Poland’s Wieliczka Salt Mine

The multifaceted country of Poland is often known as an excellent blend of contemporary and medieval. Get yourself a travel deal to Poland as we take you on an exploration ride to one such historic site that has amazed and surprised visitors for years.

About Wieliczka Salt Mine:

Deposits of rock salt have been mined at Wieliczka since the 13th century. Spread over nine levels, it has 186 miles of galleries with works of art, altars and statues sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial undertaking. Wieliczka attracted visitors because of its uniqueness and beauty almost from the beginning of its existence.
Location:
The Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, lies within the Krakow metropolitan area.
Key Attractions:

• The Urszula Chamber: The chamber was carved in the upper part of a large block of green salt. The miners began working here around 1649, digging salt by hand.
• Saint Anthony’s Chapel: The 17th century Chapel is the oldest fully preserved chapel in the Wieliczka Mine. The chandelier that lights the chapel is decorated with salt crystals.
• The Janowice Chamber: The life-sized salt statues by the sculptor Mieczysław Kluzek illustrate one of the oldest and the most beautiful legends of the Wieliczka Mine.
• The Weimar Chamber: The Weimar Chamber was created in the early 20th century, after a block of green salt was excavated by machines.
• The Saint John’s Chapel: The chapel is considered to be the mine’s most beautiful wooden chapel.
Amazing Facts:

• Wieliczka Salt Mine consists of 2,000 excavated chambers. Features include a large chapel ornamented with works of art, altars and statues.
• The museum is one of Europe’s largest mining museums.
• Temperature in the Wieliczka Salt Mine stays uniform 15 degrees Celsius, i.e. 59 Fahrenheit, round the year.
• In 1978 the Wieliczka salt mine was placed on the original UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites.
• The mine’s attractions for tourists include dozens of statues and an entire cathedral that have been carved out of the rock salt by the miners.
From statues of seven dwarves to the Pope, scenes of Polish folklore to modern art, the tiles on the floor to the chandeliers hanging above, pools of saturated saline water to an entire cathedral, this site has something for everyone and it is all carved out of salt.

THE ORIGINS OF TUSCAN HOLIDAY RENTALS

Please welcome guest blogger, Raymond, from Tuscan Enterprise.

To the seasoned traveler, the words Chianti, Chiantishire, and Tuscan Villas are household terms, but few know how or when the rental of farmhouses, Villas and apartments actually began. It is a fascinating story, totally dependent on the strong characters of two visionary women.

The first was Signora Scotoni, way back in the early 1950’s, when she saw that farmers and their families were abandoning the small farmsteads and migrating to the larger towns to look for jobs that paid regular monthly salaries. Instead of letting her large family property go to waste, she transformed the farming hamlet of the Tenuta di Ricavo into a Residential resort and hotel for qualified lovers of nature. Her primary clients were Swiss, Dutch and German when she opened back in 1955 with the hamlet strategically located between the towns of Castellina in Chianti (today the heart of the Chianti Classico Region) and San Donato in Poggio. Some accurate publicity, word of mouth, and lots of dedication put her on the road to success.

A few years later, on the opposite side of Castellina in Chianti, Signora Lecchini Giovannoni also faced the problem of putting her family estate with its large Villa to good use, and in 1963 she opened the luxury Hotel Villa Casalecchi. She too had European clients, but also attracted a good number of British and the first American visitors to the area. With love and painstaking attention to detail, hers too became one of the “must go to” destinations in Tuscany.

Soon, as these structures became famous, the guest request became more than they could handle, and other estate owners began to follow suit, fixing and restoring farmhouses, apartment complexes in farming estates, and upgrading the ancient Villas to the modern standards of the times. Real Estate agencies barely managed to meet the demands of the German, Swiss, British, Dutch and American clients who wanted to buy a retirement home or invest in a vineyard estate in Tuscany. In this period, specialized holiday accommodation rental agents such as Cuendet, Solemar and Tuscan Enterprises were born – all offering a selection of self-catering holiday homes let by the week. The boom was on and it lasted all through the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s with more accommodations being created (and they were always full and still the demand continued to exceed the offer); more international Tour Operators featured Tuscany as a prime destination together with the South of France, and it seemed that the trend would continue forever.

Two things happened in the early 2000’s that slowed the process almost to a standstill and from which it is still trying to recuperate: the introduction of the Euro, which made Tuscany and any other Italian holiday destinations as expensive as any other; and the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, which immediately suspended the vast touristic flows from the United States. People began to be wary of leaving their countries for extended holidays, and preferred short vacations, and possibly even repeated in the course of the year.

