416-654-9600
1293 St Clair Avenue West, Toronto
View our Travel Professionals
416-654-9600
1293 St Clair Avenue West, Toronto
Contact
Français
Vacation
Flight
Cruise
keyboard_arrow_down
Cruise ports
Cruise Ship Options
Cruise Vacations
Accommodation
Destinations
Wedding
keyboard_arrow_down
Destination Wedding Request
Planning your special day
Why a destination wedding
Group
keyboard_arrow_down
Group Travel Request
Travel as a group - frequently asked questions
Disney
Inspiration
Contact
Français
Travel Blog
3 Top Trips for Golfers Who Cruise - From Close to Home to Around the World
Anywhere
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/3-top-trips-for-golfers-who-cruise-from-close-to-home-to-around-the-world [zid] => 6bfdacad-cb6b-4be0-9b82-bb2ed311f157 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 5 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-04-14 16:17:50.765922 [id] => 1371707 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 5 [permalink] => outdoor-activities [title] => Outdoor Activities ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-06-14T17:36:02 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_08_12_at_2_35_50_PM_63764476626818924.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_08_12_at_2_35_50_PM_63764476626818924.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Anywhere [country_code] => US [id] => 1 [lat] => 0.0000000000 [lng] => 0.0000000000 [region] => Anywhere [title] => Anywhere ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => amawaterways [1] => american_queen [2] => azamara [3] => featured [4] => river_cruise [5] => usa [6] => europe_vacation [7] => europe [8] => ocean_cruise [9] => cruise ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-04-26T20:25:05 [data] => Array ( ) [hits_all] => 644 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1036429 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
Suddenly, everyone is golfing again.
With only a few minor tweaks that courses have easily implemented, the game checks all the boxes for a COVID-safe pastime. So it’s no surprise that even less committed golfers have dusted off the clubs, rediscovering the delights to be found on the greens.
As we rediscover travel, the same features that make golf the ideal pursuit in our own neighborhoods also make it an excellent theme for your post-COVID travels.
The list of famous golf courses, resorts and destinations is long and world-wide. And there’s one unique way to enjoy multiple, top-tier courses on one, relaxed trip where you check into a single, floating 'hotel' that takes you to multiple courses: golf-themed cruises.
With a concierge approach that gives guests access to courses and tee times they might not be able to arrange themselves, golf cruises allow golfers who love the cruise lifestyle to enjoy two passions on one trip.
Here are three top picks:
Golf Cruise on the Mississippi River
Cruise line: American Queen Steamboat Company
Golfers have one chance in May to enjoy this unique American cruise. AQSC’s ‘American River Golf Classic’ 9-day cruise from Memphis to New Orleans gives golfers the chance to play at 4 of the most prestigious courses along the Lower Mississippi River, with an option to play in New Orleans after you disembark, too.
While American Queen sails the country’s largest paddleboat, on this journey, you’ll sail on her sleek and contemporary sister ship, the American Countess, complete with custom Italian fabrics, rich walnut wood, premium linens, a host of sociable or secluded verandas with comfy seating in the tradition of Southern hospitality, floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views of Ol’ Miss, and fresh, regional cuisine. You’ll be one of the first to experience her elegant décor as she makes her way down the mighty Mississippi.
Iconic cities of the South on this golf cruise include Natchez, Mississippi, St. Francisville and Baton Rouge Louisiana, with included overnight stay in Memphis before the cruise departs and disembarking in NOLA. The Lower Mississippi River has stories to share – a legacy that flows from Memphis to the Gulf of Mexico. A new chapter – and a new golf course - awaits around each river bend.
Golfers enjoy four top-rated local courses along with the history, culture and memorable scenery of the South, including:
· Colonial Country Club in Memphis;
· Copper Mill Golf Club in Zachary, Louisiana;
· Black Bear Golf Club near Vicksburg;
· The Bluffs Golf & Sports Resort in St. Francisville, an Arnold Palmer designed course;
· With an option to play at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans after disembarkation.
That’s up to 5 top courses in different cities in 9 days, with the relaxation of a river cruise and the company of fellow cruise travelers and golfers – with your golfing made easy. The cruise line’s ‘Rounds on the River’ package includes lunches, special giveaways, a special guest appearance from a recognized golf expert and professional, all equipment transportation and club cleaning prior to play.
Golf Cruise in the Heart of Europe on the Danube River
Cruise line: AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways’ Concierge Golf Program offers the same opportunity to golf at world-class courses all in one trip. Along the storied Danube, that means golfing in multiple countries during a 12-night journey that includes pre- and post- cruise stays in Prague and Budapest at either end of a 7-day voyage on AmaWaterways’ flagship AmaMagna. At twice the width of any other river ship, it has re-imagined river cruising with more personal space, more dining venues, more leisure space and activities than any other ship sailing the rivers of the world.
There are nearly a dozen departures of the Concierge Golf Program from May through October that include the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. The route features some of Europe’s premier UNESCO sites, fabled culture, architecture, beer gardens, local wines and scenic sailing.
Even if you’ve sailed the Danube before, the exciting golf programming is a whole new way to enjoy the region. Golfers on the program play at:
· Albatross Golf Club in Prague, host of the Czech Open, featuring 7 lakes and bordering on a nature reserve;
· Quellness Golf Resort in Bad Griesbach, Germany, host of the Porsche European Open
· Diamond Country Club on the outskirts of Vienna, Austria;
· Penati Country Club in Slovakia and host of the Slovakia Open, a ‘Nicklaus Design LEGEND COURSE’ that meets world PGA standards with a fantastic view; and
· Pannonia Country Club in Budapest, and host of the Hungarian Open, designed by famous Austrian course designer Hans. G. Erhardt.
It’s the European golf trip of your dreams where your luxury hotel follows you from one dynamic destination to the next. The program makes the cruise – to – golf experience seamless and easy for golfers. Guests are transferred from ship to course and back by private luxury Mercedes. Your tee time, practice balls and golf cart are prepared in advance, and after your round, you enjoy lunch in the course clubhouse with beer and wine all included. When it’s time to transfer back to the AmaMagna, your clubs will be cleaned and ready for the next course on your golf odyssey.
Golf Cruises Around the World
PerryGolf on Azamara
Azamara, the boutique ocean cruise line, doesn’t just offer a single golf itinerary. For a decade, it’s been partnered with luxury golf vacation company PerryGolf to offer a selection of golf cruises that just keeps growing. There are now two dozen golf voyages that include play at over 70 marquee courses in 23 countries, including some of the top 100 courses in the world, like Ireland's Royal Portrush, Scotland's Turnberry and New Zealand's Cape Kidnappers.
Above: Portmarnock Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland
Top: Emirates Golf Club (Majlis Course) in Dubai
The voyages follow the sun and the prime golfing seasons around the world, beginning in the New Year Down Under in Australia and New Zealand, plus a new South Africa golf cruise, followed by Spring and Summer in Europe, in the Med as well as the Baltics including St. Petersburg, plus a new itinerary to Norway, as well as flagship itineraries in the British Isles with country-intensive voyages to Scotland and Ireland, then in the Autumn, the dramatic courses of the Arabian Gulf countries and South America late in the year, including a first-time sailing from Rio to Buenos Aires.
Depending on the destination, cruises range from 7 to 17 nights, with between 3 and 6 rounds of golf on a cruise. There’s a full-time PerryGolf program manager on board your cruise as well as onsite at each course, and you’re taken care of at every step, including tee times, carts or caddies, pairings, competitions, social events for fellow golfers on board, handling of your golf equipment, transfers and tips. It’s like an international floating golf club that’s unparalleled in cruising.
Everyone’s considering what types of trips to kick-start post-COVID travel with peace of mind. The outdoor distancing of golf and the appeal of access to multiple new, world-class courses, combined with the luxury and convenience of a safe, single floating hotel that transports you to different destinations with exciting new courses every day, make golf cruises more popular than ever.
By: Lynn Elmhirst, BestTrip TV producer host and cruise expert
#DreamNowTravelSoon
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => amawaterways,american_queen,azamara,featured,river_cruise,usa,europe_vacation,europe,ocean_cruise,cruise [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => 3 Top Trips for Golfers Who Cruise - From Close to Home to Around the World [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
The Airline That's Providing Passengers with COVID insurance
Anywhere
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/the-airline-thats-providing-passengers-with-covid-insurance [zid] => cd15d343-ea3a-45a8-aa5f-41b4c6c087d0 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 7 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-04-27 15:33:53.646666 [id] => 1371706 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 7 [permalink] => transportation [title] => Transportation ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-06-14T17:35:25 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_08_12_at_9_06_54_PM_63764500048984978.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_08_12_at_9_06_54_PM_63764500048984978.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Anywhere [country_code] => US [id] => 1 [lat] => 0.0000000000 [lng] => 0.0000000000 [region] => Anywhere [title] => Anywhere ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => emirates [1] => featured ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-04-27T15:33:53 [data] => Array ( ) [hits_all] => 856 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1036420 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
Travel companies are introducing many new health and safety practices to help protect travelers, staff and locals as travel begins to resume.
