US$5).

Best For Theme Park

The Okinawa World theme park houses a snake museum, the massive gyokusendo Caves and an old Ryukyu village, showcasing various Okinawan crafts. Catch the daily performance of traditional Eisa dancing and sanshin music (81 98 949 7421; gyokusendo.co.jp/okinawaworld; 336 Tamgusuku Maekawa, Nanjo-city; US$20).

Best For Marine Life

Okinawa’s marine splendor is on display at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Its massive Kuroshio tank is home to whale sharks, manta rays, bull sharks and plenty of different ray species (81 98 048 348; oki-churaumi.jp; 424 ishikawa, Motobu-cho; US$23).

Best For Views

Okinawa’s best views are found driving along the dramatic coastline. Cape Manazamo is famous for its rock formation that looks like an elephant dipping its trunk into the azure waters.

Best For Castles

Reconstructed in 1992, the Shurijo Castle served as the administrative centre and royal residence of the Ryukyu Kingdom until the 19thcentury. Its architecture reflects influences from mainland Japan, China, and Korea (81 98 886 2020; oki-park.jp/shurjo-park; 1-1 Shuri Kinjo-cho Naha City; US$10).

Eat & Drink

Head to Okinawa Soba Ishigufu to sample one of the island’s cuisine staples, Okinawa soba. Unlike the common buckwheat noodles found elsewhere in Japan, Okinawa soba is made from wheat and carries more bite. Choose to have your soba topped with either broiled or stewed pork ribs ( 81 98 858 0881; 3-21-5 Gushi, Naha city; soba from US$8).

The owners of Kuruma Ebi Shokudo, an eatery housed in a non-descript shack, do prawn farming at the Yakaji Island. Kuruma ebi, literally translated into ‘car prawns’ are served up coated in a light batter and deep-fried to perfection (81 98 047 7888; 2434 Izumi, Motobu-cho; from US$17).

Ganso Umi Budo Hontenis renowed for tis umi budo, or seagrape, dishes. A seaweed, umi budo resembles a bunch of tiny green grapes, bursting and releasing slightly sea-salty flavours in the mouth with each bite. Have it served atop rice or ramen (81 98 966 2588; 6091 Aza Minami Onna, Onna Village; from US$15).

Inside Ichibahon-dori, one of the covered shopping arcades that branch off Kokusai in Naha, Daichi Makishi Kosetsu Ichiba covered food market offers an amazing range of fresh seafood and produce. On the second floor are many eateries dishing up the exact seafood found downstairs (2-10-1 Matsuo; dishes from US$8).

If you’re looking for some excellent grilled meat washed down with great awamori, Gen is the perfect yakinku place. If you can’t speak Japanese, ask your accommodation owner to call and order the yakinku course (US$45) as it must be ordered in advance (81 98 861 0429; 2-6-23 Kumoji).

Essentials

Getting Around

The Yui-rail monorail is perfect for exploring Naha Ciity and local buses run from Naha to destinations all over the island. A rental car is handy since major attraction are spread out across the island. There’s a rental-car counter in the arrivals hall of Naha Airport.

Typical Costs

A bowl of soba US$7.50; Mid-range meal US$7-Us$25; Mid-range hotel US$100-US$250; High-end hotel from US$250

Sleep


About 10 minutes walk from the main shopping street Kokusai, Hotel Sun Palace is a step up from a standard business hotel. Spacious rooms have interesting design touches and some have balconies (81 98 863 4181; palace-okinawa.com/sunpalace; 2-5-1 Kumoji; from US$100).

Popular with Japanese families, Southern Beach Resort & Spa Okinawa offers not only 495 comfortable rooms and a buffet restaurant that seats up to 350 dinners, but also a spa and plenty of beach-side activities such as kayaking and wakeboarding (81 98 992 7500; southernbeachokinawa.com; 1-6-1 Nishizaki cho, itoman city; from US$130).

Okinawa Harborview Crowne Plaza’s 352 rooms are spread out across seven room categories, each bringing welcoming comfort and elegance in a bustling city. The hotel also has five dining establishments (81 98 853 2111; crowneplazaharborview.jp; 2-46 izumizaki, Naha City; from US$140).

