Random

FIJI ISLANDS

Visit the Authors Blog:

Burn Blog

_______________________________________________________________________

The Republic of the Fiji Islands is an independent nation, the majority of which is located just over the western side of the International Date Line, near the equator. Most indigenous Fijians are actually Melanesians, but for several thousand years Fijians have been sailing to, interacting and intermarrying with Polynesians, especially the people of Samoa and Tonga and other smaller island groups near there. Like the Polynesian people of Samoa and Tonga, modern Fijians have held on to many aspects of their traditional culture: For example, most still speak Fijian, as well as English, and many Fijians still live in the types of houses seen at the Polynesian Cultural Center. They also prefer to wear the traditional wrap-around sulu or sarong, especially on formal occasions.

Just under half of the population of Fiji are the descendants of contract laborers imported from India by the British government over 100 years ago. Fiji today still maintains some aspects of its historical British association, including a parliamentary style of government – which is advised by the Great Council of Chiefs, driving on the left-hand side of the road, and a deep love of rugby and soccer.

How to Publish Your Blogs and Earn More Traffic in 3 Steps

WELCOME TO THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY

 

What is TRAVELER ABROAD?

TA is a collection of articles about destinations around the world, written by travelers and locals all over the world. Although TA is a travel inspiration website, it is also a way to discover some of the most passionate travel bloggers on the web. Each article has been written by a Contributing Author and contains a link to their own website or blog.

Contribute to TRAVELER ABROAD

TRAVELER ABROAD is based on the idea that YOU are an expert. Wether you have insider tips on where to find the best Phad Thai in Bangkok, or how to avoid seasickness on a whale charter in Hawaii – other people from around the world are interested in your perspective on the places they want to visit!

Getting your content published on TRAVELER ABROAD is easy!

Step 1 – Select your content. Content is not limited to a specific topic or place, and can be words, photos, video, or a combination of all three.

Step 2 – Submit your content. There are two ways to submit content: email or the submission form on the Contribute page. Be sure to include your name, email, website or blog url and title, and of course your content!

Step 3 – You’re published! Well, almost. Your submission will be reviewed and then posted by the TA Admin. Once your content is published, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to your content. Feel free to share this link on your blog, or social media sites, to let your readers know that your a TA Contributor!

As a Contributing Author, you retain all copyright and full ownership of your photos, words, and all submitted content. By submitting, you are simply giving TA permission to display your work. Think of it as a giant business card for your website or blog!

Explore the world, experience places and people unknown, and then share your adventures with the travel community.

BREAKING NEWS: PARADISE HAS BEEN DISCOVERED!

Visit the Authors Blog:

Backpacker Adventures

_______________________________________________________________________

Have you ever wondered about the concept of paradise, and if such a place really exists? Is paradise real, or is it a subjective interpretation of perfection, according to one’s ideals and values?

Today I’m going to challenge the latter (against all logic), and tell you that paradise is a real place! While of course, all us travellers have a preferred destination that simply does it for us, I believe there is another place on earth which everybody can appreciate, and that once travelled, explored and experienced, leaves the person in question yearning for more. Paradise is real, believe me, I have been there four times! So where is it, you ask?

It is here:

Santorini, Greece!

For me, after being around the world and seeing so many beautiful, idyllic places, I can’t see how this isn’t paradise! While I’m a new travel blogger on the scene, I’m by no means new to travel: Starting in 2005, I have travelled overseas every year in search of something mesmerising, flawless, and touching. I discovered it in Santorini, Greece, and I implore each and every one of you to go out there and do the same.

Sometimes I’ll share a great deal of knowledge about the places I’ve visited, and other times I’ll refrain from spoiling it for all the first-timers out there. This is a time when I don’t want to ruin Santorini’s many surprises for anyone, but if you’d love to know more about the hidden alleyways, the delicious cuisine, the remote taverns, and the beautiful hiding spots on this wonderful Greek island, get in contact with me and I’ll help you to organise an itinerary you won’t forget!

