Sharing Travel Experiences

Lovely Luxor

This article was written by Margaret Davies.

Luxor, lovely Luxor. How can one best describe it? Outside the normal tourist haunts one finds a beautiful people. Egyptians are always ready to help and always with a smile. Sometimes of course they are keen to help when no help is actually required, but their offer is always genuine!

The heat of summer is best avoided, but between October and April the sky is nearly always a bright, startling blue, with sunshine throughout the day and the slow pace of life automatically slows your pace and gladdens your heart. The call to prayer adds to the feeling and one sees people tucked away with their prayer mat, stopping for a few minutes to pray. Majestic palm trees, donkeys and camels ambling past. It all adds to one’s sense of well being. Driving or walking through the countryside, scenes that are positively Biblical unfold in front of your eyes. Egyptian people toiling in the fields resemble almost totally scenes that one can find on the walls of tombs, unchanged from Pharaonic times.

The Food

Wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables await you at a fraction of the cost we find them in the West. Tomatoes that really smell “tomatoey” as if they have just been picked, which of course, they probably have. One sees donkey carts laden with fresh produce making their way to the market stalls and you know that you are eating really fresh fruit and vegetables which have not been sprayed with anything. There is something rather nice about eating things that are in season, rather than being able to buy them throughout the year, as we can in the West.

You can find just about anything you need and if it isn’t readily available, there is always someone who can find it, make it, produce it for you in next to no time. It is lovely to have clothes made for you in beautiful soft Egyptian cotton and to collect it within a day or two. Dusty little side streets that contain a myriad of different goods, quite different from the tourist bazaars, all await you.

History

Then there is the history. Stroll through ancient temples and visualize the world of the Pharaohs. Transport yourself through the millennia to the world and culture of the Ancient Egyptians, ready to unfold by way of the hieroglyphics and tomb paintings, some of which look as if they were surely done only yesterday. Must see stops include:

• the Valley of the Kings
• the temple complex of Luxor
• the temple complex of Karnak
• Medinet Habu
• the Tombs of the Nobles

There’s lots to see in Luxor – you won’t be bored, for sure.

The Luxor Charm

Living here, as I do, I have found a culture totally opposite to one I am accustomed to. Lessons I have learned about this different culture and about myself – that the precious moments in a day can be quiet and slowed down; that reusing possessions can be a virtue and that opening one’s heart and mind to a different people and culture can bring about an appreciation of how all humans share a connection and can awaken a part of yourself that you never knew existed. Should others, by reading my experiences, come to Luxor and enjoy the charms and delight that make Egypt what it is, then my writing will have been for very good purpose.

To Learn More

Want to know more about the Luxor Charm? Margaret is the author of Living the Egyptian Dream, where she explores the delights and disappointments of her time in Egypt. You can purchase a copy today via the links below.

Photos by kayugee, girolame, charlie philips, apdk

5 Reasons to Holiday in Formentera over the other Balearic Islands

The Balearics have long been a holiday favourite with British and Spanish travellers. With their guaranteed sunshine, glorious beaches and crystal clear waters, the islands offer a holiday paradise to which tourists can escape. What’s not to like?

However, whilst most people are familiar – at least by name – with the three largest Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza, the fourth island of Formentera is often neglected or simply unknown.

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Volunteering in Cambodia

This article was written by Abbie Mood.

I scrunched my nose and coughed.

“And that’s your first experience with burning trash,” Sam said as we were riding back to the hotel. Sam, the United Planet country coordinator, had just met me at the airport and we were in the tuk-tuk on our way back to the guesthouse to meet the other volunteers. This was not the last time I would ask myself, what am I doing here? I had been anticipating my trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia for months. I thought that I was just going to be volunteering in Cambodia at an orphanage and teaching at an English school, but I was in for so much more.

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Things To Do in Santa Fe and the Land of Enchantment

This article is by Billie Frank.

