I thought that for today's "end of week" video, we would return to the 2009 European Cities of Culture and in particular to Vilnius, courtesy of a wonderful video from Vilnius resident, Regimantas (RegisCartoons).
Vilnius is a cosmopolitan city, described as the beautiful centre of Eastern and Middle Europe and any city that has erected a statue to Frank Zappa has got to be worth a visit. Read about the great story behind the statue, in an article by Adam B. Ellick, posted in Rolling Stone, March 29, 2002.
Holiday travel companies are slashing prices in an effort to maintain market share during 2009, which means that there are some hot holiday deals to be had.
Many people are realising that they can save money by taking their vacation closer to home and making use of local amenities such as national parks or facilities such as the UK's National Trust properties and gardens; magnificent gardens that have been bequeathed for the enjoyment of the nation.
Remember also that package companies have often built up good relationships with accommodation and transport providers, so combined with their bulk buying power, can be in an excellent position to negotiate some really good deals that they are able to pass on.
Typical of the trend to offering holiday makers more for their money are the cruise providers, who are now selling cruises for unprecedented low prices. There are some ground-breaking expeditions on offer, that will take you far away from the usual tourist tracks, allow you to explore seldom visited islands and be at one with remarkable wildlife.
Well here's a great , unplanned, link to the previous post. London's Globe theatre is mounting a production of Shakespeare's magical story of jealousy, love and redemption, The Winter's Tale, within the idyllic surroundings of the Bodleian Library Quadrangle, Oxford. Oxford is not far from Stratford-upon-Avon and would be a convenient venue on a literary tour. The current performance of The Winter's Tale only runs until Friday 22 August, 2008, with tickets booked at the Oxford Playhouse Box Office but the Oxford Playhouse has many other exciting productions in the pipeline.
The Bodleian Library dates back to 1600 and holds around 12 million volumes, offering over 200,000 titles from their Early English books and their Eighteenth Century collections, online. It is also a partner in Google's Book Search initiative and they are scanning many of their 19th century books.
The UK has come out on top in a list of the world's literary destinations compiled by TripAdvisor thanks to London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Edinburgh, placed first, second and third respectively. What is more, Dublin comes in fourth, reflecting the works of James Joyce.
London just exudes literature and has been the chosen workplace for many great writers besides being the chosen setting for many of their novels, Edinburgh for example, was home to Arthur Conan Doyle but famously, his creation Sherlock Holmes was given a home in London's Baker Street.
Other famous Edinburgh residents, past and present, include Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith and of course. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. Stratford's fame is obviously down to one William Shakespeare, it is arguably the most picturesque of the UK trio and retains many medieval buildings, a few now hosting excellent restaurants.
In at five on the list is New York with Arthur Miller and Louisa May Alcott brings Concord, Massachusetts in at sixth, San Francisco with Allen Ginsberg rolling in at number eight. The US trio being split by Paris, placed in seventh, with Victor Hugo who was the most celebrated author of the nineteenth century; it is worth a visit to Paris just to see Auguste Rodin's powerful sculpture of him. The remaining places go to Rome with Virgil and in tenth place Dostoevsky and St Petersburg.
The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics was spectacular beyond all expectations but it did no more than present the spirit of the extraordinary country that is China. Beyond the transient, intense atmoshere of the games, this video, posted a couple of years ago by BeijingBoy1985, reflects the same people, culture and customs, that date back more than six millennia.
Further to my This and That post, relating to the wonderful scenery and adventures offered by Croatia and Greece, I came across an interesting article in Visit-Montenegro.com promoting the natural treasures of Montenegro and in particular canyon Nevidio at the Komarnica river. The canyon's name translates to 'not even God has seen it', so called because it has only recently been conquered. Nevidio canyon is about 15 kilometers away from the small Montenegro town of Savnik and the first people to go through it were members of Niksic's mountaineering club; a journey which took them two days. Nevidio canyon is still relatively unexplored but there are now an increasing number of experienced guides who can take tourists canyoning in safety. It is described as a magical place, the Miracle Unseen, and Europe's Pearl.
