7 Places to Visit in the Middle East

Written by Slayton Jacob

A lot of us only see the Middle East as a place filled with religious and social conflicts. But then again, we fail to realize that it is also home to breathtaking gifts of nature and rich cultures. We should be reminded that not every part of the Middle East is a danger to tourists. If getting Turkish visa for the whole family on your recent trip was no problem, you are expected to have the same experience for countries like United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel.

Istanbul TURKEY

Read further if you want to know more about the 7 places that are considered treasures of the Middle East and discover why visiting them is a must regardless if you are seeking for a unique adventure or a relaxing getaway.

Petra, JORDAN

Jordan boasts a lot of wonderful cities and many agree that the best among them is Petra. This place will make those who are passionate about history and ancient civilizations drool. Almost every corner of this city has exquisite sculpted temples and other signs of an old era that has long been forgotten but recently caught the attention of many. Petra is one of the most beautiful ancient cities in the world and those who already experienced it will surely recommend everyone to witness the sunset and sunrise there since the sceneries will blow anyone’s mind away.

15 Things You Should be Aware while Travelling

I must admit I mess up at times in countries least expected. And I learned a lesson from my mistakes. You'll never know, there might be a time that you are coming back to a country the second time around. In this case, at least, you should have done your assignment. And this time, you must know what to do. 

You can do things like; touching fabrics in HK stores. I did that. Because I did not know that touching their wares is a 'crime'. No English. No touch. No business. Just leave! They don't want your money....

Never, never, ever forget to validate your railway tickets in Berlin. That is another 'crime' that you will be getting into. As the 'officer' who held me and my family off the subway train said in a form of a question, "Do you know that, not validating your ticket is a 'criminal' offense? Can you guess what my answer was? Your guess is as good as mine.

I have warned you many times about Cairo. And will continue warning you that an Egyptian pound is worth a fortune to most "business-minded" locals. If you are travelling by train from Cairo to Alexandria and you seem to forget which of the trains you should be taking, behold! - do not ask anyone going around near the trains posing as a dispatcher because if you do ask, which I did, you will pay a price for sure. Not a pound, not two - it's 10 Egyptian pounds. You don't want that to happen, do you? So, get on the train and ask other passengers. Most of them will give you an honest and friendly answer...for free. And, that is one of the things I am going to do on my next visit to Egypt. 

Does things like these happen to you while travelling? Tell us, let's learn from your experience.

Jessica Hill of Oregon USA

36. Featured Traveller 

Jessica Hill

Writer : Teacher : Student : Traveller 

(Oregon, USA)

                               

“Believe there is good in the world.” 

― Buddha

Welcome Miss Adventure. Yes, Jessica is an adventurer. Teaching English in Asian countries is one of the ways she has explored the differences in customs, traditions, and mannerisms around her. 

Jessica hails from Oregon, USA, but is currently living in Fort Collins in Colorado, USA. She's been in and out of the country to teach English in countries where she can stay longer and be a part of the community. She would recommend it to those with a little sense of adventure and a laid back attitude. "There'll be no regrets", she says.

Though the entire world is on her bucket list, Jessica has already explored countries, like Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, China, Hong Kong and Korea. There isn't anywhere that doesn't interest her, at least a little, and she has Peru, Argentina, Iceland, Cuba, Nepal and Tibet on top of her wish list.

Jessica is inspired by anything new and different from her own norm, but what keeps her motivation running is the special encounters with locals that prove how many good people there are in this world, over and over again.

Now, let us hear from Jessica what she has to say. For I am sure, her story will be an inspiration to her fellow travellers and the readers, in general.

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My travel story? Well, MissAdventure Travel started when…

You know, I have no idea when it all started. Was it the trips to Disneyland and Disneyworld my parents took us on as kids? Was it my first backpacking adventure, across Europe, or the study abroad one to follow? Was it my first solo experience, to teach abroad in Thailand? Surely, all have played their part, and I’d argue each has taught me something new to love about travel.

It’s no secret to anyone who follows my blog that I’m a wee bit obsessed. Travel is my lifeline, my drug. Even though I’m currently holed up in lovely Fort Collins, Colorado, USA while I work toward another bucket list item – a M.A. degree in English/Creative Nonfiction – I dream of escape daily. I’m new to Colorado, however, so even my weekend escapades to snowshoe or hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, or to snowboard Steamboat Springs keep me exploring new lands, meeting new people.

