Travel Story Showcase

Dubai UAE / Explore the World by Country / Travel Tips

The Top 10 Things to do in Dubai

Guest post from Amisha Roy   In recent years, Dubai has become the entertainment capital of the world. It offers incredible architecture, exotic nightlife, outstanding theme parks, and rich heritage that beckons tourists from all over the world every single time. Combine all this with opulence, grandeur, and luxury and you have got an unparalleled destination. To experience the best of this city, here is a list of the top 10 things you must do while on holiday in Dubai. Palm Jumeirah Dubai holds a world record for the first man-made island Palm Jumeirah. The tree-shaped Palm Jumeirah is an...

Peru / Photo Essay

A Visual Guide to the Maras Salt Mines, Peru

Salt is an essential foodstuff and industrial material. Without it human being cannot extract the nutrients they need from farmed food. Without salt, there can be no cities,  and no industries of certain types, such as such as wool dying . The Maras Salt Mines in Peru have been in operation since ancient times, and still operate in much the same way today. The process is simple and effective. First a shallow terraced pond is prepared. Then the salt rich water from the local springs is channeled into the ponds and left to be evaporated by the sun. The resulting...

Australia / Quick Travel Insights

Australia – Quick Travel Insights

Australia is the sixth largest country by total area.  It is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world. Most Australians live along the coast and most of them folks live in the cities. If you don’t live in Australia, you may not be aware that the capital of Australia is Canberra, which is inland (although only by a few hours’ drive), unlike most of the other large cities.  It is a designed city (like Washington) and is a cultural centre, with influences from a wide range of ethnicities (as a result of being the diplomatic as...

Quick Travel Insights

Japan – Quick Travel Insights

About Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the Pacific Ocean.  Japan is often called the “Land of the Rising Sun”. It is a strato-volcanic archipelago of 6,852 islands.  The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. It is a constitutional monarchy whereby the power of the Emperor is very limited.  As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as the “Symbol of the State and of the Unity of the People”.  Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister and other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the...

Austria / Quick Travel Insights

Austria – Quick Travel Insights

Austria is located in Central Europe and is a German speaking (although a specific dialect of German) country which is characterized by its mountain villages, baroque city architecture, imperial history and rugged alpine terrain. It is renowned for amazing scenery, great skiing and historic places. Its capital, Vienna, is home to the Schonbrunn and Hofburg Palaces.  Many beautiful sites can be found in Vienna. Some attractions are: St. Stephens Cathedral This is the symbol of Vienna, the building of which was commenced in the 12th century.  The cathedral is 107.7 meters long and 34.2 meters wide with 4 towers.  The tallest...

Foodie Travel / USA

Food : with a Side Order of Art and History – an Italian Lunch in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

Chair legs scrape as the restaurant opens shop, and the street front transforms from tired pavement to an awning shaded haven, of dining tables with pristine white cloths, shining silverware and sparkling glasses.  Delicious scents of Italian food work their way out and tantalise the passers-by, before drifting up past the historic, Art Deco architecture into the intense blue summer sky. This is the place to find lunch, with a large side helping of history and art and my meal at the Asti Ristorante fulfils the promise of all three.  The setting frames the food elegantly, and my delicious fish...

Foodie Travel / France

The Great Parisian Tea Disaster

The liquid in the cup stared back at me, still trying to convince me that it *was* actually tea.  It continued to fail. I closed my eyes for a moment, perilously close to tears of sheer frustration, then gave in and turned it to laughter at the absolute black comedy of the situation. Australians, like the British (or sometimes maybe more so..) tend to be believers in the adage that “a cup of tea will make it better” – I am no exception. So, here I am in Paris, surrounded by amazing architecture, iconic monuments, iconic fashion brands and fabulous...

Foodie Travel / Relaxation Travel / Thailand

Koh Pha Ngan Thailand – Everything BUT the Party You Expect this Story to be About

Peaceful, spectacular scenery, opportunities for Yoga Retreats, magnificent food, catering to all types of diets, sacred rivers, and huge areas of national park, which are still natural jungle, oh, and the site of the biggest beach parties in the world…..  Not quite the combination you expect, is it? When planning a trip to somewhere relatively exotic, most people consult the tourist information for what events happen there, and try to plan to see as much as possible.  Not me.  I like doing my exotic adventures a little differently – I am most likely to be trying to avoid the big,...

Travel Tips

5 Steps to Your Perfect Holiday

What do You want out of travel?  Are you looking for something different?  Not the places that “Everyone goes”, Not somewhere packed with tourists?  And yet, preferably, somewhere with a touch of luxury and comfort well beyond the basic? It doesn’t seem a lot to ask and yet… it can be very hard to find. Travel agents, and travel websites, often seem to think that those who want something different are only the 20 somethings who are fit and full of energy for backpacking, camping or basic accommodations.  I, for one, got over camping many years ago. I am fit...