Category: Travelling

How to best explore Lake Bolsena

Italy is a highly rich country, at least as far as travelers are concerned. When you are walking through the streets of small Italian towns or even villages, it almost feels like you are part of an old, vintage movie and nothing has changed. Everything surrounding you, from the architectural style of the buildings to the small groceries built right on the street, everything is simply enchanting, hard to describe in words. If New York and Las Vegas are cities full of speed, lights and technology, Italy is at the opposite side. So, what should any traveler do to really discover the beauty of this country, to be dazzled by simplicity rather than luxury? The answer is simpler than you might expect. Agritourism is the type of traveling you should try. If you wanted to visit Italy, then you most likely have heard of the enchanting area of Lake Bolseno. Located in the center of the country, near the sunny and warm Tuscany, this volcanic lake seems to draw a surprising number of tourists year after year. However, for one reasons or another, you won’t find an overwhelming number of Lake Bolsena hotels.

This fact reveals a secret, one that that you should be aware of, if you are thinking of visiting this destination. There is no better way to see the beauties of this land other than by choosing an agriturismo Lake Bolsena accommodation option. These are usually establishments that are built on the notion of tradition, of culture. Agritourism offers a completely different understanding of the concept of traveling. You will be taken away from the modern lifestyle, from the noisy streets, filled with fast moving cars, from the long lines to get into museums, from fast food restaurants and of hotels without any personality. When choosing a farmhouse holiday, you are given the opportunity to enjoy the simple lie. You can swim in the lake Bolsena, without being accompanied by a great number of people you don’t know. Each day, you have the chance to walk on stony roads, organize a picnic in the woods, visiting vineyards and seeing the center of Montefiascone with different eyes.

As far as the actual accommodation is concerned, you should know that you are welcomed in traditional houses and apartments that fit in perfectly with the rest of the buildings in the surrounding area. You will no longer be accommodated in the typical hotel room. As you can easily see, agritourism does bring something completely special, it brings a new experience, one through which you can fully understand a culture, a specific tradition. In fact, this is the true way one should travel. In the end, the goal is find the differences in cultures, not necessarily the similarities. Originality rests in differences, so make all efforts to discover them. If Lake Bolsena is the area that has convinced you, then focus on finding the right agritourism company to work with, one that can offer you a truly revealing experience and the chance to enjoy nature at its best.

If you want to find out more about agriturismo Lake Bolsena and about a different kind of Lake Bolsena hotels, please click on these links!

Things To Do When Traveling In Cambodia

Cambodia is a land on the mend. From 1977 through 1980, the Khmer Rouge ruled the country, fanatics bent on genocide. Millions were killed and the period was put to film in the movie, “The Killing Fields.” Fortunately, those days are over and the country is becoming a tourist destination.

Cambodia is a land of incredible contrast. Thick forest, mountains and pristine rivers compliment amazing white beaches. When you get down to it, however, travelers know Cambodia for two things, Angkor Wat and the nastiest roads around. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. The city is a combination of old French beauty and modern condominiums. The city is full of amazing Wats [Buddist monasteries], including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and Wat Moha Montrei. Modern buildings surround these monasteries and it’s difficult to avoid a feeling that the old ways are being lost.

Still, the vibrancy of the city is impressive considering the fact that it was completely abandoned for three years in the last 70s. During this period, the Khmer Rouge tried to return the Cambodian people to their agricultural heritage and evacuated all cities. The only exception, of course, is Tuol Sleng, a high school used to torture and kill “enemies of the state.” Just beyond the city, one will also find the infamous killing fields where thousands upon thousands were put to death.

Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville is a small, sleepy village on the Southwest edge of Cambodia. Fairly undeveloped, the area is an oasis similar to the beaches of Thailand. The difference, however, is the lack of tourists. Depending on the time of year, the beaches can be more or less empty and privacy assured. Rooms run between $5 and $15 a night and come with private bathrooms. If you are looking to lounge professionally, Sihanoukville is a very good place to do it.

Angkor Wat

Stunning. There is no other word for the temples of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a temple surrounded by hundreds of others. Each is unique and worth a look. The most famous are Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Phrom. Angkor Wat is in the best shape as well as the most known. The Bayon is impressive, but the constant mob of tourist makes it a pain to visit. Ta Phrom is amazing because it has been left to the jungle, which is to say trees and the structure have become one in many areas. If you have seen Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie, you have seen Ta Phrom. Personally, I prefer Angkor Wat to the Pyramids in Egypt.

Roads From Hell

Cambodian roads are evil. There is simply no other way to put it. The country is hit by monsoons every year and is still recovering from the Khmer Rouge. This combination has resulted in roads with huge potholes, missing bridges and pretty much the worst elements of Dante’s Hell. Avoid them if at all possible!

For tips on types of perms and mice droppings, visit the Knowledge Galaxy website.

