Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

River cruise in Bangkok – sightseeing on the Chao Phraya ...

A river cruise in Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River gives the visitor an overview of the legacies on this river of kings. The historical monuments, grand palaces, temples and various communities on the riverbanks present a historical insight into the city and also a picture of stark contrasts.It needn’t have to be an elaborate affair; you can cut the frills and expenses. Plan the river cruise yo. . .

Weekend Getaways and Mini- Vacations!

You need to get away, but don’t have the time or money to take a week or two off to head to your favorite destinations. Many people count out taking a weekend and heading to a semi-local vacation spot that allows them to get away, relax, enjoy time alone or together, and find romance, rest, fun, or whatever it is you are looking for in a vacation.The beauty of weekend getaways is that you can . . .

The Perfect Opportunity To Admire Malaga

The Costa del Sol where Malaga is found, is one the places in Spain where you find so much history in such a small space. And it does not matter in what direction you travel, you are going to come across ruins and all kinds of traces that take you hundreds of years back in time. But the best part is that you are not only going to find culture during the day but also the real up to date culture . . .

7 Killer Ways To Beat Jet Lag

When you’re headed out on a vacation or business trip the last thing you need is to feel tired or run down. But with these seven tips to beat jet lag, you’re sure to stay alert and ready for your entire trip.Keep it the sameWhen you’re not traveling for long, you can usually avoid jet lag by sticking to your normal routine. Keep your watch set to your ‘home’ time and just do what you’d normally. . .

Backpacking In The Sleeping Bear Dunes

I was backpacking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was March, so when I made it through the woods and over the dunes, I'd have miles of beach to myself. It was an over-nighter, a chance to test new ultralight backpacking equipment. I hiked the wooded hills quickly, enjoying the cold air.Halfway through the forest, I stopped to cook noodles. The cheap 3-ounce pot was from a dollar store, and it wo. . .

New England Hikes #1- Cape Cod's Highland Lighthouse Area

Whether you're driving from on or off Cape Cod a great sunset hike can be had at one of the most beautiful vistas in New England. Truro's Highland Light and the Jenny Lind tower are located about 75 miles down Cape Cod and frame an easy, but naturally and historically interesting, hike. Actually this is more jaunt then hike. Traveling north on Route 6, the Highland Lighthouse area is 3.3 mil. . .

Travel to Croatia: A Beginner's Guide

Croatia has quickly become Europe's hottest destination, and for good reason. The rocky coastline continues for 1778 kilometres and includes pine-fringed coves, wide sandy beaches and cozy inlets. As if that weren't enough, there are a good 1185 islands that range from lush and wooded to stark and hilly. Yachties love the sailing opportunities, sunbathers have an incredible choice of beaches an. . .

How Safe Are Ferries?

In 2003, a ferry in New York City struck a pier in Staten Island, killing eleven and injuring more than seventy. In 2005, a ferry in British Columbia missed the dock and crashed into small boats in the marina. And more recently, a ferry in the Red Sea sank, claiming the lives of over one thousand passengers. Just a few days previous to that disaster, a ferry in Indonesia sank, killing dozens. . .

New York City - Without Breaking Your Budget

It’s the Big Apple, baby, and all roads eventually lead – or cross – in its streets. But you won’t be doing your sightseeing there, because it’s too expensive…right? If you’re resourceful, there are many free and/or inexpensive tourist destinations in New York City. Below are but a few – including well-known sites, food, and New York’s art scene.THE SITES- Central Park – Stretch your legs an. . .

Choosing The Right Bahamas Vacation Package For Your Family

The Bahamas are a group of islands located west of Florida. It is for most people a perfect place, especially for newlyweds on their honeymoon, for those who just want to have a relaxing vacation, and for a fun filled and exciting family vacation. The Bahamas are famous for its beautiful beaches and exhilarating activities that suit diverse types of experience. People who often visit the Bahama. . .

San Diego Beach Hikes - Cardiff to Carlsbad

San Diego offers a bevy of interesting hikes. With the average home price being around $500,000, they better be interesting!To unwind, I typically stop on my way home from work to hike from Cardiff to Carlsbad on the beach. For picturesque sunsets and "tasty waves", the beach between Cardiff to Carlsbad can't be beat.Cardiff - StartingI typically start this hike by parking just south of restaur. . .

Guidelines for Safe Traveling

Guidelines for Safe TravelingIt's important to be prepared for any eventuality when youare heading out of town. You can never tell what kind ofsituation you might have to face. So, be prepared to handlesituations like disease, crime, or loss.If you're traveling out of the country, you want to check tosee if there are immunizations that are required to enter.You can check with the country's heal. . .