Tuscany is a land where time flows at a slow, relaxed pace and needs a calm attention and dedication by the traveler in order not to miss any of its wonderful details. Today, recession notwithstanding, Tuscany with its lowered prices and highly qualified offer, is once again becoming a primary destination. And to think that we who live here actually owe it all to two enterprising ladies with a vision.

Raymond Lamothe Tour operator: http://www.tuscanenterprises.com and travel blogger: http://www.tuscanenterprise.it

One City Spotlight: Vancouver

With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games kicking off Friday, we figured why not feature the host as this week’s “One City Spotlight.”

With a population of more than 2.6 million residents, Vancouver is the third largest metropolitan city in all of Canada. This amazing city is well known for its breathtaking natural beauty and offers locals both a bustling city life and an outdoor experience all in one.

Vancouver consistently makes the list of “top places to live” and “top places to visit” each year. No wonder, with so much to see, do, eat and drink, this Canadian locale is truly one of the great North American destinations.

Getting to Vancouver is simple as most airlines fly to and from Vancouver International Airport frequently on a daily basis. Alternative airports include Abbotsford International Airport (about 50 miles outside the city) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (155 miles outside the city).

If you plan to drive to Vancouver, your best bet is Highway #1 and Highway 99. Amtrak and Greyhound also makes stops in Vancouver.

Getting around Vancouver is also pretty simple, avoid cars and use either their mass transit system or rent a bike. This Western Canadian city is extremely bicycle friendly. Popular shops like Bazooka Bikes and Stanley Park Cycle offer hourly, daily and weekly bike rentals with reasonable rates.

Some of the more popular attractions to check out when visiting Vancouver include:

• Stanley Park (easily the top destination for locals and travelers)
• Coal Harbour Walkway
• Vancouver Aquarium
• Museum of Anthropology
• Jog, bike or walk along the Seawall
• During warmer months check out one of the many Vancouver beaches
• Catch a sporting event like the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks & CFL’s BC Lions

Some of the more popular sections of Vancouver include:

• Gastown: Named after the city’s found, this is the oldest area in Vancouver and offers many quaint shops and historic buildings.
• Robson Street: The most touristy area of Vancouver offers many places to pick up that perfect Canadian souvenir.
• Pacific Centre: One of the more lively areas of Vancouver. You can pick up many goods and dine out at one of the more than 150 shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.
• Yaletown: Offers more non-mainstream, yet expensive, shopping options. This is not a wallet friendly locale.
• Main Street: Great area to people watch at one of the many cafes and restaurants. Shopping options galore at small boutiques.

Eat & Drink:

• Vancouver boasts more Starbucks per capita than any other city in the world. But if you prefer good coffee, then check out Caffe Artigiano and Blenz.
• With a huge Chinese population, you will probably find many young locals enjoying some bubble tea. Check out a cafe and sample this tasty drink.
• Grab an adult beverage at Granville Island Brewery.
• Grab a bite to eat at one of the many dim sum restaurants around Vancouver.

Whether it is a visit for the Olympics Games or a much needed vacation, Vancouver is the perfect year round destination for any traveler.

Top 10 Cheap Spring Break Destinations

Please welcome guest blogger, Laura, from vacationrentals.com.

I love finding vacation rental deals for travelers on Vacation Rentals.com, especially during these difficult economic times when we’ve all got to be super selective about the destinations we visit. So, here goes: 10 cheap Spring Break destinations…

1. Washington DC

A handful of must-see cities get cheaper to visit during weekends and holidays, and DC tops that short list. When the politicians scatter about for Spring Break, you can take their place and take advantage of great “off-season” deals. While here, make sure to check out as many free attractions – like the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, and all 15 Smithsonian Museums – as possible.

2. Las Vegas

As long as you don’t gamble beyond your means, you can save a lot of dough in Sin City. Really! From on-the-house cocktails to bargain buffets to free animal shows, Las Vegas promises a lot of fun, no matter how little your budget.

3. Austin, Texas

Your Spring Break might collide with the bustling South by Southwest scene, but you’ll find it easy to take it easy on your pocketbook in Austin. No, you won’t be stacking back cash like you would in a sleepier town, but you’ll make out better than Spring Breakers in monster metros like New York City, Cancun, and Panama City Beach.