All the rooms at Okinawa Marriott Resort & Spa offer great views overlooking the East China Sea. They have a private beach where you can take in glorious views of the sunset, a restaurant serving up Ryukyu Japanese cuisine, and a spa (81 98 051 1000; Marriott.com; 1490-1 Kise, Nago City; from US$220).

Nestled among the lush trees and white sands of the picturesque Cape Busena in Nago, The Busena Terrace boasts 401 rooms and 18 atmospheric cottages. Guests can make use of the 760-metre private beach, get discounts off glass-bottomed boat tours and entrance to the Underwater Observatory at he adjacent Busena Marine Park (81 98 051 1333; terrace.co.jp; 1808 Kise, Nago; from US$550).

More Recommendation

Village Walk

A walk in fishing village of Bise, near the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, is highly atmospheric. Most of the nearly 250 houses in Bise are surrounded by thickly grown Fukugi trees, used as windbreaks around Okinawa since ancient times, protecting locals from seasonal typhoons.

Castle Ruin
On the east coast of the island and just south of Okinawa city are the castle ruins of Nakagusuku-jo. Commanding an enviable position overlooking the coast, Nakagusuku-jo predated stone construction of this type on the mainland by at least 80 years. Although the castle was destroyed in 1458, the remaining foundation hints at its former grandeur.

Side Trip – Diving

Blessed with crystal clear waters, a genial subtropical climate, a diverse range of marine life and corals, Okinawa is a veritable paradise for divers. The coral reefs flourishing around the Kerama islands, in particular, are renowned for their beauty. Diving operator Marine House SEASIR has English-speaking instructors and makes daily trips to Kerama Islands (81 90 8668 6544; seasirenglish.com; 2-3-13 Minatomachi, Naha City; from US$130).

Find Out More

For more information, see Lonely Planet’s Japan guide or download the chapter on Okinawa and Soutwest Islands from lonelyplanet.com  Visit the main torusim website okinawastory.jp for more planning information.
↧
Search

Refresh the Soul inVacation time

January 2, 2015, 8:20 am
$
0
0
Executive summary by darmansjah

Currently, recreation not only aims to refresh the mind and body, but also psychological. By utilizing the remaining time and the time is not long anymore, such as utilizing a long vacation from the routine of work, you can persuade the family to travel together spiritually. For Christians, there are several options that can be considered a place of pilgrimage to be visited or welcoming. Refresh Soul in Vacation time

Certainlytrue spiritualjourneyfrom thedepths ofthe Christianlife, butit does not matteryourspiritualadventurewiththe existingmap, isatourist destinationfull ofintrigue(antiChrist)anda never-endingturmoilofwarand defend theinterests oftheir respectivereligions.

This spiritualjourneycan be startedfromKana, a city located inthe Holy Land, specifically the province ofGalilee. Kanais knownas the placeof Jesus(the savior of the world-becauseHis kingdomis not fromworldly) performmiraclesfor the firsttimeasset forth inthe Gospels orthe teachings ofScriptureorthe Bible. Miracles thatJesusperformedwasturning waterinto wineat a weddingsisterMaria. In this cityyoucanbuythe famouswinekana.

Furthermore, fieldtripsgearedtowardShepherd.According to thegospel, this is where the joyof the shepherdsgetnewsfrom theangelaboutthe birth ofthe Saviorof the World.

You can alsofindandobserveand feelif I have totake a momentponderingthe blindness ofhuman beingsina shrinein Jerusalem. Let yourfaithguideyoursoulto steprightfootto theGardenTomb. Thisplacewas first discoveredby Major GeneralGeorgeGordonCgwho livedin Palestine in theyears1882-1883. The placeis located outside theOld City of Jerusalem, nearthe Damascus Gate. Not farfrom there, you'll findarockthat resemblesaskull, a place that isGordonasGolgotha​​(Mount Calvary).

According to theGospels, the tomb ofJesusChristis the Church ofthe HolySepulchre. The placeresembles acaveandinside there aretwo placesbed tolay thecorpse. Seeminglytoolarge waterreservoirs, the extortionof wine, beautiful garden, andsome of thechapel(a small form ofa church), which became a place of prayerandcommunionritualforProtestantChristians.

