Architectural Tourism: 13 Can’t Miss Sights and Structures
You might be wondering if there is even such thing as architectural tourism or not. I’m not sure there is, but what I do know is that monuments, buildings, and other structures are often a iconic part of many travel destinations. Who doesn’t love examining a century-0ld carving up close, or gazing at some of man’s more modern engineering marvels? So here are a few of the sights that have been really special to me in one way or another.
Why 13? Well, 13 has always been an unlucky number, and avoided architecturally whenever possible. So it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, because it was so difficulty to narrow this list down to just 13. It could have easily been 31, or 101. I’ll stop at 13 as a nod to those other amazing and special structures that didn’t make the cut.
But there’s one piece of architectural tourism definitely missing. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the one structure that I’d give anything to go back in time and see is the Library of Alexandria. As a writer, I’m also a voracious reader, and I can’t imagine what chaos and wonder happened inside the one of the first major libraries in history and the largest library of the ancient world. Sigh.
Without further ado…
Architectural Boat Tour on the Chicago River, United States
It might be cheesy and touristy, but I think the architectural tourism cruise by riverboat on the Chicago River is fantastic. Walking around the downtown area gives you so many fantastic views of the skyscrapers reaching up into the skies, but wow the river view provides an entirely different perspective. You also learn a lot about how the downtown area developed and why the city has such an incredible skyline, so it’s well worth it.
Tip: The best view of the Chicago Skyline is actually from Adler Planetarium. Head out there, then turn around. Especially at night; it’s incredible and helps you appreciate how amazing Chicago really is.
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Top Travel Spots & Tips for Your Destination Wedding
Possibly one of hottest articles of 2009 at STE was our feature of the top honeymoon destinations, as suggested by a few of our readers. That article was a huge hit, but as a community member pointed out to me awhile back, what about places to actually get married?
Destination weddings have been hugely popular even with the current economic downturn, and I think they’ll be coming back in style in in 2010. You don’t have to be getting married to enjoy any of these romantic backdrpos, but here’s some of the great locales we found on the hunt for a great wedding backdrops and tips for making your destination wedding a success.
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10 Guaranteed Kisses At These Can’t Miss Travel Spots
This roundup of romantic places is by Lisa T. Bergren
Last fall my hubby and I did something outrageous: We took off on a trip. Without our three kids. Without our dog. For only the second time in fourteen years as parents. It was a big deal for us, especially, because we’re family travel bloggers. But we needed the getaway, new experiences that we could share together, just the two of us. Time to cook and curl up together. Hours of uninterrupted time (every parent’s dream) to talk, dream, think, talk, dream and think. It’s what I think of when I think of travel more, and in fact I wrote about that luxury of time aspect in my trip report from Tuscany. And it got me thinking about other dreamy backdrops and romantic places we’ve been or want to see someday…
Tuscany, Italy
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Top Five Diving Destinations for 2010
Today’s article is by George Gray from Scuba Travel.
This year is the year to travel more, so how about trying something now like scuba diving? If Where to Dive is your question, then we’ve got some hot tips for the best places to dive, in 2010 and beyond. These places to dive are inspiring destinations in themselves, but the scuba action is the proverbial icing on the cake.
Where to Dive: The Wrecks and Reefs of Northern Egypt
This is an all time classic diving holiday and one of our most popular itineraries encompassing lush corals, abundant fish life and magnificent wrecks in year round warm water with crystal viz. From the Thistlegorm to the Straits of Tiran there is something for every diver in the northern Red Sea and no matter how many times you visit, each liveaboard holiday will reveal a new delight, marine species or encounter. The liveaboards are top notch with all the creature comforts divers have come to expect. Whirlwind (winner of “Liveaboard of the Year 2008″) is just one of many stunning Red Sea liveaboards that offers this diving itinerary. Whether you are learning to dive or looking for a technical dive destination, there is a spot for you on the Wrecks and Reefs itinerary. One of our recent customers said “we had a great time on the Wrecks and Reefs trip… it was everything we expected and more – and the hammerhead shark the guides found was a real bonus! It has convinced me that liveaboard diving is the way forward.“
Where to Dive: Darwin’s Arch in the Galapagos
Darwin’s Arch and Woolf are diving folklore and rank as all time great sites. But there is only one way to get there – a liveaboard diving holiday. These state of the art diving boats are the best way to experience the diverse scuba diving conditions that are unique to this area. It is perhaps easier to list the things you won’t see than the things you will. Scuba divers are spoilt as you can see more marine life in one week than many divers will see in a lifetime. hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, whalesharks, manta, sea lions, igunas… the roll call of regular sightings is as impressively long as it as diverse – you can see why Darwin found his inspiration here. A recently returning customer from a trip aboard Sky Dancer said “I have to say a big thank you for what has to be the best liveaboard trip I have ever been on. The memories will stay with me forever. Thank you.”