Is there a place you’ve discovered that holds true in your heart? A place that screams at you to come back, and never leave? Or have you been to Santorini, and love it as much as I do? Comment and let me know, I’d love to learn more about my fellow travellers! 

Check out the Santorini image gallery for more photos on the home page now! I’ve rounded up a few different shots of what I think conveys Santorini’s beauty, paradisiacal qualities, and liberating charm 

Paris: Madii’s Favorite Stops

Visit the Authors Blog:

Le Monde Entier

_______________________________________________________________________

To start off with arguably the most famous landmark in France, if not the world – Le Tour de Eiffel, or the Eiffel Tower. No matter how many times I re visit this city, this spectacular 324 meter high piece of iron, never fails to take my breathe away. The best time to go and visit it is undeniably at night, when she’s lit up with a multitude of colors, flashing and showing off for the tourists. You can buy a chocolate crepe from one of the many surrounding vendors and sit on a park bench almost underneath and revel in her glory, or you can pay the 14 euros, and take the elevator straight to the very top!

There are 3 different levels of the Eiffel Tower, 2 of which can be walked up (it is an abundance of stairs, and not for the faint hearted), and you can look around Paris and see for miles. Up on the top floor, you can purchase an enormously overpriced (plastic) glass of Champagne, and pretend you are one rich, elegant lady. If you’re lucky enough to go here in Winter, not only are the queues shorter, but Paris turns into a winter wonderland, and you can head on back down the ground level and grab yourself a steaming cup of mulled wine to wander the streets with.

After this, if you’re ready for another vertical adventure, find your way to the Arc De Triomphe. I’ve been to Paris many times before, but had only climbed this on my most recent visit in December – I couldn’t believe it to took me so long! Yes, it is a harder task as there are no elevators and the stairs and narrow and windy, but once you reach the top floor, it is absolutely worth it. You see, an overhead view of the Arc De Triomphe shows you that all of the streets radiate away from it, like the Arc is the body of a spider, and the streets are the legs. When you’re on top, you can see down all of the streets individually, including the Champs Elysees, and get a heap of different snapshots of Paris. It’s pretty spectacular down on the main floor as well, as the Arc is a monument to all of the fallen French soldiers, and their names and the battles they fought at inscribed in every pillar. There is an eternal flame, and a tomb for an Unknown Soldier beneath it. The Arc is also the centre of a hugely busy roundabout, the best way to enter is an underground passage accessed from the other side of the road.

If you have had your siteseeing/adventure fix for the day, you’ve walked the streets and brought your mini Eiffel Tower keyrings, stuffed your face with chocolate crepes and attempted to speak a little french at a restaurant, then I suggest you jump on a train in direction of the village of Versailles. This is where Marie Antionatte lived, and is not to be missed on any visit to France. No words can do this huge Chateau justice, with an inside tour showing you the anchient color co-ordinated rooms in pastels that you rarely lay eyes on these days, and the grounds – Well they are something else. It can take over an hour to walk from one side to the other, and as opposed to the Eiffel Tower, this is something better seen in Summer! The ginormous green trees, and a huge lake with a feisty Goose who might just peck your fingers for a taste of your pastry!

   

Our Mainland Adventure

This post is from Amanda, at Love Where You Land. Check out her
website – we loved it and think you will too!

_________________________________________________________________

As Casey and I prepare to embark on an exciting adventure to the Mediterranean, I realize that I can no longer delay sharing our last traveling exploits with the world. In September, we toured mainland Japan with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend, visiting Kyoto, Matsumoto, Nagano, and Tokyo. We had an amazing time, and I somehow managed to fall deeper in love with this country that is now our home.

Kinkaku-ji Temple

We flew from Naha into Kobe and then took the train straight to Kyoto, a city where I would be happy to spend the rest of my days. Kyoto’s deep cultural and historical roots bring traditional Japan to life. The medley of these stunning cultural hotspots interwoven through the busy, modern city, and against the backdrop of such pure, natural beauty makes Kyoto infinitely interesting.