Blessed with plenty of summer sunshine and winter snow, Montenegro is becoming a choice destination for extreme sports, particularly water sports in summer and then all the winter sports to take advantage of the snow. However, with the sea, the lakes, the canyons and the mountains, all within a short distance, it is a country that can offer a great variety of vacations. Indeed, they boast that within a single day, tourists can enjoy coffee on the Budva Riviera, eat lunch on Skardar Lake, while being serenaded by bird song and then dine in the evening next to a fireplace, on the slopes of the Durmitor Mountain.
Winston Yang (auswy) has put together an interesting and well shot tour of some of his favourite areas around Sydney. The video really captures the atmosphere of the place with some great photography and it certainly leaves you wanting to visit New South Wales to see it for yourself.
Well what can I say, when a blog with the title This and That gets chosen as a blog of note, I really have little choice but to post a tale about it. DeeDee's blog is about two people touring Croatia and Greece, currently staying in Mountain View (40 mins South of San Fran, Croatia) doin a little of this and a little of that.
This window into the life of DeeDee and her partner, Geoff, provides a great insight into the region and the recreational activities that it has to offer. It is a good read with some nice pictures, look it up.
The waters around West Cork are clear and unpolluted, which makes them one of the richest sites in Europe for whale watching with a wide variety of species being seen for over half the year, including Fin Whales and Minke Whales. Humpback whales are seen off the southwest coast of Ireland and usually arrive during August or early autumn.While Minke Whales can be seen only a few kilometers off the Irish coast from May and Fin Whales join them in June or July.
Nowdays, Youth Hostels Associations worldwide have opened their doors to independent travellers of all ages and the Youth Hostels Association of New Zealand follows this trend in catering for the budget backpacker. They have a network of more than 50 hostels throughout New Zealand, many of which offer 5-star accommodation and you don't even need to be a member of the association to stay at one their hostels, although members benefit from a discount.
Read a great review of one of Queenstown's hostels written by Angela Walker. The review also covers some of the adrenalin charged activities on offer, in the region that bills itself as the world capital of extreme sports.
Anatolia is what used to be known by its Latin name of Asia Minor and further to recent posts about this region, here is a website that I came across which is a nicely put together travel guide and photo gallery of Anatolia, Turkey.
Tourism Australia have announced a marketing campaign, aimed at 18 to 30-year-olds on the social networking site, MySpace.
The interactive campaign will not only be used to promote travel to Australia but to also advertise Australia's working holiday visa program, which runs in Britain, the US, Canada and Ireland. Read more about the Tourism Australia announcement.
The European Travel Commission was created in 1948 to promote Europe as a destination to tourists from outside Europe. However, their website Visit Europe is also a great resource for European citizens.
The site is currently highlighting various cultural routes, developed by the European Institute of Cultural Routes. The routes link time and place across several different European countries, providing an appreciation of the interconnectivity of what may seem at first sight, to be separate cultural histories. Additionally, they offer wonderful vacation themes, covering subjects as diverse as architecture, music, cheese, wine, gardens and religion.
Between Friday, March 21 and Friday April 4, the Sri Lanka skies will be filled with the spectacular sight of 22 hot air ballons. Over 72 participants, including balloonists from the UK, Ireland, Japan, and Saudi Arabia will be taking part in the Sri Lanka Balloon Festival 2008
The event encourages family participation and is regarded as an ideal family vacation, in a country that is establishing a high reputation as an Asian adventure destination. Known as the 'Pearl in the Indian Ocean', Sri Lanka is proving to be a real gem for the adventurous tourist.
From January 17 through 26, 2008, the Australia Week Committee presents another exciting program of events in Los Angeles and New York to showcase the very best of Australian culture, fashion, food, wine, tourism and business."
