Popular Sights

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Located in the north west of U.S.A is Yellowstone, a national park of the superlative in which the impressive white water of Old Faithful is today one of the most famous and most photographed natural spectacles in the world. Indeed, for more than a century this mighty geyser has been the proud and unique landmark of the oldest national park in the United States.

The Yellowstone National Park is famous for its highly visible geological processes. The area close to Old Faithful not only features a number of geysers but also numerous hot springs that highlight the tremendous thermal power that lies beneath the earth's surface.

Today the Grand Geyser is the largest active geyser in the world. Its huge eruptions occur every eight to fourteen hours and last for nine to twelve minutes and can sometimes reach a height of sixty metres.

The Yellowstone is one of the largest volcanoes in the world. Because it is located directly above a geological hot spot, a huge cave constantly fills with magma. It is situated at a depth of eight kilometres and is the reason for the park's visible geo-thermal activity.

Some kilometres south of Nymph Lake is another geothermal area, the Norris Geyser Basin. This area is unique among the landscapes of Yellowstone Park as it is not only the park's hottest area but also boasts the largest geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser.

Although Yellowstone National Park is important for North America's plant and wild life, this nine thousand square kilometre nature reserve is primarily a geological park.

Amazing, fantastic, incredible and wonderful: how can you put into words a place that provides so many remarkable glimpses of the inner workings of Planet Earth?

Monday, April 11, 2011

Spain in a word, is passionate, and it's people live life to the fullest. On Spain tours, visitors sense its vibrant lifestyle, from the lively flamenco to the bullfights to the unique flavor of each region's cuisine.

Sample Spain as you would it's tapas. Discover the diverse regions and cities. From the pointed spires of Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia to the pointed horns of the bull facing the matador; from the white sand beaches of Costa del Sol to the white stone walls of Madrid's Prado Museum, Spain offers a delectable spread of sights and activities.

Why not combine a Spain tour with Portugal?  In Portugal, witness it's history as a colonial power, a benefit of its enviable coastal location. As a result, its riches are apparent in the architectural remnants of its esteemed past, with stately palaces, imposing castles, tranquil monasteries and quaint fishing villages.

No visa is required for US passport holders traveling to Spain or Portugal. Average rainfall is higher in July and August. Best time to travel is May, September and October due to less crowds and milder temperatures.

Trafalgar tours, Southern Spain and Portugal is a popular package.  You begin in Madrid and visit Granada, Costa del Sol and Seville, and then get a taste of Portugal with 2 nights in Lisbon. Priced from just $1,750 pp including first class hotel accomodations, buffet breakfast daily, 2 three course dinners, some sightseeing, a tour guide and driver.

Friday, February 25, 2011

‘Tis the season to be jolly, so it’s time to wrap up warm and prepare for some festive fun. Why not do some shopping in European Christmas markets?

Picture the scene: sparkling Christmas lights adorning snowy trees; chestnuts roasting on an open fire and a warming glass of mulled wine to stave off the cold; little stalls selling everything from wooden toys to hand-crafted jewellery to Christmas panettone. Yes, it’s the time of year when all across Europe the Christmas markets are in full swing, and there’s no better place to pick out some unique gifts for your loved ones back home – or, indeed, a Christmas present for yourself! And, unlike the commercialised chaos of the shops back home, the bustling Christmas markets of a stunning European city like Prague, Munich or Vienna are guaranteed to leave you feeling festive not fraught.

The traditional Christmas market originates in Germany, where it is known as the Christkindlmarkt and held throughout the four weeks of Advent in celebration of Christmas. A Christmas market was held in Dresden as far back as 1434, and today its 60 stalls attract as many as two million visitors each year. You can visit this city yourself on a Trafaglar tour of Germany. These days you have a wide range of festive destinations to choose from on a tour of Europe, whether it’s a traditional Christkindlmarkt in its German homeland, or beyond to European cities as diverse as Krakow in Poland, Salzburg in Austria and Zurich in Switzerland. The perfect way to discover the joy of the traditional Christmas market is on the Trafalgar Christmas Markets of Austria, Germany and Switzerland European tour – endless inspiration for your Christmas shopping!

There’s no time quite like December to visit an enchanting European capital. Traditional Christmas markets tours offer the perfect seasonal shopping experience and are an ideal way to get yourself in the mood for Christmas. If you’ve never been to one before, we’re sure you’ll love them as much as we do – and if you have, then you’ll know what we’re talking about!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Built by the Maya civilization, Chichen Itza exhibits scores of architectural styles from central and northern Mexico. The site's historic ruins indicate that the ancient collapse of this once dominant city was violent, resulting in a major shift of the region's political power. Meticulous preservation of the site's temples, palaces, stages, markets and ballcourts continue to attract an influx of interest from around the world.

Check out these tours visiting the Yucatan:

Mexico's Treasure: The Yucatan
8 days from $1,199 pp

Treasures of the Yucatan
8 days from $1,779 pp

Treasures of the Yucatan
8 days from $1,865 pp

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

For those that are new to travel, you may be wondering when reading through an itinerary what is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that holds a list of outstanding cultural or natural universal value such as, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It could be a monument, building, mountain, forest, lake, desert, complex or city.

So how is a site selected?

Only countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention, pledging to protect their natural & cultural heritage can submit nominations for properties on their territory to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

A nominated property is independently evaluated by several Advisory Boards. Once a site has been nominated & evaluated, the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee makes the final decision. One per year, the Committee meets to decide which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage list.

The program aims to catalogue & preserve sites of outstanding importance, either cultural or natural, to the common heritage of humankind.

There are currently 878 World Heritage Sites in 145 countries. These include 679 cultural, 174 natural and 25 mixed properties.

You may have visited a place in the U.S. already, not realizing it was a UNESCO site such as the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, Yosemite Yellowstone or Olympic National Park.

Click here for a full list of site.

I have seen 20 sites in 9 countries, so only 858 to go, but I have to say that certain countries do not interest me AT ALL, so my goal would be to see at least half of the UNESCO sites while traveling the world.

How many UNESCO sites have you visited?