Archive for the ‘Adventure Travel’ Category
Travel to Central Asia
For those of you who have an adventurous spirit seems ancient history and culture of Central Asia will be an interesting journey. One of the popular destinations of Central Asia travel is Bukhara. Bukhara is the fifth largest city in Uzbekistan, and one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. There are many things you can see and do here, because a lot of tourist attraction that was built in the Middle Ages. In addition, the Kalian Minaret also must be on the list of places you will visit. The structure was built in 1127 and many regard it as a symbol of the city. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asia has emerged as a new tourist destination with five of the newly independent Republic of: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. You probably will need to contact one of the travel agent if you wish to visit the region because of the political system is quite rigid and visa requirements, especially for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. One travel agent that you can use is roxanatour.com. You’ll get complete service for day trips to Central Asia, but that you also will be given the ease of making Uzbek visa from a travel agent is.
Ideas For African Vacations
There are many destinations and adventures that await with African vacations. Africa in probably the most diverse continent for variations in wildlife, bird species, and cultures in the world, the second being Australia and New Zealand. Here the continent of Africa has devoted vast tracks of land to National Parks, and wildlife preserves, with some of these being as large if not bigger than Texas and Alaska. Countries such as Botswana, Tanzani, South Africa, and Kenya, devoting their time and efforts to the conservation and preservation of wildlife. There are many different endangered and threatened species that owe their salvation to these people.
You can find many different types of African Vacations to choose from. There are adventures in Egypt, where you can experience not only the Great Pyramids, but also travel down the Nile, as well as many other sites in this country. There are African Safaris of all different kinds, with guided adventures through some of this continents most beautiful wonders. You can participate in an Eco-safari, where you can not only see much of the wildlife, but also have a once in a life time opportunity to live and learn about native tribes, their everyday activities, culture, and hopes and dreams. There are other vacation opportunities, especially for those that like to get their hands dirty, working with local tribes and conservationists to improve and help develop preserves and National Parks.
There are so many different parks and preserves that you could take many African vacations and not see them all. There are over a dozen in Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa alone, and measures are being taken to connect some smaller park systems into Transcontinental parks, breaking down barriers, and adding connecting corridors to link them together. Even now, there are vacation opportunities for tours through these parks, both that you can do in a vehicle on your own, or by guides who are natives to the area. There are even some centers that have reopened their doors, allowing tourists a chance to see some of the most elusive endangered animals up close and personal.
Tanzania's Most Rewarding Wildlife Parks
There is no other country in the world that can match Tanzania for its excellent combination of wildlife and scenery. It has well over 20 wildlife parks in total, each with its own unique characteristics, however narrowing down which ones to visit can be a tricky task. Here are a few of the parks which I think are most rewarding if you are visiting Tanzania for a safari holiday.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is ultimately the best wildlife park in the world. It features many different types of surroundings, which are of course inhabited by a variety of different animals. The land can change within a matter of minutes worth of travelling – from swamp land, to the terrain which this park is most famous for, its long and endless flat plains. Big cats are commonly found when on safari in the Serengeti, and it would be unusual to visit this park without a lion sighting.
Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Crater is an old caldera which was the result of a 2+ million year old volcano collapsing in on itself. It makes the perfect location to preserve the wildlife inside the area – which are protected by 2,000 foot high walls. Ngorongoro is ultimately famous for sightings of the big 5 – something which is hard to come by in most other Tanzanian parks these days, but can be spotted in 1 trip to the crater floor.
Selous Game Reserve
Selous is a huge park, and is jam packed full of many varieties of wildlife. Its boundaries are said to be larger than the size of small countries, and it is filled up with beautiful scenery and lively wildlife. This is a park for people who want a real African adventure, and are travelling through remote bush areas, without a single other tourist in sight, and would like the spotting of wildlife to be a real challenge, and not just laid out on a plate for them.
A Tanzania Safari
A visit to the Rubondo Island National Park could easily be incorporated into a Tanzania Safari because this small island is located in the south west section of the lake. It is a fascinating place to see birds and water based animals and there are other islets nearby. There are also larger creatures such as elephants, chimpanzees and giraffes. The rich volcanic soil allows lush vegetation to flourish and there are plenty of dense and foreboding liana vines hanging around as well as dazzling orchids. The fact that the island is densely forested and uninhabited (apart from a small community of fishermen) means that it is not very well known to tourists. On some parts of the island there are rocky areas with palm trees.
