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Shanghai has distinct seasons: chilly winters, summers with intense heat and humidity and shoulder seasons in autumn and spring when the weather, prices and crowds can be ideal. It has a subtropical maritime monsoon climate. Being a business city you won't find summer hotel prices raise too much or attractions closing down in the winter as you might in a vacation city. In fact the best deals can often be found on the local tour companies over the weekend. October to November and April to May tend to be the best times to visit Shanghai but the city is a popular destination from May to October.

Spring – March-May (10.6C°-15.7C° average lows; 18.6C°-23.5C° average highs)

The gorgeous flowers bloom in Shanghai's parks as the weather remains warm enough to enjoy the outdoors but chilly at night. Spring has many festivals and this brings in the crowds and shoots the hotel rates up during these select peak periods although the rest of the season prices are reasonable. During the spring you can enjoy the Qingming Festival in April and the May Day celebrations on 1st May.

Summer – June-September (20.3C°-24.8C° average lows; 27.2C°-31.6C° average highs)

Despite being the peak travel season summer is not as ideal as it might seem. The combination of hot weather and the occasional down pour makes this a sticky time to be in Shanghai. The city fills up with vacationers, hotel rates are often jacked up and you may end up waiting in lines at attractions. July and August are the hottest months. An umbrella is a good idea to protect you from the sun and the potential rain. Towards the end of summer in late-August and September Shanghai has its highest rain fall of the year and the possibility of typhoons. If you are going to visit Shanghai in summer aim for June when you can enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival and International Children's Day. 

Autumn – October-late-November (8.6C°-14.7C° average lows; 16.7C°-22.3C° average highs)

When the summer rains, heat, high hotel rates and crowds have eased off you can enjoy one of the best seasons in Shanghai. Temperatures are cool but not cold. Although crowds and prices will intensify during the first week of October for the public holidays it is still a unique time to visit the city. The parks of Shanghai are a blaze with color as the leaves turn red, orange and yellow.

Winter – December-February (0.5C°-5.1C° average lows; 7.7C°-12.7C° average highs)

The weather in winter is cold with evening temperatures sometimes too cold to go out. Late January to Early February is the coldest period. There are fewer daylight hours and the city seems subdued. Although it may be cold the city does lack the humidity and rainfall that often plagues the rest of the year. Despite being winter December and January are Shanghai's driest months. This is also a great season for bargain hunters looking for cheap hotel deals. Don't miss the spectacular Chinese New Year celebrations towards the end of January and beginning of February.

December 18, 2014 No comments

Everybody all over the world is familiar with the Holiday Inn. Since staying at a comfortable hotel is very important for road weary travelers, finding a good deal that can save money is even better. Imagine yourself staying at the Holiday Inn hotel and saving money at the same time! All you need to do is get your hands on Holiday Inn coupons and you could be relaxing in comfort at your favorite hotel!

You are probably wondering where to find good Holiday Inn coupons, right? Well don't worry because there are plenty of places to look. But for most people today they find that the simplest place to locate Holiday Inn coupons is online. That's right, a simple internet search will reveal plenty of Holiday Inn coupons. Go to any search engine and type in Holiday Inn coupons and you will find many links to websites that offer these codes. Make sure you copy all of the coupon codes so you can plug them into the Holiday Inn reservation page and save money!

Everybody loves to save money, and if you can do it when travelling it is so much better. Travelling today has become very expensive, so if you can save a little bit of money on your hotel room, then think about how much extra you will have to go shopping and eat out. It is no wonder why so many believe that the Holiday Inn is the best hotel in the world!

What makes the Holiday Inn a fantastic place to stay is that they cater to all different types of travelers. If you are staying at the Holiday Inn for business purposes, you can find an office center within the hotel that has free WiFi, fax and printing services! There are conference rooms to hold business meetings, and most importantly you will get friendly smiles and service from the front desk staff.

Holiday Inn hotels are relaxing and leave you feeling refreshed after a good night of sleep. When you book a reservation using coupon codes at a Holiday Inn you can be sure that your stay will be a memorable one. Each day at Holiday Inn hotels all over the world dedicate themselves to providing the best possible service.

If you desire a place to stay that offers great discount-saving coupons, choose the best hotel ever, the Holiday Inn!
November 28, 2014 No comments

Are you looking for a good hotel to stay in while on your trip abroad? If you’re vacationing or on a business trip, Marriott hotels are the best in the world to stay in. The Marriott brand is well known and there are over 500 of these hotels located at top destinations. So, exactly why should you choose to stay at this hotel as oppose to the hundreds of other hotels begging for your business?

Well for one, Marriott hotels are full service hotels and most of them are also full resorts. This means as a guest, you will enjoy a much wider range of services, conveniences and luxuries than you would at most other hotels. Due to the large size of the hotel, you can almost always be assured to be able to book a room at the last moment which is particularly useful if you’re a frequent traveler.

