Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Aug 10

Take a visit to the historic, sun-blessed and beautiful sandy-beached Hilton Head Island!

If you fancy a vacation with difference - then consider this pretty little island in the very south of South Carolina on the Atlantic coast.  Whether you want to explore the extensive sand dunes and wetlands, play on some of the internationally famous golf courses (the PGA stop of Verizon Heritage) - or to just relax in a great rental and watch the sun set over the waters - try out this location for size!

And with a nickname of ‘Sun City’ you couldn’t want for a better location to spend your well earned vacation!

The Destination:
On the Eastern Seaboard - this historic location has over 19 kms of beach and tribes on indigenous peoples and their culture.  It is also a popular tourist location and so has all the modern trappings that a vacationer needs - but still in relative peace and quiet!

This location has very ‘eco friendly’ design plans where buildings have to be built around existing trees rather than bulldozing them down!  More than 70% of the housing here is in gated communities - including the many Hilton Head vacation rentals that you may be tempted into hiring for your vacation!

With pools, security, delightful tree cover and access to beaches in all directions - this place has it all!

And there is more would you believe it?  There is a full size choral society, a symphony orchestra and a Broadway-Quality plays throughout the year!  Add this to the famous golf courses and tennis championships and the huge wine-tasting events - and what more could you ask for?

Making Plans:
This island getaway is certainly a popular location - so make sure that you plan in advance if you want a certain rental.  Some are on the beach, some facing inland and others surrounded by trees - so depending on what you want from your vacation - it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do some research into what is out there.

Also, it’s worth knowing whether you are within walking distance of certain activities or locations that you know you want to visit - like shopping centers, theatres or fishing harbours - thus helping to save on travel costs once you arrive!

It’s also worth knowing a bit about the history of the island before setting off as well - as Hilton Head certainly has a long a varied history, from it’s first discovery, through to its uses over the past few hundred years and all it’s remaining historical buildings and trees that line the streets across the city.

I found a great site that details all the information you are going to need for planning your trip here - including details about vacation rentals.  It’s easy to use and is packed full of information about costs, dates, activites, golf courses and some perfect beach front properties - you just need to filter your searches and they could help you find the ideal location for you and your family at the right price!

So, just click on one of the links in this post to take you to the best place to start in your vacation search in Hilton Head.

Hope you enjoy yourself there!

posted by Travel Cat on Aug 5

If you want to visit the ultimate waterfall in the Americas - it has to be Niagara Falls!

For sheer scale - this falls is some place you need to visit - like the other 28 million visitors that travel to this amazing site!  It has size, it has width - and it has some of the greatest tourist facilities out there!

Unlike Angel Falls and Iguazu Falls - where you have to trek for hours to get there and then only stay for about 60 minutes - you can get a hotel room right on top of Niagara Falls! 

If you choose the right Niagara Falls hotel - and there are many out there - you can see the whole promenade area lit up with viewpoints, restaurants and bars and other tourist attractions - all from your balcony!

Although you might not want to tumble over the top in a barrel and fall around 50 meters to it’s base - you can certainly catch a boat ride into the mist that shrouds the base of the falls - and hear close up the thundering water travelling from Lake Erie to the Atlantic Ocean!

Facts About Niagara Falls:
Niagara is actually the name of the river that runs here - not the waterfall.  The actual waterfalls (there are 3 of them) have different names:  The largest is the Horseshoe Falls, and the smaller part the other side of Goat Island is called American Falls.  A much smaller waterfall the other side of Luna Island on the American side, is the Bridal Veil Falls!

Over 6 million cubic feet of water fall over the crest of the falls EVERY MINUTE during wet weather - on an average day it is still around 4 million!

Due to this power, the falls have actually retreated just under 7 miles in documented history, and have even changed shape along the way!  It was much straighter to begin, then curved and is now a strong ’horseshoe’ shape (hence the name of that larger part).  Engineering works have slowed the rate of retreat today and have managed to prevent it’s erosion from altering the falls - or the site itself!

The Niagara Falls Area:
When you take a trip here, there is plenty to see and do.  Whether you just soak up the atmosphere in a first class hotel overlooking the crashing falls, take a boat ride, wander the streets at night with the falls lit up in amazing colors, eat out in style, or even pop into the Fallsview Casino for a great night out - there is a whole town set up here to cater for your every need!

