Tea regions around the world

Since some time ago we had an entry about cities where the most delicious brews are made, worthwhile destinations for coffee-lovers and simple, beauty-seeking tourists alike. This time, I though that it would be interesting to do a similar article on another immensely popular drink: tea. Hot or cold, black, green, red or white, tea comes in virtually thousands of tastes and colours.

Regular folks like their brew laced with sugar, lemon, milk or other seasonings and aromas, but for a true tea purists, where the tea comes for counts the most. Incidentally, tea is and has always been grown in some of the most amazing places in the world. So leave your tea-bags in the cupboard, brew up some loose-leaf orange pekoe and read about where your delicious cuppa comes from… …

Short Guide to Quebec’s summer festivals

Quebec city center during night

Canada has more travel destinations than you can contemplate at once, and the best thing about them is that they are all so different. Depending on which part f Canada you’re visiting, you will feel like you are in another country. This goes especially for Quebec, the only Canadian province with French as it’s only official language.

Talk about old world charm! So brush up on your French, or arm yourself with a good phrasebook, and take a tour of Quebec. And before you go, check out this list of Quebec’s biggest and greatest summer festivals. This province has lots of exciting festivals, and they happen anywhere and anytime. So have your fill of historic and cultural attractions, and then find your groove at an amazing festival. …

Amazing Earth: Nicaragua

The land of lakes and volcanoes, the largest country in Central America, is a primarily country agricultural country, but lately tourism has become one of the its leading industries. Presently, Nicaragua is in the middle of an economic boom thanks to the influx of tourists, and this boom is affecting all aspects of Nicaraguan life.

So if you want to take advantage of the freshness of the Nicaraguan landscape and way of life, you had better take advantage of it while you can. Old colonial town and natural wonders and what make Nicaragua are great place for a holiday, especially if you are planning to backpack. Nicaragua is a poor country still, so you won’t need a huge budget to get around, and the beautiful sights that await you there definitely make it a worthy destination. …

Unusual things to do on a Hawaiian holiday

When talking about holidays on lush, tropical islands, one of the first destinations that spring to mind is Hawaii. As far as US states go, Hawaii is one of the least conventional ones. Not only is it a tropical island state, but it also feels like a completely different world. Gone are the picket-fenced urban areas, charming small towns or cutting-edge sky-scrappers.

In Hawaii, there’s only beaches, forests, resorts and a seemingly perpetual holiday mood. Most tourists crowd to Hawaii to bask in the sun, swim or dive. Still, there are lots of activities that you can try while visiting Hawaii, and while they are by no means a secret kept from the hordes of tourists, these activities are not your regular fare of beach entertainment. …

Most impressive natural wonders in South America

South America is a truly impressive place, and given it’s expanse and variety, it’s next to impossible to visit all the interesting places of this continent in one trip. The first and greatest advantage of South America is the fact that it is naturally beautiful.

Of course, man-made structures such as those built by ancient South American civilizations, or the modern structures built from the 20th century onwards are another sensible reason why this continent is such a great place. There is virtually no country in South America that doesn’t have its share of tourist attractions, be they more or less well-known. Today’s post will focus on some of Mother Nature’s gifts to this amazing continent. …

The Adventurer’s Guide to Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, or PNG, is not the most accessible travel destination you can pick for your holiday. Located on the eastern part of the island of New Guinea (the other half belongs to Indonesia), PNG is a fascinating place with a unique culture and tons of sights, but unfortunately with an almost non-existent tourism infrastructure. On one hand, this can be considered as a blessing: nothing is artificial or modified for the sake of trapping tourists, what you see is what you get. And what you get are gritty towns, isolated mountains, jungles and villages that don’t seem to have changed for centuries. …

Best extreme sports holidays

While some of us like to spend their holidays relaxing on a beach, exploring unknown places and discovering cultures and peoples, for others a holiday is an excellent opportunity to pump up their adrenaline levels to insane quotas. Extreme sports are a means of disconnecting yourself from day-to-day life for some, but others live for the excitement and never miss the chance to jump, fly, glide or dive.

Most of the time you can combine traveling with extreme sports, and there are some great locations around the world where the extreme sport of your choice seems all the more dangerous and rewarding. So here is what you can do if you are set on taking a holiday on the edge. …

The adventurer’s guide to trekking in Bhutan

For many people, Bhutan is a small spot on the vast map of Asia, just in the eastern corner of India. But whereas when thinking of major Asian destinations such as India, Thailand or China you have a clear image of what you can expect, Bhutan seems much more mysterious and elusive. Sure, the scenery looks amazing and the country is considered to be the last Shangri-La by Buddhists and those who are interested in Eastern religions.

But if you look behind the mystical aura that surrounds Bhutan (from the western perspective, at least), you’ll find that this little country is the perfect destination for a special eastern adventure. Visiting Bhutan is like returning to good ol’ fashioned traveling – no nightclubs, beaches and restaurants, just the pure enjoyment of seeing something completely different. …

North African Adventure III: Lifestyle

I am not even going to attempt to analyze the lifestyle of the peoples who inhabit North Africa, it would be very difficult to draw some general conclusions about nations that are so very different. However, I can make a few suggestions as to what you can do while touring North Africa – and let me tell you, it’s quite difficult to pick only four or five things to talk about!

If you want to get to know a bit about the life of the people living in a country, all you have to do is follow their lead and do whatever they do in their free time. So here are the most interesting (and well, a bit cliche) things to do in North Africa. …

Summer in Provence

Provence, or more precisely the larger region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur is probably the most popular travel destination in France. When thinking about Provence, the first things that spring to mind are the postcards of lavender fields and country cottages (although I can’t say about the country cottages, lavender fields are not all that common in Provence).

The countryside in Provence is magnificent, but the cosmopolitan side of the region is just as interesting as it’s laid-back rural life. All in all, Provence is a very complex place, and you’d need a good couple of weeks to do it justice. Considering the local people’s firm credo in the joie de vivre and the beautiful and exciting landmarks of the region, a visit to Provence makes for a great relaxing holiday. …