6 Ways Travel Can Craft You A Better Human Bein

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06
Jun 2015

 

Passion for travel makes people crazy for exploring more. With traveling to new destinations, people get in touch with new cultures and traditions. This helps people to change their way of thinking about the world. And, if anything in the world can ideally change the odd views of people, it is traveling. Travel can genuinely change people.

All the changes that occur throughout a journey are positive changes for travelers. Travel makes people better human beings. There are various positive advantages that come with traveling. Most importantly, you can see the world through a different view. The following are some of the most effective advantages of traveling.

1. Better Communication Skill

When you opt for traveling to a new destination, you have to communicate with new people. After living in several places, and communicating with many people you will surely have better communication skill. In fact, you can live in some places where English not the first language, there you have to make them know about your question in their local language. It is surely a tough task to handle. It will surely improve your overall communication skill.

2. Widening Your Views

Dealing with different people of various countries will let you expand your horizon of world views. You will be able to accept all kinds of differences surrounding you. You will learn to respect others and their views. Every religion and culture is valuable for each community. Accepting this fact will be easy for you with traveling to different countries.

3. Better Patience

Throughout the long journey, maintaining a scheduled time is not easy task. So you have to handle it with your patience. You have to make several decisions in a trip. Having proper patience is vital for better decisiveness. You can get better patience with the help of traveling.

4. The Art of Helping with Generosity

Throughout the journey, you will meet many people. Some of them will become friends with you. They may help you without expecting any return. Similarly, you also will help people without expecting any return from them. Travel helps people being more generous and happy to help other.

5. Getting Friendly With the Strangers Easily

The skill of getting friendly with others easily is possible with the help of traveling. You can easily get acquainted with your co-travelers in your journey. It will surely enhance your friendly nature.

6. Making the Most at the Moment

Traveling to different destinations makes people more fun-loving. You can forget about all worries by enjoying with your co-travelers. It is a positive side of traveling. You are more prone to have fun.

Having a fresh start for a new life is much more pleasurable than losing in old memories. You can surely enjoy your positive traits with your friends. After traveling to various destinations, many positive traits will add to your personality. It makes better human being and not just a good traveler. That is why most of the travelers are genuine and authentic by nature.

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The Northern Lights: Iceland’s Natural Spectacle

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06
Jun 2015

In the larger scope of Northern European countries, Iceland can often be somewhat overlooked. Tucked away ‘in the corner’ and lacking the glamorous profile of neighbours such as Sweden and Finland, the island with the deceptive name – it is mostly green – therefore attracts a smaller amount of tourists than the rest of Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

That is not to say, however, that the country lacks charm, or is devoid of attractions in its own right. Much to the contrary! As anyone who has travelled across the further regions of Northern Europe will attest to, one of the world’s most impressive natural phenomenon can be witnessed in this country: the world-renowned Northern Lights. Iceland is one of the few countries far enough north to allow tourists the privilege of experiencing this dazzling natural light show, and it is definitely one of the strongest arguments in favour of visiting this spectacular location – although, in fact, there are plenty more.

Nature’s Light Show

Speak to any keen traveller and chances are they will have heard of, but never actually seen, the Northern Lights. Iceland is, as mentioned above, one of the few countries from which this phenomenon can be experienced – alongside Canada, Finland, and certain other parts of Scandinavia – so unless a traveller has forayed into these specific locations, the Lights often remain a dream rather than a reality.

Taking place primarily in autumn/winter, this is a phenomenon not to be missed by tourists planning to visit the Arctic regions at that time of year. Those that are lucky enough to witness nature’s light show first hand are unlikely to ever forget it – seeing the lights is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that strongly affects the viewer.

