Places to see in the World

My Best Travel Tips that I want to share with you

05:30

These are my best travel tips after traveling around the world for so many years. I’ve learned a few things along the way. Traveling around the world has always been a passion of mine.

My Best Travel Tips that I want to share with you

Be flexible

We always plan for delays and try not to get upset when things inevitably go wrong. Patience is extremely important when traveling!

Make a list

About a week or so before each trip, I make a mental list of items I don’t want to forget — which I WILL forget if I don’t write them down. I’ve learned that when I think of something, I need to write it down.

–>> Packing lists are essential!

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Alone

So many people hold themselves back because of this feeling. If traveling the world means getting away, finding adventure from living a monotonous life at a 9 to 5 job, or if you are trying to find your way in life, the last thing you need to worry about is being alone. There are millions of travelers around the world that are on the same mission as you.

Always buy Travel Insurance

A medical emergency can wipe out your savings — or even worse. We use and trust World Nomads for travel insurance.

Keep An Open Mind

There is a great world out there and just because things are done differently somewhere else doesn’t mean that they are better or worse. When I lived in Sicily the endless inefficiencies were known as the “charm” of the island. You may have to ride in a rickshaw instead of a large American Chevy Sedan.

Rooms may be smaller, crickets may be fried, customs and mannerisms may be different. Always keep an open mind. Just because something is different doesn’t mean that it is better or worse.

Make photocopies of Important Documents

In my early twenties, I was very good about keeping a copy of my passport in a separate bag from my actual passport. Then I got lazy. Recently, a friend of mine lost her passport at the airport. She was told that if she had brought a copy of it and extra passport photos they would have let her travel. Since she didn’t, she was forced to forfeit a $2,000 flight and a week in Europe. I now carry a copy with me.

Smile Often

Have you ever noticed that there are some people that everyone loves and other people that every one hates? Your demeanor has everything to do with how people treat you. Keeping a smile on your face and an open mind allows you to have an open demeanor. Having an open demeanor allows you to be open to many things including having a great time. I can’t remember how many times I have been in a situation where I was in such a bad mood. I would organize myself, put a smile on my face, and I ended up having a great time after that. Make sure to smile often and be ready for anything. People will be more receptive to you if you smile!

Get Rid of Your Inhibitions & Just Do It

Traveling the world isn’t the easiest thing in the world. A lot of times there are logistical problems, financial terms to deal with, and the aspect of uncertainty that many people can’t deal with. Doesn’t matter what it is, how you feel, how afraid you are, or how shy you might be. The best travel tip I can provide if you want to learn to travel the world is let go of all your inhibitions and go for it.

Pack Extra Underwear

Undies are small and it’s always a good idea to have a few extra pairs in case of emergencies. Another option is to pack these quick-dry underwear so you can easily wash them on the road.

Stay Hydrated on plans

I know it’s fun to get drunk at 30,000 feet, but it’s also much easier to get dehydrated. Staying hydrated — especially on long-haul flights — makes it easier to get over jet lag too.

Beware of free public WIFI

I always try to avoid logging into bank accounts or entering any passwords while I’m using free public WIFI at a place like an airport. I’m not as strict about it once I’ve gotten to my hotel, especially if they have a password for their wifi.

Travel first aid kit

We pack up a small first aid kit with aspirin, Benedryl, cold meds, Tums, cough drops, bandages, Activated Charcoal pills (these are a life saver for traveler’s diarrhea and minor allergic reactions), Neosporin, and other things that we may not always have easy access to when traveling. J&J sells an inexpensive mini first aid kit.

attractions of greece

Blue Caves – Zakynthos Island, Greece Attraction

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In the north of the Greek Ionian island of Zakynthos at an area called Skinari you will find the magnificent Blue Caves.

The Blue Caves are one of the islands most famous natural attractions and were discovered in 1897 by Antonio Komouto. The caves attract thousands of visitors each year and are located just below the lighthouse at Cape Skinari.

The caves owe there name to the blue waters inside them. Objects below the water appear to turn blue. This includes people who can enter the water inside the caves to swim.

The Blue Caves can only be visited by boat. The small boats like the one we went on are great as they go all the way inside the caves and some boats have glass bottoms so you can see the marine life below.