Now, one airline has taken those measures one step further.
In a travel industry first, Emirates is covering its passengers for COVID-19 expenses.
For travelers longing to take to the skies again, the Dubai-based global airline’s commitment is designed to boost confidence.
It’s broad coverage, free of cost for Emirates customers from any country, flying to any destination in any class of travel- even economy class! The airline will cover COVID medical expenses up to 150,000 Euro (about $177,000 USD). Or if a passenger becomes COVID positive while traveling and is forced to quarantine away from home, Emirates covers 100 Euro a day of those costs for up to 14 days.
The coverage applies to Emirates passengers on flights up to October 31
st
2020. Passengers are covered for 31 days from the date of the first leg of their journey, even if they go on to other cities following their arrival at their Emirates destination.
What’s more, you don’t have to apply for the coverage, fill out any forms – or even use the coverage if you don’t want to. The airline is providing a dedicated hotline for passengers to make inquiries, or to call if they are diagnosed.
The global-first coverage comes in addition to the health and safety measures the airline has adopted throughout its network of 60 world-wide destinations, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes to all customers. And the flexible booking and cancelation policies that allow passengers to manage disruptions.
Emirates’ coverage doesn’t cancel out travel restrictions in destinations. Passengers still have to meet eligibility and entry requirements of their destinations to board Emirates flights.
Would COVID coverage influence your decision to travel?
The idea may be gaining steam. Just this week, two travel destinations have followed suit to offer domestic and international visitors COVID health insurance.
The Canary Islands,
a group of Spanish islands in the Atlantic off the coast of North Africa, are not only a trans-Atlantic cruise port of call. The destination is popular for beach vacations among other Spaniards and British travelers. Other parts of Spain have been hit hard by COVID, and while the Canary Islands have had far fewer cases, they have suffered from plummeting numbers of travelers.
So the ministry of tourism has contracted with an insurance provider to offer Spanish and foreign visitors who are COVID-free before their trip coverage for all COVID related medical expenses, repatriation, and any necessary extension of their stay on the Islands due to the pandemic.
In a similar move, international visitors to
Portugal
can now purchase COVID insurance - both medical and coverage for expenses due to cancellation or a necessary extension of their stay.
As re-opening progresses, the travel industry continues to innovate to address travelers’ biggest concerns. Is offering insurance specifically for COVID going to be key for travel companies and travel destinations to welcome guests again?
#SafeTravelsSoon
Image courtesy Emirates
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => emirates,featured [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => The Airline That's Providing Passengers with COVID insurance [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
The New COVID Safety Measure Cruise Travelers will actually LOVE
Anywhere
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/the-new-covid-safety-measure-cruise-travelers-will-actually-love [zid] => 8ffaec71-9d0f-4cef-aa69-22702b89bf21 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 2 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-06-14 15:16:09.859430 [id] => 1371703 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 2 [permalink] => river-or-ocean-cruises [title] => River or Ocean Cruises ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-06-14T17:34:39 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/harmony_of_the_seas_ext_aft_63764554726773038.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/harmony_of_the_seas_ext_aft_63764554726773038.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Anywhere [country_code] => US [id] => 1 [lat] => 0.0000000000 [lng] => 0.0000000000 [region] => Anywhere [title] => Anywhere ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => royal_caribbean [1] => silversea [2] => azamara [3] => celebrity [4] => norwegian [5] => oceania [6] => regent [7] => ocean_cruise [8] => featured [9] => cruise ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-04-26T20:24:13 [data] => Array ( ) [hits_all] => 2061 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1036411 [hits_today] => 2 [content] =>
It’s one of the least-loved experiences on a cruise. Not long after you board your ship with excitement to explore and start your vacation, you are required to put down your cocktail, and report to your ‘muster station’ for a mandatory safety drill.
Sometimes, you even have to go back to your stateroom, collect your life vest, and take it – or wear it! - to your designated lifeboat on deck, trying not to trip over the trailing ties of someone else’s PFD as you are herded up and down stairs (in a real emergency, the elevators would not be operating, so that’s how some ships ask guests to ‘rehearse’ mustering to the lifeboats) along with the entire population – crew and guests – of the ship.
Safety drills prior to sailing are essential – but no fun. And in an odd upside of the pandemic, Royal Caribbean Group, in its ongoing work to eliminate instances of large groups of people crowded together on its ships as they prepare to begin sailing again post-COVID, has come up with a digital solution.
Muster 2.0
is the elegant answer to traditional, in-person mustering for safety drills. As the company says, it’s a much ‘faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety.’
Using the technology, guests can ‘eMuster’ via personal mobile devices or the interactive TV’s in their staterooms. On embarkation day before setting sail, you review safety information digitally at your own pace and timing. Then you complete the ‘drill’ by going in-person to your assigned assembly station to familiarize yourself with its location. A crew member stationed there confirms you’ve completed your safety review and answers any questions you have.
That process meets the requirements of international maritime law and provides you with emergency drill information, but it’s also a convenient, time-saving, no-hassle start to your cruise.
Royal Caribbean’s new, technology-enhanced safety drill process makes the first day of your cruise more relaxed and enjoyable, even as it meets the post-COVID need to reduce large group gatherings and facilitate distancing. We call that a win-win-win!
As it happens, Muster 2.0 was already in the works as part of the company’s ongoing technology initiatives to update and smooth guest procedures. It was successfully tested on Symphony of the Seas in January 2020 before COVID halted cruising, and was very popular among guests who actually reported better understanding of the safety procedures using the interactive digital tool.
So when cruising starts again, guests on Royal Caribbean Group’s lines, which include
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara, and Silversea,
will enjoy a more relaxed – and COVID-protocol friendly – embarkation day.
In addition, Royal Caribbean Group brought the new technology to the ‘Healthy Sail Panel’ it convened with one of its biggest cruise competitors, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, to work together as an industry on safe and healthy cruising in a post-pandemic world.
In the spirit of cooperation in re-starting cruising post-COVID, Royal is waiving patent license fees to other cruise operators. Norwegian, the parent company of
Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises
, has already received license to implement Muster 2.0 on its ships.
So although COVID has had a devastating impact on the cruise and travel industries, and has forced thousands to put their travel dreams on temporary hold, good news like this shows how some long term good is coming out of it for cruise travelers once they sail again.
#WeWillSailAgain
Images: Royal Caribbean
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => royal_caribbean,silversea,azamara,celebrity,norwegian,oceania,regent,ocean_cruise,featured,cruise [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => The New COVID Safety Measure Cruise Travelers will actually LOVE [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
How the Postponed Tokyo Olympic Games Will Feature Japan's National Sport
Japan
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/how-the-postponed-tokyo-olympic-games-will-feature-japans-national-sport [zid] => 74115609-e90d-491b-bab0-a6d6e84fd281 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1153 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 10 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-06-14 02:01:20.379294 [id] => 1371702 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 10 [permalink] => local-events [title] => Local Events ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-06-14T17:34:05 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_07_21_at_11_00_58_PM_63762606100088973.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_07_21_at_11_00_58_PM_63762606100088973.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => [country_code] => JP [id] => 1153 [lat] => 36.2048240000 [lng] => 138.2529240000 [region] => Japan [title] => Japan ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => shore [2] => asia ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-04-26T20:23:56 [data] => Array ( ) [hits_all] => 745 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1030665 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
We should be watching the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Olympiad right now.
But COVID has changed the history of the Olympics along with so many other features of our lives. Tokyo 2020 retains the name, but the dates have changed.
Originally scheduled to take place from July 24
th
through the second week of August this year, Tokyo 2020 now opens on July 23
rd
2021. They are the first Summer Games to be postponed instead of cancelled due to an international crisis.
You can still make plans to be in the stands for Tokyo 2020 in 2021 and part of the excitement in Japan’s capital. The date changes will mean a magnified Olympic energy, pent up for an extra year. Always an international, feel-good rally, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 promise to be even more symbolically charged in the year following the COVID crisis.
So next year more than many other Olympics, all eyes will be on Tokyo. In addition to all our favorite Summer Olympic sports, new competitions at Tokyo 2020 will include freestyle BMX and 3x3 basketball, as well as the debut of surfing, skateboarding and karate, sports proposed by the host country.
But Japan’s national sport will not be played at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Sumo is only practiced at the highest levels inside Japan. There is no competition between nations like Olympic Games for sumo.
