Travel Indonesia ,Asia

Top Places to go in Indonesia , Asia

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One of the main reasons to visit Indonesia is to explore its dramatic landscapes and spectacular natural attractions. One of the best places to do this is at the Tengger Caldera national park. This place is home to seriously impressive volcano landscape, old lava flows and huge calderas such as Mt Bromo (East Java), which is an active volcano over 7,000ft high!

Top 10 places to go in Southeast Asia 

Mt Bromo offers fascinating views from the rim of its crater and the actual climb to the top of Mt Bromo isn’t too difficult. Saying this, you can always do the climb on horseback, which only costs around $6 (~50,000 Indonesian rupiahs).

Borobudur, Central Java

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple complex in the world and it's one of Indonesia's star attractions that really lives up to the hype! Borobudur main temple is huge and boasts ten levels all of which are beautifully decorated with unique relief panel designs. The hundreds of Buddha statues and stupas surrounding the temple are also a sight to behold, though the highlight of a visit to Borobudur is the amazing views you get from the top of the temple.

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You definitely can do with hiring a guide to show you around, though if you can’t get hold of a local guide you can always book tours from Yogyakarta, Bali or Jakarta. Either way, be sure to visit Borobudur early in the morning or later in day because this place looks even more magical during sunrise and sunset!

Bunaken Marine National Park, Island of Bunaken

If you’re planning to be in Manado (Sunda Islands), one place you really can’t miss visiting is the beautiful Bunaken marine park to enjoy a bit of diving for the day. Bunaken Island is located off the coast of north Sulawesi and it’s definitely, one of the top 10 places to go in Indonesia for scuba diving and snorkeling. 

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You can easily get to Bunaken Marine Park by boat from Manado in about 50 minutes and once there you’ll be rewarded with some of the most pristine waters and incredible diversity of marline life to be seen.

Moramo Waterfall, Southeast Sulawesi

As far as beautiful places to visit in Indonesia, Moramo Waterfall is certainly one of the prettiest spots in Indonesia. This waterfall is actually the highest and most popular waterfall in Indonesia because of its many climbable levels and pools beneath that you can jump into. 

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Besides climbing the falls, you can also enjoy pleasant walks in the beautiful forests around the falls, while spotting cool wildlife. By the way, while in the area around Moramo, you may as well head to the beautiful white sandy beaches of Moramo Bay for more fun activities like waterskiing and boating.

West Sumatra

The province of West Sumatra is one area of Indonesia that you certainly have to add to your list of top 10 places to go in Indonesia. If you’re looking to do plenty of outdoor pursuits while in Indonesia, you’ll love exploring West Sumatra's natural beauty and natural attractions such as canyons (i.e. Sianok Canyon), waterfalls and lakes (i.e. Lake Maninjau), as well as national parks and nature reserves such as Kerinci Seblat, Rimbo Panti, Siberut National and Lembah Anai.

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Some of the most popular things to do outdoors in West Sumatra include hiking through the gorges of Sianok Canyon, surfing in the Mentawai islands, climbing the Gunung Angkosan peak, rafting the Alas River, and wildlife trekking through the jungles of Gunung Leuser national park.

Besides soaking in the natural beauty of West Sumatra, you can also visit colonial-era towns such as Sawahlunto where you’ll be able to tour an Dutch old coal mine.

Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi

Tana Toraja is without a doubt, one of the nicest places in Indonesia you can visit on a side trip. However long you plan to stay in Indonesia you wouldn’t want to miss visiting Tana Toraja for the world because it’s one of the few places in Indonesia where you can still appreciate century-old traditions and way of life.

The Torajans native group really knows how to pay respects to their dead. One of the most striking things you’ll see in Tana Toraja are burials carved into cliff walls, tombs carved into large boulders and even hanging coffins.

Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo

The island of Borneo (Kalimantan) is without a doubt, one of the top 10 places to go in Indonesia for a natural experience. One particular place that you definitely can’t miss is visiting Tanjung Puting National Park, which is home to – Camp Leakey - a renowned orangutan sanctuary. 

