Tanzania is the largest country in east Africa and is one of the best places to enjoy a luxury safari. The country boasts a large number of remote and unpopulated reserves with the greatest variety of scenery and wildlife than anywhere else in Africa. Tanzania has an amazing combination of sights including The Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Rift Valley, the Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar. It is also the home to the greatest wildlife show on the planet – the Great Wildebeest Migration. If you’d like to witness this fantastic event, your tour operator can arrange for you to do so on a luxury safari. Many people travelling to Tanzania choose to finish their safari experience on the spice island of Zanzibar. Steeped in history and culture, Zanzibar has beautiful white sandy beaches and warm turquoise waters as well as a number of water activities including scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing and kayaking.

Experience the Great Migration in the Serengeti

You’ve probably heard of it hundreds of times, seen it on the television and in films, but seeing it for yourself is magic. Covering 30,000 square kilometres of Northern Tanzania, the Serengeti is one the most enchanting places you will see on a luxury safari in Tanzania. The vast Serengeti plains open up a variety of habitats to lion, elephant, giraffe, cheetah, leopard, antelope and hippo. If you are considering a safari vacation to Tanzania, the best time to go is during the Great Wildebeest Migration. In November each year, over two million zebra, wildebeest and gazelle invade the Serengeti to feed on the short grass plains. Just after their calves are born in March, they then take an epic 1000 mile journey from the southern Serengeti plains into the Masai Mara, Kenya before returning southwards back to the Serengeti. There are many fascinating ways from which you can enjoy the migration including open game drives, on horseback, elephant back or even from a hot air balloon!

Seeing Mount Kilimanjaro on a Luxury Safari in Tanzania

Situated 200 miles south of the equator in northern Tanzania and close to the Kenya border you’ll find The Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. A visit here can be arranged on your luxury safari, especially if you are the thrill seeking type. Officially opening in 1977, the park is dominated by one of Africa’s most iconic landmarks – Mount Kilimanjaro. Africa’s highest mountain at 19,341 ft. attracts around 25,000 people each year who attempt to climb it. Climbing this majestic mountain is a wonderful experience, welcoming some incredible views of Africa. It is however a very challenging experience so a high level of determination and stamina is vital. The mountain is made up of three peaks; Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. Kibo is dormant and could technically still erupt at some point. The last volcanic activity however occurred 200 years ago. The foot slopes open up to montane forests where leopard, elephant, antelope and buffalo can all be seen. There are 140 species of mammal in the park and over 160 species of birdlife. It is also the habitat of three primate species, the blue monkey, the black and white colobus and bushbaby. The best time of year to take a luxury safari in Tanzania is in December when the weather is warm and the skies are clear, giving you magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Nigeria, no doubt, is an agriculturally-endowed nation. Leading economic historians of the last and the present century, Nigerian as well as expatriate, agree that agriculture was the mainstay of the traditional economies of the various peoples of Nigeria in the pre-colonial and colonial periods. Up to the early 1970s, agriculture accounted for well over eighty percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the major value of the country’s exports.

Then came the oil boom, and rather than build up the agricultural sector with the zillions of petro-dollars accruing from the oil sector and transform Nigeria once and for all into a food-sufficient economy, the government of the day frittered away that chance and instead actively encouraged the Nigerian populace to abandon agriculture and rely one hundred percent on crude oil. Nigeria thus became a mono-product economy. Petroleum became the pivot around which the country’s economy revolved such that any quake in that sector had adverse negative effects on the whole economy. The then military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, overwhelmed by the huge sums rolling into the government coffers from crude oil, was reputed to have said that Nigeria’s problem was not money but how to spend it, and so he embarked on extravagant spending on white elephant projects which had little or no positive demonstration effect on the economy.

After Gowon, succeeding governments seemed to have realized the mistakes of the past and so made efforts (even if half-hearted) aimed at redirecting Nigerians to the farms by initiating certain agricultural programmes such as the River Basin Development Programme (RBDP), Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), Green Revolution (GR), the Directorate for Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), the Better Life for Rural Dwellers Programme (BLRDP), among others. Specifically, OFN was launched against the background of alarming decline in agricultural production, galloping food prices, increasing food import bills, and accelerating flight of youth from the rural to the urban areas. Unfortunately, it yielded no positive result except that the huge sums mapped out for it ended in private pockets. Its successor, Green Revolution, was also an abysmal failure and created greater problems than it came to solve.

In order to solve the problems created by GR, the government in power embarked on unprecedented importation of rice, wheat, and other food items through a Presidential Task Force. Overnight, Nigeria, which used to export food to other countries, became one of the world’s greatest importers of food items, and consumer goods topped the list on Nigeria’s import records. That situation has continued to worsen with the passage of time. A recent report from US Wheat Associates Inc., a trade group for the world’s largest exporter of wheat, says that Nigeria will soon displace Japan as the biggest buyer of United States’ wheat. According to the report, “The markets that are really growing are located in Africa. Nigeria’s per capita income is growing and Nigerians are consuming more food and they are looking for more Western-style food products”.

