Top Ten Free Sights in New York
It can be hard to stick to a budget when visiting major cities in the US, but the Big Apple offers plenty of free attractions guaranteed to keep travelers staying at New York hostels busy, without breaking the bank.
Staten Island Ferry - Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island
The best view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is definitely from the water and almost half of all Americans are thought to have descended from immigrants who passed through Ellis Island on the ships. For the price of the Staten Island Ferry trip, backpackers can learn more about the role this New York port played in US history at the island's museum. Presented as a gift from the French to America, the Statue of Liberty is arguably the most famous landmark in New York and travelers can pay a ferry fee to visit the iconic monument.
Ground Zero
The site of the World Trade Center is currently under development with a permanent memorial, museum and a new skyscraper, called the Freedom Tower, to be constructed in the very near future. Travelers can also visit the 16-acre site where the Twin Towers once stood between Liberty Street and West Street.
Rockefeller Center
This sprawling complex is located in Manhattan between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas. Built by the Rockefeller oil heir family during the 1930s, the Art Deco-style center houses shops, restaurants and even an ice skating rink, all set around a plaza centerpiece.
Wall Street
It may be renowned as a symbol of western capitalism, but a short walk down Wall Street will cost travelers nothing. The New York Stock Exchange's grand marble facade is a wonderful sight, as is the Federal Hall National Memorial. Formerly the US Customs House, the Federal Hall was built on the location where George Washington was inducted as the first President of the United States and is now a museum, offering free entry - perfect for those on a budget.
Museums
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is definitely worth a visit, but does charge an entry fee. New York hostel guests looking for culture on the cheap, however, can take advantage of some of the city's other museums. The Museum of Modern Art is free of charge on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm and the Museum of the City of New York, on Fifth Avenue, is free on Sundays from 10am until midday.
Central Park
Budget travelers in need of a break from the hustle and bustle of the third most populous city in the US can find tranquillity in this 843-acre green space. Central Park features a zoo, ice skating rinks and a swimming pool, as well as a boating lake and stunning natural landscapes, featured in many classic films and television shows.
Fifth Avenue
Consumption is definitely the main activity on Fifth Avenue and travelers who enjoy window shopping might like to peruse the wares on display at Tiffany and Co, Sak's Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. Those not looking for retail therapy can instead admire the curved architecture of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue, as well as the neo-gothic St Patrick's Cathedral and the iconic Empire State Building.
Empire State Building
Completed in 1931, this Art Deco-style tower is the tallest building in New York and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Although charging a fee of $20, budget travelers should certainly take the opportunity to admire the view of the city from the 86th floor observatory. For an extra $15, visitors can head up to the 102nd floor for an even more spectacular view.
Times Square
Famous for its annual New Year's Eve street party, held since 1907, Times Square is an impressive sight throughout the rest of the year as well. Flanked on all sides by enormous neon advertising screens featuring famous US brands, the area was named in 1904 after the nearby Times Building. A key intersection and a famous section of New York, the theater-land of Broadway leads off the square.
Long Island
A visit to Long Island will cost backpackers the price of a ferry, cab or train, but once there the grandeur of the local architecture can be taken in for free. Travelers could head to the Gold Coast on the North Shore to admire the early 20th century mansions, some of which are open to the public. The Hamptons, three towns famous for being a summer destination for wealthy New Yorkers, are also located on Long Island.
By Expert Author: P Scottyn
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com
วันจันทร์ที่ 16 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2552
Bolivia - Travel Destination Tips on Where to Go
Bolivia - Travel Destination Tips on Where to Go
Where to visit in Bolivia
When in Sucre cheesy as the 'dino mobile' looks a trip to the dinosaur footprints will exceed your expectations. The cost of a visit is cheap and the prints are extensive - it's just such a shame & quite unbelievable that such a treasure is still part of a working quarry. The prints scale a sheer rock face which shakes with dynamite explosions from the base even as you watch - let's hope that UNESCO win their battle and these footprints are preserved for future generations.
