Posts Tagged ‘beautiful’

Beautiful Belize, a Journey Through my Favorite Sights

Look Up! The man yells when walking from the bus station to the waterfront of Belize City. Hesitant, you worry that he is trying to distract you to relieve you of your belongings. After all, Belize City is known as one of the most dangerous towns in Central America. Instead, you are treated to a view of thousands of birds flying overhead as he says, “welcome to my country, enjoy the beauty of Belize”.

Whatever your vision of Central America is, check it at the door before entering this beautiful and welcoming country. Many travel guides will tell you to “get out of Belize City and head for the islands.” It is too bad really, because they are causing people to miss out on meeting the very proud and helpful citizens of this vibrant town.

Cruise ships stop here regularly and whisk tourists off to Tikal in Guatemala, or to Amgergris Caye off of the coast. The port is well developed and you can spend time walking around the shops in the comfortable terminal. However, walking around the city is where you get the true Caribbean flare.

Settled by the English in the late 16th century, Belize City is a mix Colonial buildings and Creole Culture. Eat international cuisine, or enjoy the local fare at Jembel’s Jerk Pit or Big Daddy’s Diner. Music pumps from inside shops as smiling people great you speaking perfect English, only to turn to their companion and talk in rhythmic Creole. The official language of Belize is English, but you will often hear a mix of Spanish, Creole, Mayan and German throughout the land.

After soaking up the culture and cuisine in the country’s largest city, catch a water taxi to head out to Caye Caulker. For $10, you will be transported to paradise. Far less crowded than its overdeveloped neighbor Ambergris Caye, this little island is a gem of a destination.

The laid-back vibe of the island has an air of Jamaica, and reggae booms from bars and restaurants. Walk along the dirt roads to look for a beach front hotel and you can spend as little as $20 for a room. Only golf carts drive on the island, so you won’t have to worry about exhaust pollution or noise. The resident’s work hard to preserve their culture and large-scale development is not in its future.

Located just 1 mile from the Belize Barrier Reef, it offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. Hire a boat to take you out to Shark Ray Alley and you will swim with the sharks as manta rays brush up against you. A marine preserve for the past 12 years, the coral and marine life is second to none in the world. Dolphin sightings are commonplace and you will be sure to spot barracuda’s, octopus, stingrays, eels and lobsters.

For experienced divers, The Blue Hole is not to be missed. Made famous by Jacques Cousteau, dive 150 feet into this collapsed cave as sharks circle above the hanging stalactites. If you are not already a diver, take an open water diving course.

Prices are reasonable and you will experience the chance to see even more wildlife and gain an appreciation for the ocean.

Finding a company to go with is easy, just walk along the main dirt road and you will find dive operators and snorkel shops lined up to take you out.

If getting into the water with natural predators isn’t your cup of tea, take a sailing trip to visit other Islands. Belize has several islands and you can take a trip to have a picnic lunch on the beach or enjoy an island drink at an upscale resort on Ambergris Caye.

Caye Caulker may not be overly developed, but you can still enjoy great food ranging from Seafood, to pasta and barbecue. The nightlife isn’t wild, but you can find a nice bar to enjoy a drink or two, look out over the water while swinging on a hammock or listen to some live music well into the evening.

Belize is certainly full of many more sights. It boasts rainforest’s and islands, and the largest cave system in Central America. It is teeming with wildlife from Howler Monkeys to Jaguars. Like its surrounding neighbors, it has Mayan Ruins scattered throughout the country for you to enjoy and beautiful beaches can be found everywhere, the best being in Placencia on the mainland.

It would take weeks to truly discover everything that Belize has to offer, but if you have the time, it is certainly worth the investment.

The Beautiful Isle Of Lanai

It can be found in the centre of the Pacific Ocean just below the Tropic of Cancer and is the only Hawaiian Island from which five others can be viewed.

The island came into being when the volcano Palawai erupted one and a half million years ago. The Isle is therefore covered in spectacular red lava cliffs, sharp gorges, shady Cook pines and white beaches.

