Travel and Leisure Articles

Taking an African safari in Puebla, Mexico, may not be the real thing; after all, there is nothing quite like being in Africa itself however, to get in amongst some of the world’s most fascinating wildlife, Puebla certainly doesn’t disappoint.

African safari destinations are popular in North America and the Puebla establishment is a great way to get close to some of the best known creatures Africa has to offer.

The Mexican park is divided into several sections with the African safari division the biggest and most popular. It even has a strong African identity with it’s areas named after countries such as Botswana and Kenya.

One of the appealing aspects of the Puebla park is the animals live unrestricted by cage bars and the park encourages reproduction. From a spectators perspective, this means travelling through the park in vehicles for obvious reasons.

Under the watchful eye of tour guides and African safari in Puebla experience means there is always a slight risk of danger and there are some areas during the trip where vehicle windows need to be wound up. For those who prefer to let others do the steering, a bus regularly traverses the park.

A stop is made during the trip at a souvenir shop which also provides plenty of refreshments.

Yes, there is plenty of wildlife on display including the some of the best known African species. There is also an extremely strong emphasis on the tiger at this African safari in Mexico.

From a spectator’s point-of-view, this type of wildlife park is great for those who like to sit back, relax and stare through a vehicle window. For those who like the walking tour, then a more traditional zoo would be more beneficial.

An African Safari in Puebla won’t leave your hip pocket light either. Around $15 will get you in and it’s a whole lot cheaper than travelling to Africa. But if safaris are in your nature, then Africa should be your ultimate goal.

Canada is huge and is home to breathtakingly beautiful natural landscapes. Therefore it is the ideal place in which to enjoy the thrills and pleasure of adventure travel. From wildlife watching to hiking and skiing, this country offers it all and with so much to choose from you’ll be guaranteed to be spoilt for choice.

 

For winter adventure travel in Canada you can’t beat Whistler. Thanks to its setting in British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, Whistler is an unparalleled year-round destination resort, offering its visitors a wide variety of both winter and summer activities besides an almost endless choice in dining, shopping and nightlife. In addition to the downhill ski facilities, visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, sleigh-riding, dog-sledding, mountaintop sightseeing, world-class golfing, mountain biking, hiking, in-line skating, horseback riding, sightseeing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing besides other recreational pursuits.

 

Or for a true wilderness adventure head to Ukkusiksalik National Park. It is located west of the community of Repulse Bay and the Arctic Circle, surrounding Wager Bay, a 100 kilometre long saltwater inlet on the northwest coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavut. Declared a national park in 2003, Ukkusiksalik became Canada’s 41st national park. Named after the soapstone found within its boundaries, the park includes 20,500 square kilometres of eskers, mudflats, cliffs, rolling tundra banks and unique coastal regions. Ukkusiksalik in Inuktitut means “the place where soapstone to make pots and oil lamps is found.” Activities here include hiking, camping and boating for the ultimate adventure.

 

Therefore, Canada has a vast range of activities on offer all year round so you’re guaranteed to never get bored in this adventure travel paradise.

Many of us aren’t completely clear on what Japan has to offer us as a tourist. It is a land where the past meets up with the future. Deep in heritage and culture but on the absolute cutting edge of technology, there’s something for everyone here. Japan is almost a case study in contradiction in everything. Wood plank shacks sit next to designer condos, entertainment can range from cute characters to violent pornography. Beautiful temples are surrounded by hideous signs. If there is one thing that is for certain, it’s that you won’t be bored on your visit to Japan.

Japan has three major attractions that the Japanese themselves are particularly proud of. You should pay a visit to Mount Fuji, which is the highest peak on the island and is an ice capped volcano. There is also the 88 pilgrimage which many citizens are fond of. This is a 1,647km trail that laps the edge of the island of Shikoku. And finally, there is the Narrow Road to the Deep North. This is a route around Japan, best known for being immortalized by Japan’s most famous haiku poet.

Japan has a very homogenized culture due to its isolation. Almost its entire population, 99%, is from Japanese ethnicity. You can expect the Japanese to be extremely polite as it’s something they’re well known for. Many Japanese citizens are thrilled to see foreigners in their country and are often willing to help them out. Many of the younger generation love to meet foreigners and have the opportunity to befriend them. Don’t be surprised if someone, usually of the opposite sex, approaches you and tries to start up a conversation with you in broken English!

