The Sahara Desert, the “King of Deserts” spans over many countries in northern Africa. There are places off-limits in this vast sandy land, but there are also places that will make a trip to the Sahara worthwhile.
The best way to gain entry to the Sahara is probably through Morocco. While Royal Air Maroc is the only airline that features direct flights from the U.S., you can also get there by Air France, Qatar Airways, Delta, Condor, Turkish Airlines, and Norwegian, as long as you are okay with a layover.
It takes about 20 hours (if you factor in layovers) to fly into Marrakesh to visit the Sahara Desert. You can also fly to the Sahara, by way of Egypt, and book travel through Delta, United, or American Airlines. Once you land in Cairo, you can take a bus to the desert.
You can also go through a tour company to plan a Saharan adventure. That way, you don’t have to plan the entire trip yourself. Tours to the Sahara are often reasonably priced, so you can go on a Saharan holiday without breaking the bank.
Don’t visit the Sahara in the summer, or between June and September, as it can be unpleasantly hot. If you travel between November and February, the temperatures can plummet at night to uncomfortably cold and freezing numbers. Also, dust storms prevail from February to April. Therefore, the best time to go is May or October.
When a man and woman enter a restaurant in Italy, it is common practice for the man to always enter first, ahead of the lady, as a way to protect her. Also, when sitting down, the man, not the lady, should be facing the exit sign in the restaurant. Women should always order first before men.
If several women are sitting at a table, the waiter will usually start the order by asking the oldest woman first and going from there.
While you can drink an espresso just about any time of the day, you cannot drink a cappuccino in the afternoon, or after the noon hour. That simply is not done in Italy.
However, you can have your cappuccino for breakfast, along with a cornetto, a crescent-shaped pastry that is made of flour, eggs, milk, salt, sugar, butter, and yeast.
Don’t expect to have any more than that if you eat breakfast in Italy. If you are expecting ham and eggs or pancakes, you can’t have that for breakfast unless you stay at an American-based hotel.
Also, don’t ask for parmesan with your pizza. That is not done either. Unless a cheese is offered, you will offend your host.
The world’s northernmost town is known as Longyearbyen, located on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. It has 2,100 residents and can be reached in 3 hours by plane from Oslo. It is also 650 miles from the North Pole.
Because it is secluded, the town is dark 4 months of the year and light for another 4 months. Consider this too – there are more polar bears than people in this remote location.
Although it is remote, Longyearbyen also has modern amenities and features a cinema and restaurants. Plus, the town is home to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a depository for seeds for every known crop on the earth. The permafrost at the site preserves the seeds for possible later use.
Biking, hiking, and car tours are offered that lead to the outside of the seed bank.
While Longyearbyen is not the most exciting place on the earth, you can say, if you go there, that you have visited the earth’s northernmost town. If you want to make the trip more interesting, you might combine it with a trip to Oslo.
Once a boom town in the 1970s, Varosha, at the time, was the French Riviera of Cypress – a place that attracted celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bridget Bardot, Sophia Loren and Richard Burton.
However, all that changed in 1974, when Turkish forces caused the resort’s 39,000 inhabitants to flee and leave the exclusive hotels and shops behind. Today, you cannot get inside the town, as it has been blocked off to the public. Everything has been left the same while the buildings have decayed and fallen into disrepair.
During its heyday, about 700,000 visitors stayed at the beach resort annually. Currently, officials in Cypress are thinking of revitalizing Varosha, returning it to its former glory.
Again, you really cannot see the ghost town up-close, as barbed wire blocks off entry. However, you can still visit the public beach outside the former resort town where the faded resort’s deteriorating buildings overlook the sandy shores.
If you want to see a ghost town up-close and want to experience a more interactive adventure, you might plan a visit to Craco, Italy, which was abandoned at the end of the twentieth century. Located in the south in Basilicata, inhabitants left Craco because of an infrastructural problem that led to a landslide. Today, hard hat tours are given of the once thriving town.
Exmouth is a great place to base yourself to see more of Devon and enjoy Exmouth’s long sandy beach, ample attractions and family-friendly hotel choices. As a family, the best day trips would be to explore nearby towns and villages and visit some of Devon’s best attractions.
The public transport in Exmouth is excellent with a branch-line train service running to the nearby city of Exeter via some picturesque villages. Buses also run to many nearby coastal destinations. It could also be worth hiring a car if you’re planning on more than one day trip or trips to Devon locations further afield, such as Totness and Plymouth. Some attractions can be hard to reach on public transport.
Topsham is perfect for a half-day trip, located 15-minutes by train; you can walk through the historical village, view the estuary and grab a bite to eat with views. Dawlish is another fantastic choice. Explore the small town and relax on the sandy beach overlooking the Exe Estuary and Exmouth.
If you want all the transportation done for you, Stuart Line Cruises provide a variety of trips to nearby destinations, including Sidmouth, Torquay, Brixham and Exeter. You’ll sail along the Jurassic coast before stopping for a set amount of time in your chosen destination.
