Giving my stomach a reason to flip over and inside out or shooting my heart rate up at lightning fast speed isn’t necessarily my idea of a grand yee-haw time. So whether it’s indoors or outdoors skydiving wouldn’t be the first thing I’m signing up for, but if you’re a nut when it comes to diving with or without the sky you’ll probably dig SkyVentures. To sum it up like the in-the-know bloggers at CoolHunting, SkyVenture is a vertical wind tunnel that safely and realistically simulates the experience of jumping out of a plane. Developed more so for training purposes, visitors can flip, swoosh, dive and land safely at over 15 locations worldwide. Some locations up and running presently include: London, Malaysia, Arizona, and Orlando. Others in the works are Manhattan, Hollywood, Abu Dhabi, Alcanteria, Silicon Valley, and New Hampshire. See SkyVenture for additional details.
Asia
Travel through Asia by country:
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam
Travel through Asia by popular city:
Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Moscow, New Delhi, Tokyo
Travel through Asia by popular things to do:
Travel through Asia with our writers:
Infiltrating North Korea, Keyhole Into Burma, Band on the Run ... in China, Chinese Buffet, A Canadian in Beijing, Volunteer Vacation: Tajikistan
SmarterTravel: Best & Worst Travel Destinations for Women
As a woman, traveler, and the type that tends to like parachuting into off-the-beaten track destinations, I long for articles that point out where women should go and where they should exercise extra caution when going. Well, USA Today features a fine piece for the solo women journeying this big bad world on her own with the best and worst places for women to travel. The list, compiled by Jessica Labrencis and RaeJean Stokes of SmarterTravel, doesn’t suggest women should free up and lose all inhibitions in so-called safe places or completely avoid named worst destinations. Instead of rambling on about what the list does suggest let’s take a look at their best and worst and share some of our experiences. (You’ll want to go to their site for all the specifics.)
Best travel destinations for women:
- Amsterdam
- Ireland
- Costa Rica
- India
- Vietnam
Worst travel destinations for women:
- Middle East & Northern Africa
- The Mediterranean Coast
- The United States
- Latin America & the Caribbean
- States of the former U.S.S.R.
If you ask me the worst place destination list looks to include a heavy number of places. Considering the U.S. has 50 states (some worse than others) and the former U.S.S.R. has some 14 states (including my next destination -Tajikistan) it’s safe to say women have to watch their backs almost everywhere. What’s your take? Ladies?
Expedited Passport & Visa Services
Why some people put the passport and visa process off until the very last minute is beyond me. The fees for these two items are bad enough as it is and having them rushed off to you doesn’t make them any less expensive. However, some circumstances are out of our control and when it’s time to take action and get your passport or visa for your big trip to Brazil you’ll want a reliable source. Lucky for you today,because I so happen to know one.
While I didn’t wait until the absolute last second on the clock to get my visa for Tajikistan I waited longer than I would have liked. These type of things I tend to take care of months in advance. A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors was passed on to me by the folks at Habitat for Humanities Global Village office. The A Briggs website is full of all the info you’ll need to know in order to secure the proper paperwork for entry into other countries. It is easy to navigate through and complete your transaction. Their step-by-step instructions are cookie-cutter clear which means if you do as they say you shouldn’t have any problems getting your documents in a timely manner.
As one last note before you rush over – their rates ain’t so bad either. Still try not to wait until the last minute next time.
Pamir Panoramas
One word for this shot: breath-taking. Same guy I mentioned a couple of days back who has kindly been schooling me to Tajikistan travel forwarded this Pamirs photo gallery my way as well. According to his notes it is where the Afghan, China and Tajikistan borders meet and I won’t be able forgive myself if I don’t make it down. Sounds pretty intense. I’m still making my last week itinerary as we speak so perhaps I’ll have an opportunity to make into the region. In the meantime check the Pamirs out for yourself.
Word for the Travel Wise (07/25/06)
Last week some time I spotted the coolest collectibles at this Japanese toy store in Los Angeles. I’m not really the type to collect a lot of anything, due to my changing digs so often, but these toys were off-beat. Certainly not like the Ken and Barbie dolls I had as a young girl with pig-tails. I know it’s a little early to start thinking about it, but I might go ahead and tack one of these odd plastic creations on my Christmas list. Just one…
Today’s word is a Japanese word used in Japan:
omocha – toy
Spoken Japanese comes smoothly for those who either practice or submit themselves to hours of Japanese pop music, but either way one can learn this language in through several avenues. Japanese Online is a VERY good FREE site to start learning. They have audio and a great conversation lessons. The lessons get more in-depth as you become a registered user which is still free of charge. Takese.com has a list of over 2000 words worth checking out. Those on the road already may want to pick up the LP Japanese phrasebook or check into a school for a few weeks of learning. Study Abroad has a list of school located all over the country. If you’re seeking help with written Japanese best of luck to you!
Past Japanese words: hajimemashite, dewa mata, tomodachi