I won’t lie though. As much as I love exploring my own backyard, it’s international travel that fuels my inspiration. Seeing new lands so very different from my own, meeting locals with extreme religious devotions, who speak different languages, who have everything or who have nothing, who let me see a glimpse of their lives…these are the experiences I crave.

Ireland: Some West Coast Highlights

Written by Kate Power

If you’ve always imagined Ireland as a mythical place with rolling hills and rugged mountains, a new tour route called the Wild Atlantic Way will prove it. It’s a long distance drive that stretches right down the west coast of Ireland. Over 1500 miles from Malin Head in County Donegal in the North to Kinsale in County Cork in the South, taking in cliffs and beaches, ancient sites, modern sports, the heartiest food and the best pint of Guinness. Here are a couple of our picks along the coast for holidays in Ireland. 

Dungloe, County Donegal

Steeped in absolute natural beauty, Dungloe in County Donegal is pretty close to heaven on earth. The intensely rugged coastline is totally unspoilt. Walk the soft sands of Cloughglass Beach and soak up the view over the wild Atlantic Ocean. Visit Mount Errigal only 30 minutes’ drive from Dungloe and a great choice for hiking and walking fans.

County Donegal : Photo Credit: mjmkeating

Clifden, County Galway

Head down the coast via Sligo before you hit County Galway. It’s good for foodies, for nature lovers or aspiring musicians. There is something for everyone in Galway. Take in the Galway Food Festival or the Clarinbridge Oyster Fest. One of our favourite things to do is a visit to the beautiful Aran Islands, just off the coast. This isn’t the island hopping you might be used to. Grab a rental bike and soak up gorgeous views, amazing historic sites and lots of fun on the ‘Islands of Saints and Scholars.’ Head into Galway City where you will find the perfect pint of Guinness in a traditional pub like Tigh Neachtains. Galway City is home to some of the best live traditional music too and Tigh Coili or Monroe’s have lively trad nights most days of the week.

Join Me for a Taste of Punjabi Culture

Written by Angel de la Flor

A trip to India was one of the craziest experiences I have had in any country. I was one of the delegates from several countries to participate in the International Youth Peace Festival (IYPF). One of the organizers approached me to become a part of the cultural fashion show. I went with other five representatives from China, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and experienced the unique way of the Punjabi culture.

I was dressed in a traditional Indian wedding attire as a woman participant in my own mock wedding ceremony. I was so fascinated with the traditional Punjabi wedding dress, Lehenga, and all parts of being dressed up.  How can I forget the students who did the magic of making me look like a real Indian bride. To complete the preparation, one of them painted Mehndi on my palm, a ceremonial art decorated to a bride’s hands, arms and feet. These young women really did an awesome job.

Himanshu Nagpal of New Delhi INDIA

35. Featured Traveller 

Himanshu Nagpal

Senior Business Analyst : Traveller 

(New Delhi, INDIA)

                               

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” 

― Gustave Flaubert

We are, indeed, lucky to have the opportunity to feature Himanshu from New Delhi. He works in a corporate world and spend Monday to Friday at his desk working to earn enough to live his travel dreams. You won't believe it. It took months for us to finalize this interview and publish his story. Understandably, my invitation came in time for his trip to the United Kingdom.

Flag of India

Being a traveller, he is keen on keeping his travel budget intact. "Budget and planning are the most important part of any trip and plays a very important role", he says. "It is necessary and quite helpful to keep an eye on the travel fares months before so you can capture the best deal. Also, it is best to plan so that money is not wasted on places which you do not want to visit or are over-hyped", he adds. Himanshu still believes that most of the beautiful places are natural and free to visit, so much so that one can reduce travel expenses.

Himanshu has been travelling to cities and towns of his country. Outside of India, he has travelled to Thailand and very recently explored England. It is his first time away from family during the Diwali festival. He spends most of the holiday season, including Christmas in the United Kingdom wandering the beautiful places in England.

Beach Shack in Goa INDIA

Just like most travellers, he believes that the beauty and happiness in travelling is just around his backyard. There are many places in India that is waiting to be discovered. Himanshu invites his fellow travellers and readers of this blog to re-discover India. He can tell you many stories about India in his own travel blog, Being Traveler.

Continue reading his story.....

13 Tips to Help You Save on Airfare

Written by Stephanie Lynch

It's no secret that buying an airline ticket could set you back hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.  If you don't carefully plan your purchasing ahead of time, you could be spending close to 50 percent of your travel budget on airline tickets alone.

Since most of us don't mind saving a dollar or two, let's explore 13 ways you can save a lot of money on your next airline ticket.

