Travelers stories

Barbados is a land of pristine sandy beaches stretching lazily under the rays of the tropical sun. Although there are several fun and entertaining activities available on the island, there are five that top the list.

1. The main attractions of the island are the beaches that liberally adorn its coastline. A trip to the beach is a must for every visitor to Barbados. Statistically, the beaches account for a staggering 70 miles of the coastline. The beaches of Barbados are grouped according to locations: north, south, east and west coast. Barbados offer travellers a beach for every kind of activity one could wish to indulge in; for those seeking to relax under the Caribbean rays where the waves are gentle, the West coast beaches are the best choice. As a general rule of thumb the beaches on the west coast are best for families with small children, and as one moves further to the north or south beaches, travellers are sure to find water sports and fun activities in abundance.

2. The second fun activity in Barbados is the underwater tours that the island offers. The flora and fauna beneath the surface of the ocean defy belief with their shapes and colour. Some exotic species that can be seen include the green turtles and parrot fish. Also, there are coral reefs to marvel at, and relics of old ships resting on the bed of the ocean. Wrecks are best seen in Carlisle Bay, and diving in the S. S. Stavronikita is sure to be an unforgettable experience for divers. For non-divers, there are submersible tours to take one through the mysterious depths.

3. Barbados’ rich culture manifests itself in festivals that take place regularly on the island. In January, the Barbados Jazz Festival attracts many visitors and showcases the local talent as well as different genres of Caribbean, African and Cuban music. This festival allows visitors to get a flavour of the land and its heritage and many people often organise their trips to Barbados to coincide with this festival.

4. Another interesting experience is the Taste of Barbados Food Festival. This vibrant celebration embodies the potent flavours of the local cuisine and reflects the traditions of the island. This gives guests at the festival, a feast for their taste buds as they get to sample traditional dishes and enjoy the cuisine of the island all under one roof.

5. There are two caves that must be visited by all adventure lovers in Barbados; namely, Animal Flower Cave and Harrison’s Cave. The first is situated along the cliffs, near the northern edge of the island. It is a study in natural history and geology and has a great deal of local folklore associated with it as well. The cave’s appellation is derived from its numerous sea anemones, locally known as animal flowers. Harrison’s Cave is only accessible using specially designed transport and has majestic stalagmites and stalactites in its caverns. For some real life pictures of Barbados you must visit the Barbados Photo Blog.

By:  Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing Barbados holiday rentals and Holiday and Vacation Rentals.

For more information on the Caribbean island of Barbados, I would  recommend visiting The Barbados Blog where you will come across what life is really life on the Island, Facts About Paradise Island Barbados.

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A country that is so small, we just might miss it, if not for the wonderful sights and scenes that fill its boundaries. Situated in the north eastern part of South America, Guyana has a long coastline running along with the Atlantic ocean. The Land of many waters has rivers flowing through the narrow lanes, and birds of all colours and shapes flitting about.

A picturesque country, Guyana makes the visitors feel warm and at peace. They can do any activity that pleases them, and of course there are the hidden treasures to be undiscovered. When visiting Guyana, however, keep this list of five things to see, just to make sure you don’t miss out on the best parts.

If you think you’ve seen it all during your recent visit to the Niagara, you haven’t seen it yet. Come to Guyana and check out the Kaieteur Fall and get ready to be blown away. Nearly 30000 gallons of water comes gushing down the mountain side, down nearly 250 feet.

The falls are located in the midst of a jungle, giving it a mystical feel and making it very popular amidst visitors. There are some who are dare devils, who climb up the cliff and stand atop and gaze down. As you walk around the falls, you will be greeted by sights of birds with their nests tucked away.

The ruins of the Dutch Fortress, Kyk Over Al stand tall greeting the visitors. It was built around 1616 and is situated in the crossing of the two rivers of Mazuruni and Cuyuni. One can take a boat from here, and ride across to the Marshall Falls, a place for fun and wildlife sighting.

Ride the bus from Georgetown to Parika or take a water taxi to Bartica, either ways, the sight that greets you will have you grinning from ear to ear. The mining town is filled with people who have been around for decades and lead a quiet life. One can either laze around here, or ride down to the Kyk Over Al, or maybe to Marshall’s falls for some excitement and adventure.

A cluster of plains that are covered with Amerindian villages and wildlife is what makes Rupununi Savannas so lush. The rivers here have the world’s largest water lilies. The savannah stretches across thousands of acres, but the whole place has a warmth to it, which is probably from the people who live in these areas as a close knit community.

As the name suggests, Shell beach is one of the prized possessions of Guyana with the long stretches of white sands. It starts from near the Venezuelan border and goes all the way across the country. One can find up to eight turtle species on the beach, and nearly that many more varieties of hawksbills and leatherbacks. The turtles are today protected by the government and roam about freely on the beaches around here.

This article was written by Andrew Gibson

About the Author:

Andrew Gibson is MD of Direct Holiday Bookings. It is one of the fastest growing on line holiday home rental websites.To see an example of why Direct Holiday Bookings is growing so rapidly have a look at Direct holidays in Guyana

Why not combine your holiday in Guyana with the nearby Caribbean Island of Barbados, to find out all about this amazing island visit The Barbados Blog and Barbados Photo Blog.

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Situated in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is one of its largest cities, second only to Glasgow.

The seat of the Scottish Parliament, it has been the capital of Scotland since 1437 and has a fantastic historic heritage. With over 4,500 listed building in the city, it is a beautiful place to visit, if purely for the history and photography only.

