RSSMar|06|2009
Nuances of a Vacation
Posted by Zahir as Adventure, Americas, Around The World, Family, Features, United States
Last trip wore you out? Well, that’s all part of the game, and with any trip it just happens to be part of the whole experience making it memorable and enjoyable. From the planning stage, you are made to decide on several aspects of a vacation from deciding where to go and when, where to stay and what to do when you get there. With a large family, this quickly turns into a nightmare where decisions become more than challenging. Though we want all voices heard, we have to put out feet down sooner or later to get down and move on with the vacation. Booking flights is another worry for everybody wants the cheapest deals around. Planning where to stay is the next thing to consider and then what to do as you get there. This is the common …
Jan|21|2009
More Places To Visit Before It’s Too Late
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Destinations, Eco-Friendly
This is the continuation of the list that I started in the last post – places that might not be here tomorrow so we should visit them while we can.
Little Green Street isn’t in the center of London, but maybe that’s why it survived so long — it’s one of only a few intact Georgian streets left in the whole metropolis. These two-story brick houses may have survived the Blitz in World War II, but the inexorable march of gentrification is another thing altogether.
London is a premiere tourist destination as a whole but so is this little area within the city. Indeed, with development going the way it is, we might not get to see Little Green Street in its original form pretty soon.
Michoacán Monarch Biosphere Reserve, Mexico: Monarch butterflies face a variety …
Nov|29|2008
Care To Spend A Night At The “Zero Star” Hotel?
Posted by Noemi as Adventure, Around The World, Backpacking & Budget, Destinations, Hotels
While the rest of the world tries to out-compete one another in creating a hotel with the highest possible star rating, two brothers from Switzerland have set up a hotel with a ZERO STAR rating. I can just imagine how austere this kind of hotel would be.
According Frank and Patrik Riklin, who are by the way twin artists, the hotel was originally an art project. They wanted to make use of a nuclear bunker, of which there are many in the country. This particular nuclear bunker is located in the small town of Sevelen, which is about one hour away from Zurich.
First a little background on the existence of nuclear bunkers – it used to be that every town had to have one. In the days of the Cold War, this was a …
Nov|11|2008
Honoring Veterans In Overseas Cemeteries
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Destinations, United States
In many parts of the world, November 11 is celebrated to commemorate the end of World War I. In the United States, November 11 is called Veterans Day, in honor of the people who fought valiantly so many decades ago. In parts of Europe, it is called Armistice Day. Whatever you may call it, the day holds much significance. Perhaps this generation does not fully comprehend the meaning of the day but those who pay attention to history would recognize that we owe those veterans the freedom that we enjoy today.
I believe that we should not forget what they did and, taking things one step further, actually engage in activities that will keep their memory alive. One thing that you can do is to visit the American cemeteries that are found in various parts of …
Nov|09|2008
Iceland: Best Bang For Your Buck
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Backpacking & Budget, Europe
Every one has been going on about the devaluation of the US dollar (among many other currencies) in the past months. One currency that has suffered a major blow recently is the Icelandic krona. I don’t know if you have been following economic news from other parts of the world but Iceland recently filed for bankruptcy! I know – I was thinking the same thing when I heard of it: how can a country file for bankruptcy? But apparently, it happened to Iceland and now they are doing everything they can to get back on their feet.
What this means for people from other countries is that it is a very good time to go Iceland. And if you feel bad because it may seem that you are being opportunistic, don’t. Even the government …
Nov|08|2008
The Sony World Photography Awards
Posted by Noemi as Adventure, Around The World, Awards, Events, Festivals, Nature
Do you have extraordinary photography skills? Do you have a passion for the environment – rain forests in general? If so, then you would want to know about The Sony World Photography Awards, which is going to be held from the 15th of April to the 19th of the same month in 2009. The main awards ceremony will be held on the 16th of April in Cannes, France.
What do you need to know in order to join the contest? Well, the organizers are looking for the best photos that will fit the two themes:
1. What the rainforest means to you – its splendour, animals and plants,
destruction and loss.
2. The enjoyment you get out of the forests where you live and the direct and indirect effects of deforestation on your life.
Though you may not be the …
Nov|05|2008
Where To? (During A Recession)
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Tips
Recession – this word has been used over and over again this past year. Though it may have been the most used word recently, it does not really mean much until you actually feel the effects yourself and I have to say that in the past few months, I have been experiencing my own financial recession. I don’t know about you, but this means cutting back for me. Still, as I wrote in my previous posts, this does not mean that you have to totally forego traveling.
Bryan Walsh over at Time has a very useful write up about some places that you can go to despite the recession. I was actually surprised as I was reading his article as I thought that the dollar was quite useless in many foreign destinations. Apparently, I was wrong. …
Oct|04|2008
Rocking The Daisies
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Around The World, Backpacking & Budget, Festivals
First off, I’d like to apologize for posting this a little bit late – as I write, the festival is well under way. Still, there is one more day to go and if you have the means to do so, you might want to go and experience Rocking the Daisies. I got wind of the event from Backpackers.com:
Rocking the Daisies is an eco-friendly music and lifestyle festival taking place in Darling, a small town in the be-flowered Cape West Coast area.
Spring time in the Cape is a sight to see… The spectacular displays of the Western Cape’s floral kingdom are quite something to behold.
Not only does this relatively new (but very popular) festival offer some of the very best local talent, as well as an international guest star, Eagle Eye Cherry, it’s also one of the …
Sep|30|2008
53 Places To Go In 2008 According To The NY Times (Part 2)
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Destinations
I can’t help it – I just have to share some more destinations. To be honest, I had to keep going through the article over and over again trying to figure out which are the most viable destinations for the next few months. It is hard!
Lombok
Lombok, a low-key Indonesian island east of Bali, is coming out of the shadows. With Bali oversaturated with villas and designer restaurants, tourists are hopping on short flights to find less-crowded beaches, a bigger volcano and better surfing. It’s also cheaper — not that visitors are slumming it. There’s already an Oberoi (www.oberoilombok.com), and other high-end hotels are on the way.
Indonesia is more known for Bali, I think but I heard about Lombok from a guy we met on vacation last May. He is Spanish but he lives in Indonesia …
Sep|28|2008
53 Places To Go In 2008 According To The NY Times
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Destinations
I can’t believe that I only stumbled upon this article now! This year is almost over and I am only starting to read “53 Places To Go In 2008.” Oh well, better late than never, right? And it is not as if I would have had the means to visit ALL 53 places in a year anyway! You can read about all of the places on your own – the list will not fit in a single blog post – but let me pick out some of the ones that I am really interested in.
Laos
Vietnam and Cambodia are so 2007. Now, Laos is shaping up to be Indochina’s next hot spot. Ancient sites like the Wat Phou temple complex and the capital city of Vientiane are drawing culture seekers. Luxury teak houseboats are cruising down …