Some twenty years ago, a programme was initiated to make Nigeria grow wheat in order to cut down on the excess revenue spent on wheat importation. Again, during his tenure as Nigeria’s president, Olusegun Obasanjo tried the same thing with cassava, with the aim to make cassava flour a major component of Nigeria’s bread and thereby reduce the country’s reliance on imported wheat. But like other programmes before them, these initiatives died almost at the moment of conception. Today, Nigeria spends over 50 percent of its income on food, according to Dr. Vincent Akinyosoye, Statistician-General of the Federation and Head of the National Bureau of Statistics.

The abandonment of agriculture had negative spread effects. As more and more young people continued to acquire higher education certificates and degrees, they increasingly saw themselves as people who had no business with agriculture. The rural-urban drift, which began in the early days of colonial rule, continued irreversibly until the rural villages were denuded of their major work force. Today, there is severe hunger in the land, and many Nigerians live from hand to mouth. Food scarcity continues to intensify by the day as the price of available food continues to sky-rocket. It has gone so bad the average Nigerian worker spends about eighty percent of his monthly earnings on food. The idea of three square meals has long been dumped in many Nigerian families.

It is partly for this reason of hunger that nothing else seems to work in the country. Much of the effort an average Nigerian makes daily is channelled towards filling his empty stomach first. His primary problem is food, and until he gets it, he cannot think of any other thing. Of course, it is only when a man has filled his stomach and is not worried about where the next meal will come from that he can think of how to move his nation forward.

This situation raises some serious questions: Why has Nigeria continued to import the bulk of its food items fifty years after independence? Have all the farmlands in Nigeria disappeared? Are the lands no longer fertile? Are there no crops to plant? Or are Nigerians too lazy to cultivate the land? Is it the government or the people that should take the blame? Where exactly does the problem lie? What is the possible way forward? Honest answers to these critical questions may help Nigeria to trace its way back and avert imminent food crisis. It is indeed regrettable that Nigeria, with its superabundant human and material wealth, still grapples with the fundamental problem of providing food for its citizens when all its peers are constantly breaking new grounds in science and technology.

While I was in Makurdi, Benue State, during the one year compulsory national youth service, I was highly impressed that virtually everybody I met, particularly students, talked about their farms, and some actually took time to go to the village to cultivate and tend their farms. But whether that is still the practice today is a subject for further research. A lot may have changed considering that children of today feel ashamed to say that their parents are farmers, not talk about they themselves. Farming has come to be regarded as an occupation for paupers and never-do-wells, and young people in the cities who think that they have become wealthy discourage their parents in the villages from engaging in farm work because they feel their parents, having given birth to wealthy children, have become too big to be called farmers.

There are many tiger reserves in the country where wildlife enthusiasts can plan for tiger tours. Jeep Safari and Elephant Safari are excellent ways to chasing tigers in various tiger reserves of India. You will have also opportunity to see sensational activities of majestic tigers with other wild animals. You will also have opportunity to enjoy fantastic beauty of nature and know about various species of vegetations. In this article, I am briefing about three leading wildlife destination of India you will love to visit on your tiger tours in India.

Ranthambhore – It is one of the finest and largest national parks in India with diverse flora and fauna including avifauna and reptiles. It is located near Sawai Madhopur town in Rajasthan, India. As the park is known for diverse flora and fauna but the key attractions of the park are its tigers. It has rich population of royal Bengal tigers. You will have a golden opportunity to see the sensational activities of tigers and other wild animals in their nature habitat. You can visit the majestic Bengal tigers even during the day time, if you are lucky. For the best experience of jungle expedition in the forest of Ranthambhore, you must enjoy Elephant Safari or Jeep Safari. Wildlife found in the park is tigers, panthers, wild boars, leopards, jungle cats, wolves, deer, reptiles and birds. Ranthambhore Fort, Jogi Mahal and ancient Banyan Tree are also of tourist attractions.

Bandhavgarh – Sited in Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh, it is known national park in India known for tigers along with other wild animals. It draws a big number of adventure & wildlife enthusiasts through out the entire globe. Wildlife found at Bandhavgarh are tigers, barking deer, spotted deer, leopards, panthers, bears, wild boards, wolves, foxes, langurs, reptiles and birds. Bandhavgarh was once the abode to white tigers. Enjoy jeep safari or elephant safari to best experience of wildlife expedition and tiger tours in India.

Sunderbans – Sited in the state of West Bengal, it is a leading Indian national park. It draws a great number of wildlife & adventure admirers through out the entire globe. It is abode to surplus 400 tigers. Tigers found in Sunderbans are good swimmers. Above and beyond tigers, the Sunderbans is also recognized for other wild animals and crocodiles and turtles. If you are interested in India tiger tours beyond doubt, then Sunderbans is a just right goal which will never fail to amaze you, I am sure.

The tropical forests and snow capped mountains add to the beauty of the place. It attracts tourists from all corners of the world to this country full of culture and breathtaking scenery.

The capital city is Malabo, which is in the Bioko Island, overlooking the gigantic volcano referred as Pico Malabo Volcano. It is a Spanish colonial town, that is filled with lively friendly people, and lovely flora and fauna, each coexisting in harmony.

The neighboring town of Luba, is about an hour’s drive away. It has some of the world’s best white beaches and sights that will take your breath away. Bata, the main town in this area has some of the best beaches in this side of the world. Mbini is a must see destination with tourists amazed by its beauty.

