Travel Destinations

Travel Destinations Reviews

There are a million places that are great to visit as a tourist for one reason or another. This section allows you to get inspired by somewhere you have never heard of ! You can of course choose to target a destination you are already interested in by clicking on the country or town even village links you find in this category of travel, this will bring up only travel items about this destination.

Details: Written by: Puerto Maldonado; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 02 March 2010; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 2043

Can I just start by saying that our Intrepid group is fantastic! There are four of us on this trip called ‘Sacred Land of the Incas’ which takes us through Peru for 15 days. Hellene and Ben are a farming couple from Western Australia and we instantly bonded when we met on Sunday. They are fun and adventurous just the way I imagined other Intrepid Travelers to be. Lucky for us they are also fine with the fact that we are filming our every move and we even got Ben to chat to the camera about some of his purchases at the markets in Cusco today. We will make TV stars out of them yet! Our leader, Sylvana, is a Lima local and has been with Intrepid for about 2 years. She is great fun and already feels like an old friend, plus she is very knowledgable about this country and it’s history. The trip doesn’t really feel like an organized trip, it just really feels like a group of friends traveling together.

Before I go any further let me go and back and update you on our travels so far. We left Lima on Monday on an early flight to Puerto Maldonado which lies on the edge of the Tambopata river. The river eventually feeds into the Amazon and winds its way through wild jungle as far as the eye can see. After a trip up the river on a canoe and a short hike we arrived at the lodge which lies in the middle of the Amazon jungle. It is constructed of wood and palm leaves and none of the buildings have walls to the outside. The rooms are equipped with hammocks and mosquito nets and cold showers to stave off the oppressive heat and humidity. The forest is bursting with life and crickets, birds and monkeys make themselves known. The sound of the Howler Monkey in particular is still ringing in my ears which sounds like a jet plane landing in the distance – it’s almost like something from a horror movie.
The first afternoon we climbed to the top of a rickety 37 meter tower for a view over the jungle as the sun set, which was a bit of a challenge with camera equipment and all. For there we spotted Macaus and monkeys and our local guides talked to us about the wildlife in the area. The second morning was a 4am start to make it to an ox-bow lake by sunrise. We had hopes of spotting some endangered river otters which have been hunted to the brink of extinction. When we arrived at the lake a crude catamaran awaited us and we floated out silently on the glassy lake. Stu and I were not the only ones with cameras poised in search of exotic animals as this area attracts naturalists and photographers alike due to its rich wildlife. The lake did not disappoint. We were treated to a family of five Giant River Otters that grow to 2 meters in length. Tucans and Macaus flew across the sky and we even managed to catch a few Piranahs on some basic fishing lines from below the muddy waters. Catching wildlife on film is an extremely difficult task – particularly when the huge zoom lens is out of your price range and those animals just won’t sit still long enough! Despite a few issues I think we managed to get some good shots. What an incredible place the Amazon is and being in such a place with such experts on wildlife was a real treat.

This morning we left the lodge and within a few hours we found ourselves high up in the mountains in Cusco. It was quite a relief to leave the heat and humidity and come into some crisp mountain air. Cusco is a fantastic town with cobbled streets and whitewashed walls with blue doors. It is fairly quiet here due to the fact that Machu Picchu is closed, so we have a pretty ideal situation for filming and photographing... plus the local merchants have lowered to prices to lure the few tourists that still remain. I was really taken by the short stroll through the narrow streets of Cusco and into the markets and look forward to exploring more. For now though, our eyes are firmly on the Lares trek which will take us into the wilds for three days and two nights. It should be quite an adventure. We have been briefed and are ready to roll… I just hope the altitude sickness doesn’t make too much of a comeback!

Details: Written by: Calvin; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 22 December 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 3434

Oxford a city well renowned for its Oxford University Colleges is also an architectural delight. You can appreciate Oxford in just a few hours if that's all you have time for but a full day should be spared for such famous buildings as the Carfax Tower, Christ Church College or Sheldonian Theatre to name a few. Broad street is a fantastically diverse architectural street more than any in the UK for example Trinity College. Oxford also has remains of a castle and moat, city walls. In summer take a punt on the river Cherwell where it meets the Thames these days called the Issis from latin Tamesis !

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 04 December 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 2966

Good food laughs and colourful surroundings await you at this popular spot. It's also handy for going somewhere after being in a good spot for London's nightlife, Shoreditch.

Its good to book in advance however as its very popular.