The people of Japan are very understanding of foreigners and will often forgive you for common foul ups on their Japanese traditions. It’s important to understand, though, there are a few things that will always be looked down upon and to make note. You want to be sure never to walk on a tatami mat if you are wearing shoes or slippers. Never blow your nose in public. Don’t ever leave your chopsticks standing up in your bowl of rice because this is how it’s offered to the dead. And above all, make sure you wash your hands before bathing. Do some deeper research and learn more about Japanese culture to make your stay that much more enjoyable. But above all, have fun! Japan is a beautiful country.

For enthusiasts who love to play with and dare to challenge the currents of majestically flowing water bodies across India, canoeing and kayaking is just a perfect water sport. Canoeing, a sport of impelling a canoe through water, is a fun on the radiant golden Indian sea beaches along the Indian coastline, with the lakes situated in the North and the North Eastern Indian states and offering some fantastic amenities of water sports.

Kayaking is just like backpacking on an off beaten path, except that this time your adventure is on the sea. While canoes can accommodate only two people, kayaks have room for one or two people. These sports provide the best opportunity for sports lovers to come close to nature. You can enjoy canoeing and kayaking throughout year but avoid monsoons.

Enjoy canoeing and kayaking in these regions of India:

* Canoeing in Uttranchal

* Canoeing in Darjeeling

* Canoeing in Jammu and Kashmir

* Canoeing in Karnataka

* Canoeing in Haryana

Some of the best sites for canoeing in Uttaranchal include Lake Renuka along the Uttaranchal border, areas in Rishikesh and Dakpathar, lakes of Nainital and Saat Tal and Ramganga in Corbett National Park. Yet another place is the Tehri Dam of Tehri in Uttaranchal. This dam is pegged to be an ideal spot for canoeing not only in the country but in the entire sub-continent as a whole. Teesta river is a major site in Darjeeling for canoeing. Its strong currents and deep gorges will be perfect for canoeing and kayaking.

Jammu and Kashmir have Dal Lake the most beautiful and second largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir, Nagin/ Nageen Lake, where the waters are edged by willow and poplar tress whose reflection is mirrored in the lake, Wular Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, Manasbal Lake, a natural and perennial source of water, for enjoying adventurous water sports. Experience the thrill of canoeing and kayaking on River Kali, the life line of central Karnataka, at Dandeli in Karnataka. The beautiful surroundings are home to a wide range of wildlife. In Haryana special water sport activities are planned for enthusiasts at Tikkar Tals at Morni Hills, Grey Pelican Yamuna Nagar and Damdama Lake.

Canoeing and kayaking a lot depends on weather and water level. One has to be conscious about his safety and comfort too. The basic requirements include a swimsuit and towel, shades, hat and sun block, a warm top, some spare clothes for change, a water bottle,food and an enthusiasm to seek great adventure on the sea. Also get a helmet, spray skirt with shock cords (for the kayaker), life jacket, throw line, maps in waterproof case, signaling devices, flashlight with extra batteries and bulbs, first-aid kit, pocket knife, matches in waterproof container, required licenses, permits and ID.

So, get ready to move on the cool blue waters bringing loads of thrill to the adventurer in you. The thrill of the game is to make your way through tranquil waters to reach your destination when cool breeze play with your hair and cold water splatter your face.

Safari in South Africa and you may well want to include in your itinerary other parts of this magnificent country. You’ve heard of the Garden Route, but you are not much into gardens, so what does this famous part of South Africa offer the visitor?

The Garden Route stretches from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape down to Cape Town in the Western Cape, some 800 plus kilometres of spectacular coastline. Contrary to its name it is not all about gardens, but about wonderful scenery rich in variety and includes many diverse activities.

Here, in no particular order are just 7 of the most popular activities you will find to make your safari in South Africa one of the best you’ll ever take.

1. Stay at one of the many malaria-free game lodges for your safari in South Africa. See the Big 5 game in spectacular surroundings, some of which are a stones throw from the magnificent golden sands of the Indian Ocean.

2. Discover the splendour of the Tsitsikama Forest. Take a hike through the beauty of this indigenous forest. Perhaps take a treetop canopy tour or spend some time on the Otter Trail.

3. Not only is the above-ground loveliness of the Garden Route open for exploration, but the underground caves at Cango are a must! Known to man since the early Stone Age, these caves are more than just stalactites and stalagmites and at a steady warm temperature are a pleasure to visit even on the hottest day.