A Tanzania Safari to the Udzungwa National Park
This mountain park rises from flat land to form one of the most biodiverse areas of Tanzania. Tanzania safari goers can see enchanting forest scenery with unique wildflowers and lichens as well as monkeys, butterflies and birds. Monkeys include the Tana River Mangabey and the Udzungwa Red Colobus. Bird watchers will be particularly intrigued to know that there are four species which are unique to the Udzungwa National Park. There is also a rare type of shrew known as the Grey Faced Sengi. This canopy forest is wet for most of the year so it doesn’t really matter when you go but to avoid the most mud then go in the dry season between June and October. A typical Tanzania safari itinerary could include a flight into the capital Dar es Salaam and then a visit to Udzungwa National Park on the way to Mikumi National Park.
Park Regulations and Entry Requirements for your TanzaniaSafari
Two of Peru's Best Archaeological Sites
Peru is full of some really amazing archeological sites of which Machu Picchu is only one. There are also many other civilizations represented other than the Incas. If touring the remains of ancient people is your idea fun, this is a great country to visit. Many of the sites include opportunities for hiking as well.
Some of these are short while others can take days for you to arrive at your destination. Taking the time to hike into the sites is a great way to really get a feel for life in the ancient times when that was the only way to access the area.
Machu Picchu
Of course, Machu Picchu is the best known of the sites and one you will certainly want to have on your list. This is one of the best representations left by the Incas, because the Spanish never made it to this location. Therefore, it did not suffer from the looting and destruction that so many others of their constructions did. The site is massive and sprawling. While you can visit it without a guide, you will certainly get more out of it with a good one.
The site is so impressive that it has been named a World Cultural Heritage Site as well as one of the new Wonders of the World. Although the site is more than 500 years old, it lay abandoned for many centuries, only being rediscovered in 1911 by a Yale scholar.
Getting here can be done by either hiking the 4-day Classic Inca Trail or by the 2-day Inca Trail. Alternatively, you can take the train to the nearby town, Machu Picchu Pueblo, also known as Aguas Calientes. It’s best to take the train the night before so that you can go up to the site early the following morning.
Getting to Kilimanjaro
One of the most expensive parts of any expedition to Kilimanjaro is getting from your country of residence to Tanzania.
The closest international airport to Kilimanjaro is the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The airport is served by a limited number of African airlines and an even smaller number of European airlines. KLM is the main carrier that operates a daily flight from Amsterdam direct to Kilimanjaro. Flights from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro cost between £550.00 and £1400.00 return depending on what time of year you plan to fly. Edelweiss Air and Condor Air also operate flights from Germany to Kilimanjaro but these flights are seasonal and are used more for package holiday makers.
A cheaper option is to fly to Nairobi and either travel by land to Tanzania or get a connection flight from Nairobi Airport (NBO) to Kilimanjaro. Nairobi is serviced by many European airlines including British Airways, KLM, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Swiss International Airlines and Brussels Airlines. It is also serviced by international carriers that include South African Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Egypt Air and Kenyan Airways. Direct flights from the UK start from around £300.00 per person return which offers a huge saving compared to flying direct to Kilimanjaro.
Connecting flights from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro can be obtained from either Precision Air or Fly540. Both operate daily flights to Kilimanjaro and prices start at around £100 per person.
The cheapest option is to travel by land from Nairobi to Tanzania. The Impala Shuttle departs Nairobi twice daily destined for Arusha. The Shuttle collects passengers from the Airport at 8.15 am and 2.15 pm daily. The journey takes between 5 and 8 hours depending on the state of the road. A new road is in the process of being constructed and the journey becomes quicker as new sections of the road are completed. The journey costs around £10 per person one way and offers a great way to see East Africa by road. The Shuttle is quite comfortable and if money saving is what you are looking for this is the best option.
A Safari in Tanzania
Tanzania, located on the Indian Ocean in East Africa, is known for Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest mountain) and also its famous game reserves. Tanzania, which is a very vast country, has amazing wildlife, most of which is contained within its’ national parks and game reserves.
If you want adventure, you should take your holiday at a Tanzanian safari. Safaris are full of adventure, and you can guarantee it will be an unforgettable experience for you, as Tanzania offers some of the best wildlife watching in the world.
In southern Tanzania, Selous Park has the highest diversity of wild and exotic wildlife. Selous is the largest reserve in Africa, with a land area of 55,000 square kilometers. The reserve is undeveloped, but Selous Park has a huge variety of game – including the largest single population of elephants. The reserve is crossed by the Rufiji River and there are numerous lakes making Selous an excellent location for boat safaris. The best time to visit for this is between June and February.
