RSSOct|09|2009
Best Fall Destinations
Posted by Zahir as Around The World, Destinations, Nature
Fall is one of the best times to travel and visit destinations bursting with color. Unfortunately for those living in tropical countries, this season is not part of our daily lives. Then again, all the more reason to go pack one’s bags and discover the beauty of fall! So, where to go?
For those in Asia, Japan could very well be the best place to go in fall. The cherry blossoms in spring may be more popular, but there is no denying that fall offers a spectacular sight. The temples, shrines, and castles which are already amazing in normal color seem to be even grander when the foliage around them seem to be on fire.
In the United States, you can go practically anywhere to experience the best of fall, but a lot of people agree that …
Sep|19|2009
Out Of The Books Into The World
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Arts & Culture, Books, Destinations, Family, Trends
The Da Vinci Code. Harry Potter. Angels and Demons. These are some of the most famous books in the recent years, and more than inspiring people to bury their noses in their pages, the stories have urged people to get out of their homes to go discover the real world behind the books. You’ve probably heard of people actually going on a trip with the places in the Da Vinci Code as part of their itinerary.
I remember meeting a French woman who used her vacation time to visit every single place mentioned in the Da Vinci Code. The Louvre was, of course, easy for her to visit, but she also went out of her way to travel to Scotland and the United States, just to see for herself what the places were actually like. Statistics …
Jul|27|2009
Top Five Places I Want To See Before I Die
Posted by Noemi as Around The World, Destinations
I don’t think I am going to die soon. Well, I certainly hope not. I have places to go, things to do. I did run across an article at the Huffington Post today about dream destinations. It is not a new idea – people write all sorts of lists about things they want to do and places they want to go to before they die. I thought I’d have mine in black and white as well. So here goes.
1. Paris – I have always wanted to go to France. My fascination with this country began in grade school when I won a book titled “Let’s Travel to France” in a raffle draw. The rest, as they say, is history.
2. Israel – This is another place that was very much part of my childhood. …
Mar|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. …
