The fact that it erupted fairly recently and that you can hike right up to the crater is too tempting to resist. Even more so, the sight that greets you at the end of the trek is enough to entice anyone – even those who wouldn’t normally go hiking. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

That’s my first view of the crater. The eruption created this gorgeous lake, the depth of which is currently undetermined. I had seen pictures of this view so many times before but nothing prepared me for the real thing.

Yes, you can go swimming in the lake. The water is perfect! At first it may seem too cold but the sun is hot enough to keep you warm.

There are different routes you can take to the crater – we chose the easiest one. We drove all the way to Capas, Tarlac, where the famed Pinatubo Spa is located. We met our guide there, who took us near the crater on a 4×4. That ride lasted about an hour (rough road all the way!), while the trek lasted about 30 minutes. According to the sign below, we’re way older than senior citizens!

I say who cares? The experience was worth everything!

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 of risks all along their 2,000-mile (3,220-km) migration route between Canada and Mexico. Pesticides are a constant threat, and the monarchs’ low tolerance for cold and wet conditions leave them vulnerable to winter storms, increased rainfall, and other climate changes. Meanwhile, deforestation of their winter habitat could be the fatal blow for the butterflies.

As a child, I fell in love with these butterflies. It is a pity that because of man’s activities, their breed is in danger. I really hope to visit the Reserve before it’s too late.

Taj Mahal: If the plan to close the Taj Mahal goes into effect, it would reduce this over-the-top mausoleum — built by Shah Jahan (fifth emperor of the Mughal dynasty) in Agra, India, to mourn his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal — to a mere postcard silhouette instead of the spiritual experience it can be.

I couldn’t believe it when I read this! The Taj Mahal is part of history – kids learn about it in school! How can they consider closing it?

There are other destinations on the list, do visit the main article if you have time and learn more about these endangered places. Who knows, we might be able to do something to save them.

Yet if some people are to be believed, fall this year is not the same as before. According to Dave Gram, who wrote a feature article on this topic, people are noticing changes in the colors of the trees and their leaves. The consensus is that the colors are less vivid, duller.

What is the culprit? Many people think that is the climate change that we are experiencing worldwide.

“It’s nothing like it used to be,” said University of Vermont plant biologist Tom Vogelmann, a Vermont native who’s among those who believes warming weather may be to blame for lackluster foliage.

He says autumn has become too warm to elicit New England’s richest colors.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Burlington have run above the 30-year average in every September and October for the past four years, save for October 2004, when they were 0.2 degrees below average.

I am sure that just like me, you will find this information sad – and alarming. I see this as a wake up call, a clear reminder that we should change our ways and hope that it is not too late to save the environment. If we don’t, then what would be left for us to see and visit?

* Learning Volunteers basically welcome and interact with the visitors, making sure they’re having a grand time.

*Outreach Support Volunteers assist in visiting London schools and caring for the bunch of outreach animals.

*Library Volunteers have the best access to the ZSL library which is the world’s finest and most extensive zoological library.

*Office Volunteers get to work at different ZSL departments.

*IT Volunteers are also needed in ZSL so people who know their way around computer programs should find themselves right at home here.

Who says you can’t combine advocacy with vacation? There is a lot to learn from this international animal conservation charity. Based in London, it would be a great getaway for those people looking for a purpose. Personally, I recommend volunteering for the first section. That way, you get to explore the zoo,interact with visitors and perhaps inspire them to volunteer as well.

I have a soft spot for animals so it always excites me to share something like this with you. The ZSL Zoo is located near Regent’s Park London, England and is open everyday except for Christmas Day. It’s not an easy feat to maintain a zoo so this one automatically deserves a thumbs up and a pat on the back (I should know. Where I come from, zoos don’t exactly thrive).

And just to make sure everything is clear: Visitors below 16 years old will not be admitted without an adult. Since the ZSL is raising money for a lot of animal protection causes, entrance tickets also have certain fees. Then again, how hard is it to contribute to a good cause, eh?

Do not think that the ZSL Zoo is one with tightly-locked cages though. There, the animals have a considerably large space to move around in. In fact, the ZSL Zoo has a number of exhibits guests will surely enjoy. Some of them include the following:

*Gorilla Kingdom

*Butterfly Paradise

*Clore Rainforest Lookout

*Meet the Monkeys

*Aquarium

There is one for every type of person there. Even some endangered animals have found their way over at the ZSL Zoo. So if you are ever traveling to London by any chance, don’t forget to drop by and give some of the animals a little hello.