4. Port Aransas, Texas

While college students take over nearby South Padre Island, a legendary Spring Break hot spot, you can enjoy the Lone Star State’s lovely coast for cheap. Don’t go broke fighting for accommodations, flights, and drinks at the bar.

5. Nicaragua

If you’re aching for somewhere far flung, don’t go to Costa Rica. That’s such a cliché thing to do. Okay, so Costa Rica’s admittedly great. But so is Nicaragua, and since it’s not nearly as “popular” a destination, you won’t suffer from tourist inflation.

6. Grand Canyon

America’s national parks are sort of like awesome gifts sprinkled across the country. Park passes are cheap and sometimes free, but the experience you’ll get from them is priceless. To boot, the Grand Canyon is an easy drive-to destination for many Americans.

7. Dominican Republic

The Caribbean is no stranger to leisure-seeking sunbathers, but not every island is packed to capacity. The Dominican Republic recently entered the game as a top Caribbean destination, but because it’s not quite as established as others – like the US Virgin Islands – you can usually track down reasonable rates on flights and accommodations.

8. Killington, Vermont

For some, Spring Break’s just not complete without some skiing. Instead of hurrying over to Colorado with everyone else, consider lesser-known but no less amazing resorts like Killington.

9. Sandestin, Texas

Gear up for golf season in this breezy beach town. Don’t worry, most other Spring Breakers are partying it up in Panama City Beach, Miami, Orlando, and the Keys, so you’ll enjoy a decent amount of peace, quiet, and saved moolah.

10. Tulum, Mexico

Are you sure you want to do Spring Break in Cancun? Unless you’re turning 21 this year, that kind of behavior is unnecessary. After all, Mexico is brimming with spectacular seaside cities that won’t break the bank. For starters, try Tulum, home to Mayan ruins that rival even the prettiest beaches.

If you can’t get away for a spring break but can escape for a long weekend, OneTravel is offering great deals on weekend getaways.

Enjoy The Journey

Please welcome guest blogger, Amy, from PitstopsforKids.com

Last summer, my family and I took a two week, 1000+ mile road trip through four national parks, several frontier towns, and a beach town. My kids (ages 5-10) hiked through Arches in Moab, Utah, climbed into ancient ruins at Mesa Verde, and camped under the stars. When asked about their travels, however, the first thing they’ll rave about is not the grandeur of the natural wilderness (although they were certainly appreciative) or even the fun had during a day at Disneyland. They first enthuse about an afternoon detour to Slide Rock State Park, located conveniently off the interstate outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.

The second thing they’ll tell you about? The dinosaur tracks to be found along a dusty strip of Highway 160 , where we stopped on our way to the (far more impressive) natural wonder of the Grand Canyon.

For kids, these detours matter. The roadside pit stops, the picnic lunches, and the opportunity to slow down and explore and enrich their travels (and results in far fewer instances of ‘Mom, are we there yet?’ from the back seat). No matter where you find yourself in the world, these underappreciated gems exist. Some are well-known and clearly marked. Others are far less obvious; perhaps you’ve passed the marker for a sleepy state or city park many times on your commute to Grandma’s house and never stopped to see what it has to offer. And maybe the answer is nothing. That happens! But far more likely, you’ll find yourself in the perfect place in which to stretch little legs and eat a snack before continuing on your way.

While the destination is certainly the goal, the journey can be far more pleasant when we opt to pull off the highway every so often and see what small joys await.

Chinese New Year in San Francisco

The New Year marked its beginning more than a month ago. So does that mean that you need to wait another year to indulge in New Year extravagance?

The answer to that question is “No”, simply book a flight to San Francisco and enjoy an amazing Chinese New Year Celebration.

About the Event:

The San Francisco Chinese New Year celebration originated in the 1860’s during the Gold Rush day and is now the largest Asian event in North America.

Held approximately two weeks following the first day of the Chinese New Year, it combines elements of the Chinese Lantern Festival with a typical American parade.
Must Watch:
Nowhere in the world will you see a lunar New Year parade with more gorgeous floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions and exploding firecrackers. However here is our pick of “Must Watch” events.

• Chinese New Year Parade: Named one of the top ten parades in the world by the IFEA, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the best parades in the country. The parade highlights include elaborately decorated floats, marching bands, martial arts group, stilt walkers, lion dancers and Chinese acrobatics.

• Chinese New Year Community Street Fair: Visitors would have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of San Francisco’s exhilarating Chinatown. You can enjoy dance and music from throughout Asia and experience ancient and modern Chinese arts such as calligraphy, kite-making and acrobatics.

