Web City Travel

Surinamese people like to talk about their country as the ‘beating heart of the Amazon’, and this is true: the tiny South American state of Suriname is made of a dense convergence of rivers, tropical rainforest and a unique ethnic and cultural diversity: the Surinamese people are the descendants of Chinese, Javanese and Indian workers, West African slaves, indigenous Amerindians and Lebanese, Jewish and Dutch settlers.

Suriname was the last Dutch colony in South America. Colonial past can be remembered easily walking on the streets of Paramaribo, a capital full of restaurants, shopping venues and night spots. This is where Amsterdam meets Wild West: black and white colonial buildings line the squares, while the smell of car exhausts mingle with wafts of spices from Indian roti shops. Near the somber Dutch forts maroon artists sell their colorful paintings, mosques and synagogues are standing near each other, and everybody is proud of their multi-ethnicity. The historical inner city of Paramaribo was listed on the Unesco World Heritage site in 2002.

While Paramaribo has everything a western traveler would dream about, not far away there is the untamed jungle, where the amenities of civilization can not be found. The costal areas have good road system so everything can be easily accessed by cars or buses.

However, the rest of the country can be visited only by light aircraft. There are about 50 small airstrips in the jungle, served by local air charter companies, but reaching the destination very often means some traveling with a local dug-out canoe. Aircraft and canoes are the only means of transportation in the Surinamese jungle.

Suriname was one of the Dutch colonies in South America. Some time ago the Netherlands had large parts of Brazil and most of the Guianas under their control, but after territorial conflicts with Britain and France, only Dutch Guiana and a few Caribbean islands remained under Dutch supervision.

In the 19th century many Hindustanis, Indonesians and Indians came to Suriname to work on plantations. Suriname became a self-governing state in 1954, and gained its independence in 1975. In the ’80-s and ’90-s there was quite a lot of political turmoil in Suriname, with military coups and elections held ahead of schedule.

Today, Surinamese government makes great efforts to promote ecotourism. There is a wide variety of specific activities available: the most popular is trekking in the jungle. It is not advised to go alone: a local guide must be hired. He can explain the ways of living in the jungle, and how the different plants and trees ca be used to make a living. A very popular activity is bird watching: there are 700 species of birds in Suriname, living in the great mudflats and mangrove swamps on the coast, as well as savannah and rainforests.

There are also opportunities for tourists to stay for a few days in a traditional Amerindian or Maroon village. Besides the specific activities, travelers can choose from a wide range of outdoor activities, from mountain biking to fishing, diving, rafting or canoeing, horse riding and turtle watching.

Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including many European countries by car. To book a car rental Czech Republic, or learn more about car rental worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com

Filed under : General

0 Comment »

Germany is really strong in reinventing itself. It has done it many times during the history, and it has done it again after the reunification in 1990. Germany, like the phoenix bird, has born again from its ashes: in Hamburg they build an entire quarter on the ruins of a harbor, the dome of Frauenkirch is dominating again the skyline of Dresden and Berlin is more open-minded and creative than ever before.

Greece has something for everyone: those interested in history can visit the ancient ruins and hedonists can soak in the sun on idyllic beaches or party all night long. The clarity of air and light are dazzling, air is permeated by floral aromas, and then there is the great combination of ouzo and octopus.

El Salvador is an overlooked country: those who travel in that area of South America usually choose Guatemala and Costa Rica, because of the persisting stories about the civil war and gang violence in El Salvador. In fact the civil war ended long ago, while the stories about gang violence are true. The thing is, gangs target only each other, and never involve tourists. While it has many beautiful landscapes, El Salvador doesn’t have as many natural reservations as Guatemala and Costa Rica. But the good thing is, if you visit El Salvador, you can have all the forests, alpine lakes and volcanoes, because it is not very likely you will meet another traveler.

Malaysia is the island of peace and prosperity compared to its neighbors, Thailand and Indonesia. Malaysia never has any natural disasters, there are no coups, roads, transportation and hotels are on international level, and prices are not very high either. So you can have all the exciting culture of Southeast Asia without any problems.

