Archive for July, 2011

PostHeaderIcon Ideas for a Unique Pattaya Tour

If you are on a Pattaya tour, you should definitely consider visiting some gorgeous sites in and little outside Pattaya. There are many islands located just offshore Pattaya that are definitely worth visiting because of their amazing scenery, coral and fine beaches.

Pattaya and its surrounding areas are known for sailing, therefore, there are numerous boats sailing and cruising around the nearby islands. After all, there are also several prestigious and well appointed marinas that serve as an ideal place for the anchorage of small or luxurious yachts. It all depends whether you are on a daily Pattaya tour, or a half day tour. You can go to the promenade pier which is located at the south part of the city and find a boat that will take you to the nearby islands.

A large boat can take almost 20 people for a daily Pattaya tour, and you should expect to pay around about 1,500 baht for one of the more distant islands. Travel time depends, but in some cases can take up to 2 hours.

One of the places you have to visit on a Pattaya tour is Ko Lan, which is located 8km away from the shore. This place is ideal for divers since there is a remarkable abundance of coral. However, you can always go on a small glass bottom boat to enjoy the underwater spectacle if you are not that comfortable with diving. The majority of boats moor at Ta Waen which is a beach at the north end of this island; it is full of bars and stalls where you can buy your drinks and snacks. There are many more beaches on the island, which can be less crowded depending on the time of the year. Water sports are offered on all beaches of the island, including water ski, parasail, and watercrafts. If you find yourself there in a weekday you will have a chance to enjoy it to its full, since on weekends the island gets crowded with numerous visitors from other Thai cities.

Ko Krok is another option you have; it is a sandy beach on the eastern part of the island. Snorkeling is a great option there since the coral is spectacular. Further on to the west, you can see another group of islands, the Ko Pai islands including the Ko Leum and Ko Pai, which are a great idea for a day Pattaya tour since they also offer an excellent option for scuba diving and snorkeling. They are 13km away from the shore, so they attract less visitors; this means that you can enjoy the beach and waters to the full, since they rarely get crowded.

If you are into something more conventional, you can always visit Nong Nooch Village, where you can see traditional local dancers and enjoy the scenic view. There are also some huge but friendly pachyderms that you can ride, if you are up to some thrill during this half day Pattaya tour. You should also consider not missing a visit to the truly lovely Orchid Gardens of Pattaya.

PostHeaderIcon 4 Top Activities in Shanghai

Over recent years China has seen quite some growth as a travel destination with the city of Shanghai being just one of those popular destinations. Shanghai holidays offer a bewildering range of places to visit and this article looks at a few of the top must see locations while you’re staying in Shanghai.

1) The Yu Garden & Bazaar

The Yu Garden area makes for a fun day out and an intriguing area to explore. These beautiful gardens and streets have been created in a traditional Chinese style, featuring classical architecture and layouts. From the curve of the tiled building eaves to the traditional plants and water features of the gardens, this location truly makes it feel like you’ve landed in China. Delving deeper into the winding lanes and alleys you can find all sorts of little shops and you can follow that up with tea at the Huxingting Tea House.

2) Skyscrapers – A Top Down View

Nothing can give you a feel for a city quite like seeing it from above, and the Shanghai World Financial Centre provides this fantastic opportunity. At 101 floors its Shanghai’s tallest building and features many viewing platforms on the upper floors that afford a breath-taking view of the city below. If you’re looking for something a little cheaper though then next door is the 88 floor Jin Mao building, not quite the same view but you can enjoy the little café and bars in this building while soaking up the view.

3) The French Concession

The French Concession provides a sense of privacy, which can be in short supply in a city packed full of so many people, with its peaceful atmosphere and quiet streets. The lanes themselves are lined with beautiful French plane trees, some of which are well over 100 years old, and they feature a whole collection of little shops and picturesque houses that makes this area feel like a small neighbourhood in a big city.

4) Dongtai Road

Finally a trip to Shanghai city wouldn’t be complete without visiting the magical Dongtai Road. It’s a street packed with shops selling antiques and other small curios. The road features many shops selling the usual tourist tat but look a little deeper and you’ll find all sorts of lovely items, from art-deco lamps to Cultural Revolution memorabilia, from beautiful old books to tiny antique teapots there really is something for everyone.

PostHeaderIcon Looking For Main Street

We pulled off the ramp to business loop 10, one of those stretches of frontage road that claim to take you through the quaint downtowns of off-ramp America. That’s what we were looking for I suppose; off-the-main-road-America. Main Street America, that place you’ll hear about from time to time, without specifics. What would have once been roadside Main Street but now is off main freeway.

With all the talk of Main Street and Wall Street somewhere in the back of my mind I thought they both existed. It turns out only one is real. Main Street is a dream and not a very good one. A myth of broken windows and abandoned stores. Cracked asphalt sprouting weeds, long stretches of gas station flanked desolation. Sometimes a diner survives, dirty and neglected. Populated by dirty and neglected guests, too tattooed or toothless, too hapless to realize they don’t exist anymore than their dirty neglected diner. The fire in the kitchen is a cold fire like the fire in their eyes, on the verge of flickering out.

Then I thought; was I seeing the people in the next booth, the sallow man, the woman with her tattooed pendulous breasts or just my own reflection in the mirror of my dreams, the longed for Main Street? The longed for business loop that could take me from the freeway and transport me backward. Was I longing for something I missed or only something I wished I missed? Was it all that great in the first place, this Main Street? If it was something real I was missing how did it get away, get so dirty and neglected? Why were all the bright lights now shining on the franchised collapse of my past? Why were the lights so cold, fluorescent and lifeless, the smiles airless, the eyes all around me flat, lips not quite closed, not quite parted?