Do not miss the world wonder which is the salt flats of Uyuni. There are 2 choices of trip - either a 1 day trip out to the salt flats & back or a 3 day trip across the salt flats and on in to San Pedro De Atacama - Chile. If Chile is on your travel path then this is proably the best trip to take as you will see all the attractions of the salt flats along with the red & green lagoons & flamingos. The 1 day trip will however cover the salt flats element and from Uyuni you can get an overnight train down to the border with Argentina. These trains do not leave every day though so worth checking before you arrive to avoid a prolonged stay in Uyuni. Once in Uyuni every shop is a travel agent and trying to choose who to go with blows your mind - all offer pretty much the same thing the decider needs to be how good their English is and the state of their vehicles. All operators have books with reviews from previous travellers so have a read of these before you decide. We did it with Oasis tours (www.oasistours-bo.com)
La Paz is the unofficial capital of Bolivia and the biggest city at high altitude in the world. It?s a fascinating city, full of markets .. including the notorious witches market where Bolivians buy llama foetuses which hang in the doorways of all the shops - they?re believed to bring good luck if placed in the foundations of a building. For all those that have read ?Marching powder? - yes the prison is still there but unfortunately when we were there nosy backpackers were no longer permitted access (although in Bolivia money talks so if you're feeling brave it could be worth a try!).
By:Wikidtravel
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Where to visit in Bolivia
When in Sucre cheesy as the 'dino mobile' looks a trip to the dinosaur footprints will exceed your expectations. The cost of a visit is cheap and the prints are extensive - it's just such a shame & quite unbelievable that such a treasure is still part of a working quarry. The prints scale a sheer rock face which shakes with dynamite explosions from the base even as you watch - let's hope that UNESCO win their battle and these footprints are preserved for future generations.
Do not miss the world wonder which is the salt flats of Uyuni. There are 2 choices of trip - either a 1 day trip out to the salt flats & back or a 3 day trip across the salt flats and on in to San Pedro De Atacama - Chile. If Chile is on your travel path then this is proably the best trip to take as you will see all the attractions of the salt flats along with the red & green lagoons & flamingos. The 1 day trip will however cover the salt flats element and from Uyuni you can get an overnight train down to the border with Argentina. These trains do not leave every day though so worth checking before you arrive to avoid a prolonged stay in Uyuni. Once in Uyuni every shop is a travel agent and trying to choose who to go with blows your mind - all offer pretty much the same thing the decider needs to be how good their English is and the state of their vehicles. All operators have books with reviews from previous travellers so have a read of these before you decide. We did it with Oasis tours (www.oasistours-bo.com)
La Paz is the unofficial capital of Bolivia and the biggest city at high altitude in the world. It?s a fascinating city, full of markets .. including the notorious witches market where Bolivians buy llama foetuses which hang in the doorways of all the shops - they?re believed to bring good luck if placed in the foundations of a building. For all those that have read ?Marching powder? - yes the prison is still there but unfortunately when we were there nosy backpackers were no longer permitted access (although in Bolivia money talks so if you're feeling brave it could be worth a try!).
By:Wikidtravel
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Peru - Independent Travel Tips on Where to Go and Visit
Peru - Independent Travel Tips on Where to Go and Visit
Independent travel advice for Peru
IF you are travelling over land from Ecuador in to Peru you will probably arrive first in Piura a fairly uninteresting border town. From here it is a further 4 - 6 hours to Chicalayo which has a few half decent places to stay (try www.hoteltumbasreales.com). From here you can travel on to Huanchaco - a beach side resort where you can watch the local fishermen bring in the catch on their straw boats. There are some good restaurants along the sea front and good hostels here. Near Hunachaco is the town of Trujillo with some interesting architecture and also the Chan Chan ruins (very reminiscent of star wars).