Another great thing about the Marriott hotel is that they treat their workers exceptionally well. As a consumer, don’t you want to stay at a hotel that doesn’t take advantage of their staff and rewards them appropriately? Marriott makes sure that no one is underpaid and encourages guests to tip. As a result, staff are typically very dedicated to their jobs and make sure that you are always well taken care of. As you can see, Marriott’s policies ensure that their customer service is always top notch and their staff are always happy.

A third reason that you should stay at a Marriott hotel is convenience and low rates. Due to the fact that this is such a successful hotel chain, they are able to afford the most prime real estate in the cities and capitals of countries around the world. As a result, travelers that stay at these hotels never have to worry about being lost or having difficulty finding their hotel when exploring a new country. You get to stay in room in a prime location and best of all, you will pay much lower rates than you’d expect.
There are lots of places where you can even get Marriott discount codes such as on travel sites online. Be sure to check out websites like retailmenot.com, flyertalk.com and coupons.com to get specific discount codes before you make a booking.

In conclusion, the Marriott chain of hotels are widely known and loved worldwide. Once you experience staying in one, I’m positive you will always stay at a Marriott hotel.

November 28, 2014 No comments



Honeymoon in Bali
We flew from Singapore to Denpasar International Airport (DPS) non-stop, the flight was about 2.5hours. Arriving in Bali, we took a taxi to the hotel, it was about 15 minutes ride. We love the Kuta beach totally and we captured many evenings of wonderful sunset. It was really very romantic. Compared to Singapore, Kuta is much cooler because it has a long broad Indian Ocean beach-front.

Taking a Taxi in Bali
One tip we surely want to share about using taxi is: It is important to ensure the taxi driver understands where you want to go. And make sure he turns on the meter. You know you should not be paying extras or surcharges. If the driver is not agreeable to using the meter, it is better you get off and wait for a next taxi.

Discovery Shopping Mall
The Discovery Shopping Mall (Centro) across the Waterbom Park (Jl Kartika Plaza in Tuban) is one of the bigger malls where we did most of our shopping. Lots of international brand stores. The other place we regularly went was the restaurant and café. We bought wireless Internet cards at the hotel, but the speed was not the best. So we regular the restaurant near our hotel to access the Internet.

Bali, Indonesia

Bodyboarding in Bali
My husband had a great time doing this surface water sport called Boogieboarding. It is also called ‘Bodyboarding’. Bodyboard is a rectangular short hydrodynamic foam that you can rent. He went to rent it almost everyday out of the 14-day honeymoon trip. He is not really a pro, so he didn’t use those swim fins for extra propulsion and control. By the way, it is a good exercise and he enjoyed this activity very much.

Bali, Indonesia

Tips
Other safety tips other than swimming safety and noting the special flags for prohibited swimming areas, you need to watch your belongings. There are many touts hassling you to take up motorbikes transport. It can be rather annoying after too many offers and saying ‘no’. You just have to stay firm and calm. Outside bars, there are pickpockets. So be really careful when you are walking on the sidewalk. A very popular problem is the Foreign Currency Scams, go to a reliable source to exchange for rupiah if you ran out of cash.

Ubud
As we booked the taxi driver for the entire day, we also visited Central Bali, Ubud. Along the way, the taxi driver stopped for us to take some photos of the rice paddies that are gently rolling with lots of greenness and beauty.

Bali

Monkey Forest
I didn’t really like the Monkey Forest. The monkeys are known to be great at stealing your possessions or things in your handbag – glasses, cameras or even food. They are very playful and they could climb on your shoulders, tug on your shirt.
Bali

Jimbaran
On another day, we visited South Bali and really like what we saw in Jimbaran. Between Kuta and Bukit Peninsula is Jimbaran, we also went to the Uluwatu Temple to the southwest.

Bali sunset

The most memorable was the fire-grilled (bakar) seafood dinner on the beach. While waiting for our chosen seafood to be prepared, we watched the beautiful sunset as we were seated right infront of the Jimbaran Bay. The beach has fine white sand.

Bali

Barong and Kris Dance
Another must do is to watch the cultural performances in Bali. They are the Barong Dance which lasted for an hour. Quite a nice performance about the battle between good and evil.

Bali, Indonesia






Other romantic destinations for getaway/honeymoon
June 07, 2014 1 comments
On Xian group tours you can get to know not only the sites of Xian but also maybe make new friends from around the world. Traveling with a Xian group tour has several advantages one being that tour groups are usually ushered through the entrance of any site, without having to go through the time consuming process of buying tickets as your tour guide will take care of the tickets. Another advantage of traveling with Xian group tours is that you have the services of a professional and knowledgeable guide. Your guide can point out interesting and important things which you might otherwise have overlooked. If your tour includes lunch then you won't have to eat alone and you won't have to start looking for a good restaurant as one will be chosen for you. Your local guide will know the city and know which restaurants are geared towards tourists and which restaurants have good food and an authentic atmosphere. Taking one of the Xian group tours also takes the guess work out of transport arrangements. You will be taken from site to site and won't run the risk of getting lost, stuck in traffic or over charged by a taxi driver.

