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Swim with dolphins

Experience — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:35:11 +0000

Dolphins are one of the earth’s most fascinating and curious creatures, and if you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal with these majestic marine creatures swimming with dolphins is an exhilarating experience that you will never forget.

There are two options for swimming with dolphins – a captive dolphin swim experience or a wild dolphin interaction. Captive facilities range from centres offering dolphin-assisted therapy programs and public dolphin swims, to resorts and theme parks. Most captive dolphins are bottlenose dolphins, which when in the wild, are typically very shy and wary of humans. Captive dolphins are trained to perform stunts, and to interact with humans.

Swimming with wild dolphins means you meet them in their environment. Unlike captive dolphins who have no choice but to interact with human beings whether they want to or not, wild dolphins can choose if they want to stick around and swim with you, and if they don’t have the freedom to simply disappear into the deep blue sea which makes it all the more special when they do decide to stay. Wild dolphins actually do come to swim with people, and its the most ‘real’ and special way to experience swimming with dolphins.

There are only about 15 spots in the world where you can swim with wild dolphins. Some of the best places where you can swim with wild dolphins are: Kaikoura in New Zealand, Oahu and Kona in Hawaii, Bimini in the Bahamas, Red Sea in Egypt, Ponta Do Ouro in Mozambique, and Perth in Australia.

Swimming with these intelligent creatures as they frolic in their natural environment is an amazing experience, and one you won’t forget in a hurry.

Gondola serenade on the canals of Venice

Experience — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 05:30:41 +0000

Venice is one of the most magical and romantic places on earth, and a gondola serenade on the canals of Venice is the ultimate romantic experience.

As you gently float down the canals in your gondola, the splendor of Venice unfolds from the unique vantage point. Look up at the old Venetian homes and float beneath elegant bridges, hear the quietness of the minor canals, watch the oars silently glide through the water and imagine the days of old. As you glide along the quaint canals listen to the soothing sounds of a serenade sung by the Gondolier just for you and your special someone before floating out into the vibrant Grand Canal.

Make sure you float under the Bridge of Sighs, as local legend says that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the bridge.

A gondola ride through the canals of Venice is an incredibly peaceful, serene and romantic experience.

Canal Boating through France

Experience — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:37:08 +0000

Explore the French countryside from your very own canal boat. A canal boat tour is a relaxing and romantic way to discover the charm and mystery of the hidden France.

You can choose to self drive or rent a fully crewed barge. Either way you have the pick of over 10,000 kilometres of sheltered waterways that wind though an amazing array of different regions and landscapes. Cruise through the peaceful countryside, past tempting vineyards and historic villages where tiny medieval churches, ancient castles, exotic markets and small local restaurants will offer you an endless stream of new experiences and delights.

Canal boats travel at a leisurely and relaxing pace of 5 kilometres ( 3 miles) per hour. However half the fun of canal boating is getting off the boat to explore the little towns and other attractions in the surrounding area on foot or by bicycle.

See the northern lights

Experience — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 07:29:32 +0000

For a truly magical light show put on by mother nature you must experience the wonder that is the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, is a mesmerising, colourful, eerie display of light observed in the night sky in the northern polar region.

The northern lights appears when solar wind particles collide with air molecules in the earth’s atmosphere, transferring their energy into light. The intensity of the displays can vary from a glowing curtain of greenish yellow lights, dancing in the distance to a spectacular, multi-coloured fusion stretching across the sky. Whichever light display you’re lucky enough to experience it will no doubt make you want to see more.

The best time to see the Aurora is on a clear winters night usually during the darkest periods between November and February, although they can be seen as early as late August and as late as mid April. The phases of the moon however will also have an affect. A full moon can greatly detract from the spectacle, whereas around the time of the new moon, if sightings are possible then they should be at their best.

For the best view of the northern lights you’ll have to head as far north as you can. Because while the northern lights can at times be seen as far south as the UK and the US / Canadian border, you really need to travel far north and visit places such as Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Norway, Alaska and Lapland during the darkest months, to have some of the best opportunities possible.

Viewing the northern lights shimmer and dance across the night sky is a beautiful, breathtaking and amazing sight, and something that everyone should experience at least once in their life.

Hot air balloon ride over Luxor, Egypt

Experience — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:02:39 +0000

For an unforgettable experience in Luxor, Egypt try a sunrise hot air balloon flight over Luxor’s West Bank. It’s like a history lesson taking place in an open air balloon. After a few minutes, you’ll be 1000 feet (300 metres) in the air watching villages wake up and people taking the animals out to pasture before gently floating over one of the most spectacular views in the world — the Valley of the Kings. You’ll also see ancient Luxor, once called Thebes, in all its glory, plus the world’s longest river, the Nile.

Luxor is where the great Pharaohs ruled the country. Its charm is in the mixture of palace halls, gardens and glimpses of past British colonials and Egyptian monarchs. Perhaps the most stunning scenery unfolds when the hard, arid countryside finally meets the fertile land surrounding the magnificent waterway that is the Nile river.

The hot air balloon flight over Luxor lasts about fifty minutes and while you will have to rise early, the scenery below you is amazing and your sure to have a blissful and unforgettable experience.

Visit Kakadu National Park

Experience — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:42:53 +0000

With its rugged escarpments, lush wetlands, plunging gorges and cascading waterfalls, Kakadu National Park offers visitors a new world of sights, sounds and experiences. Renowned for its extraordinary natural wonders and rich cultural traditions, World Heritage listed Kakadu has a reputation for overloading the senses.

Located in Australia’s tropical Northern Territory, Kakadu is Australia’s largest national park, and one of the largest in the world, covering approximately 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles).

Kakadu is an incredibly ecologically and biologically diverse area with many different landforms and habitats, including sandstone plateaus and escarpments, areas of savanna woodlands and open forest, rivers, billabongs, floodplains, mangroves and mudflats. Kakadu also supports an extraordinary diversity of wildlife with over 280 species of birds, 60 kinds of native mammals, 55 kinds of freshwater fish, thousands of insect species and 75 different kinds of reptile (more than you’ll find in the whole of Europe) including goannas, frill-necked lizards, and of course the famous saltwater crocodile.

Kakadu National Park’s impressive sandstone escarpments feature some of the finest and most accessible rock art in the world. Archaeological evidence points to the Kakadu area being home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years. As a result, there is a rich heritage of Aboriginal art (including cave paintings and rock carvings) and archaeological sites throughout the region. Many Aboriginal artefacts have been found at old camping sites, particularly in the escarpment and floodplain country, recording the skills and way of life of the region’s original inhabitants.

Many say that to visit the park in the wet season (December to March) is the best – the only time. In the wet, the park drowns in water, heat, humidity, bright tropical colours, nature in the raw – all the fundamental elements that make up Australia’s unique natural world. Kakadu is a landscape of contrasts. Beneath waters dotted with delicate pink lotus flowers lurks the crocodile. Jagged peaks of towering escarpments hide pockets of lush rainforest. Roaring waterfalls thunder down rocky gorges to serene pools fringed with paperbarks, pandanus and cycads. If you get up early and head off the beaten track a little – you’ll be rewarded with vistas of remarkable colour and significant wildlife.

The immense natural beauty and cultural importance of Kakadu National Park make a trip into Kakadu an unforgettable experience.