The seaside resort of La Jolla is one of the wealthiest communities in San Diego, famous for it’s beaches and shores. The beaches host a wide variety of marine life, specially wild seals.

Of all the various beaches, “La Jolla Shores” has one of the few beach boat launchers, and is a perfect spot for Kayaking.

Kayaking tours and rentals in La Jolla Shores, offers it’s Kayaking Services to visitors who wish to explore it’s marine life. The main attraction is a location called the “7 Caves”.

Likely marine life that you will see include the sea lion, and the leapord shark. With the apparatus on board the kayak, you can even go snorkeling! The trip takes place once every hour into the evening, and includes life jackets. You can kayak singly for $40 per person, with discounts for families.

Ever wished that you could live like an Arab King in Luxury surrounded by the harsh and unforgiving Desert? The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn allows you to do just that.

Restored to it’s 1927 magnificence, the Mediterranean Villa provides you with the ultimate in Luxury at $250 a night. Located in the deserts of California, it allows the traveler to relive history, and as if to emphasize this, the Palm Springs Aviation Museum is located just next to it.

The 24 hrs Swimming Pool, and Jacuzzi, along with a full gourmet breakfast add to the attractions of this historically restored villa. There are only 8 rooms in this exclusive hotel, and massage and spa facilities are available on demand.

Each room has a private balcony or a patio, and comes equipped with individual climate control as well as all the other amenities like cable, telephones, refrigerators, etc.

So if you’re looking for a different experience from the standard 5-star hotels, this luxury palace is all yours!

For most people, the longing to stay in a Victorian Style Hotel comes from the pictures depicted by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in the “Sherlock Holmes” series. Lamp lights, Fireplaces, and luxurious bedsteads, all bring back to us the charm of the Victorian Era.

Lucky guests at the 1859 Historic National Hotel, can relive those days from the past in Nine Award winning restored Hotel Rooms. Nestled between the Yosemite National Park, and Lake Tahoe, the attractions include original furnishings, and authentic layouts, complete with Brass beds and lace curtains.

These $150 a night accommodations are not the only ones that the hotel offers. In addition to regular rooms, they offer a variety of choices of food including a Buffet Breakfast, and an acclaimed restaurant serving lunch and dinner.

As an incentive, they offer a $15 discount per night for those who arrive mid-week during Non-Holiday season.

Whitewater Rafting, consists of navigating a Raft, on water that is flowing quickly enough for it to lose it’s streamlined flow, and become turbulent.

The state of California has one of the most diverse geographies in the world, hosting a wide range of ecologically endagered communities. For the adventurous, it’s large number of rivers make it ideal for Rafting.

Now you too can go Whitewater Rafting, on 10 of California’s best rivers. The rivers vary in character so that a even a beginner can find a course that suits them. All-Outdoors has been organizing these trips for over 40 years.

With Skill ranges from Class I to Class V, this tour promises a treat for all involved. When you take one of these trips, you are trained first, and given practice paddling lessons. After a morning paddle, you are treated to lunch on the river, and the lucky ones that stay overnight have even more going for them!

Have a good time, and be safe.

The Inn at Auberge Beaux Reves is not your average place of stay. Theirs is a an inn with value! With them you can enjoy activities like Dog Sledding and Skiing.

The day starts off with a brief introduction to the sleds and dogs. A little  bit of practice is given before starting out. It’s not difficult, as any one over 12 is allowed to drive. With 4 or 5 teams traveling behind the guide, this is an adventure to remember!

Experience the thrill of free fall without any danger! The Great Canadian Bungee Jump gives you the experience of the highest Bungee jumping in North America.

Located in Gatineu Park, this jump is sure to set your pulse racing, as you decide whether you want to be fastened by the ankle, or your body.

The cost is $86+tax for individuals and $67+tax for students. There is a discount on groups larger than five. So book your tickets now!

Coloma is most famously known as the place which started the California Gold Rush. It also has the reputation of being a ghost city, since most government building have been abandoned, and lots of others have been converted into museums.

Now you can enjoy an overview of this historic town with a Hot Air Balloon Ride, over the Gold country. With only 4 passengers in one trip, this adventure can take you literally inside (Yes, I mean in! It touches right down) the American River Valley.

Photo Credit: Darren On The Road
The former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Take two weeks off to be able to enjoy the beauty if this city.

The Xiang Thong which is the city’s main road, is dotted by traditional wooden houses and mural and mosaic-decorated temples with wrap-around balconies and charming shuttered windows.

See the Haw Kham (’Golden Hall’) - the former royal palace. You can always catch a performance at the theater right next to it. It is located in the center of the heritage town. It was built as the official residence of King Sisavang Vong on the site of the original palace that had been destroyed in 1887. Don’t forget to see the Pha Bang Buddha, the statue where the name of Luang Prabang was taken from. This 83 cm high statue is made from almost pure gold that weighs between 43 to 54 kg.

Kuang Si Falls is another place to visit. It is a large multi-stage waterfall, less than 30 km south of the city. You can bathe in the pools, located at different levels. They are also very beautiful.

Also, take a riverboat trip to the Pak Ou Caves (’Buddha Caves’) and sample Laolao (lao rice spirits) at Whisky Village.

Photo Credit: rwp-roger
Yangon (’end of strife’) was the capital of Myanmar until 1995. And although it is slowly moving to the 21st century, it continues to cling to the past. The city that was known as Rangoon was believed to have been settled since the the building of the Shwedagon Pagoda (also called Paya).

This pagoda is the most important religious site in the country. Located at the sacred spot at the top of the Singuttara Hill, most visitors come here as it is a place of both religious activity and, you can say, just hanging out. However, miniskirts and shorts are not allowed. You will be asked to wear a lyongi if you do. You will also be asked to take your shoes off, so it is better to bring a plastic bag to carry your shoes when you step into the platforms.

Particularly beautiful is the four covered walkways to the pagoda. If you want to go see the vendors, pass by the eastern walkways to get your souvenirs. This also affords the best view. There are also several day shrines, eight actually, one for each day of the week in the Burmese calendar.

To the left of the Southern Walkway, we can find the statue of Wa Thon Da Ray, which is said to be the guardian angel of the earth. According to legend, Wa Thon Da Ray saved the Buddha from burning by wrapping her wet hair around the earth.

Check out this very informative article on Wikitravel for more information.

Photo Credit: Olivier Lejade
I still crack up whenever I remember the lemurs dancing and singing in the movie Madagascar. So I was really excited when I heard that there was a sequel, and had me diving for the computer to research on the enchanting place.

What I found is that Madagascar is located off the east coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean. And behold, it IS famous for their lemurs.

However, it was Indonesians, and not lemurs, that first settled in the country, and later on Africans and Arab immigrants, which gave Madagascar its uniqueness.

One place you can visit is Masoala National Park, the largest protected area in Madagascar, being more than two thousand square kilometers of rain forest and a thousand square kilometers of marine parks. You can go see the country’s unique animal and plant life, including those famous lemurs that, of course, cannot sing.

Another place is the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve located near the country’s western coast. There are mangrove forests, and again, lots of lemurs. This has been a Unesco World Heritage site as well. It boasts of upright limestone formations and the canyon of the Manambolo river.

So let’s go to Madagascar, and move it!