After thetrailup thehillof Golgotha​​, youcancome to thechapelriselocatedon a hilltopolive. Uniquely, this chapelinarriving atamosquecompoundrun byaMuslimfamily. Eightsquare-shaped with adomemade ​​ofstone, the chapelhas asignin the form ofthe curve. Signs that canbe seen onthefloorisbelieved to be thefootprintof JesusChrist? When itrisesto thesurgeandsentHisdisciplestocontinue and tospread thegospel.

There are manyplaces ofpilgrimageto refreshthe soulin timeswhen The time wasfriendly withus, eitherin an atmosphere ofleisure andtourism. Therefore, immediately usethe time lefttoenjoyand refreshesour faith, let alonebefore thedestinationof thispilgrimagedestroyedby theanti-Christ.
↧
↧

Bend, Oregon

January 3, 2015, 8:35 am
$
0
0
Best For: Multisport junkies with a taste for microbrews 


Executive summary by darmansjah

The biggest town on this list, Bend is a fast-growing, adventure paradise of more than 76,000 people in central Oregonthat happens to have the region’s premier ski area, Mount Bachelor, 22 miles west up the road. If you ever dream of skiing in the Pacific Northwest, Bachelor is the kind of mountain you dream about. A 9,000-foot stratovolcano lined with high-speed quads and skiable down every side, it’s a huge, diverse area which, being on the drier, east side of the Cascades, has lighter snow than the Pacific cement that coats most mountains in the region. Beginner and intermediate runs are scattered throughout Bachelor, and some of the groomers are world-class. But with fully 60 percent of the alpine terrain rated black or double-black, experts will get the most from the mountain. From the summit, adventuresome skiers and boarders can jump cornices into the blasted-open summit crater or head for the mountain’s backside of wide-open, backcountry-style double-blacks. Freestyle terrain is excellent, with two halfpipes (18 and 12 feet tall), and a nearly mile-long terrain park.

While Bend itself may lack the cozy, world-unto-itself feel of small ski towns, it makes up for it with lodging options for any budget, a stupendous selection of hip restaurants, and nine microbreweries within walking distance of each other in the city’s downtown (there’s a reason it’s called “Beervana”). Bachelor keeps the lifts running through Memorial Day, so if you come anytime after mid-winter you can ski up on the mountain in the morning and hike or mountain bike in the lowlands in the afternoon.

Ask a Local
Twenty-year Bend local Gerry Lopez, formerly of Hawaii, is one of the most famous surfers in the world and a surfboard manufacturer, writer, and motivational speaker. A dedicated snowboarder, Lopez moved here because of Bachelor’s snowboarding terrain. Here are his recommendations.

Best Digs
Budget: Rainbow Motel
Swank: The Mountain Suites at the Oxford Hotel

Best Eats
Cheap: Parilla Grill
Gourmet: The Blacksmith Restaurant

Best After-Ski Party Spot
Deschutes Brewery

Best Rest-Day Activity
Shopping at the Old Mill District or yoga at one of Bend’s many good studios

Bend’s Classic Ski Run
Thunderbird under the Pine Marten Express chairlift

↧

Best in Show

January 4, 2015, 11:54 pm
$
0
0
executive summary by darmansjah

TRUE TO FORM, our annual ‘Best of the World’ selection which ranged from Bagan, Myanmar, to Thessaloniki, Greece, got people talking. “I am so proud to see Ecuador’s beautiful capital, Quito, where I was born, in your magazine,” wrote Sadira Delgado Laiben, now of Arlington, Texas. The Daily Freeman, a Kingston, N.Y., newspaper, applauded our inclusion of the Hudson Valley-aka the ‘girl next door’ who is often overlooked, as the paper’s editors described its region: “We do love this well-considered shout-out from National Geograhic Traveler, including the hip prose positing that ‘not even Rip Van Winkle could sleep through the cultural clarion of today’s Hudson.

Valley. (‘No wonder we keep walking up at 3:30 a.m., Ma. It’s notthe train, it’s the damn cultural clarion, again.’)”

