Travel

Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, the nature island, is not easily accessible via the mainland United States. The airport is small and only propeller planes can land there. The island is beautiful and is one of the few Caribbean islands with a rainforest. It is known to have 365 rivers. The currency is East Caribbean Dollar (1 USD = 2.7 XCD). The USD has full acceptance, though. Kalalau is the national dish. It’s a soup made from Dakshin, and I would recommend trying it out. Public transport is better than most other islands but is still limiting if your itinerary is jam-packed. There are two towns, Roseau and Portsmouth. I would recommend staying in Roseau if you don’t have a rental car since most tours, taxis, and buses depart from there. Most good activities are on the south side of the island. The south faces the calmer Caribbean Sea while the north side faces a more turbulent Atlantic Ocean. Things to do Boiling Lake - a 6-hour round-trip hike on a well-marked trail. It starts at Laudat, the highest village on the island. You can either take a 50 EC$ taxi or a 5 EC$ public bus from the Botanical Gardens. There is a “breakfast river” stop one hour into the hike where you can refill water bottles. The temperature at the center of the lake is about 400ºC, while at the edges is 80ºC. Victoria Falls - The most beautiful falls on the island. It has an excellent natural swimming pool. It has a bit convoluted of a hike that involves crossing a river four times. So, it is hard to do this without a guide. Wavine Cyrique Falls - The falls themselves are not extraordinary, but the hike to the falls is pretty intense and involves climbing down a ladder on the cliff along with a cliff hike. ...

Cancun, or, more precisely, Cancún, is a coastal tourist city on the Caribbean (eastern) side of Mexico. There are two significant areas, Punta Cancun (tip of Cancun), also known as the Hotel Zone and Playa Del Carmen. We chose to stay in Punta Cancun. The Hotel Zone is walkable and you don’t need to rent a car if you are staying there. Buses are always available to go to other parts of Cancun though you rarely will. ...

We decided to do a packaged tour of Kerala, India. The tour included round-trip flights from Delhi to Kochi, a taxi for the full journey, and all the hotel stays. Day 1 - Kochi to Munnar While going from Kochi to Munnar, a three-hour drive, we first stopped at Valara falls and then saw the Ayurvedic (herbal) medicinal and spice production at Greenland Spice Garden. Day 2 - Munnar We checked out the Mattupetty Dam and the nearby market. From there, we headed to Echo Point. While returning, we stopped at the Cowboy Adventure Park. I would highly recommend this park; your driver won’t probably want to take you here since the price is too low to give him a kickback. We had to skip Eravikulam national park since we spent too much time (~3 hours) at the Cowboy Adventure Park. Then, we headed back to Munnar and checked out the Tata Tea Museum. There isn’t much to see at the museum. In the evening, we ended up for a massage at an Ayurvedic Massage Centre. The center appears rustic, but the experience was excellent. ...

Cusco or Cuszo, an Andean city in South America, was the seat of the Inca empire and is home to the world-famous Machu Picchu. I would recommend staying near the city center of Plaza De Armas (“Parade Square”). Most tourist activities are in and around the area. Day 1 Start your journey with a walking tour. I did it with Inkan Milky Way. It would give you a good idea of the UNESCO heritage site around the central square (Plaza de Armas). If you are coming from the lower altitudes, then acclimatize yourself by taking rest, drinking a lot of water, and chewing coca leaves. ...

Lassen Volcanic Park has a lot to offer for everyone. The park has wide roads, and most tourist spots are easily accessible. Here’s what I would recommend Subway cave Lava tubes - easy 1/3 mile underground hike Hydrothermal Areas - Hydrothermal areas from where Sulpher escapes regularly. Some right next to the road and some accessible via a short hike. ...

Strenuous hikes Half Dome hike 17-miles 12-hours with a breathtaking dangerous climb holding chains on the majestic half dome at the end. This hike requires a permit for the final half dome climb. The Clouds Rest Trail 12-miles 7-hours hike. The trail ends at a point higher than the Half dome. One gets a great view of the park as well as the Half dome from here. ...

Day 1 If you are arriving at MSP airport, then start your journey with the Mall of America. It is the largest shopping mall in the United States and is pretty close to the airport. Next, head to Minnehaha falls. It is the favorite fishing spot for the locals. Hereafter, you can head towards the downtown. There isn’t much to do in downtown during the day time. And I would recommend checking out Sculpture Garden and the Lake of Isles in the evening. ...

Barcelona Public transport is good, get a Metro card with ten tickets, it can even be shared simultaneously. Beware of pickpockets. Credit card acceptance is high, but not 100%. Paella, a rice dish, is famous in Barcelona Day 1 Start your day with a walking tour. I would recommend Sandeman’s walking tours. In the afternoon, check out the History Museum. It is pretty detailed and has remains of the historic Roman city of Baracine. ...

Madrid, originally Myrit, was set up by Moors in about 700 AD, to fight against the Catholic Spanish stronghold of Toledo which used to be the old capital of the Castile kingdom. Public transport is good, get a Metro card with ten tickets, and it can even be shared simultaneously. Beware of pickpockets. Credit card acceptance is high, but not 100%. Churros + hot chocolate are famous in Madrid. The city has pedestrianized itself over time, so the city center is entirely car-free. Day 1 Start your day with a walking tour. I would recommend history-focused Sandeman’s walking tour and tourism-focused Rick Steve’s self-guided audio tour. After the tour, check out Puerta Del Sol, the Sun Gate. There are quite a few small interesting spots here, for example, the bear climbing the tree which is on the city’s Coat of Arms, and the 0 KM sign. ...

Rome has a rich history pertinent to western civilization. There are three different aspects of roaming in Rome, namely, architecture, history, and religion (Catholic - Christians). I was profoundly interested in history and to some extent, in architecture, and that influenced my itinerary. Day 1 - walks Start with a walking tour and after walking tour use Rick Steve’s free audio tour to wander in the heart of Rome, primarily, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Spanish steps. Then use Rick Steve’s Jewish Ghettos walk to do a self-guided tour of Jewish ghettos. ...