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There's no denying it's a busy world nowadays, and most of us lead lives to match. When it's time to get away from it all, even though many people seem quite prepared to go to the more crowded spots, for my money you can't beat a bit of peace and quiet and a chance to forget about the 21st century altogether.
One of the best places to go if you're looking for this sort of thing is not difficult to get to, though you may not have considered it before. I'm talking about Bonnie Scotland, of course, where despite its size there are over 6,000 miles (10,000 km) of coastline, much of which is still unspoilt and a haven for wildlife of all kinds.
Scotland is a small country, with a population of around 5 million, who share 49,000 square miles of land (or a bit less than 80,000 sq km), although the majority cluster round the Central Lowlands between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde, where the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow can be found.
If you want a bit of nightlife, Glasgow's the place to go, but when you're in the mood for beauty, you are spoilt for choice. You will find so much to see and hundreds of picture opportunities, from lochs and glens, beautiful waterfalls, mountains galore (there are 729 mountains over 2,000 feet, 284 of them over 3,000!), nearly 800 islands, only around 130 of which are inhabited, parks, bird sanctuaries...
Wildlife enthusiasts will know Scotland as the wildlife capital of the world. People come from all over the world to watch wildlife of every kind from birds to whales. There are many nature reserves and areas of natural beauty, too many to list here, and some of the names conjure up a feel of ancient mists and lost secrets, like Puck's Glen, Foggieton Wood and The Old Man of Storr - but even if they had no names, these places would be worthy of your time.
Come in May for the Classical Music festival at Loch Shiel, or in August for the Edinburgh festival and fringe. Or visit us round New Year to experience a classic Hogmanay (though it gets a bit cold here at that time of year, so dress warmly).
If you like to experience new tastes, pop into a local "chippy" and order haggis and chips. It's not to everyone's taste, for sure, but personally I love it (and I'm no Scot). Other local delicacies, like smoked salmon, Aberdeen Angus beef, local raspberries and cranachan (if you can find it) are more likely to be available in a restaurant, of which there are many to choose from in the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
So, next time you're looking for a bit of peace and quiet - but within striking distance of civilization - visit Scotland. It's easy to reach, and you'll find a warm welcome, and countryside that is so beautiful, you'll wish you could stay forever.
| ©2006 Frann Leach. All rights reserved. |
The Bahamas is arguably the most popular cruise destination for U.S. travelers, and is especially popular with first-time cruisers from the U.S. Only 75 km from mainland USA, the outer islands that make up the group can be reached within a matter of hours. This makes the Bahamas an excellent choice of location for a short Bahamas cruise break of two, three or four nights away from home.
Some 700 islands make up the archipelago of the Bahamas, of which only around 50 are inhabited. Cruise lines generally focus on just two Bahamian ports - Nassau and Freeport.
Nassau is Bahamas' capital, and is located on the
island of New Providence. It is
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Do you remember the line from Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" movie? Clark, in frustration utters to his wife Ellen, "Worse? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We're at the threshold of hell." Does that movie remind you of your last family Christmas vacation?
Maybe it is time that you try something unique, different and fun. Try something new, exciting, and romantic. Have some fun in the sun. Vacation at a clothing optional resort this holiday season.
"But, I'm not a nudist," you are thinking. No problem! More and more, nudist resorts have gone
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One can get a taste of old Europe right in North America when
visiting Québec City in Canada. Québec City is the capital of the
province of Québec. It can be easily reached by a short flight
from points in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
It is a three hour drive from Montreal. The high season is the
summer when visitors from all over the world visit. Recently, the
number of tourists from the United States and Europe has
increased dramatically. This may be partly due to the fact that
even some cruise ships originating from eastern US ports are now
including Québec City as a port
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One of the ports visited on our recent Royal Caribbean cruise was Grand Cayman. This was an eagerly awaited port as I've been there before but wanted to take my girlfriend scuba diving there. We were worried that we might miss this port since the Caymans were hit pretty hard by the hurricanes and indeed, they had closed the islands off to tourist travel for part of the summer/fall.
Fortunately for us, Grand Cayman had reopened just
about two weeks prior to our cruise at the end of November.
Getting to Grand Cayman is by tender because it has a shallow
harbour. This can be a potential problem in
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Bali is to everyone not only known for its indigenous culture, people, but also for its nature, i.e. magnificent mountains, alluring sea, beaches, pristine forest, waterfalls, hot springs, rice fields, flora, fauna, traditional villages, etc are the great asset that Bali has to offer. It attracts the tourists to come to Bali especially to those who are fond of travelling. They like to go to the places where they can recharge their souls, unwind, release the tension from work, and simply enjoy what life has to offer.
While enjoying the great view, you may thoroughly enjoy the adventures in Bali
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