Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Mar 18

I have been to Turkey three times now, and to a different resort each time.  So here is each location and what was better (or worse) about each one - giving you some of my ‘Turkey tips’.

Generally we wanted to see wild Turkey as well as the cities, so we had read up before we booked our latest Turkey vacation, to make sure we experienced both.  All 3 times we got a late deal to Turkey from the UK, paying no more $400/£200 each time for all inclusive.

If you are planning to travel to Turkey yourself, I would definitely look into which tours you are most interested in before you choose your resort as there are many types across Turkey.  These include:

Biblical Tours of Turkey - these are very popular and usually offer taking in Mount Ararat where Noah’s ark was supposed to have landed in the far east of the country, close to the border with Iran.  You would need to check the security situation in the region before going here though.  Also there are the Seven Churches of Revelation dotted across the country. 

The region known as the Anatolia was where the first people to be call ‘Christians’ met together, and the St Peters’ Grotto in present day Antioch is one of the very first places where they held their secret meeting!  Mary Magdalene’s last resting place is also here and Tarsus is believed to be the birthplace of the apostle Paul.

General Turkey Excursions- including caves, snorkeling and dolphin tours.  You can book a trip to Turtle Beach and the rivers where the film The African Queen was filmed.    You go in a canoe to reach this spot if that takes your fancy.  Mud baths are also on offer.

There is a great deal of history in this country, spanning 2 continents and vast eons of history.  The ruins of Troy are here and the modern city of Truva is the closest ‘base’ from Istanbul, as well as the great Gallipoli battlefields - the site of a great Anglo-French battle against the Ottoman Empire also within a short drive of the capital.

A visit to Ephesus on a tour is always popular, and will take you to the best preserved classical city on the eastern Mediterranean.  This marble beauty is the location of the famed ‘Temple of Artemis’ - one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World!

Luxury Turkey Escorted Tour - this will include many great escorted tours of not just Istanbul tours, but out across the great sites of this country.

Istanbul tours are obviously a great place to start, and the sites of this amazing capital include the gemstones at the Topkapi Sarayi, the sacred Sultan Ahmet Camii - the blue mosque, and the Grand Bazaar - where you are sure to get lost amidst the 58 tiny streets and over 1200 shops!

Take a cruise up the Bosphorus (sometimes called the Istanbul Strait) which divides the European side of Turkey - Thrace, from the Asian side - Anatolia.  There are many legends along this river, and the sides are crammed with great Ottoman castles and palaces! 

Istanbul hotels are some of the most splendid I have seen - although there are many more boring accommodations available depending on your budget.  You will get the best if you book through a luxury escorted tour company - and the architecture and views of these locations can make every penny worth spending!

Marmaris - this popular resort in south west Turkey was once just a tiny fishing village - but the location is so beautiful, that it has become a victim of it’s own success.  In peak season the tiny town can fill with nearly 400,000 tourists - both local and foreign! 

As a result, this beach resort in an amazing natural harbour has some of the best shops and night clubs in the whole country.  You can still do fishing trips but it mainly is a tourist ’sunshine’ resort, with nothing much to do but sunbathe and admire the scenery.

Marmaris Fethiye cruises are a popular day trip.  This ruined town is still beautiful with boat trips taking you to 12 different Islands where you can swim at every location - and of course the many Lycian sarcophagi dotted around the place.

Marmaris Hotels are a-plenty and The BlueBays Hotel where we stayed was 4* and lived up to that with all free Saunas Gym and hot tubs.   Food was well displayed and very good choices to cater for everyone.   Rooms were up to a good standard and cleaned every day.  But there are obviously many to chose from at all * ratings.

Oludeniz -is another great beach resort and has one of the most photographed stretches of beach in the Med!  It is a National Nature Reserve so the building regulations are much stronger than in Maramis - allowing you to enjoy the natural beauty!

You can arrange Oludeniz yacht cruises to view the ’Blue Lagoon’ from both sides, and there is even paragliding available to get a birds eye view of the great landscape and clear seas!!! 

And Finally:
Turkey has been named as joint holder of the European Capital Of Culture for 2010 and much of Istanbul is now recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Now is certainly a time to visit!
.

posted by Travel Cat on Dec 17

Being the anniversary next year of Charles Darwin’s ‘On The Origin of Species’ which he based on his finding in these wonderful Pacific Islands, what better way to celebrate than actually go there.

This group of 13 major and 6 smaller islands (plus many islets) sits over a 1000km from the nearest mainland of Ecuador - to which they belong. Completely volcanic in origin, they are mainly extinct peaks and old lava flows. As a result, most of the islands look more like the moon and have hardly any vegetation.

This is what makes them so unique.

They are almost untouched by man, even though there is a population of around 30,000 people and urban developments on 5 of the larger islands to cater for the many tourists that flock here, the smaller islands are only visited by tourists, and there are strict rules about the effects of travelers.

The Islands:
There really isn’t a bad time to visit the Galapagos Islands for nature watching however, you must decide which season more suits your needs.

By that I mean that there are 2 different seasons: the warm/wet season from January to June or the cool/dry season from July to December. Both seasons offer great nature watching, but the warm/wet season is much more crowded and the cool/dry season can have rough seas and less business cater for tourists. It depends what is the worst of those two evils for you.

Isla Santa Cruise is the most important island as it houses the largest town in the Galapagos of Peurto Ayora. From here you can organise most budget tours and general supplies and accommodation. It is close to the airport and will suffice your average needs if travelling independently. It can be difficult to find cheaper tours during the busy season, and you may have to wait several days (or weeks) for a slot.