Have a "Home Base" with a Vacation Rental or Holiday Home

The number of families taking vacations is on the rise along with the need for something different. Some families want ski vacations while others might want to go to the beach or a popular tourist attraction. Regardless of the destination, impersonal hotel rooms are being ditched for vacation rentals and holiday homes. Vacation rentals and holiday homes are a great alternative for those who w. . .

A Guide To Resorts In The Alps

The alps are a popular winter travel destination. Skiing, snowboarding, ice skating and other winter activities abound throughout the mountainous area. The Alps are shared among many countries, including Austria, France, German, Italy and Switzerland. Whether you are looking for a family vacation or are more adventurous and enjoy mountaineering and extreme skiing, you will find something for ev. . .

A Day In Whistler

The snow is falling furiously outside my window when I am woken by telephone ringing at 0710. I remember that I asked to be called early if it was snowing, and Stefan, my hunky Austrian instructor is at the other end of the line. “I’ll see you at the bottom of the Creekside gondola in 20 minutes”, he says. “Can you really make it that quickly?”. He doesn’t realize that I am staying at one of Ho. . .

Barcelona, Spain's Rebel City

Barcelona is a town with a history that like a good Catalan red wine is both rich and dark. Its foundations stretch back to at least the 15th century BC, if not earlier. Like so much of ancient Europe the Romans founded the first semblance of the town we know today as Barcelona. In the centuries that followed Barcelona was invaded by many powerful groups of people including the Visigoths, the M. . .

Dine Under the Stars on a Panoramic Ocean Terrace Overloo...

Those who stay at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan are likely to find a Mazatlan restaurant that suits their dining needs without even leaving the resort. Mazatlan offers a wide variety of dining options including authentic Mexican cuisine as well as a variety of other ethnic specialties and an assortment of steak and seafood restaurants. While Mazatlan does offer a wide variety of dining options at . . .

Hello from Cuba (12) - Contrasts and Contradictions

I really gotta hurry, I only have about 28 minutes left on my Internet card so I am going to try to be brief here.The last few days have been extremely interesting. I am not a political expert, but in a city like Havana you can´t help but be confronted with politics. Everywhere you see billboards with political slogans, monuments of heroes that were significant in Cuba´s history, pictures of Ch. . .

Hello from Cuba (11) - Inside A Cuban Home

So I am sitting here in a new place and I gotta hurry since I bought a $6 CUC Internet access card and I only have 53 minutes left.At any rate, the dinner at Pedro´s family on Sunday was amazing. We took the GuaGua (Public Transit System) and after about 1 hour we arrived in the area of Marinao. From there we had to walk another 30 minutes or so to get to his house.There I was received by an en. . .

Hello from Cuba (13) - Exploring Downtown Havana

The last few days I have spent quite a bit of time walking around downtown Havana - or Habana Vieja, as they say around here. It is an extremely fascinating place and one of the most architecturally consistent colonial city centres in the world.A few days ago, my local friend Pedro and I went to explore the Capitolio, which is a beautiful building, ironically very reminiscent of the Capitol in . . .

Hello from New York City (1) - First Impressions of the B...

So yesterday morning our American Airways flight (booked for free with my Airmiles) left at 7:13 am to bring us to the Big Apple, a place I had always had a fascination with, but only had visited twice very briefly in my life,and that more than 10 years ago.Just flying in over NYC was an experience itself, seeing all the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the various bridges linking the mainland with th. . .

Preparing for the Rio Carnival

So, this is the Brazil. This is what Rio de Janeiro is really all about. When the Carnival arrives, companies close down, shops shut their doors early, and streets are closed off to make way for dancing, parties and parades. This awe inspiring festivity not only provides entertainment for the thousands of people attending the Carnival, but also for the millions watching it on their televisions,. . .

Hello from New York City (2) - Exploring Mid-Town Manhattan

Since our plane landed nice and early we had virtually a whole day left to explore yesterday. The weather was pretty nice, quite sunny when we started, although it clouded over a little and was a little on the cool side, it never got much above 15 degrees Celsius.Around noon time we hopped on the Q subway line, which is literally 5 minutes from our bed and breakfast, and we made our way into Ma. . .

Finding Fun Ways to Travel With Children

Tips for Traveling with ChildrenA lot of people believe that travel is an essential part ofany child's education, and quite rightly so. But how oftenhave you heard the parents complain about how cumbersometheir kids have been to them when they have taken them out.It is not that parents don't want to travel with theirchildren but on the contrary parents love to be in thecompany of their children. . .

Hello from Cuba (14) - Field Trips and Interviews

During the past close to 2 weeks, I have really been trying to understand Cuba, its politics, its economy, its people, its mentality. I have been talking to as many locals as I could, and every night before I go to bed, I have been reading books about Cuba in addition to having purchased some local Cuban books which are going to give me more insight about this unique, contradictory place.Yester. . .