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 03 December 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 1844

Periyar’s Wildlife Sanctuary – Kerala’s Hidden Gem

One day three girlfriends and I decided to treat ourselves with a trip to Periyar’s Wildlife Sanctuary, an amazing 700 km wildlife preserve. After a grueling and intense agriculture summer course, we deserved it. Why Periyar? Imagine huge herds of wild elephants (sometimes numbering 50 per herd), bonnet monkeys (its hair resembles a cap), barking deer, and tigers, tigers among others.

We boarded a rickety British Ambassador car, windows down, to get to nearby Thekkady, a plantation town that sells spices and gives great Ayurvedic massages. Thekkady, in the region of Kerala, has a high altitude as it lies along the ranges of the Western Ghats.

It was a long drive and to our dismay, we learned at the Kerala border that our driver had bailed on us. After a 30 minute wait, to our relief, he came back. He could not take us across the border, he said, because his license was invalid.

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 27 November 2009; Last Updated: 30 July 2021; Hits: 3255

Welcome to Buenos Aires!

This is a quick start guide that has some very good links and that info which you find you need first. (bookmark it and come back if you need to) and share it on facebook or other.

Things to Do

Recoletta Cemetery /Area

Recoletta is a poorly connected but well to do suburb for the rich. It is most well known for the cemetery which features some amazing architectural examples of tombs. Eva Peron is entombed here and her grave is the only one to get flowers daily. There are some museums here in the area too.
You might walk to some of the gardens around from here or just explore some of the residential streets around. There is a cinema and home furnishing centre.

Welcome to Rio De Janeiro!

We won’t bore you with more of how good looking Rio is, this is an article that has some very good links and basic info so that you can get up to speed quickly (bookmark it come back if you need to).

Things to Do
What to Wear and Climate
Rio is Tropical and though very humid is cooled by some winds. The best time to visit is when you are there ;) Obviously Carnival is a busy time. Shorts and T Shirts or short sleeve shirts and flip flops work well. During the rainy season it might be good to have an umbrella, but who packs those!

Read more: Rio De Janeiro City Guide

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 15 October 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 2426

Planning to visit England this vacation is a brilliant idea. This country hosts some of the best vacation spots, rich culture and magnificent architecture. Whether you are visiting with a family or alone, you will enjoy the parks and boat rides. If it’s London you chose for a destination then you don’t have to worry about the accommodation or the good restaurants, you’ll find great hotels in central London and during the night, the city transforms into a busy place with many club and restaurants to choose from. Regardless of what town you visit in England, you can be sure that your day will be long and memorable. Below are 10 things you must see while there.

1.Art Galleries

Two of the most visited art galleries are the Tate modern and Tate Britain. They are known to host the best art work in the world. Tate modern has a collection of new and contemporary pieces of art while the latter has pieces of art collected in the 16^th century. If you are around the Oxford Street, stop over at the Wallace collection, another art gallery. The major art galleries like the National Portrait Gallery and National Gallery open their doors for tourists up to late in the evening. Therefore, you can schedule this visit at the end of your day.

2.Museums

Your visit will not be complete without a visit to London’s museums. If you are interested in learning the history from way back during the Romans times to date visit Museum of London. For a collection of scientific items, visit the Science museum. For those visiting with a family, the museum that is best for you is the Natural History Museum. London appreciates its visitors and charges an attractive entrance fee to all major museums.

Details: Written by: Bhupal; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 01 October 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 3408

I hear your complain.. it’s been a long time since I have dropped you a note and you are dying to hear from me. First let me wish you good health, prosperity and happy days.

Its been busy few months, with all the travelling, marathons, adventures and little bit of work to pay for it all... Among one of those holidays while cycling downhill somewhere in Villards de lans (French Alps),we stopped over to quince our thirst with a pint of lager... .. After few, Raphael, Vincent and myself ( there were two others who backed out), thought we'd go on a little adventure as we were getting bored hearing all the stories about credit crunch, global warming, girls complaining, yada yada.

So for the world peace, we decided to cycle across the Himalayas. (see there are good things that come out of drinking beer!). Most of our good friends, families, colleagues, even bankers and politicians didn’t like the idea.. you are crazy, there is no mobile/facebook, or oxygen... you will die out there ;-)

Eventually, the idea over a pint materialized. So one fine day, three of us were in Tibet – “roof of the world” drinking Lhasa beer, wondering how on earth we would cycle across the Himalayas with a very little training we had.. After few visits to the monastery, spiritual enlightenment, and inspirations from Tibetanswe started our journey. It’s not easy startingfrom 3600 metres planning to reach Everest base camp (5200 m) for a cup of tea, crossing the Himalayas and down to mystical Nepal. Most of the journeys were at about Mt Blanc height and the views were spectacular.. We saw lots of yaks, monasteries, more yaks, even more monasteries and Everest..

