Visiting 10 of the Most Interesting Abandoned Places on Earth | AOL Travel
Travelers looking for a getaway from the normal getaway should skip the sandy beaches to walk amid silent relics in Namibia, Chernobyl or an abandoned California gold mining town. These empty places may look like Scooby Doo set pieces, but they hold important clues to bigger mysteries about both the past and the future; the creep of urban decay and the necessity of memorializing tragedy. Sometimes history lives alone.
—Saira Bajwa, AOL Travel
Photo: Kolmanskop, Namibia | by Damien du Toit
6 Natural Phenomena to See Before They Disappear | BootsnAll
The bad news: All of the natural phenomena highlighted are in peril because of “threats of climate change, endangered species, deforestation, and other human abuses.”
The good news: The world didn’t end on Saturday so there’s still time to see them.
Photo: The Great Migration | Tanzania
Where to Stay in the Seychelles: The Best Luxury Resorts & Private Islands | Fodor's
In recent years, accommodation in the Seychelles has expanded tremendously, with the majority of development on Mahé. From private island resorts to five-star global hotel brands, there are plenty of choices for luxury honeymoons and post-Safari relaxation.
The Seychelles have long intrigued me like few other places. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the exotic name or the cool rocks they have there or the fact that it’s basically on the exact opposite side of the earth from me.
Hottest Travel Destinations of 2011 | Travel + Leisure
The magazine highlights Lhasa (Tibet), Kimberly (Australia), Zambia, and San Miguel de Allende (Mexico).
Photo of the Day | NamiBrand Nature Reserve, Namibia
via thewanderyears
The 10 Best Beach Holidays | Conde Nast Traveller
Speaking of beaches, Conde Nast Traveller* has a much more reasonable list of tropical locales to consider when spending your vacation time and dollar. If you’re thinking about an escape and don’t want to worry yourself with checking off some arbitrary bucket list, they’ve got you covered from Tasmania to Thailand.
Photo: Birkenhead House | Hermanus, South Africa
* Incidentally, that extra “l” in Traveller denotes the UK version of the publication.
Top African Safari Destinations | Fodor’s
Most of us will only get a single chance to take our dream African safari, if we’re lucky enough to experience one at all. I suspect the fortunate typically choose from the marquee (or at least best known) options - The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Victoria Falls, or Kruger National Park. But there are of course other equally thrilling locales and Fodor’s recommends their favorites here. Personally, the Skeleton Coast of Namibia has always had some allure, though I don’t hesitate to say if given but one opportunity I’d likely head to Ngrorongoro. What about you?
Photo: Wolwedans | Boulders Camp | Namibia
Source: Flickr / coda
From the horse’s mouth
In my response to evitravels on her post On Books, Backpacks and Bourdain, I mentioned I couldn’t think of any books I’d read set in Morocco, but suggested Longitude Books as a good resource for finding location-specific books. This morning the original post received a generous comment from Darrel of Longitude Books. He offers a few literary suggestions, as well as a couple of travel tips.
Hey, What about Spider’s House, set in Fez, instead of Sheltering Sky or, maybe, Hideous Kinky? You MUST read The Caliph’s House. And make sure to at least visit Kasbah Toubkal, in the High Atlas outside of Marrakesh. Thanks for the kind words about Longitude.
Many thanks to Darrel for taking the time to find this relatively invisible blog and offering its few readers his insights. Very cool.
Source: thewanderingchicken
Photo of the Day | Hermanus, South Africa
Photo calm lagoon by domonfire via: landscapelifescape
Source: landscapelifescape