Lima is the capital and transport hub for the country so difficult to avoid. The capital doesn't offer much to stick around for but if you've been backpacking on a shoestring for a bit and want some creature comforts - head to Mina Flores for some decent accomodation, bars & restaurants. Most of the hostels are on this modern island with in the city but you will find significantly cheaper prices in the old part of the city.
Peru is a great country from which to explore the Amazon. You can fly direct from Lima to Iquitous in the centre of the Amazon - this rainforest town is only accessible by air or water. You will be swamped with taxi drivers offering you their recommendations for accomodations and tour companies so be prepared to defend your personal space upon exiting the terminal. Shop around and negotiate when choosing the tour company to go with - local guides will offer you authentic experiences in isolated villages (often involving all night ferry journeys down the Amazon river accompanied by all kinds of animals, livestock, fish & produce) .... a fantastic experience but be prepared to rough it - no running water or electricity! Alternatively there are lots of luxury options available which may be don't provide the authentic Amazon experience, & the treat of getting to know the locals, but are perhaps more suitable for the squeamish (expect to be getting up close & personal with all things that creep and slither)! Remember to bring tons and tons of very strong deet insect repellent with you - the mosquitos are every where, love the blood of a 'gringo' & are strong enough to bite through clothing ... even jeans!
Highlights of the Amazon include fishing for Piranhas in little wooden canoes with your fishing rod / twig & string - these canoes are very flimsy so don't rock the boat! For the very brave a swim in the Amazon is an amazing experience and if you're with the locals expect some mud slinging matches - if you're very lucky you will get up close to the famous pink dolphins, but unlike their salt water cousins this rare breed are pretty shy. Obviously the Amazon offers many an encounter with wildlife of all shapes & sizes - snakes, spiders, toucans, monkeys are some of the most common spots. On our trip we actually camped a night under the stars in the heart of the Amazon jungle with nothing for protection but banana leaves under our sleeping bags - with the fireflies for nightlights it was truly spectacular but definitely not an experience for the faint hearted!
The Inca trail is undoubtedly a highlight of any visit to South America and is certainly the jewel in the crown of any backpackers visit to Peru. While it is certainly hard work it is entirely possible for any one of average fitness and doesn't demand any specific training - just take your time, pace yourself and if you're worried about altitude sickness invest in some pills before you depart Cusco. The trail is very peaceful - walkers are limited to only 200 people a day so you can walk for quite long distances with out seeing any other tourists. It is an amazing feeling to tread the path of the Incas, witness some of the most incredible views on this earth and almost feel alone while doing so. The access limitations do mean that you need to book your place on the trail well in advance however. Tours differ in price from the very basic 'carry your own backpack' (only for the very fit) to the norm of basic food & accomodation with porters to carry all camping, food and personal luggage, all the way up to the very luxurious camping and food options. We took our tour with the midrange option - Gap Adventures, enjoyed every second and would highly recommend them. Day 2 is the hardest of the 4 - the ascent of ?dead womans pass` - but the views at the top are well worth it and you will feel a great sense of achievement once you reach them. The porters are an integral part of the Inca Trail experience, there are a total of c. 300 of them per day on top of the 200 walkers .. we had 12 porters for 6 of us in our group. Each porter carries about 25 kilos on their backs and they lug this up literally vertical slopes and then back down again ... at a run and in flip flops!! It?s unbelievable to see ...
apparantly one of the porters actually managed to complete the whole Inca trail (with out any weight on his back though) in 3 hours 45 minutes ... this is a trail which takes all the tourists 4 days! The porters run ahead of the walkers and then set up camp for lunch, then go ahead again to set up camp for dinner and tents for the night. When we walked it there were porters as old as 58 in our group and apparantly there were 70 year old porters still working the trail! Having a very knowledgable guide who speaks good english makes a big difference to the experience so do your research when picking a tour company. The last stretch of the trail is begun at 4am on the 4th morning to ensure you'll arrive at the sun gate in time to see the sun rise and mist roll off the valley to reveal Machu Picchu.
