Travel - Best Places of Interest

April 25, 2018 Lifestyle

Planning a Staycation in NYC? Here’s How to Enjoy the City like a Tourist

Living in a place as large as New York City, sometimes it can be hard to remember all that the city has to offer. If you find yourself taking a staycation, you might be wondering where to go and what to see. Read the ideas below to find out how to enjoy the city like a tourist.

See the Statue of Liberty

New York, USA — Statue of Liberty New York USA lady liberty

Travel by ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands to see what is widely viewed as a symbol of democracy and freedom. Rather than just touring the grounds or the top of the pedestal, get tickets to access the crown.

Since reservations need to be made in advance, as New York City local, you have more opportunities than tourists to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Go on a Sightseeing Tour

Take a break from your transportation method of choice for a day and go on a sightseeing tour. TopView Sightseeing, one of the city’s sightseeing touring agencies, offers bus and cruise tours.

No matter which type you choose, you can see the attractions you take for granted as a local from the perspective of those visiting New York City for the first time.

Take in the Sounds of Broadway

While Times Square is an area that most locals view as a place for tourists, the lights and sounds of the Broadway theatre scene are enough to draw you to this busy intersection.

Musicals, plays, Off-Broadway shows and other performances, like comedy, acts, offer enthralling shows. Make a night of it and go to dinner and a show.

Indulge in New York Foods

Baked goods, New York, USA — Baked goods

From pizza and cheesecake to bagels and black-and-white cookies, everyone has a favourite New York food. Make it your goal to enjoy at least two of these staples for every day you play tourist.

Park yourself in Madison Square Park

Madison Square is a 6.2 acre of a public park located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street. Named after James Madison, the 4th president of the U.S., this park is also home to the original Shake Shack and relax in the urban oasis that is Madison Square Park. As you enjoy your burger and shake, people watch, observe the artwork and lay on the lawns.

Get Sporty

Play baseball at Yankee stadium, New York, USA — Play baseball at Yankee Stadium

Are you a baseball fan? Go to Yankee Stadium for a tour or game. If you are more into basketball or hockey, Madison Square Garden should be your destination. Witness the Rangers or the Knicks take on their biggest rivals in thrilling games.

Baseball fans, who are also fans of the hamburger, will appreciate Citi Field where the can get the renowned Bash Burger, a hamburger with a bacon jam and “secret” sauce of mayonnaise, garlic, ketchup, sherry vinegar and Sriracha.

Citi Field is home of the Mets. Located in Flushing Queens. The creation of chef Josh Capon, the Bash Burger can also be found at his restaurant on W Houston St, Barrel and Burger. The Bash Burger has apparently been around for quite a while, winning the People’s Choice Award for the tastiest burger at Rachael Ray’s Burger Bash at the NY Wine and Food Festival as far back as 2009.

Read a Book at the Library

Admission to the New York Public Library is free, but it is also one of the most beautiful in the world. Check out a book, settle down in a reading room or see the real Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends.

Visit The Met Cloisters

The Met Cloisters offer a taste of medieval Europe right in New York City. Sculptures, gardens, chapels and numerous photo opportunities await you. The Cloisters overlook the Hudson River, so you will get to see lovely views in addition to the museum.

View your city with new eyes as you explore it like a tourist. You might just learn or see something new.

Images courtesy-Pixabay

What is your favourite street food? -Part 4

March 23, 2018 Travel

2 Sets of Questions You Must Ask a Travel Agency before Booking Yunnan Birding Tours

Are you really stressed and bogged down because of your disturbed family life and tedious work pressure?

If yes, then I would suggest you go on a birding spree. What? You think that’s a boring idea?

Well, it’s not just you; there are several people who think that bird watching is boring and not a fruitful activity.

But in reality, this is really going to help you break free from all the stress (work or home related) that has been bothering you for months! Wondering where did I come to know about the benefits of bird watching? Well, I came to know about this from a friend of mine, who is a clinical psychiatrist. She said- “Bird watching is an awesome hobby that is beneficial to your health and happiness. It’s much more than just an aesthetic treat.” After she said this to me, I immediately packed my bags and set out for a birding voyage. And trust me, it really helps! So, if you really want to flush all your stress, please go on a birding tour.