Apart from sore arse, sun burn and regular flatulence (Its not the most pleasant experience when you are sharing a windproof tent)we were good.. With all those yak meats, butter tea, chang (local drink), steamed pizzas we managed to get in shape (round) and add few kilos..

We reached Kathmandu with no broken bones and in 1 piece covering around 980 kms in just over 2 weeks.With those hard to resist down hills ( thought it would be easier taking detours and going for a free ride), I now feel sorry for the bikes.. I had 4 broken spokes (rear wheel), 2 punctures (both the last day in Nepal), Raf's shocks and dereuillers didn’t work when he needed them; Vince was very compassionate to his bike and he got a wonderful ride in return.. Hearing about all those reincarnation, Iam sure those bikes will be human in their next life..

As I managed to pick up few phrases of French in the Himalayas - Dont ask how!

"Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu'un long discours," or "A good sketch is better than a long speech". So will let you enjoy the pictures.. Some are postcard materials and if you want to blow them up and hang it on your wall, you have my permission.

Hope you enjoy and keep in touch..

Next trip - Brasil, Vengo de surf, samba y sol..
Let me know if you are up for it..

--
Bhupal

"Realizing emptiness is not difficult; the difficulty is maintaining this awareness."

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 24 September 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 1468

If you are the one looking to spend holidays enjoying adventurous sports, Sharm el-Sheikh tours is an absolute destination accommodating world class water sports like Para-sailing, Boating, Water skiing, Canoing or pedaling.

Sharm el sheikh is one of the main tourist destinations with dramatic landscapes, sandy beach stretches, and adventurous under water sports.

Na'ama Beach is one of the centers of the tourist activities. Located just north of Sharm, this area is developing into a resort town of its own. Most hotels at Na'ama Bay have their own, private beaches with comfortable amenities such as chairs, shades and even bars.

The sandy beach stretch is a perfect to enjoy relaxing the water of Naama Bay for swimming, relaxing, reading, meditating and deep thinking.

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, the Red Sea resort for scuba diving, snorkeling and family fun. The jewel of the Sinai, with history going back thousands of years, cultural tours and year round sunshine. One of Egypt's top holiday destinations.

One of the best places to enjoy sizzling water sports and beach activities such a glass bottom boat, beach volleyball, the banana riding, para-sailing, windsurfing, water skiing.

Glass bottom boats are a convenient way to view the fish and coral life of the Red Sea without getting wet. Ideal if you are not a good swimmer. They are very popular with families as the parents can point out all the fish to the little ones.

Planning for Snorkeling ? Naama Bay offers trips by land and boat, through accompanying specialized divers.

Ras Mohamed National Park is one of Egypt's most popular dive and snorkeling sites. With a large variety of fish, corals and sharks calling this part of the Red Sea home, you'll enjoy an exciting day exploring the magical underwater world.

A Sharm El Sheikh tours guide will really help you find complete information about Sharm restaurants, Sharm Egypt travel agency, Sharm museums, Sharm hotels and many more.

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the very popular places for scientific studies, having a collection of 1000 different fish species and 250 different coral reefs.

Sharm is the most westernised of the hot spots in Egypt, so expect fast food chains, restaurants, clubs, bars and 'sheesha cafes'. If you are looking for some unique tastes, the beach bars and restaurants are absolutely inviting to sip a variety of cocktails. There's even a British pub if that's what you're after...

Imagine a day of total relaxation and the white clear warm waters of beautiful exotic Sharm El Sheikh! Enjoy!

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 16 September 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 2225

Sharm El sheikh is one of the main tourist destinations with dramatic landscapes, sandy beach stretches, and adventurous under water sports. Located in Southern Sinai, Sharm el-Sheikh Sharm el sheikh has tourists during all round the year, due to its dry weather conditions.

One of the main tourist locations is the Naama Bay, having a huge a sandy beach stretch where you find many hotels, apartments, restaurants and bars. Other popular places include this beautiful island include Marina Hotel, Nature Fild School, and the Naama Bay Hotel.

After the development of civilian port, the tourism at Naama Bay has witnessed huge raise in visitors to 5.1 million from 16,000, which invited business and star hotels.

Though there are two main seasons, the weather at Sharm El-Sheikh is absolute hot and dry , so it’s important to drink plenty of water and take proper protection to avoid sun burns and dehydration.

One of the most famous activities is Sharm El Sheikh scuba diving, with some of the best diving spots in the world located just a few miles from shore. Some of the popular dive sites comprise the diving sites along the coast of Sharm El Sheikh, from Ras Nasrani in the north to Ras Cathy in the south.