Hello from Cuba (15) - Goodbye, Havana.....

So my stay in the Cuban capital is rapidly coming to a close. Even the good weather seems to have taken leave. This morning it clouded over, followed by an intense downpour and now the sky is grey and the wind is blowing strongly. Unless the weather improves, I think it´s going to be a day for a museum or a movie and for letting this Cuban adventure come to a slow and gentle close.These last 2 . . .

7 Tips For Successful Travel

We all travel a lot more now than our ancestors did. We travel all over the world and only think of the jet lag, and not the vast distances we cover. Our world has become smaller and more reachable. And this is a good thing. It helps us to understand different cultures, different people with different ways of living and working. But there are a few essentials we should always check before setti. . .

Hello from Cuba (10) - A Country Excursion

After my walk through the Vedado neighbourhood, my friend Pedro came to pick me up since I had suggested a little excursion with a rental car to get to know the countryside. His wife and sister-in-law unfortunately coulnd't make it since their cousin was coming to town. La Habana can feel a little claustrophobic since the transportation options are limited and even a basic taxi ride to the East. . .

Egypt Resorts And Attractions

If you make a decision to spend your vacation in Egypt, usually you have a choice of two sea resorts – Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh. They both are very popular, but Hurghada is situated in African continent while Sharm El Sheikh lies on Sinai peninsula. About 30 years ago Hurghada was just a simple fishing village. But now, with it's a resort with crystal clear water, untouched reefs. It . . .

Holiday Events At Southern California Beaches

There are plenty of reasons to head to the beach this December. Luckily, the weather in Southern California is pretty nice in the winter compared to most parts of the country. The following Christmas and holiday events should help get you in the spirit of the season, Southern California style.San DiegoOn the first weekend in December, Balboa Park in San Diego celebrates the holidays with an a. . .

Travel to New-York City, Part I - Statue of Liberty

Seen from above, Manhattan Island looks like a ship determined to break loose from nature’s hold and head for the open sea and the world beyond. Instead, the great wide word has come to her, in the form of millions immigrants who through the years have totally changed her physiognomy, bringing new languages new colours, new tastes and even a new shape. The bow of this imaginary vessel is lower . . .

Hello from the Ottawa River: Mating in the Wild and Other...

On July 23 and 24 my friend Leslie and I went on a weekend adventure: a learn-how-to-kayak weekend on the Ottawa River. We had a great time, combining sports and relaxation on a weekend away from the city. As you know, wherever I am, I keep my eyes open for interesting travel-related story ideas, and one story idea decidedly hit me right in the face when we started socializing with the other we. . .

Hello from the Ottawa River - And Reflections on City Life

So Friday I decided to head out on a kayaking weekend with my friend Leslie. This was the first time in about 8 years that I went camping again, and I had a ball sleeping under the stars. A fabulous weekend in nature makes you think about life a little bit, so here are a few snapshots of what's been going through my head in the last few days. In particular, I have been thinking about our lifest. . .

Hello from New York City (7) - The final day: Brooklyn's ...

Yesterday was our last day in New York City and our flight left at 7:57 pm, so we figured we'd store our luggage at the B&B for a few hours and head out one more time for one more round of urban exploration.Well, one area we hadn't seen much yet was Brooklyn (other than Coney Island which we explored on Friday). We really liked Brooklyn, formerly a sleepy suburban area, which has has nicely mat. . .

Hello from the Ottawa River - Learning How to Whitewater ...

Way back when in February I went to the Outdoor Adventure Show and I twisted my friend Leslie's arm to go on a learn-how-to-kayak weekend with me. We booked 2 days including meals, kayaking lessons and camping accommodation with a company called Equinox Adventures that has a rafting and kayaking camp located on Calumet Island in the Ottawa River.So Friday we got ready, I picked Leslie up from w. . .

Hello from Rochester: Exploring ArtWalk -

If you have read my articles for a while, you know that I am a visual arts lover. One of the highlights of my Rochester trip was a walk through the Neighbourhood of the Arts. My local experts Patti and Carrie met me in the morning and we started off with a lovely breakfast at a restaurant called Jine's, located in a bustling neighbourhood on Park Avenue. The friendly feel of this city became ev. . .

Hello from Victoria (1) - Reaching the West Coast

Jetlag is an amazing thing. It's barely after 5 am and I have already been reading for an hour an a half. So I figured I might as well use this bout of sleeplessness and record my first impressions of British Columbia. My WestJet flight out of Toronto left a 7:15 am yesterday, so that meant I got up at 4:30 am, after 2.5 hours of sleep, to check all my luggage, eat a brief breakfast and get mys. . .