Wondering, where should you go on a bird watching tour? Well, that depends on your choice. But, if you want to visit a place that’s not just well-known for being a home to several species of birds but also for its scenic beauty and tranquillity, then please visit Yunnan Province by booking a China birding tour package from a well-known travel company. But before that, there are a couple of questions that you need to ask the travel agency.

Thinking what kinds of questions should you ask them? Well, below I have listed the two sets of questions that you must ask the travel agency that is arranging Yunnan Birding Tours.

Set 1: Questions to Ask About the Company

“Are You a Registered Company?”

Before you book a Yunnan bird watching tour package from a travel agency, the first and foremost thing you need to ask them is whether they are registered or not. In case they are not, please find some other company.

Choosing a registered company is a must because after all, you are about to visit a different country and obviously, you wouldn’t want to end up being trapped by a team of frauds.

“Can You Provide Testimonials?”

The next question you must ask is if the company can provide client testimonials or not so that you can get a fair idea about what their previous customers have to say about their package, their guides, etc.

However, in case they are unable to provide testimonials, please make sure you ask them to share the link to a website (such as TripAdvisor) where their online reviews and ratings are posted.

Set 2: Questions to Ask about the Package

“Is the Package Inclusive of Food, Lodging and Travelling?”

The first package oriented question that you need to ask the travel agency is whether food, lodging and travelling are included in their package or not. If anyone of these three things is not included, then please do not book a birding package from that particular company. Why? Of course, because, these three things are the most important or rather, the staple elements of a tour package! If one is missing, you’ll have to spend double once you reach the destination.

“Is the Package Inclusive of the Guide’s Fee?”

If the travel agency from which you are thinking of purchasing Yunnan birding tours packages is charging separate fees for the guide, which you’ll have to hand over to them after reaching Yunnan, then please refrain from hiring that company. Instead, you must always choose a company that has the guide’s fee included in the travel package.

So now, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with a travel agency that you have in mind, ask these above-mentioned questions and then, decide if they are worth choosing or not. And for more articles on birding tours, keep following me!

You may also like to read Jim Corbett National Park

October 4, 2017 Travel

What you miss when you don’t travel a lot?

What are things you don’t know until you travel a lot?

Traveling is priceless and changes you. So here is what I’ve been learning since I started traveling around the world:

You don’t know it until you see it for yourself –

It doesn’t matter how much you read or plan a trip, being in contact with a different culture/religion/food/etc. is mesmerizing, and each people have a different experience.

You don’t need much –

The longer you travel, the more you realize you don’t need all that you’re carrying, and especially don’t need the dozens of shirts you left at home.

People are nice! Stay open to create bonds, but be ready to set apart –

People that travel during a lot of time have an intense way of living and seeing things. You will meet others where you will feel an instant connection. Be open for this, enjoy experiences together as much as you can, but be ready to go to different directions.

Travel slow, and don’t worry about visiting all places

When we start traveling we usually want to do many things, take thousands of photos…and then what? Do you really show/see all your photos? Traveling slower and without many plans will make the trip cheaper, and you may have unforgettable experiences since now you have time to experience.

What you miss when you don't travel a lot?

In my experience so far of traveling, mostly around Europe (36 countries so far), I have observed that:

Historical accounts and politics are never as black and white as media portrays. What we often read about and understand about other countries is a gross oversimplification.
There comes a point when you realize you can’t use your own culture and values as a baseline for comparison to another, much like comparing apples to oranges. Then the shock factor becomes less prominent.
You will learn infinitely more spending time with locals than if you rely on research alone.
Individuals are usually less likely to approach or befriend you if you travel in a group/couple; one of the few perks of traveling alone.