Camp Leakey offers Orangutan eco tours that allow you to see cool wildlife such as wild orangutans, macaques and long-nosed monkeys, as well as a ton of birdlife like horn bills and snakebirds.

Puncak tea plantations, West Java

A visit to Indonesia wouldn’t be complete without visiting a tea plantation to see how tea is processed.

The most popular tea fields in Indonesia are located in Puncak (not far from Jakarta), which is a beautiful area with huge tea fields with many tea plantations such as the tea plantations of Walini Tea and Gunung Mas, both of which welcome tourists.

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Fun Places To Visit In Sri Lanka

Tourists Guide For Sri Lanka

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The island of Sri Lanka is easily one of the most underrated places you can travel in in Asia, yet Sri Lanka offers so many opportunities for touristy things to do that you may find it a little difficult to fit everything in a 2-week vacation!

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If you're in the process of planning a trip to Sri Lanka be sure you consider adding the following to your itinerary of things to do in Sri Lanka:

Whitewater rafting tour

If you’re traveling to Sri Lanka between the months of May and December, you don't want to miss taking up the opportunity to enjoy a whitewater rafting excursion or kayaking trip down the majestic Mahaweli River, which is the longest and most challenging river in Sri Lanka.

You definitely have to be an experienced rafter/kayaker to go on the Mahaweli River. However, if you’ve never done rafting before, you’ll still be able to enjoy a rafting or kayaking trip on other Sri Lankan rivers such as the Walawa River or Kelani River in Kithulga (most popular whitewater rafting destination).

Whitewater rafting tours can take anything from 90 minutes to 3 hours and cost around $35 (including safety jackets and helmets). Tour operators offering rafting excursions include “Red Dot Tours”, “Sri Lankan Expeditions”, and “Sri Lanka Ecotourism”.

Take a scenic plane ride on the SriLankan Air Taxi 

One of the coolest and most enjoyable things tourists do for fun in Sri Lanka is going on a scenic plane ride for a bird’s eye view of Sri Lanka. 

On the SriLankan Air Taxi you’ll also be able to easily visit tourist spots in Sri Lanka such as Kandy (home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), Bentota (home to the Brief Garden), Pidurutalagala (tallest mountain in Sri Lanka), the fortified city of Galle, Trincomalee (home to the Koneswaram Temple), Sigiriya (Lion’s Rock), and Anuradhapura (home to a huge white stupa called Ruwanwelisaya).

Scenic flights on the SriLankan Air Taxi depart from Colombo and cost roughly $80 (~10,500 LKR) for a round-trip ticket depending, of course, on the destination.

Take a 2 day safari trip in Yala National Park

A visit to Sri Lanka would, of course, not be complete without going on a wildlife safari tour in the country’s national parks. Wilpattu National Park (in Puttalam) and Minneriya National Park (in Girithale) are all great places to get close to wildlife, though Yala national park has to be one of the best spots in Sri Lank to see wildlife!

Yala may be the second largest park in Sri Lanka but it offers the best opportunity to see wildlife such as the wild boar, elephants, sloth bear and leopard in their natural habitat.

Yala national park is also home to a ton of bird species, crocs, giant squirrels, monkeys and tortoises that you'll certainly need at least 2-3 days at the park to see it all. Safari tours of Yala national park cost around $70p/person for a full day (including entrance fee to the park). Tour operators offering excursions in Yala include “Ajith Safari Jeep Tours” and “Walkers Tours”.

Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress (a.k.a. Lion’s Rock)

Climbing to the top of Lion’s Rock is definitely something else worth adding to your itinerary if you plan to be in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Lion’s Rock is over 1,200ft tall and boasts the remains of a fortress that was built on top of it back in the 5th century!