Where to Dive: Hanifaru in the Maldives
The Maldives isn’t just a hot honeymoon spot. For many divers and snorkelers Manta Rays are one of the most beloved marine creatures. Graceful, swooping and simply stunning… yet they can be surprisingly elusive. Since 2006 Scuba Travel have been operating in the remote Northern Atolls. Vast numbers of manta congregate in this area and sightings at Baa Atoll in the Maldives are breathtaking. Hanifaru is an uninspiring lagoon but you can find literally dozens of manta and even whalesharks gorging themselves on krill and plankton that have become trapped there. One of our dive holiday experts freshly returned said “I stopped counting after spotting 40 Mantas on 1 dive! I have never seen anything like it!“. How do you get there? There is no better way to find manta in the Maldives than to take a diving holiday – grab your camera and get in the water!
Where to Dive: Malapascua in the Philippines
Thresher sharks are notoriously difficult to spot due to their timid nature. Yet Malapascua in the Philippines is famous for just such sightings. Threshers are quite unlike any other kind of shark with elegant long tails and exquisite facial features. There are a number of ways you can visit Malapascua so you can choose what suits you. Scuba Travel can arrange a resort based diving holiday on the island with day diving taking you to Monad Shoal. Or if you want to see more of the Philippines and surrounding areas, a nomadic dive safari combines diving in Malapascua with the lesser known dive sites south whilst giving you a sample of this rich culture. Few divers ever see a thresher so with this destination, you will be the envy of your buddies and Scuba Travel can make this travel dream come true.
Where to Dive: The Marine Parks in Egypt
The Brothers Islands, Daedalus and Elphinstone – these are the breathtaking Egyptian Marine parks that are included in Scuba Travel’s well named Simply the Best itinerary. Simply the Best has rapidly become a favourite with our regular customers as the aim of the week’s liveaboard holiday is to track down the big fish in the Southern Red Sea. Hammerhead sharks, oceanic white tips sharks, thresher sharks, grey reefs, barracuda, tuna, the list goes on and encounters come in thick and fast. As well as the awesome pelagics are thrilling drop offs and adrenalin pumped drift dives. The soft corals cling to the walls and giant sea fans dwarf over divers. A recent diver to this area said, “Thanks for such an amazing journey. The diving was, as expected, Simply the Best!” The Egyptian Marine Parks are remote, pristine and full of excitement. This is a scuba diver’s travel dream come true.
Not on the list but previously featured at STE are two other hot places to scuba dive: diving in Zanzibar and diving in Dumaguete.
For more tips and recommendations for other places to dive, check out Scuba Travel and their best-in-class scuba holidays. Be sure to also connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.
Filed under Topic: Ideas and Inspiration § 8 CommentsTea Trails Around the World
The world of tea is a global one, and the culture of drinking tea is also global. I’m a huge tea drinker (I live in Britain – is it any surprise?) but that isn’t why I decided to do some research on the bets places to visit tea plantations - the inspiration visited me not once, but twice!
In November at World Travel Market (a big industry conference), I met Champika de Silva from the Ceylon Tea Trails. It’s a luxurious, ultra-fabulous resort on an old Sri Lankan tea plantation. It was carefully placed into the old plantation homes and much of the activities taking place here relate to tea – how the plantation works, exploring the countryside and Sir Lankan history and culture. It is a couple of hours west of Nuwara Eliya, one of the popular tea stops, and several hours south of ‘Kandy’, a tea whose name is so cute I couldn’t resist mentioning it.
