Monday, September 28, 2015
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
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Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Trump Hotel Toronto- the only Five Star in downtown Toronto and the up-coming Trump D.C.
Stay in the only Five Star property in downtown Toronto.
This is a testament to the amazing leadership of Mickael Damelincourt, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year while touring Toronto as an incredible vacation destination.
I can't wait to see what he's doing now at the soon to open Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. !
"We are absolutely thrilled to break ground today on what will be, in the very near future, one of the finest hotels anywhere in the world—Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C. Throughout the next two years, we will work to restore this magnificent building to even well beyond its original grandeur" - Donald J. Trump
https://www.trumphotelcollection.com/washington-dc/
This is a testament to the amazing leadership of Mickael Damelincourt, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year while touring Toronto as an incredible vacation destination.
I can't wait to see what he's doing now at the soon to open Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. !
"We are absolutely thrilled to break ground today on what will be, in the very near future, one of the finest hotels anywhere in the world—Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C. Throughout the next two years, we will work to restore this magnificent building to even well beyond its original grandeur" - Donald J. Trump
https://www.trumphotelcollection.com/washington-dc/
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
IGUAZU FALLS: ARGENTINA VS BRAZIL by Nellie Huang
The tren de la selva.
I’ve seen quite a few waterfalls in my life, but none of them come close to Iguazu Falls. Bordering the frontier between Argentina and Brazil, the falls are one of the most majestic natural wonders of the world. Featuring 275 drops of varying heights and widths and special walkways built to bring you straight into the heart of it all, you’re sure to be amazed here.
The name Iguazu comes from the indigenous Guarani or Tupi language, meaning “big water.” Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named NaipÃ, who eventually fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.
With access points from both the Argentinian side (Cataratas de Iguazu) and the Brazilian side (Foz do Iguaçu), it’s hard to know how best to share your time. It’s well worth spending a day on each side of the falls, especially if you plan to do any other activities. But if you’re limited on time, here’s the lowdown of what to see on both sides:
Which side to choose: Argentina or Brazil?
The Iguazu Falls stretch in width for 2,700m (1.7 mi), and vary in height between 60m (200 ft) and 82m (269 ft), making Iguazu Falls taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide.
About three-quarters of the total length of Iguazu Falls is on the Argentinian side with the 85m-wide (279 ft) Garganta del Diablo (“Devil’s Throat”) shared between both sides. There are approximately between 160 to 270 different cascades depending on the time of the year which affects the volume of the water.
From the Argentinian side, you can literally walk into the heart of the falls at the Devil’s Throat and take a boat ride under the tumbling waters. Over on the Brazilian side, you can take in better panoramic views of the falls from all directions.
The town on the Argentine side is called Puerto Iguazu and is small and pretty Рthough lacking in infrastructure and accommodation choices Рwhile the city on the Brazilian side, Foz do Igua̤u, is big and reasonably safe by Brazilian standards.
The Argentinian side
Iguazú National Park is much bigger than its Brazilian counterpart, with more trails to walk along and some that lead you right into the open water. You’ll need at least a full day (or two) to see it all and walk all of its trails. Getting from one spot to another is facilitated by the tren de la selva – a tourist train that takes you from the entrance to the three main spots.
On this side of the falls, you’re much more likely to get wet than you are on the Brazilian side because the walkways take you literally within arm's length of some of the falls. As you walk along, you find yourself beside the crest of one cascade, then as the walkways gradually descend, at the bottom of another.
Wear waterproof clothing and bring protection for your camera, as it can get quite wet out there. Some people visit in their swimsuit, which is a good idea when it gets extremely hot in summer. Boat rides from the Argentinian side are affordable and plenty of fun. You can catch the Gran Aventura boat ride from the lower circuit. Leave your camera behind as you definitely get completely soaked!
The walkways afford amazing views.
The most magnificent part of Iguazu Falls, the Garganta del Diablo, literally swallows you up as you walk towards the end of the lookout point. The bridge extends all the way to the edge of the falls, as tons of water plunge aggressively into the far distance.