The Bioko islands are filled with hills and mountains that are becoming more and more popular with tourists. Many come here looking for adventure and find that the challenge of climbing and exploring these mountains is unlike any other experience in the world.

There are plenty of hiking trails, which are led by guides who are familiar with the tropical forests and the rough terrain around the area. If you are lucky enough to get a permit from the government you are able to get up close to the Pico Malabo volcano.

Monte Alen national park is a national preserve that is a well kept secret in Equatorial Guinea. It consists of nearly 1400 square kilometers of stunning scenery, with an abundance of wildlife and natural habitation.

Visitors can walk along the trail within the national park, spot the evasive Gorillas or maybe the crocodiles lurking about in the ponds. There are also varied species of African elephant, lions and other wildlife. Since the place is like a desert, it could gets very hot and so it is advisable to carry enough water and be prepared for long walks.

Ureca is another popular tourist destination. This is where the turtles come on to the shore to lay their eggs. Though there aren’t many cottages or canopies for visitors to lounge in, it does have a few guest houses where tourists can spend a day or two, hiking in the jungles nearby or just soaking in the sun.

Unlike other beaches around the world, the sand here is pristine white, and so smooth, that it will flow through your hands like silk.

If you drive down a few hundred kilometers you will reach the beautiful gulf of Guinea. It stretches all the way to the Pacific Ocean and so one gets to witness not just one but two oceans coming together.

It is little wonder that Equatorial Guinea is growing in popularity each year as a tourist destination. It is a beautiful unspoilt country that leaves a lasting impression on those tourists lucky enough to have visited it.

Thailand was known as Siam until 1939. Thailand is also known as the land of white elephants. The White Elephant have always been important symbol of royal power in Thailand.

Thailand is also dubbed as “the Land of Smiles” after the perceived gentleness of its inhabitants. Thailand is truly the “Land of Smiles”. A smile seems to be a continuous part of life in Thailand.

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Udon and Ubon are the main cities of Thailand. Patong, Karon beach in Phuket, Pattaya, Khao Lak, chiang mai and Sukhothai Historical Park are famous places in thailand.

Bangkok is the capital as well as the largest city of Thailand. Chiang Mai and the northern Thailand region are part of the infamous Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle is the term used for the meeting point of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Chiang Mai is located on the serene Mai Ping River in a beautiful mountain valley. Chiang Mai is a modern city surrounding the ancient walled & moated city.

Thailand is one of the hottest sex tourism destinations of the world. Tourism is one of the corner stones of Thai economy.

The flights to thailand are available from all over the globe. Bangkok International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Chiang Rai International Airport, Phuket International Airport are the major airports in Thailand.

Bangkok International Airport, also known, as Don Muang International Airport or Don Mueang is an airport in Bangkok, Thailand. It’s an important hub of Asia and the hub of Thai Airways International and it serves the most air traffic in Thailand.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, also New Bangkok International Airport or Second Bangkok International Airport is the new international airport of bangkok, Thailand. The airport is located in Racha Thewa in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province, some 25 kilometers east of Bangkok.

Chiang Mai International Airport is the major gateway to the north of Thailand. Air Asia, Air Mandalay, Angel Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Lao Aviation, LTU International, Malaysia Airlines, Mandarin Airlines, Nok Air, PB Air, Phuket Air, Silkair and Thai Airways International serve Chiang Mai International Airport.

Chiang Rai International Airport is located in Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand. It is located about 8 kilometers from the city center. The airlines that serve the airport include Thai Airways International, Angel Airlines, Air Asia and One-Two-GO.

The Phuket International Airport, the airport in phuket, Thailand, is served by Air Asia, Air China, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, China Airlines, Bal Air, Britannia Airways, Britannia (Sweden), Condor Flugdienst, Far Eastern Air, Finnair, Dragonair, Lauda Air, LTU, Malaysia Airlines, Nova Airlines, Phuket Air, Premi Air, Silkair, Thai Airways International, Tiger Airways, Trans Asia Airways and Uni Airways.

Driving away from Sant Antoni, towards the eastern side of the island you arrived at Santa Eularia. Narrow roads wind through hills that sprawl haphazardly against a lot view that stretches from sparkling turquoise to a dark, immense blue. Across the cliffs that run along hidden beaches, rich rosemary bushes crackle with sea salt and each evening after swimming from the rocks my buddies and I take sprigs to cook with fish.

About this side from the island there’s a wide community of locals, stretching from third generation Ibithencans to wondering hippies who found the area in the seventies making their house there. Every day as we stroll right down to our secret beach we pass an old man looking at a plastic chair that looks as though it was salvaged from the hotel in the sixties. He sits by the road having a thermos of steaming tea and faces the hills of Ibiza. After i ask my friend what he does, she says he’s a farmer and every day that she has lived around the island she sees him sitting on the chair. As we pass he grins toothlessly at us and I can’t help thinking that he must have a profound kind of peace sitting and checking quiet hills every day.

Whenever we arrive the beach is small , the sea completely, utterly still. Yet it’s a favourite spot for locals to come and swim, usually naked as the day they were born, and every summer a bar springs up on the beach. A spunky girl having a huge smile makes us a caipirinha that leaves all of us drunk before 1 pm and sitting with my toes within the sand I find myself considering this special little nook around the globe.