The Island is only about one hundred and forty square miles, thirteen miles wide and eighteen miles long, with a coastline that extends for forty seven miles. With regard to road networks, it is not expected that there is much more than thirty miles of road. The main city is Lanai City and is located in the middle, just north of the Lanai Airport, off Highway four hundred and forty Lanai supports a population of only about three thousand people.

Lanai Hawaii is accessible by air or ferry. Both Hawaiian Airlines and Island Air provide daily services between the little island and the gateway cities of the Western USA, with a complete cargo service. Alternatively a ferry runs between the island and Maui at least five times a day.

It is the ideal place to relax and to come and refresh the spirit. The beautiful Isle of Lanai, from the moment you set foot on her soil, envelops you in a warm welcome. It is a place of solitude and a place where people can get a chance to experience nature, the breathtaking views, the romantic sunsets and finally the mesmerizing star configurations that fill the tropical nights.

Residents are friendly, enjoying a social outdoor lifestyle that cannot be matched and this is magically framed by the beauty of the golden beaches and vibrant vegetation.

On this little island you will find little hustle and bustle, friendly and inviting dining and accommodation options and a relaxed nightlife. The island has remained an unspoiled oasis that has a characteristic small town feel, the only exceptions to this are the two luxury resorts that were recently developed

It was once the mere capital of pineapple production and now becoming an international tropical holiday destination. Lanais biggest selling point is that it is the perfect getaway location.

Even celebrities have succumbed to its rustic charm and brilliance, this is where billionaire Bill Gates had his wedding.

This island is honestly not short of things to do. Once you have experienced the sites why not some deep sea fishing, some horseback riding, whale watching do, play a couple rounds of golf on two professionally designed golf courses, or simply do nothing but put your feet up.

Enjoy The Beautiful Outdoors In California

California is an excellent visitors destination since it extends along the majority of the Pacific coastline of the United States. There are a number of national parks and outdoor activities to keep travelers occupied with in California. There is the Sequoia National Parks, the High Sierras, the beauty of Lake Tahoe and the big cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles among others. In southern California there is no shortage of wonderful beach options if you prefer to spend your vacation relaxing on the beach.

The fifth largest city in California is Long Beach and it is one of the busiest seaports in the entire world. With many attractions to decide from, Long Beach has become a premier seaside resort for travelers. For those who like to shop on their vacations there is the Queen’s Market Place which is designed to look like an open English Village. For the animal lovers there is the Aquarium of the Pacific which has over ten thousand different animals to view. In mid April sports fans can enjoy the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

In central California there is Napa which offers an excellent choice of accommodations, restaurants and shops for travelers of all types. Many travelers choose to come to the Napa Valley region of California to enjoy the scenic views it has to offer. There is plenty of outdoor activities in Napa including biking trails and a wide selection of parks.

Perhaps the most popular of all California cities is San Francisco. There are numerous attractions to choose from here and it is a destination known throughout the world. Some of the more popular attractions include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Fisherman’s Wharf. For the move buff there is the San Francisco International Film Festival in April that features over two hundred top films from around the world.

If you are traveling to Lake Tahoe then an excellent accommodation option is the River Ranch Lodge. It is a beautiful rustic mountain lodge with a large outdoor deck that overlooks the river. It is also one of the cheaper accommodation options in the Lake Tahoe area.

If Yosemite is more of your outdoor experience then you should try the Evergreen Lodge. This is located right at the entrance to the Yosemite National Park and offers a variety of rustic cabins and access to many outdoor activity choices. The Evergreen Lodge is an excellent choice for those who want the ultimate outdoor experience and easy access to it.

For a true bed and breakfast experience there is St. Orres in Gualala. This is a Russian style hotel that offers excellent secluded accommodations that have river, meadow and forest options. On California’s North Coast this is an excellent option to choose.

