Margaret River Wine Region Travel Guide

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The Margaret River Wine Region juts out from the Australian coastline for more than 80 miles and stretches inland for another 20. It is a place of abundance – a playground with stunning beaches and more than 50 surf spots. It is a pantry where something delicious is being put before you wherever you go. The best way to explore Margaret River is by car.

Bunbury is a great place to break the 3 ½ hour drive from Perth. The incredible lighthouse, beaches, and laid-back lifestyle here is just a taste of what is to come. Busselton is 40 minutes further down the highway. The wooden jetty in the harbor town is its jewel. The jetty was first constructed in 1865 and has endured cyclones and fires, and is one of the most unique dive sites in Australia today. There is a descent to The Underwater Observatory at the far end of the jetty. It is a great place to experience the aquatic life thriving amid the pylons in the jetty.

Caves Road is one of the most scenic drives in Australia and it gets its name from the limestone caves surrounding this region. Mammoth Cave is one of the most accessible. This road turns inland through historic timber towns and picturesque villages, before arriving at the main settlement of the region, Margaret River.

Enjoying almost rain-free summers and surrounded by coasts on all sides, Margaret River as a wine-growing region has been compared to the famous Bordeaux region in France. Cruise from one cellar door to another, sampling some of the most exciting Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Chardonnays in the world.

At the northern end of Margaret River is Cape Naturaliste. This headland is surrounded by secluded spots, like Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, and Bunker Bay. There are lookout points around the lighthouse between June and December that make this cape a great place to spot watch whales.

Cape Naturaliste marks the beginning of the most beautiful walking trails in Australia, the Cape to Cape track. This track follows cliff tops and beaches, and string many places together. Many of these places still keep their original names. The southern end of the Margaret River is marked by the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, where the waves of the Southern and Indian oceans meet below.

Margaret River region is a rare destination that is a feast for all the senses, with sights and sounds as well as tastes and touches you will always savor for the rest of your life.

4 Gravity-defying Places You Need to Check Out in Asia

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There are such thrill in travelling especially to high places, but not all people are up for the adventure. There are people who suffer acrophobia and are terribly afraid of heights, which could be quite unfortunate since tall buildings and high peaks can offer the best panoramic views of any given place or city. When you’re visiting Asia and you’re the kind to visit the high places, here are our own pick to the gravity-defying places you need to check out in Asia.

Mount Huashan, China
Mount Huashan is the sacred mountain in China with 5 peaks, and by going to the top of it is the ultimate way to experience sacredness. You’ll ride a cable car up to 7000 feet of Mount Huashan and upon reaching there is allowed to walk with harness in the world’s most dangerous hike, the Plank Walk. A good buddy of mine that owns (https://www.cdmwastemanagement.com/) was having none of this “tourist attraction” on our trip to China. He decided to stay on solid ground while some other friends went up the mountain. At the peak of the mountain is a small shrine for the culmination of your effort but be warned because this place can be extremely full packed.

 

Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Burj Khalifa in Dubai is known not only for its elaborate architecture, but also for being the tallest building in the world. It houses 160 floors but the observation deck is on the 148th floor and offers a breathtaking view and is called At The Top. Aside from the courage to go up a stunning height of 1,821 feet above the ground, you also need to have a lot of money to do so since it’s also the most expensive observatory deck, although some says it’s worth it with the 360 degree fascinating view of the city and high technology multimedia presentations.

 

Langkawi Skybridge, Malaysia
Ever dream of being on top of a lush tropical paradise and getting a bird’s eye-view of the luscious green forest all around? You can now, eventually, do that by visiting the Langkawi Skybridge in Malaysia, which is a curved, cable-stayed bridge more than 2000-feet above sea level. The height can be very intimidating but it’s a family-friendly bridge offering safe experience while you gaze over the scenery.

 

Tokyo Skytree, Japan
This distinctive tower in Japan is not only the tallest tower in the whole world but also a stable broadcasting provider. It displaced the Canton Tower in China and is second tallest structure in the world. Its architectural design was carefully planned creating a fusion of high technology and traditional Japanese culture especially on its unique color “aijiro” which mixes a hint of blue dye to the white color to achieve a pale blue glow.