The Niagara falls area is now so popular with guests that a whole economy has sprung up to cater for it’s visitors demands.  There are top quality golf courses, helicopter rides, shows, entertainment, casinos, day trips and horseback riding all within a few minutes of the center.

There are also natural beauties to go see including the Cave of Winds, where you take an elevator down to beneath Bridal Falls and go on a walk around passages that create hurricane force winds beneath the falls.  There are view points all over both sides and on the islands between the falls too - as well as behind the falls through rock openings!

Viewing Niagara Falls is perfect in any weather - maybe you catch it shrouded in a rising mist in the early hours, or reflecting moonlight on a full moon - or even surrounded by blankets of snow in the winter!

So, get online and book yourself some great Niagara Falls deals for your weekend vacation this year - and next! 

You won’t regret it!

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 22

Welcome back, and I hope the first 5 beautiful spots tempted you enough to come back for this second part!

So, let’s get straight back into it, and get going on the final 5 - hope you like them…..

6) The Great Rift Valley - East Africa
Needless to say, this huge region is filled with wildlife and absolutely beautiful landscapes!

Surrounded by huge lakes, miles of mountains and plateaus and crammed full of greenery - you will certainly need you camera working on overtime! It contains some of the highest mountains in Africa as well as active and dormant volcanoes and some of the largest lakes in the world!

Witness where man first stepped out into the world and where this massive continent is actually splitting in 2 creating a new ocean!

7) Serengeti/Masai Mara National Park - Tanzania/Kenya
This is one of the largest and most visited National Parks in Africa due to it’s endless landscapes filled with huge game and indigenous tribes.

Famous for its unbelievable migration of around 1.5 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra every year! As a result it has the largest population of lions of any national park and has the other 4 from the notorious ‘Big Five’.

Be prepared for some endless views of the savanna and the bumpiest car rise you have ever been on!  Alternatively, why not hire a hot air balloon for a champagne ride across the sky and get a panoramic view of this unforgiving landscape.

8.) The Great Dunes - Namibia
Down the southern edge of the continent and bordering the cold southern Atlantic Ocean - this region is one of the driest areas in the region. After years and years of little rain - the dunes have grown and grown into some of the largest dunes in the world!

Although you might think that makes for a bland landscape - you would be wrong. The canyons formed here and the huge wetlands along the coast add to the sheer beauty of the harshness fund here. Spotting a single antelope on an almost endless dune several kilometers in length is something to be admired.

9) Underneath The Red Sea - Egypt

Take yourself to another world underneath the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea Riviera! 

Filled to the brim with tropical and colourful fish, huge shallow-water reefs and marine mammals.  Whether you stay close to the shore or snorkel from the beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada - or you charter a boat out into deeper water and spend the day in this underwater world!

10) Marrakech - Morocco
If you love bright colours, the hustle and bustle of lively markets and a whole host of adobe buildings and materials painted in the brightest of hues - them this is the place for you.

This vibrant city - close to the entrance to the Mediterranean - is a hagglers heaven! With different cultures plying different trades on every corner, and different kitchens offering an endless array of foods and cooked meals - plus the influence of different religions on the architecture: this offers a whole different kind a beauty from the natural landscape surrounding it.

Send in your pictures!

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 16

There are thousands of amazing locations in Africa, but I have narrowed it down to my Top 10.

Spread across this huge continent and all showing off the varied cultures and landscapes that can be found from the very north to the southern tip of this diverse and colourful continent!

Africa is  the second largest continent in the World - and there is plenty here to prove it.  From the glorious Mediterranean Sea way north of the Tropic of Cancer, to within miles of Antarctica in the south; from the roaring Atlantic Ocean on the West Coast to the gentle azure water to the Indian Ocean to the East.  And everything in-between!

Currently known as the birthplace of human evolution, this country is still filled with indigenous people and new-comers alike.  There are over a billion people living here, with over 2000 languages spoken by those living here. 

But it’s not just about the people - the places are breath-taking too, with every known habitat type found here.  From mountains and volcanoes to deserts and valleys; from tropical cloud forest to barren Savannah - and all the different wildlife that offers.

So, imagine you are planning your next vacation here - and choose your ideal location!

1) Okavango Delta - Botswana
The most lush and verdant wetland - that doesn’t empty in to the sea!  This inland ‘estuary’ fills with water during the wet season - leaving you totally surrounded by endless wildlife and plants.

