Remember when Thailand was still a sleepy little country seldom visited by tourists? Those days are long gone as the word has spread that you can visit a beautiful place without having to spend a fortune. Thailand is no longer quite the cheap backpacking Mecca it used to be, but it is still a favorite destination for many travelers looking for sun, sand and perhaps debauchery.
Cheap flights to Thailand are somewhat easy to come by if you keep your eyes out and if you are willing to travel during the off-season and times other than holidays. The vast majority of people who fly to Thailand enter the country through Bangkok, the busy capital. Bangkok is an adventure unto itself with traffic, people and temptation everywhere. You will either love it or hate but you won’t be indifferent about it.
The center of the backpacking scene is further south on the party islands. These are places that are beautiful, but whose culture and atmosphere are more western than Asian. Hostels and other accommodations are cheap, and you will have no problem locating a party.
If you are looking for something a little more authentic, consider traveling to the northern part of Thailand. There are some excellent trekking and adventure trips in the north.
If you ever want to see a slice of heaven, pay a visit to Banff in the summer. The small Canadian resort town located about 70 miles from Calgary, Alberta is situated amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The amazing Canadian Rockies tower high in the sky. The lush green forests extend for as far as the eye can see. The deep blue glacier fed lakes are like a mirror. The bustling streams fill the otherwise silent air with a melodic sound.
Everyone loves a top 10 list. Everyone also happens to have a list of places that they would like to visit. I know that my list is pages long. The cool cats at Travelocity have compiled a top 10 list of the most booked flight and hotel destinations on their site. Maybe your list jives with theirs? Or maybe not.
You can’t go more than 100 yards in Greece without tripping over something historic. People have been walking around Greece for ages and they are always leaving behind stone ruins that will make you stub your toe if you run into them. Those stone ruins are a big reason why people visit the country, but even if you don’t enjoy looking at antiquities you will still have an excellent time in Greece.
Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras or Panama. Which one of these countries would you most like to visit? Belize is so close to the United States and it has an English speaking population. It has some lovely beaches and the snorkeling/diving opportunities are some of the best in the world. It has fascinating Mayan ruins.
It is a scientific fact that all of us have a mother to thank for bringing us into this world. Unless, that is, you were born in a test tube. If that is the case, I’d like to meet you. For the rest of us, our very existence was predicated on someone having us in their womb for approximately nine months. That is a long time to carry an extra body around. I get exhausted just thinking about it.
Different people travel to the Caribbean for different reasons. Some go to sit on the beach and to soak up the sun. Others go to throw on an oxygen tank and to see what those creatures are up to underneath the sea. Still others go to lap up the culture of the region. And others go to escape the long arm of the law. If you are one of those escaping the long arm of the law types this deal probably isn’t for you. If you are one of those people who legally want to go to the Caribbean, read on.
Back in the good old days if you had $50 to spend in Mexico you could live high on the hog for weeks. That isn’t the case as much nowadays. Mexico is not nearly as cheap of a travel destination as it used to be, especially if you are in one of the resort areas like Puerto Vallarta. Still, if you get away from the tourist traps and go out to a local market you could purchase some local items for $50 and come away with a handful of goods that will forever remind you of your vacation south of the border.
The first year I lived in Washington, DC we had a ton of snow during the winter. The gloomy days were endless and the cold had even the heartiest of souls complaining. The one thing that everyone told me was that if you can survive the winter in DC (normally not that bad) there is a payoff in the form of spring. The spring months would bring pleasant temperatures without the humidity of the summer, they said, and the beautiful sights of cherry blossoms everywhere.
I have no fear of flying, I can sail on high seas for weeks and I have never seen a flea bag hotel I haven’t liked. The one thing that scares the snot out of me, however, is running out of gas while driving through the desert. The idea of being stranded by the side of the road in the blazing heat as my body slowly begins to shut down from lack of fluids and the buzzards above stalk their new prey is one that doesn’t sit well with my nervous system. As a rule, I simply stay away from deserts.