You may like to read Solo Trip in Europe

Some of the most spectacular destinations are actually the lesser visited so it’s worth thinking outside the box to avoid tourist traps and experiences served on a plate, so to speak.
Sometimes cultures will clash, but that’s okay. It’s always going to be an enlightening experience and a valuable lesson in respecting diversity

Guilherme Katzor, Sharing my passion for travel and dance around the world

Have you ever heard of tunnel-reality, which is a concept I got many years ago from Robert Anton Wilson?

Basically, it’s like this: Imagine there is a huge pipe attached in front of you and all you can see of what is front of you is whats down that pipe. All else is excluded. That’s as much as you know. All else is excluded. Well, that’s what it’s like when you only live in one country (and note that traveling for a couple of weeks to a ‘safe’ pre-packaged destination doesn’t count. You need to travel independently and for a good period of time. You need to take some chances. You need to see the country the way the natives do. And if English is your first language then going to English-speaking countries doesn’t count for much either. You need to be outside your comfort zone).

So if all you know is what you see down the pipe (the known, the familiar) then you have no point of comparison. You can’t place your own culture because you have no alternative experience to compare it to. To some extent, adventurous travel will give you a point of comparison. And the more you do it the more you realize you don’t know that much!! You lose the certainty you naively once had. That’s the beginning of insight and a little wisdom (maybe).

Maybe we could make a better world by forcing American rednecks and Islamic fundamentalists to travel outside the certainty of their limited tunnel reality worlds??

Tony Smyth, Author Fukushima and the Coming Tokyo Earthquake (2011-present

THE MAIN TWO THINGS ARE KNOWLEDGE AND FEELING BEAUTY OF NATURE.

1. Traveling is easier than you think.

We believe that traveling around the world shouldn’t be hard: it’s actually something everyone should be able to do at least once in their lives. Whether you choose to spend a few years or just a couple of months traveling this beautiful planet, it’s important to see what’s out there. It’s up to you to make the dream come true and take the first step.

2. Travel opens your eyes.

If you’re open and willing, travel will make you an incredibly more well-rounded human being. And that’s really the goal, isn’t it?

3. Traveling helps you learn who you are.

All the challenges and opportunities travel lays at your feet help you discover who you are in a way that’s only possible on the road.

4. Travel creates meaningful relationships

People you meet while on the road become some of the most valued names on your contact list. They become places on the map to visit later on. These folks give you a glimpse outside your hometown circle of friends and force you to take in new and refreshing perspectives, and ultimately realize that everyone is the same.

5. Traveling develops skills you didn’t know you had

Sometimes it’s only far from home that you realize you-you’ve got skills you’ve never used. It’s travel that brings them to the surface and makes you smile, satisfied to have reached the mountaintop, or crossed a gorge or helped a villager clean up after a storm, or even to have successfully ordered a meal at a rural Chinese restaurant.

6. Travel helps you learn new languages

There’s something satisfying about being able to throw around a few words of Greek, knowing how to say thanks in Thai, pulling out that long-dormant Spanish to book a room in Santiago, or simply hearing a language you didn’t know existed just a few weeks before.

7. Travel means adventure

Zip-lining over the jungle canopy in Peru, successfully navigating the maze-like streets of Venice, bartering for the best price in the traditional markets of Marrakech, taking a speedboat ride in New Zealand, or hopping in a Land Rover and heading out to watch animals grazing in Tanzania: these are adventures worth having. People are hardwired for the excitement of adventure and travel may just be the best way to tap into it.

8. Traveling gives you perspective

Meeting people from other cultures will teach you that the way you’ve been looking at the world isn’t the way everybody else does. In fact, your point-of-view might have some major blind spots. Seeing the world for yourself will improve your vision and your grip on reality.

9. Travel helps you move forward

If you’re between jobs, schools, kids, or relationships, around the world travel can be a perfect way to move from one of these life stages into your next great adventure.

10. Travel is education

Seeing the world provides an education that’s absolutely impossible get in school. Travel teaches you economy, politics, history, geography, and sociology in an intense, hands-on way no class will.

