Sights

LA: Part 2

August 10, 2018 · 0 comments

So after a overnight trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles (and surprisingly well rested) on the American favourite ground transport, the greyhound. Haru had to return back to Japan early for work reasons (yeah, on our honeymoon, that’s what Japan thinks of newly married couples – they should cut honeymoons short for work reasons). So half of the day was spent navigating our way to LAX, and then working out how to leave the airport and get to my Wimdu booked accommodation just off Hollywood Boulevard. I strongly suggest to book your accommodation early by searching best places to stay online to get the best offer. I think in total, I got a train, bus, group shared mini-bus and the subway. It seemed to take forever and I can see why everyone has a car or hire limousines like 2021 Rolls Royce Cullinan Chauffeur Services.

Anyway, I’ll try not to moan too much like a typical Brit on holiday. But seriously LA – sort your public transportation out, you can use virtually any other country in the world as an example on how to improve your tourists ability to get around for those who don’t drive, or just don’t want to spend their time in your city in a traffic jam.

Ahem, I digress.

So downtown LA, from Greyhound, get uber taxi to train station, train station to a train near LAX, then another bus (paid for private company, not part of the general public transport to help people get to the airport) to the airport to say goodbye, followed by another shared bus company to get back into Hollywood. It was a mess and a lot of transfers just to go to an from the airport.

So anyway, now in Hollywood, why’s a guy to do? Well the star walk of course. As that’s pretty much the only thing to do there, anything else apart from watching a movie at the Chinese Theatre requires more transportation away. I was tempted by the tours on offer by guys hanging out at the side of the street, but had the feeling if I had planned this in advance I could have gotten a better deal. Because of all the time navigating LA’s transportation structure, I was out at late afternoon by the time I got to think about any tourist attractions, and quite frankly I didn’t want to be driven around in a bus looking at some celebrities houses in the dark. Maybe that was because I don’t care about celebrities or because I didn’t want to pay $60 for a drive around at night after already spending most of the day waiting and transporting.

Tagged as: California, Los Angeles, USA

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8 Facts about Mt. Kilimanjaro

April 1, 2018 · 4 comments

Mount Kilimanjaro is a goal for regular mountain climbers and those who just have high ambitions alike. But it’s nice to know what you are facing when climbing Kilimanjaro so here are some facts about it to get you started.

Mt. Kilimanjaro

1. It is 5895M tall making it the world’s tallest free standing mountain.

It’s well known Kilimanjaro is Read the rest! \(^u^)/ →

Tagged as: Climbing, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

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Extreme Tourism in Armenia

May 6, 2016 · 6 comments

This is a guest post from Arpi.

Like any mountain, it's attractive here

Mount Aragats

Are you a fan of extreme tourism? Then welcome to Armenia!

Due to the mountainous terrain, favorable climate, and amazing natural attractions such as extinct volcanoes, cliffs, and mountain lakes, Armenia is one of the most suitable countries for adventure tourism. Moreover, the world-renowned National Geographic Traveler magazine has included Armenia in the list of the top three Read the rest! \(^u^)/ →

Tagged as: Armenia, Sponsored Post

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5 Most Amazing Places to See in Seoul

December 12, 2014 · 6 comments

This guest post is by Jessica Gold of Travel Wkly, enjoy!

South Korea’s largest city is its capital Seoul. The city dates back to 18 BC and now has a population exceeding 10 million and the city’s metropolitan area has a population exceeding 25 million, making it the second most populated metropolitan areas in the world. Located on the banks of the Han River, the city is surrounded by mountains, the tallest being Mt. Bukhan home to the most visited of any national park in the world, by square footage. In the center of the city is Namsan Mountain which has a cable car that runs to the peak where there is the N Seoul Tower, which, although primarily a communications tower, also has an observation and entertainment amenities. There are, of course, many attractions in a city this size and it is the most popular of any city visited by Chinese, Japanese and Thai tourists. Some of the most amazing places to see in Seoul are:

5. Hike in the City

Hamsan Mountain

Namsan Mountain

Perhaps somewhat unusual for a major city, you will see people dressed for a hiking adventure even in the subways, complete with their hiking poles and backpacks. This is because there are some amazing walks, not only on the mountains surrounding the city but also within the city. Hiking up Namsan Mountain is a popular pastime, as is hiking along Cheonggyecheon Stream. Depending on the type of hike, from day hiking to backpacking, there are different types of activities you can enjoy in the great outdoors. This is a stream 8.4km long that runs through the center of the city and has whose banks have been made into a green recreation area where people go, not just to hike but also just to get away from the bustle of the busy streets.

