On the last Tuesday of January, the tiny village of Lerwick bursts into a blazing effigy, filling the dark winter skies with fire and smoke. The event is Up Helly Aa, Europe's largest fire festival and the location is the Shetland Islands - an area considered very remote even by Scottish standards. The Up Helly Aa festival is not to simply provide heat on a cold night; it provides the citizens the opportunity to demonstrate their strong spirit and willingness to carry on tradition. Visitors bathed in light and heat so intense it's hard to believe they are in the wilds of the near-Arctic, appreciate the sense of history and understand the strong ties that the Shetlands have with Norse (Scandinavian) and Viking legends. The ...
Gusts of cold air blustering in the winter signals to most a reason to curl up by a toasty fire, but to a select few these chilly conditions lure them to the Lake. To a typical person the thought of spending unnecessary time outside in -20°C weather is absolutely ridiculous, but to snow storm surfers the gustier the gales the better. On these cold days when conditions are right, an adventurous few can be found along the shores of Lake Superior covered from head to toe in a 6 millimeter thick neoprene wet suit, exposed pink faces coated with petroleum jelly to protect against the biting cold. These die hard surfers enjoy fresh water waves up to 20 feet in blizzard conditions that brew across ...
The Galapagos Islands’ rich natural history has been fascinating the world since Charles Darwin’s famed visit aboard the Beagle in 1835. Once a hideout for pirates and a pit stop for whalers, it is now a hot spot for eco-tourism. Darwin’s exploration in the Galapagos provided the foundation for his most famous writings, The Origin of the Species, which introduces the theory of evolution. The Galapagos Islands are known by many different names, including the Enchanted Islands. It’s easy to see why the islands would be given such a moniker as they are filled with thousands of unique species of flora and fauna, such as the blue footed boobies and giant tortoises. In fact, “Galapago” is an archaic Spanish word referring to the islands’ tortoises, ...
Fancy a trip to Mars but can’t wait for NASA to start colonizing? Don’t despair, because a journey to Salar de Uyuni, the Bolivian salt desert is the next best thing. The remnants of a giant prehistoric lake, the world’s largest salt flats cover an area the size of Belgium and sit as high the Andes. Best experienced with a guided tour from the town of Uyuni, the first stop en route to the flats is the great train graveyard, a stark testament to the Spartan land beyond. Just a few miles out of Uyuni the landscape changes at an alarming rate: yellows, greens and browns are swept aside by a sea of vast, blisteringly white salt. The sensation is somewhat akin to being swallowed. ...
It's quite possible that the saying shop till you drop originated from the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok. Sprawling over 35 acres and comprised of an estimated 5,000 - 9,000 vendors, Chatuchak is a bargain hunters dream come true. If you’re not entirely accustomed to bartering, Chatuchak is the perfect environment to develop your skills. The best method is a respectful and pleasant demeanor, with a hint of unworried confidence. Any and everything you can imagine for sale can be found here. Plants, apparel, furniture, art, food, jewelry, pets, crafts and the list goes on and on. Over 400,000 people wind through this maze of merchandise in Thailand every weekend, making it the largest in the world. Half the fun is roaming aimlessly and finding ...
Lying just off the Yucatan Peninsula, Isla Cozumel, the Island of the Swallows, offers world class diving in picture perfect surroundings. With striking coral reefs, thriving marine life and crystal clear waters to spy them through, Cozumel was Mexico’s best kept secret until a young Jacques Cousteau “discovered” it in the 1960’s, placing this sleepy isle square on the scuba map. With over forty major dive sites to choose from, Cozumel caters to every diving level and preference, from dolphin dives to personalized ‘Scuba Subs’. Yet the island’s greatest attraction remains drift diving: currents that carry divers along great swathes of reef on an ‘aquatic wind’. As you float over the technicolor corals you’re likely to spot sea turtles, stingrays, angelfish and even grey nurse ...
The majesty of the Wild West meets the exotic flavor of the savanna wetlands here in the Rhône Delta region of southern France. Around 350,000 acres in size, the Camargue is a fascinating region of different topographic settings blended beautifully into one relaxing locale with plenty to see and experience. In this province you will find salty marsh lands, picturesque pastures, old world towns, and some of the loveliest beaches in all of France. Exploring the region can be done in several ways, and the most preferred is by horseback. Visitors can purchase guided tours by horseback, bicycle, motorbike, and even take guided walking tours throughout the region. All guests are welcome to go off and explore the landscape on their own. In fact, 12 ...
The people of Thailand work hard in a very hot climate, so it only makes sense that their biggest party is the world's largest water fight. Falling from the 13th to the 15th of April, Songkran celebrates the Thai New Year in style, with music, dancing and tons of splashing, as the typically mellow populace explodes into wild celebration. Picture Time Square right after the count-down, only extend it for three days, add 40º C heat and an endless amount of water guns, buckets, bottles, or any other instrument that allows you to soak a perfect stranger while shouting "Sawadee Pi Mai!" aka Happy New Year! After traveling Thailand, one of the most enduring images was that of a novice monk, maybe only eleven or ...
There is no experience in the world like tip toeing up to the edge of the Grand Canyon, and peering down into a sight that has been millions of years in the making. Carved by the meandering Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is a staggering 277 miles long, up to 18 miles across, and one mile deep. It's a really, really, really big hole. In some spots, there is hardly a fence in site, and you are free to get as close as you dare; there is nothing between you and the mile long free fall into what seems like a bottomless pit, except for some loose rocks, and your own sense of balance. The closer you can get the better it is though, the ...
A sunset is one thing, but a sunset that falls over an ancient city from your perch a top some ruins is another. Just down the road and up a hill from the famed Angkor Wat, is Phnom Bakheng, widely regarded as the best place to view the sunset or rise within the Angkor region. After a long and dusty day of temple trekking the 20 minute climb will seem quite exhaustive, and you might even contemplate the value of the effort, but it is well worth it. For those that can't quite fathom the extra effort after a long day there are other modes of transport available, more specifically the ever popular elephant. The cost is a little steep $20 US for a ride ...