The hike to the top isn’t too difficult and even though it takes around 60 minutes, the climb is totally worth it because of the rewarding panoramic views you’ll get of the area around. By the way, don’t miss taking photos of the frescoes of the beautiful women decorating the rock face of Lion’s Rock and, also, do the elephant ride nearby.

Enjoy an elephant back safari at Habarana

Elephant rides are certainly one of the most popular things tourists do for fun in Sri Lanka and what better place to enjoy a ride on elephant back than Habarana?

The small town of Habarana is a great location for an elephant ride because of its close proximity to Sigiriya, Minneriya National Park and Dambulla, all of which are just a short bus ride. Habarana is also great for elephant rides because of the beautiful jungles nearby and riverine terrain that allows elephants to wade through the waters. Best time for an elephant back safari in Habarana is during the spring and summer months (Mar thru July).

See the largest herd of captive elephants in the world

When visiting Sri Lanka you cannot pass the opportunity to visit the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala to see the world’s largest concentration of captive elephants. The visit to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage will be easily one of your trip highlights of Sri Lanka because you’ll get to see up close elephants bathing and elephant calves being bottled fed by the carers.

Entry to the elephant orphanage is around $15 and you can easily reach it by bus from nearby Kandy town (takes around 80 minutes by bus).

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Traveler Guide To Natures Beauty

Guide To Outstanding Natures Beauty

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It isn’t an easy task coming up with a list of beautiful natural areas in the world when you consider the amount of beautiful places you could add to the list such as Mongolia's Gobi Desert, China's Mount Sanqingshan National Park, Lao's Plain of Jars, and Mauritius'colored earths of Charamel.

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However, rather than listing the most beautiful, why not round-up some of the most underrated areas of outstanding natural beauty? Here it's some of them:

Cascade Head Preserve, Oregon

The United States has its fair share of amazing natural areas in the country such as the famous Yellowstone national park and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which is truly a stunning creation of Mother Nature.

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However, Cascade Head Preserve has to make the list because of its amazing grassland habitat where you can find some of the rarest wildflowers and wildlife in the world such as the Oregon silverspot butterfly, the great horned owl, the peregrine falcon and the Pacific giant salamander. If you’re an avid hiker, you’ll also no doubt love hiking to the top of Cascade Head's headland which offers exceptional views of the Pacific Ocean.


Siebengebirge, Rhein-Sieg-Kreis

The German nature reserve of Siebengebirge, which literary translates to “Seven Mountains”, is no doubt one of the most underrated areas of outstanding natural beauty in Europe.

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Germany made Siebengebirge the first natural area in the country and with the beautiful Rhine River running along the nature reserve, what more could you ask for? Saying this, the stunning natural scenery isn't the only thing going for Siebengebirge. You can also do plenty climbing and hiking, as well as sightseeing in Siebengebirge. There are close to 30 peaks located within Siebengebirge as well as a spectacular castle (Schloss Drachenburg) which offers some of the best views of the Rhine!


Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Kamchatka Peninsula

Kronotsky Nature Reserve is without a doubt, one of the least known natural areas of the world, though then again, Kronotsky isn’t one place you can simply visit on a whim since entry to the reserve is restricted to just a few thousand tourists a year.

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In fact, Kronotsky is actually meant as a playground for Russian scientists, though luckily they don't letting us tourists explore the place. Mind you, getting to Kronotsky isn’t cheap, thought the visit is certainly more than worth it because of the impressive amount of geothermal activity you'll see such as geysers and hot springs.


Dana Nature Reserve, Jordan

Dana Nature Reserve is located near the city of Tafilah and it's by far one of the most incredible nature reserves in the world. Dana reserve is one of the biggest natural areas in the Middle East and it’s a fantastic place to see endangered species of animals such as the Syrian Serin, the Nubian ibex (desert goat), Caracal (wild cat) and Lesser Kestrel (falcon).

