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By admin, January 13, 2010 7:52 am

Where to visit in Bolivia

When in Sucre cheesy as the ‘dino mobile’ looks a trip to the dinosaur footprints will exceed your expectations.  The cost of a visit is cheap and the prints are extensive – it’s just such a shame & quite unbelievable that such a treasure is still part of a working quarry.  The prints scale a sheer rock face which shakes with dynamite explosions from the base even as you watch - let’s hope that UNESCO win their battle and these footprints are preserved for future generations.

Do not miss the world wonder which is the salt flats of Uyuni.  There are 2 choices of trip – either a 1 day trip out to the salt flats & back or a 3 day trip across the salt flats and on in to San Pedro De Atacama – Chile.  If Chile is on your travel path then this is proably the best trip to take as you will see all the attractions of the salt flats along with the red & green lagoons & flamingos.  The 1 day trip will however cover the salt flats element and from Uyuni you can get an overnight train down to the border with Argentina.  These trains do not leave every day though so worth checking before you arrive to avoid a prolonged stay in Uyuni.  Once in Uyuni every shop is a travel agent and trying to choose who to go with blows your mind – all offer pretty much the same thing the decider needs to be how good their English is and the state of their vehicles.  All operators have books with reviews from previous travellers so have a read of these before you decide.  We did it with Oasis tours (www.oasistours-bo.com)

La Paz is the unofficial capital of Bolivia and  the biggest city at high altitude in the world.  It´s a fascinating city, full of markets .. including the notorious witches market where Bolivians buy llama foetuses which hang in the doorways of all the shops – they´re believed to bring good luck if placed in the foundations of a building. For all those that have read ´Marching powder´ – yes the prison is still there but unfortunately when we were there nosy backpackers were no longer permitted access (although in Bolivia money talks so if you’re feeling brave it could be worth a try!).

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By admin, January 12, 2010 7:33 pm

Information about traveling to and within the country of Spain including flights, rail and road travel and ferry services

Mainland Spain is situated on the Iberian peninsula in the southwest of Europe. It also encompasses two groups of islands. The Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands), in the Mediterranean, Mallorca the largest island is just over one hundred miles off the eastern coast and the Islas Canarias (Canary Islands) which are situated approximately five hundred miles to the southwest and lie off the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Mellila and Cueta are two Spanish enclaves in Morocco on the African continent.

Whilst Spain is one of the world’s leading destinations for the package holiday there is more to this country than the beaches of the costas and islands. The independent traveler will want to move around see what more Spain has to offer.

Getting there – There are thirty one airports on the mainland serving the following cities and towns: A Coruna, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Asturias, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Cordoba, Girona, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Leon, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Pamplona, Reus, Sabadell, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago, Sevilla, Valencia, Valladolid, Vigo and Zaragoza. In the Canaries the islands of El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote and Tenerife and in the Balearics Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca all have airports. Gibraltar, the British colony at the southern most tip of Spain, also has it’s own airport. British Airways and the Monarch fly daily to Gibraltar from several departure points in the United Kingdom and Monarch has some very good deals on seats. Major carriers provide scheduled flights to Spain but it is also a principal destination for budget airlines with return flights available for less than 100 Euros from other European cities. It is also possible to pick up bargain seats on the many charter flights serving the tourist industry. Air travel within Spain, with the exception of a couple of budget airlines, is expensive.

Major roads provide access from Portugal to the west and France which borders Spain to the northeast. Road travel within the country can vary. Many roads are not of a good standard but Spain has received billions of Euros in aid from the European Union and much of this has been spent on the infrastructure and so it is also possible to travel on some of the newest and finest roads on the continent. The country is well served by many bus companies linking the major towns and cities with express services. There are also a wealth of local bus services.

The train service is well developed enabling access to the country from both Portugal and France and fast travel between towns and cities within Spain. Fares are cheap compared to some other major European countries. Madrid and Barcelona are served by extensive Metro (underground railway) networks.

In addition to the many inter island services ferries run from the mainland to both the island groups and the two enclaves in Morocco. The Canary Islands are served by a boat running from Cadiz. The journey is long, some 48 hours and the sea conditions often make for a rough passage. It may be preferable to fly although as we have already pointed out this can be expensive. Ferries from Tariffa and Algeciras, in the Andalucian province of Cadiz, run to Tanger in Morroco. Ferries also link the enclave of Cueta with Tariffa, Algeciras and Malaga. Mellila, the other enclave is served by a boats out of Malaga and Almeria. The Balearic Islands have services to the mainland running to Barcelona, Valencia and Denia.

More information about Spain can be found at the Spanish Travel Guide

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By admin, January 12, 2010 7:33 pm

Ski Resorts for BeginnersBreckenridge

Breckenridge’s Peak Nine training area is one of the best in Colorado for novices and those with intermediate skiing skills. The very smooth, dry snow makes perfecting parallel turns easy, and the high-speed quad chair life means more time to practice and less time traveling. Breckenridge also provides challenging ski slopes for advanced skiers. Many local hotels provide ski-in and ski-out access to Breckenridge’s trails.Buttermilk

Buttermilk took top honors last year in SKI Magazine’s ranking of ski schools nationwide. Buttermilk is part of the Aspen ski resort network, and is ranked second (after Snowmass) as the nation’s best ski destination for families. Classes are small, and the 200 instructors offer personalized instruction designed to get novices on the slopes quickly and safely. All 43 runs are easy enough for beginners, and once you get out of the glut of beginners at the bottom of the slopes, the well-kept trails offer scenic beauty and excellent skiing.Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is a perennial favorite, also located in Colorado, and offers some of the lowest-priced packages to be had in the Rockies. Long, wide novice trails occupy the west portion of the resort, and progressively more difficult skiing can be found in the eastern half. Located near Vail, Copper Mountain shares the high country’s superb snow conditions and provides adequate if not spectacular lift access.Crested Butte

