Adventure, Business, Travel
Sometimes you might not even need a plane to get you where you want to go. Niall Doherty from ndoherty.com has been travelling around the world without flying for the last three years. He may jump on a one-way cruise or do the unconventional thing and book himself on a cargo ship heading across the Pacific ocean for 26 days. While you may not want to be as extreme as Niall, taking a boat rather than a plane might just be the adventure you’re looking for.
Once you have a destination in mind, it might be time to find a flight. If you’re like most people, you’re probably looking to find the best deal. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
Skyscanner is my go-to tool for finding cheap flights anywhere in the world. Skyscanner does a good job at scanning different booking engines, which enables you to search multiple sites in a matter of minutes. If you value things like flight duration, flight times and so forth, there are features that bring these options into the results. If you find a flight you like, you’ll simply be redirected to the site that’s offering the fare. No charge. Not ready to book? No problem. You can also choose to get price alerts, which means Skyscanner will email you when a better deal comes up.
| PRO TIP: If the flight is offered through one airline (not multiple airlines), consider checking the price on the airline’s website first. |
Any normal person would have given up. It was like the universe was telling me not to go. Not only had Nepal experienced a devastating earthquake a few months prior but it was now dealing with a fuel crisis, which was causing heaps of problems for both locals and foreigners.
We were actually in Istanbul, Turkey (Sept 2015), and it didn’t look like our plan for Nepal was going to work out. We had approximately two months before returning home and our initial plan was to visit Nepal for three weeks followed by one month in India. After all, both my wife and I had always wanted to see Nepal and during this crisis, the people could use the tourism dollars more than ever. After all, tourism was down by close to 80% thanks to the problems mentioned above. [Read more…] about Why Now is a Great Time to Visit Nepal
From the moment I learned about a lake full of stinger-less Jellyfish, Palau became a dream trip I had to make happen. Nestled next to Micronesia, Palau is the epitome of tropical paradise. Glistening turquoise waters give rise to stunning rock islands covered in a luscious green jungle. If you’ve always dreamed of visiting a tropical paradise and love scuba diving, Palau should be high on your list.
My wife and I had just one week in Palau, which went very fast. Most of our days were spent scuba diving the incredible reefs but we also took a couple of days to go kayaking and to just relax on the beach.
If you’re planning to add Palau to your dream list, this guide should give you a good idea of what to expect and what to do. [Read more…] about The Ultimate Guide for Things to Do in Palau
The Galapagos are a bucket list destination for many people and it’s no wonder why; tropical beauty, unique wildlife, and the place where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. Ever since I had watched documentaries, often narrated by sir David Attenborough, about the unique creatures and exotic scenery, I dreamed of visiting.
Then it happened.
During a three month adventure honeymoon throughout South America, my wife and I took a flight from Quito, Ecuador to Santa Cruz in the Galapagos. We had just over two weeks to explore the fabled islands, which was divided into two halves; One week scuba diving and one week exploring the land.
As independent travellers, we didn’t book any accommodation in advance. The only thing we booked in advance was our live-aboard diving trip, which is mandatory due to popularity. We’re nature lovers (why else would you visit the Galapagos?) and so our whole trip centred around natural landscapes and wildlife encounters.
If you’ve always dreamed of visiting the Galapagos, below is a guide for not only making it happen but for doing it right.
Although most people travel to Osaka and surrounding areas to explore the cities, the nearby hiking trails are full of splendid scenery and offer a break from the concrete jungles of Japan. With mountain peaks, ancient forest and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Osaka is a wonderful place to bring your hiking boots and begin an adventure. When planning a trip to Japan, take a look at these.
Hiking to the top of Mt. Kongo (1,125 meters) is a popular option for beginners and will take you through the Kongo Katsuragi range along the border of the Osaka and Nara prefectures. Along the Mt. Kongo ropeway to Mt. Kongo Station you’ll find the Katsuragi Shrine, the Chihaya Castle ruins and the Chihaya Nature and Astronomy Museum. If this isn’t enough, consider also hiking to the Temporinji Temple located on top of the mountain plateau. Although February is a chillier month to visit, it’s a great time to see trees glazed with ice as well as attending the Juhyo festival.
As the closest park to the city of Osaka, Mino Park makes an excellent place to visit without any difficulty and can be reached in less than 30-minutes from downtown Umeda. There are about three kilometers of hiking trails that take visitors through the valley and along the Minoo River to the very popular and beautiful Minoo waterfall. The park is a great place to witness the changing seasons with the most popular time being autumn. You may also see monkeys and deer along with over 3,000 species of insects. Mino Park also houses a number of ancient temples as well as the Mino Insect Museum. It is also the starting point for the popular Tokai Natural Trail. You can read more about Mino Park by clicking here.
Laced with a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, the hiking trails around Mount Koyo are a great place to get into nature and experience ancient history at the same time. The main parts of the mountain are easily accessible by train and there are many different trails for exploring on foot. Some of the most famous sites include the Mausoleum of Kukai and the neighboring graveyard, the Garan Temple complex, and the Kongōbu-ji Temple, which features an impressive stone garden.
Mount Yoshino is a wooded temple town and another UNESCO World Heritage area in the Kii Mountain Range. It is also the most famous area in Japan for viewing the cherry blossoms in early April. If you can’t make it there in early spring for the cherry blossoms, you’ll still find a number of important religious and pilgrimage sites including Kimpu Shrine, Yoshino Mikumari Shrine, and Kimpusen-ji. Mount Yoshino is also a good starting point for a more difficult trail that leads to Mount Omine.
As you can see, there is a lot more to Japan than cities. Adding some hikes to your itinerary will allow you to explore the wilderness and some ancient pilgrimage sites as well as give you a beautiful view of the four seasons. After grabbing a cheap hotel in Osaka, lace up your hiking boots and head out into the Japanese wilderness.
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This article is always being updated. If you have another hiking trail you’d like mentioned, please let me know in the comments below!