Terracotta Warriors, Xian, China
(photo: Emad Aljumah)

What you will see on a Xian Group Tour

On Xian group tours the main attraction is always the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, this site dates back to the Qin Dynasty (210-209BC) when thousands of terra cotta figures were made to be buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The figures are of soldiers of the imperial guard as well as horses, chariots and weapons. The terra cotta army consists of about 8,000 warriors which are in three pits. Pit 1 is the most interesting and the one which has been fully excavated. In Pit 2 and 3 excavations are still ongoing. The remarkable thing about the terra cotta soldiers is that each one has been created as an individual, with different facial features, hair styles, clothing and posture. The entire site covers 16,300m² and is part of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Park. Also on the site are the Qin Shi Huang Museum and three other sites which are yet to be opened, the Museum of Stone Armor, the Terracotta Acrobatics and the Museum of Terracotta Civil Officials. There are shuttle buses which take visitors from site to site within the park.

After a visit to the "Eighth Wonder of the World" Xian group tours usually visit some of the other sites in Xian. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda stands in the Da Ci'en Temple Complex and was originally built in 652 (the Tang Dynasty) as a place to store Buddhist materials which were brought to Xian from India. The Xian ancient City Walls stand 12 meters high, run for 13.7km and are 12-14 meters wide on top so that visitors can walk along the top of the wall. The walls were built to protect the city and were renovated and rebuilt several times over the years.
May 29, 2014 No comments


Mount Ararat (Turkish: Ağrı Dağı) is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat (the highest peak in Turkey with an elevation of 5,137 m or 16,854 ft) and Lesser Ararat (with an elevation of 3,896 m or 12,782 ft).

The distance between peaks of Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat is 11 km. The Greater Ararat is permanently covered by snow from the height of 4,250 m and higher. There are about 30 glaciers counted on Greater Ararat. The attitude of the mountain from top to the bottom is 4,385 m for Greater Ararat and 3,127m for Lesser Ararat.

The Ararat was named so by Europeans in XIX century. James Bryce in 1876 mentioned in his trip notes that "locals (Turks, Azerbaijanis, Persians and Armenians) Ararat is known by different name". According to Bryce, name Ararat was starting to become popular among the locals due to Russian influence.

According to Iranica, name Ararat was given to the mountain because of Judeo-Christian tradition which is associated with the "Mountains of Ararat" where, according to the book of Genesis, Noah's ark came to rest. As the mountain Ararat was the highest peak, Europeans decided that this mountain must be Ararat.

Generally word Ararat originates from Assyrian name of the state of Urartu.

Turkish and Azerbaijani name of the mountain is Ağrı Dağı (Mountain of Ağrı) which means 'heavy mountain'. Ağrı is also a province in the Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey, which derived its name from the mountain in 1949.


Persian name is Kuh-e-Nuh (Noah's Mountain): (Persian: کوه نوح‎), also influenced by the flood story, this time via the Islamic view of Noah.

Kurdish name is Çiyayê Agirî (Fiery Mountain), Çiyayê Alavhat and Grîdax (Kurdish): This entire tree name referred a volcanic characteristic of Mount Ararat. It is the only name to have a clear, descriptive etymology while also indicating the preservation of folk memory.

Masis (Armenian: Մասիս) - is the Armenian name for the peak of Ararat, the plural 'Masiq' (Armenian: Մասիք) may refer to both peaks. This name is originated form Iranian roots and means means greater or big. So in middle Persian language masist means the biggest.

 
May 02, 2014 No comments
Mt.Kailash Tour with Glance Himalaya Tours Nepal
 Photo/Deepak Koirala

Mt. Kailash is located in the Himalayas in Western Tibet; it is a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and the followers of the Tibetan religion of Bon. The mount is often included in tours to Tibet for people who want to make the traditional Mt. Kailash pilgrimage and for those who want to experience the unique spirituality of the site. A typical Tibet tour which includes Mount Kailash will start in Lhasa and includes several other sites as well as the mount. A Tibet tour to Mount Kailash could include seeing the sites of Lhasa (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple) and the nearby monasteries like Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery before heading out towards Mount Kailash. Along the way your Tibet tour will probably include visiting Yamdrotso Lake and Lake Manasarovar which are also sacred sites. But the highlight of a Tibet tour of this kind will be when you reach Mount Kailash.

