Travel around Scotland by ferry

Scotland has over sixty inhabited islands, and nearly fifty of them have scheduled ferry links. Most ferries carry cars and vans, and the vast majority can – and should – be booked as far in advance as possible.

Ferries on the River Clyde and to the Hebrides
Caledonian MacBrayne (generally abbreviated to ‘CalMac’) has a virtual monopoly on services on the River Clyde and to the Hebrides, sailing to 21 islands altogether. They have two types of reduced-fare pass. If you’re taking more than one ferry, it’s worth asking about the discounted Island Hopscotch tickets. If you’re going to be taking a lot of ferries, you might be better off with an Island Rover, which entitles you to 8 or 15 consecutive days’ unlimited ferry travel. It does not, however, guarantee you a place on any ferry, so you still need to book ahead.

Ferries to Orkney and Shetland
Car ferries to Orkney and Shetland from Aberdeen and from Scrabster near Thurso are currently run by NorthLink Ferries. Pentland Ferries run a car ferry from Gills Bay, near John o’Groats, to St. Margarets Hope, Orkney, while John o’Groats Ferries run a summer-only passenger ferry from John o’Groats to Burwick in Orkney. The various Orkney islands are linked to each other by services run by Orkney Ferries.Shetland’s inter-island ferries are run in conjunction with the local council, and information about routes and timetables can be found on the Shetland Islands Council website.

Other ferries
There are also numerous small operators round the Scottish coast that run day-excursion trips.

The Usambara Mountains Of Tanzania

When visiting a poor country such as Tanzania it is important to know the money you are spending is actually doing some good in the communities you will be visiting. Your visit will change a life or a community for the better. You do not even have to be personally involved. Responsible tourism is changing lives for the better. This is, however, if you choose your operator with care and a little sensitivity.

It is also worth the time and effort to journey to the less well-traveled area of Tanzania to compliment your safari proper. The Usambara Mountains are uniquely African in character and well worth the effort of getting there.

Leaving Arusha and traveling for a few hours by road, passing the great Kilimanjaro and then onward across the seemingly endless arid landscape you arrive at Mombo. Turning left here the road magically transports you, in an instant, onto the Usamabara Mountains.

If you make it to this destination, bite the bullet and travel to the very top of the mountains. Nested at the very top is the magic of these mountains. It is essential to relax and to take time to enjoy and explore the area by foot. There is an amazing bird life here and if this does not interest you than this is a perfect place to start an interest.

There are many young men and women in the Usambara that have trained as guides and it is well worth the very small expense to pay a few dollars to theses enthusiastic young Tanzanian’s who will then share their mountains, culture and time. In Africa there is always lots of time – you must take everything slowly or you will miss the magic.

In pre-colonial days, these very fertile mountains were witness to many bloody battles between to Maasia and the resident Shambaa tribes. The Shambaa people were never defeated by the Maasia and managed to hang on to their prized green land.Mtae is a small village on the westernmost tip of the Usambara Mountains. Here there is a spectacular view point with a 1000m sheer drop to the savannah bellow. Mt Kilimanjaro is over 240 kilometers away but on a clear day, it is possible to see this huge Mountain with its snow top, sitting on the border where Tanzania and Kenya meet.

When the first missionaries arrived in Mtae, at the end of the 19th Century, the leaders of the Shambaa people allocated for them to sleep in an area, which was regarded as the “residence of spirits of the dead” – the local people thought the newly arrived missionaries would surly die in this haunted area. They did not; and so amazed where the local elders that the missionaries were given land on which to build a church. This church can be visited to this day.

Mvueni Falls is high up in the mountains. It is so quiet here, there is no background noise, this silence has to be experienced to be believed. It is possible to swim here although the water is very cold. The Mkuzi River feeds Mvueni falls, which is more than 2,300 meters above sea level. The river moves down the mountains and as it passes along the Soni falls the water cascades dramatically toward the Pangani River, dropping more than 800 meters over a couple of kilometers.

