Travel Diary

With so many Florida Keys outdoor activities you can do, a first-time traveler might be too overwhelmed on his/her first trip to this scenic archipelago. After all, how can you decide between scuba diving, saltwater fishing, and watersports activities when all of them sounds great and they are offered at very affordable rates? To help you with your dilemma, we have listed a few quick facts about the three most popular activities you can do while visiting The Keys. Here they are: [Read more...]

You can find great beaches all over the world: stretched across the tropics are many memorable strips of white sand. Some of my favorite have been Playa Blanca in Colombia, Nungwi in Zanzibar, Praia de Pipa in Brazil, Usisya on Lake Malawi, Kumejima beach in Okinawa and the beaches of Sihanoukville in Cambodia. They were all peaceful places when I visited with a minimum of development. They had clear warm oceans, lots of shady tree line and didn’t cost you an arm and a leg to stay near. Some of the places mentioned in the list of beaches will be new to the reader, others not. They were all quite hard to get to at the time (excepting the Japanese beach which was just expensive). In my opinion the best all-round beaches to be found in the world are in Thailand. They combine just the right level of development, pristine nature, affordable prices and friendly locals. [Read more...]

This is a guest post from Tom at ActiveBackpacker.com

Heading overseas and making the decision that YES, you ARE going to learn that foreign language you’ve always been meaning to can be a wonderful adventure and experience. It doesn’t matter where you’re heading, or what language you will be learning – talking to the locals and making local friends using their own language is always a great way to go.

Don’t be disillusioned, it’s going to take a lot of work on your part to make this happen. It’s not going to be ‘easy’. There shall be no trips to the pub resulting in a sudden enlightenment of language fluency – sorry! It’s actually going to mean lots of hard work and study for you – but the benefits and advantages are more than worth it.

A good way to get going is with a highly intensive language course – they will often run for a couple of weeks and it can be a 9 – 5 affair – constant hammering of your brain with new language skills! If there is one thing to say here, these types of courses ARE effective. They’re not always that cheap – so for those on a budget it can be a little tough.

When choosing an intensive language course – have a think about WHERE you’re going to be doing it. It’s just a fact that some of the larger and better known cities will result in you hanging out with other language students speaking English – that’s just the way it goes. Of course you will make loads of new friends and have a blast socially – but as for learning the language, maybe consider heading to a smaller city where you can really knuckle down and get those brain juices flowing.

There are so many benefits and advantages to speaking another language that listing them would take a small novel. Whenever I travel, I always find myself irrationally jealous of people who can speak 4 or 5 languages – “They must just have a GIFT for learning, that’s all” I tell myself, as some sort of justification as to why I don’t know at least ten other languages. But you know what? Gift or no gifts, hard work and persistence is always going to trump anything else, so put that head down and start studying and you will see results in no time.

I’m a fan of immersion when learning another language – to me, immersion means literally getting up and moving to that country that speaks the language you want to know. Learning a language at home or at school just isn’t the same – and you’re going to have way more fun doing it this way, I can guarantee it!

So French or German or Spanish or Dutch – keep that grey matter alive and do yourself a favor, learn another language!

If you’re after tips for Europe, backpacking tips and more, check out Tom’s website: http://www.activebackpacker.com

Ponte de Barca is an attractive little town on the north bank of the meandering river. The gracefully arched bridge that dominates the scene was built in the sixteenth century. The town’s present name is relatively new. It was originally known as Castelo de Nobrega or Terra de Nobrega that is the ‘Castle or Land of Nobrega’. It became known as Ponte da Barca, or ‘Bridge of the Boat’, when a pontoon bridge was used for fording the river. Its early good fortune was to lie at the crossroads of the two medieval pilgrim routes, from Braga to San­tiago, and from Ribeira de Lima to Angra in the Azores, which brought it wealth by catering for the needs of the pilgrims. [Read more...]

Have you enjoyed the Puerto Galera weather yet?

It is indeed fantastic. Sitting in one of the many Puerto Galera resorts, it feels like tropical paradise to me. While the humidity can take some getting used to, there is often a cool breeze to make it easier. Even when I’m stinkin’ hot and covered in sweat (like after a workout!), I love it here. It feels more real; a huge improvement on the air-conditioned offices, cars and trains of the Western world. [Read more...]

People considering taking Belfast vacations have a number of accommodation options open to them. These are, in other words, options in terms of where (and how) they can stay for the duration of their vacations. We will be looking at some of those, as well as the upsides and downsides to each of them. That is where we come to learn that people taking Belfast vacations have the following accommodation options: [Read more...]

You can draw a diagonal line across a map of Koh Samui going from the northwest to the southeast; the top section is the busy part containing all the popular beaches such as Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut and Maenam, and the lower section contains all the quiet and less famous beaches such as Taling Ngam, Thong Tanote, Laem Set and Lipa Noi. This post is about one of these beaches in the south called Bang Kao. [Read more...]

Haad Rin is the name of the main tourist town on the tropical island of Koh Phangan. In the 1970s when the islands in the Samui Archipelago were being visited for the first time by backpackers Haad Rin was the natural choice to host the early visitors to Koh Phangan. It is the only area in Koh Phangan with both a sunset and a sunrise beach. 40 years on Haad Rin and Koh Phangan has become world famous for the Full Moon Party. Things have changed a lot in that time, so is Haad Rin still cool? [Read more...]

Jacksonville may not get the same recognition as New York, Los Angeles or even Chicago but at over 840 square miles Jacksonville is technically the largest city in the lower 48 states. Jacksonville is also a great place to take a vacation. Whether you are looking for a weekend getaway or a long summer vacation, Jacksonville offers fun for everyone. Here are a few things to check out next time you are in Jacksonville. [Read more...]

If you are planning a trip to southern California, you will definitely want to check out some of the amazing San Diego attractions nearby. There is a lot of fun for adults, including hilarious drag shows and comedy clubs. For fun with animals and nature that families will love, there are also plenty of options. [Read more...]