It is traditional for pilgrims reaching Mt. Kailash to circumambulate (walk around) the mount, the act of completing this trek is believed to absolve the pilgrim of sins and bring him good luck. The circular trek around the mount is called the Kailash Kora. A complete circle around the base of Mount Kailash is 52km and follows a mountain stream along most of the route. The altitude of the trek varies between 4.57km above sea level and 5.18km above sea level at the Dolma-la Pass, the highest point of the route. The trek around Mt. Kailash is made in a clockwise direction by Hindus and Buddhists and in a counterclockwise direction by the Jain and Bon followers.

The trek can be completed in 3 days. Along the way pilgrims and those making the trek with a Tibet tour can spend the night at Drirapuk Monastery on the first night. The first leg of the journey from Darchen to Drirapuk is 11km and tour groups use porters to carry their heavy bags on horses or yaks. After the first two hours of trekking tour groups can take a break and enjoy tea and refreshments with local nomads in a traditional nomadic tent.

The second day of the trek travels from Drirapuk to Dzultripuk where you can spend the second night at the miracle cave of milarepa in a guesthouse. This is considered the hardest stretch of the trek; it covers 22km and goes through the Dolma-la Pass. Tibet tour groups and pilgrims scale the Dolma-la Pass then after taking in the breathtaking views descend a staircase to the Lhachu valley floor. Once in Dzultripuk you can visit the temple and shrine near the sacred cave. The final leg of the journey, on the third day, takes you back to Darchan and covers 11km. In Darchan there are hostels, hotels and guesthouses. Alternatively it is possible to camp out in tents. This tour experience offers the unique opportunity to experience the rugged countryside of Tibet, enjoy the breathtaking scenery and interact with locals who have come to make the sacred trek around Mount Kailash.

April 23, 2014 No comments


1. Exciting
Flickr/Guowen Wang

Happening now is the Hong Kong Cultural Celebrations til the 7th May. Hong Kong is always exciting with a lot of attractions. Along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront is the Avenue of Stars. It consists of 4.5 metre-tall replica of the statuettes and the monument to its stars like Bruce Lee with a 2.5metre bronze statue. Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh and other lumineries as well as a large replica of 2008 Summer Olympics torch is on permanent display. Get to see the cinematic history on inscriptions printed on nine red pillars. There is a harborside walk where you can see the best views around Hong Kong Island’s famous skyscrapers. The Peak, Ocean Park, Hong Kong Disneyland.

2. Breathtaking Peak View


Flickr/Rayed AlFaraj

The Peak offers a fantastic panoramic view over the city and spectacular views of the harbours. Reaching the peak via the 120-year-old funicular railway can be interesting. The marine and mammal Ocean Park is also oceanarium, amusement park and animal theme park. Explore the Summit that consists of the Marine World, Thrill Mountain, Adventure Land, Polar Adventure and the Rainforest or the Waterfront, which consists of the Aqua City, Amazing Asian Animals and the Whiskers Harbour.

3. Magical For Your Children


Flickr/Mel Mijares

Located on the reclaimed land in Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island is the Hong Kong Disneyland. Here you can explore the Main Street, USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point. If you have young children visiting the Disneyland Hong Kong, you are recommended to stay at a Disney resort and do the character breakfast. Personal attention is given to your children as the characters spend 2-5 minutes at your breakfast table.

Try the most sought after Winnie the Poo rides and the Buzz Lightyear ride which is fun for both adults and children. Go to the park earlier and stay late for the magical fireworks. Bring some refreshing fruits as the snacks there are unhealthy and expensive. If you want to watch the parade, go 15 minutes earlier to secure a good spot. Allocating two days for the park might be a good idea, more time to go also for roller coasters like Space Mountain and Big Grizzly Mine cars. The 3D Mickey’s Philarmagic movie and shows are great: the Golden Mickey and the Lion King. You can avoid the hassle of standing in the line at the park by buying your tickets through the Disneyland resort.

4. Endless Shopping


Flickr/Roland Wich

Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple and last but not least, Clock Tower.

5. Mongkok Night Scene


Flickr/Kwong Ng

Mongkok offers street snacks, dessert shops, book cafes, gyms, manicure parlors, night markets that opens til 1am. Langham Place is an uber chic cool shopping mall with cult and high street labels. The other is New Town Mall at Agryle Centre. Competitive prices on four levels of fashion products from accessories to apparels, lingerie to toiletries. The way to shop in Hong Kong is to bargain. Ladies Market stretches across a few streets is a fun strolling experience. Lots of little accessories, mobile casings and counterfeit commodity.

6. Causeway Bay


Flickr/Kevin Lau

Causeway Bay offers more sophistication in shopping: Time Square and Sogo, Island Beverly and Jardine’s Crescent. Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon is a classier Mongkok, so less crowded. Harbour City has all the fashion giants, international and local brands, mainstream labels. This is also a food paradise. The One is Hong Kong’s tallest retail complex with premium supermarket and beauty bazaars, Kimberley Road for Brides and Grooms-to-be. Tung Chung has Citygate Outlets which only opens at 12pm. It is a mall of discounted goods of past season merchandise.