Instead, between the closing of the Olympic Games and the opening of the Paralympic Games, the Japan Sumo Association has planned to stage a special, two-day sumo exhibition tournament.
It gives attendees at the Olympic Games the opportunity to be a part of one of the world’s most rare, ritualized, ancient sports still part of a country’s modern culture.
Sumo is often caricaturized in Western culture. You may have even been to parties where brave or joker guests don inflatable ‘sumo’ costumes, throw themselves at each other and roll around on the floor, laughing.
But a bit of
knowledge about Japan’s version of wrestling
gives viewers new appreciation for this unique sport and martial art.
Sumo was first mentioned in writing in the 700’s, but pre-historic wall paintings show sumo’s roots in ritual dances for good harvests;
Matches are held in a 15-foot wide clay ring;
Far from colliding and rolling around on the floor like the Western party game, sumo wrestlers try to force their opponents outside of the ring in full-contact, ritualized movements that are considered a martial art;
Sumo wrestlers are required to wear their hair long in a waxed topknot, in an historically Samurai warrior style;
In the ring, they wear 30-foot long belts (not diapers!), tied in the back, that the other wrestler can latch onto to throw his opponent out of the ring;
Matches begin with a powerful crouch and charge that use the wrestlers’ great size to full effect;
There are no weight classes in sumo, so the bigger wrestlers can get, the better! Sumo wrestlers consume specific, traditional foods – up to 20,000 calories every day, or 10 times what an average person needs! – to gain and maintain weights in excess of 300 pounds. In modern sumo history, 3 famous sumo wrestlers have even weighed in at over 600 pounds!;
Even today, other customs and traditions of sumo are very linked to Japan’s ancient Shinto religion, including the throwing salt to purify the ring.
If you are not in Japan for the special tournament following the Tokyo Games, six sumo tournaments are held for two weeks each every year throughout Japan. Tokyo’s tournaments are in January, May and September, and other major cities have one each, including Osaka in March, Nagoya in July, and Fukuoka in November.
It may never be an Olympic sport, but sumo is one of the best-preserved ancient sports anywhere in the world, and an experience not to miss if you ever have a chance to travel to Japan.
#DreamNowTravelSoon
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,shore,asia [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => How the Postponed Tokyo Olympic Games Will Feature Japan's National Sport [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
Mount Fuji and 3 Other Mountains You Need to Visit in Japan
Japan
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/mount-fuji-and-3-other-mountains-you-need-to-visit-in-japan [zid] => 9dd763d0-92bf-4eb4-b3f3-7e86260a6b4c [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1153 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 5 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-04-14 16:13:15.866254 [id] => 1389174 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 5 [permalink] => outdoor-activities [title] => Outdoor Activities ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:55:33 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_09_24_at_9_48_11_AM_63768174520993440.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_09_24_at_9_48_11_AM_63768174520993440.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => [country_code] => JP [id] => 1153 [lat] => 36.2048240000 [lng] => 138.2529240000 [region] => Japan [title] => Japan ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => family_vacation [2] => adventure [3] => wellness ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-04-14T16:13:15 [data] => [hits_all] => 699 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1054048 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
France has the Eiffel Tower. The U.S. has the Statue of Liberty. But the visual shorthand for Japan is not man-made. It’s Mount Fuji.
The Japanese archipelago is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Chains of volcanic mountain ranges form the spine of the Japanese islands, and mountains have assumed immense cultural and spiritual significance over the millennia.
Nearly every population center is associated with one or more mountains, where forests of bamboo, Japanese cypress or maple, and fields of wildflowers like azaleas have provided the Japanese with the opportunity to commune with nature.
Japanese culture even has a phrase:
‘shinrin-yoku’, or ‘forest bathing’
to describe the national practice of interacting with natural spaces and enjoying physical and spiritual benefits. It’s almost always associated with mountain terrain.
Fuji san
And the granddaddy of them all is Mount Fuji. Other peaks have names like
Asama-yama
, using the word yama meaning mountain (in English we’d say: Mount Asama). But you would never say Fuji-yama. Fuji is an almost human character in the fabric of Japanese culture, and is given the personal honorific title: Fuji-san.
At 3,776 meters (nearly 12,500 ft), its peak is
the highest point in the country
. Its form is spectacular in almost-perfect volcanic symmetry, dramatically snow-capped nearly half of the year. And unlike many mountains in Japan, Mount Fuji rises from flat plains and so is perfectly framed to be viewed from several stunning vantage points.
Only 100 km (60 miles) south-west of Tokyo, Mount Fuji acquired national significance when early Tokyo became the capital hundreds of years ago. Poetry was written praising its beauty, which was captured by countless generations of Japanese artists. Mount Fuji became one of the earliest images of Japan to other countries and the West.
Fuji-san is considered a holy mountain in Japan
, and for centuries, people have been making pilgrimages to the summit.
Hundreds of thousands of Japanese climb Fuji every year, and many visitors to the country join them. There are a number of trails to the summit. They all have 10 stations, and most people start at the 5
th
station (on Fuji Subaru Line), the last point where vehicles can reach.
You can look at hiking Mount Fuji from a purely active-travel point of view, to say you’ve done it, and to enjoy the experience and the view from the top.
But to make the climb the spiritual experience the Japanese seek, do as most Japanese do, which is make the 7-hour-or-so
climb during the night to be at the summit as the first, pure rays of the sun illuminate the peak. Sun rise
is symbolic in Japanese culture (the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’).
The spiritual approach adds meaning to the historic shrines and teahouses, stone monkey guards at the entrance of the main Yoshida trail, and the monuments at each historic station on the way up erected by followers of the local, Fuji-ko faith.
Mount Asama, Nagano
It’s one of Japan’s most active volcanoes. You can almost always see smoke curling into the air from Mount Asama, in the Northern Japanese Alps in the prefecture that hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics.
A bonus of a hike up Mount Asama is that most people start from the chic, forested, summer-retreat town of
Karuizawa
. Japan’s Imperial Family have their summer home there, and other elite Japanese have followed their lead, making it a stylish vacation destination as well as a cool retreat from sweltering summer heat in nearby Tokyo.
The 4-hour climb to the summit takes you through cool, dense forests in the lower ranges, then above the tree line where the view opens up in a spectacular way. After your hike, an outdoor natural hot springs located at the trailhead is the perfect way to ease any climbing aches away in the fresh mountain air at 2,000 meters (6,500 feet)!
One of the most unforgettable experiences at Mount Asama is in the wake of its massive, 1783 eruption. In addition to a Buddhist temple in memory of those who perished, the lava field is now a park. It is like a sci-fi movie set, where trails take you through a ‘forest’ of stark and jagged lava formations and superb views of the volcano in the background. The park is memorably named
Onioshidashi, ‘The Place Where the Devils Emerged from the Earth’.
Shiretoko Mountains, Hokkaido
While the southern parts of Japan are tropical, its northern island prefecture, Hokkaido, is more like Russia and Alaska at similar distances above the equator.
The Shiretoko Mountains are the feature of a National Park known for its unspoiled beauty, variety of wildlife and its drifting sea ice where visitors can take
ice walk tours
in winter. As sea ice drifts along the peninsula, brave visitors walk along a seeming conveyor belt of ice - with a few polar dips in between!
The park itself is dotted with hot springs. One very special hot spring phenomenon is
Kamuiwakka Hot Waterfall
, a unique cascade of hot water at the river’s head that can only be reached by foot. Visitors wade through warm water that increases in temperature higher up the river. Walking over waterfalls and upstream feels like discovering unexplored, mystical emerald-green terrain, and your final reward is the source of this hot shower called ‘Water of the Gods’ in the local indigenous Ainu language.
Mount Aso, Kumamoto
Japan’s largest active volcano
looks downright tame, covered in a smooth rolling layer of green felt. Mount Aso’s 100km (60 mile) caldera is one of the world’s largest, and there are several smaller volcanoes inside.
Like most active Japanese volcanoes, you need to check before you go if you hope to climb. Mount Aso’s peaks are occasionally closed due to volcanic activity. Helicopter tours are a popular way to view the steaming crater. And the nearby Aso Volcano Museum explains the volcano’s activity and its status in Japan as a deity.
A bonus of a trip to the area is the chance to see local
Akaushi cattle
, prized for their high-quality wagyu (‘Kobe beef’)
, freely roaming the plains. It’s one of the few places in Japan where you can go horseback riding, along trails that ribbon the picturesque landscape. You might be a little sore after your ride, but no worries, because the volcanic activity means the area has many hot springs Two are inside Mount Aso’s crater itself!
Japanese, like mountain cultures the world over, associate peaks, fresh mountain air, and outdoor activity with purity and good health. In the aftermath of a global pandemic, mountain escapes have a special resonance. A trip to Japan focusing on its revered alpine experiences is a spiritual and wellness journey for the times.
