Small, relaxing, intimate islands are probably the best places for a tropical island vacation, rather than the over-commercialized places that doesn’t afford you any privacy or relaxation. Virgin Gorda is the perfect intimate island.

Located in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, Virgin Gorda is only about eight square miles. The people you would ride the boat to the island would most likely be the same people you’re going to meet at dinner or the local bar. The people are friendly and educated, and you will most likely leave with more than a few friends, both local and visitors.

The few things best done in the island, as in any tropical vacation, are scuba diving, snorkeling and sailing. A string of stunning public beaches offer surf, sand, and blue, blue water. They are usually charmingly separated by granite boulders, and you could also see the villas that lay by the beach.

Photo Credit: ScubaBear68

One of the treasures of Virgin Gorda happens to be The Baths, which is a series of hidden caves and pools of water beneath granite boulders. You can access the baths through paths at the south end of Tower Road. Coming down, you can also see Devil’s Bay beach. There’s a fee to get to the Baths but you can also take the Devil’s Bay path through a boulder trail.

Trails can also lead to Gorda Peak (over 1300 feet high) from the North Sound Road for a stunning 360 degree view of the island. The climb is not a daunting task, considering that the view is worth it.

So what are you waiting for? Beaches and a hiking trail, stunning views and quiet intimacy. Virgin Gorda is great for a tropical island vacation.

Photo Credit: Conor Lawless

People say that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten. Being one of the most magical places in the world, I believe that adage about Ireland to be true. Now, they also say that getting lost in Ireland is part of its charm. Maybe. If you had all the time in the world. But if not, you can take a guided tour and enjoy all the magic of the Emerald Isle without getting lost.

VisitIreland.com can take you on mystical guided tours of the island which will definitely pass through the best places the country has to offer. You can choose among the different guided tours that will take you to places you would want to see around the mystical Emerald Isle.

You can take the Introduction to Ireland tour which is eight days of sight-seeking and shopping around Connemeara, the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher.

You can stock up on Waterford Crystals along the way. You can also take an Unforgettable Ireland tour, a glorious 12-day comprehensive tour that includes a 2-night stay in a 15th century Cabra castle, visits to the sights of Dublin, Wicklow and Glenalough, Kilarney, the Ring of Kerry, Sligo, and Meath. In this tour, you get to see ancient and modern Ireland, and enjoy the country and culture at its best.

Once you see Ireland, it will always be in your soul, calling you back. No matter how many times you come back, you will always look for more.

So, do what is best. Visit Ireland.

Photo Credit: Teorem
The Seychelles are a group of islands lying off the coast of East Africa and northeast of Madagascar, consisting of more than 100 islands (115 to be exact). Eighty-three of these islands do have names, and forty-six are uninhabited.

And what can you do in hot and humid Seychelles? Well, hit the beach of course. Many of the islands beaches are untouched, uncrowded paradises with gorgeous blue, blue skies and tranquil sands. You have to see the World Heritage site of the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, nestled in the heart of the small island of Praslin. It’s the home of the coco de mer, the world’s largest seed.

Another thing that holds a record as being the world’s largest is the Aldabra Atoll, a 22 mile coral atoll which is the world’s largest coral atoll, as well as another World Heritage site. It is made of four large coral islands enclosing a gorgeous, shallow lagoon. It is also the home of some 152,000 giant tortoises.

Aside from these, you can go surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling, an activity that can be enjoyed anywhere in the Seychelles. It is, after all, the perfect place for water sports with the clear beautiful Indian Ocean.

If you don’t like getting wet, it offers land sports, bike rentals and walking tours, as well as markets, art galleries, plantation houses and museums! You can enjoy anything.

You don’t even need a Visa to get in, only a passport that’s valid for six months and proof of accommodations. So let’s get our feet wet, and visit the sunny and sexy Seychelles Islands.

Photo Credit: imolcho
In north-central region of Bhutan, the Bumthang area is called the country’s spiritual heart due to the great number of sacred sites. It has four valleys: the Chhumey which turns out woven woolen fabrics; Jakar, the administrative center; the Tang, with its many sacred sites and the Ura, the tranwuil mountain village.

The region is also known for its lush, beautiful valleys and the bright and cheerfully-colored woven woolen fabrics called yethra which are mostly produced in Chhumey. These region is also a majot producer of apples and apple juice.

Let’s make a to-do list shall we?
1. The first on your list should be to trek to the
Duer Hot Spring. A bit hard on the feet but very much worth the blisters.

2. Visit the weaving houses at Chhumey and watch the weavers in action. Most of the weaving houses are open to the public and you can purchase the finished products after.

3. Visit the sacred sites such as the Kurjey Lhakhang, one of the most sacred monasteries in the country; the Tharpaling Goemba; the Thangbi Goemba and the Sumthrang Lhakhang which is absolutely beautiful, among others.

Among the country’s products are the dappa which are hand made wooden bowls and the Bangchung which are small bamboo woven baskets with two tightly fitting halves.

Photo Credit: eviljohnius
Apart from Alexander the Great, the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Library of Alexandria, i found out that Alexandria is not just a part of a glorious ancient past. The modern Alexandria is very much alive and thriving. According to its Wikitravel article, “few cities of the world have a history as rich as that of Alexandria; few cities have witnessed so many historic events and legends”, and I absolutely agree.