The Main Attractions In The Beautiful Island Of Bali

The ultimate holiday destination can be truly justified by the beautiful island of Bali. It is located in Indonesia and is one of the wealthiest regions of the country owing to its huge tourist attraction feature that sees an influx of foreign visitors into the island all throughout the year. It is an unsurpassable and ultimate holiday destination island. Each year thousands of tourists flock in this island to experience the paradise on earth. It is the most enchanting island with an exotic view of the magnificent bounties of nature. The exotic beaches and the beautiful landscapes never fail to sweep you off your feet.

Apart from the obvious beach attractions present in this embodiment of heaven on earth, you also get to witness the tropical lush green landscapes and erupted volcanoes. Animal lovers can also embellish the vast wildlife presence in the island.

Following are some of the major attractions of Bali:

- Kuta Beach:

Located in south Bali, Kuta is an elongated sandy beach initially discovered by travelling Asians and Australians. Affordable bars and clubs make it a party centre. It also features a memorial statue carved in stone and marble and temples.

- Legian Beach:

It is one of the famous beaches in Bali. It is flanked with comparatively less number of tourists and the tides are low in intensity, which makes the beach the perfect place to laze around in peace.

- Sanur Beach:

It is the perfect place to roam about in your feet because it’s characterized by the presence of numerous historical architecture in the form of temples and museums like the Le Mayeur Musuem, Seiki Torige’s Open Space Gallery, Griya Santrian Gallery and Darga Gallery, the ancient Blanjong temple, Sekenan Temple of Serangan Island and Padang Galak Memorial Monument.

- Ubud:

It is the centre for Balinese culture, arts and crafts and marks the presence of a number of palaces, ancient temples, museums and art galleries.

- Seminyak Beach:

After Ubud, Seminyak is the second largest attraction for art lovers since it houses a lot of art galleries, one amongst which is Biasa Art Space, a temple called Pura Petitenget Temple, and many beaches like Berawa beach, Semniyak beach, Petitenget beach, Canggu beach and Echo beach.

- Candidasa Beach:

This village is sandwiched between the Lombok strait in the east and the mountains in the west. It is known for its amazing white sandy beaches. Another major attraction in here is the Bat cave temple.

- Bali’s zoo and animal parks:

Bali is also famous for its amazing wildlife amongst the lush and green of the tropical island. The island has breathtaking butterfly parks, elephant safaris, Sangeh monkey forest, Ubud monkey forest, bird parks and a town called Negara that features a unique bullock race.

- Other tourist attractions:

Located to the south of Singaraja is the cascading Gitgit waterfalls, the place near Lovina has the Daybreak waterfall, Blahmantung waterfalls near Pupuan, Banjar hot springs and the only Buddhist monastery in Bali-The Brahmavihara Arama also located in Banjar and Yeh Sanih freshwater springs with explicit garden background. Also is famous the Taman Nasional Bali Barat, a national park surrounded with open savannah, dense rainforest, mangrove swamps, colorful coral reefs and Pulau Menjangan, the famous deer island.

A Cruise In The Beautiful Virgin Islands?

Cruises are an exciting and relaxing vacation. They allow you the opportunity to relax, enjoy the open sea, and enjoy the many luxuries of the ship. Selecting a cruise destination can be hard. There are so many great destinations out there. One of the most popular destinations is the Virgin Islands.

If you are interested in a cruise to the Virgin Islands, there are numerous vacation packages you can check into. There are several offers online or you can check with your local travel agency.  The cost is going to vary depending on special offers, the type of accommodations you are wanting, how many days you plan to travel, and if you need airfare. Many packages include more than one port of call.

Most cruise ships are set up with activities to entertain people of all ages. Parent and children will have plenty to do throughout their day.  A cruise to the Virgin Islands will allow you to enjoy traveling the ocean as well as taking on time on new land. Here you can explore the beaches, rain forests, and exotic wildlife. You can then return to the ship to continue on your ocean journey.

Cruise ships are a very safe method of travel. Everyone boarding a cruise ship is instructed on safety procedures and life jacket use prior to the ship living the port. They also allow for more leisurely travel. Some cruise ships hold only a few hundred people while others hold thousands of people. Some of the activities onboard include exercise classes, night clubs, gambling, bingo, and crafts. Many cruise ships have pool tables and bowling alleys. You just might even forget you are on a ship once you start getting involved in the many available activities.

