Thursday, July 9, 2015

Four of the World's Best Bicycle Holiday Destinations

The freedom of travelling by bicycle makes this mode of travel perfect for people who enjoy independent holidays. It's an inexpensive way to travel, its excellent exercise, and cycling is unique in that you can cover plenty of ground in a few days or a week, but at a pace that allows you to enjoy your surroundings. This list of bicycle holiday destinations was compiled with this in mind: four scenic places where travelling by bike really helps you get the most out of your destination. 

Get Ready for the Trip of a Lifetime

Wherever you go in the world, there are a few things that cyclists need to be aware of before setting out, especially if you're new to this kind of trip. Essentials like researching local customs and emergency services are a given for any kind of holiday, but when you're cycling there are plenty of others: for example, the art of travelling light, while still ensuring that you have every essential item you're likely to need while on the road. Another important consideration is how to protect your assets: not just your bike and related equipment, but any other items of value you take with you, such as GPS, smart phone, camera, or tablet. Although travelling light is of the essence when you're cycling, these are all items that are fairly essential for many people these days, and chances are you're planning to bring at least one or two of them along. So it definitely pays to make sure they're covered by any insurance that you purchase for the trip.

Northern Ireland
With some of the world's most beautiful coastline scenery, Northern Island is definitely one of the best places to enjoy a cycling holiday. The Antrim Coast, for example, is widely considered one of the most stunning coastal routes in the world, with spectacular scenery over the entire route. There are plenty of scenic routes inland, too, including short routes such as the gorgeous Derrytrasna Loop near Armagh, which includes some of the region's lakeside trails. There's a great range of routes of all lengths and difficulty levels, so even beginner cyclists can enjoy a cycling holiday here.

Tuscany
Fabulous food, incredible wine, and mile after mile of blissfully beautiful scenery. There's nowhere else in the world quite like Tuscany, and few places are more ideally suited to a cycling holiday. Most roads in the region are well-tended yet lightly-traveled, and there are routes to suit cyclists of all fitness levels, from beginner to professional. Picture yourself cycling down quiet country lanes, through vineyards and farms, old Italian villages, and over gently sloping hills. Tuscany is a particularly enjoyable place for a cycling tour because it's a highly popular destination for this kind of holiday, so there's lots of opportunity for meeting like-minded people while on the road.

New Zealand
Starting in the 1980s thanks to world-famous bungee-jumper AJ Hackett, New Zealand has become well-known as a fantastic destination for adventure tourism. It's an incredible place for a cycling holiday too, with scenic roadways, mountains, and national park areas that provide perfect terrain for both road trips and mountain biking trails. There are fantastic cycling routes and destinations all over the country, from the scenic north and the Bay of Islands to the rugged mountains and central farming country in the south, and a whole host of locations in between. There's a well-mapped network of roads and trails throughout the islands, collectively known as The New Zealand Cycle Trail, and with 22 separate legs of varying difficulties, there's something for everyone, from novice to expert.

Belize
Belize is the perfect Central American location for experienced travellers, with stunning sights and scenery in every direction. Ancient ruins, vast jungles, tiny towns and villages, and bustling cities, the craggy Maya Mountains, there's an amazing variety of things to see and do in this fascinating country. And then there's the incredible beauty of the Hummingbird Highway, a 55-mile road that bisects the deep green jungles and softly perfumed citrus plantations of central Belize. It should be noted that many of the country's roads are challenging for cyclists, and as such it's a destination that's more suitable for experienced cyclists travelling as a pair or group.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Holiday Destinations: 11 Breathtaking Places To See Before You Die


Our globe is full of with beauty, both man-made and natural, and it’s hard to say whether a single lifetime would really be enough to truly experience all of it. Most of us will most likely never see all that the world has to offer us, but it’s worth a shot! Here are 11 unbelievable places around the world that are absolutely worth adding to your list.

It’s a magnificent and beautiful world we live in, so make sure to see as much of it as you can before you kick the bucket! Here’s an excellent quote from St. Augustine that will hopefully inspire you to get your foot out the door: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”


Santorini Island, Greece



Salar de Uyuni : One of the World’s Largest Mirrors, Bolivia





Zhangye Danxia Landform in Gansu, China




Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan




Petra, Jordan



Pamukkale, Turkey




Venice, Italy





Cave in Algarve, Portugal




Bora Bora, French Polynesia




Navagio Bay, Greece



Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil



Thursday, February 19, 2015

Holiday Destinations: 15 Extraordinary and Unique Places You Should Visit


Dongchuan, Red Land in China


Flam Valley, Norway



Glass Beach, Fort Bragg – California




Golden Bay, New Zealand



Infinity pools at Ubud, Bali



Rock-cut tombs in Myra, an ancient town in Lycia, Turkey



Manarola, Cinque Terre – Italy




Lichtenstein Castle in Baden, Württemberg Germany





Kawachi Fuji Gardens, Japan



Katikies Hotel, Santorini, Greece



Italian Islands – Levanzo, Sicily



Sand Harbour in Lake Tahoe, Nevada



Seven Falls – Colorado Springs, Colorado



Son Doong Cave, Vietnam



Turquoise Lagoon, Bora Bora