Florida Keys Scenic Drive

Hotels in Florida Keys

From the tip of Florida, the Overseas Highway (US-1) runs along chain of subtropical isles where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico connected by over 40 bridges. It nuts for 203 km(126 mi) through a brilliant tropical landscape of blue sea, reefs and lush vegetation. Mile Marker 126 is just below Florida City on the mainland, starting the countdnwn to Key West.

 

The highway crosses the southern edge of the famous Everglades to bustling Key Largo, the largest and northernmost key. It continues through Plantation Key before sweeping across Snake Creek and on to Windley Key. The Middle Keys begin at lslamorada (Purple lsle), where a memorial at Mile 82 commemorates victims of a 1935 hurricane that was one of the most powerful ever recorded in the USA.

US-1 hurries across Long Key Viaduct to tiny Conch Key, then crosses Grassy Key to Marathon, the sprawling commercial heart of the Middle Keys, before taking the spectacular Seven Mile Bridge, one of the world's longest. Now, the keys seem to become more isolated, and wildlife becornes more obvious - like the endangered miniature deer on Big Pine Key (visit their sanctuary) and a profusion of birds such as eagles, red-tailed hawks and falcons. 

For the final section, the road crosses a succession of small keys that almost seem to merge, before arriving at the end of the line – Key West, a quirky place that seems to owe more to Caribbean culture than American. It is truly eccentric and unlike anywhere else in the USA, and tills this one drive where both Journey and destination more than come up to expectations. It is possible to do the return trip in a day, but with plenty of attractions to explore along the way most visitors prefer a leisurely drive that includes an overnight stop.

 

HOW

By car

DEPART

Florida City, FL

WHEN TO GO

October through Mnrch to avoid storms and scorchIng summers.

TIME IT TAKES

Half a day

HIGHLIGHTS

John Pennekamp coral Reef State Park - the first underwater state park in the USA, featuring thr coral reefs found only in Florida for diving, snorkel ling or reef trips in glass bottomed boats.

The Theatre of the Sea on Windley Key, featuring performing sharks, dolphins and sealions.

At Crane point Hummock on Marathon - the combined Museum of Natural History of the Florida Keys and Florida Keys Children's Museum.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Whitehead Street, Key West.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

The southernmost house in the continental USA - a wonderful  turreted victorian confection in pink, may be found at 1400 Duval Street in Key West.

The Inca Trail

Hotels in Peru

The trek to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, is one of the world's most famous. Even though the route to it is crowded, it's only because of the imaginative appeal of its destination. Crowds don't matter when you first arrive at the Trail's end - the stone portal of  Intipunku, the Gateway of the S1ll, through which you first see the ruins of Machu Picchu.

The traditional route begins at Cuzco, once the imperial capital of  the Incas Andean Empire. Most visitors choose to acclimatize to the altitude while browsing Cuzco's Inca and Spanish colonial history,  architecture and artefacts. The trek leads up the Urubamba River valley from Chilca to the Inca ruins at Llactapata; past the gentle farmland slopes and woods of Wayllabamba to a steep climb through cloud forest to the second campsite at Llulluchapampa. The plants, flowers and birds are completely different in the open terrain before Abra de Huannihuanasca, the 'Dead Woman's Pass', at 4,20Om (13,776 ft) the highest point of the trek; but the hard work of climbing at altitude is worth it for the panorama of the Vileanota and Vileabamba mountain ranges.

 

The Trail drops to cross the Pacaymayo River but at the next pass, Runku Raccay, you come to a series of ancient stone steps descending to the Inca town of Sayac Marca, from which a still superbly paved Inca highway disappears through amazing cloud forest to Phuyupatamarca ('Cloud-Level Town'). This campsite is close to the extensive Inca site of Huinay Huayna, from which the Trail drops through forest until it levels out and climbs to Intipunku itself. No photograph prepares you for the reality of Machu Picchu. The legendary In magnificence of the panorama is magnified by the physical investment you make in Inca history and culture on the ascent.

HOW

On foot

WHEN TO GO

June to August is the Andean dry season, and the busiest for visitors, but the Inca Trail is theoretically open year-round, except for February, when it is closed to allow natural regeneration.

TIME IT TAKES

Four days for the 45 km (28 mi) classic Inca Trail. It's a steady hike, made more difficult by the altitude. Most visitors do not give themselves time to acclimatize, Variations on the classic route extend the trek to 6-8 days, making it easier and more comfortable.

