Holidays in Australia
October 25th, 2007
I hope to visit Australia this winter, and I hope that it will not be the last time. I would like to think that I will take many holidays in Australia in my life time, but I know that this might not be something that I can do very often. However, I will go when I can as I have friends there, and it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t get to spend some time with them every few years. Besides, I think there is a lot my daughter can learn when we visit there, and I hope to take her with me when I go.
The best thing about holidays in Australia is that you can go when the weather in the US is bad, and it will be the middle of summer there. Not only that, but there are many great beaches there, and everyone is so wonderfully nice. Though I am sure there are exceptions, it would seem that a majority of those who live in Australia are easy going and fun to be around. Though you can’t always take long vacations, I want to make my holidays in Australia long because I won’t get to go very often. Last time I went I used a fantastic accommodation booking engines that allowed me to search and book accommodation in Sydney by location map before I arrived. I was able to book a great little guest house overlooking Bondi beachsight unseen and my expectations were exceeded.
Another great thing about holidays in Australia is that they are very much like the US in culture, but at the same time, things are just different enough to make it an amazing experience. They have beauty everywhere you turn around, and there are many awesome things that everyone should have a chance to see in their life time. I know there are those who have dreamed of going to a European country for as long as they can remember, but for me, I have always wanted to take holidays in Australia.
There is one downfall though. When you take holidays in Australia, you do have to be on a plane for a very long time. It takes about fourteen hours to fly to Sydney from the west coast, and I have to take a six hour flight just to get to the west coast of the US to get on a plane to Australia. I’m not really worried about myself, but I am concerned about my daughter, who will be six when we go. However, it will be worth it, and I suspect that the light might be the longest I have ever taken, or will ever take, but for great holidays in Australia, it will all be worth it.
PS If you are ever lucky enough to get down under you have to visit Noosa. This little town would have to offer one of the best lifestyles on earth and its very family friendly. You will find a great little web destination for Noosa accommodation.
African safari vacations!
October 16th, 2007
Seeing wildlife up close and personal and in their own habitat is hard to beat. Add wonderful scenery and it’s a memorable experience. African safari vacations have become very popular and there are numerous companies that provide packages designed to bring a bit of adventure under expert supervision. Accommodation is usually in lodges and camps, equipped with hot showers. Meals and barbecues are prepared by the company cook.
Kenya is one of the main destinations for this type of vacation and a beach holiday could be combined with an African safari. The country has 40 National Parks and game reserves. One of the most spectacular is the Kimana Game Sanctuary, which is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Rich rain forest is the terrain at the Mount Kenya National Park and stretching plains dominate the Masai Mara. Guides drive parties in 4×4 vehicles or in open back trucks. Sometimes, they travel in mini buses. For an aerial view of the landscape, there are fly/drive packages, using small, light aircraft. Kenya brings opportunities to see leopards, gazelle, crocodiles, giraffes, zebra, lions and hippos.
South Africa is another beautiful country, teeming with wild animals. An African safari here offers a great variety of landscape, including wetlands, semi-desert, open grassland and old forest. The Phinda region is popular and can be explored on foot, by vehicle or light aircraft. Some parties are taken by boat on the waterways. Wildlife sighted here is likely to be lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo and leopard. The Madikwe Game Reserve contains leopards, elephants and packs of hyenas and wild dogs.
For a truly unique experience, there are companies that organise an African safari to Uganda and Rwanda. Uganda has a population of lowland gorillas and chimpanzees. There is also game in the savannahs of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the chance to see elephants, giraffes, antelope and birds. A great international travel site for searching and booking accommodation by location over the internet is budget lettings direct.
To see the gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or at the Mgahinga Volcanoes, parties are taken on foot through the tropical rainforest, which is home to many different species of birds. The Murchisson Falls National Park can be reached by boat on the River Nile. The waterfall is impressive and the animals in the area include warthogs, zebras and baboons. Rwanda is famous for its mountain gorillas and there is said to be 350 of them in the tree lined slopes of the Parc National des Volcans. The Uganda and Rwanda region, with its volcanoes, falls, lakes and forests is a treasured area and offers the best chance of seeing gorillas in their natural surroundings.