For several years Ibiza has patiently followed its image like a party island. Actually they are doing very little to promote it as any different, because, as my buddies explain, that like the island the actual way it is. They’re happy to keep the tourists in one place partying and getting drunk, while the remainder of island murmurs along at its own pace.

A part of protecting this other character from the island has been to put measures in position to avoid overdevelopment because the seventies there’s been a total ban on building any new buildings around the island. By doing this they are able to prevent the island from becoming yet another tourist eye sore. This also gives much of the island a worn in feel that only contributes to its character.

It’s also immensely difficult to buy houses around the island and my buddies who live here spent many years awaiting the best place to become available. When it did, like many, it was not advertised however they were recommended through person to person.

Inhabiting these diverse landscapes and wilderness areas are Kenya’s world-famous wildlife, which may be viewed from horseback, 4×4 vehicle, verandah or by walking. You will find over 1000 types of birds and huge colonies of colourful butterflies. Also attractive is the rich history, which dates back towards the Stone Age, and the various cultures expressed with the sought-after crafts and arts.

So, if you are lazing around the white sand beaches of exotic Mombasa or gazing at the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle, the annual wildebeest migration, you are sure to savor a world-class experience.

CAPITAL:

Nairobi

CLIMATE:

Four climatic zones exist: tropical, equatorial, semi-desert and desert. Only two seasons are identified, namely dry and rainy. Due to altitude and topographical differences of the various regions, these seasons and temperatures aren’t uniform and vary greatly. However, generally the weather conditions are warm and humid in the coast, cool and humid in the central highlands, and hot and dry within the north and east.

CURRENCY:

The state currency may be the Kenya Shilling. Traveller’s cheques are widely accepted and many hotels, travel agencies, safari companies and restaurants accept charge cards. Foreign currency for example US dollars, British pounds and Deutschmarks can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and authorized hotels. There are no restrictions on the quantity of foreign currency that can be brought into Kenya, but getting a lot more than 500,000 Kenya Shillings requires written authorization from the Central Bank. Before departure, travellers are advised to convert any excess Kenya Shillings into forex at a bank or bureau de change. Departure taxes can be paid in local or forex.

ELECTRICITY:

220/240 volts, 50Hz. Plugs are 3-pin square.

HEALTH:

A yellow fever vaccination is recommended if the traveller comes from an infected country or area. Visitors are also advised to take pre-arrival precautions against typhoid, hepatis A, polio, malaria and meningitis depending on the area visited and season. Other health issues include cholera, rabies, the Nairobi beetle (don’t touch, threaten or kill), dysentery and diarrhoea.

LANGUAGE:

English is the official language, but Kiswahili may be the national language.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

New Year’s Day (1 Jan); Good Friday (09 Apr); Easter Monday (12 Apr); Labour Day (1 May); Madaraka Day (01 Jun); Moi Day (10 Oct); Kenyatta’s Day (20 Oct); End of Ramadan (14 Nov); Independance Day (12 Dec); Christmas Day (25 Dec); Boxing Day (26 Dec)

SHOPPING:

Traditional artefacts, beaded jewellery and knick knacks, animal wood and soapstone carvings, furniture, coffee, precious stones, furniture, Khanga and Kikoy cloths, musicical instruments, modern art, basket work e.g. Kiondoo/Chondo sisal baskets, Maasai Shukka blankets, ‘Thousand Miler’ sandals, ‘elephant hair’ bracelets.

SOCIAL CONVENTIONS:

Culture this is a mixture of the modern and the traditional, with European habits prevailing throughout the country. Kenyans really are a very friendly nation and you will dress informally for many occasions.

TIME DIFFERENCE:

GMT +3

TIPPING:

Not mandatory. Guides, drivers, waiters and hotel staff can be tipped at the discretion.

Top ATTRACTIONS DESCRIPTION:

Maasai Mara:

National Reserve The world’s most well-known Game Reserve because of the annual wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migration over this vast plain offering breathtaking views; the place to find a vast array of wildlife and birds; activities include excellent game viewing all year round, balloon rides and watching birds.

Tsavo East and West:

The twin national parks of Tsavo, totalling 10 million acres of wilderness, form Kenya’s largest National Park, which make it ideal for people who enjoy solitude; of these two Tsavo West is visited more; apart from the wildlife and birds, visit Lugard Falls, the volcanic Mzima springs along with a unique underwater observatory.

Mombasa:

Among the world’s most exotic tropical ports with a turbulent history. Visit the magnificent Fort Jesus and harbour, see the Arab architecture in Old Town and smell the scent of spices. Many fine temples and mosques can be explored such as the Shiva Temple, the Baluchi mosque and also the Dawoodi Bohra Mosque. Also don’t miss the Mombasa Marine National Park, the Moi Avenue gateway arch, dhow cruises and the beaches.

Amboseli National Park:

Probably the most popular nature in Kenya with a number of accommodation; the landscape is covered with Mount Kilimanjaro and also the park is known for its big game and scenic beauty; bird life is abundant.

Lake Nakuru National Park:

Famous because of its flamingoes and so popular with bird watchers and other nature lovers. Take advantage of the view point and visit the Euphobia forest.