7. Temple Prayers Answered


Flickr/barnyz

In the north of Kowloon on the southern side of Lion Rock is Wong Tai Sin Temple which is a 18000 square metres Taoist shrine dedicated to the Great Immortal Wong. It is famed for ‘kau cim’ and many prayers are answered 有求必应. Worth to see is the Nine-Dragon Wall modeled after the one in Beijing. There is also a Three-Saint Hall dedicated to Guan Yin, Lu Dongbin and Lord Guan. Grand red pillars, goodlen roof with blue friezes, multi-coloured carvings, yellow latticework. Other sights include The Grand Hall, Good Wish Garden and the three memorial archways.

8. Dim Sum!


Flickr/John3000

You must eat Dim Sum in the teahouses. This has been a charming Cantonese custom originally, called “yum cha” Chinese tradition, the atmosphere is with clattering of trays, people calling out their orders and most of all, large groups of people talking at each table. Drinking tea in the olden times was a practice. Teahouses are to accommodate weary travelers journeying along the Silk Road and exhausted rural farmers who worked after long hours in the fields seek longingly for a relaxing conversation.

Today, the goodness we discovered is that tea has the ability to aid in digestion and cleanse the palate. What was known as ‘Small eats’ like Jiaozi in Beijing, Pearl balls in Shanghai and Spicy Huntuns (Wontons) in Szechuan province are creatively combined all in the dim sum session. Sipping tea and feasting on innumerable assortment of delicacies, this name ‘Dim Sum’ means to “touch your heart”.

Touching your hearts with a variety of dumplings and steamed dishes. Presented so beautifully just like finger food goodies and Hors d’oeuvres of hot and cold delicacies. There are assortment of sweet and savory dishes and culinary creations by the chef: meatballs to sweet cakes. It usually starts serving from 6:30am til mid-afternoon, so a mid morning meal called it brunch with these steam or deep-fried dishes.

9. Glorious Food Tour


Flickr/John3000

What to try at best:

Steamed pork spareribs with Hoisin Sauce

Char Siu Bao (steamed buns with roast pork)

Har Gau (shrimp dumplings with translucent skin)

Deep fried mini spring rolls

Potstickers

Sesame Seed Balls

Shrimp Toast

Shu Mai

Wu Gok (taro turnover)

Taro Croquette

Shrimp dumplings wrapped in seaweed topped with a dollop of salmon caviar

Flower Scallion Rolls (Hua Juan)

Steamed Chicken’s Feet

10. Real Egg Custard Tart Desserts


Flickr/Robyn Lee

Tasting the real and truly original Egg Custard tarts, Mango Pudding, Almond Pudding. The entire food scene is of servers push around on carts; steamer baskets steaming off their frangrant dishes. To order and how dim sum is served, a good tip is the lighter steamed dishes first, then exotic then deep-fried then dessert. Other items to eat in Hong Kong is Seafood, Chinese Barbecue, Late night eats. A Food Tour especially to the Quarry Bay as this is a delicious thriving district. Taste what Hong Kong’s best Chinese bakeries are offering and also seaside dining.

11. Yau Ma Tei - 6 Spots Shopping


Flickr/briyen

Lots of shopping at Yau Ma Tei 6 spots beginning with Kubrick at 3 Public Square Street, Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum at 1/F, 330 Shanghai Street. Bruce Lee Club that pays homage to all things Lee at 530 Nathan Road. Check out the Mido Café at 63 Temple Street. Finally, if you like stickers, cards, key chains, jewelries or sunglasses, 446A Nathan Road Life History is the newly opened store for such funky knickknacks.

For this year 2014, there is an Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Le French May, Art Basel, Asia International Arts and Antiques Fair, Hong Kong Halloween Treats and Hong Kong Wine & Dine Month.
April 20, 2014 No comments

Destination Ideas


Croatia - Plitvice Hvar Bol

Italy - Positano Venice Rome, Pompeii

Indonesia - Bali Kuta, Yogyakarta

Sweden - Lake Orsa

France - Provence Strasbourg

Transylvania - Cluj-Napoca

The Netherlands - Amsterdam, Heidezicht

Hong Kong - Victoria Peak

Malaysia - Redang Island

Belize - Ambergris Caye

ASIA

  • Mountains of China
  • Winter in Kyrgyzstan
  • Surfing in Bali
  • Qingdao pier
  • Dancers in Singapore
  • Malaysia from above
  • Sunset - Bali
  • Bishkek - Kyrgyzstan
  • Butterfly park - Kuala Lumpur
  • Kuala Lumpur at night
  • Bishkek
  • Jakarta airport
  • Qatar - flying over the desert
  • Petronas Twin Towers - Kuala Lumpur
  • Qingdao
  • Kuala Lumpur
  • Beijing - Ya Show Market
  • Beijing - being lost
  • Beijing - exploring the forbidden city
  • Beijing duck
  • Beijing - first steps
  • Kyrgyzstan - the arrival
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Kyrgyzstan - in a mental health hospital
  • Shanghai
  • Shanghai - video
  • Singapore - first impression
  • Singapore - the fine city
  • Singapore - night safari