HIGHLIGHTS

Acclimatizing at the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, and the market and ruins of Pisac - among various Inca sites on the Urubamba River known collectively as the Sacred valley.

The pre-dawn cloud forest hike to reach Intipunku as the sun rises.

The Inca paving stones, stairways, tunnel and multiple other ruins.

The unexpected orchids among the mosses of the mature cloud forest before Huinay Huayna.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Restrictions on the number of Trail permits issued annually mean that they · sell out months in advance. Trail hikers are also required to hire a Government licensed guide for every four people in their group.

Lisbon Tram Line 28

Hotels in Lisbon

Lisbon's Tram Line 28 takes you across four of the seven summits upon which Lisbon stands, in the course of a classic journey through some of the most interesting areas of this historic city. In 1873, a mass public transport company called Carris began operations, gradually introducing electric trams and new routes across the city. Although gh most lines today use modem, articulated vehicles, Line 28 uses remodelled vintage beauties, which are entered at the front and exited at the rear.

 

The trams depart every seven minutes or so from Largo Martim Moniz, making their way up the Mouraria hill to Largo da Graça, before trundling down through Aliama, the oldest, most beautiful and best-known part of the city. The next port of call is Baixa, the lower city, which was rebuilt in French neo-classical style after the earthquake of 1755, by the Marquês de Pombal. Climbing uphill again, the trams pass through the old city centre, replete with theatres, and on through the traditional nightlife areas, the Bairro Alto and the Bica, haunt of writers and artists. Rattling and clanking their way up and down the hills, through narrow streets, the trams pass many important sites, including handsome churches, the Parliament building and the Cathedral, before finally reaching the Cemitério dos Prazeres - Cemetery of the Pleasures - where members of Lisbon's noblest families are buried.

This trip is great fun. The trams are often crowded – people sometimes even hitchhike by hanging onto the outside as it rattles along. It's noisy with laughter, chitchat and occasional shouts of abuse at cars blocking the way. The bell rings to alert people and traffic to the tram's presence, and there are frequent stops. Your best bet is to buy a pass allowing you multiple journeys, in order to jump on and off whenever you want.

 

HOW

By tram

WHEN TO GO

All year round, but April to June and September to November are probably the best months.

TIME IT TAKES

45 mlnutos, theoretically, but usually more like one hour plus.

HIGHLIGHTS

Café A Brasileira - opened in 1905, this is lisbon's most famous coffee house; a bronze statue of the poet and writer Fernando Pessoa sits outside.

The Basilica da Estrela and the Estrela Gardens.

The English Cemetery, where the author Henry Fielding is buried.

The Castelo de Sao Jorge, originally the Moorish Governor's stronghold.

The Gulbenkian Museum, a superb collection of treasures.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Fado is Portugal's traditional music, and lisbon is the best place to find it. During June, Fado singers accompany visitors along the route of Tram line 28.

Cross the Strait of Gibraltar

Hotels in Algeciras

The ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar is a startling journey of contrasts and culture shock. You suddenly realise how incredible close Europe and Africa really are, which makes the differences between them even more unaccountably stark. The Strait is very narrow indeed - only 13 km (8 mi) at its narrowest point, and 50 km (31 mi) separate Algeciras from Tangier.

 

Algeciras is not the sort of place that anyone goes to by choice. A sprawling industrialized city on the Bay of Gibraltar, at the bottleneck between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, it is one of the busiest ports in the world. But, for that very reason it is a peculiarly exciting city, with the highly-charged, chaotic atmosphere that invariably pervades a port. Once you start to explore, you will be pleasantly surprised by how attractive the older parts are.

 

Even before you step on the ferry you feel the presence of North Africa in the groups of djellaba-clad migrants and back-street tea shops. As soon as you are aboard this sensation is heightened. Everyone around you is suddenly speaking Arabic; you are the outsider. As the boat departs, you experience a surge of anticipation then, looking back to catch a last glimpse of the Rock of Gibraltar, a quite extraordinary sense of loss, only to be overwhehned minutes later by the thrill of sighting the minarets of Tangier in the distance.

Landing in Tangier, your nostrils are assailed by the exotic smells in the air, and there's a sultry atmosphere that befits the city's reputation as a seedy adventurers' haunt. Tangier has a curious, fading grandeur about it and while it's by no means a typical Moroccan city or indeed an African one, it is an exciting and idiosyncratic introduction to an extraordinary continent.

