Amazing Earth: The Hidden Treasures of China

If you consider breathtaking views and unbelievable photographies as indispensable attributes of your travel experience, then China is definitely the place for you. A country of amazing diversity and impressive cultural heritage, China is the beholder of some of the world’s best kept secrets in terms on natural wonders. This is why today, as part of our ‘Amazing Earth’ series, I decided to present you two of China’s most beautiful national parks: Mount Sanqingshan in Jiangxi Province and Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan. …

Five Challenging Cultural Tours for the 2010 Summer

In such times of cultural awakening, cheap traveling and widely available information, the world begins to look more and more like a huge open air museum. And one must admit that there are few things that today’s travel industry cannot offer: form the Ancient Silk Road to the footsteps of Belgian comic hero Tin Tin, tour organizers are coming with creative options that can feed your craving for knowledge and adventure.

Today’s post will try to give you a few suggestions on what is there to see and explore in the soon to come summer of 2010: …

Summer 2010: 5 Great Places to Volunteer

Some people say that there is an age for volunteering (under 30) just like there is an age for cruising (some call it retirement). But this doesn’t necessarily mean that one cannot go globe trotting when he/she is 18 or volunteer after one just got retired. In the latest years, active vacations have become a contagious trend.

There are plenty of under-developed countries and marginalized people that need all the money, know-how and enthusiasm of their more fortunate fellows, with no regard of their age. Most of these countries are relatively unknown to the average traveler, and are very likely to offer life-changing experiences. In many cases, a volunteering job will also get you free accommodation, meals and numerous possibilities for cheap traveling.

Even though some volunteering stages can be as expensive as $5000 per month, it is hard to say no to such opportunities as swimming with the dolphins in the Indian Ocean or living among the native tribes in the Amazonian rain forest. As we can consider the 2010 holiday season open, here are some amazing places where you can spend your active vacation: …

Top 5 Spain Beaches

Playa de las Catedrales

The top 5 Spain beaches are just as extraordinary as they are definite must-sees for everyone who goes there. Just 3 days ago we were posting an article regarding Italy’s top beaches and giving you a few suggestions on where you can find the finest sand and most beautiful views. You might find plenty of arguments on the web according to which Greece, Italy or even France is the beholder of the best beaches in Europe, but let us not forget that the marvelous beaches is among the top 3 reasons why Spain is such a major tourist destination.

And let us not forget that only the Canary and Balearic archipelagos alone are some of the most popular summer destination in the whole Europe. With poetic names like Costa Verde, Costa del Sol, Costa Tropical or Costa Blanca, the shores of Spain take the most surprising forms, thus forming an amazing variety of beaches. Today we will only focus on 5 of them, those that are, in our opinion, some of the most scenic in the whole country: …

Amazing Earth – Seychelles Islands

The Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean are amongst those rare locations where nature is so beautiful and diverse and the sensation that you have reached paradise so strong, that I might take the first time traveler a couple of days to adjust to the high beauty standards of the place.

Each of the 115 islands that are part of the Seychelles archipelago represent a universe of its own. Among these, Mahé (also the administrative, economical and cultural region of the country), Praslin and La Digue are the most popular destinations, and concentrate a big part of the island’s attractions. …

5 Scenic Golf Courses Around the World

Few people ever think of traveling from the perspective of a sports player. Although it is true the the contemporary lifestyle often associates traveling with an active living (just take a look at all the gym equipment and activities provided by a luxury hotel or cruise ship), there aren’t many people who travel around the world just for the sake of sports alone (with the exception of big tournaments like World Cup or the Olympics, of course).

This is why today we decided to tell you a little about golf courses and which are your best alternatives in case you want to mix golf with pleasure and see some of the most spectacular golf courses on the planet. …

Top 5 Italian Beaches

Rimini

With approximately 7,600 km of coastline, Italy is everything that one could expect from summer destination. Due to the country’s varied geography, Italy beaches are some of the most diverse: you will encounter all kind of beaches, from pebble beaches and white sand beaches to the rare black sand beaches, as well as artificial beaches (like those near Venice).

The Italian coastline also offers some of the best views in Europe: rolling hills, palm trees and volcano peaks create the most unexpected combinations, wile the picturesque fisher villages and antique towns welcome you in their white-washed villas and lively piazzettas. The transportation is quite easy. There are plenty of cheap flights and bargain travel deals to Italy. Today’s post is nothing but an invitation to discover the best of Italy’s beaches: …

Five Cannes Attractions that You Shouldn’t Miss

Cannes

With the 63rd edition of Cannes Film Festival ready to start in just a couple of days, it’s time to make your last-minute preparations and decide what exactly what you want out of this trip. As the eccentric Tim Burton will preside this year’s jury, film buffs all over the world are expecting for an explosive edition.

But as devoted one is to movies, it would be a pity to travel to this lovely Mediterranean town and not get to taste its warm sun and laid-back atmosphere. For those lonely afternoons when you feel like giving a rest to your movie-infused eyes and brain or just wandering off, we give you five of Cannes most popular attractions: …

Amazing Earth: Socotra Island

As we presented you some of the wonders of Galapagos at the beginning of this week, today we will focus our attention on the Island of Scotora in the Indian Ocean. Our choice is by no means accidental: also known as the ‘Second Galapagos’, Socotra represents an out of this world territory.

Situated midway between the African coast and the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Socotra is populated by the most amazing species, many of them endemic and forming unique ecosystems. Although the island is not so far form the African coast, the sea has represented an often unsurmountable barrier, thus leading to the apparition and evolution of unique species. …

Top 5 Favorite Beach Destinations for the Month of May

There might be no association between ‘May’ and ‘beach vacation’ in a traveler’s mind, but we all know that the best traveling implies a certain degree of craziness and a little bit of thinking out of the box.

Deciding to go for a beach vacation during the month of May can, however, result in several advantages: you have a chance to avoid the summer crowds, take advantage of extra season prices and, in many cases, stay away from summer’s unbearable heat. This being said, here are those precious beaches that make an ideal destination for the month of May: …