Crested Butte Another superb Colorado beginner’s venue, features long, smooth, well-groomed runs on which to practice parallel turns and other skiing techniques. Crested Butte, recently the host of the U.S. Extreme Skiing Championship, offers advanced skiing and 150 acres of novice terrain. You can find discount accommodations and even free skiing at specified times. A popular resort for skiing holidays.Deer Valley

Deer Valley Utah is another location that features smooth, well-groomed, open ski slopes and runs that offer beginners a lot of choice without pushing them past their limits. First-time skiers will delight in Wild West, a beginner’s-only area, free from the unexpected assaults of hot-dog professionals. Deer Valley reportedly offers the best food and customer service in the Rockies.Mount Snow Vermont

Mount Snow Vermont is reportedly the best Eastern venue for skiers who want to move up from novice to professional skill level. With a wide choice of rapid lifts on its gentler trails, Mount Snow clearly values the beginning skier, and the excellent cruising runs will keep more advanced skiers happy as wellNorthstar-at-Tahoe

Northstar-at-Tahoe California offers a wide range of ski slopes for the novice and intermediate skier. The terrain is primarily intermediate, and the lower runs are as good as any in the West. For novices who still fear lifts, Tahoe offers a conveyor belt modeled after airport conveyors, called the Magic Carpet, that will whisk them up the slopes without causing a panic attack. Tahoe also has slopes for more advanced skiers.Park City Utah

Park City Utah is large enough to offer an opportunity to all levels of skiers, from the first-timer to the advanced. The 3,100 feet of vertical drop makes it seem like an advanced skier’s resort; the large network of open intermediate runs provides a venue for the intermediate skier, and the addition of several new lifts make even the central runs accessible to beginners. Other good beginner’s resorts include Snowmass, in Colorado, which features a Treehouse Kid’s Adventure Center and the Elk Camp Meadows training center. Or visit Steamboat, high in the Colorado Rockies, famed for its welcoming, down-home atmosphere and 164 trails which cater to everything from the novice to the professional. For Vermonters, Timberline features 1,000 vertical feet of runs and one long beginner’s trail. Upper Midwesterners can ski Welch or Afton, in Minnesota. Afton is reported as less pricey, but Welch offers better beginner’s slopes. The lifts at Welch are a little slow and cranky, but the slopes are groomed more often.

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By admin, January 12, 2010 7:35 am

This article is about the Lhasa travel and Tibet travel. You can find some helpful information in it if you are planning your trip to Tibet now.

Tibet is a mysterious land. It is called the “roof of the world” and there are many beautiful stories about this old-line place. You will not feel this unique attraction until you are really standing here in the land of Tibet.

Here are some tips for your first time travel to Tibet:1. To get in Tibet by air is not a very good choice. The sudden transition of the altitude will possibly cause the severe altitude sickness, which is a big concern for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel.

2. The Qinghai-Tibet train began to operate in July 2006. It took less than 48 hours to travel from Beijing to Tibet by train. The cheapest ticket is only 389 RMB .This kind of transportation is better than the air because you can slowly adapt to Tibet’s high altitude instead of a sudden transition of the altitude if you take the plane. The railways are now connected Tibet directly with Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou and Xining. You can find more details about the train services to Tibet from our website: Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM (Lhasa travel, Tibet travel and China vacations Info)

3. You can bring some fruits and bread on your way to Tibet. For the first time travellers to Tibet,  the chance to get some altitude sickness is pretty big and you will not have the appetite for regular food because of this sickness. Most people vomitted after eating meats. Fruits are very good choice in this kind of situation.

4. Some medicines(Like flu medicine, antidiarrheal, woundplast, etc) are very helpful for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel. Some people said that the flu would cause the severe altitude sickness and kill the first time Tibet travellers. Actually it is not that terrifying to get some cold in Tibet. You need to take some flu medicine immediatly when you have a cold or fever. This will help to alleviate the altitude sickness in Tibet.

5. If you arrive at Lhasa,Tibet on the midnight, the motels near the railway station is a good choice for you. Some people believe that it will consume too much oxygen if you have a shower in Tibet. This is a ridiculous theory from the travellers getting in Tibet by air. You don’t need to worry about this oxygen issue if you got here by train and your body is going to stink after the long time travel if you don’t have a shower.    The price for these motels is about 70 rmb for a two beds room with hot water.

6. If you don’t like the motels in Tibet, you can choose the Balang hostel, Jiri hostel or Xueyu hotel instead. The advantage is that you can find some friends with common interests there and share the costs for the Tibet trip. Balang hostel: 70 rmb for a two beds room, 90 rmb for a three beds room, 100 rmb for a four beds room. 24 hours hot water and laundry services are available in Balang hostel.

7. It is really cold in the morning and you will need to wear a sweater or jacket. Do not take the risk because you will be in big trouble if you get a cold in Tibet.

8. To get out of Tibet by air is a smart choice. You don’t need to worry about the altitude sickness anymore and there are airline services available every day in Lhasa. The cost is 1200 rmb from Lhasa to Chengdu and the taxi service from the downtown of Lhasa to Lhasa Gongga airport costs 120 rmb.

Copyright belongs to Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM .  You can find more information about lhasa travel, tibet travel, china vacations from our web site.NOTE: Permission is granted by the copyright owner to disseminate this article in whole or in part provided credit is given to the author (with a link to the article’s source URL Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM ) and this NOTE is not removed.