There are many boat trips to the Blue Caves which you can board at places around the island including from the Skinari Lighthouse and St Nikolas Port.

Sights

The most famous landmark of the island is the Navagio beach. It is a cove on the northwest shore, isolated by high cliffs and accessible only by boat. The beach and sea floor are made of white pebbles, and surrounded by turquoise waters. It is named after a shipwreck (MV Panagiotis), which sunk on the shore around 1980. The ridge area from Anafonitria has a small observation deck which overlooks the shipwreck, and there is a monastery nearby. The unique and stunning visuals of the location are a favourite for BASE jumpers, and each year a major event in the BASE calendar is held at Navagio, around the end of August.

Numerous natural "Blue Caves", are cut into cliffs around Cape Skinari, and accessible only by small boats. Sunrays reflect through blue sea water from white stones of cave bottoms and walls, creating visual lighting effects. Keri is located in the far south of the island. It is a mountain village and has a lighthouse in the south. It includes a panorama of the southern part of the Ionian Sea. The whole western shore from Keri to Skinari contains numerous interesting rock formations, including arches. Northern and eastern shores feature numerous wide sandy beaches, some of which attract tourists in summer months. The largest resort is Laganas, whose beach stretches around 10 kilometres (6 miles). Small Xigia beach in the north is noted for its underwater springs rich in sulphur, giving a distinct odour.[16] Marathonissi islet (also known as "Turtle Island") near Limni Keriou contains tropical vegetation, turquoise waters, beaches, and sea caves. Bochali hill above the Zakynthos town contains a small Venetian castle and offers panoramic views of the town. Located next to Bochali, Strani hill is the place where Dionysios Solomos wrote the Greek national anthem.

Museums

There are two museums located in Zakynthos town: the Byzantine Museum of Zakynthos, featuring renaissance paintings, Byzantine icons and more; and the Museum of Solomos and Eminent People of Zakynthos, hosting the mausoleum of Dionysios Solomos and Andreas Kalvos, as well as works by many eminent Zakynthians.

Sport

The island offers exceptional attractions for scuba divers. Caves around the island attract numerous divers. A wide range of marine life can be found, common amongst being moray eels, monk seals, octopus, and loggerhead turtles (caretta caretta). Zakynthos F.C. is the football club of the island.[

Amazing places to visit

Interlaken, Switzerland Attraction

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Interlaken is a town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, and the main transport gateway to the mountains and lakes of that region.

The town is located on the Bödeli, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and alongside the Aare river that flows between the two lakes. Transport routes to the east and west alongside the lakes are complemented by a route south into the mountains following the Lütschine river.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent a Semi Ibex rampant couped Sable langued Gules.

Tourism

The town is principally a base from which to explore the surrounding areas. Among the main attractions are the mountains of the Jungfrau region, including the Jungfrau, (4,158 m (13,642 ft)), the Mönch (4,107 m (13,474 ft)) and the Eiger (3,970 m (13,020 ft)). Whilst the peaks of these mountains are accessible only to mountaineers, a sequence of connecting mountain railways gives access to the Jungfraujoch, a col (3,450 m (11,320 ft)) between the Jungfrau and the Mönch, which is the highest point in Europe reachable by train.

Closer to Interlaken, the Harder Kulm (1,322 m (4,337 ft)), just to the north of the town, and the Schynige Platte (2,076 m (6,811 ft)), just to the south, are also accessible by railway, and provide extensive views of the higher mountains. Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are both close to the town, and the Aar river flows through the town. Boat trips operate on both lakes, serving various lakeside towns. One of these, Brienz, is the starting point for Switzerland's last remaining steam operated mountain railway, the Brienz-Rothorn railway.

Jungfrau Park, an amusement park, is situated just to the south of Interlaken. It was originally opened as Mystery Park, a paranormal-based theme park owned by author Erich von Däniken, but was closed in 2006 after three years because of financial difficulties. It re-opened in its current guise in 2009.

Interlaken has a large selection of hotels of various grades, many of which are located along the Höheweg, a street that links the towns two railway stations and offers views of the mountains. Other hotels are clustered around one or other of the two stations, or located across the river in the neighbouring municipality of Unterseen.

Interlaken is also a destination for backpackers. It has numerous backpacker-friendly hotels and companies providing guided services in skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and skiing

Events

· In September, the Jungfrau Marathon starts in Interlaken.