Travel to Indonesia – A Country of Thousands of Beautiful and Exotic Islands

Indonesia, a Country of thousands of beautiful and exotic Islands, that spark off your imagination with thoughts of fine sandy beaches, huge temple complexes, great diving and the giant dragons of Komodo. The islands of Indonesia are spread over a vast expanse of ocean and technically speaking is divided by two Continents.

Some parts of the Country can be as different from each other as black is from white. The hustle and bustle of the modern capital Jakarta is like another planet when compared to the traditional Papuan tribes of the Baliem Valley. Jakarta – Not only is it the largest City in the Country, Jakarta is also the heartbeat. Indonesian’s from all over the archipelago come to the City to try and find their fortune or just to survive. The face of the City is constantly changing due to the construction of new skyscrapers, shopping malls and hotels.

Jakarta is mainly a business and political City and not really a tourist destination, but the older colonial parts of the City are very interesting and the museums have a lot of fascinating exhibits.

Jakarta, like you would expect, is the most expensive place in Indonesia, as well as the most polluted and most congested. It can be very hard to cope with all of the hustle, dirt, crime and cost, but if you can you will find an exciting City with plenty to offer.

Kota – This is the old Town of Batavia, which was the capital of the Dutch East Indies and the best example of the colonial era in Indonesia. Though much of the old town has been destroyed or demolished over the years, some of the old Colonial buildings are still in active use, and the area has a definite Dutch feel to it.

The centre of the old Town is the pebble stone square known as Taman Fatahillah and this is the key to being able to orientate yourself around the sights of the old Town. The canal of Kali Besar is one block to the west of the square and runs alongside the Ciliwung River.

This was a very prosperous area and on the west bank are some of the high class homes that date from the eighteenth Century.

The Chicken market bridge is the last remaining drawbridge from the Dutch era, it is at the north end of the Kali Besar. Buses always come by on their routes and the city train also has a stop here.

Jakarta History Museum – This museum is housed in the old town hall of Batavia, which is on the south side of Taman Fatahillah. It is a well built building, which was originally constructed in 1627 and added to in the early 1700s. It was from here that the Dutch administered their colony, and the cities law courts were also here as well as their main prison compound.

It contains plenty of heavy, carved furniture from the colonial, as well as other memorabilia from the Dutch period. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp Wayang Museum – This museum is also on the Taman Fatahillah, and has a great assortment of Wayang puppets. It also has examples of puppets from other Countries like Cambodia, China and India.

This building was formerly the museum of old Batavia and was built in 1912 on the site of the former Dutch church which was demolished in 1808 as the
Dutchman “Daendels” plan to rid the City of its unhealthy areas. In the downstairs courtyard, there are memorials to previous governors who were buried on site. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp

Fine Arts Museum – Built in the 1860s, the palace of Justice building is now the Fine arts museum. It has a nice collection of contemporary paintings from prominent artists. They also have some ceramics on show from Chinese items to Majapahit offerings. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp

Gereja Sion – This church was built in 1695, and is the oldest Church in Jakarta. It is on Jl Pangeran Jayakarta near the Kota train station. The exterior of the Church is actually pretty plain but inside copper chandeliers, the original organ and the baroque pulpit makes it very appealing. Though thousands of people have been buried here there are very few tombs left remaining.

Sunda Kelapa – Just a 10 minute walk from the Taman Fatahillah, the old City port of Sunda Kelapa is full of wonderful Macassar schooners and the brightly coloured sails of these boats make for great viewing. The ships are still a vital means of transporting goods to outlying Islands.

Guides hang around the docks and for a few thousand rupiah will show you around and tell you some insightful stories. You can also take a ride out to the offshore fish market for around 5,000Rp. Admission, 250Rp to the dock area.