• Chinese New Year Flower Fair: The Fair takes place the weekend before the lunar New Year so that families can buy traditional plants and flowers to decorate their homes and give as gifts. Oranges, tangerines, flowers, plants and a variety of auspicious foods are just a few of the many items on sale.

• Chinese New Year Basketball Jamboree: Chinese New Year will kick off the “Year of the Tiger” with six exciting basketball games. It is a perfect family getaway to have fun and treasure the slam dunk moments.

Must Know:

• This year the Chinese New Year celebrates the “Year of the Tiger”.

• The entire parade route is an excellent place to view the parade, but it tends to get more crowded as you get closer to Chinatown.

• The total duration of the parade is 2½ hours. So make sure you are prepared accordingly for the event.

With so much on offer the festival surely promises to offer optimum entertainment and leave you with memories for a lifetime.

The Romance of Adventure

Please welcome guest blogger, Eva, from gilladventures.com.

Romantic Valentines Getaways; the very term conjures spa treatments, wine tastings, and white linen tablecloths. The thought is of being pampered together, removing yourself from your everyday world so you can spend time with the one you love. Although this may be relaxing and enjoyable, there is another type of shared experience that creates lasting bonds.

There is a dynamic that happens when people are brought outside of the place where they are comfortable. This has long been understood by psychologists and the experiential training and human resources world. They have built challenge courses, taken management teams on rafting trips, and sent troubled teenagers into the back country. It has been called many things, but the process is the same. Facing fear together makes the mind and heart open to new bonds.

This is why a cocktail party is just a bit livelier when the space is just a bit too small. If the room is large, nobody is forced into the personal space of those around them, and the energy level is lower, quieter.  After supporting each other while standing on “wild-woozy” cables several feet off the ground, co-workers trust each other more. For that matter, this dynamic can create what might seem a perverse bond between hostage and kidnapper.

Whether it is a mild step outside of the “comfort zone” or a leap into fear, the human body releases hormones that would have helped our tribal ancestors’ band together to fight off the tigers and bears. These hormones create an opportunity for our hearts to connect, as we are more likely to stand against danger with someone we care about. So, while our survival may not be at stake, our relationships can benefit from shared adventure.

While horseback riding, scuba diving, or rock climbing are not what springs to mind when planning a special trip for Valentine’s Day, perhaps they should. Especially if you have never done them before.  Save the wine paired dinner for the end of the day, after the adventure is done.

Resources:

PADI, or Professional Association of Diving Instructors, dive shop and resort locator: http://www.padi.com/scuba/locate-a-padi-dive-shop/default.aspx

The Dude Ranchers Association: http://www.duderanch.org

How to find an American Mountain Guides Association instructor: http://hireaguide.amga.com/

From Alligator to Zebra: Wild Animals Find Sanctuary in the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre

Please welcome guest bloggers, Bernie and Dani, from BorderJumpers.org

While touring Lilongwe, Malawi, we met Kambuku (which means “leopard” in Chichewa), who was soundly sleeping in his 2,500 sq meter backyard of fenced green landscape. He was rescued by the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre after poachers shattered his knee in Nyika National Park (making it impossible for him to ever return to the wild.) As we toured the facility nearly every animal we saw — from baboons to alligators — had a similar Cinderella story of overcoming insurmountable odds to survive and, in most cases, return back to the wild.

As we toured the animal rescue, rehabilitation and education facility, it was clear that the staff felt a deep commitment to their cause. The organization funded, in part, by UK-based retailer The Body Shop abides by the philosophy that all animals have the right to live in the wild and that teaching conservation is key to protecting the rights of wildlife.

Not only do they provide sanctuary space for rescued, confiscated, orphaned and injured wild animals of Malawi, but the Center is one of the leading organizations in Malawi pushing lawmakers to enforce and enact legislation in support of wildlife conservation and environmental protection. They also develop local partnerships and training programs with the farmers and communities surrounding national parks. The struggle between protecting wildlife and agriculture is becoming especially evident as drought, conflict, and hunger continue to affect sub-Saharan Africa.  I’ll be visiting other projects, including Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO), in Zambia that are helping educate—and increase economic opportunities—for farmers living inside and near conservation areas.

Should you feel inspired to help the Center, you can donate directly by clicking here. Also, for a more hands-on experience, they are actively looking for volunteers on the ground to help.

Swim with the Fishies at the World’s Largest Aquarium

Looking for a fun vacation spot for the whole family? Your quest for the search of a perfect family vacation spot, that can be enjoyed any time of the year, ends at the Georgia Aquarium. Imagine walking through a tunnel surrounded by nearly 100,000 fish above and all around you or get up, close and personal with whale sharks.