Many people may not actually be aware of what exactly causes this fascinating phenomenon, and while it seems otherworldly, there is actually an easy to understand explanation. Also called the Aurora Borealis, the Arctic Circle’s main attraction is caused by a meeting of electrically charged particles emanating from the sun. The Earth’s poles, with their magnetic pull, attract these particles towards the ground, and as they come into contact with the different types of gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, they gradually change colour to create the Northern Lights. Iceland is one of the best places to view the lights and tourists and science aficionados visit each year to witness it in person.

Nor is undertaking this endeavour as hard or costly as it once was. While not so long ago it would take considerable expenses and careful planning to be able to see the Northern Lights, Iceland and the rest of Scandinavia are now closer than ever, thanks to excellent specialised tours companies, which are dedicated to ensuring the best possible experience. There’s now no excuse for anyone to miss out on seeing this unforgettable phenomenon first hand.

 

Abigail Collins

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5 Travel Journaling Tips

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06
Jun 2015

 

There is no right way to journal. It’s all about personal preference. The important thing is to document those memorable moments and sites.

I find that if you are comfortable with the method, you will be sure to regularly make entries. Here are only five tips for keep a travel diary full of lasting memories.

1) Type it or Write it

Whether you are old school or a modern techie, a small notebook and pen or a laptop or favorite electronic device, will do. I know, for me, I like to use my phone to jot down important and memorable facts or funny anecdotal stories that happen throughout the day. With all the stimulation while traveling, the small details often fade away and can be lost. Remember to think of the key questions – where, what, when, who and how. Your journal will capture many memories for you to enjoy at a later date.

2) Journal Daily

It’s not necessary to document every single detail, but jotting down the highlights of each day as well as the sights you see is key. I always like to mention places I’ve eaten or a great meal I’ve enjoyed. Interesting encounters with locals is worth noting too. Anything that is quintessential of where you are visiting.

3) Keep it Personal

Some of the best memories are those that recount what you were feeling at the time. If you have a funny or emotional moment during your trip, make sure you make mention of it – it will make you laugh or pull at your heartstrings later on.

It’s also a great way to share your adventure with family members and friends who were not traveling with you. People love to hear about your experiences, not necessarily lots of boring narratives of your daily itinerary.

4) Record Important Facts

Long after your trip is over, many of the historic facts, figures and data about that location will fade from memory. Writing these down throughout your account will help you to feel as if you are back on your journey when you reflect back on your journal in months or years to come. From my experience, trip diaries I kept 20 years ago are like little time capsules, especially, when things have changed at that destination over the course of time.

5) Get Others’ Perspectives

In my travel journals, I always like to get the people I’m traveling with to add their two cents here and there to the documentation. It makes it more fun to read later and rounds out the experience.

Whatever your style, make a travel journal memory – you’ll be happy you did!

Elisa Levine

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All About Chrysanthemums in Japan

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16
Jan 2015

 

In Awe of how Artisans Woo This Regal Bloom

“Kiku” is the Japanese word for Chrysanthemum.

After residing in Japan for some 28 years, I understand that the Japanese relationship with this beautiful flower is deep, intricate and somewhat mysterious especially when you are a newbie visitor.

I happen to live next to Japan’s second largest cemetery called “Kuboyama Bochi” (Bochi is the word of cemetery) so people from around the country come to do “Ohaka Mairi” which means “visiting the graves and praying for the Spirits who have gone before us”. The graveyard is actually a grave mountain because of the hilly area and the fact the face of the mountain offers a clear and direct view to the ocean of Yokohama Bay. It seems that having a good view for your loved one will help them rest in peace and feel comfort on the other side of things.

The area bustles with visitors during the “O-bon” season during Summer and official looking traffic officers guide automobiles and buses along the road which is closed off for only one way travellers. Every visitor walking along the road is holding a bundle of flowers and each one will include a crisp white Kiku (Chrysanthemum) bloom.