Contact your Travel Professional to plan your next trip to Japan, whether it’s active, spiritual or leisure travel.
#DreamNowTravelSoon
Mount Fuji images courtesy of JNTO;
Mount Asama image courtesy of JNTO;
Kumuiwakka courtesy of JNTO;
Mount Aso image: Tom Vining, Unsplash
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,family_vacation,adventure,wellness [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => Mount Fuji and 3 Other Mountains You Need to Visit in Japan [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
How You Can Help Solve Overtourism - AND Still Enjoy the World's Most Popular Destinations
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/how-you-can-help-solve-overtourism-and-still-enjoy-the-worlds-most-popular-destinations [zid] => bccaac3b-7ffe-422b-8e4c-52437bf18aa8 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 8 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-07-21 12:20:27.809464 [id] => 1389171 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 8 [permalink] => sightseeing [title] => Sightseeing ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:52:06 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_02_24_at_4_03_49_PM_63749797474098795.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_02_24_at_4_03_49_PM_63749797474098795.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => shore [2] => family_vacation [3] => wedding [4] => cruise [5] => escorted_tour [6] => luxury ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2021-07-23T09:03:47 [data] => [hits_all] => 1408 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 998230 [hits_today] => 4 [content] =>
Amsterdam. Venice. Barcelona. Just to name a few. These are spectacular, vibrant, magical cities… reeling under the weight of tourists.
I’m very fortunate to have visited a number of cities that are now on the list of overtouristed destinations. They are magnificent and life changing. But sadly, each subsequent visit, I see the very qualities travelers go there to seek eroded a little bit more by a growing volume of tourists.
Over-touristed destinations worry about becoming artificial, ‘theme park’ versions of their charming, unique, authentic selves. They fear seeing local residents, artisans, shopkeepers and restaurateurs priced out of the cities’ historic centers by global brands and big companies buying up real estate for international brand shops and short-term housing rentals.
When the locals go, so do many of the very lifestyle elements you hoped to enjoy. Local food and craft markets collapse, inexpensive, authentic local restaurants close their doors, and the only people you meet… are other tourists.
These cities may be on your travel bucket list. Or you imagine re-living fond memories there.
I can’t bring myself to say people should no longer travel to over-touristed destinations (although some cities’ mayors sound like they’re willing to ban tourists altogether).
But I can offer 8 tips about the best ways responsible travelers can help be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And at the same time, take steps to ensure the best travel experience for themselves.
Responsible travel tips for overtourism:
Be a good global citizen.
Practice the advice often given to park visitors: take only pictures, leave only footprints. Littering, loitering, being part of a loud group that blocks sidewalks and disrupts the peaceful enjoyment of a neighborhood, in many places outside of North America, eating or drinking on the street… some rules of good behavior are universal, and some are unique to local custom, like tipping practices.
Do your research in advance and be the person the locals welcome back.
Go off-season / shoulder season.
In over-touristed destinations, off-season or shoulder season (the weeks on either side of the core ‘high season’), by definition, is less crowded. No lineups. Less expensive. The locals come back (think Paris after everyone takes the month of August away from the city). And the tourism attractions are happy to see you – and your money.
Stay in hotels.
Many short-term rentals are not real home shares by residents, but instead, units owned and managed by big corporations running what amounts to unregulated hotel businesses. Inhabitants of residential neighborhoods report being disrupted by a steady stream of strangers that can change the character of the community.
Hotels are regulated for your health and safety, they ensure local bylaws are followed, AND they are paying business taxes that support the preservation of cultural treasures visitors are coming to enjoy, and the infrastructure like streets and sidewalks and parks and public transportation tourists rely on.
Shop locally.
And especially, make a point to spend your souvenir, dining, and entertainment budgets to support local artisans, craftspeople, performing artists and venues, food and wine and spirit producers that are preserving local culture, techniques and architecture, and whose businesses 100% support the local economy.
Book smaller cruise ships.
Bigger cruise ships need ports of a certain size, so that often means they all converge on major city ports – and some are already bursting with land-based visitors.
The biggest cruise ships carry thousands of people. In some places, a single ship can result in cruise visitors outnumbering locals! Imagine if two or more mega ships are in port! No wonder locals can feel like their city has been taken over by non-locals- and ‘normal’ local life comes to a halt while these immense cruise ships are in port.
There’s lots to be said for the attractions of mega cruise ships. If that’s your preferred cruise style, try to focus on itineraries that visit destinations that can accommodate you and your 5000 other cruise guests without overwhelming or changing the character of the city.
Always book a pre- or post-cruise stay.
That way, you are not just transiting through a city, you also contribute to its economy - and get to enjoy overnights and immersion in these wonderful places. Pre- and post-cruise stays - or tours - are a perfect balance to the destination sampling approach of cruising.
Book your visit with a reputable tour company.
The best tour companies understand the importance of reducing their impact on and preserving the best of local communities. They work to balance the interests of the destination with unique access to its greatest cultural, natural, and lifestyle gems for its guests.
Consider destinations in the same country that have fewer tourists.
You’ll often find the same – and sometimes, even more authentic - local lifestyle and flavors that have diminished in the most visited destinations if you leave the big cities and go off the beaten path in the same country.
Talk to your Travel Professional about your travel interests, and they’ll be able to help you design a thoughtful and responsible travel plan that takes overtourism into account.
Start your Trip!
By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host BestTrip TV
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,shore,family_vacation,wedding,cruise,escorted_tour,luxury [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => How You Can Help Solve Overtourism - AND Still Enjoy the World's Most Popular Destinations [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
Hidden Secrets and Natural Wonders of 4 Costa Rican Volcanoes
Costa Rica
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/hidden-secrets-and-natural-wonders-of-4-costa-rican-volcanoes [zid] => 61ae602b-1734-458e-a68f-514733674d04 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 2103 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 5 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-05-31 20:49:02.170799 [id] => 1389170 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 5 [permalink] => outdoor-activities [title] => Outdoor Activities ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:49:32 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-4590-1389170.pdf [file] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-4590-1389170.pdf ) [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_08_25_at_11_39_28_PM_63765632406699054.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => [country_code] => CR [id] => 2103 [lat] => 9.7489170000 [lng] => -83.7534280000 [region] => Costa Rica [title] => Costa Rica ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => family_vacation [2] => wedding [3] => adventure ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-05-31T20:49:02 [data] => [hits_all] => 849 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1043128 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
From breathtaking beaches, up through rainforests and cloud forests, Costa Rica’s terrain rises from the sea to mountain ranges and, like icing on a scenic cake, a string of volcanoes that are evidence of the country’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
There are over 200 identifiable volcanoes in Costa Rica that date back more than 65 million years. Half of those show volcanic activity but only half a dozen is classified as active volcanoes.
Costa Rica’s volcanoes are signature features of the scenic landscape and have been key to the country’s lush biodiversity. Costa Rica is famously one of the world’s most ecologically rich destinations and is the first tropical country to reverse deforestation. It occupies a tiny .03 percent of the Earth’s surface, but is home to more than 5% of the planet’s species, and over a quarter of the country is designated protected. Bordered by the sea to the east and west, the nation’s waters host 3.5% of the world’s marine life.
National parks around Costa Rica's volcanoes are also the setting for some of the best adventures in the country, from hiking and mountain biking to white water rafting, fishing, and kayaking, and birding, horseback trail riding and camping.
Costa Rica’s volcanoes make the vacations of anyone who loves nature and the outdoors magical
.
Frame your next tropical vacation around the sights and activities of one - or all! - of these 4 amazing volcanoes.
ARENAL
If you were asked to draw a volcano, it would likely look a lot like Arenal (pictured, top). With its picture-‘perfect’ volcanic cone, Arenal is Costa Rica’s most famous volcano and towers in the country’s Northern Plains in Arenal Volcano National park.
The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and also home to 75% of Costa Rica’s bird population and its most popular natural hot springs, a favorite destination for wellness journeys.
The volcano is the backdrop for Costa Rica’s adventure capital, where visitors enjoy zip-lining, white-water rafting, thermal hot springs and waterfalls, hiking, birding and wildlife-watching opportunities.
Fun Fact
: Arenal was until recently the most active volcano in Costa Rica, regularly putting on a show of spewing hot gas and steam, until it suddenly just stopped in 2010.
RINCÓN DE LA VIEJA
Rincón de la Vieja Volcano and its dormant sister Santa Maria Volcano form the center of the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, which is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Standing over 6000 feet tall and measuring 9 miles wide, Rincón de la Vieja is the largest volcano in the Guanacaste province and features no fewer than 9 volcanic craters, dozens of rivers cascading down its sides, with waterfalls sending romantic mist into the air. Even though it’s the most active volcano in the region, it’s a nature lover’s paradise with an enormous variety of wildlife.