The reporters, with their perfect skin, flawless, tattoo-less, lit by lights that imitate the sun, don’t live here or even travel here. They speak of places they’ve never seen, places they’ve never been, reading words they never thought of from screens below the camera’s eye. Talking of obesity and cigarette smoking and sob story puppy dogs, one-off miracles and lotto winners, of salvation and millionaires. Are they less shabby, less lifeless, I wonder. Am I?

I hit the egress hard, up the ramp, Main Street behind me, vanished

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PostHeaderIcon 5 Top Road Trip Games for Kids

Road Trip Game #1 – Eagle Eyes

This is a game of spotting items out of the car window that are listed on the sheet and counting their occurrences. Each player would a use 1 side of the car to look for the agreed items. The one with the most occurrences within a certain time period or distance is the winner. All you need is a pen and paper for each player. Items such as cows, horses, farm silos, tractors, churches, cemeteries, farm dams and road signs are good starters.

Variations - to add extra spice each child could try and predict how many of each item they will see within a certain distance or time frame. The closest to their prediction wins.

Road Trip Game #2 – Connect the Boxes

Each child will need a pen and paper. One player will draw a grid of dots (say 30 dots wide by 10 rows so that the width between the dots and the rows is about equal). Each player, in turns, then connects 2 dots with a horizontal or vertical line. The aim is to be the player that closes the 4th side to complete a box. The winner is the player who closes the most boxes. (Hint: If you close in 3 sides you can be pretty sure your opponent will quickly complete the box and add his/her initial in the centre.)

Road Trip Game #3 – Car Make / Model Reversii

This will have the whole car in fits of laughter…guaranteed! If you see a Cadillac Eldorado (for instance) whiz past, the players try and quickly say the make and model spelt BACKWARDS. So for this example the kids will be trying to say “Callidac” (Cadillac spelt backwards) and the pronunciation would be something like Call-i-dac. Then for the model Odarodle (Eldorado spelt backwards) they would try to say O-dar-odle. Once people are trying to say these words quickly it suddenly turns into a real laugh… you’ll remember this game for years. (I don’t know of anyone else who has played this game apart from our family – so you could say it’s exclusive.)

Road Trip Game #4 – Licence Plate Spotter

On a piece of paper each player writes all the letters of the alphabet A- Z. Then the idea is to find the first digit on the number plate to match each letter on your list. The first to find all the letters is the winner. (You could slow things down a little, making the game last longer, by choosing a certain color number plate or a certain state etc)

Road Trip Game #5 – I Spy

This works well for younger kids especially. Take turns to look for something the other player(s) has to guess correctly. You begin your turn by saying “I spy with my little eye something beginning with a (letter)_____”. The other player tries to guess it from the surrounding items or countryside. The person who correctly guesses gets to have the next turn.

PostHeaderIcon Top Tips for Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking

The majestic Mount Kilimanjaro is an iconic image of Africa and a transcendent trekking experience. From the sweeping panoramas of plains and forests viewable around its base, to the sublime experience of watching the sunrise from its summit (5,892 metres above sea level), a Kilimanjaro trekking holiday gives adventurous spirits a view of the world’s vastness and splendour. It is also, of course, one of the greatest physical challenges you can set yourself. In order to enjoy the grandeur of the landscape you first need to respect that landscape, understand the ways in which it will stretch you, and prepare accordingly. Before going, make sure you are familiar with these tips and you will be sure to get the most out of your adventure.

Which route?

Consider which route is best for you. Approaching from the south, the popular Marangu Route is well-worn and can be undertaken more quickly than others. Its popularity also means plentiful conveniences and busy paths, however, which will appeal to some visitors and not others. An attractive alternative is the Lemosho route, ascending from the west. This is a less-travelled and thus more intact Kilimanjaro trekking option, which takes longer than some of the others but accordingly makes acclimatisation more natural. Plus, taking the slower Lemosho route not only allows you to pace yourself, but offers some of the most picturesque natural beauty on the mountain; you’ll travel through wildlife-rich forests and enjoy the stunning vistas offered by the Shira Plateau before ascending to the summit.

When to go?

Kilimanjaro has its own micro-climate, its size and dense forests meaning that heavy rainfall is common. The ‘long rains’ run from March to June and the ‘short rains’ from November to early December. The weather depends on the day and altitude as well as the time of year, but there are drier months: January and February are the most pleasant, but July through September is also warmer and drier than much of the year. Remember to pack waterproofs as well as a hat and sunscreen to help keep the intense rays off at high altitude.

Take your time

Those who have the most successful and enjoyable Kilimanjaro trekking experiences are usually those who pace themselves. Some slight altitude sickness at these heights is hard to avoid, but can be minimised by taking it slowly and allowing yourself to acclimatise. Drink plenty of water and always walk to a point higher than that at which you are planning to sleep. Altitude sickness should be taken seriously so that it doesn’t ruin your trip, so familiarise yourself with the symptoms, such as headaches, and make sure that you listen to the advice of your guide.

Train yourself up

Training is twofold – physical and mental. Physically, train yourself to endure long, tough walks, and don’t forget to factor in things like inclines and the weight of the gear you’ll be carrying. Also, it is important to have a general health check-up before you go – you don’t want to be dealing with unexpected illnesses halfway up. To prepare yourself mentally, talk to people who have been or, if that’s not possible, read a wide range of accounts to get an idea of the kinds of challenges faced by participants in Kilimanjaro trekking. billig leiebil
Remember that treks can push you to the limit, which makes the joy that much more exhilarating – as long as you don’t overstretch yourself. Looking after body and soul as you go will ensure that you have the magical experience you deserve.
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