· The Unspunnenfest is a festival held in Interlaken and the neighbouring communities of Matten and Wilderswil approximately every twelve years. The festival highlights traditional Swiss culture and features competitions of Steinstossen (stone put), Schwingen (wrestling) and yodelling. The last Unspunnenfest was held in September 2006. The next celebration is scheduled for the year 2017.

· On 15 July 2007, the Red Bull Air Race World Series was held on the airport situated near Interlaken.

· During Summer, there is the Greenfield Music Festival on the outskirts of Interlaken.

gardens

Japanese Gardens in San Francisco

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The Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco is a beautiful and relaxing setting on the eastern side of Golden Gate Park. It's the oldest Japanese Tea Garden in the United States.

It was originally built in 1894 for the California Midwinter International Exposition. After the exposition, Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese immigrant, continued to care for and expand the garden.

Over the years, many landscape architects and others added to and cared for it. Today, it covers more than five acres of land.

Before you even enter, you'll see its first masterpiece - the entrance gate. This gate sits at the location where the original gate was built in 1894. The first gate fell into disrepair, so the city of San Francisco completed this new gate in 1985.

Once you enter the Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco, you'll see trails that lead in several directions. All of the trails weave through and circle around the park - so each one will take you by its many attractions.

Here are a few of my favorite things to see in the Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco.

High Arching Drum Bridge

The high arching drum bridge is part of one of the trails. It has wooden planks that allow you to climb up and over it. Many people love to take their picture on top with the beautiful trees in the background.

If you prefer not to climb over, you can also hop on another trail and walk around either side.

Five Story Pagoda

This five story Pagoda is another one of my favorite attractions in the Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco. It was originally built for the Japanese Exhibit at the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915 in San Francisco. It was moved here shortly after the exposition ended.

Dwarf Tree Collection

The Dwarf Tree Collection sits on Waterfall Hill. This tree collection was privately owned for many years. The park received it and moved it here in 1965.

You will see several varieties planted on the hill. Each has an unusual shapes was created using specialized training techniques developed by the Japanese over several decades.

Zen Garden

This relaxing Zen garden was added to the Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco in 1953. These types of places were originally created with a religious or mythological meaning in mind. They were designed to help aid those on the search for enlightenment.

While you can't enter it, there are several benches and places to enjoy it along the walking path.

Visiting Tips

This SF gem is beautiful all year long. If you are lucky enough to visit during March or April - you will see it at the most beautiful time - when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom!

The Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco is open every day - and does not have any holiday closures. From November to February, you can visit between 9am to 4:45pm. From March to October, you can visit anytime between 9am to 6pm.

You can also look around free for one hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning between 9am to 10am.

Amazing places to visit

Tahiti, French Polynesia - Island

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The Islands of Tahiti are located in the heart of the South Pacific, just eight hours from Los Angeles and on the same side of the International Dateline as North America. In addition to the destination's natural beauty, tranquility, and privacy, The Islands of Tahiti offer an array of diverse experiences combined with rich Tahitian culture. Immersed in a world of majestic mountain peaks, turquoise waters and white-sand beaches, visitors to our islands create memories through authentic experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. For centuries, the Tahitian people have referred to this as "Mana". Mana is a life force and spirit that surrounds and connects all living things. You can see it. Touch it. Taste it. Feel it. And from the moment you arrive, you will understand why we say our islands are Embraced by Mana.

Come discover the rich stories of our people, our culture and our heritage while experiencing the world-renowned iconic beauty that has lured travelers for centuries. Surrounded by pristine, crystal clear blue waters, the 118 islands and atolls offer natural beauty, authentic island culture and unique French Polynesian style. Each island offers a variety of activities and accommodation experiences from luxurious resorts with overwater bungalows, to family pensions to sailing via private charter or scheduled cruise. From our more well known islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, to our Hidden Paradise gems of Tetiaroa, Taha'a, Raiatea, Huahine, Tikehau, Rangiroa, Fakarava, to the Marquesas, Gambier and Austral archipelagoes, the country covers more than two million square miles of the South Pacific Ocean.