13.  Fare Alerts

Many airfare websites and airlines have fare alerts that you can sign up for free.  With these alerts, you can simply insert your itinerary and you will be notified every time the fare prices drop. Fare alert websites include FareWaterPlus, Bing Travel and TripAdvisor.com/flights.

12.  Buy a Package

Since there's a good chance that you're going to get a hotel and maybe even a rental car, consider buying everything in one package.  In the travel industry, the more you purchase, the more you're likely to save.

11.  Watch the Extra Fees

While that $200 airline ticket could look appealing, the price in the end may be a lot more than that.  With airlines charging for checked in bags, assigned seating and other miscellaneous fees, make sure that you closely research the hidden fees before buying an airline ticket.  If possible, try to stick to low fare airlines like Southwest.

The Authentic Traveler: A Voyage on a Wine-Dark Sea

Written by Douglas Arvidson

“Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.” ~ Paul Theroux

                                                                                                             

“Take the long way home.” ~ Supertramp, 1979

Paul Theroux, the novelist and travel writer, is sometimes a curmudgeon, sometimes a cranky realist, and is always impatient with so-called travelers who insist on getting where they are going the easy way. I’m one of those travelers who would rather take that easy way and so Theroux is a dubious hero of mine. I don’t really want to travel as fearlessly as he does: living, somehow, out of one small bag without bathing for days on end, and enduring, without complaint, any of the many varieties of sickness travelers can suffer from. But neither do I want to be a mere tourist; I, too, want to be an authentic traveler.

Final preparations for leaving Guam

So, I will travel Paul Theroux style if I must—if it is worth it. Last year a friend of mine—we had been long-time neighbors living on our sail boats on the island of Guam—invited me to help sail his boat from Guam to Cebu, an island set back deep in the vast Philippine archipelago. We would leave in the middle of April, after the trade winds had died down a bit. It would take maybe ten or eleven days. There would be six of us, so watches would be relatively short and there would long periods to relax—to read, fish, to sleep, to contemplate the sea.

Julio Moreno of California U.S.A.

34.  Featured Traveller 
 Julio Moreno

English Teacher : Traveller

California USA

"Seeing the world, one world heritage site at a time"

It is with great pleasure to introduce a Mexican-American friend from Los Angeles, California who teaches English in South Korea. Julio was born in Mexico. He moved to the United States with his family at a young age of 3.

Flag of the USA

Aside from Mexico, South Korea and the United States which are destinations he has lived in, he explored other countries and has travelled to Canada, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Italy, Vatican City, the Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Peru and Indonesia and hopes to one day visit his top five of his dream destinations, namely, the Maldives, Palau, North Korea, India and Antarctica.

Julio admits he is a penny pinching accountant when it comes to travel, and according to him, it is not about getting the cheapest thing, it is about the best value. He continues by saying that he knows few people who are as thorough with planning and budgeting as he is. "Let's start with planning. I plan everything, including bus schedules, special activities, quickest routes, best things to see, things to eat, etc. Then, once everything is planned, I keep the plan in my back pocket. It is like my own personal guide book, but I am by no means tied to it. If I find something better, I am definitely willing to change plans", he adds.

As of this writing, Julio is due to be back from his third trip to Japan. It is a week of discovering Tokyo and its neighbouring cities. On his return, I am pretty sure he has many more stories to tell about this country. Meanwhile, let's join him in reminiscing his experiences with the friendly people of Osaka and its neighbouring cities.

Connect with Julio and read more about his Travel World Heritage by following him on Facebook.

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My favourite place that I have visited is Japan, so I would like to run you guys through why I think it is such an awesome country.

First and foremost, my idea of a perfect destination is kind of an illusion. I want to find a place that is unique by developing independently of the outside world, but at the same time welcoming of outsiders. Imagine being a traveller in those old medieval movies (minus the bubonic plague and all) where you arrive in a new town and someone offers to show you around, despite being a complete stranger. Japan is the closest to that in my opinion. It is built with its own agenda of weird and unusual trends by our standards, yet it is very much welcoming to visitors.

Downtown Osaka JAPAN

In September of 2012, I took a trip to Osaka with the intent of visiting the World Heritage Sites of Kyoto, Nara, and the Horyu-Ji temple. By my third day, all of the locals I had met had been overly polite and helpful. Maybe it was because I had just come from Italy (yeah I said it), but I was impressed. When I arrived at Nara, a 70-year old woman named Keiko approached me and asked if she could show me around. She insisted that she didn't require any money and just wanted to kill some time. It turned out, her husband was a biologist studying the area, and she had to tag along.