Mount Kenya National Park:

The country is named after Mount Kenya, the 2nd highest mountain in Africa. For mountain climbers and hikers, it provides easy and challenging ascents with superb scenic beauty. The neighborhood tribes believe that it is the home of Ngai (God). Numerous unique, rare and endangered species are available here and there is abundant bird life.

Lamu:

A peaceful tropical island with a fascinating history, which can be explored within the winding streets of their medieval stone town, a global Heritage Site aided by it being the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa.

Lake Turkana National Parks:

The three national parks function as a stopover for migrant waterfowl and are major breeding grounds for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus along with a number of venomous snakes. Turkana is outstanding for that study of plant and animal communities and also the Koobi Fora fossil deposits have contributed more towards the understanding of paleo-environments than any other site in Africa, it is also the most saline of Africa’s large lakes and a World Heritage Site.

Aberdare National Park:

Essential for landscape lovers, where one can view spectacular mountains, waterfalls, rainforest, trout streams, moorlands, thickets of giant heath, caves, abundant bird life, duikers, the black rhino and the elusive, rare Bongo – a forest antelope. El born area is ideal for walks, picnics, trout fishing, camping and night game viewing.

1.) Bazaruto Archipelago

Located some 30 kilometers off the coast from Vilanculos, this number of four islands is in the middle of the national park established in 1971. It’s an excellent spot for a variety of water activities. Dive and explore its rich marine wildlife or grab a reel and go for some championship fly fishing in the surf. Transportation back and forth from the Bazaruto islands is through boat or aircraft.

2.) Inhambane

Established in 1534 by Portuguese traders, Inhambane has crystal-clear waters and gorgeous reefs. It is known as a mecca for divers and fishermen. It’s also an essential port place to go for sea travelers and it is the site of the yearly dhow race, held every November, that is extremely popular and attracts large groups of onlookers.

3.) Vilanculos

The town serves as the layover point for all those wishing to get to the Bazaruto group of islands. Relax and take in some rays on the beaches while here. Or you could have a tour by dhow from the vicinity or try your hand at deep-sea fishing.

4.) Maputo

The capital of Mozambique, formerly referred to as Lourenco Marques and Delagoa Bay, is extensively developed to cater to tourists with lots of hotels and restaurants. Take a stroll along the wide, tree-lined avenues and wander among the historic buildings. Sample the nightlife or take a boat tour of the region.

5.) Inhaca Island

Reached via ferry from Maputo harbor, Inhaca is home to a museum which chronicles the maritime good reputation for the region. Visitors can also see its historic lighthouse. Accommodation can also be offered at the local hotel.

6.) Maputo Elephant Reserve

South from the capital is conservancy park, which occupies some 200,000 hectares and is rapidly being developed and improved. Comprising both rolling hillsides and seashore vistas, this park gives tourists the chance to watch a variety of African wildlife. Browse the over 200 elephants living here or the other denizens for example crocodiles, antelopes, and hippos.

7.) Ponta do Ouro

The Point of Gold is easily the most southerly of resorts in Mozambique, only 15 kilometers from the border. It’s possible to go diving here having a remarkable number of marine life as well as swim with dolphins (under strict rules). The nearby countryside can also be ideal for those who wish to bike, hike, or drive cross-country.

8.) Beira

Capital of Sofala province and the second-largest city in Mozambique, Beira may be the terminus of the rail line and also boasts an airport. It’s possible to take pleasure in the sun and go swimming at Macuti beach with many isolated white-sand beaches to be found just outside the city. North across the highway is Gorongosa National Park, which is under renovation but could be accessed by the adventurous.

9.) Pemba

This city may be the capital from the province of Cabo Del Gado. It’s possible to go souvenir-hunting in the many traditional marketplaces and find all kinds of things for sale, including traditional art by the indigenous Makonde people. Just outside of Pemba is Praia de Wimbe, a well-known and frequented resort, also it offers coral reef diving activities as well as incredible white-sand beaches.

10.) Querimba Archipelago

Those longing to explore unspoiled scenery can’t go wrong by visiting this chain of 32 little islands from the cost from Pemba. To obtain there one must arrange transportation because the area remains undeveloped. The reward is a few of the most beautiful island scenery found all over the world.

The next day we were on our way to New Harmony a place where the Rappites and Owens had attempted to establish Utopian societies in the 19th century, to go to my pal, an artist who paints subjects from the 50s and architecture along old highways like US 40 and Route 66. Serendipitously she found an old drive-in restaurant on state road 66 and converted it into a studio. We enjoyed seeing pictures of James Dean, Hank Williams, women entirely skirts and heels ironing using their new Steam-o-matic’s or admiring their snow white electric washing machines or ranges. One couple danced round the kitchen before their new refrigerator looking like they’d just returned from the prom. Giant frozen treats cones atop tiny restaurants promised relief from summer time heat with no worries about fat or calories. No worries about Chesterfields or Lucky Strikes either. No worries period. Just the commitment of suburban bliss or Utopia 50′s style.

