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The right kit for winter travel

December 8, 2011 By John Coles

If you’re headed off to explore the world and you’re going for a period of months rather than weeks, then it’s likely you’ll encounter some different sorts of weather along the way. In fact, many people choose to go off-season and explore the sights of the world by themselves in winter rather than with the world and his wife in summer.

So, if that’s you, check that your backpack has all the kit you’ll need for keeping warm and dry while you’re on your trip.

There’s a good possibility you’ll run into some snow somewhere – whether you’re headed to Europe or parts of the southern hemisphere in their winter time. In Brazil, for example, you can sit on a sunny hot beach at one end of the country and go skiing in the mountains within a week.

The problem with winter clothing and shoes is that they tend to be bulky. So get items that will serve a dual purpose. For example, many snow boots for women would be just as good for daytime walking and sightseeing in winter as for real snow walking.  You’re more likely to get more use out of them than a pair of high heels you want to take for the odd evening out.  Leave the heels at home and take the boots – if you’re travelling with a back pack, then practicality rules!

Base layer garments are great for travelling – as they give you core warmth when you’re somewhere cold, but you can wear them on their own if you’re in a hotter place as they allow your skin to breathe whatever the weather.  Pack a couple of fleece garments for vital insulation when you need it – often places are quite warm in winter sun during the daytime, but the temperature suddenly plummets when the sun goes down.

You should leave buying certain items until you actually need them on your trip.  For instance, there’s little point in lugging crampons around unless you are going to actually use them.  Buy them on the spot, and save the space in your bag until then.

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Top tourist destinations in France

November 21, 2011 By John Coles

There are two famous monuments in France that between them are the most visited tourist destinations in the whole country.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most visited tourist attraction in France is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The 324 metre (1,063 ft) tower has graced the city’s skyline since 1889. It’s possible to visit three different levels of the tower. You can access the first two by the stairs, but each section takes 300 steps to reach.  If you want to go right to the summit, you have to take an elevator from the second floor. And be prepared for a long queue, even if you’ve booked your ticket ahead of your arrival.

The second most visited attraction that visitors flock from all parts of the world to see is the famous Mont St Michel. Situated off the coast of Normandy, the monastery situated on its own island has a fairytale-like quality about it.  The tides that rush in around Mont St Michel are notoriously fast and can be dangerous for those who decide to cross from the mainland by foot.

The best way to get to Mont St Michel is to drive, although you can go by public transport, but it’s a fairly big detour from other places.   Once on the island, the only real way to explore is by foot – the streets are tiny and winding and very steep, and packed with other visitors.  At the very top of the little town is the Mont St Michel monastery that has been on the island since the 8th century.

If you’re considering a driving holiday in France, consider hiring one of the hybrid cars that most car hire companies now have.  Even if you start your French tour from the other side of the Channel, book one of the eco cars UK car hire companies offer and you’ll easily make up the cost of the Dover-Calais ferry crossing in fuel savings.

You’ll always cover a lot of miles in France, but the roads are generally traffic-free, apart from if you visit in peak holiday time – which has traditionally always been the month of August.  Of course, if possible, it’s also better to avoid school holiday times, as that’s the only other time that the French roads can get congested.

 

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Places to visit in your Life

March 10, 2011 By admin

Without knowing a particular person, it’s complicated to respond to the query, what places should I visit? in fact, each person has different desires and dislikes and likes, and the places they would enjoy could be fully different than those somebody else would like. Still, there are 1 or 2 places that come to most people’s minds when they ask themselves, what places should I visit before I die? Both sites from ancient times and sites of natural beauty are preferred places to visit. For folk who love the traditional world, there are a number of sites of certain signification and majesty. The Pyramids of Giza, for instance, are so iconic that nearly everybody comes to them when asking, which places should I visit? The Great Pyramid itself was born around about 2550 BCE, making it the oldest of the 3 pyramids, and one of the oldest, most inspiring structures still on earth.

For just about 4000 years, the Great Pyramid was the tallest synthetic structure on earth, till modern building strategies during the past 2 centuries ultimately allowed buildings to be built that are even taller. Stonehenge is another primeval monument that many folks need to see in their lives. Built round the same time as the Great Pyramid, or maybe a bit later on Stonehenge impresses people due to its solemn beauty and the poser surrounding it. It’s an outstanding accomplishment for a traditional races, acting as a seasonal clock together with a likely monument to the dead.

The way the stone was taken to Stonehenge, and then how it was erected, remains the topic of a good deal of debate, and like the Great Pyramids, theories abound pertaining to its creation. Angkor Wat is another noteworthy archeological site on earth, which folk head to in mobs each year to see.

It was built in the early 12 th century, and is still one of the most electrifying construction accomplishments in the world. It includes an outer wall more than 2.2 miles ( 3.6 km ) long, with many interior structures. The walls are decorated with complicated bas reliefs, and the whole complicated is covered in attractive design.

It lives in the middle of the Angkor complicated, which has lots of other extraordinary temples and dwellings from the period surrounding Angkor Wat’s construction, and a trip to the site can yield literally weeks of fascinating findings. In the natural world, there are one or two sites that folks have a tendency to find inspiring. The Grand Canyon in Arizona is among the most classic of these sites. Carved by the Colorado Stream over millions of years, it’s an huge gorge running thru the earth. It spans more than 277 miles ( 446 km ), and on occasions is more than a mile ( 1.83km ) deep. Trails run thru the Grand Ravine which can on occasion be spanned by foot or on a burro, and there are weeks worth of hiking that may be had. The encircling country is also brilliantly stunning, and there are numerous other ravines thoughout.

Between Zambia and Zimbabwe lies another site that many folk think about when they ask themselves, which places should I visit in my life? Victoria Falls is, by many accounts, the biggest waterfall in the world, with a mean flow rate of more than 38,400 cubic feet per second ( 1088 cubic m / s ). As well as the falls themselves, the encompassing area is also home to an extraordinarily various quantity of wildlife, both flora and fauna, which can keep visitors occupied for weeks.

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