Koh Phangan is one of Thailand’s most beautiful islands with spectacular beaches, stunning sunsets, ample day trip choices, and plenty to do. Although Koh Phangan has made a name for itself as a party island among backpackers, there are plenty of family-friendly resorts. The Full Moon Party is the main party on the island, running once per month. I would recommend not visiting the island at this time. Accommodation increases in price and a different kind of tourist visits the island. I would also avoid staying in the Haad Rin Beach area.
One of the best resorts for families is Thong Nai Pan which has stunning views and a white sandy beach. There’s plenty to do in the area, from exploring the nearby waterfalls to going on kayaking or trying out the beach swing. You should also consider staying in Chaloklum, a fishing village with a fantastic beach. There’s plenty of nearby temples to explore for an all-round authentic experience.
The resorts of Haad Yao and Haad Salad are also great for families. Watch the kids play in the shallow waters or try your hand at snorkelling. No matter which part of the island you decide to base yourself in, you can go on day trips to other areas on the island or venture further afield on a day trip to nearby Koh Samui, Ang Thong Marine Park or Koh Tao.
The best time to visit Santorini depends on what you’d like to do during your trip. Temperatures vary dramatically throughout the year from 10-29°C. The main tourist season runs from May until October, with the most popular months being during school holiday periods and July to September. The best time to visit the island is in June/early July and late September.
If you’re planning on spending lots of time exploring Santorini’s stunning beaches, you should visit from June to September when the weather is a pleasant temperature for some beach time.
Santorini can get very busy during peak season, with the main tourist spots becoming overcrowded. Bus tours from other islands and cruise ships also frequently visit Santorini in peak season, contributing to the main spots’ crowding, especially in Oia and during the spectacular sunsets.
All of the island’s accommodation can become booked out for peak season, especially in Oia, so make sure you book in advance if you choose to visit in mid-summer. If no accommodation is available in your chosen destination, consider staying in the capital, Fira, where bus routes run all over the island.
Singapore is more expensive than most countries in Asia, ranking in the top five. Many travelers visit Singapore on a budget, and it is very doable. Not staying in hostels will increase your costs, but there’s plenty of budget hotels available too! When you’re planning on visiting a city on a budget, there are a few things you need to consider before you go. With a bit of pre-planning, you can have the perfect budget trip.
The first point of consideration is how you’ll get to Singapore. Changi Airport has flights coming in from all over Asia, which have varying prices. However, if you’re planning a route around Asia, try to enter Singapore overland at least one way. Traveling to Singapore by bus from Malaysia is significantly cheaper. If you catch a short bus to Melaka and then change to Singapore, your journey will be even more affordable than booking a direct bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.
Next, you should think about the accommodation. Use hotel booking websites to find the cheapest hotel deals for your dates. A basic single room can be found for as little as £23. The most affordable areas to stay in Singapore are usually Geylang, Chinatown, Novena, and Little India. All destinations have excellent metro access.
Food in Singapore is relatively cheap. Shop at local supermarkets and eat out at the Hawker Markets. You should also think about the things you want to do in Singapore. Attractions can be some of the biggest budget spenders, so choose carefully. If there’s an attraction you’d like to visit, consider going but don’t factor in too many attractions. Buying a hop on hop off bus ticket is a great way to see the whole city on a budget. You could also use the MRT underground system to get around.
Zagreb is an excellent choice of destination and well-worth the detour from your other scheduled destinations. The two cities lie 400km from each other, and there are many transport options to make the journey to suit all budgets.
The more expensive yet much quicker option is to fly from Zagreb to Split, which takes just 50 minutes with Croatia Airlines.
There’s also a train service which runs from Zagreb to Split with a journey duration of around six hours with an average ticket price of £21.45 for a day train. You could also opt for the overnight train, taking 8 hours. However, this option is much longer. You’ll be able to see the stunning scenery of most of inland Croatia, passing through scenic villages and mountains. The cheapest option is to travel via coach, which will take you just over five hours with a price of £11-£18.
If you’re planning on seeing more destinations in mainland Croatia, I would recommend hiring a car in Zagreb. Many companies would allow you to drop the car in Split or Dubrovnik at the end of your journey. However, you need to consider the extra cost of a car if you’re planning on doing some island hopping. The drive from Zagreb to Split would take you around four hours, and you could make some scenic stops on the way, such as Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Palma is an excellent destination and ideal for families, with so many attractions from Palma Cathedral, Palma Aquarium to the Train de Soller. Travelling with kids, you’ll need accommodation that suits everyone’s needs with enough space and a good location.
Staying in Palma city centre, you’ll be near all of the key sights, but you may not get as much for your money. You should also consider staying in an apartment. Apartments generally cater to larger families and have cooking facilities so you can save money on eating out and maybe even have your own romantic dinner when the kids are in bed.
Another option is to stay south of Palma on one of the picturesque beaches. This way you can enjoy swimming in the sea and playing on the beach – travelling to Palma for a day of sightseeing. The BQ Belvedere has great deals on family rooms. There’s also a pool so you can cool off after a day of sightseeing. The INNSIDE Melia Palma Bosque also has some excellent deals and a pool. Wherever you decide to stay, I’m sure you’ll be able to find some great deals!
