They say the world is shrinking and it is, in respect of the ease of world travel. Tourists want to travel to the more remote outposts of the world and adventure travel is increasingly popular.

When I was a child, I dreamed of visiting the Far East and the Great Wall China, in particular. China held a fascination for me but I never dreamed that I would actually get there one day.

My husband and I decided to save up and go on the vacation of a lifetime. We have a friend who lives and works in Japan who speaks Chinese Mandarin fluently, having studied the language at Beijing University and has also worked in Taiwan.

The plan was to visit our friend in Tokyo and see a bit of Japan. Then we flew to Hong Kong to spend some time there and then onto China. Our friend went with us, which made the trip a lot more fun and much easier, having someone to interpret for us.

Beijing is a fascinating place and we did the usual sightseeing, including exploring the Forbidden Palace and Tienanmen Square. One of the striking things is the amount of cars in the city and the background noise of tooting car horns. Then came the time to board the coach to take us to the Great Wall China. We had read as much about it as we could but nothing really prepares you for it.

I was determined to walk the wall, a portion of it anyway, as it stretches over 4,000 miles! When we arrived, it was very busy, mostly with Chinese people and a few foreigners sprinkled here and there. We walked one of the most popular stages of the Great Wall China. It is divided into watchtowers, gateways and old barracks, some sections dating back to the 5th century. The longest human made construction in the world surpassed all expectations.

Italy is a fascinating country with historical cities, scenic countryside, mountains, beautiful coast and art treasures. There are countless museums and artifacts for the history enthusiast. It’s a modern country too and offers the best in designer clothes shopping and fine cuisine.

Holidays in Italy can be very expensive but tourists on a budget can still have a great time if they look around for the cheaper accommodation and eating places. There are top class hotels, bread and breakfast accommodation and campsites. Many people stay on farms in rural areas, looked after by a family and eating delicious home cooked meals.

Food and wine is an enjoyable aspect of any stay in Italy. Italians love their food and are proud of their wine. In fact, menus do not usually include foreign wines. It’s worth noting that standing up at a bar is less expensive than sitting at a table. Breakfasts tend to be small affairs, perhaps coffee and pastry or bread and cheese or cold meats.

Holidays in Italy involve so much more than pizza and pasta. The menus are extremely versatile and there are regional differences. Risotto, a creamy rice dish, is popular and gelato is the word for the many varieties of ice cream. Tiramisu, a coffee flavored cake, is another favorite dessert.

A trip to Rome is always memorable and there is so much to see. The highlights are the Vatican City with the great art works of Michelangelo and Bernini, the Coliseum where the ancient Games took place and numerous churches and museums.

Florence is another city, steeped in history and the work of the great, Renaissance artists. The domed cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is most impressive, as is the Campanile Tower, the Medici Chapel and the Uffizi Art Gallery.

For romantic holidays in Italy, the place to head for is Venice. Its canals, squares, bridges and narrow streets give the city a unique atmosphere.

Rural Italy is becoming more and more popular with tourists. Tuscany is particularly beautiful with hilly and mountainous terrain in much of the region. There are lovely valleys too and attractive Tuscan farm houses.

The southern region of Campania includes the city of Naples and there are many tourist destinations, including the Greek Temples at Paestrum, Sibyl’s Cave at Cumae, the Roman ruins at Pompeii and the volcanoes at Vesuvius. Holidays in Italy, whether in town or country, offer variety, sunshine and a warm welcome from the friendly local population.

I hope to visit Australia this winter, and I hope that it will not be the last time. I would like to think that I will take many holidays in Australia in my life time, but I know that this might not be something that I can do very often. However, I will go when I can as I have friends there, and it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t get to spend some time with them every few years. Besides, I think there is a lot my daughter can learn when we visit there, and I hope to take her with me when I go.

The best thing about holidays in Australia is that you can go when the weather in the US is bad, and it will be the middle of summer there. Not only that, but there are many great beaches there, and everyone is so wonderfully nice. Though I am sure there are exceptions, it would seem that a majority of those who live in Australia are easy going and fun to be around. Though you can’t always take long vacations, I want to make my holidays in Australia long because I won’t get to go very often.

Another great thing about holidays in Australia is that they are very much like the US in culture, but at the same time, things are just different enough to make it an amazing experience. They have beauty everywhere you turn around, and there are many awesome things that everyone should have a chance to see in their life time. I know there are those who have dreamed of going to a European country for as long as they can remember, but for me, I have always wanted to take holidays in Australia.

There is one downfall though. When you take holidays in Australia, you do have to be on a plane for a very long time. It takes about fourteen hours to fly to Sydney from the west coast, and I have to take a six hour flight just to get to the west coast of the US to get on a plane to Australia. I’m not really worried about myself, but I am concerned about my daughter, who will be six when we go. However, it will be worth it, and I suspect that the light might be the longest I have ever taken, or will ever take, but for great holidays in Australia, it will all be worth it.

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Many of us only know a few facts about New Zealand. It’s located in the south Pacific – that one’s easy. It’s comprised of two main islands conveniently called the North Island and the South Island, which is also pretty easy. But there are some other facts about New Zealand that most of us don’t know that are, in and of themselves, worth knowing.