Dana reserve is also a great for hiking enthusiasts looking to explore uncharted territory and walk through the most surreal trails. One such trail is in Dana is the stunning Wadi Dana Trail, which takes you past amazing bubble rock formations, sand dune areas, Bedouin encampments and ecolodges such as the Feynan ecolodge where you’ll be able to enjoy a few days retreat.



Royal National Park, New South Wales (NSW)

The “Land Down Under” may be most popularly known for the Outback, though you can't forget Australia's beautiful nature reserves such as the Royal National Park, which is one of the most underrated areas of outstanding natural beauty in the world. This natural reserve is home to mangroves and steep river valleys home to interesting birdlife such as the Laughing Kookaburra, which makes one of the funniest bird sounds ever!

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Best thing about the Royal National Park though has to be the Coastal Walk trail that offers breathtaking views of the ocean.


Church Wood, Buckinghamshire

For being such a tiny island, Great Britain is home to a seriously stunning number of nature reserves and beautiful places such as the Shetland Islands where you can view stunning seabird colonies, seals, otters, and whales. Britain is also home to other cool wildlife that you probably haven't come across such as water voles, puffins, short-eared owls, harriers, slavonian grebes and red squirrels.

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There are so many natural places to name in Britain for sure, though one natural area that really catches my eye in England is Church Wood. This small forest is a fantastic place to visit during the spring to hear the singing woodpeckers and see the beautiful spectacle of bluebells carpeting the forest.

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Tourist Vacation In Greenland

Best Places To Travel In Greenland

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Greenland is truly a world of its own…endless horizon, captivating fjords, midnight sun, colossal icebergs and Eskimo culture are some of the attractions Greenland is known for. Greenland is a sure “bucket list” candidate and one of the earth’s last frontiers for exploration.

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If you’re the adventurous type you’ll love every bit of the land some nickname - Lady of Snow! Below it’s a neat list of top 10 things to do in Greenland. Hope you find it useful!

View the most spectacular ice region outside Antarctica

Greenland is certainly known for its stunning natural areas, though none are more stunning than the famous Ilulissat Icefjord, which is easily the most beautiful ice stream region in Greenland. The Icefjord boasts some of the most dramatic views of glaciers and iceberg formations outside of Antarctica.

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The biggest glacier in the Icefjord is the Sermeq Kujalleq, which is roughly the size of Long Island New York. Even if you’ve seen an iceberg before you can still guarantee to be taken by the majesty of the Sermeq Kujalleq whose sheer size will quite literary take your breath away!

Best thing about viewing the Icefjord region is that it’s pretty accessible and doesn't require any particular mountaineering skills.

Visit one of the oldest ancient Eskimo settlements in the region

The Sermermiut settlement in Greenland boasts some of the best preserved remnants of Eskimo indigenous cultures in the Arctic region. The actual settlement is located right next to the Iceford (roughly a mile from the town of Ilulissat) and can be reached on an easy hour hike. 

The actual settlement is abandoned but you can still see artifacts from the various indigenous peoples that lived there more that 2,000 years ago.

Learn about Greenland’s Danish heritage

If you’re interested in learning about Greenland’s colonial past, be sure to visit the towns located along the west coast of Greenland (ice-free coast). Places such as Nuuk (oldest town), Sisimiut (2nd largest town), Narsaq, Qaqortoq, Ilulissat (3rd largest town) and Paamiut boast colorful colonial buildings and cute wooden churches that offer a nice glimpse into Greenland’s Danish past.

Another place worth visiting is the capital Nuuk, which is probably the best place to go in Greenland to learn about the country’s history since it’s home to an interesting mummy exhibit displaying 500 year-old mummies.

See gigantic icebergs and whales up-close 

Taking a whale watching tour and seeing floating icebergs are most certainly two of the top 10 things to do in Greenland, though you’ll need to travel during the Greenlandic summer (May thru September) for the best experience.

Most of the fjords normally melt by May so June/July is the best time for sailing among icebergs and doing whale watching along Greenland’s coasts. Whale watching and iceberg tours are offered by operators such as “Disko Line” and “World of Greenland” and sail out of coastal towns such as Nuuk, Qeqertarsuaq and Aasiaat.