Like many volcanoes, there are hot springs where visitors can ‘take the waters’. In fact, the region is such an active geothermal area, the Costa Rican government has developed eco-friendly projects that harvest the geothermal energy.
Fun Fact:
Rincón de la Vieja’s last big eruption was in January 2020!
POÁS
You guessed it. Another volcano, in another national park. The Poás Volcano in the national park of the same name lies in Costa Rica’s Central Valley. It’s one of the largest volcanoes and the most accessible, only half an hour from San Jose.
Poás Volcano has one active and two dormant craters. The active crater sounds like it could be the setting of fantasy action movies, with a boiling acid lake! Laguna Caliente, or ‘Hot Lake’ is one of the most acidic lakes on earth, and it even changes color hourly from emerald green to eerie grayish white.
One of the dormant craters is the opposite: a cold water lake that drains down the side of the volcano.
Fun Fact:
Bird lovers can spot 79 different species of birds in the park.
IRAZÚ
At 11,260 feet, Irazú is the country’s tallest volcano. On a clear day, from Irazú’s summit, you have incredible panoramic views of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans on either side of the country.
This volcano is also located inside its own Costa Rican national park consisting of the volcano and nearly 6000 acres of mountain and cloud forest. While you’re climbing to the summit for those ocean views, you may also spot exotic tropical birds including tanagers and Wrenthrush.
Irazú Volcano has several craters but the most famous has a breathtaking blue-green lake inside.
Fun Fact:
Irazú Volcano
last erupted while US President John F. Kennedy was visiting Costa Rica.
And make sure the heights of a volcano are part of your next Costa Rican adventure.
#DreamNowTravelSoon
Images courtesy of
Visit Costa Rica
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,family_vacation,wedding,adventure [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => Hidden Secrets and Natural Wonders of 4 Costa Rican Volcanoes [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
Explore the Oldest Protected Forest in the Hemisphere
Trinidad and Tobago
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/explore-the-oldest-protected-forest-in-the-hemisphere [zid] => d3ffa77b-fa22-417e-a484-2a23963bd2c0 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 72924 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 5 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-08-04 14:12:14.551257 [id] => 1389166 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 5 [permalink] => outdoor-activities [title] => Outdoor Activities ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:44:12 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_10_07_at_8_11_37_AM_63769292006627219.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_10_07_at_8_11_37_AM_63769292006627219.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Trinidad and Tobago [country_code] => TT [id] => 72924 [lat] => 11.0000000000 [lng] => -61.0000000000 [region] => Trinidad and Tobago [title] => Trinidad and Tobago ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => family_vacation [2] => adventure ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2021-08-04T14:12:14 [data] => [hits_all] => 715 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1057912 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
If you haven’t been to the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, the chance to discover the wonders of the Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve should add it to your Caribbean travel list.
Covering two-thirds of the island, the Reserve dates back to 1776 – the same year as American Independence!
The historic ordinance protecting the tropical rainforest recognized some of the earliest science showing the relationship between abundant trees and the rainfall that contributed to the fertility of the land. It is considered a conservation landmark, with Scientific American noting, “the protection of Tobago's forest was the first act in the modern environmental movement'.
Legacy of Conservation
Today, the 10,000 acres of prolific tropical rainforest is a dream for naturalists, outdoors enthusiasts and especially bird watchers. It’s home to dozens of species of mammals, (non-poisonous) reptiles and amphibians, including the ocellated gecko, not found anywhere else in the world.
More than 200 types of birds live in the reserve and you can see many of the colorful winged residents of the rainforest. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the White-tailed Sabrewing Hummingbird. It’s one of the world’s rarest hummingbirds and unique to the island of Tobago. Thought at one time to be extinct after a hurricane tore through the region, the species has been recovering since its rediscovery in the 1970’s.
Nature Trails
There are a number of marked trails through the lush and tranquil Reserve. The oldest and most prestigious trail is the
Gilpin Trace
. Cutting through the heart of the forest, it’s generally flat and accessible to birders, nature lovers and hikers of many levels of fitness. An experienced guide will help you make the most of the sights and sounds of this naturalists’ nirvana.
For more intrepid explorers, turn your sights on the island’s highest point – Pigeon Peak – at the eastern end of the Main Ridge Forest Reserve. In a half-day hike, you can traverse the challenging, overgrown and mostly unmarked trail. The main route follows an old plantation road that cuts along the hillside. Just before a gully, a steep trail leads up into open rainforest towards the summit.
Off The Beaten Track
Surprisingly for a nature reserve that’s been voted “World’s Leading Eco-Tourism destination” multiple times, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve still flies under the radar. So it’s the perfect place for an off-the-beaten-track tropical nature holiday.
#DreamNowTravelSoon
Images Courtesy Tobago Tourism; Photo credit: Alexa Fernado
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,family_vacation,adventure [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => Explore the Oldest Protected Forest in the Hemisphere [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
Discover Dazzling Winter Evenings at Hong Kong's New Light Festival
Hong Kong
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/discover-dazzling-winter-evenings-at-hong-kongs-new-light-festival [zid] => a3d6ed5b-3926-4a03-9c3e-387e78deafc4 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1244 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 10 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-09-21 15:41:32.663934 [id] => 1389165 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 10 [permalink] => local-events [title] => Local Events ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:43:52 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2018_12_09_at_11_47_26_AM_63711593301098785.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2018_12_09_at_11_47_26_AM_63711593301098785.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => [country_code] => HK [id] => 1244 [lat] => 22.3964280000 [lng] => 114.1094970000 [region] => Hong Kong [title] => Hong Kong ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => shore [2] => asia [3] => family_vacation [4] => ocean_cruise [5] => luxury ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2021-09-21T15:41:32 [data] => [hits_all] => 1392 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 858319 [hits_today] => 2 [content] =>
For a city whose nighttime skyline overlooking Victoria Harbour is already a global icon of urban lighting and signage, a light festival might seem like overkill.
But the new Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival expands the effects of Hong Kong's famous neon signs and lit-up skyscrapers to a street-level playground of luminous artworks during the darkest months of the year.
Debuting in 2018, the Pulse Light Festival runs from the last week of November through late February. Not only does the artistic light festival brighten the longest nights of the year, it also overlaps Chinese New Year festivities, a high point on Hong Kong's calendar of celebrations for an amplified celebratory atmosphere.
Artists from around the world contribute to the Pulse Light Festival to bring Hong Kong to even greater heights of brilliance in the winter. Here are some highlights visitors shouldn't miss:
'A Symphony of Lights'
It's one of the world's most spectacular light and multi-media shows, and now, Hong Kong's 'A Symphony of Lights' festival gets a winter edition. Every night, Victoria Harbour will get more dazzling, with more participating skyscrapers, more color, more pyrotechnics from rooftops, and more lighting effects, all put to music that inspires. Check the calendar for special shows on red-letter dates like Christmas, New Year, and other holidays.
'A Tale of Two Trees'
The holidays are the inspiration behind 2 very different tree installations in Hong Kong. A glorious, traditional, lit-and-decorated Christmas tree lights up Hong Kong's Statue Square with the magic and wonder of the season.
Next to Hong Kong's brilliantly-lit Observation Wheel, a completely different kind of 'tree' installation reinterprets the traditional motif. The 'XTree' is a 25-metre, cubist, 'tree' made from metal scaffolds that evoke tree branches. Its strategically-placed lighting 'dances' to a soundtrack, making the 'XTree' come 'alive'. More than a visual treat, the installation is intended to inspire discussion and debate about environmentally friendlier ways to maintain and translate holiday traditions for the future.
'International Light Art Display'
The 'XTree' is one installation of a much larger display, the incandescent 'International Light Art Display'. Over a dozen, curated light art pieces by global artists from Europe, the US, India, Israel, and elsewhere in Asia, as well as several symbolic works by local Hong Kong artists, line Hong Kon's iconic Victoria Harbour for the festival.
Many installations are interactive and change color or appearance over time and in contact with visitors: revealing your inner beauty with 'Angels of Freedom', witnessing the dialogue of 'Talking Heads', walking through arches of 'Bat and Coin' (pictured above). The light installations turn stunning Victoria Harbour from a breathtaking view to be seen from a distance, into a destination to explore and experience up close and in a festive evening atmosphere.
The Pulse Light Festival creates an unforgettable visual journey through Hong Kong, and joins other magical winter and holiday festive events, activities and celebrations that light up the night and warm hearts through the entire season.
Start your Trip! Contact your Travel Professional today.
