Month: November 2024

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A Trip to Ancient Tunisia

A Guide to Tunisia’s Archaeological Wonders

A trip to Tunisia may be notable for many things – fantastic beaches, luxurious resorts and, increasingly, great golf courses. But there’s one more ingredient in its heady holiday destination mix which is arguably its strongest and most unique: its awesome array of archaeological remains.

Where to start

Most tourists tend to stay in one of the big resort towns that line the Tunisian coast. In many ways the resort town of Hammamet is the perfect place to be based when it comes to accessing the country’s historical sites. Hire a car, hit the road, and then return for an evening’s cooling dip in the sea; it’s the ideal setup.

Heading out from Hammamet

For those holiday-makers whose Tunisia trip is based in Hammamet, once you’ve settled into you hotel and got your bearings, the first point of call should be probably be Kerkouane. A little to the north of the resort, it nevertheless has an out of the way feel that’s either exciting or disconcerting depending on your point of view.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1985, it’s a stunning collection of extensive Punic ruins. The city itself was deserted in the wake of the first Punic War sometime in the middle of the third century BC, but excavations have uncovered remains stretching back to the fourth.

Captivating Carthage

Being only a couple of hours’ drive from the capital Tunis, Hammamet is the perfect jump-off point for the most famous of Tunisia’s attractions: Carthage. A city whose origins stretch back to the sixth century BC and was home to legendary general Hannibal (amongst half a million other inhabitants at its peak), Carthage was at the center of a vast Mediterranean trading power, and is now one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.

For the more adventurous, two other Roman sites lie inland. The wonderfully preserved remains of the town of Dougga are not far from the town of Terboursouk, while a little further to the west, lie the hot springs of Hamman Mellegue.

Dougga in particular is outstanding. Another of Tunisia’s World Heritage Sites (the country’s practically littered with them!) the site contains a mausoleum, a couple of fascinating temples and a wonderful amphitheater stretched out over a site of some 3km squared.

Both Dougga and Hamman Mellegue are fairly considerable distances away from the coastal resorts – but that’s part of their appeal. Bumping along the country’s dusty roads, admiring its dramatically arid and stark landscapes, is the stuff of adventures… the stuff of romance… the stuff of travel!

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Emergence of Luxury Hotels

The hospitality industry in India has seen a big upscale since the last one decade. It has not only led to the emergence of countless luxury hotels in India but has also created immense job opportunities. No wonder the dedicated courses introduced in the universities and institutes offering the various hotel management courses well corroborate the further rise of this sector. No matter what your budget and preferences are, you will certainly get to stay at a hotel of your choice. Like in other countries, you will come across various categories of luxury hotels in India. You can experience luxury in the true sense of the term in categories starting from the 2 star ranging to three star, four star, and five star. In few of the countries, you will find hotels of up to seven star. The facilities offered in such hotels are unmatched.

There are chains of hotels in India that operate in the major cities. If you are a frequent traveler to the major cities, do get registered at one of the finest chains of luxury hotels in India. No matter whether it is hotels in new Delhi or Bangalore hotels, you need not search for an option. An online booking at the hotels’ corporate site will let you avail all the benefits that registered members avail. And you will get points, discounts, etc. The accumulated points will often make a stay free.

Most of the Delhi hotels prior to the CWG 2010 were refurbished with addition of more ultra modern facilities, adhering to international standards. What was expected, especially related to influx of tourists during the Games period did not happen. Not all the hotels in Delhi were hundred per cent occupied. In fact, compared to the previous year during the same time, the national capital metropolis witnessed more tourists compared to the Games period. But that was a temporary downtrend. The city resumed to its usual routine spirits again. Now, most of the luxury hotels in Delhi are cent per cent occupied. Bangalore luxury hotels always witness good occupancy.

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An Alaskan Cruise Vacation – Beauty, Adventure, and a Shoppers Dream Come True

Maybe it’s seeing icebergs and glaciers. Perhaps it’s watching whales and polar bears. Whatever it is, if you’re going on an Alaskan cruise vacation, there’s a good chance that it’s one of the most anticipated events of your life.

The dream of being able to see things with your own eyes that you’ve only read about in travel magazines or seen on a television screen makes just being on an Alaskan cruise ship a joyous event.

You can stay on the boat and gaze at the majestic views and abundant wildlife or venture ashore and visit local villages. Whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy a much more fulfilled experience than people who go to the same touristy attraction year-after-year-after-year.

Rugged Beauty And Adventure

Since your ship can come across whales, bears, and sea lions at pretty much every port, you’ll experience a very real sense of adventure aboard any Alaskan cruise ship that you won’t find sunning yourself poolside at some resort in the Caribbean.

But if you do want to be pampered and have a bit more of an adventure you can disembark and take a bus or train to the luxurious accommodations that are owned and operated by the cruse company. From there you’ll get an even closer look at the Alaskan lifestyles.

And if you get aboard Alaskan cruise ship that goes to the state capital of Juneau you can either trek into the wilderness or stay put and enjoy some of the most unique shopping experiences anywhere.

Shopping Like Nowhere Else

Some people love Alaska for its beauty. Others dream about it for the shopping.

Whatever camp you fall into, I think you’ll agree that going shopping sure beats coming face-to-face with a wild grizzly bear.

When you shop, for one thing, you’ll appreciate how important salmon is to the state and to tourism.

  • Visit Taku Smokeries near the waterfront (just south of Mt. Roberts Tramway) and you can buy all types of smoked seafood like cooked King Crab legs and halibut, as well as salmon. And if you don’t like it smoked ask them to flash freeze it for you, put it in insulated containers and ship it to your home.

    • Some of your potentially more interesting purchases aren’t even made in Alaska.

  • It seems that there are more shops selling Russian lacquerware , Faberge jewelry, amber and religious icons in Juneau than anywhere outside of Russia and Europe.

    • If you’re thinking of making a major investment in these particulars, it would be a good idea to do some research before you go so you’ll be able to separate the quality items from what looks good on the surface but is considerably overpriced.

  • And if you want affordable, quality gifts and souvenirs that are actually made by Alaskans, head over to Local Craft on Franklin Street, across from the tram. There you’ll find breath-taking Alaskan art, photographs, hand-made Eskimo dolls, hand-made jewelry and more there.

    • Going North To The Arctic Circle

    Another alternative is to take a smaller ship on your Alaskan cruise vacation. Smaller vessels can take you on an inner passage cruise. You’ll be able to creep into the inland waterways and see majestic snow-capped mountain peaks and even glaciers in the middle of the summer.

    Far from shopping, in the northern part of the state, you can venture into the Arctic Circle and traverse Prudhoe Bay during some parts of the year. If you have the time (and the money) you can even enjoy a 16-day Alaskan cruise adventure that combines your cruise, motorized tours and aerial treks in an untamed world.