Many stop at nearby flower or tea shops and pick up the set bouquet on their way to the cemetery. You will notice these flowers, freshly cut and prepared at 7-11s and other convenience stores as well. Often times, the “grave” flowers look very similar to other bouquets you might take to your friends home party or hospital room. The “grave flowers” are also usually displayed along with other bouquets too! How confusing! I once had my friend bring me a bundle of grave flowers as a gift for my dinner party. I don’t mind at all, and quickly put the lovely blooms in a vase, but I would think this would be a surprising gift for most Japanese friends. Especially if they are ill and in the hospital. A bunch of grave flowers as a hospital visitation gift could lend a sense of foreboding to the general atmosphere to say the least!

I have the impression that Japanese people see the Kiku as solemn and majestic. There are some 300 varieties in Japan but the white flower is held in esteem and is not used in celebrations as much as in ceremonies that require introspection and quiet. Maybe it is the soft way those velvety snow-white petals come together to form a lovely round orb but at the same time are drooping out and down in a slightly sad way. Their stems are straight and the dark green balances the rich white in a stately way. The Kiku is like someone who has been through hardship or despair, yet stands proud and stronger for the experience.

Am I imagining too much? I would like to sit down with an Ikebana master and ask all the intricacies of flower art in the Japanese soul. I find a deep connection there as I am sure so many of us around the world can share. The texture, scent and stature of the Kiku brings to mind a discreet luxury, a solemn calm.

In October and November, you will see displays of Kiku in train stations and temples. “Kiku Matsuri” or Kiku Festivals abound and I definitely recommend you take the three hour trip to Yahiko in Niigata Prefecture and visit the Kiku Matsuri at the Yahiko Shrine. We were knocked off our feet by what we witnessed from the Kiku Artisans represented at this festival.

The entire walkway to the temple was lined with little booths displaying the beautiful Kiku works from around the country. Inside the temple grounds were the award-winning miracles. From afar, I thought the dome of evenly separated, perfectly round white Kiku was some type of frame in which the Kiku blooms were carefully set in the style of a May Day or Rose Parade style back home.

But with one closer look, I realized those blooms, the hundred or so that I could see, were actually extending out of a single Kiku trunk.

How meticulous and perfect was this work of flower art! The life in the branches is slowly nurtured and ushered into a delicate sphere of delight. I think of the yearly challenge as the perfect blooms fade and drop to the ground. The caretaker must diligently clip and prune to make sure the flowers find rest in a delicate balance for the new season. I am utterly amazed at the absolute dedication I imagine must be required to complete this feat year in and year out.

Praise to the regal Kiku and praise to those who carefully protect its unique and respected position within the myriad flower world of Japan.

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Isola Maggiore – The Italian Island Ripe For Relaxation

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16
Jan 2015

 

Stepping ashore from Lake Trasimeno onto the little Umbrian island of Isola Maggiore, it’s not hard to see why St Francis of Assisi once chose to live there as a hermit. A statue by the shaded lakeside commemorates his stay on the island throughout Lent in 1211, when he is said to have slept on a rock.

Today, with no traffic at all and only one small village – where the buildings along its main Via Guglielmi date from the fourteenth century – Isola Maggiore is truly unspoiled. Only the presence of a small albergo, the occasional restaurant, a gelateria, and the tiny sprinkling of kiosks around the little jetty, show any real sign that the centuries have moved on.

Paths criss-cross the island, leading up through ancient olive groves to the top of the hill, where the twelfth century Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo sits overlooking the turquoise waters of the lake. Inside this church, the ancient frescoes – some of which are attributed to the school of Giotto – are still in wonderful condition and a guide is always on hand to explain about them.

There are two further churches on the island (plus a couple more, which sadly only remain as ruins). The comparatively ornate Chiesa del Buon Gesu on Via Guglielmi can be found open most days, although the church of San Salvatore, reached via the earthen steps climbing up by the albergo Da Sauro, is generally closed.

The fishing village, as it then was, enjoyed its peak during the fourteenth century, after a Franciscan monastery was built there in 1328. Centuries later, after its closure, the Guglielmi family acquired the monastery, building a castle in the grounds in the 1880s, where they lavishly entertained guests from the mainland.