 

HOW

By boat

WHEN TO GO

Any time

TIME IT TAKES

70 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on ferry speed

HIGHLIGHTS

Aigeciras - Mercado de Abastos - main market, Barrio San Isidro - old quarter of Tangier - Views of the Rock of Gibraltar and Dar el Makhsen, Tangier – 17th Century sultan's palace housing vast art collection.

Drinking mint tea or coffee at one of the cafes in the Petit Socco in Tangier or having a drink at (posh) Minzah Hotel or the (unposh) Muniria Hotel, where William Burroughs wrote The Naked Lunch.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

You can also get to Tangier by the fast ferry from Tarifa in only thirty minutes - much quicker but far less thrilling.

Cecil Beaton, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac are just some of Tangier's famous past residents and habitues. Though the Tangier of today is a pale shadow of its former self, it still has a certain seductive allure.

Grand Canal

Hotels in Venice

Known as La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic and City of Light, Venice is certainly one of the wonders of Our world. An archipelago of 118 islands formed by 150 canals within a marshy lagoon on the Adriatic, Venice relies upon her waterways for transport, with the Grand Canal as the principal highway.

Take vaporetto No.1 from Piazzale Roma, the gateway to Venice, and you can travel the whole length of the Grand Canal to St Mark's Basin, with perfect views of some of the finest architecture the city has to offer. Almost 200 remarkable buildings, most of which rise straight from the water, form the 'banks' of the canal in na extraordinary sequence of façades, their reflections rippling below. This was the most expensive and sought-after area in the city, and these fine palazzi were built by aristocrats and wealthy merchants between the 13th and 18th centuries.

 

The canal winds through the heart of Venice in an inverted 'S' shape, and the vaporetto zigzags across it to stops on either side, passing under three bridges, the 16th century, marble Rialto, the Academia, made of wood (1854) and the stone Scalzi (1858). Today a fourth bridge is being constructed, linking the railway station and the Piazzale Roma.

 

This is a breathtaking voyage, varied, colourful and surprisin. You'll see the postman delivering by boat, gondolas carrying honeymoon couples to their waterfront hotel, and vaporetti that cross from side to side rather than up and down. You'll pass fifteen splendid churches, museums and galleries such as the Guggenheim Collection, housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. As you head towards San Marco the canal opens out to its widest point, merging with St Mark's Basin and the lagoon ill a magnificent expanse of water dominated by the gleaming white façade of Santa Maria della Salute, which guards its mouth.

 

HOW

By vaporetto

WHEN TO GO

All year round, though there can be floods from November to March, and June to September can be very crowded.

TIME IT TAKES

Under one hour - but buy a travel card and you can jump on and off at any number of stops to explore.

HIGHlIGHTS

The fish and vegetable markets at the Rialto - go early in the morning.

The Venice Biennale - a major art exhibition every two years.

The Venice Film Festival - the oldest in the world and highly influential; it takes place in late August/early September.

The Carnival - one of the most famous in the world, with fabulously costumed and masked participants, it ends at midnight on Shrove Tuesday every year.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Venice, with its lagoon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit if you possibly can, the entire place is a work of art.

Lake Windermere

Lake Windermere, in Cumbria is 2 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep. It is the largest natural lake in England and is part of the Lake District National Park.

Although popular with tourists, the west shoreline is almost completely owned by the National Trust, which makes it a haven for wildlife.

This stunning landscape is also known for it's connection with Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is one of London's most recognisable landmarks and possible one of the most famous bridges in the world.

Spanning the Thames, just next to the Tower of London, it was built in 1894 after 50 architects and designers entered a competition to design a new bridge for London.

Visitors can view London from the high-level walkways and access the Victorian Engine Rooms. You can also access the bridge lift schedule which shows times and dates when the bridge will rise for large vessels.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric stone circle and is believed to have been constructed around 3100BC. No one knows exactly what purpose it served, but it is thought to have been a centre of pagan worship.

The site is managed by English Heritage. The stone circle cannot be accessed during normal opening hours, although they do hold regular Stone Circle Access visits in the early morning and late evening.

Llanberis Pass, North Wales

LLanberis village is located in the popular Snowdonia National Park in Wales. Nearby, twin lakes cut through a vast mountain range creating the ‘Llanberis Pass’. The Lllanberis Pass is a truly impressive place noted for it’s wild and rugged beauty and well as it’s extraordinary tranquility. The unique glaciated valley and world class climbing spot is extremely popular with drivers, ambitious rock climbers and photographers.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

The university town of Cambridge epitomises quintessential Englishness and here punting on the river and sipping Pimms on the perfectly manicured lawn is an enduring local summer pastime. The beautiful buildings are well preserved and the timeless city seems straight out of the scene form the 1950s – the preppy look seems de rigueur and most people travel everywhere by bicycle. Try the omnipresent punting as one of the most romantic ways to see the main historical highlights.