From castles to temples and shrines, to fantastic restaurants hidden down dimly lit stone streets; Kyoto is a microcosm of the heartwarming contradiction that is Japan. We definitely plan to go back once we move to mainland this summer, although I may not leave next time.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

We left Kyoto and headed to Matsumoto, where we visited an awesome wasabii farm and castle. Matsumoto castle is the most modern I have seen so far in Japan. We traveled around this quirky little city on bicycles borrowed from our hotel, and enjoyed a delicious izakaya meal for dinner before we were off to our next stop.

Matsumoto Castle

We spent the next night in Nagano, a city known for some of the best skiing in the world. There, we did some hiking to a shrine and a lake, visited a beautiful Buddhist temple, and went to a tasting at a sake brewery. Casey had some trouble communicating his brewing curiosities to the gentleman at the sake brewery, who instead just sent us inside to tour it ourselves.

Finally, we were off to our last stop: Tokyo. Tokyo could not have been more different than the other cities we visited. Tall buildings, bright lights, and busy streets made Tokyo an exciting, but slightly overwhelming visit. We attended the opening day of the Sumo matches there, which made the top ten on the coolest things I have seen. These massive, solid men were as intense as they come, and the locals took the whole event very seriously. I definitely need to attend another one before we leave Japan. After that, we spent a night out in Roppongi, did some shopping in Harajuku and Akihabara, and went to Tsukiji fish market. Here, we had the world’s freshest sushi for breakfast. (Of course, I went for the veggie and egg rolls).

After their ten-day visit in Okinawa and Japan, we had to say goodbye to Devon and Lauren. It was wonderful to spend time with them on this incredible trip, which also left us with a renewed excitement for our move to Iwakuni this summer. While we will miss so many things about Okinawa, mainland offers something for everyone to love. Stay tuned for our next adventure on yet another continent!

Always,

Amanda

Lauren: Never Ending Footsteps

Visit Never Ending Footsteps to see Lauren’s website!

First off, who are you and what are you all about?

My name is Lauren and I’m a full-time travel writer, blogger, editor and traveller. I’ve been travelling the world for two and a half years and visited 45ish countries.

Where are you from? And where are you currently?

I’m from London, England and I’m currently in Playa del Carmen, Mexico!

What started your interests in travel? What inspires you?

I’ve always had the desire to explore the world, and by desire I mean obsession. Nothing in particular kicked off my interest in travel, I’ve been passionate about it for as long as I remember. I’m inspired by visiting places I’ve spent years dreaming about.

Do you have a “home base” to which you return regularly, or are you more of a continual nomad?

I’m a full-time traveller and don’t have a home base.

How do you afford to travel?

I’m a freelance travel writer and editor.

How much do you budget your trips? What do you spend the most on? The least?

I really don’t budget at all! At the end of each month I calculate how much I’ve spent but that doesn’t really affect what I do the next month, unless I’ve accidentally spent $5000! I guess I probably spend the most on accommodation because I like to rent apartments with well-equipped kitchens and desks to work at — dorm rooms just don’t do it for me anymore. I spend the least on food, opting to eat at street food stalls where possible.

Where are some of your favorite places?

I love Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, The Philippines, Slovenia and New Zealand.

What is your “travel style”?

It’s always evolving. At the moment, I’d label myself as a budget traveller — but one who doesn’t stay in hostels. I stay in private rooms in guesthouses and rent apartments. I travel independently over taking tours and don’t take sponsored trips. I try to travel slowly, too, opting to spend a minimum of a month in a place where possible.

Do you have any crazy stories from your adventures? Any misshapes, or happy tales?

I have so many crazy stories from my adventures — in fact, my misadventures are exactly what I focus on writing about. Over the past three years, I’ve punched a scammer, had a woman die on my boat, had a boat nearly sink, was almost caught in a tsunami, have been attacked by monkeys, accidentally eaten a cockroach, fallen in rice paddies, been abandoned in border towns, had dentists destroy two of my teeth, and so on… I’ve had so much bad luck as I’ve travelled that I’m currently writing a book about it!