Other feedback took a more serious tack. “I was disappointed in your selections of Uganda and Grenada,” wrote Lawrence Denger of Woodland Hills, Calif. “In both countries there were documented cases of harassment and attacks on gay travelers in 2012. In the case of East Africa, there are better choices like Tanzania and Kennya, which I have found less hostile; for the Caribbean, try Barbados or the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaqao).”

From the editors: our missions as a traveler magazine is to showcase the world and its beauty. We also believe travel can be an effective way to expose problems, facilitate cultural exchange and conversation, and encourage change.

You’ve got spirit

Christoper Elliot’s criticism of Spirit Airlines attracted kudos. “Thank you for having the intestinal fortitude to say what you did,” wrote Peter Volny of Fountain Hills, Ariz. “sadly, Spirit is not alone. Seemingly, the airline industry has achieved its unstated objective to be the customer-unfriendliest of all.”

Mi Casa, Su Casa A feature about Casablanca, Morocco, recalled warm memories for Wayne Diehl of Spartanburg, S.C.

“My wife (then a nurse) and I (a pilot) met while stationed at the Air Force base – now Mohammed V International Airport – near Casa from 1958 to 1959. We were married by the pasha of Berrechid (a suburb) and lived in a French-designed apartment building on Boulevard Hassan II. We bought the material for my wife’s wedding gown in a chic French shop in Casa. We returned to the city on our 35th anniversary and found our old building. The ice cream shop, Oliver’s, was still on the ground floor. Casa remains a special place for us, from the food to the medina and the shops.”

The Year in Wanderlust

Where in the world would you most love to travel in 2013? We asked that question across our community-in print, on our Intelligent Travel blog, and via Twitter and Facebook. Your responses got us reaching for our passports: “I’m starting now to plan for the World cup in Brazil. I’ll attend some games in Recife and Natal and from those cities visit Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago off the coast.” Ana Maria Caballero McGuire | Needham, Mass.

“As a child I called Indiana Jones my hero, and more than anything I want to see Petra, Jordan.” Brandi Bennett Bentonville, Ark.

“Madagascar is high on my list-for the chocolate.” Doreen Pendgracs Matlock, Manitoba.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Tusheti National Park in the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia-what a dramatic Landscape.” Danielle Megyeri Campbell, Calif.

“This year I’m planning trips closer to  home-South Dakota and the Outer Banks in North Carolina. There are so many beautiful things to see in America.” Lisa smith Midland,Mich
↧

Big sky, bigger adventures in Montana

January 5, 2015, 12:11 am
$
0
0
Executive summary by darmansjah

Today Lewis and Clark wouldn’t recognize most of their route from St. Louis to the Pacific. But there’s one place they’d know in a heartbeat: a 149-mile stretch of the Missouri River in north-central Montana. It still contains the “scenes of visionary enchantment” the explorers found in 1805, where rugged sandstone canyons meet the river, then climb to a seemingly limitless prairie full of life. Bighorn sheep and elk sip from the river while antelope scamper. Eagles scream, coyotes sing, and prairie dogs do that funky dance. Even bison are back, thanks to the American Prairie Reserve, a group stitching together three million acres of public and private land for wildlife.

For locals, this place where erosion slashes the prairie is simply “the Breaks.” Some people explore it by canoe, often starting at Fort Benton (make time for the frontier history museums) and paddling for days and days. Others keep their feet dry, but the one thing everybody can find is quiet, the kind of hush that amplifies birdsong, a flutter of leaf, the melody of wind, your own heartbeat.

It’s not easy country. You’ll find more cactus and prairie rattlesnakes than people. You’ll expose yourself to weather that can peel your skin, freeze your flesh, bake you to the bone. Bring sturdy shoes, lots of water—and an open mind. In the Breaks, you can fill it with something good. —Scott McMillion

Travel Tips

When to Go: Summer (Memorial Day weekend through September 30)

Where to Stay: Camp at one of the Missouri River sites used by Lewis and Clark. Get the campsites’ GPS coordinates at the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center in Fort Benton. Or, bunk in an authentic homestead cabin or in a period roomabove the historic mercantile in Virgelle, a restored homestead-era ghost town located just upstream from the Upper Missouri’s White Cliffs.