A premiere wildlife reserve in Tanzania is Serengeti National Park, which is the oldest game reserve in the area. The highlight of a safari in Serengeti National Park is the wildebeest migration, where up to a million of these animals cross the river to look for better grazing. You will see gorgeous lions, huge elephants, beautiful giraffes, unique zebras and much more. You might want to have lunch at the hippo pool, where you can eat with both hippos and the crocodiles – not at the same table though!
Travel to the Mystic Land of Laos
Laos is a magical country. It exudes serenity in the midst of war ravaged countries of Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and China. It appeals to the soul silently and leaves impressions that are hard to erase.
Cruising the Mekong
The alluring Mekong with all its splendor and hidden beauty unveils itself through cruises along it. The traditional riverboats provide excellent opportunities to unearth unseen beauties of Laos. Undertake excursions to hill tribe villages and explore caves in search of adventure. You can opt for tour packages that have arrangements to stay in nature lodges.
The riverside towns with their laid-back lifestyle are ideal for enjoying lazy afternoons and witness glorious sunsets as you cruise along the Mekong.
If you are keen to experience the lifestyle of local people then travel deep into northern Laos. The wilderness of Laos provides the perfect backdrop to witness rice planting and search for herbs in the dense forests.
Heritage tour in Laos
You can also visit the village of Ban Baw to witness whiskey production. A visit to the Pak Ou Caves will surely fascinate you that houses thousands of golden Buddha statues of different sizes.
Your visit to Laos will be incomplete without touring Luang Prabang. It is the spiritual capital of Laos and showcases the lifestyle and heritage of Laos at its best. Colonial buildings that testify the heritage of Laos along with cascading waterfalls are to be witnessed here. The hospitality and the warm smile of people of Laos will touch your heart.
Do not forget to enjoy the authentic cuisine of Laos as you travel through this mystic country. Vientiane does not fail to charm the visitors with its beautiful destinations and relaxed pace of life.
Call of the wild
Angola – The Visitor Attractions
For a war torn country, you would not imagine that Angola has much to offer the vacationer with the exception of a few landmines and a lot of violent history. If this is what you think about this country then you would be very much mistaken and in actual fact, as well as plenty of investment Angola opportunities for those looking to pump their hard earned money into a worthy cause, Angola has plenty to add those looking for a break too!
White sandy beaches and beautiful crystal clear waters are not all that Angola has to offer. There are a number of great tourist attractions (check guides everywhere for pictures of Angola) and explore, each one different from the rest and with a tourism industry that has been ever so slowly growing since the peace treaty was signed, the hotels and resorts that are opening within Angola may just pleasantly surprise you.
Of course, you cannot really mention anywhere in Africa without mentioning the obvious visitor attraction – safari. However, this is right at the bottom of the list of the attractions we are going to take a closer look at!
The nightlife – you cannot mention Angola without the mention of the nightlife that it currently homes. Reported to be just as mysterious and exotic as the country itself, partying with the locals is something that every visitor to Angola seems to mention in their reviews of their travel. That is of course, alongside the richness of Angola with regards to the fishing, diamond mining and budding tourism industry!
Iona National Park – This is both the oldest and also the largest of all the national parks within Angola and covers over 15,000 square km! This park is home to the incredible rock formations that form just part of the Angola landscape and with beautiful yet unique flora, this is a place that you must see should you ever come to explore Angola nature.
Amazing Victoria Falls
During the second half of April 3,000 cubic metres of water plunge over Victoria Falls every second. After crashing over the precipice all this water is forced at right angles down a steep gorge and then has to travel through a gap only 110 metres wide to get to the next gorge.
This system of steep sided gorges downstream from Victoria Falls forms a zig-zag pattern for many kilometers. Geologists have worked out that over the last tens of thousands of years the line of the waterfall has moved backwards occupying different precipices along the gorge, and it’s still slowly retreating.
One of the most heart stopping things you can do is to take a white water rafting trip down this network of gorges. The best time to do it is from August to January – at low water – when your epic journey starts at Rapid 1 just below the waterfall which you can hear roaring behind you. Over a full day, this white water run takes you through 21 rapids in an inflatable raft steered by a muscular expert wielding two mighty oars. He has to judge the approach to each rapid precisely, and if he does you disappear into the roaring foaming maelstrom of water and emerge right way up a few seconds later. If he gets it wrong the raft flips, and you either grab the rope and stay with the raft or take a “swim” until you’re pulled out downstream.