Easier to travel to than you might imagine, Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport is under 8 hours by air from Los Angeles (LAX) airport, with daily nonstop flights. As far south of the equator as Hawaii is north, The Islands of Tahiti are halfway between California and Australia, on the same side of the International Date Line as North America, and in the same time zone as Hawaii. Spanning an area in the South Pacific as large as Western Europe, the total land mass of all the islands adds up to an area only slightly larger than the tiny state of Rhode Island.

Climate

November to April is the wet season, the wettest month of which is January with 13.2 in (340 mm) of rain in Papeetē. August is the driest with 1.9 in (48 mm).

The average temperature ranges between 21 and 31 °C (70 and 88 °F) with little seasonal variation. The lowest and highest temperatures recorded in Papeete are 16 and 34 °C (61 and 93 °F), respectively.

Amazing places to visit

The Great Wall of China

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The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest sights in the world — the longest wall in the world, an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture. Its winding path over rugged country and steep mountains takes in some great scenery.

The Great Wall facts

Chinese name: 长城 (Chángchéng /channg-chnng/ 'Long Wall')

Location: Northern China

Length: 21,196.18 km (13,170.7 mi), all known sections were measured

History: more than 2,300 years

How the Great Wall was Built

The majestic Great Wall was built with wisdom, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears. Families were separated, and many workers died and were interred as part of the Great Wall itself.

Workers: soldiers, peasants, rebels

Materials: stone, soil, sand, brick

Material delivery: by hand, rope, cart, goat (?)

The Great Wall's Structure — Walls, Watchtowers, Fortresses…

The Great Wall was not just a wall. It was an integrated military defensive system with watchtowers for surveillance, fortresses for command posts and logistics, beacon towers for communications, etc.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the Great Wall was reconstructed to be stronger and more sophisticated, due to better construction techniques being developed.

The wall body: The Ming Great Wall usually had battlements 1.8 meters (6 feet) high with loopholes and crenels, and parapet walls 1.2 meters (4 feet) high.

Flanking towers: Every 500 meters or less (1,640 feet) on the Great Wall there was a flanking tower allowing defenders to shoot arrows at attackers at the face of the wall.

Fortresses were built at important/vulnerable access points (passes), such as Shanhai Pass Fortress, Juyong Pass Fortress, and Jiayu Pass Fortress. There were many archery windows and gates on the forts. The fortress gatehouses were the strongest and most impregnable structures on the Great Wall.

Present Condition — 30%+ of the Great Wall Is Gone

Due to natural erosion and human damage, about 2,000 kilometers, or 30% of the Ming Great Wall has disappeared. (Far more of previous dynasties' Great Wall sections is gone.)

Restoration and Protection to the Great Wall

To prevent further loss of the Great Wall, the Chinese Government has taken measures to protect it:

Laws to protect the Great Wall

Funds for protection, restoration, and maintenance

As individuals, we can do the follows to protect the Great Wall:

Plant trees to keep the Great Wall slopes protected from erosion

Don't litter and graffiti / remove trash and graffiti

Don't damage the Great Wall / take bricks home (it's illegal)

Great Wall Culture — Legends, Stories, Poetry…

The Great Wall is a China icon. It shows us not only China's culture of national pride, grand projects, and determined resistance, but also China's extravagant architecture and creativity.

During the construction of the Great Wall, there were many interesting legends and myths, such as Meng Jiang Nü weeping over the Great Wall, a sad but romantic love story set in the Qin Dynasty.

Great Wall Travel

The Great Wall of China is the must-visit China attraction. Perhaps the most powerful advertising words in history come from the poetic pen of Chairman Mao: "Until you reach the Great Wall, you're no hero." Figuratively this has come to mean 'to get over difficulties before reaching a goal'. See more Great Wall Sayings.

70,000 Visitors Per Day! — and that's just one section!

After the Great Wall opened to the public as a tourist attraction, hundreds of millions of visitors have been to its various sections. Badaling section is the most visited section (63,000,000 visitors in 2001). In peak seasons, the visitor flow can be up to 70,000 per day!

Why You Should Visit The Great Wall

"Greatest Human Feat in History": The Great Wall is the building project with the longest duration and greatest cost in human lives, blood, sweat and tears. It deserves its place among "the New Seven Wonders of the World" and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Over 300 World VIPs Have Visited the Great Wall!

