Eastern Europe’s best-kept secret is out. Dubrovnik, Croatia is a medieval marvel on the Adriatic Sea. The incredible seaside, ancient medieval structures and palaces, eclectic mix of cultures and overwhelming fortress walls that line the maritime city-state of Dubrovnik create an atmosphere of fantasy and fairy tales. It’s no wonder the city has earned the nickname “The Pearl of the Adriatic.” As the city grows more popular among tourists and traveling adventurers, nows the time...
People usually link travel and vacations with summertime. Winter travel is usually reserved for those who go to the tropics during the cold months. But did you know that winter travel can be as fun and refreshing as spending a week in a Mexican resort? Well, yes, there is always the possibility of getting a cheap hostel in Sydney (because their summer happens during the North American winter), but there is also fun to...
With the summer cruise season in full throttle mode, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about one of my favorite cruise destinations – the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Sea divides Africa and Europe and is the largest sea in the world (based on coverage area). It also boasts great summer weather with lots of sunshine and cool breezes. But most importantly, it is host to many famous sea ports and cities...
Venice (also known as Venezzia) is one of those cities that seem out of this world. The city is built on and around water and the only real means of transport is via water ways and canals. I bet more people here own boats than cars. In fact, apart from taxis, cars are a rare sight in Venice. The public bus is called the Vaporetto and takes people heading to work or tourists to major...
For a small island Lanzarote is big on visitor attractions. Boasting one of the most popular national parks in Spain. Along with lots of picturesque whitewashed villages, a host of natural wonders and the breathtaking man made attractions of a local artist called Cesar Manrique. The island measures just 38km by 58km – making it easy to circumnavigate and tour. Whilst both petrol and car hire in Lanzarote are very affordable – with the...
Rome is one of the most memorable cities you will ever visit. Even though most consider Paris to be the most romantic city in the world, I would argue that perhaps that distinction should belong to Rome. If you are planning to visit Rome, I recommend finding accomodation in a very specific area. First, most of what Rome has to offer to tourists, lies within a 3 mile radius so if you are farther...
First-time travelers to Europe might be in for a culture shock. Different languages from one country to another, mode of public transportation and the way of life is much different in Europe than it is in the US even though Europe is, for the most part, far removed from the cliche “Third World” often used to describe poorer economies in Asia, Africa and South America. But despite the cultural and socio-economic differences between the...
Portugal is perhaps the only country in western Europe that is unspoiled by commercial tourism, that has not been overrun by shopping malls for tourists, that does not double your dinner check just because you ordered coffee and that does not have tourists flocking its hotels and beaches. So I almost feel guilty writing about Portugal, that I am contributing in some way to letting a secret out. That Portugal is a country with...
One of the easiest and quickest way to travel from London to Paris is via train. You can forego the hassles of airport, checking in, being seated next to a some unruly individual and suffering the haughty attitude of the Air France or BA crew. Instead, you can be seated in roomy seats of your choice, carry as much luggage as you want, stretch your legs during a brief trip to the on-board cafe,...
Last year, I made my annual pilgrimage to Europe, and Rome was one of the cities on my agenda. On the trip with me, I had a book called Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, apparently a book written before the more famed The Da Vinci Code by the same author. Little did I know that this book would be so deeply rooted in Rome. As I read on, I realized that the story...
