Saturday, December 13, 2014

The Best Destinations For Holiday Season In December 2014

By: Unknown On: 11:35 PM
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  • So much to do, so many places to see, but so little time to do it all. That's where Destination Unknown comes into play. At the beginning of each month, HuffPost Canada Travel will be putting together a list that offers something for everyone — those on a budget, those looking for something unique or those simply looking to get away. Curious? Good. A sense of wanderlust is always healthy. So, without further ado, here's December's Destination Unknown roundup.

    For those who can't believe it's December already, you're not alone. Gone are the days where it was prime time to check out the beaches of Goa, India or watch burning effigies light up England's skies. Those still looking for a light show will be happy to know that the holidays are fast approaching andcities around the world are taking notice. For everyone else, a new month means a new slew of hot destinations to check out in the next 31 days.

    Whether travellers are looking to escape winter's chill or are looking to spend some quality, family vacation time, December is a month with plenty of opportunities to do some travelling. So trade in that ugly Christmas sweater for a suitcase and get moving to any one of these locations.

    Salt Springs, Canada
    North Americans looking for a unique destination this Christmas need not look any further than the west coast of British Columbia. There, travellers will find Salt Spring Island, a piece of land wedged between mainland B.C. and Vancouver Island. It's popular with tourists of all sorts, particularly those who like the outdoors. Temperatures are brisk, with lows just slightly dipping beneath the freezing mark, making it a nice place for camping and hiking excursions. The lack of snow also means that 'Santa' trades in his sleigh for a float plane. Also unique to the island are Salt Spring Dollars, legal currency that travellers can print at home and spend on everyday products or on Glowtinis, a local special Christmas drink.

    Sunday, August 3, 2014

    Travel Destinations in Northern Vietnam

    By: Unknown On: 12:56 AM
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  • Ninh Binh

    Ninh Binh is the capital city of Ninh Binh Province in North Vietnam, famous for the nearby Karst scenery and the village of Tam Coc. There is nothing to do in Ninh Binh itself aside from drinking beer with the locals; the town is more useful as a base for the surrounding countryside.

    Destinations in Ninh Binh:

    Tam Coc, (9 km south of Ninh Binh, along Hwy 1). One of Vietnam's most spectacular sights. A boat must be hired that will take you through the waterways between vast limestone cliffs that rise out of the rice paddies. The area is somewhat similar to Halong Bay, but more accessible and much less touristy. Beware, the floating drink sellers can be very persistent. They are located after the third cave. Most will ask if you would like to buy a drink for the rower. This is usually sold back immediately for half price.


    Rowers can usually row with their feet as well as their hands, which makes quite an interest sight. Possibly the best time to go is in the morning or late afternoon, when its quieter and cooler with more shade. Last boats start out about 5:30PM in the summer and 4:30PM in the winter. Its an easy bicycle ride here from Ninh Binh, with no hills. When leaving your motorbike in the carpark, beware of scamming thieves (such as removing a mirror while the motorbike is parked then selling it back to you for 100,000 dong) and look for official parking areas to avoid such scams. Those can be found on the big parking lot to your left when you arrive, just before the village, there is a booth at the gate. We paid 5000 Dong while at first being asked 10k, possibly the official rate is even lower. Some boats have boxes loaded upon departure. They are filled with handicrafts (you can check it), and are meant for you to buy. During the return trip the rowers - your own or those of nearby boats - might suddenly turn from friendly rowers to pushy sellers. Don't ruin your experience by allowing this. Demand a rower/boat without handicraft/souvenir boxes and/vor clearly show desinterest. The area around Tam Coc is equally beautiful, and is best viewed from the back of a motorbike or by bicycle. There is also a temple Bich Dong (free entrance) built into one of the hills which provides incredible views. To get there just follow the road pass the Tam Coc 'pier' for about 3km to the west. While seing the temple don't forget to go through the cave to reach the upper level and the next little temple. You may also like to ignore the sign and climb up the rocks (there is a clear path) to the top of the rock, the view is worth the scramble. 80,000 dong per boat, maximum 2 foreigners per boat plus entrance fee of 100,000 per person.

    Trang An Grottoes, (7 km from Ninh Binh). An easy bicycle ride away, Trang An Grottoes is similar to Tam Coc but with many more caves to pass through.


