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Whale Watching in HawaiiWhale Watching in Hawaii, United States The coast off the North Shore near Haleiwa is less crowed with tourist charters than many of the other spots and is a good place to see Humpbacks who spend their winters here breeding after coming down from Alaska where they feed in the summer. The quieter the better, if you’re the only boat on the water you’re not competing for whales and have a better chance of getting right up close to them. The last time I went out in these waters our boat was bumped by a juvenile and later by his mum who had come to make sure we were playing nicely. There are rules about how close boats are allowed to approach the whales, but no rules saying the whales can’t approach you. Hydrophones and onboard biologists will add to your experience and give you a better understanding of why the whales are behaving the way they are. The most dramatic kinds of behaviours occur in the breeding season when the males are competing to get the attention of females and will breach, charge each other with their heads and engage in lots of flipper flapping. The males are also keen serenaders during the breeding season. Hearing the strange themes and sequences of whale song maybe one of the highlights of your experience. You’ll see calves but the births occur while the whales are in Alaska. The Auau Channel, Maui is a busier spot for whale watchers with more charter companies operating in the area, but you can also watch Humpbacks from the shore here, better for small children and the queasy. Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai is also a well known shore watching spot.
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Review by Photo by flickr user integralawakening |
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Salzburg FestivalFestivals in Salzburg, Austria This is where the Von Trapp family (both the real and the fictional versions from “The Sound of Music”) performed before escaping over the alps out of Austria during WW2, so even those unfamiliar with Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart, may have an interest in this annual musical event. The cinematic Von Trapps sing traditional songs, but the five week festival also makes time for drama, opera and classical concerts playing around 170 events to crowds of more than 220,000.
Performances centre around the Mönchsberg (The Mozart Museum), the Festival Hall, the Felsenreitschule and The Horse Pond and permeate the cities churches, smaller theatres and outdoor spaces. Strauss and prolific German director Max Reinhardt (who thought all the talent out of work during the summer could be put to good use.) are credited with the festival’s post war revival in the 1920’s and Strauss and Mozart are regular features of the festival, the rest being a good mix of classics, rediscovered treasures and premiered works.
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Review by Photo by flickr user joiseyshowaa |
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YasurVolcanoes in Vanuatu Not many people have been to Vanuatu, but Yasur is one of the best and most accessible active volcanoes in the world. It has Strombolian type eruptions, but you can get here by 4-wheel drive nearly all of the way. The climb up the cone is easy and less than 10 minutes. Hire a local guide and make sure to stay late, the explosions are spectacular at night. Tanna is still a sleepy and remote island and the locals are very friendly. The drive to the volcano is through rough roads cut through jungle. It's quite an adventure and delightful to see the kids running to the edge of the road to wave, making visitors feel truly welcome. Almost any time of the year is good. It can be very wet and get cool at night, so bring appropriate gear. There are not many places to stay in Tanna, the White Grass Ocean Resort has lovely bungalows and is very comfortable. Fly to Tanna from the main island in Vanuatu, Efate.
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Review by Photo by Photography: Mike Lyvers |
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Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)Monuments & Landmarks in Venice, Italy Amorous Venice is full of historically romantic sights with beautiful stories attached. Uneducated romantic poet that I am I thought this bridges sighs may have referred to lovers, but it turns out to have a less lovely, but no less historic tale. A covered bridge made of white limestone with two small barred windows and a curved roof, the Ponte dei Sospiri links the old prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace and the sighs were supposed to be from the prisoners of the inquisition getting their last look of Venice and freedom as they crossed over into prison. Fellow romantic poet, Lord Byron, imagined this scenario up in the 19th century, but he’s a poet not a writer of non-fiction and the timing is all wrong for the inquisition. Locals have added their own touch of the romantic to the spot by saying that a kiss under the bridge at sunset means a love that lasts forever… Designed by a relative of the designer of the much more loved up sighing Rialto and built between 1600 and 1603.
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Review by Photo by flickr user Eugenia_y_Julian |
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PanafestFestivals in Cape Coast, Ghana Panafest, or the ’Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival’ is a festival celebrating the traditions and cultures of Africa. Held biannually in Cape Coast, Ghana, it’s a showcase of the best of both modern and traditional arts. It celebrates African fashion, digital arts, music, theatre, visual arts and dance. It also features a series of politically based conferences about the African arts, Africa’s history and Africa’s relationship with the rest of the world. Most Africans see Panafest as part-pilgrimage partly a chance to party and show off their skills. One of the best events is a candlelit Emancipation Vigil to honour African slaves (Cape coast was one of the main slave traders ports.).
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Review by Photo by flickr user SqueakyMarmot |
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About usStuck at your desk? Gazing out at those grey skies and imagining you are somewhere else? I want to go here is all about inspiring you to do something different - about encouraging you to check out a new experience or destination. It's simple - we post something new every day. If you like the look of it, send it to a couple of friends. If not, wait and see what tomorrow brings. And if it gets past the fantasy stage, we'll soon have links to research the experience further, but you can also send us an email, and we'll tell you where to look or book next. |