Maritime Museum – This is an old VOC warehouse that was built in 1645 and is by the entrance to the Sunda Kelapa. It has examples of Indonesian crafts from around the ages and has photos of the voyages from Europe to Jakarta. The building itself is well worth the visit and the lookout posts are part of the old City wall.

Just before the entrance to the museum proper, is the old watchtower that was built in 1839, it has brilliant views over the harbour. Opening hours are hit and miss, so try to find the caretaker.

National Museum – This museum, constructed in 1862, is considered the paramount museum in Indonesia, and one of the finest in South East Asia. It has a huge ethnic and relief maps of Indonesia on which you can track your travels. The museum has a variety of different cultural displays that show a diverse collection of clothing, instruments, model houses and religious items. In addition the museum has a fine collection of Chinese ceramics that even date back to the Han dynasty of the third Century.

The museum is sometimes known as the Elephant house due to the giant bronze elephant that was a gift from the King of Thailand, and that now stands outside. Open, 8.30am till 2.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 750Rp. Guides are around who can conduct tours in various different languages.

National Monument – This 130 metres high monument stands over Merdeka square and is Jakartas chief landmark. The construction was started in 1961 but was not finished until 1975, when it was officially opened by President Soeharto. At the base is the National History Museum which tells the story of the Indonesian struggle for independence. On national holidays and at the weekends the queues can be long. Open, 9am till 5pm, daily. Admission: 600Rp or 3,100Rp which includes a ride to the top.

Lapangan Banteng – Just east of Merdeka square is this nineteenth century colonial square. It has some of the best examples of Dutch colonial architecture in the whole of Jakarta. The Catholic Cathedral was built at the turn of the twentieth Century, and is opposite the principal place of worship for Jakartas Muslim community, the Istiqlal Mosque. To the east of the square is the Supreme Court that was built, along with the Ministry of finance, in 1809 by that man “Daendel” to replace those buildings torn down.

The Beautiful Golf Courses of Tenerife

Tenerife is becoming more and more popular with golfers looking for great courses, weather and scenery. Tenerife is an ideal golfing destination with a great all year round climate for golfers with temperatures averaging 23 degrees, ranging from 18 to 24 degrees, very little annual rain fall.

Tenerife is known as ´the Island of eternal spring `due to its geographical location and the winds and sea temperatures surrounding the island.

Tenerife golf is becoming more popular with recent top quality course being designed. Built and opened. This also includes the amazing Tecina Golf Course on Gomera Island just of Tenerife.

The Tenerife landscape is varied due to slight changes in climate caused by Mount Tiede and its slopes down to the Ocean. In winter you can enjoy the sunny weather of the beach while the two thousand high mount will have snow on top. Tenerife’s capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife enjoys good weather all year round but just a few kilometers away at Laguna it will be cold and possibly rain.

Real Club de Tenerife is the original and oldest course on the island opening in 1932, in fact it is the second oldest in Spain. The rolling course is 600 meters above sea level with steep cliffs and has mount Tiede as its back drop. This course is always popular due its location and friendly clubhouse.

Recent golf courses opened on Tenerife Golf are Buenavista golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros situated on the north west of the island and Tecina golf course designed by Donald Steel situated on Gomera Island a short ferry from Tenerife.

Buenavista golf course has been designed in a beautiful setting and designed to challenge with the back nine more challenging as many of the holes give the appearance of playing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Tecina Golf Course has many of the greens suspended in the air on the edge of the cliff face. Nearly all the holes are downhill with views of Mount Tiede on Tenerife, the Gomera landscape and of course the Atlantic Ocean.

Originally opened in 1987 is Golf de Sur which has 27 holes offering three different championship courses. As well as hosting golfing events the golf school is set up for the use of amateurs and professional who enjoy the facilities and the weather.

Tenerife is worth a visit for anyone who enjoys a holiday in beautiful place with friendly people and a high level of service, especially a golfing holiday where the above courses and other on the island can be enjoyed.

If you wish to play this course then let Sungolfer help you.

Always enjoy your golf.

Regards,

Sungolfer – The Perfect Round of Golf