4. Take a safari journey on the Outeniqua Choo-Choo! Clinging to the coastline from George to Knysna, this steam train is one of the best attractions of the Garden Route. Chugging across the Knysna lagoon, into the lush green valleys and sheer cliffsides on its voyage, a window seat captures the excitement to its fullest.

5. Traverse the hair-pin bends down to Nature’s Valley where the river forms a dark water lagoon which escapes over the wide sandy beach towards the sea and we are sure you will agree with us that its name is perfect!

6. Head to the hills to find “them thur Gold”. The gold rush started in the hills behind Knysna before finding its feet in Kimberley and Johannesburg. A very unlikely place to have spawned an industry which now dictates so much of our lives, but you can marvel at how they found the gold and then extracted it on this fascinating tour.

7. After all the excitement, head for Knoetsie Beach. Hidden away off the beaten track, travel through the forest to make the climb down to this heavenly beach where the ocean thunders onto the beach, overlooked by three castles. Check out the peace and tranquillity, even in high summer you’ll find only a handful of people sharing your idyll.

I invite you to use these tips to make the most of your safari in South Africa and on the Garden Route.

Africa is a continent with diverse and rich resources, and to explore such a vast region, a traveler can undertake either a relaxing campfire vacation or an adventure wildlife tour. Safari vacations are not just restricted to game reserves; in fact, they offer a complete package where one can relax in the slower and quieter environment of the wilderness, far from the hectic world of the city life.

Although game viewing is the core of safari vacations, you may also indulge in diverse activities such as ballooning, birding, canoeing or interacting with the local peoples. Many safari lodges also offer guided nature walks that provide interesting information about indigenous plant species found in Africa. Safari lodges, which are also known as ‘bush hotels’, offer a quintessential African experience, and most travelers would love to stay in such a lodge during their African vacation. Most of these safari lodges offer amenities at par with urban hotels, and include all meals and activities.

While on an African safari vacation, one should be updated about the weather conditions of the region. Generally, national parks are best visited in dry seasons when the roads are easier to negotiate and the wildlife tends to congregate at waterholes. However, some parks, like Serengeti and Kalahari, are at their best during the rainy months, when migrating herds trail over grasslands that are completely waterless in the dry season.

Some of the popular safari vacation packages are Kilimanjaro Climbs, Rail Tours of Africa, Family Safaris, Walking Safaris, Escorted Holidays, Flora & Garden Holidays, Spa Destinations, Golf Safaris, Fly-In & Transfer and Adventure Safaris. A traveler might choose any of the above-mentioned safaris; however, in order to spot wildlife during your tour, it is advisable to book a safari that includes a ranger and tracker in the deal.

Among the most magnificent creatures in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico are dolphins. Seemingly curious about humans, dolphins are seen as friendly and playful. Sailors and fishermen alike consider them harbingers of good luck.

Visitors to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are increasingly enamored with dolphins, and local skippers and captains are happy to oblige by offering dolphin cruises.

Cruises vary in duration, cost, time of day, size of vessel — there are almost as many different ways to plan a cruise as there are people to enjoy them.

The Gulf of Mexico is home to bottlenose dolphin, which usually live in groups of two to 20. Each one can grow to about 10 feet long and can weigh from 400 to 600 pounds. They often are seen swimming beside vessels being used for fishing, shrimping or harvesting other sea delicacies, and their acrobatic skills delight observers on land and sea.

Visitors who want to learn about nature, habitats and wildlife of all types might consider a tour that includes but does not necessarily focus on dolphins. Several of these are offered, and some include nature and beach walks as well as cruises.

For those of single-minded “porpoise,” tours in glass-bottom dolphin cruise boats might be the way to go. Swimming with dolphins is not allowed in Alabama, so watching them swim and frolic is the next best thing.

Family-oriented cruises lasting from 90 minutes to three hours are offered most days. Many allow visitors to bring along coolers and picnic baskets, making them affordable options for those watching their budgets.

Those who want a little romance might consider dolphin cruises aboard vessels that offer moonlight trips and dinner. Some are set aboard vessels reminiscent of eras gone by, while others are on boats equipped with all the modern amenities. One such schooner features dining on fresh catch from nets the crew hauls in as hungry dolphin swim, jump and splash about, looking for a treat.

There is even a female captain ready to take visitors out to enjoy these marvelous creatures. Most tour operators offer narrated excursions to help their guests get the most from their adventure.