It is then that people strayed in the beaten path by crossing the toll bridge just a block from my friend’s studio across the Wabash into southern Illinois. Here would be a different world which we had unsuspectingly entered into the previous evening whenever we visited hear a folksinger in Grayville. Everything seemed fine if a bit surreal. He sang of a minor league baseball player who spent time in Lynchburg and were left with a pinched nerve. A few songs later he launched into “South of Solitude” about entering into the labyrinthine roads of southern Illinois and becoming lost inducing the lyrics, “I don’t know where I’m,” and ending using the lyrics, “I don’t even know who I am.” We couldn’t know it then, but we would soon live the song. There were a grand total of nine or ten people in attendance, four of whom were some young German guys not paying an excessive amount of attention to the singer. We weren’t too surprised to see them as southern Indiana is full of descendents of German settlers and German restaurants. Travelers will never be too much from the good sausage and sauerkraut dinner. But here in Grayville the waitresses seemed quite surprised and happy to see them as they actually spoke German and were young and not too hard around the eyes. We discovered that they were around to operate in the coal mine for eight days and were enjoying some Grayville nightlife. The singer ended with a few Dylan songs and his friend accompanied him around the harmonica. “That’s what you get for Loving Me” seemed appropriate to finish the set, and the German guys smiled and said goodbye in English.

The next day, in the suggestion of my pal, we ventured over the bridge again carrying out a vintage Airstream travel trailor, which again lent an aura of the fifty’s, into surreal southern Illinois again to determine the Garden of the Gods. We’d seen the one of the same name in Colorado Springs and were not expecting much in comparison. But i was amazed through the beautiful and strange looking rock formations in the Shawnee National Forest. The wilderness area is over three hundred and twenty million years of age and includes over 3,300 acres of lovely old growth forest. The sediment rock in this area has ended four miles deep and also the fractured bedrock has created some interesting rock formations that represent various objects like anvils, camels, and mushrooms. Next we traveled south towards the Ohio River and saw Pirates’ Cave at Cave in the Rock. Two riverboats have been built and had burned here, but now there is only the ferry taking cars and trucks across the river at no cost. Once we reached the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, a truck by having an oversize load as an earth mover was waiting to board the ferry. We were glad we had crossed in the company of small cars.

We were now on the Trail of Tears which the original Americans had been forced to take when their land was confiscated through the pioneer settlers. In 1830, Congress passed a bill permitting removing all native Indians living east from the Mississippi River. For the following twenty years, Indians were marched west to reservations in Arkansas and Oklahoma, such as the bands from the Illini Indians in Illinois. Within the Fall and Winter of 1838-39, Cherokee Indians were marched from Georgia and also the Carolinas across Southern Illinois to reservations in the west. It was estimated that two thousand to 4,000 Cherokee men, women, and children died during this a thousand mile journey west. It became referred to as Trail of Tears because of the many hardships and sorrows it brought to the Indians. The Buel Family told the storyline of their ancestor Sarah (Jones) Buel who gone to live in Golconda on Sept. 2, 1836. Two years later the Cherokees passed through Golconda. “My great-great-grandmother was acookin’ pumpkin an’ keepin’ track of her baby when she heard an unusual noise outside. Before she knew it, the front door popped open there stood two Cherokee Indian braves just alookin’ at her….They’d smelled the pumpkin cookin’ as they passed by, but my grandmother had no way of knowin’ that. Finally, she understood what they wanted, and those Indians were mighty thankful when she gave them some of the cooked pumpkin. I ‘spect she was just as thankful when they left,” she added.*

Our trip in to Kentucky was mostly through farm country therefore we headed to Illinois lured by Old Shawnee Town into the spotlight. When we arrived it wasn’t only old but a ghost town. A massive Greek architectural style bank dwarfed everything else in sight. We later found that it had been the very first bank to become chartered in Illinois in 1816. It had been also the very first building used solely to house a bank in Illinois and was adopted before the 1920s. Someone told us it had refused financing to some bank in Chicago if this was initially developing, since it didn’t think Chicago will be a successful settlement. HogDaddy’s bar was over the deserted street from the bank. An indication on the door said closed for that winter, but it was obviously closed for the summer as well. We also learned later that the worse flooding in decades had closed the town down. Two wooden cut-out figures of Lewis and Clark established that they had passed through Shawnee town, but they looked as forlorn as we did when we discovered HogDaddy’s was closed. We drove south out of town thinking i was around the Lincoln trail but ended up on a gravel road. Good sense would have dictated going back towards the main road, but we desired to see the confluence from the Wabash and the Ohio. We were soon lost inside a labyrinth of corn fields. We had a deer and her fawn in the center of the road drinking from the mud puddle. We kept turning right when we must have turned left to get back to the main road, however the river beckoned.

Then unexpectedly our engine sputtered and stopped. Walking was out of the question in the heat and humidity. We waited hoping the engine would start but after half an hour, we tried with a tow truck. Luckily i was in a position to reach Triple A, but were not so successful in trying to tell them were i was. “Well there’s a corn field around the right and a forest on the left, and we were on Round Pond Road, then Long Pond road, and then Pond Church Road, then Big Hill Road.” While we were calling, a farmer arrived, and that we flagged him down. He would be a gift from Heaven because he had GPS and gave us our coordinates. Much more amazing was that he knew the guy we were speaking with on the phone personally despite the fact that he is at Indiana. They’d grown up together and the tow truck guy knew the farms bordering the road where i was. The excellent farmer stayed and talked to us before the tow truck arrived. He’d some sad stories about flooding in the area causing late planting and ammonia used in farming being stolen by people making meth. We had the feeling that people might not be safe despite the fact that far from the big city. An even sadder story involved his son, who had served two stints in Iraq, returning home and drowning while swimming in a quarry.