And although there are many places there that you can go to, I’m more inclined to reading about the past. So if I were to go visit Alexandria, I’m going to hit the historic monuments. But let me focus on one historic monument for now, the Citadel of Qait Bey.

How many among us played fort when we were kids? We built tall walls of pillows and blankets, and laughed ourselves silly while trying to annihilate our siblings’ constructions. Well, the Citadel of Qait Bey is a fortress that stands overlooking a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Alexandria itself. It was built on the site of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the wonders of the ancient world, to protect the city from attacks by the sea. It has the look of a storybook castle, and it will immediately give you an image of princes and princesses and knights-in-shining-armor.

The main tower was built between 1477 and 1480, and, if legend is to be believed, some of the materials for the fortress came from the lighthouse itself.

You can also see the Naval Museum where artifacts of Roman sea battles as well as those from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt are displayed.

Click here for more information.

Photo Credit: norrebrogade
I noticed I haven’t been writing a lot of blog entries about African nations. Maybe because I like Europe more, or that I know so little about the continent that I decided to do a little research, and here it is. Another entry on another gem from the Dark Continent.

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a city in the South African east coast called Durban. It is located in KwaZulu-Natal, and was originally called Port Natal. It also happens to be a beautiful sea-side city that offers pretty much everything a hot vacation spot would offer, beaches, hiking, scuba-diving, you name it, they have it. And it’s not even the usual European or South American vacation spot! I think it being in Africa makes it more enchanting and enticing.

It has the perfect location for a lot of amazing beaches and dive sites. The city also offers conservation and wilderness areas that the outdoorsy ones will find heavenly. The list of those can be found here. You can even take helicopter rides!

Those who prefer the nature trips impersonal, there’s the uShaka Marine World to see their enourmous aquarium or enjoy different rides at the Waterworld. You can also enjoy the Fitzsimons Snake Park if you like reptiles.

For the big spenders, you have the choice of the Suncoast Casino or the Sibaya Casino to gamble the night away.

Whichever you prefer to spend your vacation, I’m sure you will enjoy yourself in Durban.

Photo Credit: Avinash Meetoo
Mauritius is a small island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. First discovered by Arab sailors, it had been nothing more than densely forested area until the Portuguese discovered it in 1505.

Maybe not the first place you will think of when you go on vacation, still it is an enchanting place of peace and tranquility. The best place and most touristy is the Northern Touristic Zone where Grand Bay is located, the first of the island ever to welcome crowds of vacationers. Grand Bay is indeed grand as a shopping area where shops, restaurant, bars and discos converge.

There’s also the Pereybère, a gorgeous public beach, popular for shopping facilities and other tourist attractions.

More in tune with the island’s history, Balaclava Ruins where ruins of sea walls stand.
The Triolet Shivala is the longest village on the island where the the biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, was first built in 1819 in honour of the Gods Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, and Brahma among others.

The Labourdonnais Orchards may very well be the most tropical getaway in this tropical island, offering the colorful wonder of fruit trees and flowers. You can also go hiking or ride mountain bikes there.
And that’s only the north part! There are more places to visit in lovely Mauritius and you can swim, dive, watch dolphins frolic and ride a speedboat from one island to the next. Enjoy this lovely paradise.

Find out more by going here.

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!

Photo Credit: HAROLD PHOTOGRAPHX

Alexandria is the second largest Egyptian city as well as the country’s largest seaport. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, it is most known for its lighthouse that had been one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It had become the focus of Egypt’s maritime development after having the potential of becoming the center of learning. The Library of Alexandria was the largest library of the ancient world, and here is where great philosophers and scientists congregate in their quest for knowledge.

These days the Bibliotheca Alexandrina stands on the site of the former Library of Alexandria. The original library had been destroyed in 400 AD. Currently, this is a library and a research center. It houses millions of books, an Internet archive, museums, a planetarium, galleries and even a conference center.

Another notable place to visit is the Citadel of Qait Bey. It is a formidable fortress that stands overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Alexandria itself. It was built in 1477 AD by Mameluke Sultan Abdul-Nasser Qait Bey on the site of the Pharos Lighthouse (or the Lighthouse of Alexandria), to protect the city from the attacks from the sea.

Traces of the city’s Graeco-Roman past can be found and studied at the Graeco-Roman Museum, a history museum with exhibits of pieces from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.

For a seaside promenade, walk along the Corniche, a walkway along the harbour where you can enjoy restaurants, shopping and sights.

Photo Credit: mexican 2000
If you’re looking for charming, European cities with a flare for wild fun and maybe, culture too, then you should definitely go see Amsterdam, a beautiful city in the Netherlands.

Legal and licensed prostitution aside, Amsterdam’s reputation for tolerance might give the average tourist the idea that it is a vacation there shouldn’t be a family affair. But if you avoid the red light district, Amsterdam is actually a very good place to visit.

There are a lot of historic places in Amsterdam, the city probably having one of the largest historic city centers in Europe. Even the city streets have not really been changed since the 1800’s. Probably the most noticeable feature is the three concentric circles of the canal ring. By taking canal cruises along the canals, a visitor can can experience the romantic and gorgeous sites in the city.

There are also a number of museums that you should visit. One of which is the Van Gogh Museum dedicated to the famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. Also visit the Rembrandt House that still looks just as it had since the 17th century, and the Anne Frank House where the Anne Frank wrote her famous diary.

Still unsatisfied? Click on this link for more places to see in Amsterdam. There are too many, one entry is definitely not enough.