Enjoy a relaxing soak in Greenland’s biggest hot spring

Greenland may not be known for its hot springs so you'll be surprised to learn that Greenland hundreds of hot springs where you can enjoy a warm relaxing soak. Again, the months of summer (June thru August) are the perfect time to enjoy Greenland’s hot springs, which on average heat up to a cool 38 degrees Celsius.

The most popular hot springs in Greenland are the Uunartoq hot springs in the island of Uunartoq (east Greenland) and Disko Island’s hot springs, which are just a short boat ride from the town of Ilulissat.

Viking sites in Greenland

Seeing the remnants of Eric the Red’s 1000 year old Norse colonies is another must do while exploring southern Greenland.

There are several Viking ruins found in the southern region of Greenland, which include the Hvalsey Fjord Church (oldest remnants in Greenland) and Brattahlid ruins located near the town of Qassiarsuk (20 minutes boat ride from Narsarsuaq international airport).

See the amazing Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are often referred to as the “the biggest light show on earth” and during your visit to Greenland you certainly cannot miss experiencing this rare natural spectacle!

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If you’re planning to travel to Greenland for the sole purpose of seeing the Aurora Borealis then, be sure you travel in winter. You can have a good chance to see the Northern Lights anytime between November and March, though December thru February are the best months to see the lights because nights are clearer.

You can see the Northern Lights from all across Greenland, though the best spots to see the lights are Qaqortoq (south Greenland), Ittoqqortoormiit (east Greenland) and Kangerlussuaq (west Greenland).

Experience Greenland’s Arctic wildlife on a sled or snowmobile

Exploring the wildlife is no doubt, one of the top 10 things to do in Greenland and the best way to experience Greenland's Arctic nature is on a sledding tour or snowmobiling excursion.

No matter the time of year, you’ll be able to spot wildlife in Greenland without much difficulty. Reindeer, musk oxen, polar bears and the white-tailed eagle are some of the most popular wildlife to be seen in Greenland.

Having said this, the best months for dog-sledding and snowmobiling in Greenland are January thru April. There are multiple tour operators all across Greenland offering a wide range of dog sledding and snowmobiling adventures to suit different budgets so it's worth inquiring around. Some of the most popular areas to explore in Greenland are Disko Bay, Tasiussaq fjord, Qaanaaq and Thule.

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Accessories Required While Traveling

Accessories You Can't Do Without When Traveling

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You would agree that when it comes to travel gear to buy, we’re definitely spoiled for choice! There are literary hundreds of cool travel accessories out there, though in all fairness not all of them do a good job at enhancing one’s travel experience. In fact, you could go as far as saying that some travel accessories are pretty pointless!

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A few examples are the battery operated mosquito repellent and plane seat covers. Then, you have nifty travel accessories such as the sarong, which can be used for more than visiting temples. You can use a sarong as a beach towel, bed sheet, headscarf, and even as a skirt. That's why I can safely say that the multi-purpose sarong is one of those travel accessories you can’t do without when traveling. Here it’s some more to add to this list:

Travel shoulder straps

What a nice little invention! Shoulder straps may not be the most thought travel item to take when traveling, but they definitely deserve a place in the spotlight! By distributing the weight, shoulder straps can really make a difference when carrying heavy baggage loads for long periods. 

Saying this, not all shoulder straps do a good job at distributing weight and some “skinny” shoulder straps hardly have any padding, which can be a right pain! This begs the question, what makes a good shoulder strap? A good shoulder strap should be made of quality Nylon fabric to give the strap durability, but also have some sections made of neoprene to give it flexibility.

The shoulder strap should also have heavy-duty adjustments and be fairly wide, thickly padded and without any hard edges. The most popular shoulder straps out in the travel market are the “Absolute Shoulder Strap” by Tom Bihn and the “Claw Shoulder Strap” by Red Oxx.

