One of the greatest joys and experiences while traveling is meeting individuals who actually live in the area you will be visiting. Who better to meet than the "locals" as chances are they will be your best tour guides. When I travel I always try to meet people in advance of my trip. During previous trips I have had the good fortune of meeting some great people and forming lasting relationships. Additionally I have been able to stay for free with … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – More Information
The following is general information to be aware of when traveling in Vang Vieng. These are arranged in no particular order - they are just some insights Dave wants to pass on from his experience traveling in Vang Vieng. MoneyThe Lao "Kip" is the unit of currency for Laos. The kip fluctuates tremendously from week to week. The largest bill in circulation was a 10,000 kip note which is valued at slightly more then 1 USD. As a souvenir to give … [Read more...]
Zanzibar – More Information
In addition to the below websites additional information about Zanzibar can be received by either writing or calling the following organizations: Tanzanian Embassy 2139 R Street NW Washington DC, 20008 Phone: 202.939.6125 | www.tanzaniaembassy-us.org General Information www.africatravelresource.com/africa/tanzania/c/zanzibar an excellent Zanzibar info resource www.ecoculture-zanzibar.org culture Tours -tour operator on Zanzibar … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Museums
Bangkok is many things to many people, but it is not necessarily a museum town. A number of the museums are fairly dated and fail to provide a fun, educational, modern and engaging atmosphere. However with that said, there are still plenty of good museums to keep one occupied for at least a week if not longer including some rather intriguing, esoteric and hidden away ones. We have visited and reviewed the following 50+ museums in Bangkok. And … [Read more...]
Lamu, Kenya – Attractions
I highly recommend hiring a guide for touring Lamu. Visitors probably will only need a guide for no more than 2 days as much of the town can be accessed on your own on foot. However, a guide will point out difficult to find attractions and may introduce you to some of the locals and hidden gems of the town. He can also be a good source of restaurant and lodging recommendations. Lamu is small enough where the guides are aware of most of the … [Read more...]
Send your name to Mars – February 2001
Send your name to Mars! Well space travel isn't quite available to the general public to Mars yet - so why not at least send your name to Mars? NASA collected about 1.6 million names which they burned to a CD and sent to Mars on a 2003 expedition. This was a success and hopefully NASA will run this type of promotion in the future. You can also send a message in a time capsule to space. Visit KEO's message submission page here: … [Read more...]
Xcalak, Mexico – Directions
Up until the 1990s one would have had a very difficult time getting to Xcalak via overland transportation. In 1998 the road linking Xcalak and Highway 307 was paved which dramatically cut down travel time. And the road into Xcalak is also paved - it used to also be dirt. For travelers, by far the easiest and cheapest way to get to Xcalak from the rest of the Yucatan is with a rental car. From Cancun, Highway 307 is a very good highway (no … [Read more...]
Paros, Greece – More Info
Paros Specific www.annaplatanou.gr Anna Platanou offers rooms and apartments with full facilities by the beach in Paros Parikia old town family atmosphere, low prices www.paros-online.com provides you with all the practical information you need to travel around Greece and Paros www.paros.gr/en official Paros tourism guide www.parosparadise.com stay with Michael and Karin Shepherd at their apartments www.parosweb.com by … [Read more...]
Europe – Transportation
Finding one's way around a foreign city in the time of pre-Internet was a challenging situation at best taking significant time to avoid getting lost (which invariably happened anyway). One had printed maps that one had to determine their location on before being able to route a course to a desired destination. Not always easy without a digital blue dot to guide you. And road signs were often missing further causing complications. Later some … [Read more...]
Europe – The Locals
I think that whatever country you are traveling in you will meet the bad apples as well as the good oranges. On my first journey through Europe I met some very helpful people who went out of their way to give me advice, show me certain areas, or give me help. Then I met some overly stressed people who all they had to say was "stick it between your teeth". I could definitely tell a general difference in personality between different cultures … [Read more...]