AMERICA

  • Girdwood - Alaska
  • Guadalajara - Mexico
  • Church in Tequilla - Mexico
  • Cups in Hacienda - Mexico
  • Mexico

EUROPE

  • Ancient Rome
  • Armenia
  • Aya Sophia - Istanbul
  • Balaton - Hungary
  • Bratislava - Slovakia
  • Brighton - UK
  • Brussels - Grand Place
  • Butcher street - Brussels
  • Cathedral Square, Vilnius
  • Ceremony in Armenia
  • Fire tower, Sopron - Hungary
  • Folk dance in Lisbon - Portugal
  • From Budapest to Vienna
  • Istanbul - Turkey
  • Kakasd - Hungary
  • Kaunas - Lithuania
  • Lake Sevan - Armenia
  • Lewes - UK
  • Ljubljana - Slovenia
  • Mosque - Istanbul
  • Nagyvázsony - Hungary
  • Night Train from Budapest to Venice
  • Nine Hole Bridge - Hungary
  • Old car in Yerevan
  • Old Jewish Cemetery - Prague
  • Palace Museum, Fertőd - Hungary
  • Piran - Slovenia
  • Portugal
  • Prague
  • Priest walking in Warsaw
  • Retiro Park - Madrid
  • Rome - Italy
  • Royal Palace - Madrid
  • Salt mine - Wieliczka, Poland
  • Sopron, Hungary
  • Stari Grad - Croatia
  • Strasbourg - France
  • Sunset in Istanbul
  • Szentendre - Hungary
  • Tata - Hungary
  • Town hall tower - Krakow
  • Trams of Lisbon
  • Vatican City - Christmas
  • Venice, Italy
  • Vienna
  • Vienna - Austria
  • Visegrád, Hungary
  • Warsaw
  • Warsaw downtown - Poland
  • White and Blue - Portugal
  • Zagreb - Croatia
  • Zsámbék - Hungary

WORTH TO SEE

  • Breathtaking Photos
  • Budapest Daily Photo
  • China Impressions
  • I love Forest
  • Indonesia Impressions
  • Prague Impressions
  • Singapore Daily Photo
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April 18, 2014 No comments



Visiting the highest mountain in the world is not as difficult as you might think; you can reach the Mount Everest Base Camp by taking a tour to Tibet and even include a few of the other Tibet sites on the way.

A trip to Mt Everest base camp would start by booking your Tibet tour through a professional and official tour company which will then organize your entry permit to Tibet. You can travel to Lhasa, Tibet by air or by train where you'll be met by your tour guide. Start by resting the night in your Lhasa hotel before setting off on the tour. Depending on the length of the Tibet tour you have chosen you can include sites like the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery or Yamdrok Lake.

After visiting some of the amazing sites in and around Lhasa like the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, the colorful Barkhor Street and the Sera Monastery your tour will head off towards Mt. Everest. The journey begins by motorized transport along rural roads through stunning scenery. You can see wild grasslands, some of the highest snow covered mountain peaks and magical lakes. The tour group passes by the turquoise Yamdro-tso Lake, Karo-la Glacier and on to Tibet's second biggest city, Shigatse. At the Kubum Monastery you will see a 35 meter high decorated stupa with a gold dome and you can explore the rooms of the monastery. Your overnight stays will be in guesthouses or tent guesthouses and you can meet locals and learn about their traditions and culture. Before moving on to the base camp you will get to visit another stunning monastery, Tashilunpo Monastery. The last stop before reaching Mount Everest is Rongbuk Monastery at 4,980 meters above sea level.

The highlight of the tour is of course when you reach the Mount Everest Base Camp. There are two Everest base camps, one on the Nepal side (south base camp) and the other in Tibet (north Base Camp). The north base camp is 5,150 meters above sea level and is established as a rudimentary camp for mountain climbers and tourists to rest up, get their equipment in order and prepare before climbing further up the mount. It is also a necessary stop for climbers to get acclimatized to avoid later altitude sickness. Mt. Everest Base Camp tours travel by motorized transport part of the way and then you can choose to hike or take an animal carriage to cover the last 1.5 to 2 hours of the journey. On the return journey the tours return to Tingri via the Friendship Highway and then back to Shigaste. From there you will be taken by private vehicle to the airport for your return flight. Of course this is just one of the possible tour itineraries; there are others which include many other sites in Tibet.