Operators depart from various parts of the Alabama Gulf Coast, including Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. They visit the Intracoastal Waterway, Wolf Bay, Longs Bayou.

Days and hours of operation are seasonal, and reservation policies range from a day or two up to about a week. Nearly all cruise providers offer the option of private excursions for all types of events, from children’s birthday parties to weddings.

Those who might consider planning their trip around the dolphin-watching excursion should be on the lookout for special accommodations packages that include lodging and tour fare.

Tourism in Malta

Tourism is a very heterogeneous industry, which is defined at the time of visitors consumption. Information technologies have made the creation of tourism growth poles possible a click of a button away and have allowed the development of new markets.

The tourism suppliers compete against one another. Malta is competing with new destinations such as Tunisia and northern Africa that can benefit from resources that are intact or in any case very little exploited. These countries benefit from very favourable economic conditions including low wages.

Every product or service have life cycle, it follow the laws of natural growth, which usually takes the form of a bell-shaped curve. The cycle begins with the arrival of the product/service on the market, continues with the growth phase when turnover tends to rise sharply, and then reaches maturity and its peak value. From there on it starts to downfall until it reaches the end of life and become obsolete.

In my opinion, it looks as if the older tourism countries are now paying the price of having been the first ones in the field. Many destinations appear to be nowadays out of fashion.

The challenge is therefore how to extend the maturity phase of the life cycle - not to reach end of life and become obsolete.

Bring Back the British (BBB)

Malta being an established holiday destination especially with the British has to evaluate its past strengths. It is important to cultivate what we had previously gained in the past, sustain it, if we have lost touch. Malta has to work hard to regain back its forte with the British and therefore gain back its past position. This has to be done very quickly.

It is to my opinion that Malta s branding should be focused of how to Bring Back the British or in short BBB. We need to analyze why the British are not preferring Malta and why they are going to much more expensive countries like Antigua, the Bahamas, Florida, the Far East and the Indian Ocean, South Africa, Spain, France, Italy and - The gulf between the two nations is getting wider, year on year. It is therefore necessary to remind the British that

1. Malta is a holiday destination.

2. In Malta we adopt British legacies. We drive on the left, speak English, we have more red post boxes and telephone kiosks than you could find in London.

3. Malta is only 3 hours away from London with a shared British heritage, a historical and cultural dimension in the middle of the Mediterranean.

4. Malta is a destination where you could soak in the sun and leisure for a few days then there is plenty else to do.

If the British afford to fly to Antigua, 9 hours by plane spend about 600-1000 GBP per night to lie on the beach in an island smaller than Malta with an airport that looks like Luqa, with roads in the same condition as ours - all to be bored after 3 days because there is just nothing else to do, then we have excellent chances to attract and BBB. Probably, this will not happen overnight, but if we are smart and we do it right maybe offering all-inclusive resorts then we have a very good chance to succeed.

Innovation

Looking back to history, it becomes clear that the tourism sector can be considered as innovative. As early as the 19th century, Thomas Cook was pioneering package tours. At a later stage, tour operators invented the charter flight as a way of dealing with the inevitable seasonal peaks in air travel and to make flying cheaper. Now we are dealing with Low cost airlines plus a shift towards cruise line tourism, which standardised and industrialised the tourism dream for an ever greater number of visitors.

It is the local attractions that give the products of the destination their distinct flavour. Every country has its own Location-specific attractions and products that differentiate the destination and make it unique. The competition that exists between destinations can therefore be described as monopolistic. It is therefore that a tourism country like Malta with a variety of attractions can, however, reposition itself on the market.

We have to do this in a very clever and innovative way. Malta has to make better use of the nation’s cultural resources, in an effort to diversify a tourism portfolio that has relied too heavily on seaside attractions. We need to be proactive. We have to focus on our strengths, our people, our experience, our hospitality, our bi-linguality, our wealth of history.

Today we cannot rely any more on the formula of sun, sea and sand. Malta has to diversify its product into new tourism segments, namely cultural tourism, English language learning, conferences and incentives, sports, and Gozo as a destination on its own.

Maximise in all aspects of life

As human beings, by nature we want to maximise in all aspects of life. We do not just want to walk aside the attractions, we want to discover the city, feel good about how we spent our time and money. We want to listen to legends and myths that characterize the city. Take pride of it, be excited and tell others about our accomplishment.