The tow truck guy soon arrived, greeted uncle, and invited us to climb in to the front seat of his truck. He continued the tale of woe stating that the economy in southern Illinois had been ruined by the politicians in Chicago even though some of them have been sent to Washington. Younger crowd mentioned meth problems in the region acerbated through the bad economy and worse weather. We again felt like we couldn’t know where i was, or maybe we had strayed into Mexico. However, if we crossed back into Indiana, he cheered up just a little naming various industrial sites that we passed such as Marathon and Bristol Myers Squib. Ethanol plants were prospering while using corn we had been lost in. It seemed more industrialized, although not necessarily better. However in his opinion there were more business incentives offered in Indiana and politicians. He was glad to relate his life story saying he had wanted to be a chiropractor but had opted for nursing. Burnout caused him to go into business as a service station owner. When his business in Illinois wasn’t doing this well he asked God to give him a sign if he should transfer to Indiana and start a towing service. That night the roof on his filling station caved in. He now does missionary work every year in Honduras with the Baptist Church where his training as a nurse serves him and them well. He treats people for everything from parasites to gangrene.

These guys from southern Illinois were a couple of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and representative of others who are attempting to survive in spite of large corporations overtaking family farms and politicians passing legislation not favorable to smaller businesses, and they are retaining their values of the same quality Samaritans too. We appreciated the 277,500 acre Shawnee national Forest with its diverse population of plant, animal, and bird life. It offers habitat to many endangered or threatened species and is an attractive place to visit. It’s tough to think that el born area used to be included in a shallow ocean and inhabited by sea creatures prior to the Mississippian people, the Illini and other Indian tribes, the French, British and finally settlers of English, German, Scottish and Irish descent, as well as freed slaves arrived. If we visit the Ohio River Valley in southern Illinois again, it will likely be to see Metropolis, the house of Super Man and Harrah’s Metropolis casino/hotel.

The tourist market is big here also due to Kincaid, the home of a complex society that was area of the Mississippian culture. People first arrived in the Ohio River Valley around 12,000 B.C. The culture reached its peak about 1100 AD and a large city was built at Cahokia, near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. Its people built large earthworks and related structures, many of which remain. Mississippian culture regional centers arose through the Ohio minimizing Mississippian valleys, one at Angel Mounds in Evansville which we would visit later. The rivers were part of widespread trading routes. The French settled in the region in 1757 before the victorious British found claim the territory. Sometime in the 1830s, Southern Illinois became referred to as Egypt or Little Egypt because settlers from northern Illinois came south to purchase grain during years when they had poor harvests within the 1830s just like ancient people had traveled to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 41:57 and 42:1-3). Later, towns in Southern Illinois were named Cairo, Thebes, and Karnak, as in the nation of Egypt. We were pleased to reach Evansville and turn our car to Pep Boys.

The next day we rented a car and visited the Evansville museums around the riverfront and visited Angel Mounds. From 1100 to 1450 A. D., an urban area on this website was the place to find people of the Middle Mississippian culture, who engaged in hunting and farming on the rich bottom lands of the Ohio River. Several thousand people lived within this town protected with a stockade made of wattle and daub. Because Angel Mounds was a chiefdom (the home of the main) it had been the regional center of a big community that grew outward from this for many miles. Roving bands of Shawnee, Miami, along with other groups moved into this area about 1650 A. D., long afterwards the Mississippians abandoned the town at Angel. Later, white settlers farmed the land. Much like the Indigenous peoples, these were lured through the rich soil and temperate growing season. One of the families to settle in Southwestern Indiana was headed by Mathias Angel. He’d a farmstead on the site of Angel Mounds from 1852 until his death in 1899. His brothers owned adjacent farms, and also the land remained in the Angel family until 1938.

Angel Mounds State Historic Website is named following this family. I’d participated in an archaeological dig near there during college at Indiana University. We lived at Angel Mounds and used the Glen Black Laboratory there. WPA workers had excavated at Angel Mounds throughout the nineteen thirties. There is a restored village along with a museum. We had photographed the website using box cameras and developed large prints at nighttime room. We’d used surveying equipment to find our site in the center of a field. We found post holes that were a home, bones, pottery, as well as an inscribed stone that appeared as if a numbering system. Description of how the probably use today’s technology such as photography and GPS to find and focus the traditional technologies of the inhabitants including chipping flint spear points, decorating with wax resist pottery techniques, and basket weaving.

We ventured back to Kentucky again to Henderson to see the John James Audubon Museum. He had an amazing life drawing birds, but left his devoted Quaker wife alone for a long time at a time and eventually needed to file for bankruptcy. He was a dedicated artist and his son later joined him in the passion for recording birds and animals in the wilderness. This museum includes a complete Double Elephant edition of Birds of America, the need for that is within the millions. It’s displayed only one page at a time, understandably. This museum was worth the eleven mile trip from Evansville. We’d to laugh because everywhere we went on this trip appeared to be eleven miles in the previous place or, if not, a multiple of eleven. Eleven is our lucky number! We acquired our car from Pep Boys and headed home. The windshield wipers came on once we used the turn signal, but at least the fuel pump was working, and we were on the highway again. My next story may be about all the places our car has broken down and the opportunities it’s provided to become familiar with people in the region proving that older vehicles get their advantages. Road trips within the Ohio Valley will always be fun and provide numerous opportunities for enjoying nature, traveling through background and meeting fascinating people.