How to Get Around: Much of Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is inaccessible by road. Guided canoe/camping tours can be booked through experienced, local outfitters like Upper Missouri River Guides and Missouri River Canoe Company.

Where to Eat or Drink: Reserve an outdoor table (seasonal) for dinner (closed Tuesdays) at upscale Union Grille Restaurant, located on the main floor of Fort Benton’s historic Grand Union Hotel. Seasonally fresh, local ingredients are featured on the fine dining and, more casual, Tavern menus.

What to Watch Before You Go: Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West (National Geographic, DVD, 2002) is a visually stunning re-creation of Lewis and Clark’s epic journey, narrated by actor Jeff Bridges and shot in original expedition locations.

Fun Fact: At the turn of the 20th century, the remote, rugged terrain made the Breaks a hideout for outlaws like Harvey Logan, also known as “Kid Curry,” part of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s infamous Wild Bunch.


↧

Caribou Tracks

January 6, 2015, 1:58 am
$
0
0
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Hiker: Terry Tempest Williams, author and environmental activist

Executive summary by darmansjah

In Her Words 

The trail I dream of walking? Any caribou trail in Gates of the Arctic National Park or Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can hear their clicking ankles on the tundra, and I imagine walking behind them in silence in that vast expanse of wilderness. —Terry Tempest Williams
Length: The caribou migrate 120 to 400 miles

The Details: The northernmost park in the U.S., Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve covers 8.4 million acres in the Brooks Range just above the Arctic Circle. It has no trails and protects the habitat and migration routes essential to the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, which has been declining but still numbers approximately 325,000 animals, making it the largest in Alaska. The 19.3-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Preserve (ANWR) is probably the most well known and hotly debated wilderness in the United States due to two natural resources it has in abundance—caribou and oil. ANWR is a massive place consisting of mountains, tundra, and coastline with few visitors, no trails, and a menagerie of Arctic wildlife.

The best known of those species is the caribou. Two herds live here and over the border in Canada: the Porcupine Herd (about 169,000 animals) and the smaller Central Arctic Herd (42,000). In spring, the Porcupine caribou come together to make their great migration to calving grounds hundreds of miles away on the coastal plain. The Porcupine herd leaves the coastal plain by mid-July, mostly to avoid hatching mosquitos, and begins to head into the foothills. In fall, they move en masse again, heading south into the Brooks Range and Yukon Territory. The Central Arctic Herd follows a slightly different route.

The conflict in ANWR is over 1.5 million acres of coastal plain, known also as 1002 Area. Not only is it the calving ground for the caribou, it’s also the site of one of what could be the largest known onshore oil and gas reserves in the United States. For now, the only activity here is from the thousands of caribou. It's possible to sign on with outfitters who will take you out to hike along with them as they make their migrations in Gates of the Arctic—which has no drilling conflict—or ANWR. It is one of the few great wildlife wonders left on the planet.

When to Go: Spring and fall, when the caribou undertake their great migrations

About Williams: Terry Tempest Williams has become more than an author. She is a voice for wild places, as well as the people and animals who inhabit them. Her book Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place (Vintage, 1992) typified that ethos, telling not just the story of a threatened Utah wildlife refuge but also of her mother’s cancer and fallout from nuclear testing. In Finding Beauty in a Broken World (Vintage, 2009), she deals with everything from prairie dogs to Italian mosaics to genocide. In Rwanda and in Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert(Vintage, 2002), she explores the solitude and sensuality of her native Colorado Plateau. Alongside her environmentalist husband Brooke Williams, she has fought for the survival of wild places in America and abroad, winning the Wilderness Society’s Robert Marshall Award, the Center of the American West’s Wallace Stegner Award, and the Community of Christ International Peace Award for her work.