There are multiple tour options for visiting the Mount Everest Base Camp you can choose from a 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 or 10 day trip and you may wish to start your journey from Nepal or from China. There is even a Mount Everest Base Camp tour specifically tailored for seniors!

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April 11, 2014 No comments
Croatia - Plitvice Hvar Bol

Italy - Positano Venice Rome, Pompeii

Indonesia - Bali Kuta, Yogyakarta

Sweden - Lake Orsa

France - Provence Strasbourg

Transylvania - Cluj-Napoca

The Netherlands - Amsterdam, Heidezicht

Malaysia - Redang Island

Belize - Ambergris Caye
April 02, 2014 No comments
I have been searching for a place like this for soooo long. A place which is like candy to the eyes, to the nose and to the ears too, which is rather relaxing but full of life and which is not overcrowded but you don't feel yourself as Robinson on an island.

Though Croatia is just the next country to the south of Hungary, I have never been there. Ok I was once, working in the nothern part of the country but it was not the coast side. And I found a place which totally matches my recent mood:)

Stari Grad on the island Hvar in Croatia.


There are different type of vacations to me.

  • The Ibizia-Corfu-Mallorca type. Beach, party, music, bikinis and coctails. Lot of fun, lot of people, nightlife.
  • The sight-seeing type. Athens, Barcelona, Paris, Saint-Petersburg, Rome, Venice. Every corner a living history, a lot to see, museums and exhibitions, taking photos and getting a lot of impressions.
  • The hiking, diving, climbing, rafting, jumping, icy, mountain, sporty adrenaline rushing vacation.
  • The relaxing one. Renting an apartment in Florence, reading a book on the terrace watching the evening city life in a restaurant with a glass of wine. Mobile phone off, no internet, no television especially no news but you can feel the gentle wind on your face and this is the only stimulus which might bother you..but it doesn't.
Stari Grad belongs definitely to this last category. A little town in a hidden bay where the typical Dalmatian buildings are not museums but part of the recent life. Everything is so old here, and still everything is so real.


The history of Stari Grad:

Stari grad, the oldest town on the Hvar island and one of the first in Europe , was founded by the ancient Greeks in 385/384 BC as an independent polis of Pharos. At the time of the Roman colonisation it was called Pharis. From the formation of the Hvar commune in 1278, when Hvar (Civitas Nova) became the island's chief town, Stari Grad (Civitas Vetus) stagnated somewhat.
The medieval settlement grew up north of the Greek one and by the coast on the east. But there was nonetheless no change in the previously mentioned political and economic stagnation of the town in the 13th century. The architecture of the town, however, was not affected. Although the majority of the buildings were built in the 16th and 17th centuries, i.e. the Renaissance and baroque style are dominant in the city centre, there are many buildings with Romanesque and Gothic traces. (source)

Croatia - Stari Grad

Looking at the buildings and considering the entire atmosphere of the Dalmatian towns and cities the Venetian influence is the most obvious. I felt like just being in Italy though this is Croatia, an original Slavic community.

I guess due to the local policy...Stari Grad is a quiet or better to say 'noiseless' place. Not because its empty, plenty of tourists and local people are everywhere but somehow they try to keep that relaxing feature. There are no bars which try to be the most loud in the street. Only cafés and restaurants - some of them with a great style.

Croatia - Stari Grad

That's what I wanted. Finally being able to finish my books, forgetting about work and about the bills and about everything from my everyday life. Just three of us here...Zannnie and Momo and me. And this hidden paradise which respects so much my need for recreation this time.

April 02, 2014 2 comments

Apartment “History” is placed on the first floor of a 19th century house with beautiful view on the main square of Zagreb, capital of Croatia. Apartment “History” offers an alternative to expensive and limited hotel accommodation. Apartment offers comfort and privacy that you can not find in a hotel, and all of that at a much lower price.
April 01, 2014 No comments

Ô Mon Château! is a cool website devoted to the castles of France. Wonderful photos and detailed descriptions.




April 01, 2014 No comments
Reindeer Ride in Lapland
Flickr/MisoCraftyKnits


It didn’t come to my mind that eating the reindeer meat in Finland is to be a pointer on the “Bucket List”. I gave more thoughts about my Bucket list after returning from Lapland. Genuinely, my wish is to see the Aurora Borealis or what most people called the Northern lights. We went all the way up to Lapland, in hope to see it. It took 8 hours from Tallinn to get to Rovaniemi Lapland. We found online predictions that the chances are high since every 11 years is the cycle. In 2014 March would be the highest occurrence.

reindeer hooves
Flickr/Linda and Steve


4 Toes & Large Special Hooves 

Each foot of the reindeers has four toes that spread out. This spread out feature distributes its own weight so it can float without sinking into the snow, muskeg, soft ice or wetlands. The large size of these hooves also helps them to paddle and swim in the rivers.