Hello from Cuba (16) - The Final Day

My god, how time flies.... I have now been back from Cuba for close to 10 days, and my reentry into the business world has been the usual: tons of projects to catch up on, accounting stuff to be taken care off, marketing strategies to be worked out, etc. etc. As a result I didn't have time yet to tell you about my final day in Cuba and my reflections and insights after my return. On Friday afte. . .

Hello from New York City (3) - Crossing the Brooklyn Brid...

What a full day we had yesterday. We had a delightful breakfast in our bed and breakfast at about 8:30 am and shared some nice conversations with a young couple from Sweden and an older couple from Holland, the hostess was participating as well. This is one of my favourite things about bed and breakfasts, usually they offer really tasty filling meals and a great conversation to go with it.We go. . .

Mississippi's Recovery, Fast and Steadfast

Mississippi Still a Great Place to LiveThe world watched in shock and horror as the images pouredin documenting the death and mass destruction caused byHurricane Katrina. The hard work and sacrifices of pastand current generations seemed to be destroyed in the blinkof an eye along with the hopes and dreams of residentscaught up in the devastating storm.It took some time to assess the true exte. . .

Hello from New York City (4) - Staten Island and a Random...

The Staten Island Ferry is a fabulous institution. It is a huge ferry that departs from a very modern, glass enclosed terminal, holds several thousand people and in just about 20 minutes whisks you over to Staten Island, very close to the Statue of Liberty, and all this for free! One thing we really noticed about New York City is that we definitely love the public transportation system. With ou. . .

5 Tips To Help You Pack Wisely For Your Family Vacation

Going on a vacation? Planning for that vacation is part of the fun. Packing for that vacation is the part of the planning stage that I love. Ok, I was once a girl guide. The motto, Be Prepared still sticks with me. To be prepared for anything. On vacation, I often pull out from my bag all sorts of things when necessary. I used to carry a swiss knife with me as it is so handy, until I got sick o. . .

Hello from New York City (6) - Checking out (somewhat des...

So I am sitting here back in my office and I want to bring our last 2 days in New York City to paper. Considering that the weather forecast for Saturday was pretty bad (rain and maximum temperatures of 13 degrees C), the day turned out much nicer than expected.Surrounded mostly by Caribbean retail outlets, we got a headstart by walking down Flatbush Avenue in the heart of Brooklyn. At Avenue U . . .

Hello from New York City (5) - A Local Expert Takes Us Th...

Yesterday was a pretty interesting day, the weather was cool and overcast, with rain coming in during the latter part of the afternoon. A few weeks ago I had booked a meeting with one of the Big Apple Greeters, an organization of local NYC volunteers that takes out-of-town visitors around the city and shows them local sights and shares local information. The service is a great way to link up wi. . .

What To See And To Do In Mexico

Mexico is a big and old country. Everyone can find something interesting in this land. Ancient pyramids and temples, big modern megapolises and tropical resorts – it’s all here waiting for you to come. The trip to Mexico can be started with visit to its capital – Mexico City. It’s the third-largest metropolis in the world. Only Tokyo and New York City are bigger. This ex. . .

20 Safety Tips for Budget Travelers

1) When taking taxis from an airport to your hotel, travel in the more expensive airport taxis and ensure that the drivers have official identification. Never take a taxi waiting outside the airport grounds.I know this sounds extreme, but it is by far better to be safe then sorry. 2) When traveling from your hotel to the airport, go with a taxi recommended by the hotel. Again, taxi’s can be ver. . .

Hello from Cuba (2) - Rain in Vinales

So Saturday I had already planned to go to Vinales, a beautiful area in the province of Pinar del Rio, 190 km west of Havana. I took the Viazul bus from the Havana station, which is a modern bus network more or less for tourists and the one way fare is US$12 (way too much for the locals, most of whom end up taking local taxis or the cheaper and less reliable, more decrepit Astro bus system).A y. . .

Disney World Events in November

The year-ending holiday season is the best time to pay a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort. There are more season-specific events during this time than any other. This is great news for you if you happen to be traveling to Orlando in the upcoming month, but the number of events can be a bit overwhelming and daunting to keep up with so we have outlined the latest happenings at the Walt Disne. . .

Choosing The East Coast To Go On Vacation

Are you planning to go on vacations? Have you ever considered taking a road trip to the east coast of the United States? If you haven’t, you should, because this part of America offers a great variety of activities that you and your family can join to have a very good time. You should decide what to do depending on how much time you have. You can choose to drive all the way along the entirecoas. . .

Save Money – Stay In An Orlando Villa

Did you know that an Orlando vacation rental could cost the same if not LESS than a hotel or motel but offer you SO much more?Imagine you are going on holiday with friends or extended family and there are 10 people (for example) in your party. You could squeeze 4 or 5 at a time into a hotel room – 2 in each bed plus a rollaway bed ( which could be an extra charge). Picture it – all these people. . .