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,shore,asia,family_vacation,ocean_cruise,luxury [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => Discover Dazzling Winter Evenings at Hong Kong's New Light Festival [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
Ah, Venice: Luxurious New River Ship Sailing One of Europe's Most Unique Itineraries Revealed
Venice
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/ah-venice-luxurious-new-river-ship-sailing-one-of-europes-most-unique-itineraries-revealed [zid] => 89065fff-b77c-491e-8d0e-83007e8612b8 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 944 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 2 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-11-23 15:23:30.730172 [id] => 1389162 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 2 [permalink] => river-or-ocean-cruises [title] => River or Ocean Cruises ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:40:40 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_10_08_at_9_23_27_AM_63769382646147536.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2020_10_08_at_9_23_27_AM_63769382646147536.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Venice [country_code] => IT [id] => 944 [lat] => 45.4371300000 [lng] => 12.3326500000 [region] => Veneto [title] => Venice ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => uniworld [1] => featured [2] => cruise [3] => river_cruise [4] => luxury ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2021-11-23T15:23:30 [data] => [hits_all] => 890 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 1057906 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
A passion for style, art, cuisine and living well. Capturing that iconic Italian way of life and the essence of Venice was the goal of the latest ‘Super Ship’ by Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.
The
S.S. La Venezia
, like all Uniworld ships, is more ‘local boutique hotel’ than ‘river cruise ship’.
We often say that one of the attractions of cruising is your ‘floating hotel’. But Uniworld’s approach takes the destination to heart. Where many river cruise ships are very similar to their sister ships on other rivers,
La Venezia
, like every Uniworld ship, is a ‘work onto itself’, designed specifically to reflect its Venetian itineraries, just as luxury boutique hotels on land allow guests to be immersed in the essence of their destination.
Every space on
La Venezia
has been crafted to expressly celebrate Venice, beginning in the lobby, designed to strike a bold resemblance to the dramatic, romantic era of 1930’s Venice.
Throughout the ship, artistic touches are unmistakably Venetian: guests will stroll across marble or brass-inlaid parquet floors. You’ll see echoes of the portico of the canal city’s landmark bridges in the patterns of the fabrics, or a reference to classic Venetian cuisine’s local fish dishes. And of course, the signature craft of Venice, Murano blown glass, appears in swirls and pops of color.
La Venezia
’s 4 restaurants and bars bring local gastronomy to life with ingredients sourced straight from Venetian markets. Their names as well as design themes also reflect the city:
·
Rialto’s
is the largest dining venue onboard and was inspired by the famous Venice-Istanbul train the
Orient Express
. Guests dine on traditional Venetian fare in an atmosphere of a bygone era of luxury travel, in charming booth seating, surrounded by intricately etched panels.
·
Hari’s Bar and Lounge
allows guests to relax into sumptuously upholstered love seats and enjoy live music, cocktails, and an impressive champagne list, nibble on a selection of traditional paninis and soak in the iconic sights as you sail through Venice.
·
La Cantinetta
is the most intimate of
La Venezia
’s venues, offering private dining with expert wine pairing, surrounded by
hand-etched glass walls and polished ebonized wood. You’re invited to start your La Cantinetta experience earlier in the day, accompanying the ship’s chef to source ingredients at the city's famous Rialto food market. The chef’s selections of Adriatic seafood, fine Italian cheeses and cured meats and locally grown seasonal produce like asparagus or artichokes are later masterfully prepared in the demonstration kitchen to create a mouth-watering meal of traditional Italian dishes.
·
Cielo’s
Pizzeria on the Lido di Venezia Deck celebrates pure Italian comfort food, where wood-fired pizzas are served hot from the oven in al fresco dining with the best views of Venice.
Experience the Ship’s Design First-Hand
To bring the magic of the world’s most beloved canal city on board, Uniworld turned to local Venetian design house Fortuny, renowned for its handmade fabrics. Fortuny artists have been crafting essential Venetian designs for over a century, and their textile creations are company secrets to this day.
The Fortuny story is so intricately woven into the design of the ship that Uniworld guests will have the exclusive opportunity to visit its private showroom and gardens to learn about the company and its Venetian legacy.
Redefining ‘River Cruising’
Venice is a city of water.
La Venezia
gives guests the opportunity to discover Venice as she was meant to be experienced – from the water.
Once she makes her debut in the Spring of 2021,
La Venezia
will allow guests to uncover the magic of the Venetian Lagoon on a number of itineraries that expand the definition of ‘river cruising’.
On the ship’s signature, “Venice & the Gems of Northern Italy” itinerary, you’ll be treated to a private opening and lighting ceremony at St. Mark’s Basilica, explore the peaceful canals unique to Venetian islands Burano, Mazzorbo and Torcello, as well as the magnificent cities of Bologna and Padua.
Other itineraries on
La Venezia
include “Milan, Venice & the Gems of Northern Italy”, “Cruise & Rail: Venice & the Swiss Alps” and “Cruise & Rail: Milan, Venice & the Swiss Alps”.
Contact one of our Travel Professionals to start planning your river cruise today!
#DreamNowTravelSoon
Images courtesy Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => uniworld,featured,cruise,river_cruise,luxury [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => Ah, Venice: Luxurious New River Ship Sailing One of Europe's Most Unique Itineraries Revealed [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
8 Facts About the Panama Canal
Panama City
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/8-facts-about-the-panama-canal [zid] => 14fa3fef-66ce-455f-9958-54d62961927c [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 72809 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 7 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-02-16 22:29:43.519631 [id] => 1389160 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 7 [permalink] => transportation [title] => Transportation ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:36:36 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2019_01_23_at_1_16_14_PM_63715486641163523.png [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2019_01_23_at_1_16_14_PM_63715486641163523.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Panama City [country_code] => PA [id] => 72809 [lat] => 8.9936000000 [lng] => -79.5197300000 [region] => Panamá [title] => Panama City ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => regent [1] => viking-cruise [2] => princess [3] => celebrity [4] => crystal_cruises [5] => norwegian [6] => seabourn [7] => uncruises [8] => silversea [9] => holland_america [10] => featured [11] => cruise [12] => all_inclusive [13] => family_vacation [14] => panama_centralamerica [15] => adventure_cruise [16] => luxury_cruise [17] => small_cruise [18] => viceroy [19] => riu [20] => hard_rock [21] => westin [22] => hotel [23] => dreams [24] => ocean_cruise ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-02-16T22:29:43 [data] => [hits_all] => 18393 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 870164 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
Panama is one of the fastest-growing destinations in Central America, and the Panama Canal is the country's star attraction. Although it's on everyone's list of things to experience, the canal is more important as a global shipping transit than tourist experience.
Whether you sail the canal on your next cruise or watch in action from land, here are 8 things you need to know about this wonder of the modern world.
1. It's a short cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Panama Canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama in a narrow land bridge between North and South America. Prior, ships had to sail around the tip of South America. It takes about 8 hours to cross the Canal's 50 miles (77km). That saves days. If a ship had to navigate down and around Cape Horn at the tip of South America and back up the other side, it would have to travel nearly 12,500 miles (20,000 km).
2. It's over 100 years old.
2014 marked the 100
th
anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal. Columbia, France, then later, the United States controlled the land surrounding the canal. In 1881, the French started building the canal, but progress halted due to engineering problems and high worker mortality. The US took it over in 1904 and completed the project with newly available technology ten years later at a cost of $400 million USD. In 1999, control passed back to Panama.
3. Construction cost over 25,000 lives.
At times, more than 43,000 people were working on the Panama Canal at once. Workers had to deal with heat, jungles, swamps - and all the creatures in them, including rats that carried bubonic plague. Plus mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever and malaria. Over 20,000 workers died during French building efforts.
After the scientific links between the insects and disease had been discovered, Americans undertook intensive and successful anti-mosquito initiatives. Even so, another more than 5000 workers perished during the American building phase.
4. It's considered one of the Man-Made Wonders of the World
The American Society of Civil Engineers has also dubbed the Panama Canal one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World. It's one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken.
A system of locks at each end of the Canal lifts ships up 85 feet (26 meters) above sea level to an artificial lake. Ships traverse the artificial lake, as well as a series of improved and artificial channels, and then are lowered again in more locks to sea level at the other side.
The locks are 110 feet (33 meters) feet wide and 1000 feet (300 meters) long. About 30-MILLION pounds (1,400,000 kilos) of explosives were used to help clear the land for the canal.
(That's a view! The Norwegian Bliss is the largest passenger cruise ship to have ever transited the Panama Canal)
5. Over 1 Million Vessels have transited the canal since it opened.
In 1914, the year it opened, about 1000 ships used the canal. Today, nearly 15,000 ships pass through the Isthmus of Panama via the Canal annually. The 1 Millionth ship crossed the canal in 2010, 96 years after it opened.
