The U.S. road trips sure are an American classic, but have you considered experiencing your travels abroad from the driver’s seat? Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the unrestricted speed limits on the German Autobahn, the jaw-dropping scenery of the northern loop of the Peloponnese, and spontaneous croissant breaks on the way. Here are the five samples of the world’s best road trips:
1. Scandinavia
Drive on the curvy roads along the Scandinavian fjords, and see the breathtaking scenery of mountainous backdrops and crystal clear water. Start in Gothenburg, Sweden and follow through Oslo to Bergen. From there, take a ferry and drive further south to Kristiansand, where you will catch a ferry for Hirtshals, Denmark. Follow the coast through Skagen to Copenhagen. From the Denmark’s capital, head back to Sweden. Take the ferry to Viking Stronghold of Visby, then to Ninashamn, and it is only a short drive to Stockholm from there. On the way, indulge yourself in the views of the picturesque towns on the Atlantic; visit art galleries on the Windblown Peninsula of Skagen, stop by Hamlet’s castle in Helsignor, explore the medieval Island of Gotland, and get a close look at the rock formations of Faro. And, should you come in the early summer, soak up the midnight sun and keep the headlights switched off!
2. The Himalayas
Explore the roof of the world from the driver’s seat! The 485km journey from Manali in India’s Himachal Pradesh to the Ladakh capital, Leh, offers fascinating scenery of wild mountains and incredible rock formations. Mountain crests, passes, and the terraced valleys of the Himalayas tectonically uplifted spine will bid you farewell as you will drive along. This trip is navigable just for a number of weeks between the mid of July through the mid of September, so make sure you bare this in mind when scheduling your trip.
3. Greece
The coastal road outside the metropolitan area of Patras is set in a beautiful backdrop between high mountain ranges and the peacock-green water of the gulf. Continue to Pirgos, one of the most picturesque villages on the island that has up to 70% of its surface covered with vineyards. Stop here to visit the museum, dedicated to Chalepas, one of the finest sculptors in the history of modern Greece, and continue through the island to Olympia. You will find yourself taking a sensational trip down the track where the first Olympic race was run. From there, the ancient fishing town of Navplio is certainly worth a visit. This large town on the Higher Peloponnese is perfect for a delicious lunch. Try a dish of octopus and roasted peppers with feta cheese.
4. Australia
Dreaming of a 4×4 ride? Then the Gibb River Road in the Kimberleys, Western Australia, is the right for you! Six hundred kilometers of dirt track will lead you through an amazing landscape of gorges, waterfalls, cliffs, tropical vegetation, and rugged escarpments. Take as many sporadic stops as you wish; cruise the Chamberlain Gorge’s waters, view aboriginal art at the Wandjina Aboriginal rock, or relax in thermal springs. Stop by the Pentecost River where saltwater crocodiles inhabit the deceptively calm waters, or visit the Wilderness Park – one million acres in the Kimberley wilderness.
5. Iceland’s Ring Road
Iceland’s Highway 1 – the roughly 830-mile Ring Road – is the only route that circles the island. It offers a magnificent view of an entire array of the world’s fascinating phenomena; sea coasts meet barren expanses of a desert, valleys of tundra feature waterfalls, and glaciers are paired with geysers. On the way, stop by to relax in one of the hot blue pools’ sulfurous streams tucked away in Iceland’s lava rocks.
August 14, 2007 No Comments
Get ready for a relaxing autumn trip to the Dominican Republic! For a package price, beginning at $499/person, the TravelByJen.com offers a roundtrip airfare from the departure city of choice, roundtrip transfers from and to the airport, 7 nights in a hotel at the Barcelo Talanquera beach resert with a possibility to upgrade to the Barcelo Capella for just $49 per person, all meals, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, and non-motorized water sports. Prices are calculated per person based on double or triple occupancy and include tips. The rates, however, do not include hotel charges, international travel taxes, or airport taxes and security fees. For more information, visit http://www.travelbyjen.com/cgi-bin/pages.pl?script=show_deal&id=424.
August 14, 2007 No Comments
Three weeks ago, Belfast Today made it public that Ryanair is going to start daily flights to Liverpool, East Midlands and Glasgow, in an attempt to increase tourism. In fact, 10,000 of the first seats are for sat at £10. But the destinations are also to extend to Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, Brussels and Pisa. Ryanair is hopeful that this will increase the amount of visitors in Belfast, and will also create almost 300 jobs at Belfast City Airport. Rival airlines such as EasyJet, and British Midland have already started flying direct from Belfast to Glasgow and Liverpool, increasing the interest in Belfast and Northern Ireland in terms of tourist from continental Europe. Not only would the new routes boost the economy, but the new routs are expected to carry almost 300,000 new passengers a year.
Surprisingly, there was little worry about a runway extension at Belfast City Airport, nor at Aer Lingus’ announcement that they will be flying direct from Belfast International Airport to London Heathrow. Officials say that growth in terminals and runways, if any, will come gradually in the future, and that they are fully prepared to deal with the new Ryanair deal.
August 13, 2007 No Comments
Reuters Africa published an article last month, stating that there has been a sudden fall in tourist visits to Morocco. For the last few years there seemed to have been a huge boom in the Marrakesh tourist industry. But all that was brought to a halt by what hotel managers and officials are calling an ‘increase in activity by Islamic militants’.
In March and April, seven suicide bombers bombed outside U.S. diplomatic buildings in Casablanca, killing several people. Locals claim that this set off a chain of events to give Morocco a bad image, including al Qaeda’s associate in Morocco threatening to widen its war against regional rulers and their Western ties. Officials also fear tourism future because the security alert was raised to the maximum level.