Santa Fe  is a popular travel destination. According to Condé Nast Traveler and Travel and Leisure, this small city (pop. About 70,000) is one of the top five destinations in the US. People come here for the mystique and history; many fall in love and stay. We did. The guidebooks are loaded with things to do in Santa Fe and many of them; even the really touristy things are worthwhile and fun to do. Some stuff is less mainstream; mostly that’s what I’m going to share.

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One Degree South of the Equator: Olón, Ecuador

This article was written by Leigh Frost.

Ruta del Spondylus, Ecuador: a place where you can awake to the thunder of the surf crashing outside your door and exotic, colorful birds singing their early morning songs. Do you long for leisurely strolls along an endless beach of silken sand, blissfully in the moment gathering sand dollars and seashells while watching the humpback whales breach and frolic just offshore? Or maybe you crave the adventure of a trip into the nearby jungle to swing from zip-lines, and to explore ancient Inca ruins. Surfers come to catch one of the best breaks in South America, just 5 minutes away. Perhaps you want to be pampered with soothing spa treatments, and are looking for rejuvenation using holistic (yet ancient) natural healing techniques.

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Helsinki: Daughter of the Baltic

Another of the many often-overlooked European capitals that I love is Helsinki. There is so much to do in Helsinki, regardless of the weather, and you’d be surprised at how modern, fun, and friendly it is. It’s called the daughter of the Baltic which I think accurately reflects the city’s easy going personality.

Whether you’re here to relax in a Finnish sauna, to perhaps experience cosmopolitan Finland, or just to explore a new Scandinavian destination, you can’t go wrong with Helsinki. Here are my top tips for the best Helsinki experience.

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Chicago’s Six Amazing Avenues

Chicago is one of America’s landmark cities with endless things to see. In Chicago they call it the windy city (mostly because of the blast come in off Lake Michigan) but it’s also known as the Second City and also the City of Broad Shoulders. One look at the skyline explains the latter.

A lot of people seem to say that the only things to see in Chicago are downtown.  While there is a ton of stuff to do there, it’s Chicago’s vibrant neighbourhoods and avenues lined with shops and cafes that are the real charm.  Let’s explore a few of my favourite strips and point out a few places to get a great feeling for the real Chicago.

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Euro Perfection: Stockholm, Swedish Bliss

I love European capitals.  They each have individual personalities, atmospheres, and an endless amount of things to see and do.  An unsurprising favourite for me, though, is Stockholm.  Often claimed as overpriced and overrated, those that skip it are totally missing out.  Indeed, drinks of any sort – particularly the adult beverage variety – are astronomically expensive, but believe me that won’t cross your mind once you’ve experienced the Swedish Bliss.  Here’s my rundown of some of my favourite things to do in Stockholm.

The Gamla Stan

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Hawaii: An Expert’s Island Favourites

Today’s article is written by all-things-Hawaii expert Pam Mandel.

It’s easy to fall in to cliched prose when talking about the Hawaiian Islands. It’s not laziness, though, it’s enchantment. The water IS that blue and inviting, the breezes ARE that gentle and smell of salt and flowers, the people really DO welcome you with great aloha. With so much to love about the islands, it’s hard to narrow it down to top 10 or best of lists, plus, your Hawaii is likely to be completely different from anyone else’s because the islands DO offer an amazing variety. With that in mind, here are a few of my island favorites.

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Peruvian Highlights

Today’s article is by community member Bobbie Jo Traut.

Flying into the “Katmandu of South America,” the plane flew alongside the jagged snow-capped mountain peaks, which seemed to grow dizzyingly higher as we descended into the valley. On my first adventure to the southern hemisphere, descending vertiginously into the valley that sheltered the capital of the Inca Empire that, at its peak, had spread from Argentina to Chile, I felt literally on top of the world. Peru is the meeting place of histories, cultures, and nature – all of which blended to create an unforgettable and unique experience.

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