Ras Mohammed National Park is considered one of the finest dives of the world, it is well known for its sheer walls and huge schools of fish. This complex and absolutely unique ecosystem has over 1,000 species of fish and 150 species of corals.

Sharm El-Sheikh diving is an absolute destination for adventurous sports; one can enjoy world class water sports like snorkeling and scuba diving in the crystal clear waters, a perfect place to watch under water coral reefs with in a meter of the surface.

Rent a boat and the diving gear here and you can encounter fishes of all colors, shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny reef fishes to the real big ones that are found in the deepest part of the red sea.

Sharm El-Sheikh tours is an absolute destination for adventurous sports; one can enjoy world class water sports like snorkeling and scuba diving in the crystal clear waters, a perfect place to watch under water coral reefs with in a meter of the surface.

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the very popular places for scientific studies, having a collection of 1000 different fish species and 250 different coral reefs. Gulf of Suez, where there are the wrecks of Thistlegorm, Dunraven and Abu Nuas is also a place worth visiting.

Tourists visiting Sharm are advised to book their hotels in Sharm El Sheikh earlier as they are popular amongst visitors there. You are guaranteed to have a great time in a fantastic place like Sharm.

Author is an extensive traveler to Egypt and various tourist destinations in Egypt. EgyptInMyPocket.com.eg- A complete Travel Egypt Vacations Guide helps in providing info about the most popular sightseeing places in Egypt. You can get back to him for further information on Egypt vacations travel guide => This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 11 September 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 2157

One of the popular holiday destinations of Egypt include the Sharm El Sheikh, with its main tourist sport Naama Bay that can make your trip very enjoyable.

Located in Southern Sinai, Sharm el-Sheikh is having one of the main tourist locations theNaama Bay.

Na'ama Beach is one of the centers of the tourist activities. Located just north of Sharm, this area is developing into a resort town of its own.Most hotels at Na'ama Bay have their own, private beaches with comfortable amenities such as chairs, shades and even bars.

Along the long sandy beach stretch you will be able to find many hotels, apartments, restaurants and bars.

Sharm el- Sheikh was formerly a port, due to strict environmental laws introduced in 90’s, commercial shipping was drastically reduced.After the development of civilian port there has been a huge raise in visitors to 5.1 million from 16,000, which invited business and star hotels.

The Sinai Peninsula and its luxury hotel resort areas are collectively called the Red Sea. It is a coast dotted with oases, mangrove forests, and habitat to many species of terrestrial and marine wildlife.

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, the Red Sea resort for scuba diving, snorkeling and family fun. The jewel of the Sinai, with history going back thousands of years, cultural tours and year round sunshine. One of Egypt's top holiday destinations.

Other structures located along this beautiful island include Marina Hotel, Nature Fild School, and the Naama Bay Hotel.

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 03 September 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 2013