The Jurassic Coast, East Devon to Dorset

A world heritage site which can be found on the southern coast of England. The 140 million year old Jurassic coast, voted the 5th greatest natural wonder in Britain, is an impressive sight. Home to both the natural limestone arch of Durdle Door – the most photographed landmark along the coast and Lulworth Cove – one of the finest coves in England. The spectacular coastline is also used for many film scenes including the big screen adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ and ‘Wilde’ starring Stephen Fry.

Hope Valley, Peak District

The Peak District is the second most visited national park in the world and is characterised by wild rugged landscapes, pretty villages, grand historic houses and fascinating caverns. Hope Valley is a large area in the centre of the national park which offers dramatic unusual landscapes and some of the most beautiful scenery in the England. Castleton (also known as the ‘Gem of the Peak’) one of the most picturesque villages is home to traditional stone Peak District cottages, an imposing mountain, show caves and an atmospheric ruined Norman castle. The nearby ancient village of Hathersage, with its association with the legend of Robin Hood and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre also makes for an interesting stop.

Little Venice, London

The affluent district of South Maida Vale is is interspersed with picturesque waterways and the area where the Grand Union and Regent’s Canals meet is affectionately known as Little Venice.  The charming backwater is dotted with colourful houseboats, waterside pubs and some superb restaurants – a peaceful oasis in an otherwise very busy city. Take a walk along the tow path, picnic along the banks or charter a narrowboat for a perfect afternoon out.

Lake District, North West England

The Lake District is a mountainous region in North West England and a very popular holiday destination. Most visitors flock to the popular areas of Keswick, Windermere and Kendal but WastWater, the deepest lake in England, is the most remote but easily worth the extra effort to get to. Once voted Britain’s Favourite View the lake is hemmed in by some of the highest peaks in England and surrounded by some of the Lake District’s most impressive scenery.

Glen Nevis, Scotland

Arguably one of the country’s most dramatic landscapes, Glen Nevis is an exceptionally beautiful part of the United Kingdom. The stretch of ancient unspoilt scenery, overlooked by Ben Nevis (Britain’s highest mountain),  is perfect for peaceful walking and truly getting away from it all. Also great for wildlife watching and film location visiting – many key scenes from Braveheart, Rob Roy and Harry Potter were shot here.

Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s only Unesco World Heritage site, Giant’s Causeway is an intriguing beauty spot and a popular tourist haunt. With a large area of coastline covered in neatly arranged stone columns it’s easy to see why this unique natural wonder is surrounded by mythical legends. The Antrim coast is also popular for cliff top walks offering some of the finest and atmospheric cliff scenery in Europe.

Polperro, South East Cornwall

The southwest counties are especially popular with holidaymakers, but tourism still hasn’t managed to spoil the Chocolate Box pretty villages that reside here. Polperro (located in South East Cornwall) with its narrow winding streets and cottages perched on steep slopes overlooking a tiny harbour is everyone’s idea of a picturesque Cornish fishing village. Sheltered from time and tide in a cliff ravine, Polperro is often cited as the prettiest village in Cornwall – which given the competition is quite an accolade.

Richmond Park, South West London

A place where most Londoners go to get their green space fix, historical Richmond Park is a 2,500 acre site of special scientific interest. Originally established by Charles I in 1637 as a hunting area, the park with its ornamental gardens, ancient oaks and 600 red and fallow deer roaming freely, still manages to retain a medieval feel. A very popular spot especially in summer, locals and out of towners come here for summer picnics, quiet walks, lazy scenic drives and of course, the obligatory deer watching.
A beautiful place for tourism and visit and enjoying a happy family visit or tour.

The End of the World Train

Hotels in Argentina

This is a journey to delight any railway enthusiast. Not only are you travelling on the world's southernmost railway line but you are pulled by one of several heritage steam engines along a narrow gauge track with a fascinating past.

 

The railway starts 8 km (5 mi) from Ushuaia and runs for some 14 km (9 mi) into Tierra del Fuego National Park, a protected area of 630 sq km (240 sq mi) once inhabited by Yamaha Indians. As the train meanders along the River Pipo valley at a sedate 15 kph (9 mph) you have breathtaking views of the wild glacial landscape of the South Andes Cordillera - steep snow-capped mountains, rivers, waterfalls, woods and lakes interspersed with tundra plateau carpeted in lichens and mosses. The journey ends at Estación del Parque from where you can explore this remote region on foot.