The target for 2010 is to boost the number of tourists to 10 million, but the fact that the number of tourists to Marrakesh was up only 1% does not bode well for that goal. Hotel bookings are predicted to drop anywhere from 20 to 50%, as well, because of recent fears.
August 13, 2007 1 Comment
The Prague Daily Monitor recently published an article claiming that Russia is discouraging Russian tourists from traveling to the Czech Republic by introducing stricter visa procedures. Many Russian travel agencies, for example, have already removed offers for trips to the Czech Republic. In its place, travel agencies are suggesting countries such as France, Slovakia or Poland. Because of these new, stricter procedures, the Czech Tourism Office’s estimate of 280,000 Russian tourists is unlikely to be met.
In order to travel to the Czech Republic, Russian tourists must submit a travel contract that they signed with the travel agency, and a signed declaration that they will not abuse the visa for anything other than tourist purposes.
This is quite a blow to the Czech Tourism industry, because Russians are said to make up the most profitable tourists to visit the Czech Republic. Last year, 240,000 Russian tourists visited the Czech Republic.
August 13, 2007 No Comments
According to ABS-CBN, despite the tsunami in 2004, Thailand’s tourism is still thriving. In 2006 alone, there were around 14 million visitors. The Tourism office quickly started a new “Amazing Thailand” campaign to promote Thailand post-tsunami, and more recently there has a “Seven Amazing Wonders of Thailand” campaign that incorporates culture and heritage to attract tourists. Because of this, Thailand is expecting 15 million tourists this year, and has already attracted three million visitors in the first quarter of 2007.
Also, the recent military coup in September 2006 has not hurt tourism as much as expected. Thailand’s shift to a parliamentary system of government has boosted the economy. It is said that out of all the countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand is one of the only ones that was not colonized by the West, and therefore has the most cohesive sense of culture. This, coupled with exchange rates, makes Thailand an attractive destination for those looking to explore the Asian continent.
August 13, 2007 No Comments
Explore Cusco, Titicaca Lake, and Machu-Picchu! With Gotmyfare.com, you can now experience the best of Peru for just $999 per person. The offered package includes a roundtrip airfare from the United States to Lima, transfers from the airport to the hotel, one night at an exclusive hotel in Lima, transfers to the airport and a flight from Lima to Juliaca, two nights at Casona Plaza Hotel, a full day tour of Uros and Tequile Islands with lunch, transfers from Pono to Cusco with lunch, 2 nights at 3-star Samay Hotel in Cusco, a half-day city tour in Cusco, transport to and a 1-night stay at a 3-star Hotel Santuario in Aguas Calientes, an escorted tour to Machu-Picchu with an English-speaking guide, transfer to the hotel in Cusco, and a flight to Lima.
The rates are based on Miami departures and are calculated per person, based on a double occupancy. Taxes and fees are not included. Flights are available for any U.S. city; for prices and additional information, visit http://www.gotmyfare.com/product_info.php?cPath=39&products_id=171
August 10, 2007 No Comments
Naturist tourism, though already mainstream in Western Europe, has begun to pick up speed in Hungary, according to Oringo and Caboodle.
Naturist beaches can be found all around the country. Many of the beaches that are not specifically for naturists, are naturist-friendly, and have designated areas for them.
For instance, the Balatonberény beach and campsite owns an area of almost six hectares and is one of the largest naturist spots in Europe. During the past 20 years, over 1 million Euros has been invested into the complex, but plenty more renovations and expansions are still in process.
In addition to that, investors have found it profitable to start building a naturist hotel for beachgoers and fishers. This, combined with a ‘wellness center’, should be constructed within the next two years. Rumor has it that it will be accessible by sail boat, and plans are in place for a port able to hold around 250 ships (it will apparently be built in 2009, for around 4 million Euros
August 10, 2007 No Comments
According to Belize publication, Lovefm, The Belize Carnival Association has officially launched this year’s carnival season. It is claimed that this season will be much better organized, and will be affiliated with the National Institute of Culture and History. Funded by the Belize Tourism Board, Traveler’s Liquors Limited, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, Angelus Press Limited, and Tenchtronics, the carnival season also has a theme song has been written by Kenny G and the New Creation Band, and is called “Jump Fi Carnival”.
On top of that, there will be seven senior bands, five junior bands, and two non-competitive bands, making it the biggest turn-out yet. Not only that, but the cash prizes have increased, and trophies, in order to top last year’s carnival. Though the date for the carnival isn’t until September 8th, the Carnival Association is still looking for business to fund the bands themselves, so that they won’t need to foot the bill.
August 10, 2007 No Comments
Independent Business news website, Scoop, recently reported on New Zealand’s latest tactic to score Australian tourists – technology.
The campaign, launched this week, states that the New Zealand Tourism office will be using text downloading, interactive billboards, WAP technology, and ‘live’ film advertisements, along with regular television commercials to try to bring in more Australian tourists. Chief executive of the National Tourism Organization pointed out that the idea came from the realization that people were using their mobile phones for news, sports and weather, so the tourism office wanted to jump on the bandwagon.
The official offer is called the ‘Spring Pass’. Prospective tourists with the Spring Pass will get offers sent to their phone, and will be directed to the new WAP site, as well as the regular tourist sites, where they can find a New Zealand travel deal to suite them. They can also continue to receive offers on their phone once they arrive in New Zealand.
Interactive billboards set up in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will send messages to BlueTooth capable phones as they pass the billboards, offering them travel deals.
Journalists from Australia and abroad have been invited to see demonstrations of all the new features that the progressive Tourism office has to offer.
August 10, 2007 No Comments
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