Lushoto is the capital of the Usambara Mountains and is worth spending some time exploring. There is a locally run cultural tourism office on the main road and here is a good place to find a guide for your visit. If it is market day take some time walking around the market meeting these very friendly mountain people.

When visiting the Usambara Mountains if you are driving from Arusha consider taking a day to break the journey and spend this day walking on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. Marangu village is the best place to overnight among the many banana and coffee trees.

Once your time is over in the Usambara Mountains just a few hours down to road is the tropical Pangani Bay. This will finish off your Tanzanian Safari beautifully. This sleepy ancient fishing village is a little known jewel sitting on deserted beaches and has the warm inviting waters of the Indian Ocean for diving and snorkeling.

Holiday Destination : Milos , Greece

The Greek isle of Milos, a volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, is a beautiful and little-known vacation spot in one of the most gorgeous locations in the world. Known as “the island of colors,” Milos has a long history that is evident in the surrounding countryside and architecture. Near the ancient town of Milos stands a theatre dating back from the days of the Golden Age of Rome, and there are still remains of buildings and town walls. Milos is possibly best known as the site where the Venus de Milo was discovered, which now stands in the Louvre today.

Milos truly is a profusion of colors. Arbutus, orange, olive, and cypress trees decorate the island between fields of cotton and barely. Vines grow throughout the island, creating an enchanting and beautiful landscape. The island is truly “in bloom” in the months of April and May, a time that also offers beautiful weather for tourists. Every July Milos hosts a huge festival of cultural events and music, and this month is seeing more and more vacationers.

Traveling to and from Milos is easy, with daily flights to Athens and daily ferries to other shores. The island offers everything to attract tourists to vacation in Milos: pastry shops, discos, cafes, supermarkets, and jewelry stores are scattered throughout the island in convenient locations.

If you vacation in Milos, you will have more than seventy different beaches to choose from. Surrounded by water and sands of all colors, it is on the coast that you will understand why Milos is known as the island of colors. The sands range from white to black, and the waters range in various shades of deep blues and greens. The beaches are quiet and restful, with no restaurants, bars, or stereos (except during the season, in July and August).

The cuisine makes any vacation in Milos a true experience, and the variety of restaurants will tempt any tourist palate. Local delicacies include dishes made from cabbage, garlic sauce, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and pork. Cheese made from goat milk is a mainstay of the island, and the locally-made thyme honey is sold in shops throughout the island. If you vacation in Milos, you will be able to taste locally-made wine, as well as wine imported from the island of Crete.

Any vacation in Milos will thrill and delight the senses. Milos is an island filled with colors, cuisine, music, and ancient mystery. The culture and sights of Milos, not to mention the glorious beaches, make a vacation in Milos perfect for anyone wanting to experience beauty and culture in an exotic and serene location. But be warned! One vacation in Milos often leads to another…and another…and another.

03 July : Holidays and observances

Independence Day in Belarus (when German forces lost Belarus to the Red Army in 1944)

Daily Travel Photo : Czech Republic

Czech Republic

Russia seals space tourism deal

THE Russian space agency has sealed a deal with a private investor to build a Soyuz spacecraft especially for tourist hire to be operational in 2011.”We have concluded an agreement with an investor to begin financing such a Soyuz vessel with an anticipated launch date of 2011,” says the Roskosmos website.The craft,piloted by a professional astronaut, is designed to carry two so-called space adventurers.

A Roskosmos spokesman refused to identify the investor despite the agency having signed a deal in June with private American company Space Adventures for a commercial flight to the International Space Station. Set up in 2001, Space Adventures has already sent five tourists into space on board a Soyuz.The firm has been in negotiations with Roskosmos to rent the third seat on board a ship which regularly ferries Russian and American astronauts to the ISS.