Highlights include an exclusive luncheon in Los Angeles on Jan. 17 where the Hon. Matt Brown MP, Minister for Tourism for the State of New South Wales, and Layne Beachley, a native of Sydney, Australia and the most successful woman in professional surfing history, will present a viewing of "Sydney -- Life's a Beach," an inspiring visual journey into the lifestyle of this dynamic travel destination.
Layne, a Sydney resident, offers valuable insight into its unique urban beach culture. With more than 1200 miles of stunning beaches and legendary surf breaks surrounded by 600 national parks, Sydney is one of the world's most visually appealing destinations.
Layne Beachley was ESPN's Surfer of the Year in 2001, Australia's female athlete of the year in 2003 and is a US Surfers Hall of Fame inductee. Highly regarded amongst other surf professionals on the ASP World Tour, in 2006 Layne staged the richest event in women's surfing history, the Havaianas Beachley Classic in Sydney; and she was also a formidable competitor!
Travelling around Singapore is a cinch and it just got a whole lot easier, and cheaper. There is a notably efficient public transportation network of taxis, buses and the modern Mass Rapid Transit rail system.
A comprehensive transport guide for tourists has just been launched, including information on tourist hotspots and how to get there. For S$8 a day, tourists can buy a card which allows one, two or three days of unlimited travel on buses and trains.
With Malaysia celebrating 50 years of nationhood in 2007, their ministry of tourism came up with a great promotional video to promote Malaysia to the world. Not convinced that the backing track will get many plays but Malaysia has a wonderful Asian culture and history, well worthy of a visit.
A report entitled Ecotourism and Community Benefits, from Taiko Lemayan and Donald Mombo of the Kenya Community Based Tourism organisation, concludes that although poor communities in Kenya have devoted substantial portions of their own land to the wildlife conservation on which ecotourism businesses are based, they appear to have received very little in return and most of the businesses rewards from promoting responsible travel to areas rich in wildlife, have instead been enjoyed by various private investors with whom they seem to be in exploitative partnerships.
The report paints a gloomy picture of the reality of the much hyped notion that ecotourism in Kenya and elsewhere is a win-win solution, beneficial to the local people, while also helping to preserve the environment and conserve wildlife. More.
There is growing concern about the effect of tourism on whale and dolphin ecology; research in Western Australia and New Zealand has indicated that exposure to human activity can have a negative impact.
Next April, some of the world's leading scientists meet in Bunbury, Australia, for a convention on whales and dolphins, where it is hoped to launch an international research project into the impacts of human activities on dolphin ecology throughout the world and thereby develop sustainable dolphin and whale tourism. More.
The Dolphin Discovery Centre at Bunbury, is a non-profit organisation committed to dolphin research, education, conservation and also tourism. Located about 180 km south of Perth in Western Australia, the centre enables people to interact with dolphins, which can often be seen in the shallow waters in front of the Centre.
South Africa, Botswana and Namibia have agreed regional co-operation in tourism, with the aim of avoiding long queues and unnecessary detours for visitors travelling in the region, as a result of the 2010 soccer world cup. To this end, a Tourist Access Facility, located on the South Africa and Namibia border, in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has just been opened and this will enable tourists to take a short cut across the border at Mata Mata, without having to leave the park. Information from SABC News.
Eric Millirons, has written an article in WC Exchange about an alternative to the herd mentality of touring Europe on one big bus ride. For many Americans, Eric alleges that the European Tour means "traveling in buses with 40 other Americans, staying in hotels frequented by Americans, eating in restaurants that cater to Americans and seeing only those sights that all Americans seem to love."
The alternative, enjoyed by Eric Millirons and his family is Untours European Vacation Rentals. Untours was founded in 1975 by Hal Taussig and his wife Norma and grew from a desire to introduce Americans to a deeper way of experiencing Europe than the standard superficial bus tour. Norma & Hal Taussig, believe in living simply and in sharing the profits of their business to create a better world; something that they have been creatively working at through their Untours Foundation, which provides Microcredit to create jobs, build low-income housing, and support Fair Trade products, all through the most environmentally friendly means possible. If you read Eric's article, you will see that they also provide great alternative European tours.