I found its way to Bali around the eve from the Hindu Year within the Balinese Saka calendar.

“You know tomorrow is Silence Day, yes?” The friendly customs officer informs me. I tell him I’m a regular visitor to Bali, but this is my first time during the sacred holiday. It makes an impression.

I’m greeted by Suta, driver from Vision Villas. He hands me an ice-cold bottle of Aqua and that we trigger to manoeuvre with the many colourful parades which are spread out across the road because the Hindus celebrate on the evening before their day of silence.

In Indonesia they celebrate their Year through purification and sacrifice. On New Year’s Eve, the villages and homes are cleaned, meals are cooked for 2 days as well as in the evening people make lots of noise to scare away the devils.

The Ogoh-Ogoh

Suta tells me there’s a great large amount of activity and exorcism island-wide. The devotees in traditional Balinese costume go to puras to worship and collect holy water. Additionally they carry and burn the ogoh-ogoh, a giant papier-mache statue representing evil spirits. The following day would be the day’s total peace and quiet, where everything stops for any day. They don’t leave their homes, cook or engage in any action. Streets are deserted, manchester international is closed and tourists aren’t permitted to leave hotel complexes. He then laughs and says, “It is just one trip to least, with regard to environment. The air will be clean tomorrow.”

He is absolutely right. There is always a logical explanation behind the ancient wisdom.

Vision Villas is found in Medahan, not too not even close to the artisan villages of Gianyar. It is set in breathtaking surroundings, amidst nature at its best, in rural Bali. It is a personal enrichment resort. I am intrigued.

Pure Balinese Elegance Komang, the very efficient and friendly receptionist, welcomes me having a refreshing lemon drink and after I have registered, asks me for my dinner order. It is late, but she says the kitchen is open. “Would you want the food on your verandah?”

What could sound better?

She takes me via a well-manicured lush garden, the candles illuminate our path, we walk towards the pool, up a few steps to Ganesha room.

The four-poster bed with its silk cushions along with a most comfortable bed with fluffy pillows sit in the middle of the area. You will find beautiful artworks along with a Ganesha statue within the wooden display case that also cleverly hides the stocked up mini fridge. The arrangement using the welcome fruit basket is really a work of art in itself and the best flower, the frangipani, is everywhere. The attractive bathroom, with its flower arrangement that sits in the fresh young coconut, is exquisite and there is a statue of a graceful lady hiding the nozzle in the outdoor shower. Pure Balinese elegance coupled with meticulous focus on detail within this five-star luxury boutique resort, in the midst of rice and vegetable fields is astounding. Wi-fi throughout the resort. Heaven!

Pure Thoughts

I have provide an open mind, and that i feel I will be blessed by many insights that this place is able to offer me”and being here at this auspicious time will be a special experience. I believe pure thoughts, I wish to see all the dimensions that Roger and Renate Hamilton have set for their guests to find out. I leaf with the information booklet concerning the Ganesha room.

From my years studying in India, I know Ganesha may be the ‘God of Knowledge’, or as it says during my folder, “‘God of recent Beginnings’ – the elephant head denotes wisdom and it is trunk represents Aum, the sound symbol of cosmic reality.” I just read on. “You have been in a much better place now than whenever you were after your last cycle. Pause within this place and take time to connect and reflect before your brand-new beginning. What exactly are you grateful for? Who are you thankful to?”, the folder during my room taunts me.

After a night of blissful slumber I sit on my verandah, on the wooden sun chair, a silk cushion supporting my head. I have John Grisham’s latest book on my lap but don’t feel like reading. The place draws me in. It is shrouded in soul-pleasing foliage that attracts the birds and butterflies, the pool shimmers with its turquoise blue water and the fountain overflows with joyous rhythm. The bees buzz and circle the flower-laden trees. I am neither thirsty or hungry. This beauty has fulfilled my soul. Bali is the ‘Island of Gods.’ Is the Eden all of us crave to be in?, I’m wondering.

Mythology and Symbolism

I take a look at my surroundings with an open mind, trying to find meanings and nuances. Ancient mythology and symbolism play a big role in the development of this resort. Am i going to have the ability to peel away layers to delve into the deeper meanings of the magical place as I am challenged to complete by my hosts? Or should I just enjoy the beauty it provides, to unwind and rejuvenate my spirits? Time passes around taking pictures and investing in memory the spots that are inspiring and gorgeous. Beautiful thoughts, beautiful places.

Renate – Guests Come First

Reading the information in my room urges me to go on a discovery tour round the special rooms at Vision Villas. I have to look for my guide and hostess Renate that has so graciously opened her home to me in this holiday. She has even kept a number of the staff that i can feel comfortable. Personally i think humbled and grateful. “Guest always comes first”, she informs me happily while showing me her resort.