American Dennis Tito, South African Mark Shuttleworth, Greg Olsen of the United States, Iranian-born Anousheh Ansari and Hungarian-born Charles Simonyi are the five who have each paid up to $26 million for the thrill of a lifetime.The next independent space traveller is Richard Garriott, an American electronic games entrepreneur and son of former astronaut Owen Garriott. His flight is due to take off in October.

Aussies ignore Bali warning

BALI is enjoying a resurgence in tourism, thanks partly to an increasing number of Australians rediscovering the Island of the Gods.Australians are flocking to the resort island in droves, despite the Australian government maintaining its travel advisory warning tourists against visiting Indonesia.The US government recently lifted its travel warning for Indonesia, saying the security climate in the country no longer warrants such a warning.

Balinese tourism operators say the time has come for Australia to follow suit.The number of Australians visiting Bali has continued to grow this year, after a big jump in 2007, prompting Garuda Indonesia to add extra flights to  Melbourne , Darwin and Sydney.The airline also expects to boost capacity from Perth. It says the number of Australians travelling to Bali rose by more than 57 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to last year.The growth was even larger from Perth and Darwin, at 75 and 71 per cent respectively, while numbers from Victoria/Tasmania grew by 44 per cent and by 49 per cent from NSW/ACT.

It builds on strong growth in 2007, with Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing a 63 per cent increase in the number of Australians holidaying in Bali last year.During the calendar year, 206,427 Australian residents travelled to Indonesia on holiday, up from 126,595 in 2006.But tourism to Indonesia has declined since the late 1990s.The 2002 and 2005 terror bombings, which killed more than 230 people, including 92 Australians, had a huge impact on Bali’s tourism industry.Australia is Bali’s second biggest source of tourists, with the 78,500 Aussie visitors making up more than 13 per cent of the island’s foreign tourists in that period, slightly closing the gap on Japan on close to 20 per cent.

Bali Adventure Tours’ Mason, who has lived in Bali for more than 20 years, believes the Australian advisory is no longer needed, pointing to Indonesia’s success in arresting Jemaah Islamiah operatives and supporters in the years after the Bali bombings.”I would be extremely surprised if it ever happened again,” he says. “It’s been a complete change in mentality.”The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), however, has maintained its travel advisory which warns Australian citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, due to the very high threat of terrorist attack.

Policeman took Glock gun on Virgin Blue flight

SYDNEY Airport security has come under fire after an armed police officer was able to board a flight to the Gold Coast.The uniformed officer, who was on duty at the time, was allowed through airport security wearing his police-issue Glock weapon and 30 rounds of ammunition to board a Virgin Blue flight on Tuesday morning.

The police appointment belt also consists of handcuffs, capsicum spray and a retractable baton.Under standard procedures, police officers must hand in their weapons to be stored in a secure bag in the luggage hold area.But Sydney Airports Corporation spokesman Michael Samaras said police officers were “exempt” from being searched by security.”Under Australian aviation security regulations, NSW police officers when in uniform and on duty are exempt from security screening at Sydney Airport,” Mr Samaras said.

He said he could not comment further on the security issue.An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman confirmed the officer carried a firearm on board the aircraft during the two-hour flight and said they were looking into the security breach.They have handed over the investigation of the incident to the NSW Police Force.A NSW Police spokeswoman said the officer checked in his weapons on the return flight.

Special paint to prevent plane crashes

AIRLINE passengers could soon feel safer when flying, after scientists revealed they are testing a new paint that detects hidden damage on planes.US technology developers, Luna Innovations, revealed they are testing a special paint which changes colour to reveal undetected damage, making visual inspections easier and more accurate.

The paint works by mixing microcapsules containing a coloured dye with the aircraft’s paint. If the paint is scratched, dented, or struck the capsules break and release the dye, highlighting the defected area.”The paint is tuned to be able to release a dye to be able to change different colour based on the level of impact,” said Luna Innovations chemist Bryan Koene.”The paint enables us to detect damage very simply and cheaply.”The paint will be developed for the military vehicles first, before being used on commercial and private planes.