In 1934 it was estimated that the maximum traffic of the canal would be around 80 million tons of shipping a year, but by 2015, canal traffic exceeded 340 million tons of shipping – over 4 times the original maximum estimate.
6. $2 Billion in Tolls are Collected Annually
Every ship that passes through the canal pays a toll based on its size, type and volume of cargo. Tolls are set by the Panama Canal Authority. Tolls for the largest cargo ships can run about $450,000. Cruise ships pay by berths (number of passengers in beds). The per-berth fee set in 2016 was $138; a large cruise ship can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to sail through the Canal.
The smallest toll recorded was paid by American Richard Halliburton in 1928, who paid 36 cents to swim the Canal.
7. The Panama Canal was expanded for bigger ships in 2016
The original canal locks are 110 feet (33 meters) wide and ten times as long. For a century, they accommodated shipping, and the term 'Panamax' ships was used to describe ships built to fit through the canal. But ships kept getting bigger, and in 2007, work began on a multi-billion dollar expansion of the Canal. In 2016, a third, wider lane of locks opened for commercial shipping, capable of handling 'Post-Panamax' ships that can carry 14,000 20-foot shipping containers (nearly 3 times Panamax ship capacity).
In spite of that giant leap forward in 2016, the world's largest container ships - that can carry 18,000 shipping containers – can't pass through the Panama Canal.
(A Celebrity Cruise ship transiting the Panama Canal)
8. How you can visit the Panama Canal.
Many ocean cruise lines
offer increasingly popular Panama Canal itineraries that sail through the canal in the approximately 8 hour passage to their next destination in the opposite ocean.
But you don't have to sail through the canal. If you're visiting Panama City, or taking a resort / beach vacation in Panama, you can
take a land trip
to see the canal in action.
The Miraflores Visitor Center is on the east side of the Miraflores Locks, which are close to the Pacific end of the Canal and Panama City. Like the canal, the Visitor Center is open daily. The Visitor Center has large balconies designed for you to get a great view as the lock gates are opened and closed for ships to start or complete their journey through the Panama Canal.
Engineering buffs and even children will be thrilled at the up-close-to-the-action perspective on this man-made Wonder of the World.
Start your Trip!
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => regent,viking-cruise,princess,celebrity,crystal_cruises,norwegian,seabourn,uncruises,silversea,holland_america,featured,cruise,all_inclusive,family_vacation,panama_centralamerica,adventure_cruise,luxury_cruise,small_cruise,viceroy,riu,hard_rock,westin,hotel,dreams,ocean_cruise [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => 8 Facts About the Panama Canal [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
7 Castles in Ireland Where You Can Stay
Ireland
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/7-castles-in-ireland-where-you-can-stay [zid] => 3de036c7-c866-4b89-b865-6b31b027f375 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 2093 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 6 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-04-14 16:14:56.583436 [id] => 1389157 [client] => [likers_count] => 1 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 6 [permalink] => accomodations [title] => Hotels ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:35:23 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5208-1389157.pdf [file] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5208-1389157.pdf [1] => https://cdn4.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5209-1389157-1228661.pdf [2] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5198-1389157-1228644.pdf ) [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2019_03_04_at_9_20_23_PM_63718971712839358.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => [country_code] => IE [id] => 2093 [lat] => 53.4129100000 [lng] => -8.2438900000 [region] => Irland [title] => Ireland ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => shore [2] => britishisles_western [3] => hotels [4] => luxury ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-04-14T16:14:56 [data] => Array ( ) [hits_all] => 2546 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 880927 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
St. Patrick and the Emerald Isle. Dramatic coastline. Historic towns and cobblestone streets. Pubs and parties. Folklore and green pastures… and castles.
Hundreds of castles and manor houses dot the Irish countryside. They not only evoke Ireland's storied past. Many allow you to live out your inner fantasy world of warrior kings and legendary princesses during overnight stays.
Look for a tour of Ireland that allows you to lay your head at some of these stately homes:
Ashford Castle, County Mayo
You'll be joining the illustrious ranks of not only early Irish nobility when you stay at Ashford Castle. British royalty, American presidents and sports and entertainment superstars have all stayed at 800-year-old Ashford Castle. It's a 5-star resort lifestyle in a magnificent French chateau style building on a 26,000 acre estate – complete with is own school of falconry, horseback riding, fishing, archery and clay shooting, as well as more modern pass times like a spa, golf, kayaking, tennis, tree climbing and zip lining.
Ashford Castle has been voted the best resort in Ireland and one of the top three in Europe.
Bantry House, County Cork
Since the 1700's Earls of Bantry have occupied Bantry House overlooking Bantry Bay on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way on the southern coast. You can stay in one of the finest historic manor houses in the country in luxurious bed and breakfast or self-catering style.
As well as the Wild Atlantic Way, you'll want to explore Bantry House's elegant gardens especially when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in bloom. The design is dramatic with seven terraces – the house is on the third terrace - 100 steps, and a fountain.
Drumoland Castle, County Clare
Another magnet for global political figures and celebrities, 5-star Dromoland Castle is the ancestral home of the O'Brien family that traces its roots 1000 years back to the famous High King of Ireland Brian Boru.
400 acres of Irish heaven include a top-rated golf course, walking and cycling trails, tennis, hiking, horse riding and pony carriage rides, traditional archery, falconry, fishing and clay shooting. Deluxe décor and luxury living include a spa, afternoon tea, casual and fine dining that once earned a Michelin star.
Ballyfin Demesne, County Laois
Your travel imagination may picture your castles with gothic towers, but don't miss Ireland's most celebrated Regency / Georgian mansion. With only 20 guest rooms, you'll feel like you're lord of the manor at this 5-star Georgian country house nestled on 600 acres at the foot of the scenic Slieve Bloom Mountains.
It's the ultimate mix of old world charm and modern home and hotel comforts – and perfect to take over for a special, destination family or even business event.
Ballynahinch Castle, County Galway
Voted #1 Irish luxury castle hotel, Ballynahinch is an elegant 17
th
century castle with magnificent views over 700 acres of woodland and rivers. Relax indoors by one of six open log fires or dine in elegance at one of Irelands' best restaurants.
Take long walks or cycling tours with backdrops against the 12 Bens Mountain range along the Wild Atlantic Way. Or climb onto a boat for a guided trip of its famous salmon and lobster fishery.
Crom Castle, County Fermanagh
Lord and Lady Erne still dwell at the historic seat of the Earls of Erne, magnificent Crom Castle in Irelands' beautiful Fermanagh Lakelands (
pictured top)
. But the castle's West Wing can be yours, it's available year round for up to 12, with even a cook provided if you wish.
Nearly 2000 acres at Crom are a unique nature reserve with one of the largest semi-natural woodland remaining in Ireland, the largest surviving area of oak woodland in the country, and one of the largest freshwater habitats in the British Isles. You can see two rare butterflies and pine-marten, the largest heronry in Ireland, wild geese and deer.
Lismore Castle, County Waterford
Some of the most notable names of Europe and the Americas over the last few centuries have visited and stayed at this 12
th
century castle of the Dukes of Devonshire. Fewer than 30 guests at a time enjoy truly regal hospitality, with use of the castle and estate facilities, and even the Duke's personal butler and staff. The Castle kitchens create formal, informal, indoor and outdoor meals from local and on-site ingredients.
Live like the Irish nobility with salmon fishing, golf, horse riding and racing, kayaking and boat trips, even kite surfing, scuba and hot air balloon rides.
Make sure your next vacation to Ireland includes a stay fit for a king on one of the Emerald Isle's historic castles.
(Images courtesy
ireland.com
)
Start your Trip!
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,shore,britishisles_western,hotels,luxury [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => 7 Castles in Ireland Where You Can Stay [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 3 [order] => [user_to] => )
6 Tips to Survive - and Enjoy - an 'Obli-cation'
Anywhere
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/6-tips-to-survive-and-enjoy-an-obli-cation [zid] => fe600dcc-6347-4426-a859-5fd45cbffbb7 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 22 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2021-12-06 00:22:26.194685 [id] => 1389156 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 22 [permalink] => before-trip [title] => Before your trip ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:34:51 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5208-1389156-1228658.pdf [file] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5208-1389156-1228658.pdf [1] => https://cdn2.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5208-1389156-1228658.pdf [2] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5208-1389156-1228658.pdf ) [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2018_11_18_at_10_42_37_AM_63709774990213671.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Anywhere [country_code] => US [id] => 1 [lat] => 0.0000000000 [lng] => 0.0000000000 [region] => Anywhere [title] => Anywhere ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => featured [1] => wedding [2] => cruise [3] => ocean_cruise [4] => hotels [5] => family_vacation ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2021-12-06T00:22:26 [data] => [hits_all] => 1422 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 851189 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
When your 'vacation' is really an obligation, you're taking an 'obli-cation'. You've taken these trips: cross-country to the in-laws' for the holidays. A family or friend's destination wedding. The mandatory winter break or summer holiday family reunion/group vacation.