What advice do you have for those who wish to follow in your footsteps?

Have an awful lot of patience — I worked 60 hour weeks for about six months before I got anywhere with travel blogging so you shouldn’t expect anything to happen quickly!

Spiti Valley : Day 5 – 6: Komic village and Key Monastery

Visit the Authors Blog:

Freezing Time

________________________________________________________________________________

By this time in my mind, the beauty of this wondrous corner of the earth, although well impressed, did not fascinate as much as the exceedingly simple lives led by the Spitian people. They live in mud houses, rely primarily on farming for their food. Television, computer, smart  phones, facebook or twitter did not seem to be a part of their daily life. Although covered by snow for half of the year, they still have problems getting fresh water supply. For this reason, they do away with things like a daily bath. In my conversations with the Spitians, I understand that they wash once a week during summers and once in a few weeks during the winters to conserve water. They have compost pits for toilets. Compost pits are pits in the ground which are used as toilets. In fact the mud houses do not have a separate toilet or shower area but a common wash area using for washing utensils as well as washing self. Anyhow I deviate, next stop Komic.

Komic village is supposedly the highest inhabited village in Asia at about 15000 ft above sea level. Even before we started this trip, the advisory asked us to take Diamox (medicine) 2 to 3 days before travel to counter the reduced oxygen levels at such high altitudes. Being the blockheads that we are, my brother and I decided that all we needed to counter high altitude is bravado and selection of tangy candy. There are three ways to get from Demul to Komic. The first and regular option that most people choose is to travel in a SUV to reach the village. The next option is to sit atop a yak and merrily make your way to Komic village, all the while hoping that the Yak does not topple you over the edge Naah, just kidding, its a pretty safe ride. The third and the least popular option is to trek from Demul which is at  around 13500 feet and involves a 13 km trek and altitude increase of over 1500 feet.

Now at such altitudes, exertion is going to pretty much result in severe headaches and possibly nosebleeds.  Anyhow we set off on a beautiful morning in Demul at around 5.30 AM. 

I consider myself to be fairly in good shape always ready for a 10 minute mile. However the conditions tasked us all quite a bit with even one of the trekkers getting a nosebleed early on. So we covered about 8 kms in earnest in the first 3 hours quickly climbing over 1000 feet. Then we took a break to have breakfast. Nosebleeds apart, there was yet another factor that we did not consider – sunburn. At that altitude the sun burns right through and any exposed areas are burnt in under 10 minutes. After this we did not care about the altitude, but just about getting out of the sun. Since these are desert mountains, there is barely any vegetation and no shade. So we made it eventually to Komic quite tanned and exhausted and almost spent the rest of the day at the homestays with a throbbing headache.

Next day morning, we set off to the Key Monastery which is pretty much the biggest monasteries in these parts. This monastery houses over 200 monks who stay within these walls in the winter when there is over 3 feet of snow everywhere. On the way to Key monastery, we stopped to admire the tall Buddha statue in Langza village overlooking the Spiti valley.

 

We reached the monastery in roughly over an hour and a half and we beheld a dense mountain dwelling at the top of which lies the Key monastery

Well, this had to happen at some point

The entrance of the Key Gompa is lined with these intricately designed cylindrical bells – that’s my brother’s silhouette walking down the aisle

Plaque inside the Key Gompa

We had the opportunity to have a sneak peak into the daily lives of the monks who lived most part of their lives within these walls. We learnt that most of them leave to be with their families in the village during winter to farm and live a normal life.

Monks having their lunch on the floor with their legs folded

 

We also had a chance to take some pictures inside the monastery. We managed to have a sneak peek and beyond this door lies a ritual chamber where the monks chant to ward off evil spirits and bring positive energy to the people and the villages

Sacred space within the monastery –

A very religious monk in deep thought as he walked by

With that our Spiti valley trip was almost nearing its end and we left the monastery and headed off to Kaza.