↧
↧

Bozeman, Montana

January 7, 2015, 1:43 am
$
0
0
Best For: Diehard skiers who wear their duct tape with pride (and beginners who look forward to doing the same someday)

Executive summary by darmansjah

The adventure capital of the Northern Rockies, Bozeman is an old Montanauniversity town of cowboys and ski bums, pickups and unleashed dogs, and two of the premier ski hills in America. More of a working town than a traditional “ski town,” here overpriced lodges and fine dining are the exception, though there are a few high-end options and classically trained chefs. But being Bozeman, there’s nowhere you can’t wear blue jeans. You don’t come here for the restaurants, you come to ski the two wild Montana mountains. Bridger Bowl is the storied, scruffy little brother, a condo-free, nonprofit ski area 20 minutes out of town and where some of America’s original extreme skiers—Scot Schmidt, Tom Jungst, and Doug Coombs—cut their teeth and began preaching the steep skiing gospel. Hardcore skiers flock here for The Ridge, in-bounds hiking terrain with a murderer’s row of hairball chutes, and the new Schlasman’s Lift accessing expert-only, backcountry-style terrain (avalanche transceivers required for both).

An hour’s drive south of town in the majestic Madison Range, Big Sky Resort is the brash, lusty big brother, a gigantic ski area that offers joint lift tickets with the adjacent Moonlight Basin to create one of the largest ski areas in America. The tram to the vaulting, exposed 11,166-foot summit of Lone Peak opens up a Euro-style world of high-alpine, big-mountain skiing. Beginners and intermediates will find plenty of terrain at both, with Big Sky the deluxe option and the smaller Bridger a no-frills, low-cost choice. Yellowstone National Park, a 60-minute drive away, features back-of-beyond cross-country skiing and wildlife watching.

Ask a Local 

Tom Jungst moved to Bozeman in 1977 to join the Montana State University ski racing team and soon began pioneering extreme terrain in the area and appearing in classic ski films by Warren Miller and Greg Stump. Today he is an educator, machinist, and product designer. Here are his recommendations.


Best Digs 

Budget: Blue Sky Motel, which has $40 rooms and allows dogs for a small fee

Swank: The Gallatin Gateway Inn isn’t that expensive, but it’s nice, and from the inn it’s easy to head to either Big Sky or Bridger before or afterwards.

Best Eats
Cheap: Watanabe, across from the high school on Main Street, has no liquor license, but the authentic noodle dishes warm you after a cold day of skiing.
↧

Cape Breton

January 7, 2015, 1:52 am
$
0
0
Nova Scotia’s treasured island

Executive summary by darmansjah

During the 18th and 19th centuries, fishermen and settlers from Franceand Scotlandcame to Cape Breton Island, drawn by its rich fisheries, ample timber, and the chance of a better life. Originally settled by the ancient ancestors of the Micmac people, this island off Nova Scotia now lures visitors with its abundant wildlife, natural beauty, and assembly of French, Micmac, and Celtic cultures.

One-fifth of Cape Breton is preserved as a national park, laced by 25 hiking paths and looped by the Cabot Trail, a 186-mile driving route frequently ranked among the world’s most spectacular. “I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps, and the Highlands of Scotland,” said inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who spent 37 summers here. “But for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all.”

The mingling of cultures means you can seek a clan tartan at the craft shop at Gaelic College/Colaisde Na Gàidhlig in St. Anns, then explore the French-founded Fortress of Louisbourg on the east coast. In 1745 this garrison withstood a 48-day siege by New Englanders, backed by British naval support, before surrendering. In 2013, the reconstructed fortification celebrates the 300th anniversary of the founding of the French colony of Île Royale (present-day Cape Breton). —John Rosenthal

Travel Tips

When to Go: May-October; Celtic Colours annual international music and cultural festival, early October

Where to Stay: Family-owned Highland Heights Inncombines homey rooms and home-cooked meals (try the traditional Nova Scotia fish cakes) with breathtaking views of the Bras d’Or Lakes. Spend a day immersed in Gaelic culture next door at the 40-acre Highland Village living history museum.

How to Get Around: Drive the Cabot Trail loop counterclockwise beginning in Baddeck.

Where to Eat or Drink: Rusty Anchor Restaurant in Pleasant Bay serves up fresh seafood chowder, fish and chips, and some of the Cabot Trail’s best lobster rolls (pure lump meat and a bit of butter). Watch the ocean, and maybe even a whale, from the outdoor patio. Open May-October.