Travel underwear

Travel underwear is definitely, one of the travel accessories you can't do without when traveling, even though the idea of buying special underwear for traveling seems “pointless”. Despite the initial skepticism, I really have to give it to makers of travel underwear because they do solve the issue of sweaty and smelly underpants while traveling...uhmm, what would the TSA folks at the checkpoint would say about me just wearing my underpants?

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That being said, make sure the travel underwear you’re looking to buy is made with an antimicrobial polymer because it is what actually stops your “undies” from stinking! You can buy them from “Ex Officio” and “Tilley”, though “Clever Travel Companion” sells travel underwear with cool pockets to keep your cash.


Travel ear plugs 

There aren’t many travel accessories out there that you can really say they’re worth their weight in gold like travel earplugs do! The travel ear plug invention is without a doubt, one of the best examples of a product that solves a problem - light sleeping, annoying noises and tomato juice! 

If you regularly use ear plugs on your travels, you know just how much of a godsend these little things really are! Travel ear plugs are very good for a lot of uses like blocking noise and annoying passengers! Saying this though get yourself a decent pair of travel ear plugs and getting the cheap disposable ones. Instead, go for travel earplugs that are washable, reusable and made of polyurethane foam such as the “Hearos Ultimate Softness Series” and “Howard Leight MAX”.

Smartphone

A smartphone is without question, one of the travel accessories you can't do without when traveling because it's simply such an amazingly multi-functional gadget to have! After owning a smartphone for a while, I can definitely testify that I find the smartphone absolutely indispensable everywhere I go.

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The smartphone's popularity isn't surprising when you consider all the new applications you can download on a regular basis. The cool stuff you can do with a smartphone is mind blowing…convert currency, track GPS coordinates, and even browse the internet to check train timetables and reserve hotel accommodations.

Universal travel chargers

As mentioned above, the smartphone is a great little gadget to take on your travels because it’s such a great all-rounder that allows you to  lots of practical things. Having said this, as a frequent traveler it’s nice to take other gadgets to enhance as much as possible the travel experience.

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Portable GPS navigators, compact cameras, pocketsize speakers, laptops, tablet PC's, portable media players and digital audio players are other great things to take when traveling abroad but doesn’t it get annoying having to bring power adapters and power bricks with you? I definitely think so!

Luckily, you can get nifty travel chargers on the market like the iGo Universal Netbook Charger, which allows you to charge simultaneously many of your favorite gadgets.

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Mongolia Tours And travel Places , Asia

Why Tourist  Travel To Mongolia

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Being the buffer between Russia and China, Mongolia is surely an enchanting and magical place that you simply have to experience to believe it! The exotic wildlife, ruin sites and the myriad of landscapes alone are sights to behold.

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Mongolians are truly fascinating people and their cultural heritage is one of the biggest reasons you would want to travel to Mongolia in the first place. If you ever plan to go, the best time to visit Mongolia would be during the Nomads Day Festival (September 17-18) held at the Gun-Galuut nature reserve. You’ll get to see lasso, wrestling and archery competitions, as well as enjoy Mongolian traditional folklore and sample traditional nomadic dishes. I leave you now with a few more reasons in the hope to "lure" you into a trip to Mongolia:

1. Magical and fascinating landscapes 

The dramatic contrast and variety of landscapes is no doubt, one of the main reasons to travel to Mongolia in the first place.

Mongolia is roughly the size of Western Europe, yet the country is blessed with home to an unbelievable land diversity that includes deserts, forests, grassland plains, mountains, semi-desert and grass prairies, freshwater lakes, and sand dunes.

2. Climb the largest sand dune 

As mentioned earlier, exploring Mongolia’s amazing landscape is one of the main reasons to visit the country, and you definitely can’t miss climbing the spectacular sandunes of the Gobi Desert. 

