June 2, 2020

A Visit to Cagliari, Italy

The best way to get to the historic capital of Sardinia is by sea, a city rising in a helter-skelter of facades, domes, and palazzo up to the rocky centerpiece. Although Tunisia is nearer than Rome, this city is the most Italian among the Sardinia cities. Friends of mine who run Performance Chiropractic + Physiotherapy shared stories of their Italian adventure of Vespas buzzing down boulevards and locals relaxing at cafes tucked down arcades in the Marina district. Here are the top must-see attractions in Cagliari, Italy.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria
Cagliari’s elegant 13th-century cathedral stands gracefully on Piazza Palazzo. Apart from the bell tower, little relics of the first Gothic structure remains: the Pisan-Romanesque exterior is a twentieth-century imitation, added in 1938. Inside, the former Gothic church has disappeared underneath an icing of baroque décor, the outcome of a radical late-seventeenth-century makeover. Shining frescoes beautify the ceilings and the side chapels’ spillover with lush sculptural whirls.

II Castello
This hilltop citadel is the most iconic image in Cagliari, its palazzo, towers, and domes, once home to the aristocracy of the city, rising above the ramparts constructed by the Aragonese and Pisans. Inside the ramparts, the old Gothic city divulges itself just like a Pandora’s box. The Pisan palaces, museums, cathedral, and university are crammed into a jigsaw of high-walled alleys. Although it may seem sleepy, this area harbors several cafes, bars, and boutiques popular with hipsters, students, and visitors.

Bastione di Saint Remy
This huge neoclassical structure, consisting of a panoramic terrace, monumental stairway, and gallery space, was built into the medieval walls of the city between 1899 and 1902. The highlight includes the graceful Umberto I terrace, which offers breathtaking views over the jumbled rooftops of Cagliari to the distant mountains as well as the sea.

Poetto Beach
A bus ride from the city center, Cagliari’s legendary Poetto beach stretches for 7 kilometers beyond the Promontorio di Sant’Elia, also known as Devil’s Saddle (Sella del Diavola). In the summer, many people come here to sunbathe and party in the bars and restaurants that line the beach.

Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Of the four Citadella dei Musei museums, this stands out. The premier archaeological museum in Sardinia displays artifacts spanning many years of history, from the Neolithic, through the Iron and Bronze Ages to the Roman and Phoenician eras. Highlights include an excellent bronze figurines collection and Giganti di Monte Parma (a sequence of colossal figures), which are an important source of information of mysterious Nuraghic culture in Sardinia.

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November 24, 2019

Most Beautiful Islands in the Caribbean

The Caribbean islands are the ultimate gateway destination for those who seek hot tropical weather, sandy beaches, historic architecture and natural scenery, unlike any other in the world. The Caribbean has almost 7000 islands with 28 island nations and although most of them might seem equally desirable on first sight, in reality every island is unique in its own way. Choosing the perfect destination for your tropical getaway can be difficult, so we composed a list of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean and their significant differences.

Aruba

We kick of the list with Aruba, this small island located just off the coast of Venezuela, differentiates from the other Caribbean islands due to its desert landscape. Aruba has some of the most beautiful well preserved beaches in the entire world, like Eagle Beach and Arashi which have some of the whitest sand on the face of the Earth. Aruba is quite family friends as it has a number of resorts with all the amenities  catering to your needs, however it’s not only a family oriented place as it has many adult-centered activities to choose from like bars, clubs and casinos.

Puerto Rico

If you’re a man of culture and love the outdoors as much as the next guy, you’ll quickly fall in love with this small island and everything it has to offer. Puerto Rico is full of adventure packed activities that will take several days of your schedule and a lot of your stamina. The cities of San Juan and Ponce offer a dozen of historical sites to explore, with the old part of San Juan being the most well preserved example of Spanish Colonial architecture. If you wonder down the cobble stone streets of Old Juan, you’ll experience a place frozen in time with brightly colored houses and old timer classic, a perfect photographic opportunity.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is one of the largest Windward Islands in the Caribbean Sea and is widely considered by many to be the most beautiful out of all the Caribbean islands. An interesting fact about St. Lucia is that it’s the only country in the world named after a women. St. Lucia is a popular destination for honeymooners and its quite family friendly, having several resorts with all the amenities in the world. St. Lucia lush landscape is topped by two volcanic peaks – Gros Piton and Petit Piton, towering high above the white beaches bellow. The view from the top of the Pitons is truly astonishing, however if you don’t fancy a lengthy upward climb, you can always pop a towel and enjoy the scenery from Sugar Beach, located conveniently in between the two giant peaks.