Pushkar, as a city is regarded as the holiest city – no meat, no alcohol, no eggs, and no PDX and so based on the first three constraints we had a feeling we would not be hanging around Pushkar long but we had so many good things about the city too that makes people hang around for a long time too. Leaving Jaisalmer, an Argentinean chick named Maria joined us and when we finally arrived in Pushkar we were taken to a pretty decent guesthouse that our driver knew off. The owner came out in the usual friendly manor and insisted if there was anything to do to make our stay comfortable he would, Neil asked for beer and chicken as a joke but to his and everyone else’s surprise his prayers were to be answered the following day. The following morning after brunch, Neil and I ended up playing Cricket with the guys from the restaurant. Would have been good fun, had it not been for the heat and the fact there was only 5 of us playing! Rest of that afternoon just wandered around Pushkar, avoiding the many rip off priests trying to take you down to the lake to do a little religious ceremony in return for a little string they tie on your wrist (referred in LP as The Pushkar Passport), we wise to the scam and so I used some bracelets that kids in Cambodia had made for me as my passport. We still got the odd priest trying to con us, but wasn’t going to work on us. That evening, as promised by Mukesh we all dined and drank by the pool in our guesthouse, and he even put on a campfire for us. Pushkar was going to be the end of the road trip with the Aussies, Neil and I were off to Ranthonbore, which has a National Park, which is famous for Tiger Safari. Arriving in Ranthonbore, I was on a pretty tight schedule as I had committed to meet my sister in Kerala only a few days after and I still had to visit Agra, Delhi and Amritsar. My schedule was put into disarray, as soon as we arrived in Ranthonbore. Our plan was to do a safari the following morning and move on to Agra, but all the jeeps the morning we wanted to go were booked up by Margaret Beckett (a British MP) and we would have to go the following morning. To kill the time we had, we were told about another Fort in Rajasthan, which isn’t that touristy or well maintained. So armed with two cold Kingfisher beers, we head off to the fort. On arrival the fort amazed us, more monkeys than tourists and is set in the middle of the dense Ranthonbore jungle, and surrounded by some majestic mountains. We spent an hour or so heading up to top of the fort, and found a fantastic ruined part of the fort which was over looking the lake – perfect spot for a cold beer and the peace and quite was bliss. We decided to do some exploring within the fort and soon found ourselves off the beaten track and walking along the edge of the fort, which had lots of monkeys scrambling around. To keep them moving out of our path, Neil would throw the odd stone in their direction. In most cases this worked, but we soon stopped in our tracks one stubborn monkey stood his ground and growled back at us, waving his limbs in an aggressive manor – I didn’t hang around long enough to make friends or take a picture, I was gone before Neil turned around to say “don’t run!” The following morning, we were scheduled to do our Safari at 6am. We set off on a jeep with two American wildlife geeks, which was actually quite helpful as there knowledge was better than our guides. 4 hours later, and driving around in the cold we returned back to our hotel disappointed, as we didn’t see any tigers and we had wasted an extra day in the hope we would. Next on our whirlwind trip in the North was Agra, home to the world famous Taj Mahal. Our intention was to wake up at 5am again and catch Sun Rise, but having woke up that ridiculous hour, and traveled all day we didn’t surface till lunch! Another day wasted in Agra dealing with the pushiest rickshaw and taxi drivers in India, we even ended up paying one guy 5 rupees to stop following us and if we saw him again we would do some damage to his bike – we realized that he made an easy 5 rupees as they all look the same and we would never know if it was him or not. Anyway, following day up at sunrise to see the Taj, we tried to get in on local rate and not the extortionate tourist rate but we were not as lucky this time (worked once in Mumbai tho’). With all the history, and the story of the Taj I was really looking forward to seeing another one of the world’s wonders, and walking through the gate and you see the picture postcard shot of the Taj and its awesome.. BUT after a few minutes the mesmerizing image diminishes and you left wondering what else is there to the Taj.. and for me that was it. When we were in Angkor Wat, my traveling buddy at the time commented that Angkor Wat is so much more impressive than the Taj, I found that hard to believe at the time but now I have seen them both I have to agree with him (Gonzo – I’ll give you that one). That afternoon we hit the road, and headed for Delhi, having wasted two days we realized that our plans to get to Amritsar were gone. We headed for Paraganj, which like the Khoa San of Delhi, and its just madness and a real test of patience. You could be walking down the street, with a smile on your face, and within in seconds your pulling your hair out and ready to get out of there. Didn’t do much sight seeing, and opted for the shopping option. We took a Rickshaw to a market a friend had recommended, and just our luck we picked the only Rickshaw that didn’t have a horn and trust me when driving in Delhi you need to make yourself known. At the market we ended up bumping in to the two American guys that were on our safari a few days earlier, and so that evening we decided to try and find some of the hot spots of Delhi – without the local knowledge we had in Mumbai we struggled to make any in roads and ended up relying on suggestions form the LP. The following day, another 5am start and a 2 legged flight down south to Kerala to meet my sister and family.

That was 10 days ago, and got up to quite a bit and I will update on Kerala and the backwaters next time.

Details: Written by: Administrator; Category: Travel Destinations; Created: 03 September 2009; Last Updated: 22 September 2012; Hits: 1789

When I last wrote, I was killing time waiting for my train to Ahmedabad… well we finally caught the train, even though it started to leave the platform while Neil and I stocked up on some snacks! The train journey itself wasn’t as bad as I expected but the scenery was fantastic and the people we met where amusing. As we were heading to one of the main cities in Gujarat it gave me the perfect opportunity to talk Gujarati with some locals, so I thought. I could only understand about half what they were saying, and at times I think they had no idea what I was saying. One guy in particular, took great pleasure in winding Neil and me up ‘cos we were dressed in shorts and t-shirt still. He kept saying to me, “do you see anyone else wearing what you are”, I said of course not.. too which he replied “cos they are sensible, its cold where you going”.. I just had to amuse him and reminded him that in England we are used to the cold.. the dude wasn’t joking, when we finally arrived 3 hours late at Ahmedabad (approx 1am) it was cold and I could sense he was at home laughing at us both. Seeing as we had 90 minutes if our train had left on time to get the connection to Udaipur, we missed it by hours.

Travel Destinations