We have to provide interactivety, master the potential tool of the World Wide Web, avail and disseminate information over the new, for free. The official site Malta Tourist Authority http://www.visitmalta.com/ebooks had recently launched a new page on its portal and provides free ebooks in different languages readily downloadable just by a click of a button.

The interactive DVDs are reference history source in their own merits and are provided to in 5 different languages (Maltese, English, Italian, German and Spanish). The content, simply immerses you into the detail, provide you will all the information you want…in your preferred language. This would provide you with an opportunity to enhance your language skills, maybe recall how the Maltese language sounds like!

The DVDs provide you with a virtual tour of the city, and you could watch it on your PC, at the comfort of your home. Each DVD is longer than 75 minutes.

The DVDs has an inbuilt feature to download the MP3 content. Instantly available, the downloadable city guide is available for transfer to your Smart Mobile Phone, iPod or other mp3 player. When in Malta you are free to roam around the city, with confidence, as if you were a local.

Conclusion

Malta has its distinctive raw materials of tourism, its worth as a destination that uniquely identifies itself. It is with this raw material that the market creates destinations. The visitor chooses the destination that seems to offer the greatest utility. The tourist will be ready to come to Malta as his willingness to pay increases with the uniqueness of the destination. However, we need to nurture back our good thighs with the British and be Innovative in the way we market Malta as a holiday destination.

Obviously the success of any initiative does not only depend on quality and price of the end product but how it is marketed. Achieving this goal is not an easy task as this would require synergy from all frontiers and commitment from all stake holders. It is because of willingness, commitment; strive towards the importance of viewing our heritage as a potential source of material wealth for the nation that we are very positive that Malta will achieve its goals in tourism.

When you decide to visit Antarctica, a visa is not necessary as there is no country that claims it as its territory. However, a passport is needed for unscheduled stops. Generally, your first stop is either in Argentina or Chile. This continent, which practically sits at the end of the earth, is known for its extremely cold conditions. So why bother to go through all the trouble of getting there?

The fact that it is the coldest place on earth and located at the southernmost region is one reason why it is worth visiting. There aren’t too many tourists who have the guts to take a journey to a place as extreme as the Antarctic region, so having the chance to experience its untamed beauty can give you an extra sense of fulfillment.

Even though the continent is known for its extreme weather conditions, there are still a number of things to see and do when you decide to have an Antarctic holiday. For one, you can feast your eyes on some of the most dramatic and breathtaking scenery in the world by taking a cruise or ferry. Again, trips usually depart either from Punta Arenas in Chile or from Ushuaia in Argentina. You can also go for a helicopter ride where you get to take a look at the lovable Antarctic animals such as penguins and albatrosses moving in their natural environment.

Other tourist activities include:

o Looking for a Chocolate Iceberg. Those who are fond of taking pictures of rare subjects would love to see Chocolate Icebergs. They are products of glaciers collecting mud and pulverized rock from the underlying ground, which eventually becomes chocolate-colored ice. The glacier then reaches the ocean and pieces break away, thus forming icebergs. At times, as they form, icebergs turnover, which exposes the previous underside, which may carry the now chocolate-colored ice.

o Taking a dip in the thermal waters on Deception Island. The island is a result of a volcanic eruption, which resulted to the explosion of its peak, leaving a huge crater inside the island.

o Climbing the Observation Hill. It is a 30-minute climb from nearby McMurdo station. It will reward you with breathtaking views of Mount Erebus and the Ross Ice Shelf. Also found in this spot is the Memorial Cross erected in honor of Captain RF Scott and his polar party.

o Postcard sending from Port Lockroy, the sole post office in Antarctica. It used to be a British station, but it is now a museum to early Antarctic exploration.

o Whale watching. Watch how these giants move gracefully through the water. At least six baleen whales can be found in the Antarctic waters: Blue, Humpback, Minke, Sei, Fin, and Southern Right Whale.

o Stargazing. Be your own astronomer by gazing up at the Antarctic cosmos and enjoy the exceptionally clear night full of stars.

But, for those who do not have the opportunity to go to Antarctica itself, there are various tourist attractions that will give them the chance to get to know and appreciate the continent. These include the Visitor Centre at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, the Antarctic display at the Canterbury Museum, and Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Experience in Auckland.

The days of Antarctic voyage will all be worth it as you enjoy the things that you can do in the “White Continent”, things that not everybody gets the chance to experience. Deciding to visit Antarctica is one bold and adventurous move, so if you get the chance, do not let it slip away. Do not miss the privilege of being one with the untamed beauty of Antarctica.