Over the years, many national leaders and celebrities have been to the Great Wall...

Barack Obama, President of the U.S., visited the Great Wall in November 18, 2009.

David Cameron, Britain's Prime Minister, visited Juyong Pass on November 10, 2010.

Recommended Great Wall Tours

If you are planning a Great Wall tour, see our guide to how to plan a Great Wall tour. Or see our recommended tours for inspiration:

· The most beautiful hiking route: 1-Day Simatai-West-to-Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Tour

· The comprehensive classic Beijing itinerary: 4-Day Essence of Beijing Tour with Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking

· Hike two wild, two restored sections: 4-Day Jiankou to Simatai West Great Wall Hiking Tour

· The hikers' Great Wall adventure: 7-Day Great Wall Hiking from Huangyaguan to Mutianyu

Amazing places to visit

Machu Picchu, Peru

06:26

Machu Picchu is tangible evidence of the urban Inca Empire at the peak of its power and achievement—a citadel of cut stone fit together without mortar so tightly that its cracks still can’t be penetrated by a knife blade.

The complex of palaces and plazas, temples and homes may have been built as a ceremonial site, a military stronghold, or a retreat for ruling elites—its dramatic location is certainly well suited for any of those purposes. The ruins lie on a high ridge, surrounded on three sides by the windy, turbulent Urubamba River some 2,000 feet (610 meters) below.

Scholars are still striving to uncover clues to the mysteries hidden here high in the eastern slopes of the Andes, covered with tropical forests of the upper Amazon Basin. Machu Picchu appears to lie at the center of a network of related sites and trails—and many landmarks both man-made and mountainous appear to align with astronomical events like the solstice sunset. The Inca had no written language, so they left no record of why they built the site or how they used it before it was abandoned in the early 16th century.

Landscape engineering skills are in strong evidence at Machu Picchu. The site’s buildings, walls, terraces, and ramps reclaim the steep mountainous terrain and make the city blend naturally into the rock escarpments on which it is situated. The 700-plus terraces preserved soil, promoted agriculture, and served as part of an extensive water-distribution system that conserved water and limited erosion on the steep slopes.

The Inca’s achievements and skills are all the more impressive in light of the knowledge they lacked. When Machu Picchu was built some 500 years ago the Inca had no iron, no steel, and no wheels. Their tremendous effort apparently benefited relatively few people—some experts maintain that fewer than a thousand individuals lived here.

In 1911 a Peruvian guide led Yale professor Hiram Bingham up a steep mountainside and into the history books as the first Western scholar to lay eyes on the “lost city” of Machu Picchu. While indigenous peoples knew of the site, Peru’s Spanish conquerors never did—a fact which aided Machu Picchu’s isolation, and preservation, over the centuries.

Today Machu Picchu is far from isolated. In fact it’s a must-see for any visitor to Peru and the draw that compels many to travel to that nation. Machu Picchu’s management challenge is preservation of the site while making it accessible to all those who hope to experience an incredible part of Inca history.

How to Get There

On his first trip to the site Hiram Bingham walked for six days. Today many choose to follow in his footsteps by hiking to the ruins on the legendary Inca Trail. It’s an experience like no other, but one no longer necessary. Train trips from Cusco take only a few hours.

When to Visit

Mountain archaeologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Johan Reinhard offered this tip on how to escape the crowds that typically fill the site by midday. “I traditionally climb to the top of a nearby peak with a pack lunch and wait till the crowds are gone,” he wrote in National Geographic Traveler.

How to Visit

For the fit there is simply no substitute for traveling to Machu Picchu the way the Inca themselves did—on foot. Today the Inca Trail winds through the mountains and along the path of the ancient royal highway. More than 75,000 people make the trip each year and along the way experience some of the associated sites that were part of the Inca network in this area.

It’s no longer possible to do the trek independently. Due to heavy use (and subsequent environmental impact) the trail has become heavily regulated. Visitors must sign up with an organized group to tackle either the classic four-day route or a recently added two-day option.

My Best Travel Tips that I want to share with you

Blue Caves – Zakynthos Island, Greece Attraction

Interlaken, Switzerland Attraction

Japanese Gardens in San Francisco

Tahiti, French Polynesia - Island

The Great Wall of China

Machu Picchu, Peru

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