    Most caves have been widened in order for the boats to pass through and as result their natural beauty has been compromised. The first two caves are the most natural and beautiful but are also tight in places, so watch your head. Lots of concrete structures are being built all over the place and rice paddies are disappearing fast but hopefully this area will not lose its splendor. It might be worth bringing a torch in case the power fails and the lights go out, some of the tunnels are quite long and your rower may have forgotten their backup torch, as was the case for the boat in front of us and had to wait for our boat to provide light for them to navigate the last cave. 150,000 per person.

    Cuc Phuong National Park, (45km from Ninh Binh), Cuc Phuong National Park is approximately 1 to 1.5 hours from Ninh Binh. It is a well preserved rainforest with an Endangered Primates Rescue Centre near the entrance.


    You can visit the primates centre only with a guide, which costs an extra 50,000 dong per person. There are about 150 primates here being prepared for release back in the wild. Most are from other parts of Vietnam and any releases will be where they originally come from. There is also a botanical garden and a turtle center. There are no other major sights. From the entrance you can drive, motorbike or cycle a further 20 km along a densely rainforested road, from which several tracks lead you through the jungle to prehistoric trees and caves. Cycling is probably the most rewarding way to travel this 20 km of often steeply inclined paved road and mountain bikes can be hired at the park entrance. One of the amazing things about this drive is the 1000's upon 1000's of colourful butterflies filling the roadway. Peak time for butterflies apparently is during April and May but in later months there may still many to be seen. The road ends at the Park Centre (Bong) with a restaurant and a place to buy snacks, and where several forest walks start. Many of them require a guide (16$ per day, speaking good English and waiting at the reception), as the trailheads to the guided walks are hidden and in the past, tourists lost orientation in the dense forest, so rescue operations were required. One walk that can be done independ is 6-7 km long and leads through the primary rain forest with lianes etc. to a thousand-year-old tree. Some enjoy to touch the old cho xanh (parashrea stellata) and sau (Dracontomelum Duperranum or Dancorra Edulis) trees, 50-70 m high The best chance to see any animals here is at night. Guided night tours for overnight stayers are available costing $20. The park is also suitable to watch birds, butterflies and orchid flowers. They are more concentrated than in a typical butterfly farm enclosure. A limited amount of overnight accommodation is available in either a detached bungalow ($27) or a stilt house ($5-7). 40,000 dong entrance fee.

    Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. This 10th century royal city is just a short bike ride away from Ninh Binh. Not too much remains except for some beautiful archways and the temples of Dinh Tien Hoang, Nhat Tru Temple and Le Dai Hanh.  edit

    Ma Yen. Climbing up 500 steps, this mountain gives you a great view of Tam Coc and the surrounding valley. A nice climb and great views  edit

    Bich Dong Pagoda, (Follow the road pass the Tam Coc 'pier' for about 3km to the west.). An interesting 15th century pagoda with three levels in a steep Mountains side, offering nice views. Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Some of the temples are build right into caves and you can explore. After the highest temple you may also like to ignore the sign and climb up the rocks (there is a clear path) to the top of the rock, the view is worth the scramble. free.  edit

    Phat Diem Cathedral. A 19th Century structure that mixes Eastern and Western Architectural styles. It has a large grounds with gardens and 4 smaller churches surrounding the main one.

    Bac Ha


    Bac Ha is a rural district of Lao Cai province in the Northeastern region of Vietnam. It is the capital of the region of the Flower h'mong, one of the 54 minorities of Vietnam and of the 6 groups of Hmong people. It is famous for its Sunday morning market, where thousands of locals gathered, the women dressed in their very intricate hand-made costumes (it takes 3 to 5 months to embroider one by hand), as well as for the Saturday morning smaller market of Can Cau, 18 km north of Bac Ha. The town is enjoying an economic boom thanks to tourism, centered around the markets and, more and more, excellent trekking in the mountains north of the town.

    Bac Ha is the location holding the famous contest on adventure sport "Raid Gauloises" in 2002. Bac Ha is famous for its Tam Hoa plum which must bloom three times before they are ripe. As of 2003, the district had a population of 48,988. The district covers an area of 680 km². The district capital lies at Bac Ha.

    See more...

    Thursday, July 31, 2014

    Where is Best Winter Trips 2014? (Part 2)

    By: Unknown On: 6:24 PM
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  • This year’s list of best winter trips is a global collection of 15 editor-recommended destinations.

    Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia...