Jamaica

Jamaica is the 4th largest Island country in the Caribbean Sea and its one of the most visited islands as it appeals to all types of travelers. The island has some of the most spectacular landscapes and wildlife, including many exotic species of birds, Jamaican Boars and reptiles especially in the undisturbed forests in the Blue Mountains. The culture of Jamaica is also quite diverse from the other islands, with many tourists coming to experience the Reggea music scene. Jamaica certainly doesn’t lack in resorts, as it features a great number of all-inclusive resorts and outdoors activities for all ages as well.

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February 4, 2019

The Benefits of Traveling Alone

If you have never got the chance to travel alone in your life, you are really missing out on the experience. Spending time by yourself is considered to be one of the best ways to learn more about yourself as a person. While traveling with friends may sound much more tempting to you, solo travel provides you with some really nice benefits that you would simply not get the chance to enjoy by traveling with your friends. For example, one of the biggest benefits of solo travel is that it puts a lot of positive pressure on you.

In fact, it puts so much positive pressure on you that you are forced to become more independent. This is because you have to make your own decisions, as well as step out of your comfort zone on a regular basis, which is not something that everyone gets the chance to do, and it is something that you probably wouldn’t do if you were traveling with your friends. You see, when you travel alone, there is nobody that you can rely on but yourself, and that experience teaches you how to become a better version of yourself. And if something doesn’t go as planned, it is your duty to figure out how to get out of the situation.

Meeting New People
One of the biggest reasons why you should try solo travel is because you would get a lot of opportunities to meet new people. The best thing about this whole situation is that it is actually not even that hard. All you have to do is wander around the area, and someone will eventually start a conversation with you – or even better, you can start a conversation with them. It’s really that easy!

Building Confidence
Another great benefit of solo travel is that you get to work on your confidence. Solo travel helps increase your confidence as you navigate an unfamiliar area and communicate with strangers. That being said, you also get the chance to work on your social skills.

Complete Freedom
Is there anything else that makes traveling alone so good? Yes, there is – complete freedom! When you travel alone, you get to go wherever you want, as well as to do whatever you want. Now, you cannot really say that about any other type of travel, can you? The freedom that you have when you travel alone can be very relaxing.

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January 17, 2019

5 Most Out-of-this-world Places in the USA

There are still mysterious places here on Earth that can easily be mistaken as other worldly because of its landscapes and unnatural features. These places are all over the world but let’s look through top 5 most out-of-this-world places in the USA.

DEVIL’S TOWER, WYOMING
This gigantic rock butte is the setting for one of Steven Spielberg’s famous alien thriller movie, and rightfully so because it does look like a mountain on outer space. Though, it may look out of place in this world, this large rock formation is sacred to Native American tribes and up to now still is a site of sacred rituals and offerings.

 

KILAUEA VOLCANO, HAWAII
Volcanoes are not just present on Earth, one of the satellites of Jupiter has an active volcano too, but Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano is not far behind. It is considered as the most active volcano on Earth because it has been continuously erupting for 35 years. Lava emissions spring forth forming lava tubes here and there even under the cool waters of Pacific Ocean.

 

ANTELOPE CANYON, ARIZONA
Over the course of millions of years, through geomorphic processes beautiful canyons, like the ones in Arizona, are formed. Antelope Canyon would be an inkling on what other planets in the galaxy would look like. The wave patterns on the walls are results of flash flooding and heavy monsoon rainfalls, eventually, smoothing out rugged edges of sandstone.

 

FLY GEYSER, NEVADA
The formation of this geyser was not natural, a local geothermic company drilled on this site but had errors that resulted to this geyser. Multiple hues of green and red from thermophilic algae combined with geothermal water makes the huge mound glisten. This colorful mound is continually growing because of accumulation of dissolved minerals from underneath goes with the erupting water, the mound changes shape over the years looking more and more outlandish.