Image Source

The second kind of learning on vacation that I mentioned in the last post is more for families with children. I am talking about homeschooling. Just because you have children does not mean that you cannot follow your dreams and travel for extended periods of time. This is when homeschooling comes in handy. You can take your kids with you for months on an end and still keep them up to date when it comes to their schooling. This would even be better as you can use your different surroundings as teaching aids to help your children have a better learning experience.

Organized tours are another way of learning while on vacation. The fact that they are organized means that there is some sort of information that the organizers want to impart. For example, city tours would tell you much about the history and culture of the people of that place. Eco tours are another way of learning – you and your whole family can enjoy nature and learn about it as well.

The last kind is a classroom vacation. I am not sure as to how you would take the idea of going on vacation to go to class but I thought I’d present it. Anyhow, if the location is great and the classes interesting, why not?

This is an alternative type of vacation for families who want to do more on their break than merely enjoy themselves. What happens is that the trip is meant as a get away from the mundane daily life of the family and aims to help other people who are less fortunate at the same time. The way I see it, volunteer vacations targets a lot of things:

-the family gets to experience something new
-the children learn about other ways of living
-the children experience how it is to help other people
-the family bonds even more as they work together.

If you are interested in going on a volunteer vacation, there are many organizations in the U.S. that help families in this regard. They help assure your safety as well as take care of the particulars of the trip. One such group is Cross-Cultural Solutions. They have volunteer programs in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Tanzania, Thailand and Russia. They can also be reached at 800-380-4777. Other options include Oceanic Society (800-326-7491), Volunteer America, and Volunteers for Peace (802-259-2759).

You can also get in touch with other volunteer organizations here. Alternatively, you can look for other opportunities nearer home by asking you local civic organizations.

Ever wanted to travel to Europe? Make sure to get the best prices on Rome hotels. You’ll be able to get awesome packages for Barcelona hotels as well. For some of the best prices on hotels in Amsterdam, check out EasyToBook.com!

Last week, I suggested visiting a corn maze for a Halloween treat. It’s a great outing for a family, especially because it has something for everyone. A corn maze isn’t just fun, it’s educational too, and all at a very affordable cost, since most mazes just charge a modest fee. And you don’t have to go far, you can find a corn maze (especially this season) just about anywhere.

The fun in a corn maze is a-maze-ing (pardon the pun). Your kids will surely be wowed at the pictures the corn mazes depict. There are dinosaurs, pirates, scarecrows and even a depiction of The Duke. Lest you think there’s nothing in a corn maze to see except rows and rows of corn, most corn mazes also offer additional fun, such as hay-rides, pumpkin patches, farm animals for petting and play zones for little kids. Most corn mazes have themes and seriously play up on the treasure-hunting and puzzle-solving angle. For teen-agers, some corn mazes (especially around Halloween) have night-time hours and spooky events.

But for me, the best thing about corn mazes is the bonding your family will experience as you all work together to solve the maze. You’ll see a lot of team effort and cooperation, probably more than you’ve ever expected in your teenager (he he!). You’ll even be surprised at how intelligent your kids are — according to maze experts, most times, it’s the kids who solve the puzzle. Don’t worry about getting stuck in the maze forever, these mazes have “insiders” ready to help you.
Just be sure to check the weather where you’re going. A little bit of mud may be fun, but a lot can be a drag. Be sure to bring flashlights for the nighttime events. And don’t forget to bring your spirit of fun!

When I think of October’s harvest, the things that come to mind are pumpkin and apples. For me, apples and pumpkins have become synonymous with Halloween. What child hasn’t tried bobbing for apples, or received candy apples as a treat? Everybody in the family enjoys a nice, warm glass of apple cider, especially after coming in from trick or treating. And Halloween decorations aren’t complete without a jack-o-lantern. That’s why I’d recommend apple and pumpkin picking as an activity the whole family will enjoy. It’s a fun, outdoor (healthy!) activity that’s easy on your budget. You won’t even need to travel far; you can search the internet for a local farm near your area.

Incidentally, did you know that Apple Day events take place more or less around the whole month of October? There are a lot of festivals you can visit, you can look for some of them here. Or, if learning how to make apple cider is your thing, you can check out the cider mill festivals here. The nice thing about these festivals is the variety of activities you can enjoy. Most offer hay rides, live music and great food, arts and crafts, and more. And with the focus on Halloween, some of the activities can be scary enough for teenagers and adults as well. Going to harvest festivals is definitely an activity that will let you go home with something – bushels of something! Happy harvesting!