Regards

Vijay

Article Author and Source: Freezing Time

Ha Giang – Part 1

Visit the Authors Blog:

Travel – Vietnam

________________________________________________________________________________

Ha Giang province, 320 km north of Hanoi,  conjures up images of the mystical. Towering mountain passes, endless valleys and wondrous colors depending on what time of the year you visit. The province shares a border with China, and is one of those ‘politically sensitive’ areas – making it relatively untouched by the sweep of mass tourism across the country. It has become known as Vietnam’s final frontier.

The bus came to a shuddering halt in Ha Giang, it was 4am. The darkness was thick and silent. We had stopped outside a motorbike shop, where a dim light bulb illuminated an imposing man standing outside. His head was bald, with just a little sign of a beard. He wore combat trousers, with heavy set military style black boots.  He greeted us and inquired as to whether we needed a motorbike – as if he just happened to be standing there at this frigidly cold hour, rather than at a pre-arranged meeting.

Formal negotiations at such an un-Godly hour are often half-hearted at best – consisting mainly of grunts.  We agreed to meet again at a more civilized time and he pointed us in the direction of the nearest hotel. I had envisioned a barrage of noise required to get anybody up, but was pleasantly surprised to see a young man asleep in the lobby. He groggily opened the door, pushed a key in our direction and quickly resumed his slumber.

A few hours later we walked back to the bike shop, hired a bike for three days and checked out of the hotel. I had read briefly about foreigners requiring a permit to travel in the area, but we didn’t hear or see anything so continued on. Minh Anh later translated that the man at the motorbike shop had said that as a foreigner and Vietnamese together we would definitely be stopped by the police.

I initially took Ha Giang for a tiny town – big enough for just the one horse. A dusty road filled we nothing of particular interest.The road out of town revealed a little more. A large square came into view – one of those empty squares that are commonly found in Vietnam – used for political reason but little else. Standard heroic statue included. We traveled along a river, that appeared to dissect the town, and out into the rice fields – a pale brown now in the winter months

We slowly began to climb. An initial target of Dong Van, at 145km, may have been ambitious – but we decided to see how it went. The road quickly became spectacular. Jagged peaks cut out through a thick haze that clung to the air. We flashed through tiny villages; the houses often battered looking wooded shacks. Children playing outside, their faces often smudged with dirt – but still capable of the most melting of smiles. Nearly all waved when they realized a foreigner was passing. One young child squatted in a field, his trousers around his ankles -relieving himself of his breakfast. He grinned happily, without the slightest sense of embarrassment as we passed – his frantic waves nearly knocking himself over.

We climbed up to Heavens Gate. Grand names such as this can sometimes be a little over blown – this was not one of those case. Mountains and valleys stretched in a all directions. Sunshine fighting through the hazy winter sky. One of those surreal and completely magical sights. We began to see signs, stating – ‘WARNING – FRONTIER AREA’. A little knot of nervous excitement hitting me every time. The words seemed wildly adventurous,  even a little dangerous.

In Quan Ba we warmed our frozen bodies with welcome hot tea. The town was small, consisting mainly of just one main road. Shops and businesses clung to it, eager for any business that might come there way in such a desolate spot. Lying at the top of one of the rocky plateaus, the town had a feeling of being at the top of the world – maybe not even this world – but with the rocky towers ahead of us, we knew there was more to come.

‘Hello Tay (foreigner)’ came a cheeky whisper behind me. One of the braver children had made his way towards us – the rest standing further back giggling.

“Hello” I responded. This was enough and they all fell about laughing.

We stopped for lunch at a small road side stall. The scenery had been spectacular for the last four hours – and would only increase throughout the day. The world was always changing. Steep rocky climbs would be followed by dizzying descents into valleys filled with rice fields and pine forests – with the road eventually settling next to an emerald river that we followed for many miles.