    Photograph by Bruno Morandi/Getty Images

    Called the “sacred sea” by locals, Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest and oldest (20 million to 25 million years) existing freshwater lake. For intrepid adventurers equipped for a Siberian deep freeze (air temperatures can plunge to minus 40ºF) Baikal in midwinter is a roughly 12,200-square-mile crystal ice rink. Local outfitters like Baikal Explorer and Green Express lead Jeep, dog-sled, and snowmobiling tours across the glassy surface. There’s also ice diving, rafting (in sections that don’t freeze), skating, and fishing, plus opportunities to volunteer with the Great Baikal Trail, a local conservation group. Environmental threats, including industrial pollution, prompted World Heritage site designation for Baikal in 1996. A pulp-and-paper mill built near the lake in 1966 closed permanently in 2013, but significant ecological threats remain.

    Wednesday, July 30, 2014

    Discovery Halong bay Vietnam, Halong bay cruise

    By: Unknown On: 11:11 PM
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  • Ha Long Bay (or Halong Bay) - a magnificent scenic spot located in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, is famous for its mountains, water, clouds, caves and grottoes. Ha Long Bay is the center of a larger zone including Bai Tu Long to the northeast and Cat Ba islands to the southwest. It was recognized as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1994 and listed in the New 7 Wonders in 2012.



    History & Tales
    While Hanoi's old name is Thang Long (Ascending Dragon), Halong literally means Descending Dragon. And like many other Vietnamese towns’ names, Ha Long Bay has the origin from a legend. Once upon a time, Vietnam was invaded shortly after they started building the country. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to help Vietnamese people. The dragons emitted from their mouths many pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls stopping the invaders’ boats.


    These boats crashed into the islands and broke into pieces. Vietnamese won the battle thanks to the tricky battle field. After the victory, the dragons decided to stay on the bay and the pearls still remained. The location that Mother Dragon landed is then called Ha Long Bay and where Child ones descended is Bai Tu Long Bay.

    Weather
    The annual temperature of Ha Long bay is 22.8 Celcius degree, suitable for tourists to travel all year round. The best time to visit is from March to August, because during this time, tourists have the chance to shoot exotic photos with blue sky and sea as smooth as mill pond. It’s cloudy and rainy in autumn and chilly in winter. Especially, the period between August and October is the typhoon season.

    What to do
    Visitors to Ha Long shouldn’t miss Bai Chay beach (Scorched Beach – close to the coast of Ha Long Bay), whose sand is dark. People often mistakenly think that this is due to the climate or lack of wind in this area. However, the weather here is quite pleasant and the temperature is around 22oC. From Bai Chay, you can hire a boat and go out to the bay, where you will find some of Southeast Asian most fascinating limestone islands. Taking a cruise trip around Halong is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the Bay (More about cruising in Halong Bay).


    The limestone formations are both bizarre and awesome. They are Thien Cung (Heavenly Palace Cave) - 4km from the wharf outside of Ha Long City, Dau Go (Wooden Stakes Cave) – 8km south of Bai Chay, Bo Nau (Pelican Cave) , Trinh Nu (Virgin Cave) – 15km south of Bai Chay, in the island range of Bo Hon, in the system comprised Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), Dong Tien Lake and Luon Grotto, etc.


    Besides Ha Long Bay, there are Mong Cai – the border city with China (visas must have been sourced in your home country), Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong City and Tuan Chau Island – a newly developed tourist resort. One can spend between 3 and 5 days visiting and experiencing the beauty of the Bay.

    Tuesday, July 29, 2014

    Top 10 remote destinations to see in your lifetime

    By: Unknown On: 4:02 PM
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  • Bruce Poon Tip launched G Adventures with the belief that other travellers would share his desire to experience authentic adventures in a responsible and sustainable manner. Here, Bruce shares his own Top 10 Places to See In Your Lifetime.

    1) Lhasa, Tibet

    At one time Tibet was the spiritual and cultural heart of Asia. While the people of Tibet have had their struggles since the Cultural Revolution, their spirit was still palpable as soon as we set foot in Lhasa. The Potala Palace sits looming over the city as Buddhist monks passed by us on their daily routines, reminding us that this city was once the pulse of a nation in change.

    Ly Son Island Tourism

    By: Unknown On: 12:03 PM
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  • With many historical, cultural relics and fascinating tourist areas, Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai is an amazing tourist attraction.


    Though referred by many as the “fairy island,” it is also known for its vast garlic fields with a pungent aroma, thus, is called as the kingdom of garlic. But that’s not all this island can offer.

    10 Free things to do in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

    By: Unknown On: 3:43 AM
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  • Kuala Lumpur panorama

    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, is a colorful modern international city filled with sky-scrapers, huge inner-city shopping malls, vibrant Chinatown and Indian districts, museums, parks, nightlife, and a variety of architecture.