Overview:
The Georgia Aquarium is billed as the “world’s largest aquarium”. As the world’s largest, it features more animals than any other aquarium in more than eight million gallons of water. A trip to the aquarium is an entertaining, intriguing and educational experience for guests of all ages.

Location:

The Georgia Aquarium is located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place.

Collection:

The Georgia Aquarium contains between 100,000 and 120,000 fish and other sea creatures, representing more than five hundred species. The aquarium’s notable specimens include young whale sharks, beluga whales and manta rays. The variety on offer at Georgia Aquarium instills in its guests a new appreciation for the world’s aquatic biodiversity.

Exhibits:

The aquatic animals are displayed in five different galleries

• Cold Water Quest: Cold Water Quest, features animals from the polar regions of the world and contains most of the mammals in the aquarium’s collection. This exhibit includes beluga whales, California sea lions, Japanese spider crabs and African black-footed penguins.

• Georgia Explorer: The Georgia Explorer gallery is a highly interactive gallery with touch pools full of horseshoe crabs, sea stars, stingrays and shrimp. It also features the wildlife of Gray’s Reef – a National Marine Sanctuary off the Georgia Coast.

• River Scout: Features an overhead river where visitors can see North American fish from the bottom up. In addition to local specimens, this exhibit displays piranha, electric fish and other unusual freshwater life.

• Ocean Voyager: Gives visitors to watch the aquatic life in an acrylic tunnel or by standing in front of a gigantic acrylic viewing window. Ocean Voyager includes the vast majority of the aquarium’s water and almost 100,000 fish and also showcases the aquarium’s whale sharks.

• Tropical Diver: The Tropical Diver exhibit features many curious and haunting forms of aquatic life, including a living reef with live coral.

With so much of a variety on display, the Georgia Aquarium promises wonder and excitement around every corner.

Getting High on Tenerife

Please welcome guest blogger, Andrea, from realtenerifeislanddrives.com

The wake-up call came at 4 a.m. They needn’t have bothered, I was already a fully paid up member of the wide-awake club. In fact, I’d been in the club for the past six hours, staring into the blackest darkness I have ever experienced, like sensory deprivation. I was sharing a dormitory with sixteen strangers and not one of them had made a single noise all night. I suspected that they’d all died in their sleep when the glare of the fluorescent lights blasted my retinas and brought dopey faces and bed hair into focus.

20 minutes and an icy splash of water to the face later, I stumbled out of the refuge into minus four temperatures and was once again swallowed by the night.

I’d lived on the north coast of Tenerife, amidst banana plantations, at the foot of Mount Teide for some time but, despite the fact that it completely dominated my horizon, I had never actually scaled the mountain. The motivation to rectify this omission finally came in November when I was commissioned to write a feature on doing the climb.

Standing at 3718 metres above sea level, Mount Teide is Spain’s highest mountain and the third largest volcano on earth. A cable car daily takes thousands of visitors to within 200 metres of the summit but access to the peak is limited to those who make the journey on foot via an overnight stay at the refuge, and those who get written permission from the Island Government. Climbing the mountain is the easier of the two options.

At 4.20 a.m. I set off to climb the final 500 metres that would take me to the peak for sunrise. At this altitude, the least exertion is magnified; my lungs were wondering why I was trying to self-asphyxiate and my legs were still exhausted from the climb to the refuge the day before. The route was difficult to follow as the battery in my head torch seemed to have lost the will to shine, casting a paltry yellow glow onto rocks that are uniform even in daylight. As I stumbled around, I was constantly distracted by the night sky. Just 300 kilometres off the coast of Morocco, this is an African sky. The blackness was a shimmering, jewelled ocean streaked by shooting stars that rode the night like diamond surfers.

I finally hauled myself onto the summit just as the first pink glow of sunrise stained the horizon. Sulphur rose in yellow plumes from the hot surface of the mountain, polluting the air with its fetid fumes. As the sun rose it cast its dye across the earth below, from pink to orange, to blood red and finally to gold.

Beyond the dense sea of clouds that formed a halo around the lower peaks I could see the lights of the southern resorts and beyond them, of the neighbouring islands of La Gomera and El Hierro.

The ancient inhabitants of Tenerife believed that this spot was where the Earth held up the sky…I think they were right.

Book your cheap flights to Tenerife on OneTravel.com