‘Clicking’ Knees

These large feet with footpads have extra traction and is sponge-like. In winter, the rim of the hoof is exposed and cuts into ice and crusted snow, a natural anti-slipped feature. The reindeer also use it to crater through the snow to find lichen (reindeer moss). As they move, their knees make a clicking sound.

Wanderers
Flickr/Frida

200,000 Named Reindeers 

We didn’t see that the reindeer antlers being sprayed with glow in the dark paints. However, we did see a lot of reindeers. In Lapland region, there are 200,000 reindeers, and most of them have names. According to the reindeer herder, all Finnish citizens are allowed to own reindeer in particular the area of Lapland, the northern and eastern parts of Oulu province.

Kirnussa
Flickr/Timo P


Ear Marks Following Its Mother

The calves are marked by a cutting mark in the ears around mid-summer, following its mother. Each newly born calf weighs around 5kg. In autumn, they sort out those to be slaughtered and those not. Those not are given anti-parasites medication and left free in the forest. They also castrate many of the male reindeer while others are taken into domestic use. The latest time to slaughtering is New Year. 70 percent or more of the annually slaughtered reindeers are calves, those younger than one year old.

reindeer steak
Flickr/jonmay in Europe


Reindeer Meat Is Very Healthy 

These very tender and succulent reindeer meat are eaten and promoted to tourists. It is one of the leanest meats with omega-3 and essential fatty acids just like the fish. The average consumption by Finns is 0.5kg per person per year compared to other meat like pork, beef, chicken, sausage, wild game or horse. It has only 2% of fat content but twice as much B12 vitamin that is essential to prevent anaemia. Here is a reindeer recipe.

Lichen by Amanda Killen, on Flickr
Flickr/Amanda Killen


Lichen, Lichen, Lichen

The most common form of reindeer meat eaten in the family is poronkäristys and they like it in the form of reindeer ham slices used in wraps and for salads. Their special occasions call for whole reindeer meat. Reindeer meat is very delicious, all thanks to the diversity of herbs such as lichens in winter and green plants in summer which they have eaten in the opened forests. Lichen is rich in minerals and improves the animal’s digestion, resulting a high content in the reindeer meat of zinc, iron, selenium and B12 vitamin. It is probably why this exotic meat is very expensive.

Reindeer

Reindeer Sleigh Rides

The stronger reindeers undergo training like pulling the sledge. It takes approximately three years to train a reindeer. We experienced the wooden sleigh ride pulled by reindeer of about 10 minutes in a large route in the beautiful snowy forest. It was very spiritual lifting journey, experiencing the beauty of the Arctic wilderness in such a moderate speed. Sami people in Lapland are in particular aware of the environment and the wild animals protection. Every reindeer is owned and reindeer husbandry remains a major source of income for many in the Northern Lapland.

Tagged
Flickr/Hanna Nikkanen

Read more about our Travel to Rovaniemi, Lapland



March 26, 2014 No comments
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TravelZIN, curated by the passionate traveler Zannnie, stands as a beacon for wanderlust souls searching for their next adventure. This platform is not just a blog; it's a gateway to inspiring destinations, offering readers a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of the world through Zannnie's explorations. With a focus on uncovering the essence of each place, TravelZIN brings to its audience: A Wealth of Inspiration: From the cobblestone streets of ancient cities to the serene landscapes of hidden natural wonders, TravelZIN paints a vivid picture of countless destinations, igniting the wanderlust in every reader. Invaluable Travel Tips and Insights: Zannnie's journeys come with a side of practical advice, covering essential travel tips from budget management to cultural etiquette. These nuggets of wisdom are designed to equip travelers with the knowledge to navigate the globe smoothly. Trustworthy Reviews and Personal Recommendations: Every post on TravelZIN is a testament to Zannnie's honest experiences, offering unbiased reviews and personal recommendations that readers can rely on for planning their travels, ensuring memorable dining, accommodation, and activity choices. Cultural Exploration and Learning: Beyond the surface, TravelZIN delves into the heart of destinations, offering readers cultural insights and educational content that paints a comprehensive picture of local life, history, and traditions, enhancing the depth of travel experiences. A Vibrant Community of Travel Enthusiasts: TravelZIN is not just Zannnie's journey; it's a collective adventure. The blog fosters a community where readers can connect, share stories, and offer advice, making it a hub for travel enthusiasts to come together and share their passion for discovery. TravelZIN is more than a travel blog; it's a source of inspiration, a guide for the curious, and a community for those who seek to explore the vast, beautiful world around us. Join Zannnie and the TravelZIN community on a journey to discover new destinations, embrace diverse cultures, and create unforgettable memories.

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