What to Read Before You Go:Fall On Your Knees, by Ann-Marie MacDonald. This multigenerational tale set on early 20th-century Cape Breton was the Canadian playwright's debut novel, earning her the 1997 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book.

Fun Fact: Most of Nova Scotia’s endangered Canada lynx live in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The mostly nocturnal cat is built for stealth. Its fur ear tufts act as hearing aids and its large, furry feet function as snowshoes.


↧
Search

Cicchetti, Venice, Italy

January 8, 2015, 1:39 am
$
0
0
Executive summary by darmansjah

These bite-sized morsels-the Venetian answer to tapas and the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon spent lost among the canals-can be found in tiny bars all over the city. Cicchetti comprise a range of hot and cold foods. The term derives from the Latin word ciccus, meaning ‘very small’, and can include everything from olives to diminutive servings of seafood, meat or vegetables placed on top of a slice of bread.

Origin – during the 15th century, Venice was not only the wealthiest and most powerful city in Europe, it was also considered to be the capital of fine dinning, attracting the world’s most talented chefs. Venice’s influence-and merchants-brought a diversity of foods to the many bars that had long line its side streets and plazas, and the worker’s tradition of a quick, small sandwich with glass of wine continues today.

Tasting – Just approach the counter and point at whichever food looks most appealing. Fish is a Venetian staple, so you’ll often find fried shrimp or calamari, as well as other specialities including fres oysters, razor clams, baccala mantecato (cod wihipped with olive oil), sarde in saor (sardines marinated in vinegar with onions) with polenta cakes, and mushrooms on a baguette slice. Other tiny treats include polpette (a fried veal-and-potato meatball), arancini (tiny fried or baked rice balls). Courgette flowers and baby cotopus. To locate an authentic cicchetti bar, keep an eye out for an unassuming sotefront with locals spilling from the door.

Finding it – the dimly lit Canina do Mori near Riatlto market is Venice’s oldest cicchetti bar, dating back to 1462 (from US$ 2.40; 00 39 41 522 5401).

↧

Bouches du Rhône

January 9, 2015, 12:59 am
$
0
0


Executive summary by darmansjah

Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.

Tourism

 Cities of Marseille and Aix-en-Provence

 Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles

 
The Camargue and the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

 Alphonse Daudet's windmill in Fontvieille

  Les Baux de Provence, medieval village

  Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum

  Tarascon, medieval castle and church

  Salon, city of Nostradamus and one of the biggest citadels of Provence: Château de l'Empéri

  Calanques, between Marseille and la Ciotat

↧
↧

Boat Bodø Norway

January 10, 2015, 12:27 am
$
0
0
Norway’s gateway to the Arctic


Executive summary by darmansjah


Flying into Bodø, the plane descends over a seascape covering thousands of isles, while the final approach offers a close-up view of the majestic glaciers and peaks guarding this small capital of Norway’s Nordland Province. Arriving by sea (often and deservedly called “the world’s most beautiful sea voyage”), the famous Hurtigruten coastal ships give passengers a glimpse to the northwest of the imposing 62-mile chain of spiky mountains that forms the mythic-seeming Lofoten archipelago.


Bodø is less than one degree north of the Arctic Circle. Without the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, the landscape would be a frozen, inhospitable waste at this latitude. In fact, Bodø offers cycling, skiing, hiking, caving, climbing, and fishing. Many visitors come here for the unique Arctic light, whether the soft pastels of winter that crescendo in a display of aurora borealis or the orange glow of summer’s midnight sun (the best viewpoint for both is from the Landegode lighthouse). Don’t leave without seeing the Saltstraumen sound, where deep, swirling eddies form every six hours with the change in tides as the equivalent of 160,000 Olympic-size pools of water surge through a narrow passage. Above all, northern Norway has this to offer: the absence of distractions and the chance of an intimate encounter with awe-inspiring nature. —Arild Molstad


Travel Tips


When to Go: Early June-early July for the midnight sun; September-April for northern lights.


Where to Stay: The waterfront Rica Hotel Bodø and newly renovated Clarion Collection Hotel Grand Bodø (breakfast and a light evening buffet included) are conveniently located near shops, restaurants, and museums.