Tours and Cruises:
Everyone visiting the Galapagos Islands has to pay the $100/£50 entry fee - as it is a National Park. And to be honest, for a weeks vacation here including the flight from Ecuador (there are no direct flights from anywhere else), the entrance fee, bottled water, a cheap cruise and tips could easily top $1000/£500.

There are only a few terrestrial areas that you are allowed to visit alone without a guide, so you will need to book a cruise at some point to see the beauty of the whole place and those locations several days sail away. However, you may not be thinking of the type of ‘cruises’ they offer in the economy section.

Economy Cruises:
Some ships have shared accommodation - sometimes with mixed sex and there could be over 20 people on your tiny boat. There are also ships that do not have fresh water showers - or even actual showers - a hose on deck is not uncommon. Some do not supply fresh water, or any meat other than fish.

Itineraries can change, boats can break down, refuelling can take hours, the seas can be very, very rough - sometimes causing the ship to return to port for the sick person/people, and getting a refund can be extremely difficult.

Most of the economy cruises have a Spanish speaking guide only, or a guide in training who knows about the same or less than you about the wildlife - they mainly make sure that you don’t wander of the paths when on-land.

Upgrading a step could get you an English speaking guide and a shower, but you still can’t expect anything more than the basics, and of course breakdowns, sickness and changes can still occur.

Luxury Cruises:
They are available and usually need to be booked in advance as park of a holiday package, either in your home country (most expensive but guaranteed), in Quito (cheaper, but possibly with a wait of a few days for confirmation), or in Puerto Ayora (no cheaper really but you could be waiting for days or even a week here - wasting money on hotels etc).

Expect to pay at least double the cost, and some higher end cruises could cost up to 5 times the amount, but you will get extras. Always check on the particulars of each boat, including the number of people (you have to stay in your groups on the islands so smaller is better for nature watching, but less people crammed onto your boat means that you really need to get on with everyone - there is nowhere to hide from that annoying couple……)

Seeing as you are travelling all the way there, make sure it suits your needs. If you can get something better for another $10 then pay it. However saying that, some people think that the whole holiday can be made memorable by certain uncontrollable things happening - for example how sick you were on that trip or the woman you shared a cabin with who talked in her sleep…….

Don’t forget that the flights and park fee are never included in any cruise. They may well be included if you book a whole vacation package from your home country.

The Wildlife:
Well, there certainly are a lot of finches here! And a lot of other things to be honest. However there are no large native land mammals on the islands - it’s all birds and reptiles. However in the water you find the mammals and the fish - including non-people eating hammerhead sharks in their hundreds you can swim with…….

97% of the land here is designated as National Park, and 133,000 sq km of ocean is protected under the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve and a 20,000 sq km ‘buffer zone’ around it too. You need a guide to visit most areas, and many regions are no-tourist zones with or without a guide for the sake of the environment and delicate ecosystems. And no means no!

Birds are abundant here and seem almost fearless of humans. You will no doubt see over 30 species on your vacation without really trying - just hope your guide can identify them all for you. Species include the comical boobies (in Punta Pitt all 3 species can be seen together), and even Galapagos penguins on Isabela and Isla Fernandina.

Other well known species include frigate-birds, waved albatross, brown pelicans, blue herons, greater flamingos and many many wetland birds and gulls. There are however species specific only to these islands, so you will need a guide book if you want to tick of more than just ‘gull’ or ‘wader’ on your tours.

The islands are also famous for their reptiles, including the giant tortoises - of which there are many island-specific species. Snorkelers can get up close with many turtle species just offshore including the giant leather-backs, as well as the marine iguanas that grace many islands. Land iguanas and lava lizards stay on-land for those who would rather not get wet!

Sea-lions, and some 25 species of whales and dolphins are also frequently spotted on cruises.

Enjoy it while you can - there may soon be restrictions on tourist numbers here….

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 12

Operating only 2 smaller vessels for their guests, Azamara Cruises make sure that you get that special service you require, and can visit more sites than conventional giant cruise ships - meaning more of the destination to yourself - including Morocco, Thailand and even through to the Pacific.

Rather than crowd onto a larger ship with thousands of other people, hop on board either the Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest and travel in 5 star accommodation (including a butler service for every cabin) - along with excellent entertainment and dishes inspired by the world’s most renowned chefs - and you will be only one of a few hundred other guests being pampered.

Unforgettable Itineraries:
See some of the choices below for a taste of adventure…

Panama Canal- Cruise through the Caribbean on your way to the amazing Panama Canal from Florida through to California - all in luxury.  Stop in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico to be surrounded by dolphins and whales who use the natural harbour all year round, or make land in Costa Rica for a taste of the rain-forest.

Mediterranean Cruises - Start your journey of Europe in the picturesque city of Venice, where the Azamara Journey can navigate the waterways surrounding this ‘floating’ wonder, before blazing across the azure waters towards Athens or Barcelona, to witness years of our history trapped within their architecture and people.  Still on the Journey, you could leave Spain for one of several transatlantic cruises, including a 14 night voyage to Miami. 

Amazing Asia- Choose from busy Hong Kong, expanding China or sassy Singapore to board the Azamara Quest for your tropical journey into the mysterious East.  You find yourself amongst some of the most sought after views from the seas - great pinnacles of limestone fill your view, local fishermen hauling in their catches - or stare at the bright lights as you approach Japan in the evening.

Isolated Antarctica - Visit this little known continent in luxury as part of a longer cruise around South America, witnessing culture and people you will not be able to forget.

.