Over the centuries, Lake Trasimeno grew more and more shallow, making life for the island’s fishermen increasingly hard. As the fishing declined, so too did large numbers of the population, and with them went the Guglielmis. The family did, however, leave the strange legacy of Irish lace.

The Marchesa Elena Guglielmi introduced the Irish lace technique in the early 1900s, setting up a Lace School on the island. Today, although fewer than 20 islanders now live on Isola Maggiore, you can still see one or two ladies making lace in front of their homes, and the Lace Museum displays many exquisite examples from the island’s past.

As for the castle, in 1944 it was used for several months as an internment camp for political prisoners, then later fell into disrepair. Today, although inaccessible to the public, it is very slowly being restored.

Across from the Lace Museum stands the Casa del Capitano del Popolo (‘The Captain’s House’), which tells the history of this enchanting island.

The fishing may have declined, but it is still possible to enjoy carp, tench and pike fresh from the lake, served in any of the island’s little restaurants. Dine on a tranquil terrace as the sun sets and the water gently laps… what more could you ask?

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Choosing a Destination for the Best Caribbean Holiday

Travel Guide, Travel Tips, , , , , , , , , ,
06
Jan 2015

 

It’s easy to be seduced by the promise of Caribbean luxury hotels. Many are based in stunning locations and offer the ultimate luxury holiday experience. But even if the origin of the idea is clear, choosing a specific location might end up being rather more of a challenge.

This information may help.

Where is the region?

For a start, different people have rather varying ideas as to where the Caribbean actually is. If that sounds ludicrous in the days of global SATNAV, it’s attributable to the fact that the area can be defined in different ways including: geographic areas; geo-political associations; economic areas; advertising and marketing domains.

Strictly speaking, it’s a sea that sits to the south of Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico and includes islands such as Jamaica, St Lucia and Grenada. However, in terms of holidays, it’s sometimes ‘stretched’ as a term to include the Bahamas and on some maps even the Florida Keys. Some people have even shown Bermuda as being a Caribbean holiday destination when it is, in fact, way out into the Atlantic.

Purists might debate these boundaries furiously but for many holiday companies a vast area of ocean is often referred to, albeit incorrectly, and you’ll see Caribbean luxury hotels advertised almost everywhere within it.

Choosing a destination

So, how to go about choosing where you will go? One start point might be on the background culture of the island. Some have a huge legacy of Spanish culture, such as Cuba. Others may owe much more to French tradition, with St. Lucia being a good example. Whatever their background culture, much of the area was once incorporated into the British Empire and, as such, the UK has left its mark.

Of course, many colonial powers also brought African slaves into the region to work the plantations and other enterprises. Consequently, various African cultures have also merged into the regional cultures to create a unique hybrid. Yet as anyone who knows the region will tell you, each island – and sometimes parts of each island – has their own distinct culture. For example, Bermuda simply cannot be compared to St. Lucia – it’s not that one is better than the other, just that they’re very different.

You should research the culture of an island and see whether or not it catches your attention, remembering that culture affects things such as cuisine, nightlife and so on.

Another thing you might want to consider is the weather. True, almost everywhere will be able to rightly claim ‘great weather’, but in reality, if you check the statistics, you’ll see that the average weather can vary considerably from one island to another. In particular, look out for the wind and rain figures. Much of the area has a ‘rainy season’, though in many cases this is notional and represents the occasional 30-minute heavy shower with bags of glorious sunshine before and after. Even so, it’s worth looking into – particularly if you’re into beach life. Some islands have rather more protracted wet and windy seasons than others and that might be an important selection criterion when you’re booking Caribbean luxury hotels.

Wherever your destination, you can be sure of plenty of Caribbean luxury hotels to choose from and that you’ll find this fabulous region every bit as wonderful as its reputation.

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