Travelling Tips for New Year Holiday to Keep Healthy

It is the New Year now. In the New Year holiday, many people plan to have a travel outside to relax themselves. The weather in this holiday is so cold, so I will introduce some tips people should pay attention to in travelling.

Drink black tea one week in advance. Study found that drinking 500 ml of black tea every day one week before travel will stimulate the body to secrete 2-4 times of interferon more than usual, which can enhance the immune system and allow you not vulnerable virus caused by the common cold and hepatitis.

Prepare ample anti-hypoxia drugs. Irish researchers found that more than half of the passengers will have hypoxia symptom when they take planes. Hypoxia combined with dehydration, sedentariness and drying and other factors can induce a variety of diseases. So, it is suggested that travelers eat acetazolamide to increase the body’s oxygen metabolism two days before taking planes.

Eat protein before departure. According to the American Academy of Neurology’s theory, when people take vehicles, ear vestibule balance receptors in human body will stimulated and make people feel dizzy, nausea, vomiting and have other symptoms. Pennsylvania State University study shows that eating protein such as eggs and beef before takeoff could reduce nausea and other symptoms by 26%.

Drink bottled water outside. To travel in remote areas or underdeveloped countries, it is better not to the local water. Experts recommend you drink bottled water when traveling to avoid viruses and bacterial infection. Brushing teeth and cleaning contact lenses are better to use boiled water.

Remember to wash hands frequently. Experts think that washing hands frequently during travel is the best way to prevent various infections. If it is not convenient to wash hand, you can take a bottle of alcohol (content of 60% or more). In addition, do not touch poultry and wild birds, for they are highly susceptible to infectious diseases.

What To Do If You Miss Your Flight

Traveling by airplane is quicker and more efficient than traveling by car, but that does not mean that you will not run into problems. Probably the most common problem, as well as the biggest headache, is a missed flight. A missed flight causes a variety of problems. If it was a connecting flight, you will likely miss all of your connections as well. The airplane has to fly with an empty seat, which they do not like, and, often, your bags will not miss their flight, and will arrive at your destination without you.

What should you do if you miss your flight? The very first thing that you should do is head to the reservation desk. Tell the clerk that you have missed your flight, and do not leave until you have a plan, in writing, for how you will continue your trip. If missing your flight was your own fault, you may expect to pay, if not the full ticket price, then a penalty on a reissued ticket. If you miss your flight because your connecting flight arrived late, the airline will work with you to get you in the air as soon as possible.

In most cases, the airline will put you on the next available flight, with their airline. In some cases, particularly if there is a chance that you can catch a further connection, or the next available flight is not until the next day, the airline may put you on the next available flight with a different airline. Either way, do not leave the area until you know what flight you will be on, and when it departs.

Why Miss a Plane?

One may miss their flight because of a variety of reasons; some cannot be helped while others are just a mistake. It is rare that you miss a plane because of traffic or oversleeping. Most missed flights occur in connecting flights. Often, the layover time between connecting flights is not sufficient to allow the passenger to disembark and find the terminal for his departing flight. Many airports are large, and for someone who does not travel a great deal, can be confusing to navigate. Once they arrive at the correct terminal, they must still go through security.

Another reason for missing connecting flights is if the plane experiences mechanical difficulties. It is common for a plane to sit on the tarmac, passengers on board, while mechanics work to repair a problem on the plane. In this case, the passengers who have a limited amount of layover time may not make their connecting flights. Sometimes, if many of the passengers on board are in danger of missing their connecting flight, the connecting flight may be held, but, as you can imagine, this creates another set of problems on the arrival at the next airport.

Weather is another cause of missed flights. Sometimes a plane is held and not allowed to take off because of lightning or heavy winds. Other times a plane may be held while it is deiced. Even if a plane makes it into the air, strong winds or turbulence can slow the plane down in flight, causing is to arrive behind schedule.

Mechanical problems are clearly the responsibility of the airline, but weather conditions and tight layover scheduling are not, and the airline may be less accommodating of problems relating to weather or scheduling than they are in problems related to mechanical issues.

Where are Your Bags?

While you may have missed your flight, it is unlikely that your bags did. They are probably tucked safely away on your original flight. If your arriving flight was delayed long enough that the connecting flight left before your plane arrived, you may be able to collect your bags, but this is not typically how it happens. People are often in the airport when their flight leaves. If you have departed from your plane, but do not make it through security before your connection leaves, there is a good chance that your bags were transferred and are on your original flight. This is one of the reasons that you should always carry any medication as well as a change of clothes with you in your carry on. While the chances are good that you will be reunited with your bags in the future, that will not make you feel any better when you are sitting in the airport lobby, waiting for dawn and the next flight out.

Minimize Your Chances of Missing Your Flight

The best way to minimize your chance of a missed flight is to allow plenty of time between connecting flights. While no one wants to spend all day in an airport lobby, you should ask the ticket agent for enough time to disembark, visit the restroom and make it to the next terminal. The larger the airport you are flying into, the more time you should allow, as moving from terminal to terminal can take a considerable amount of time. While you cannot control the weather or the mechanics of the plane, you can make sure you have amble time to make your connection.

