Waymarking on the St. Paul trail in Turkey is nearly complete

by Kraig Becker on

The St. Paul Trail in Turkey is a 300+ mile long trekking route that reputedly follows the same path as the apostle whose name it bares By most accounts he took the path on his first missionary journey to the city of Anatolia and most likely did it without hiking boots. The trail runs from Perge to Yalvac, which is found northeast of Lake Egirdir, and is said to be more wild and remote than Turkey’s better known hiking route, the Lycian Way.

The trail was first opened in 2004, and was designed to be an easy to follow route for independent hikers through remote backcountry. That goal will soon be achieved, as volunteers are nearly finished waymarking the trail, making it easier than ever to navigate the hike from end to end.

Of course, any long distance hiker knows that navigation is only one small part of the trek, and the St. Paul trail offers plenty of challenges beyond finding your way. The trail begins at sea level and rises as high as 7200 feet, as it winds its way into the Anatolian highlands. Two optional side-paths can extend the distances further and altitudes higher, taking backpackers up to nearly 9200 feet, if they are feeling especially adventurous. The path also makes its way past ancient roman ruins, through rocky canyons, and to the shores of serene lakes, mostly untouched by outside visitors.

Indeed, the remoteness of this trek is one of its major draws. Unlike the Lycian Way, there is little to no tourist infrastructure in this part of Turkey, and the villages that St. Paul’s trail wanders through are still getting use to the idea of outsiders dropping by for a visit. Also unlike the Lycian Way, this trail has two starting points, one in Perge, as mentioned, and another further east, along the Pamphylian plain at Aspendos, a site known for its well preserved ancient architecture.

At this time, it is unknown how many people hike the St. Paul each year, but it is certainly not a busy trek. In fact, if you plan on making the journey yourself, be sure to pack your tent, as there are few places to stay along the way, other than in a villagers house. All of that could change however, as the waymarking should complete by the end of April, and the way of St. Paul will be made clear for all.

For a more detailed account of the trek, read this article at Today’s Zaman.

Download a walking tour of the city – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

A great way to learn about a city before you arrive is to download a walking tour of the city to your MP3 player or smart phone.

Many destinations, particularly in Europe, offer free downloads of maps, audio tours, and podcasts through official city government and tourism websites. Self-guided sightseeing tours of cities and major attractions, such as the Louvre, may also be available through Apple’s iTunes website. Some tours may require a small fee to download, but they’re usually less than $15.

The advantage of learning about the city before your arrival is that you can maximize your time by doing those things you really want to do, rather than trying to figure out your schedule while on the ground. Also, being oriented upon arrival just makes you feel more confident and excited about your adventure.

World’s largest collection of tulips in bloom at Keukenhof in the Netherlands

by Scott Carmichael on

Nowhere in the world will you find more tulips than at Keukenhof in the Netherlands. Keukenhof started in 1949 as a showcase for Dutch bulb growers to display their newest creations, and it has since then grown into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

This year, Keukenhof will open on March 18th, and will stay open until May 16th. In that short period of bloom, almost one million people will visit the 9 miles of pathways twisting around 4.5 million tulips in 2000 different varieties.

The theme for the 2010 season is “From Russia With Love”, and the official opening will be performed by Svetlana Medvedeva, wife of the President of the Russian Federation, in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.

Keukenhof is conveniently located between Amsterdam and The Hague, making it a mere 30 minutes drive from both cities. Best of all, the drive to the town of Lisse (where Keukenhof is located) passes through some of the tulip fields the Netherlands is so popular for. If you are in the Netherlands this spring, a trip to Keukenhof is a “must do”.

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Old Spice is looking for guys to send on the “ultimate internship”

by Scott Carmichael on

Old Spice (yes, Old Spice) is looking for a couple of adventure seeking guys to send on the internship of a lifetime.

In the Old Spice Adventure, the company will send you surfing in Fiji or snowboarding in Switzerland (in lederhosen of course). Interns will be assisted by professional athletes Gretchen Bleiler and Anastasia Ashley.

The winners will spend 5 days on location, performing challenges and keeping Facebook and Twitter up to date on their antics. To help make life on the road a little easier, you’ll also get $1000 spending money for each day of the challenges.

Of course, you’ll have to convince the people at Old Spice that you are the ideal candidate – and you’ll obviously be up against some pretty creative others. So, if you have what it takes, head on over to the Old Spice Adventure challenge site. The contest started yesterday, and you have till April 15th to enter.

Where did all the bargain fares to Europe go?

by George Hobica on

Will this be the summer of our discontent when we search for cheap airfares to Europe? Is the party over?

In January 2009, US Air kicked off the summer selling season with tax-included fares for peak summer travel to Europe in the $500’s and $600’s but that was nothing compared to the $200 and $300 fares that appeared later in the spring and summer.

But that was last year. The winter just ending is the first time in memory that we didn’t see dead-of-winter deals to Europe. In winters past, the airlines went into panic mode, selling fares for February travel for as low as $250 or $300 round-trip including taxes, even on nonstops from New York to Paris. This winter, however, fares remained stubbornly stuck in the $600’s, $700’s and even $800’s to most destinations, although there were a few fleeting $500 bargains to such places as Dublin, Barcelona and Madrid.

Even Frankfurt, typically the cheapest gateway to the Continent, saw no amazing deals as in past winters.

So what’s going on here, and how does this bode for travel this spring and summer?

Of course, only fools dare to predict how an irrational airline industry will react, so we’ll steer clear of hard and fast prognostication. However, the bargain-less winter does not give us much hope.
But we will say this: many European governments have increased airport taxes, as outlined in this New York Times article on the subject, which reports that a $458 fare from New York to London recently came saddled with $162 in taxes and government fees.

And it may only get worse. The British government, for example, currently adds an Air Passenger Duty of £45 in economy class, but this will rise to £60 on Nov. 1, and £90 on business and first class fares, scheduled to increase to £120 on the same day.

In addition, many airlines have cut capacity and grounded jets for the duration, which will put pressure on fares. Last July, British Airways announced it would slash winter capacity by 4-5%, grounding over a dozen planes.

Adding to our misery, the weak dollar has enticed bargain-hunting Europeans to visit the U.S. Those shopping bag-toting hordes are driving up demand and fares along with it, taking seats that we were hoping to get for next to nothing.

Currently, spring and summer fares to most European destinations are running in the $900 to $1500 range, including tax. That’s still less than what we saw in summer 2008, when it wasn’t unusual to cough up $1900 and $2000 on economy class fares for peak July and August dates. Even so, we would be very surprised if at some point there isn’t a brief, hit-and-run sale on some routes. So our only advice is to sign up for fare alerts (http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/fare-alerts/) and jump if such a sale does come to pass.

George Hobica is the founder of Airfarewatchdog™, the most inclusive source of airfare deals that have been researched and verified by experts. Airfarewatchdog compares fares from all airlines and includes the increasing number of airline-site-only and promo code fares.

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