The Brazilian side
In comparison, the walk along the Brazilian side is relatively shorter, so even if you take your time to explore, you’ll generally need just a half-day to walk it. Don't just rush past the main viewpoints, though. Be sure to give yourself time to get a good perspective of the falls.
The Brazilian side of the falls needs a half-day to take in.
While the falls are farther away, you can get a better overview of them from the Brazilian side. From virtually every angle, you’ll get to see the entire panorama of cascades. For an even better aerial view, you can opt for a helicopter ride (only available on the Brazilian side).
But the fact that the falls are farther away doesn’t mean you don’t get to feel the spray of water on your face. Special walkways that rise from the base give the sensation that you are walking on the edge of the waterfalls, staring down into the endless depths. At the end of the route, you’ll find yourself right in the heart of the Devil’s Throat, with water spraying in all directions.
Stare down into endless depths at Devil's Throat.
Another advantage of visiting Foz do Iguaçu is that you’ll have access to more hotels, restaurants, and other amenities. One attraction I recommend visiting is the Parque das Aves, a bird park that’s home to more than 200 species of birds native to Brazil, including the macaw, toucan, and jay. It is a ten-minute taxi ride away, but well worth the visit.
How to: You will need to check your visa requirements when entering from either the Brazilian or Argentinian side. A few online resources claim that you don’t need a visa if you’re just visiting for the day, but it’s best to check with your consulate.
When to: On my first trip, I went only to the Argentinian side in June. Despite it being low season, it still turned out to be amazing. The waterfalls were drier than usual, but the water was still flowing substantially. It can also get a little chilly (especially when you’re wet). My second trip was with G Adventures on the “Wonders of Brazil” tour in late February and we went to both sides. The weather was fantastic and it wasn’t too crowded.
We recommend visiting both sides to get different perspectives of the falls, but whichever side you choose to explore, Iguazu Falls definitely won’t disappoint.
Getting There
G Adventures runs a number of departures to Argentina and Brazil encompassing a wide range of departure dates and activities to cater for different tastes. We’re thrilled at the prospect of showing you this big blue planet of ours — check out our small group trips here.
Antarctica with Quark Expeditions By Dave and Deb
January is the perfect time of year to visit Antarctica. We started our expedition on January 30 and it turned out to be the most incredible time to visit the continent. Newly hatched penguins had now grown to adolescence. They developed the most curious nature by the time they had grown a bit. When we’d land on the shore after a good day of kayaking or exploring on the zodiacs, young penguins would waddle over to see what we were up to.
Chinstrap Penguins, named so because of their obvious chinstrap pattern on their face
An adolescent penguin comes over to say hello
The wildlife of Antarctica was outstanding with whales breaching, seals sleeping, birds flying, and penguins playing right before our eyes. But it was the landscape of Antarctica that truly took our breaths away. Dave has been going through photos from years past putting together photography compilations of our travels. Many of his stunning photos had never seen the light of day due to catching flights and moving onto the next location. He has become adept at going through images quickly, choosing the best, sharing them with our readers and moving on.
Beautiful layers of blue ice in the icebergs
But on a closer look, we realized that he was missing many of the best of the best. Well, no longer. The best images have yet to come. You’ll be seeing a lot more of these amazing photo stories from Dave in the coming weeks, right here every monday. And today enjoy!
Antarctica in Photos
Beautiful Antarctica Ice and skies
A penguin looks back over the shore of the continent
A Beautiful whale breach: This whale stayed with our ship for 45 minutes!
Antarctica with Quark Expeditions
Quark expeditions is currently offering huge savings to Antarctica and the Arctic. From now until Sept. 30 you can save up to $7948 per person on select voyages to Antarctica, and 15% – 25% on select cabins during the Arctic early bird sale. Find out about all the savings at our exclusive landing page. We’ve visited both Antarctica and the Arctic with Quark and both expeditions have been trips of a lifetime for us. It’s now time to create your own once in a lifetime moment.Visit Quark Expeditions for great savings on Antarctica and Arctic Voyages
Check out: 11 of the Best Things to do in Antarctica
A whale shows off his tail in this amazing whale fluke capture
Antarctica Ice
Iceberg reflections in the still water
Ice, Ice and more Ice
Old Whaling Stations
Old oil drums on abandoned whaling station
Old abandoned whaling stations can be visited when taking an expedition to Antarctica. This is a ruin on Deception Island. Back in the day it was a large whaling station where they slaughtered whales for their oil.