How to Travel With a Baby

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Whether it’s for the holidays or summer vacation or what have you, traveling with a baby can be pretty stressful. Today we will discuss the whole experience of traveling with a baby and breaking some tips down into five different stages: booking, check-in, security, the actual flight itself, and the arrival.

Booking
The first thing you want to identify is your baby’s witching hour, that’s the hour where they are the fussiest and the most tired. You don’t want to book a flight in the witching hour because that will not be very easy for you. Personally, I like choosing an early morning flight or a super late flight. Booking at this time gives your baby a great opportunity to sleep and even for you to just kind of sleep throughout the entire flight.

Upon buying the ticket, you will want to determine how you want to travel, so that will be do you want to be holding or wearing the baby throughout the entire flight or do you want to buy a separate ticket so you can put the car seat and the baby in that separate seat. That will require a bit more money but regardless that’s something you will want to determine. After you buy the seat, go ahead and call the airline and make sure the baby is on your reservation. Make sure the baby is on the reservation so they know that you are flying with the baby. The baby will need some sort of identification if you are flying internationally, so you have to get all the identification documents in place beforehand.

Checking In
When checking in to the airport, try to make everything as minimal as possible. You can check as much baby things on the flight because they travel free. So you don’t have to pay any sort of bag fee for that which is great. If you are checking in a stroller, you want nothing too big or bulky so you might want to rethink your travel system.

Security
After you check-in, you will have to make your way over to the security line. TSA security checkpoint is arguably the most stressful part for me. I hate it but I will say that the biggest piece of advice I can give you for this is to wear your baby. Wearing your baby makes it a lot easier. Talking about what to wear when you are going through security, you don’t want to be wearing all the bangles. Just wear something like sweats, it makes it so much easier especially on the flight.

The Flight
The flight itself is entirely a mental game. If you have a partner, it will be a little easier for you but the baby will do what the baby will do but it’s all about how you perceive things, how you react to things, and how you keep mentally sound that will get you through the flight. Now, find your seat and if you have a car seat, you can install it. Just make sure it is TSA compliant, and that it is suited to be strapped into an airplane seat because not all car seats can do that.

Flying is a scary thing and unfortunately as a parent, your options are limited. The best you can do is just try to entertain the baby, feed the baby, or walk around with him or her. Again, it’s a mental game and depending on how you react to the baby it will be fine. Don’t worry, there are a lot more people on that flight than you realize that are much more empathetic to your situation.

Arrival
Sometimes taxiing and deplaning can take a long time, so you might want to consider a flight seat that’s a little more toward the middle or front as opposed to the back. This is because it will take a long time for people to get off the plane and the baby might get antsy. The longer that takes, the more stressed you get, so the back of the plane is a bit more stressful so just keep that in mind.

Top 5 Cool Things to Do when in Peru

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Peru is a South American country which faces the Pacific Ocean. It is much known for its ancient civilization and is home to the world-famous Machu Picchu. It is a favorite tourist destination for travelers looking to take in some beautiful scenery. So before heading out to this gem of a country, read through the top 5 cool things to do when in Peru.

Nazca Lines
If you are a big fan of ancient aliens, chances are you already know that the Nazca Desert in southern Peru is the Disneyland for the UFO fanatics. Giant geoglyphs were etched in the sands of the desert more than 2000 years ago. A lot of theories are known on who made these giant geoglyphs in the desert and to what purpose does it serve. Only the ancient people of Nazca can answer these, though.

Convento De San Francisco Ossuary
Bones of over 70,000 are laid decoratively in the ossuary beneath the Franciscan Monastery. These bones, mostly skulls, femurs and tibias, which design the catacombs are from the church’s patrons and donors from over the years. The Spanish Baroque style adds to the eerie charm the monastery has to offer. Although the indoor design is very fascinating, the church has a strict “no camera” policy.