There are few sand dune areas, though the Khongor sand dune is the daddy of them all because this dune reaches a height in some parts of nearly 2700 ft and spans over 90 miles in length! Climbing the dune isn't easy feat though it's certainly fun and rewarding when you reach  the top. At sunset or sunrise, you can catch and photograph spectacular views of the sand dune shadows and colors!

3. World’s oldest nature reserve

When it comes to underrated areas of outstanding natural beauty, the Bogd Khan Uul no doubt, ranks high! Bogd Khan Uul is relatively unheard of in much of the traveling community, yet it’s officially the oldest natural protected area in the world, and was established by the Mongolian government circa 1800’s.

Bogd Khan Uul is also one of the most popular tourist places to hike in Mongolia because of cool sights such as the ruins of Manzushir monastery, Buddha park, and Zaisan Hill, which offers amazing views of Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator).

4. Exotic wildlife

Mongolia’s exotic wildlife is also one of the reasons to travel to Mongolia, and the great thing is that you won’t have to venture to far from the capital to see them. You can go about viewing wildlife in Mongolia independently, though booking a tour operator (i.e. "Tour Mongolia", "Discover Mongolia", etc) is definitely the best thing to do if you have a jam-packed itinerary.

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Wildlife you can expect to see in Mongolia includes the Asiatic wild ass, mountain sheep, Persian gazelle, steppe wolf, and the Gobi bear. One of the most popular places to book a wildlife safari tour in Mongolia is in the Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve, which is home to the majestic Argali (mountain) sheep.

5. Prehistoric Caverns (Aguis)

Mongolia boasts hundreds of stunning caves to explore such as the Dayan Deerkhiin cave, the Taliin cave in Dariganga and the Tsagaan cave in Bayanlig.

Having said this, Khoit Tsenkher Cave is the largest and, by far, the most exciting and easy to tour cave in Mongolia. The walls of Khoit Tsenkher Cave boast 20,000 year-old rock paintings of animals such as oxes, elephants, ibexes, and even lions. (truly amazing!)

6. The Great Gobi National Park

For many adventure trekkers, the Great Gobi National Park alone is one of the sole reasons to travel to Mongolia in the first place, and they couldn’t be more right! This national park is home to the world’s greatest deserts where snow does fall and bears can be found!

The Gobi Desert is immense (spans parts of northern China) and so diverse that you’ll need at least 6 days to explore the Gobi Desert tourist attractions. There are plenty of tour operators such as “Geographic Expeditions”, “REI Adventures”, and “Wilderness Travel” offering different types of Gobi Desert tours, though you can expect to do plenty of trekking, camel and horseback riding with all of them.

7. Experience the nomadic way of life

A visit to Mongolia wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the Mongolian nomadic culture and lifestyle. Naturally, the best way to soak Mongolian culture is by spending a few nights at a Mongolian ger camp with other nomads.

Travel Accessories You Can't Do Without When Traveling

Be aware though that the nomadic way of life Mongolians is seriously harsh and nothing will prepare you for it until you're in the middle of it! A few things you should expect of a typical Mongolian ger camp include rock-like mattresses, cold water showers, cold weather, and lots of dust. To put it another way, staying in a Mongolian ger camp will be one experience you won't be forgetting in a hurry!

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Travel And Living In Uruguay , South America

Travel And Enjoy In Uruguay , South America 

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Wondering what tourists get up to in Uruguay?

Uruguay is always being one of the underrated countries in South America that get overshadow by the “big boys” - Argentina and Brazil. These two countries are always a popular “toss of the dice” among first time travelers to South America but if you want best of both then, head to Uruguay.

Top Tourist sights in South America

Uruguay is like Brazil and Argentina all-rolled-into-one but with its own unique charming blend of influences and character. If you’re a prospective tourist to Uruguay, you’ll definitely fall in love with the country and have a great time in the process. I leave you now with some cool things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay:

1) Attend Carnival

If you happen not to be traveling to Uruguay during Carnival season (runs between January 23rd and February 10th) you may reconsider this, why? Because you'll be missing out big time on the biggest event of the year!