What’s So Great About Travelling Alone

The hardest decision that faces most gap year and career break travellers is not choosing between Africa, Asia, Europe or South America. Nor is it, packing the complete world travel guide (just in case) or a lifetime supply of insect repellent. Choosing whether to travel with friends or to go it alone is actually the most important decision youll ever make, and its one that will affect every aspect of your trip.

Whether youre 17 or going on 70, if you havent ever been away by yourself before, it can seem like the most terrifying thing in the world. Though it seems incredibly daunting, boldly going where youve never gone before can be a fantastically liberating experience. Travelling alone gives you the freedom to go wherever you want and do whatever you want; all you need to do is make sure that you make the most of every opportunity and experience along the way!

A little soul searching

Spending time away from everything and everyone youre used to will give you the perfect opportunity to not only do new and exciting things, but to learn a lot of things you never knew about yourself. Relying on your own abilities may seem a little too Bear Grylls but youll be surprised by your newfound sense of capability and independence.

Travelling is a great way to learn about new cultures and challenge yourself, and that doesnt necessarily mean eating unidentified bugs. From climbing Everest to teaching a class of 200 in northern Africa, going it alone will open up a whole world of new experiences that you never thought you could cope with, and give you a whole new set of skills to bring home with you.

A social extravaganza

Travelling with friends can be an amazing experience, but it can also be a limiting one. Setting off with your buddies or your partner might feel comforting, but its all too easy to end up relying on each other so much that you miss out on opportunities to meet new people. Without your trusty friends at your side, youll be far more likely to make an effort to seize each chance to make new friends and youll get to know a lot more people.

Whether youre travelling independently or with a company you will come across people from all walks of life; staying in hostels, interacting with the locals and even as you travel from place to place, its guaranteed that youll meet some like minded people along the way, and almost certain that youll find a few lifelong friends. Dont forget that there are hundreds of travellers out there who have decided to go it alone and they will be just as keen as you are to make new friends.

If you want, a cast-iron guarantee that youll see a few friendly faces when you get out there, the best solution is to go through a company. Travelling as part of a group or volunteer project, you can be certain that there will be other people there and quite a few of them will be solo travellers too. Companies like Real Gap send out a buddy list a few weeks before you go, which gives contact details of all of the travellers going on the same trip as you so you can get in touch before you leave, swap packing tips and maybe even arrange a group flight.

A chance to be selfish

Travelling on your own gives you the chance to be utterly and completely selfish. You can plan to do exactly what you want, where you want, and for however, long you feel like doing it. There will be no need to compromise on which famous sites you want to see and how long or how short your trip up the mountain is; your itinerary will be completely up to you. You might miss your friends for a little while but youll soon appreciate the freedom of choice you have without them.

Youll also be able to make the most of any opportunities that come your way; if you make some new friends and decide that you want to tag along with them for a few weeks or fall in love with a place and want to stay there a little longer, you can. If youre travelling with a company and decide that you want to change your trip or project, there will be no other feelings to consider than your own, so you can always do whats right for you. After all, if you cant make your trip of a lifetime all about you, when can you?

Top solo travel tips

If youre travelling alone, there are a few essential things you need to do to get the most you possibly can out of your gap year or career break trip, here are the top 3.

Be outgoing

Life as a traveller is nothing like life at home, while you wouldnt strike up a conversation with the person next to you in Tesco, thats exactly the kind of thing that will win you friends overseas. Now is the time to get yourself down to the hostel bar, take part in the optional activities and try out your phrase book on the locals! Travelling alone is the best possible cure for shyness, and you will definitely get back what you put in!

Be aware of your personal safety

Through travelling is probably the only situation where its good to talk to strangers, you still need to be aware of where you are and what youre doing. Personal safety may not be the most exciting of things but it is important when youre in an unfamiliar country with not altogether familiar people. Making new friends is great but make sure you dont get too intoxicated, and keep any eye on your valuables when youre out and about. Its a good idea to keep your loved ones updated on how youre doing by sending emails or writing an online blog, that way theyll be able to track of where you are and whats going on.

If youre keen on safety issues, companies like Real Gap offer specialised safety courses that will help you to prepare for any eventuality and give you a lot more confidence about setting off on your own.

Manage your expectations

When youre travelling to a new country youre likely to experience a little of whats known as culture shock. The best way to make sure you get the most out of your trip is to be prepared; do some research into your destinations cultures, traditions and history. Its important to respect the culture of the country youre visiting; different countries have different social rules and different standards of life, its your job to fit in and knowing what to expect will make it a lot easier.

If youre travelling with a company youll get a pre-departure pack full of country and trip information, it might seem tedious but its a good idea to read every single page. Youll definitely be wishing youd read up a bit more if youre the only one who turns up in shorts and a t-shirt in monsoon season!