Morocco is an unforgettable mix of Berber and Arab, Muslim and secular, Mediterranean and African world. The country is in touch with the latest technology, and can see how the Middle East is portrayed by western news channels and internet. Morocco is just as concerned with violent threats as westerners do. Most Moroccans are occupied with their daily lives, and see the tourism industry as the future of their country, therefore every visitor will be treated with hospitality.

Nepal had a lot of troubles in the last decade, but in 2008 it seems everything came to a resting point: the rebels started to govern, the kingdom became a republic and the king became a civilian. The fall of monarchy means peace for Nepal. This is really good news for tourists.

New Zealand makes it in the top every year for quite some time. The two islands in the middle of nowhere have everything a tourist dreams about, and even more. There are rainforests and glaciers, geothermal springs and volcanic plains. Wildlife is unique, the maori culture is as vibrant as ever, and nobody will have any complaints about the food and drink either.

Portugal is made of two entirely different worlds. On the one hand there is the traditional, Christian world with saints-day festivals, ancient vineyards and medieval villages. On the other hand, however, the country is as modern as any other European country. There are fashionable suburbs, and old city centers are born again with many cafes, boutiques and art galleries.

Suriname is y far the smallest and most interesting country in South America. Its population is a mix between West African slaves and Chinese, Javanese and Indian workers, as well as indigenous Amerindians and Lebanese, Jewish and Dutch settlers. All these cultures coexist peacefully, and the traveler has the sensation he is visiting more cultures and countries at once.

Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including many European countries by car. Tolearn more about car hire deals worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com

Filed under : General

0 Comment »

Alice Springs is the place to start exploring the Australian Outback. Alice Springs, also known as the Outback capital can be found driving on the 3000 km Stuart Highway, approximately halfway between Adelaide in the south and Darwin in the north.

If you have limited time to visit the Australian Outback, Alice Springs is the place to start. There are quite numerous tourist attractions in the area. The first and most famous attraction is Uluru, but those who want more from their trip than a sunset and a souvenir T-shirt should visit all Alice Springs Desert Park (this is the national park where Uluru can be found).

Undoubtedly the greatest tourist attraction on the Australian continent is Uluru (Ayers Rock), and Alice Springs sees so many tourists because Uluru is relatively close to it. However, many tourists fail to make a correct estimate about the distances in the Australian Outback: ‘close’ means Uluru is 450 km away from Alice Springs.

Those who spend some time in the Alice Springs area should also visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. It can be found only 50 km away from Uluru, so if you are at the Ayers Rock, you shouldn’t miss Kata Tjuta. The next great tourist attraction in the area is Wattarka – Kings Canyon. This is another national park, and if you want to visit, this means another 300 km trip from Uluru.

There are a lot of things to see in the Alice Springs area besides the top three tourists attractions. For those who have the time to explore the surroundings West MacDonnell Ranges and the East MacDonnell Ranges can be a good option, and Palm Valley, Hermannsburg, Chambers Pillar are also places to see.

If you are driving from Alice Springs to Darwin, you must prepare for a really long journey. Some people find the drive itself attractive. The great horizon, open space and ever changing landscape can be interesting. However, a lot of people complain because the drive can be also monotonous, with not much tourist attractions on the way.

One place to stop is Devils Marbles, 393 km north of Alice Springs. Mataranka, the next interesting place is 660 km away, and from here one must drive only 105 km to reach Katherine and one of the most beautiful places on the continent: Katherine Gorge. Those who arrive in Darwin will have a lot to see in the city itself, and also there are few national parks in the area, out of which Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park are the favorite with tourists.

If you are driving to the south from Alice Springs, halfway on the trip to Adelaide is the opal mining town Coober Pedy. This place is very different from the other Australian tourist attractions: a lot of people love it, others hate it.

For those who are looking for real adventure, there is the Outback of the Australian Outback, the Kimberley region in the remote north-west territory. This is the place where most of time 4WD jeeps are the only means of transportation. Among the must see thing there is the Great Northern Highway from Broome to Kununura, the Gibb River Road, and countless waterfalls, rock pools, secret fishing spots, national parks and one of the world’s top 5 beaches.

Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including many European countries by car. To book a car hire Cyprus, or learn more about discount car hire worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com

Filed under : General

0 Comment »