How to Get Around: In town, walk (airport is less than a mile from the city center) or take the local bus. Hop a fast ferry for island and coastal day trips. Take the Nordland Railwaysouth to Trondheim, or a bus for destinations north.


Where to Eat or Drink: Try harborside Bryggerikaiafor grilled tørrfisk (cod), fish soup, and fresh prawns. For drinks, panoramic mountain and sea views are included at the Radisson Blu Hotel’s Top 13 Rooftop Bar.


What to Read Before You Go: Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson (2007). The award-winning novel by the acclaimed Norwegian novelist is a hauntingly mesmerizing introduction to the quiet, stark beauty of remote, northern Norway.


Fun Fact: Norway is home to Europe’s largest breeding population of white-tailed eagles, an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 pairs. The massive raptor (Europe’s biggest) has eight talons, a wingspan of over eight feet, and can live 20 to 25 years.




↧

Castilo St. Augustine

January 11, 2015, 2:02 am
$
0
0
Florida’s fountain of youth

Executive summary by darmansjah

History books taught us that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León “discovered” Florida500 years ago in 1513 while seeking the fabled fountain of youth. But before the peninsula was claimed by de León, it was home for more than 12,000 years to Paleo-Indians who built civilizations around its water-filled sinkholes and left behind archaeologically rich middens (giant piles of oyster shells) as proof of their bayside existence.
Today, finding a genuine slice of “Old Florida” can be a scavenger hunt. The breezy Spanish colonial city of St. Augustine is an exception to the rule. A pair of marble lions greets visitors crossing the regal Bridge of Lions into the walled city. Looming over it is Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century fort surrounded by a moat and occupied at various times by Spanish, British, Confederate, and U.S. soldiers. The fort’s warren of chambers echoes with the stories of pirates, three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Spanish-American War deserters, and even Seminole Chief Osceola, who was incarcerated here in 1837 for leading the native resistance against the U.S.

Along King Street sit historic Flagler College and the Lightner, an antiquities museum housed in an 1887 Spanish Renaissance Revival masterpiece. It was commissioned by oil tycoon Henry Flagler, who is credited with salvaging the city and planting Florida’s tourism seeds. St. George Street, St. Augustine’s main drag, may have become overly touristy and crowded with T-shirt emporiums and fudge shops, but the side streets still harbor scrubby garden courtyards and off-the-radar bars, such as the 130-year-old Mill Top Tavern, where you can imagine what Old Florida was like before it became the Sunshine State. —Adam H. Graham

Travel Tips

When to Go: Spring (March-early June) and fall (late September-November) average temperatures are a comfortable 70-85ºF. Keep in mind that Atlantic hurricane season is June-November.

Where to Stay: Stroll from the intimate St. Francis Innbed-and-breakfast in Saint Augustine's brick-paved historic district to nearby restaurants, shops, galleries, and museums. Or watch the sun rise over the Atlantic from the oceanfront House of Sea and Sun, a comfortably elegant 1920s Flagler heiress’ home turned bed-and-breakfast on St. Augustine Beach.

How to Get Around: The Old Town Trolley narrated tour route encompasses 22 hop-on and hop-off sightseeing stops, plus a free shuttle to St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. Purchase three-day passes online ($21.32 adults, $9.27 ages 6-12).
↧

Harmonic Convergence

January 12, 2015, 2:15 am
$
0
0

Executive summary by darmansjah

Dusk falls on a primeval landscape on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. A final relic from the world’s last ice age, this North Atlantic island nation is a world of knife-cut valleys, gargantuan fjords, monumental cliffs, black-sand beaches, thundering waterfalls, and silent white glaciers. Recent volcanic eruptions remind us that Iceland is still a country in the making, with changed landscapes that even Icelanders continue to discover.

Three years of financial recovery have made Iceland more affordable, with consumer prices now largely pegged to the euro. The country’s return to a humbler attitude stems from a thousand-year-old tradition of self-reliance—a tradition that has preserved one of the world’s oldest living languages and harnessed some of the cleanest energy on Earth.

↧
Viewing all 1406 articles
Browse latest View live
Search