Split in to four districts - Old Town, New Town, South Side and Leith - Edinburgh has something to offer everyone. The Old Town offers medieval history with links to Edinburgh Castle, as well as a thriving market place, whilst the New Town provides Edinburgh’s main shopping districts, whilst not taking away from some fantastic Georgian buildings.

The South Side is mainly a residential area of the City, whilst Leith is a busy port, playing host to a number of world-wide cruise liners.

Whilst Edinburgh is visited all year round, it’s throughout the months of August when the City is booming. The Edinburgh Festival, which first began in 1947, is held, which is an umbrella term for various festivals which take place on an annual basis throughout the month. There are numerous festivals that are held throughout the month, with the most notable ones being:

1.Edinburgh Fringe - known as simply ‘The Fringe’, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest arts festival in the world. Playing home to a variety of performing arts, drama and music shows, The Fringe is massively popular amongst people of all ages and attracts thousands upon thousands of people every single year.

2.Edinburgh Comedy Festival - part of the Edinburgh Fringe, the Edinburgh Comedy Festival is the biggest comedy festival in the world, attracting some of the comedy circuit’s biggest names and plays host to some of the worlds best up and coming comedians. With around 250 comedy shows taking place under the collective ‘Edinburgh Comedy Festival’, there is a hilarious stage show to be seen, regardless of your comedy preference.

3.Edinburgh Military Tattoo - provided by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, the Military Tattoo is one of the largest of its kind. Over 217,000 people watch the Tattoo live every year, with around 40% of the audience being from overseas (30% come from Scotland and 35% from the rest of the UK). Further to this, over 100 million watch the television broadcast. The main focus of the event is to raise money for charity, with over £5 million being raised throughout its time.

The festivals throughout August are without a doubt one of the most popular reasons to visit Edinburgh. During the Festival, the city is alive with music, plays, ballets and symphonies.; however they are definitely not the only ones. Edinburgh Castle is a fascinating historic monument which dominates the Edinburgh skyline, whilst the City is renowned for its extensive shopping. With so much to see and do, the best thing to do is to book into an Edinburgh hotel and begin to enjoy the wonders of the Scottish capital straight away.

This article was written by Rakesh Gaikwad

About the Author:
Open Roads has a variety of travel packages and offers on Edinburgh Hotels for you to enjoy a perfectly planned vacation. They also have a range of discounts and offers for other attractive travel destinations around the world.

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London is a fantastic city, which offers an amazing choice of things to do and places to visit. It also  is a fairly easy city to find your away around, and the bus and tubes systems are fairly easy to understand, if you just take a little bit of time and effort to figure out how they operate.

I cant believe the amount of times I have been on a tube and you see someone rush on, and then ask is this tube going to Heathrow, “No,” It only takes a little bit of common sense, a map, and a little bit of brain power to navigate your way easily around London! Take your time, stay calm, relax and you will probably get to wherever your trying to, a lot quicker.

Great Places to Visit in London:

1. Tour Bus: My advice is to take a tour bus tour of London, there cant be a better way to see what the city has to offer than via a bus tour. It will also take you to most of popular attractions that London has to offer. A great article discussing the  merits of the tour bus, Why I love Going On City Bus Tours So Much, I Was So Wrong!

2. Tower of London: One of my personal favourites, you will easily spend at least half a day here, unless you’re one of those mad Japanese tourists that rushes around like crazy! I would definitely recommend taking one of the Yeoman Warder Tours, which are part of your admission ticket, they are informative, well presented and not to be missed!

3. Thames Cruise: There is a huge choice of different variations of Thames Cuisses to chose from. My personal favourite is one, which offers afternoon tea. I find it a great leisurely way to enjoy some of the sites of central London.

4. London Eye: You quite simply cannot visit London and not go on the London Eye, it’s a crime and you will be sent to the Tower of London. At 135 metres above London, it is the world’s tallest observation wheel, with 40km panoramic views on a clear day.

5. Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms: The unique historic Cabinet War Rooms, secret underground headquarters used by Winston Churchill, the greatest Briton and his British Government during the second world war. The Churchill Museum is the first national museum dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill.

6. Tate Modern: This amazing building displays the Tate collection of international modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day. It is however more than just an art gallery. The vast and amazing space of the Turbine Hall - has housed a succession of installations, which have caught the public’s imagination, and unbelievable it’s free.

7. Natural History Museum: This amazing museum houses one of the greatest and most important collections of natural history in the world. I know its hard to believe, that in a city such as London where everything seems to be so expensive, this is another free gem.

8. Westminster Abbey: A truly amazing place to visit, you can experience the grounds, cloisters, museums and gardens of one of the most famous Abbeys in the world.

9. Houses of Parliament: A fascinating place to visit, if you get the opportunity, you can even walk on to the floors of the House of Lords and the Commons. An amazing amount of history has passed through the walls of the houses of parliament. Even if you find politics the most boring subject in the world, you will be impressed with the tour of the Houses of Parliament. The full access tour is only available at certain times of the year.

10. British Museum: Founded in 1753, this museum houses the world’s greatest collection of world antiquities from ancient Greece, Rome and Asia, plus items from prehistoric Britain The British Museum houses an incredible collection of artefacts that will literally astound you.

Visitors to London will never run out of places to visit, there is a huge array of sites, attractions and things to do in this city. You will never get bored in London, even though you may run out of money! For some people  living in London isnt  quite as good as being a tourist, Seeking Inspiration, Its Not Easy in London

When the sun is shining, I love finding a  nice spot down by the Thames and having a  cool bottle of lager, 10 Fantastic Bottled Lagers to Drink, When the Sun is shining and the World Aint Such a Bad Place!

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