The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, which is located at the southern tip of the North Island. Wikipedia’s entry on Wellington describes the city thus:

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand’s third most populous urban area with 381,900 residents. There are 473,700 residents in the Wellington Region (June 2008 estimates).

Wellington’s suburbs lie across four cities. Wellington City, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour, contains the central business district and about half of Wellington’s population. Porirua City on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for its large Maori and Pacific Island communities. Lower Hutt City and Upper Hutt City are suburban areas to the northeast, together known as the Hutt Valley. Although each of the four cities also contains a rural hinterland, almost all of the population is within the urban area.

Some sporting facts about New Zealand are that the most popular sport is rugby, and New Zealand’s national team is called the “All Blacks” for their entirely black uniforms. The All Blacks have been one of the dominant teams in world rugby for more than a century, along with Tonga, South Africa and England.

New Zealand’s government is described as follows by Wikipedia:

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Although it has no codified constitution, the Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand’s constitutional structure. The constitution has been described as “largely unwritten” and a “mixture of statutes and constitutional convention.” Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and is titled Queen of New Zealand under the Royal Titles Act 1974. She is represented by the Governor-General, whom she appoints on the exclusive advice of the Prime Minister. The current Governor-General is Anand Satyanand.

There are, of course, more facts about New Zealand if you’re willing to do the research. Appreciation should go further than skin deep!

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When I got married six years ago, we didn’t have enough money to take a proper honeymoon. Like most young newlyweds, we were more interested in paying off our student loans and saving for a house than in spending tons of money on wedding stuff. We did go away to Vegas for the weekend, which was nice, but that doesn’t really count in the grand scheme of things. Fortunately, we’re in a much better financial position these days, which is why we’re currently looking at Costa Rica honeymoons.

With our anniversary coming up, we thought this would be a great way to finally take that honeymoon that we deprived ourselves of all those years ago. After some debate, we decided that Costa Rica honeymoons would give us the most bang for our buck, as we’d get to see a truly exotic place and participate in exciting activities all for a very reasonable price. Places like San Jose, Playa Santa Teresa, and Guanacaste are top destinations for newlyweds because of their beautiful beaches and breathtaking scenery. When you add in the relatively low cost compared to other overseas paradises, Costa Rica honeymoons definitely emerge as the best choice.

We haven’t quite decided which resort we want to go to yet, but we know that we want an all-inclusive package. Many Costa Rica honeymoons are marketed this way anyway, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something to our liking. We want to stay at a five-star hotel located just steps away from the beach so we can enjoy ourselves out in the sun and sea. It will be amazing to have waiters bringing us umbrella drinks all day long as we lounge around soaking up the rays and taking in our surroundings! Then, if we get bored with the beach, we can always charter a fishing boat, take surfing lessons, go snorkeling, hit the malls or nightclubs, or even just head back to our suite for some alone time. Oh yes, Costa Rica honeymoons sound wonderful!

Once we select a few all-inclusive packages that appeal to us the most, we can begin talking to travel agents to work out a decent price. I’ve seen the prices of some Costa Rica honeymoons at online travel websites, and am sure we can afford a very nice vacation. But I have a feeling that we might be able to get some additional discounts or vouchers by working with a knowledgeable, connected agent, so that’s worth a shot.

I’m glad we decided to look into Costa Rica honeymoons even though all this time has passed since our wedding day. Once we choose our vacation package and take off, I know we’re going to have one of the most memorable experiences of our lives — and that’s something worth waiting for!

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Canada, the second largest country in the world offers a range of experiences for its visitors and with large patches of land that range from cosmopolitan cities to rugged tundra terrains; you are in for some real treat as you get to experience some of the best that Canada has to offer. Canada destinations can fit virtually any traveler’s tastes. Bound to the west by the Pacific and Alaska, to the east by the Atlantic, to the north by the polar ice cap and to the south by the United States of America, Canada is a land of variety, both in cultures and in the spectacular views.

Canada’s beautiful scenery is stunningly captivating and cities have been built to ensure that this natural scenery is preserved. Canadian cities are also designed to ensure that Canadians are never far from these natural heritage sites. The natural beauty of Canada also has another complement, the cuisine, vulture and customs of Canada add a mix of legacy to the country’s French, British and Aboriginal heritage. Canada destinations for tourists mainly involve the two tourist districts, British Columbia and Alberta that border the United States. One of Canada destinations found in Alberta is the Banff National Park located in the Alberta Rockies. Being the first and the largest national park in Canada, Banff National Park not only has rich flora and fauna, but also a rich history. Having been inhabited by the Stony Indians thousands of years ago before the coming of the white man, the 6,000 square kilometer park is now home to black and grizzly bears, coyotes, wolves and cougars. Squirrels and Marmots and an occasional Beaver and Porcupine can also be found on the warm and fuzzier side of the park. Having a generally mild climate during summer with July being the warmest month, the park offers excellent opportunities for trail walking. Although considered the best, Banff is not the only destination of the nearby cities. Other popular Canada destinations nearby include the Jasper and Yoho National Parks.

The mountains in this region also abound with winter sports resorts. The national parks offer unique destinations for tourists by not only offering spectacular views and outdoor activities, but they also have cities and towns inside that have comfortable bases for exploring the natural and man made attractions. If you are a westerner, you will not need to apply for a visa to visit Canada if you plan to stay for less than 180 days. You can thus get to enjoy Canada destinations to the full.

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