Last August, Reader’s Digest analysed which of the world’s 141 countries ranked as the greenest. The criteria Reader’s Digest used meant not only that the greenest countries were the most environmental friendly but that they really are the most desirable places to live, and hence to visit. After all, as they said, “Just because a country or place is environmentally “fit” doesn’t mean you’d want to spend your life there – think jungles or the Antarctic. But finding the perfect balance between what’s green and what’s livable could lead you to paradise.”

So without further ado here’s the greenest countries and cities in the entire world.

Top 10 Countries:

1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Austria
6. Switzerland
7. Ireland
8. Australia
9. Uruguay
10. Denmark

Top 10 Cities:

1. Stockholm, Sweden
2. Oslo, Norway
3. Munich, Germany
4. Paris, France
5. Frankfurt, Germany
6. Stuttgart, Germany
7. Lyon, France
8. Dusseldorf, Germany
9. Nantes, France
10. Copenhagen, Denmark

Source: Readers Digest Australia: Living Green: Ranking the best (and worst) countries

Images Sources: Jaunted.com and Wikimedia Commons

Yosemite National Park is a vast expanse of more than 750,000 acres of breath-taking rock formations, lush greenery, water falls and other inspiring sights. It is found largely Mariposa and Tuolumne counties – a perfect detour for people passing through Fresno or Sacramento. The elevation is highly variable throughout the entire park. In some areas, the ground is 2,000 feet above see level. In other places, the number soars to over 13,000 feet. The dramatic land features are said to be the effects of glacial thawing that happened millions of years ago. As the ice melted, it carved the millions year old rock revealing the majestic slopes, cliffs and chasms that we see now.

To get to Yosemite during the winter, cars and buses are usually fitted with chains to help grip the already icy and potentially slippery road. The chains are available at the gate so no need to buy your own *snark*. If you ask me, it’s a lot better if you visit during the winter, the shimmery snow does lend a good glow to the entire park. I’m sure though that having it in pure spring bloom would be a good sight as well.

Aside from the landscape, the park also offers a vast array of rare animal and plants that could only be seen in the park. There’s something for everyone in Yosemite! Why don’t you hop on your car and drive up to the park?

It’s the start of autumn, and the days are starting to get shorter and colder. The trees are ready to shed their leaves, gifting us with a brilliant display of colors before they part. Best of all, Fall is the season of harvest, and food and wine harvest festivals are sprouting up all over the northern hemisphere. If you’re a food and wine connoisseur, or, like me, just an ordinary human who lives to eat and drink, this season holds a lot of great travel opportunities for you.

Fall is usually the start of wine harvests in the U.S. and in Europe. I don’t know about you, but one of my to-do lists is to experience an actual grape harvesting. This little romantic dream of mine I can definitely attribute to that scene in a Keanu Reeves movie “A Walk In The Clouds”. You know the scene where the harvesters are fanning the vines with their “wings”? I was much younger then, but that scene, and several others, set the tone of the ultimate seduction plot for me. Think wine, music and bacchanalia. (For a quick history lesson, Bacchus, also known as Dionysius, is the Greek God of wine and the patron of agriculture). Or, if you just want to have fun, just imagine stomping grapes with your feet!

I’m not sure if they still allow that, but regardless, a wine and food harvest festival still holds a lot of things to look forward to. These festivals usually feature wine tasting seminars, cooking classes and demonstrations, live music, and the chance to buy the freshest and best produce. Best of all, you won’t have to go far to experience one. There’s California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys; the state holds the distinction of being the fourth largest wine producer in the world. Or, tour any of the 50 states, such as New York, Washington, New Jersey, and Oregon, which also boasts of excellent vineyards. Of course, if you get the chance, go ahead and visit Austria, France, Italy, Germany or Switzerland, to have the full European experience. Just remember one tip for wine-tasting: Smell, sip and taste, but don’t swallow the wine! Unless you’re planning to get drunk, then that’s another story!