Then last week I met Erica Moore here in Edinburgh, owner of the fabulous and tea-licious eteaket, a tea boutique here in Edinburgh. The eteaket website has a number of directly sourced teas and best-in-class accessories that ship world-wide so check it out. Erica taught me how to make the perfect cup of tea, which you can read more about here.
And without further ado…some fabulous tea-inspired destinations, great with or without milk. 
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She Travels With Horses: Gabriele Boiselle and the Arabian Horse
Today’s article is courtesy of Lisa Kemp, a writer in the equine industry and frequent STE reader.
Renowned equine photographer Gabriele Boiselle has trotted around the world for over three decades, oftentimes on the back of a horse. Trained as a journalist in her native Germany, the camera has been Gabriele’s primary tool in portraying spirited equines in tender moments and at the height of athletic exertion, but her horsey adventures started with a chance encounter while traveling in Egypt.
“Photographing the grey stallion Echnaton and the chestnut Ibn Ahktal at the El Zahraa Stud in Cairo meant the beginning of quite dramatic changes in my life. It was the meeting with these stallions that made me into an equestrian photographer,” she says.
While Gabriele has gone on to produce numerous photography books and calendars in the intervening years through her company, Edition Boiselle, she also combines her love of horses and travel in photoseminars, where she guides aspiring amateurs in how to discover a horse’s unique essence through the lens.
With the Jubilee (25th) anniversary of her calendar line next year, Gabriele has produced an extraordinary variety of calendars for 2010. Here via Sharing Travel Experiences, she’s shared some of her own travel experiences and the glorious Arabian horses that inspired her own journey to travel more – with horses, presented by month. You don’t have to be a horse lover to enjoy these stunning shots and stories and read Gabriele Boiselle’s thoughtful quotes. Who knows, it might inspire you to someday ride away into the sunset on your own magnificent steed!
February in California
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Luxury Shopping: Top Five Places to Drop Some Cash
The world’s most expensive streets report has just been released (a great summary was written by FinFacts Ireland), showing off some of the cities where it is quite easy to empty your wallet while shopping. Here’s a quick wrap up of the top ten places – so get ready to splash out some cash!
New York
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Great Destinations for the First Time Traveler
The first trip out of your comfort zone is always memorable. Independent travel (without a tour group or guide) is highly rewarding but can also be very challenging. Dealing with language and culture barriers in an unfamiliar place is intimidating. If you’ve never been out of the country before, you will probably want to start off by traveling somewhere novice-friendly so as to not become completely overwhelmed. This doesn’t mean you are solely limited to Western Europe; fortunately there are some really exciting and different countries with a well-established travel infrastructure. Here are some interesting places to get your feet wet:
Iceland
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World’s Most Inspirational Golf Courses
Today’s post is by Marci Diehl.
I fell in love on a golf course. Maybe that’s why they’ve held a special place in my mind and heart ever since. You see, I don’t play golf, but I’ve traipsed around some of the most beautiful and inspiring golf courses in the world, during my former life a touring professional’s wife. I’ve written about golf courses for golf magazines. I love the peace, the designs, the art and architecture — and the land, seas, rivers, deserts, mountains and lakes that often surround the courses. So I went on a search for some of the world’s most inspiring golf courses. These are courses that have an impact, not only on people’s games, but on their spirits. Even if you don’t like golf – these are places that call to anyone.
The Fairmont Southampton Course, Bermuda
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Have GPS, Will Travel
Today’s guest post is by Nancy D. Brown.
My room mate is driving and I’m co-pilot. We’re on our way to Newport, Rhode Island to check out the swanky mansions. About an hour into our drive from Boston, we realize that we’re New Hampshire bound and heading in the complete opposite direction of our planned destination. As you will quickly learn, my Kansas City room mate and I are both directionally challenged. No matter, we adjust our game plan and decide to visit Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond in New Hampshire.
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