Unlike chartering which requires experience, and that you start and finish from a charter base, you usually don't need any sailing experience and you have many more choices of where in the world your trip will start. This is exactly what I did during August 2006. I had briefly tried the "paying crew" option in Thailand several years ago, and after having a great experience there, was ready to try it again. Since I would be traveling alone on … [Read more...]
Lapland Polar Dreams -January Site Inspection
My love affair with Finland began the moment I stepped off the Finnair plane. My ancestry is Norwegian and I guess something primal in my Viking genes bonds me in kindred spirit with this unique Nordic land. Having toured over a hundred countries, this is virgin territory for me and what an utterly cool place to visit in January. I've packed enough thermal gear to survive the most brutal blizzards but on arrival in Helsinki today, there is no … [Read more...]
Tourists In Malta Reclaim The Streets
Frequent and repeat incidents of visitors being confronted in the street while on holiday in Malta has led to the Maltese authorities taking action against the timeshare companies who employ sales staff to seek out possible visiting buyers. Complaints have risen in recent years from holiday makers who have had their time on the island spoiled by being approached on a daily basis to attend presentations - that can last up to four hours - in the … [Read more...]
The Monkey Hut Hostel, Lake Apoyo Nicaragua – August 2006
The Monkey Hut Hostel, Lake Apoyo Nicaragua - is located on the shores of the beautiful Lake Apoyo - only about a 20 minute drive from the city of Granada. Travelers from around the world congregate here and is a great place to meet people. This is part resort, part hostel and part hotel! Visitor's can stay in private rooms or choose from very affordable lodging in their dorm. Day trippers can come out and spend the full day or even just an … [Read more...]
Lawrence of Arabia Came this Way
To him, like to a number of other Jordanians to whom I had spoken, Lawrence and his Seven Pillars of Wisdom were still alive. His desert exploits, during the First World War, seemingly had not been erased from their minds. After visiting the fabulous rose-red ruins of Petra, we had picked up Ali on a tourist road, encircling this once lost Nabataean city. It gave us one last fantastic view of the breath-taking mountains cradling the … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is located just under 2 hours east of downtown Los Angeles and the lake and its nearby surroundings are without a doubt among some of the most picturesque natural beauty easily accessible from the Los Angeles basin and its communities. At nearly 7000 feet, the elevation outnumbers the population here. If your looking for LA "glitter" this is not the place to go. Rather it *is* the place to go to get away from people (especially in … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Skiing
Skiing - No you cannot ski in Los Angeles proper but there are a number of places to get to the snow during reasonable snowfall years within about 60 to 120 minutes drive of downtown Los Angeles. Big Bear Mountain is the most popular southland skiing area and boasts three ski areas: Bear Peak, Silver Mountain, and Goldmine Mountain. This is a bit further from Los Angeles than Mt. Baldy - with no traffic a drive will take about 2 hours … [Read more...]
Backpackers and Billionaires
It used to be that backpacking trips to Fiji involved a bus ride from Nadi to Suva, then a ferry to somewhere like Ovalau, Savusavu, Taveuni or Kadavu. No more. These days young budget travelers are lining up to go to the Yasawa Islands, a chain of 16 large volcanic islands and dozens of smaller ones roughly 35 km off the west coast of Viti Levu. The dazzling white beaches, clear warm waters, colorful coral reefs, and sunny dry climate make … [Read more...]
Fiji Hotel Chain provides and Alternative to Packaged Tourism
The owners of Fiji's largest budget accommodation chain have decided to counter the burgeoning bus and package tour trade by refocusing on the independent traveler. With more and more visitors being booked onto pre-arranged itineraries straight off the plane in Nadi, Cathay Hotels (Fiji) Limited has made a conscious choice to do things a lot differently. They're betting on the market niche of those who prefer to make their own decisions about … [Read more...]
Tahiti in Fiction & Film
Over the years, Tahiti and Polynesia have provided novelists and moviemakers with colorful subject matter. Early travelers told of wanton women on tropical shores, and Fletcher Christian added drama to the plot by leading a mutiny against the tyrannical Captain Bligh. In 1934 American writers Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall brought out the Bounty Trilogy. This three-part novel deals with Christian's mutiny on the Bounty, the escape of … [Read more...]
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