As we climbed for what seemed the hundredth time of the day we entered a lunar landscape. A harsh, rocky scene -the green of the valley, seemingly a million miles away. The scenery had just gone up to 11. Tiny tracks led off the road and almost vertically up the mountainside – occasionally a lone, scruffy child would scurry easily up – to where exactly it wasn’t clear. As we climbed higher and higher the temperature dropped further. Vegetation began to be sparse. Giant boulders the size of small houses lay beside the road. I craned my neck up to the mountains above, but the tops were sometimes lost in the mist. It felt like we had entered a magical realm – a place of wizardry and dragons. A place that surely wasn’t part of our world.

We were cruising through the small town of Kim Minh when our first police came into view. The road forked in a Y shape. A policeman stood a both intersections. My stomach tightened a little, the was no way of avoiding them. As I swung the bike to the left I braced myself for the inevitable raise of the baton that the policeman carried. But as if magically, as I approached he took his phone out of his pocket and began to send a text message. His eyes were glued to the screen as we shot past. My pounding heart couldn’t believe its luck.

It was past 4 pm when we arrived exhausted in Dong Van. The constant battles to overtake the slow moving trucks, with a dizzying certain death plunge on the other side had taken it out of me. My brain creaked alarmingly in the last few miles. The simplest of operations involved total concentration.

We had been tipped off about a little home stay and made our way there.  The outside reminded me of something from the Alamo – sturdy brownish mud walls – imposing but friendly.  The inside was bare, but in natural way. We were shown a room. The door swung open to reveal was appeared to be a crack den – the floor was filthy, a soiled mattress lay to one side – a blanket haphazardly thrown off. Cigarette butts littered the floor. If you have seen Trainspotting you will get the picture. Had thee been a dead hooker in the corner I would have felt bad for her – but not at all surprised.

We found another hotel – cheaper and far less likely to contract a venereal disease from – but it too came with a problem. I was told that as a foreigner I would have to register with the local police. The charge for this was $10. I had reached the depths of exhaustion about an hour ago – but still was loathed to give in to such bureaucratic crap.

We went out for dinner and inquired at a few other hotels along the way – but received the same response. The final one however yielded a young girl who stated she was far too lazy to register me. I liked her immediately. We backtracked to our hotel and said we would be leaving – the man sat downstairs staring stupidly at the television.

“I will have to ask my wife” he shrugged without removing his eyes from the screen. We quickly grabbed our bags and made our way back down. The “man” of the house had not moved. One of my particular dislikes about Vietnamese society is the lack of equal distribution of responsibilities between the sexes. Women often work themselves into the ground – a job, the family, the food – while the men seem to spend an extraordinary amount of time doing very little. I was brought up by a single mother who took on every role imaginable for me, so I find it shameful how inactive some can be. I glared at him with complete disdain – but he didn’t notice – he was watching TV. Eventually the wife arrived – she wasn’t happy with us, but what could she do.

“It’s a five million VND ( $250) fine if you are caught” she warned us as we left. The temperature was dropping fast,  all available clothes and a duvet bordering on the ridiculous provided only mild warmth. As is often the case in such a situation – coupled with exhaustion – the imagination begins to take over. Every car passing I was sure would be the police. Every car door I assumed was the end. I began rehearsing a cover story. Should I play stupid, or really stupid – but never got past, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know’. Sleep quickly took over.

Article Author and Source: Travel – Vietnam

Pictures from Portugal

Visit the Authors Blog:

I’m not lost, I’m just exploring

________________________________________________________________________________

It’s especially cold and dreary outside today as winter (and a seasonal cold) are creeping up on me. But in an effort not to let this grey day get in my way, I thought I’d share some more Portugal pictures, because I took far too many, and plus they’re colorful and reminiscent of happy times. (Take that starter seasonal depression!)

Faro’s proximity to the lagoon made for some excellent bird sightings. Plus Lisbon was right by the coast, so here are a variety of birds- coastal birds, city birds, birds overtaking a statue and even birds trying to operate a boat…

I fell in love with the colorful and rustic doors in Portugal. Especially their knockers.

Sunny days

And finally some people (and a freaky mannequin).

Also- I officially have over 100 followers!! This is very exciting and much appreciated! Thanks to all of those who have followed, read, and shared words as I’ve gotten lost and explored.