Iceland, known as the land of the midnight sun, has a great deal to offer those who seek adventure and freedom. Spectacular nature, fascinating sagas, extraordinary geology and a friendly fun-loving people are all to be found there.
Iceland Worldwide is a highly recommended information website about Iceland and is both a useful resource for the traveller and an outstanding image bank.
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are one of the most spectacular shows on earth and we are moving into the light-show season. Take a look at the special Northern Lights feature on the Iceland Worldwide website; breathtaking.
Mississippi's Gulf Coast is recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Major tourist attractions, including world-class golf courses, casinos and outdoor recreational activities such as fishing and canoeing, are again open for business.
The Mississippi Delta is well known as the place that gave birth to the Blues and the Mississippi Blues trail is a pilgrimage for many music lovers, but the state offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. There are numerous lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs and over 100 miles of coastline, allowing plenty of opportunities for fishing, swimming, boating, sailing, canoeing or waterskiing. Mississippi also has more than 2 million acres of public hunting lands.
To help tourists find outdoor activities in the state, Mississippi Tourism Development, has produced a comprehensive Adventure Guide. The 300 page guide is expected to benefit hunters and anglers and to also be of value for hikers, bikers, wildlife watchers and other adventurers. You can obtain a free copy of the guide from their web site.
It appears that Recycle Now, the UK's recycling champions, are urging everyone to cut down on their use of travel brochures. They point out that nowadays it is easy to use sites such as the Activity Holidays Guide to source a holiday and it is easier than ever to book on line.
With 180 million travel brochures being distributed in the UK each year and most of them ending up in landfill, they urge holidaymakers to recycle those old brochures. Problem is that I suspect many of the brochures are not all that eco-friendly. As you might expect, we only really use the Internet in my household, but in the past we have fed old brochures to the worms (we have a garden wormery) but they didn't show a lot of interest in the hard, glossy, finish that makes most travel brochures so attractive.
Whatever your craving for adventure, earth, sea or sky, South Africa can satisfy it. They have world-class climbing, surfing, diving, hiking, horseback safaris, mountain biking, river rafting and a host of other adventures to satisfy even the most demanding adrenaline junkies. River trips range from mostly scenic to grade five whitewater washing machines. South Africa has fantastic rivers, so you'll be spoiled for choice. The most popular, for good reason, is the Orange, which forms the country's northern border with Namibia. It's a long, green-fringed oasis running through the mountainous desert area known as the Richtersveld. Incredibly scenic, it also has a few fun rapids. Fantastic technical rapids and wonderful scenery, are offered by the Palmiet River which runs through the Kogelberg Nature Reserve.
There are over a hundred listed paragliding or hang gliding launch sites, opportunities for helicopter rides, balloon flights, aerobatics, skydiving and microlight flights. You will find loads of excellent ridge soar and some fantastic scenic flying near the coast. In Cape Town, you can launch off Lion's Head in the evening, flying into the sunset, to land 'Bond-like' at one of the popular beachfront pubs!
Literally thousands of kilometres of hiking and mountain bike trails wind around this big country, across desert, forest, mountain and coast. Around Cape Town there are some great single-track routes on the mountain and in the pine plantations. There are escorted trips on the mountain, around the winelands and in the Cape Point section of the Cape Peninsula National Park. South Africa also offers some wonderful easy horse trails through vineyards, on the beach or in the mountains and, for the adventurous and more experienced, horseback safaris in big game country.
Source: SouthAfrica.info The all-in-one official guide and web portal to South Africa.
I thought that you might like this video clip provided by jdkarmch of Harley Davidson motorcycles touring Melbourne. Like the man says, when visiting Melbourne, you can take a Harley Ride as a pillion passenger, with your own personal guide, and see as much in 1 hour as you would in 3 days on foot.