4. Go Back in Time

K houses

Old Korean Houses

When you walk through the hills and winding streets of the Bukchon Hanok Village, located near the Royal Palace, the houses have been maintained in their old traditional ancient style. Walking through these streets is like walking through the history of Korea, even though some of the houses are now guest houses, souvenir shops, restaurants or boutiques the houses themselves evoke an amazing ancient Asian atmosphere. You may also research online if you’re looking for a Dine In Family Restaurant.

3. Discover the Amazing Array of Museums

Museum in Korea

Seoul Museum

As with most major cities, Seoul has its share of museums but apart from the main historical museum that includes exhibits dating all the way back to the stone-age and the War Memorial and Museum which has some interesting outdoor exhibits that feature giant missiles, helicopters, planes and tanks, there is the Seoul Museum of Chicken Art which exhibits the well-known chicken in less traditional style, as it has been portrayed through culture and art through the ages and the Bomun Pavilion which has been nicknamed a museum without walls. The pavilion is a small gazebo, made of wood that stands beside a duck pond and is said to be the ideal place to witness the four seasons; winter with its blanket of snow, fall with its mixture of mustard and scarlet foliage, the summer’s lush green and of course the magnificence of cherry blossom at its best.

2. Enjoy a Theme Park Fan’s Dream

Theme park

I want to go here!

Lotte Amusement Park is the second largest theme park in the world which also includes perhaps the largest indoor theme park in the world as well as skating rinks and bowling alleys. Although theme parks may now be fairly common, most are not as big or amazing as this one.

1. See Royal Extravagance

Looks cool

Royal Palace

According to many tour guide blog, Seoul’s Royal Palace is Korea’s most popular tourist attraction and although restored as late as 1867, some of the over 300 buildings date back to 1395 when the palace was first built. The opulence that the old royalty enjoyed is evident in some of the 5,793 rooms. The palace covers over 4 million square feet, which fortunately, possibly because only 40% of the buildings still stand, allow room for the millions of visitors it receives annually.

Tagged as: Seoul, South Korea

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Sausalito, San Francisco

November 9, 2014 · 3 comments

After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we decided to continue our bus tour to the end before returning into the city centre. The bus continued in an extended part of the tour to Sausalito, somewhere I’d never heard of or planned to visit, but thought we should as it was part of the tour so had free transport there effectively. The tour used a separate smaller bus for this, as the main tour bus turned around and went back across the bridge and into the city.

Sausalito had a similar vibe to SF but on a smaller scale, and more themed around the bridge and sea, mostly noted by the sea food restaurants, some of which were on their own raised platforms over the sea. It was late morning for us, so we stopped in a cafe and enjoyed the view al la carte, something well worth doing after a long walk across the bridge.

Sausilito backstreet

Backstreets of S Sausalito with art galleries

There isn’t a whole lot to do in Sausalito besides a couple of art galleries and tours, so I wouldn’t recommend going there for long or putting it on a bucket list, but what it does offer is a welcome break from the city and walking or cycling across the bridge, it makes a decent lunch break, although if you’re not into sea food then the choices are limited especially compared to SF’s usual foodie choices. What you do get however is a nice overview of the city, and the bridges crossing into it. Maybe it can’t be appreciated as much on a typical SF foggy day, but I can’t find much reason to complain on a clear day. I don’t think I’d make my way there again without a good reason but wouldn’t advice against it for people who have never been before.

Another view from the GGB

Sausalito Port from the Golden Gate Bridge

Before we set back on the bus into the city, we got to walk right at the bottom of the bridge and look up at it. It seems that at any angle this bridge is viewed, it’s impressive. Even the ducks seem to think of it as a nice place to live.

Golden gate bridge in a blue tone.

Ducks under the bridge

 

Tagged as: Honeymoon, San Francisco, Sausalito, USA

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