My kids love the ocean. They love the smell of it, swimming in it, and if they can live in it (like Ariel), they probably would. In fact, my eldest, who’s 7, announced her plans to be a marine biologist when she grows up, after a trip to the local aquarium. It’s a trait most kids, and even adults, share, this love for the water and the fascination for the creatures dwelling in it. So if you’re ideal vacation is spending time near the water, with loads of learning for the kids as well, why not try visiting your local aquarium? Or better yet, take a special trip to visit the world’s largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium.
The Georgia Aquarium is located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place, across from Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. It opened on November 2005, and encompasses 550,000 sq. feet with more than 8 million gallons of water. Aside from the marine and fresh water displays housing more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species, it also has two gift shops, a food court, and even a school program, The Learning Loop. The aquarium is famous for having the only whale sharks in the U.S., four young whale sharks named Alice, Trixie, Yushan, and Taroko. They also have four beluga whales, Nico, Natasha, Marina, and Maris.
The aquatic animals are displayed in five different galleries, Georgia Explorer, Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold- Water Quest, and River Scout. They each correspond to a specific environment. The Georgia Explorer is the exhibit geared especially towards children. It features a number of touch tanks with rays and sharks as well as exhibits featuring sea turtles and wildlife. The second exhibit, River Scout, features an overhead river where visitors can see piranhas, electric fish, and other unusual freshwater life. The Cold Water Quest features animals from the polar regions of the world and contains most of the mammals, including the beluga whales, sea lions and penguins. The fourth exhibit, and biggest exhibit, the Ocean Voyager, features almost 100,000 fish and showcases the aquarium’s whale sharks. It has a 100-foot-long tunnel that surrounds visitors with water on three sides and features a floor-to-ceiling window, and for a more focused look, numerous smaller lower-level windows. It also houses the Open Ocean Touchwall, a touch-screen wall that allows kids to press a digital fish as it swims by and to learn fun facts about all of the sea creatures in the exhibit. The final exhibit is the Tropical Diver, an exhibit that features many curious and haunting forms of aquatic life, including a living reef with live coral.
The aquarium also features a “4D” movie and several supervised touch pools, crawl-through tunnels, pop-up windows that give kids a close-up view of penguins and piranhas, joy sticks to control a camera that displays close-up shots of animals, and a playground with a rubber floor, crawl tubes, and a whale slide. The aquarium also offers a behind-the-scenes tours for families and a weeklong summer day camp for kids ages 5 to 14 (Camp H2O). They’re even available to host a birthday or children’s party for kids ages 12 and under, with four main themes and a party coordinator.

Want to experience something unique? Check out Sweden’s Ice Hotel. Located in the shores of Torne river in the village of Jukkasjarvi, Swedish Lapland, it’s just 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. The Ice Hotel is built from scratch every year, with a team of snowbuilders, architects, designers and artists from all over the world contributing to the creation of the Ice Hotel. It’s one of the most environmentally friendly hotels, since the material used for its construction is the ice and snow supplied by Mother Nature via the Torne River. It normally takes 10,000 tons of crystal clear ice and 30,000 tons of pure snow to build the Ice Hotel every year. When Spring comes, of course, the entire hotel returns to the rushing river.

The hotel sleeps over 100 guests, and every bedroom is unique. You don’t have to worry about freezing to death, since the hotel is kept at a constant -5°C to -8°C. You can opt to stay in cold accommodations, the “ice rooms” where you sleep in a thermal sleeping bag on a special bed of snow and ice, on reindeer skins. Or, you can stay in warm accommodations, heated cabins in the resort. But of course, for the full experience, I’d rather try the ice rooms any time. The Ice Hotel also has an Ice chapel, where couples all over the world can experience a unique wedding, an ice art exhibition hall, and a cinema. And, of course, the world famous ‘Absolut Ice Bar’, where vodka cocktails are served in ice glasses in a see-through bar, with ice block seating.

What is this season most famous for? I would say trees with fiery leaves and pumpkins! For those in the city or suburbs, why not take the kids out for a drive and hit a pumpkin patch trail? This will not take more than a day or two and you will surely have a great experience together. Of course, be ready to lug a pumpkin or two home with you.

For many people, fall is the most beautiful time of the year. The leaves start changing colors and there is just something different in the air. This is another reason you should take the family out for a weekend fall vacation. Find a national park which has scenic routes. Go up (and down) a mountain with awesome views. Have the children pick out the best leaves they can find and preserve them when they get home.

Still need convincing? Remember that you can do all this without the hordes of other tourists around you. Take a quick break this fall!

In recent years, a lot of things have been done to help the environment recover from past mistakes. Laws have been enacted to protect various wildlife. Organizations have been set up to ensure that these laws are being put into good use.

Also, there are now places where endangered species can stay in the meantime. The San Diego Zoo, for example, has its Zoological Society of San Diego’s center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). This is the largest zoo-based multidisciplinary research team in the world.