Harleys and Melbourne seem to go together well. Set up a hair drier to blow warm air in your face and enjoy the dream.
If you want more, take a look at this longer video from Phoenix Rising, of a large corporate group on an outing through Melbourne on Harley Davidsons, 10 solos, 4 with sidecars and a Heritage Trike, seeing a lot of Melbourne Landmarks.
Bungee jumping, skydiving, abseiling, and swimming with sharks are just some of the adventures that the over 50's are enjoying on their holidays but the British, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), warns that this coincides with an upsurge in cases of over 50's needing their assistance abroad.
Over 50's now represent 35% of all trips abroad and research from the FCO reveals a trend to them being more adventurous with their trips. Over a third have visited more than 20 countries and almost a fifth have taken part in adventure activities like bungee jumping or abseiling on recent holidays. 25% of this age group are hoping to swim with sharks and 15% want to skydive. Confronted with this trend, the FCO is advising over 50's to make better preparations for their adventurous travels. FCO advice to over 50’s travelling abroad and also wise precautions for any traveller, includes:
Take out fully comprehensive travel insurance that covers you for all activities you choose to do
Buy a guide book and read up on your destination so you have an idea of the geography – your hotel in relation to the main tourist area etc.
Know the local laws and customs e.g. acceptable behaviour and alcohol laws
Check out the travel advice for British citizens at the FCO website, or by phone from the FCO's Travel Advice Unit on (0870 6060 290)
Remember to check that your passport is valid, in good condition and that the 'Next of Kin' details are filled in. Take a photocopy and keep it with you
Ensure you take adequate back-up funds (credit or ATM cards, travellers' cheques) for every eventuality and take copies of vital numbers
Keep the contact details of your nearest Consulate with you; they could prove invaluable in times of trouble
In Europe apply for an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - online, by phone on 0845 6062030 or at the Post Office. This entitles you to reduced cost, sometimes free, health-care in most European countries. EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance
Online bookers should ensure they have a record of all relevant booking reference numbers
Don’t rely on one person to make all the arrangements
Go to your GP to check whether you need vaccinations
March 7-11, 2007 sees the ITB Berlin. Billed as the largest travel industry convention in the world with 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries and regions, ITB covers all aspects of global tourism.
Climate change and space travel are just two of the many topics that will be discussed by experts. In the medium and long term, climate change will cause people to alter their travel behaviour, but the industry is always looking for new opportunities and experiences to offer,and a number of astronauts have been invited to debate Space Tourism, along with a number of leading companies which can already arrange flights into space.
Blessed with plenty of summer sunshine and winter snow, Montenegro is becoming a choice destination for extreme sports, particularly water sports in summer and then all the winter sports to take advantage of the snow. However, with the sea, the lakes, the canyons and the mountains, all within a short distance, it is a country that can offer a great variety of vacations. Indeed, they boast that within a single day, tourists can enjoy coffee on the Budva Riviera, eat lunch on Skardar Lake, while being serenaded by bird song and then dine in the evening next to a fireplace, on the slopes of the Durmitor Mountain.
There are over a hundred listed paragliding or hang gliding launch sites, opportunities for helicopter rides, balloon flights, aerobatics, skydiving and microlight flights. You will find loads of excellent ridge soar and some fantastic scenic flying near the coast. In Cape Town, you can launch off Lion's Head in the evening, flying into the sunset, to land 'Bond-like' at one of the popular beachfront pubs!
Literally thousands of kilometres of hiking and mountain bike trails wind around this big country, across desert, forest, mountain and coast.
Around Cape Town there are some great single-track routes on the mountain and in the pine plantations. There are escorted trips on the mountain, around the winelands and in the Cape Point section of the Cape Peninsula National Park. South Africa also offers some wonderful easy horse trails through vineyards, on the beach or in the mountains and, for the adventurous and more experienced, horseback safaris in big game country. 