 

DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
Death Valley is an extreme place to visit because it is the hottest and the driest place in the whole of America. The scenery you’ll see here will remind you of a faraway planet that has no signs of life, even NASA thinks the same, since they used the vastness of this national park to practice the landing of their Mars rovers. Aside from the extreme temperature, the elevation on this area are on extremes too, at 11000 feet stands the highest peak in the park called Telescope Peak and a 282 feet below sea level depression called Badwater Basin.

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January 8, 2019

Top 3 Road Trip Essentials That You Should Always Pack

Regardless of how you do it or whom you do it with, one thing is certain – going on a road trip is always a fun experience. So while road trips can be fun, just like pretty much any other type of travel, besides having a lot of advantages, road tripping has some disadvantages as well. We all know that spending hours on a road trip can be very fun, right? Of course it can, but if you are going to the one behind the wheel, there are some things that you should take care of before hitting the road. One such thing is simply called the car safety.

When it comes to road tripping, preparing your car for the trip is a very important step. But don’t even think about rushing through this scenario! Instead, take your time to check if everything is working the way it should be, and if you notice that something is not right with your car, make sure to fix it before hitting the road. Also, don’t forget to pack a flashlight, headlamp, car manual and jumper cables, as well as some extra oil. Store these items in one place either under a car seat or in the trunk. This way, they will be easily accessible once you hit the road. With that said, here are three more road trip essentials that you should always pack!

First Aid Kit
Your safety should always be your number one priority. That being said, don’t even think about going on a road trip without bringing a first aid kit with you. Accidents happen and being on the road for days could really take a toll on your body. This is why first aid kit is such an important thing to pack before hitting the road.

Car Attire
Keep your feet warm by wearing a comfortable pair of socks. You should also wear shoes that you can easily get your feet in and out of whenever you feel like it. Not only will this keep your physical well-being in good condition, but it will make the whole trip much more comfortable as well.

Healthy Food
Be sure to bring some healthy snacks with you. Another very important thing that you should pack is a bottle of water. You don’t want to get dehydrated in the middle of your trip, do you?

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December 2, 2018

Top 5 Haunted Hotels in the World

Hotels are supposed to be the place where you can rest after a long day of excursion. A soft bed, fluffy pillows and smooth covers are the things your body crave for after a whole day outside. You book a hotel thinking you can get these little luxuries even if you’re away from the comforts of your own home. But what if, you booked a room in a hotel that is far from relaxing?

FLAMINGO HOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, USA

You might think a hotel in the never-sleeping Las Vegas Strip is safe from any haunted activity, but think again. Flamingo Hotel and Casino, the oldest operating hotel in the Strip, is home to the ghost of mobster Bugsy Siegel. He was shot by his angry investors just a few days after they opened the resort. Guests have reported seeing a ghostly figure in the garden near Siegel’s memorial.

FIRST WORLD HOTEL, MALAYSIA

The colorful façade of this Malaysian hotel is far from its interior horrors. If other hotels only have a forbidden room, The First World Hotel, has basically forebode the whole 21st floor. Once you enter your room in the hotel for the first time, you should turn everything on – lights and TV – to announce that you are alive and you will use the room for a few nights.

TAJ MAHAL PALACE, MUMBAI, INDIA

This beautiful hotel doesn’t have such a beautiful back story. Even if it is considered as one of Mumbai’s most luxurious and attractive hotel, apparently, the architect of the place was not convinced enough. He jumped off the 5th floor of the building because he was so upset with the direction of where the hotel was built. Until now, guests have met him down one of the many hallways or hear his footsteps in the roof.

THE STANLEY HOTEL, COLORADO, USA

Stephen King stayed one night in this hotel and found out that they’re the only guests for the night. He stayed in Room 217 and had a nightmare thus the inspiration to his hit novel “The Shining”. Numerous guests have already sworn to hear doors shut, pianos playing and mysterious voices at night especially on the 4th floor. Since the hotel is infamous for its paranormal activities, they invested on it and offered ghost tours.

DALHOUSIE CASTLE, SCOTLAND

If you like to experience royal hauntings, you should stay a night at the stunning Dalhousie Castle and maybe get an encounter with the 13th century ghosts of Sir Alexander Ramsay and Lady Catherine. The castle has already seen thousands of people come and go and aside from the ghostly presence, this traditional hotel has many amazing antiques and relics in the building.