Crumbled building on Deception Island
Exploration
We even camped on the continent of Antarctica
Each day we’d leave the ship to go out and explore by zodiac
Our guide, Solen Kayaking around an iceberg
We spent several days kayaking in Antarctica. It was the most serene and peaceful thing we’ve ever done. There was nothing but the sound of ice crackling and our paddles dipping into the cold water. We could move silently as to not disturb wildlife and we came very close to seals sleeping on floating ice, penguins jumping and we even had a whale breach right behind our group of 12 paddlers.
Wildlife
Seal basking in the sun
this guy looks so content!
Can’t get enough of penguins
The Penguin highway in Antarctica.
A penguin checks out his own reflection
Let us be honest with you. Penguins smell. When you land on shore to observe a colony, the stench immediately hits you. It’s a mixture of fish and feces. However, they are so darn cute that soon your nose gets used to the smell and you could sit for hours watching them. We saw a lot of penguins in Antarctica, but each viewing was as exciting, cute and fascinating as the first.
We never tire of penguins in Antarctica
When visiting the continent you are not allowed to approach penguins closer than 5 meters. But, if you stand or sit very still, they may approach you and that is completely allowed!
A whole lotta penguin love going on
Stunning Beauty
A glorious way to start the day
Brash Ice leads out from an Iceberg
Snowcapped mountains of Antarctica’s mainland in the distance
A stop at the British Base is a must. You can do some shopping and send a postcard home!
Whale bones pieced together to make a full whale carcass. It’s huge!
Whale bones are common to see when walking on beach shores at abandoned whaling stations.
The tranquil scenery of Antarctica
Paddling the calm waters of Paradise Bay, Antarctica
Icicles form on a giant Iceberg in Antarctica
Our travels to Antarctica were courtesy of Quark Expeditions. The leader in Polar adventures.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Engineering Marvel - China
China is set for a July opening of the most terrifying walkway in the world, stretching a quarter-of-a-mile across a canyon at a dizzying height of 980ft ... and it's made of GLASS.
If you are terrified of heights you would be advised to stay well away from China 's latest attraction.
If you are terrified of heights you would be advised to stay well away from China 's latest attraction.
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon skywalk is set to smash records to be the world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge.
The dizzying footbridge spans between two cliffs in the national park of Zhangjiajie.
If you have vertigo look away!
The dizzying walkway is suspended between two cliffs in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon area with unbeatable views of the national park.
There are even plans to hold fashion shows along the sky-high pathway.
Israeli architect Haim Dotan was behind the ambitious venture, which will easily dwarf America's Grand Canyon Skywalk which sits 718ft above ground measuring 68ft long.
The terrifying platform is no quick stroll, stretching a whopping 1410ft above the impressive Hunan province scenery.
Visitors will be able to marvel at the stunning Zhangjiajie national park landscape, which boasts over 3,000 sandstone pillars, and was the inspiration for James Cameron's 2009 movie, Avatar
For tourists who catch the adrenaline bug from completing the transparent walkway, there will also be the opportunity to try the world's highest bungee jump.
This record-breaking bungee will snatch the title from Macau Tower 's 764ft-high attraction.
Last month a similarly scary walkway opened in south-west China in Chongqing , which extended 87.5ft from the edge of a cliff.
Visitors are suspended in the air with 2,350ft of valley below their feet, leaving them feel as though they are walking on air.
Located in the Longgang National Geological Park , the bridge has been named Yuanduan, meaning 'at the end of the clouds’.
With jaw-dropping panoramic views from its observation deck, it is the longest cantilever bridge in the world
The park is limiting it to just 30 people at a time to ensure visitors have plenty of room to enjoy the view
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