11. Travel challenges you

Getting your daily latte at the same place and staring at your screen at your nine-to-five every day not nearly interesting enough? Even if you choose to work on the road (and keep staring at the screen), you’ll have to find a new place to drink your latte and depending on your destination, finding coffee, and foamy milk or a good place to sip them could prove to be a sizeable challenge. Travel is full of moments of joy and challenges. Overcoming the challenges gives you some of the greatest joys of all.

12. Travel shakes things up

It sucks to be stuck in a rut. Everyone knows what that’s like. A big trip can be your perfect solution. Fly around the world, stopping over in all of the places you’ve always wanted to visit.

13. Traveling proves that dreams do come true

You imagined it, daydreamed about it, envisioned it. Guess what? It can be done. Around the world travel is possible, you just have to decide you’re willing to take the first step and start planning your itinerary.

14. Travel gives you cool stories

Let’s face it. Even for folks who can’t tell a story, just the words “last year in Mongolia” get you instant party points. Even when events seem trivial, nostalgia and distance create an irresistible spin that makes mundane things like getting your laundry done in Zanzibar, entertaining. Just don’t be that person and overdo it!

15. Travel is literally food for thought.

You’ll be constantly surprised at the flavors the world has to offer. The way people in other cultures and countries prepare food and break bread together (not that all cultures even eat bread) will astound you.

16. Travel gives you a sense of accomplishment

If you’re the kind of person that dreams big, you’re probably one to reach for new challenges. Finishing a trip gives you the satisfaction that you were able to make a goal to travel and accomplish what you set out to do–see the world.

Sunil Shetty, Self Employed at Online (2010-present)

Do share your thoughts about travel and what you have learnt from it?

January 31, 2017 Travel, Within India

Tourist places you should visit in Jaipur

A marvellous spot to explore the illustrious history of India, Jaipur is a traveller destination that tops guest’s rundown who comes to India. In addition to the fact that it is a renowned destination, Jaipur has different historical centres and eateries that have left an impression on the global tourism in India. It has probably the most superb and complicated outlined structures that are justified regardless of your time. If you want to cherish the marvellous architecture of Jaipur and its interesting history, then book your tickets to have an amazing time.

Here are a some of the best places you should visit in Jaipur.

Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur — Image credit-Shutterstock

Albert Hall Museum: The historical centre to an extraordinary degree a predominant exhibition that is a duplicate of a gallery in London. Boasting about being the most extensive display lobby of the city, it was constructed in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales to Jaipur in 1876. The exhibition has an exclusive collection of some amazing stuff including earthenware production, coins, musical instruments, wooden workmanship, mats and amazing metal artwork, depicting excellent craftsmanship. The main highlight of this exhibition set amidst Ram Niwas Bagh is the Egyptian mummy that has a spot with the Ptolemaic Epoch.

Jal mahal, Jaipur — Image credit- Shutterstock

Jal Mahal: A dazzling spot in Jaipur, the royal residence lies amidst Man Sagar Lake. A blend of the Rajput and Mughal basic styles, it is constructed with red sandstone. Despite the way that at first the structure looks a five-storied building, the four-story level gets submerged amid tempest and simply the top story on the highest point of the lake. The regal living arrangement was a characteristic in 1799 by the lord Sawai Pratap Singh, however, the place remained overlooked for a long time. However, it was Maharaja Jai Singh who renovated and restructured the building in the eighteenth century.

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur — Image credit-Shutterstock

Hawa Mahal: A masterpiece among the points of interest in Jaipur, Hawa Mahal or the ‘Royal Residence of Winds’ is recognised for its stunning five-story honeycombed hive-shaped building. This building was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in the year 1799. Constructed with pink and red sandstone, Hawa Mahal has 953 “Jharokhas” or windows. It is said that the ruler made this structure with such an assortment of windows so that the royal ladies could witness the city humdrum without ever stepping out and the windows would provide cool wind breezes during the summer months.

Not just these, there are different things you can explore and experience in Jaipur like tasting camel milk, viewing a film at Raj Mandir and considerably more. However, do train tickets booking to get best of offers and spare cash for some sightseeing and shopping!