Miles and miles or canals and waterways to travel along, attracting huge numbers of elephants, hippos and giraffes.  Not to mention flowers, insects and birds galore!  Hotels are on the main rivers and tributaries - so you can share breakfast with a herd of elephants!

2) Garden Route - South Africa
Famed for it’s ocean views and mountain backgrounds - this coastal stretch is crammed full of flowers in the peak season - crammed full!

Not only are there whales to see in the warm Indian Ocean where it meets the cooler Atlantic, but our own history right before us.  The shells on the beaches weren’t brought here and dumped - they are thousands of years worth of human waste; from when we first became humans and discovered seafood!

3) Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe & Zambia
This huge slice through the middle of 2 countries is just jaw-dropping.  The nearly 2000 metres wide Zambezi river falls over the top - and has cut back into the rocks over thousands of years to engulf 7 different gorges - and now looks like a great big gash in the landscape that seems to swallow up the river into the ground beneath it!

Needless to say there are different locations from which to view it - and there are hotels along it’s banks - but the best view must be from a helicopter flying into the heart of the gorge!  Nothing would be more amazing than getting inside this amazing natural feature!

4) The Seychelles - Indian Ocean
Needless to say that these tiny islands are totally beautiful!  Surrounded by the Indian Ocean and dotted with tropical jungles and exotic species - you can’t go wrong here!

There are 115 islands to choose from for your visit - although some are more populated than others!  Some have those amazing giant granite ‘pebbles’ resting at the waters edge, and others are a haven for tropical birds and insects.  Whichever you choose - I doubt you will be disappointed!

5) Madagascar - Indian Ocean
Another island nation - altogether larger than any in the Seychelles - but is unique for it’s lemurs, chameleons, baobab trees and the Dodo!

With miles of exotic coastline edged up to by dense tropical jungles - this is a haven for wildlife lovers!  The island was under colonial control for thousands of years so there is a lot of European influence in language, culture and architecture.  Quite a interesting mix!

These are just the first 5 beautiful places in Africa that I would recommend - so join me in a few days for the remaining 5 spots - if these aren’t enough for starters! 

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 5

Why not forget the new - and go in search of the old!

Have you considered taking a trip somewhere away from the crowds - and maybe swatting up on a bit of history along the way?

Rather than flying to a single destination in the sun and only seeing the beach and the restaurant, why not explore whole regions with a past - and some great architecture and maybe the odd royal connection or scandal!

Here are 5 great areas you could consider visiting for just this piece of history without an Egyptian in sight!

1) Central America:  The Maya, Olmecs and Toltecs
Visit any number of ancient temples, caves and whole cities swallowed up by the jungle!  There are so many sites that have been discovered in the thick rainforests from Mexico down to Guatemala.

You can explore many of these completely alone with just the toucan and monkeys for company where as others are crammed with tourists day after day.  Whether you take a tour, an individual guide or a hotel day trip - you will not be disappointed!

2) South America: The Inca
Many of these ruins and archaeological sites are in the mountains - and a walking holiday here is nothing but breath-taking!

There are no bus rides between these sites - you get the pleasure of walking and camping in the very mountains where these cultures farmed and lived.  I have been here - and take my word for it - they is beautiful!

3) Cambodia: Angkor Wat
This extensive building complex has a fascinating history - and it is even more wonderful than when it was first used in the 1300’s.

Covering acres and acres of flat fields, drainage basins and waterways, this site was once the centre of a great culture who learned to harness the monsoon to support a huge community.

Luckily the buildings lasted longer than the civilisation that dreamt up this towering and sprawling site.  Don’t just take 1 day here - it’s not enough!  And read up before you go to get the most out of it!

4) Europe: Italy
If you want great architecture and some classical reading, then consider the home of the Romans!

There are so many ancient trading, religious and academic sites in this country - that it is nothing short of a huge open air museum that serves great food all day every day!

Rome, Venice, Pisa, Genoa, Milan, Florence, Naples and Turin all within driving distance.  I mean where else could you see so much of Europe’s past set in the sun and virtually all within sea views of crystal clear blue seas!

5) China:  Great Wall, Xian, the Forbidden City
No cultural trip is complete without a trip to the ancient world of China.

There are tales of them inventing virtually everything, mapping the globe and the night sky and having sailed around the world many years before the Europeans.  There is even the idea that they started the Renaissance in Italy after settling there!

With some amazing geography, ancient culture, picturesque architecture and a very long history - this has surely got to be one of the best historical vacation spots out there!