Shanay-Timpishka
Have you ever had a nightmare where you swim in a river but all of a sudden the refreshing water changes to a boiling temperature and you can’t get out fast enough? Well, stop dreaming because it can be a real one with the world’s one and only boiling river which is a tributary of the Amazon River. The water can reach up to 100-degree Celsius and can instantly poach an egg and can kill whoever jumps into the water unprepared.

Vinicunca
Vinicunca, or also known as Montaña de Siete Colores, stands proudly fitting to its colorful name. This hard to find Rainbow Mountain is located deep into the mountain ranges of the Peruvian Andes. Thanks to the combination of highland and coastal weather plus the mineral rich soil, we now have the beautiful color palette in the mountain slopes. The most seen colors are red, purple, yellow and a tinge of blue.

Machu Picchu
Who would not be amazed by the early architectural designs of this ancient city? The intricate stone masonry is way beyond their time, making Machu Picchu a favorite destination for the adventurous spirits. Get drunk in the beautiful landscape of the Andes mountain ranges, and travel back in time while exploring the city of the once-grand Incan civilization.

Why Hiking Is Good For Your Overall Well-Being

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The next time someone tells you that hiking is good for your health, make sure to thank them for looking out for your health, because that is exactly what they will be doing. This is true because going on a hike offers some truly amazing benefits for your physical, as well as your mental health. For example, just 60 minutes of hiking can burn more than 500 calories, which – if you ask us – is truly amazing. Of course, it all depends on how much weight you are carrying on your shoulders. Also, more often than not, hiking trails are softer on joints than concrete, which makes hiking a much easier exercise than running. And if weight loss is one of the goals that you are trying to achieve, for the best results, you should head for the hills. This will help you burn a huge amount of calories in a short period of time.

Hiking Is a Social Activity
Most of the time, hikers prefer traveling with a friend rather than traveling alone. A planned trek can really help you and your friends connect with each other in ways that you didn’t even think were possible. And on top of that, both you and your friends get to reap all the health benefits that hiking has to offer.

Increasing Your Creativity
Spending time outside your home can increase your creative problem-solving skills by 50 percent, which is not a small number. When hiking, not only do you get to spend some time away from technology, but you get to see some beautiful places as well. Also, walking is much better than sitting, so make sure to go on a hike as soon as possible!

Lowering Your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Apart from being a fun activity, hiking is also good for your health. Hiking on a regular basis can help reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol, which automatically means that it can help prevent many different dangerous medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. And by the way, did you know that hiking downhill is very effective at removing blood sugars? Well, now you do!

How To Survive a Long Flight

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Long flights can be extremely intimidating for some people. They can even make some people tear their hair out in anger, frustration, boredom, or fatigue. But it doesn’t have to be like that at all. All it takes to start your vacation on a positive note is a small amount of preparation and a little bit of knowledge. When you have these two things in your arsenal, the arrival to your destination should not feel like a zombie apocalypse. And now, let’s talk about how to find the best seat in the house, shall we?

So, what is the best seat for you? Well, it is actually up to you to decide what seat you want to take. What we are trying to say here is that the best seat is pretty much always a matter of personal preference. According to the folks at L&G Sports and Therapeutic Massage the middle seat is always the worst option, and the reason why it is such a bad option is because you are sandwiched between two people. This is especially true if you are sandwiched between two strangers. Try to sit as close to the center of the airplane as possible, especially if you can’t deal with turbulence. The center is the most stable area of the airplane, so it pretty much speaks for itself.

Aisle Or Window?
Should you sit near the aisle or near the window? This – once again – comes down to a personal preference. While the window allows you to rest your head against the wall, the aisle provides you with an easy access to the bathroom. Once again, this one is completely up to you.

Should You Choose An Exit Row?
Exit rows are always a great option because they have a lot of extra space. However, they are not free, which means that you need to pay some extra money if you want to use them. But they are well worth the price.