When you take an oblication, the usual steps you take that ensure fun travel may no longer apply.
On any of these occasions, you may find yourself spending priceless vacation time traveling to a destination you wouldn't choose, spending time with some people you wouldn't choose.
But an oblication doesn't have to be a holiday write-off. Of course you have to be present and enthusiastic for the 'main events' – the point of the get togethers.
But there are ways to salvage your next oblication and make sure you create some great vacation memories.
1 Stay in a hotel instead of someone's home
Nothing creates tension like being trapped in a guest room even when it's someone you love. We know, they expect you to stay with them. But tip-toeing around incompatible household schedules and rules and lifestyles 24/7 is no fun. Early birds vs. night owls. Health-food obsessed vs. take-out fans.
Booking a hotel gives you space of your own, more freedom to follow your own timetable, and amenities that will feel like a real vacation treat. Whether it's a pool or spa or a terrific bar to relax at the end of the day, or a gym where you can work out or a juice bar where you can stick to your healthy eating habits, hotel stays make oblications into vacations.
A hotel can give you an excuse to spend time with sub groups – like drinks at the bar with just your sibling, or taking all the kids to the pool and giving other parents a break, or lounging in the sauna with just the girls or just the guys.
2 Or in a different hotel/resort than the rest of the group
When the oblication is already at a resort or hotel, you can still carve your own space to create your own holiday. Ask your travel agent about nearby properties where you can stay away from the group and rejoin them for the 'main events'. Yes, the group may get the benefits of a minimum group booking. But hopefully there are enough people in the group that your independent booking won't jeopardize that.
3 Or in a 'ship within a ship' / separate resort wing
More and more groups are cruising together for Thanksgiving, Christmas/ Hanukkah, spring break, summer holidays, weddings/vow renewals, even bachelor/ette parties.
You have to be on that cruise. But there's still a way.
Some ships have more luxurious 'ship within a ship' options, and some resorts have these wings, too. These private enclaves are nearly like being in a separate ship or resort, with their own pool/ spa /lounge/ bar/ restaurant facilities that feel like you are in a separate hotel or ship. Except that you can head to the main part of the ship or resort and join the bigger group whenever you wish.
Talk to your travel agent about those options on the ship or resort – or, if the group is still deciding, get your travel agent to help you identify and book cruises and resorts where this is an option.
You'll enjoy perks and special experiences that will make your oblication feel like a real holiday – and worth every penny.
4 Carve out some sub-group together time
If you come and are fully enthusiastic for the main events, one of the real pleasures of family or group getaways is the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family members – and that doesn't have to happen in a whole-group setting.
Don't just hope for - plan some of these moments away from the main group (see hotels, above).
Maybe it's just the two of you – no other friends, family members or even your own kids in tow. In fact, those extended-family get togethers are ideal times for parents to spell each other off and take turns taking care of groups of kids to give other parents a break. Or grandparents to have the kids all to themselves.
Book an excursion - even if it's just coffee or wine on a terrace – with a sibling, parent, grandparent, or small group of friends you rarely get to spend real time with.
That relaxed intimacy and conversation will be among your most special memories.
5 Research the destination as if you had chosen it for a 'real' holiday yourself
Even if it's not the destination you would choose, it's still a change of scenery, a new place to explore and experience. Don't assume you'll be spending all your time pre-programmed. Do your research and discover experiences that interest you. And book some in advance so the time doesn't slip away without experiencing the destination as you would if you were there on a real holiday.
Even if it's your significant other's - or your own - hometown, pretend you're on holiday and discover what tourists love to do there. Embrace anything local with an open mind. Whether it's a hike in a local park, a visit to a local museum or artist's workshop – you can feel like a tourist anywhere if you put your mind to it.
6 And if you're the one planning the 'obli-cation'…
The plan is for everyone to enjoy being together, right? Help create a holiday environment everyone can enjoy. Don't expect everyone to be together or try to program every minute of every day whether it's at your home or at a destination.
Work with a travel agent to find destinations and hotel/resort/cruise options like the ones above so each member of the group can be carve their own niche holiday. Share these tips – and use them yourself! So you and everyone coming to the oblication can leave with happy smiles and wonderful memories.
Start your Trip!
Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[src] => [ancestry] => [agency_id] => [user_id] => 135617 [tags] => featured,wedding,cruise,ocean_cruise,hotels,family_vacation [summary] => [currency] => USD [title] => 6 Tips to Survive - and Enjoy - an 'Obli-cation' [meta5] => [feed_zid] => [unit_name] => [cms_group_id] => 3479 [src_id] => [meta1] => [status_on] => [price_info] => [response_count] => 0 [order] => [user_to] => )
6 Reasons to See Sicily
Sicily
Array ( [abuses_count] => 0 [preferences] => [permalink] => /blog/6-reasons-to-see-sicily [zid] => 0917c536-e80e-478a-b539-f6b0679e0552 [status] => 0 [user] => Array ( [address] => [email] => lynn@influenceproductions.com [id] => 135617 [name] => Lynn Elmhirst [phone] => ) [place_id] => 1584 [trip_id] => [itineraries] => Array ( ) [attachment_id] => [travel_date] => [category_id] => 8 [attribs] => [cms_group] => Array ( [cname] => transat.gttcms.com [id] => 3479 [name] => TDC CMS ) [external_link] => [meta6] => [when] => 2022-06-21 18:09:25.554477 [id] => 1389155 [client] => [likers_count] => 0 [content_format] => [sub_kind] => [rating] => [origin_place_id] => [lang] => [kind] => 16 [pubdate] => [meta4] => [expires] => [lead_completed] => [category] => Array ( [id] => 8 [permalink] => sightseeing [title] => Sightseeing ) [price] => [created_at] => 2021-07-21T17:34:26 [itenerary_seen] => [follows_count] => 0 [post_order] => [activity_id] => [agent_id] => [template] => [attachments] => Array ( [cover_photo] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5220-1389155-1228755.pdf [file] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn3.gttwl.net/attachments/PDF-5220-1389155-1228755.pdf ) [photo] => Array ( [0] => https://cdn1.gttwl.net/attachments/Screen_Shot_2018_08_23_at_8_29_07_PM_63702324999611046.png ) ) [travel_date_end] => [attachments_count] => 1 [origin_id] => [place] => Array ( [city] => Sicily [country_code] => IT [id] => 1584 [lat] => 37.3979297000 [lng] => 14.6587821000 [region] => Sicily [title] => Sicily ) [meta3] => [ip] => [trip_event_id] => [array_tags] => Array ( [0] => family_vacation [1] => featured [2] => culinary [3] => escorted_vacation [4] => wedding [5] => escorted_tour [6] => europe_vacation ) [source] => WEB [meta2] => [updated_at] => 2022-06-21T18:09:25 [data] => [hits_all] => 1416 [agency] => [places] => Array ( ) [temp_created_at] => [parent_id] => 808864 [hits_today] => 1 [content] =>
It's the largest island in the Mediterranean, with 14,000 years of history.
Sicily is in the center of the Mediterranean Sea and has been central to several world-changing civilizations including the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans. It is rich in artistic, musical, literary, culinary, and architectural heritage, and has some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in the Med. Yet many travelers never go beyond mainland Italy.
Don't let this be you! Even if you've already done the 'big three' Italian destinations of Rome, Venice and Florence, there is so much more to Italy.
Here are half a dozen reasons Sicily should be your top destination on your next trip to Italy or the Mediterranean.
Mount Etna
The slopes of Mount Etna dominate views of the island. 3300 meters (11,000 feet) high, Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. In the balmy Mediterranean, Etna's seasonal snow cap is a startling sight, as is the black ash it occasionally sprinkles over the island. Mount Etna is the symbol of Sicily, a source of myths, legends and spiritual mystique.
Any trip to Sicily will include opportunities to get great views of the volcano – a classic view is from Taormina - but you can also journey up the heights of the mountain. You'll want warm layers in the upper reaches of Etna even in the sunny Mediterranean.
Taormina
This mountaintop town has some of the best views of Mount Etna, including the most famous view of the volcano and the coast from its Greek amphitheater. The amphitheater is not just a scenic ruin, it's still used for concerts and plays that bring it alive. Taormina is the bustling resort town of Sicily. Within its medieval walls, most vehicles are excluded. That creates a special atmosphere, with vacationers strolling the stone streets between restaurants and shops.
It's a must-visit place for the view, and a great base to explore eastern Sicily and enjoy nearby beaches.