Things to do in Montevideo

Carnival in Uruguay may not be as “talked about” as other carnival celebrations across the South American continent but Carnival in Uruguay is surely spectacular and it lasts a whole forty days all across Uruguay. Montevideo is where you want to be for Carnival because it’s the largest celebration and it's the best place to experience the beautiful colorful parades.

2) Take a ferry ride to Argentina

If you're on vacation in Uruguay, you can't bypass a trip to Buenos Aires Argentina especially since it's just so easy to get to. You can get a ferry from both Montevideo and Piriapolis, though Montevideo is the better option because the ferries run during the high and off-seasons, while the ferry service from Piriapolis to Buenos Aires only runs in the high season (December to March).

Best Travel Places in Latin America

The ferry ride to Buenos Aires from either Montevideo or Piriapolis takes 3 hours on the normal ferry, though the high-speed hydrofoil takes about 2 hours. Buquebus is the ferry operator that offers the ferry service to Buenos Aires and you can expect to pay roughly $130 for a round-trip ticket.

3) Watch a live match

If you’ve been to South America before, you probably are aware by now about how passionate South Americans are about their football (soccer). Uruguayans love football with a passion and seeing a live football match is definitely, one of the things tourists do on vacation in Uruguay. 

Even if you aren’t a football aficionado, you won’t get a more electrifying experience in Uruguay than being inside a football stadium soaking in the atmosphere. Estadio Centenario in Montevideo is where you want to go to see a football match live since it’s the historic stadium where the Uruguayan team won the World Cup.

4) Spend time in Mercado del Puerto 

Mercado del Puerto (Port Market) is the most popular meat market in South America and it's an absolute heaven for meat-lovers.

The market has huge roasting racks on display where you can see all kids of Uruguayan meat cuts being roasted. If you're there be sure to sample the famous “chivitos” sandwiches, milanesas and choripan, which is a baguette filled with grilled chorizo, vegetables and mayo (incredibly tasty!)

5) Explore Ciudad Vieja

If you’re staying in Montevideo, you can’t miss exploring Ciudad Vieja (Old Town), which is the oldest neighborhood in the city. If you’ve been to the old part of Havana in Cuba, you’ll find Ciudad Vieja somewhat familiar because of the decayed colonial-style buildings.

Colonial Towns in Latin America

Ciudad Vieja is very walkable and the streets a dotted with bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. A tour operator called “Ciudad Vieja Tour” offers free walking tours of Ciudad Vieja on Fridays and you don’t even have to book in advance. Just show up at the Old Town’s door in Plaza Independencia (Main Square).

6) Kick back in the Uruguayan Riviera

A vacation in Uruguay wouldn’t, of course, be complete without spending some in the Uruguayan Riviera. This stretch of coast runs between Punta del Este and La Paloma and is truly stunning. The Riviera has a St Tropez/ Miami Beach vibe because of the “celebs” and "eye candy", though luckily the Uruguayan Riviera doesn’t have the annoying paparazzi.

Beaches in Argentina near Buenos Aires

Mind you, the Riviera is still the playground of the rich and famous, so be prepared to pay “top dollar” prices for beach house rentals, hotels and villas. Having said this, the Uruguayan Riviera does have the best beaches in Uruguay so, your stay there will be worth every penny.

7) Be a Gaucho for the day

One of the coolest things you can do in Uruguay during your vacation is visiting a working gaucho ranch. Gauchos are the equivalent of American cowboys in that they drive cattle and work the farm, though Gauchos do have a peculiar way of riding the horse and they rarely gallop like cowboys. 

The experience of staying in a Gaucho ranch is like no other and you’ll have a blast learning their traditions, culture, get a chance to dress in the traditional gaucho attire, and do ranch chores like branding the cattle, and riding a horse. You’ll find gaucho working ranches right in the countryside of Uruguay such as Panagea and Yvytu Itaty, which are located in the area around Tacuarembo.

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