The zoo itself provides a lot of useful information to visitors and most importantly, kids. The zoo does not merely serve as a place of residency to animals but it also serves as an important vehicle of information and change. The management regularly hosts activities that will help everyone understand the world of animals more and even conduct seminars to further educate people about endangered species.

One of San Diego Zoo’s newest and most ambitious habitat is Joan B. Kroc’s Monkey Trails and Forest Tales. It serves as the naturalistic home to more than 30 species of African and Asian birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, some of the world’s most exotic and endangered wildlife. There’s even a huge ficus tree there that they call the Big Fig which is already 50 years old! Then, there’s the Polar Bear Plunge which houses four very adorable bears named Kalluk, Tatqiq, Chinook and Shikari. Of course, there are more exhibits just waiting to be discovered there.

Aside from the animals, the San Diego Zoo also boasts of a number of attractions including: a guided bus tour which covers about 75 percent of the whole zoo; the SkyFari Aerial Tram which looms over the treetops to the other end of the zoo; the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad and the ENTCO Wild Earth Safari Ride which allows you to explore the “wild.”

Right now, there really aren’t a lot of places where animals can seek refuge when compared to humans. Sometimes, we even take those places for granted. However, I think it would be a perfectly easy way of helping out the fight against animal extinction to at least pay these places a visit.

The San Diego Zoo is located on Zoo Drive in Balboa Park, just north of downtown San Diego along Park Boulevard.

The lodge originally began as the La Chalupa research laboratory, an underwater habitat used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico.  It’s the first underwater research lab to have been made accessible to the public.  The lodge is located in a protected mangrove lagoon, which is a natural nursery area for many reef fish. Guests will get the added benefit of learning more about the marine environment, especially since scuba gear is provided by the lodge, along with an unlimited supply of tanks.  Divers will also see some amazing technology in the lagoon, including the Marine Lab and a recreation of a Spanish galleon wreck. 

To get in, you must actually dive 21 feet below sea level to enter the lodge.  For the non-divers, you can take a three hour class to let you stay in lodge, or choose to take their full complement of advanced and specialty dive training.  The Lodge ordinarily hosts two couples, or a single group of up to six.  Of course, arrangements can be made if you want to stay alone with your honey.  The accommodations include two private bedrooms and a common room.   Each of the bedrooms and the common room is equipped with air conditioning, telephone, intercom, VCR/DVD and a stereo sound system. But the main focus of attention is the big 42 inch round window that graces each room with views of passing angelfish, barracudas and snappers.  An enclosed shower and toilet with hot and cold water are located off the wet room.

The staff is available 24 hours a day to provide whatever services the quests may need. The Lodge’s luxury packages even include the services of a “mer-chef” who scuba dives down to the hotel to prepare and serve a gourmet dinner for the guests. Late night snacks can even include the underwater delivery of a pizza from a local shop.

6. Dromoland Castle, Shannon, Ireland – Almost every girl has dreamed about being a princess and living in a castle. This castle hotel sets a high standard of luxury, blending old world elegance with modern day comforts. Another point to it’s favour is it’s location in Ireland, a country that‘s full of great scenery, history and a touch of the magical.

7. Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, Manaus, Brazil – For every little boy who’s role-played Tarzan, this next hotel is for you. It’s the world’s largest commercial tree house that lets you sleep in the treetops of the Amazon Rainforest. “Tarzan’s house,” for example, is perched on stilts, 80 feet above ground, with the apartments linked by a series of catwalks.

8. Singita Private Game Reserve, South Africa –You don’t have to be an animal lover to stay in this hotel. Not only does it offer an exotic safari lodge experience, it also has gyms, swimming pools, a sauna, and a range of spa treatments to give the ultimate experience in luxury.

9. Ice Hotel, Sweden – The ultimate eco-friendly hotel, Sweden’s Ice Hotel is built from scratch every year. 10,000 tons of crystal clear ice from the Torne River, and 30,000 tons of pure snow generously supplied by Mother Nature are needed to build the Ice Hotel every year. The Ice Hotel includes an Ice Chapel, the hotel itself, an ice art exhibition hall, a cinema and last but not least, the world famous ‘Absolut Ice Bar’.

10. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan – Of course, this list won’t be complete without a beach resort. Bali has always been touted as one of the best islands in the world, and the Four Seasons Chain of resorts have consistently ranked among the best hotel chains. This hotel is a fave pick for me.

Well, there you have it, folks! My dream hotel list. Now all I have to do is win that lottery, and I’ll be packing my bags in five minutes flat! Till next time! 