Traveling With a Friend?
If you are traveling with a friend, take the aisle seat and the window seat, and leave the middle seat empty. The middle seat is usually the last seat that gets booked, so there is a big chance that you will have some extra room for yourselves. And even if the middle seat actually gets booked, most people will be more than happy to trade their seat for either one of your seats.

Urban Vs Rural Tourism

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Those of us who love to travel know that planning a trip abroad, while an exciting task, can be daunting. We all want a vacation that will give us the most memorable experiences, most interesting stories, and best Instagram photos. But how do we achieve all that in the short time allotted for our vacations? Is it best to plan a trip to the most popular destination where everything can be researched and accessed easily? Or maybe venture outside the norm into the more rural and unexplored parts of a country? Both options have their virtues and as someone that has experienced both I’m ready to share my insights.

 

Most of us, when traveling to another country would choose the largest city, with the most attractions and plan the trip there. This is simple because it is most likely the city we fly into. Also, thanks to the common use of public transportation most major cities, it is easy to leave the airport, find transport to the hotel, and start sightseeing right away. We waste less time traveling and are immediately greeted with the attractions that brought us here in the first place. There are historical sites, museums, restaurants, tours, and performances to take in. Larger cities are known to cater to tourists. As a result, if you are in a country where the native language is not English, many people tend to speak English and are willing to help travelers. With all of these comforts, why would we travel any other way?

Urban Vs Rural Tourism

Maybe it’s the Libra in me, but for every positive argument I can think of for urban tourism there is an equally great argument for the rural option. While it’s comfortable and easy to travel to a city, you are likely to find a more unique and authentic experience if you hop on a train or rent a car and get out to the country. Not only is this option generally more affordable due to the lack of tourism, but you are gifted with the opportunity to meet locals that genuinely want to share the riches of their country with you. In addition to meeting locals, you are less likely to find yourself waiting in long lines or rushing through crowds of other tourists. And while cities may have the most popular restaurants, you are more likely to find traditional, fresh, home cooked cuisine off the beaten track. If you’re worried about missing some attractions or excitement of the big city, plan ahead. There are always amazing festivals and exhibits going on throughout small towns. Like the water jousting tournaments held in Sete, France at the end of August or the Subotina Festival in Buzet, Croatia where they bake a giant omelette using over 2000 eggs and 10 kg of truffles.

 

Regardless of where you travel, be it urban or rural or both, as long as you keep an open mind you are sure to make lasting memories.

Three Things That You Can Learn From Winter Camping

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When it’s cold outside, most people decide to stay inside their warm homes watching movies or reading books rather than going outside. However, there are some people out there who really enjoy going on adventures, which is why instead of staying inside their homes when it is cold outside, they actually decide to go camping. Now you are probably wondering why would anyone do something like that, aren’t you? Well, some people simply love to challenge themselves, and winter camping is a great time of the year to do just that. Also, winter camping is great for people who enjoy ice fishing, as well as for people who enjoy the sound of complete silence – if that makes any sense.

When it comes to summer camping, it is usually a fun experience for anyone, but there are many bugs out there during summer. But when the winter strikes, bugs hide in their warm homes, which is great for people who are easily bothered by them. Another thing that makes winter camping such a great thing is the scenery – almost everything is white! Not only is it a beautiful thing to see, but it makes you feel calm and relaxed.

You Learn How To Appreciate Food More

After you spend a day playing with snow, pretty much all you can think about when you return back to your home is a good meal. And here’s the thing – you can’t really cook anything you want when you are inside of a tent, because your supplies are limited. Because of this, you learn how to appreciate food much more than you ever have before.

Cold Weather Brings You Closer

When cold temperatures strike, you don’t have to be in love with someone to hug them. Just a simple thought of snuggling with someone sounds pretty attractive, doesn’t it? You can do it with your friend, cousin, brother, or sister. It can help increase your body temperature. And of course, if you are married, you can use this to your advantage.

Your Financial Powers Are Limited

If you are a traveler, you already know how expensive some trips can be. This is especially the case with winter camping, since you need to buy all the necessary cold winter camping equipment. Because of this, you soon realize that your financial powers are limited.