 

Although today the End of the World Train is a tourist attraction, it was originally built to ful1il an altogether murkier purpose - the transportation of forced labour to the hinterland forest and of felled trees back to the coast. By the end of the 19th century the Argentinian authorities had established a penal colony as far away from civilization as possible, at the tip of South America. From these inauspicious beginnings emerged today's city or Ushuaia, its earliest buildings constructed by convicts using timber from the surrounding sub-polar forests. The prison was transformed into a naval base in 1947 and the railway was decommissioned in 1952 after na earthquake badly damaged the track. The growth of the travel industry led to its re-opening in 1994 as an environmentally-friendly means of conveying tourists to an otherwise inaccessible part of the National Park. Despite the best efforts of tourist brochures, the railway is still commonly known as 'The Prisoners Train'.

HOW

By train

WHEN TO GO

All year

TIME IT TAKES

One hour

HIGHLIGHTS

Ushuaia Museo del Presidio – Prison Museum.

Cañadón del Toro gorge.

Cascada La Macarena waterfall.

Tree cemetery.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

To fully appreciate the trip it is a good idea to visit the Prison Museum first, where you will get atmospheric impressions of life in the penal colony and find out more about the railway and National Park.

There is no one of Komodo Being Stress

The number of tourist visits to Komodo Island is already governed by the manager of the Park. Head of Administration Division of TNK Heru Rudiharto disclose it to respond to the news about 24,000 foreign tourists visit the island of Komodo dragons that cause stress the komodo.

"There is no event that Komodo stressful to death"


Heru daily based in Labuan Bajo which is the entrance so they can better know TNK TNK situation. "We set the cruise ship, not direct thousands down all, but we gradually set of 40-50 people. Not all at once down," he said.


He said, if a cruise ship with a capacity of 10,000 people, then do pick-up 20-30 times. "Jetty is also limited in accommodating. Cruise ships can not be directly, so picked up by speedboat. There's no way 10,000 people can go straight down," he said.

He later said, the capacity of Komodo Island is only 40-50 people. Although the island of Komodo was able to accommodate up to 100 people per day. "This is not mass tourism. We can not accept at the same time thousands of people. KNP that eco-tourism. We are prioritizing habitat and ecosystem of the island of Komodo, not the tourism aspect," he said.



In 2010, according to Heru, the number of visits reached 44,000 a year. "Of course there are times when the peak in June-July. In a month could be 5,000 people," he said.

The Bruce Trail

Hotels in Canada

At 800 km (500 mi) the Bruce trail in Ontario is the oldest and longest marked trail in Canada, taking the hiker along the Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. There are also about 300 kIn (187 mi) of additional side trails that link well with the Bruce. The iconic waterfalls at Niagara are a great place to start and having left with the sound of crashing water in your ears and ozone in your lungs, it is a short hike to the main trail proper.

 

This well-maintained trail, with its clear markings and efficiently  run campgrounds is the most ambitious of projects. The nine chapters of the Bruce Trail Association work hard at protecting this UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, acquiring new land and opening to up this most beautiful, fragile environment for all to see. Hence, it is important to take nothing and leave nothing, except memories and  photographs. The fact that the campsites provide all necessary camping gear, to avoid outside contamination, means that you can travel light and cover more ground than you would otherwise.

This ancient escarpment shelters a rare bio-diversity and is home to an array of woodland dwellers, from chipmunks to bear and chickadees to Canada geese. The further north you venture the more isolated the trail becomes and the more likely you are to witness the resident fauna in its natural envirornnent. A good pair of binoculars and a soft step is all you need - enjoy.

 

HOW

On foot and by bike

DEPART

Niagara, ON

WHEN TO GO

During the fall colours (September-October) is best, but really any time from May to October is good

TIME IT TAKES

An experienced hiker could expect to complete the trail inside 20 days, but since 200 km (125 mi) of the Bruce is paved road, it is probably best tackled in sections.

HIGHLIGHTS

Blue Mountains Section (Lavender to Craigleith).

Beaver Valley Section {Craigleith to Blantyre) - offering fine views of rocky crevasses.

sydenham Section (Blantyre to · Wiarton) - teeming with nature.

The camaraderie of the campgrounds.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

If you are backpacking you need to be in good shape. The rocky terrain can make this journey treacherous and it can be slippery in wet weather. Campfires are not allowed and drinking water must be treated.