East of Cusco on the border with Bolivia is Lake Titicaca - the highest navigable lake in the world. Take a boat tour out on to the lake to visit the amazing floating reed islands of the Uros people. The community here have been making their homes from the reeds of the lakes and living upon them since pre incan times. Walking on the islands as they bob up and down is a very strange experience but the reeds are layered up very thick as the islanders simply add a layer every time they feel concern over sinking! It is also possible to stay in home stays on some of the bigger non reed islands of the lake - very basic accomodation with no running water or electricity but a real chance to witness the local way of life which has remained unaltered for generations.
By:Wikidtravel
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Independent travel advice for Peru
IF you are travelling over land from Ecuador in to Peru you will probably arrive first in Piura a fairly uninteresting border town. From here it is a further 4 - 6 hours to Chicalayo which has a few half decent places to stay (try www.hoteltumbasreales.com). From here you can travel on to Huanchaco - a beach side resort where you can watch the local fishermen bring in the catch on their straw boats. There are some good restaurants along the sea front and good hostels here. Near Hunachaco is the town of Trujillo with some interesting architecture and also the Chan Chan ruins (very reminiscent of star wars).
Lima is the capital and transport hub for the country so difficult to avoid. The capital doesn't offer much to stick around for but if you've been backpacking on a shoestring for a bit and want some creature comforts - head to Mina Flores for some decent accomodation, bars & restaurants. Most of the hostels are on this modern island with in the city but you will find significantly cheaper prices in the old part of the city.
Peru is a great country from which to explore the Amazon. You can fly direct from Lima to Iquitous in the centre of the Amazon - this rainforest town is only accessible by air or water. You will be swamped with taxi drivers offering you their recommendations for accomodations and tour companies so be prepared to defend your personal space upon exiting the terminal. Shop around and negotiate when choosing the tour company to go with - local guides will offer you authentic experiences in isolated villages (often involving all night ferry journeys down the Amazon river accompanied by all kinds of animals, livestock, fish & produce) .... a fantastic experience but be prepared to rough it - no running water or electricity! Alternatively there are lots of luxury options available which may be don't provide the authentic Amazon experience, & the treat of getting to know the locals, but are perhaps more suitable for the squeamish (expect to be getting up close & personal with all things that creep and slither)! Remember to bring tons and tons of very strong deet insect repellent with you - the mosquitos are every where, love the blood of a 'gringo' & are strong enough to bite through clothing ... even jeans!
Highlights of the Amazon include fishing for Piranhas in little wooden canoes with your fishing rod / twig & string - these canoes are very flimsy so don't rock the boat! For the very brave a swim in the Amazon is an amazing experience and if you're with the locals expect some mud slinging matches - if you're very lucky you will get up close to the famous pink dolphins, but unlike their salt water cousins this rare breed are pretty shy. Obviously the Amazon offers many an encounter with wildlife of all shapes & sizes - snakes, spiders, toucans, monkeys are some of the most common spots. On our trip we actually camped a night under the stars in the heart of the Amazon jungle with nothing for protection but banana leaves under our sleeping bags - with the fireflies for nightlights it was truly spectacular but definitely not an experience for the faint hearted!
The Inca trail is undoubtedly a highlight of any visit to South America and is certainly the jewel in the crown of any backpackers visit to Peru. While it is certainly hard work it is entirely possible for any one of average fitness and doesn't demand any specific training - just take your time, pace yourself and if you're worried about altitude sickness invest in some pills before you depart Cusco. The trail is very peaceful - walkers are limited to only 200 people a day so you can walk for quite long distances with out seeing any other tourists. It is an amazing feeling to tread the path of the Incas, witness some of the most incredible views on this earth and almost feel alone while doing so. The access limitations do mean that you need to book your place on the trail well in advance however. Tours differ in price from the very basic 'carry your own backpack' (only for the very fit) to the norm of basic food & accomodation with porters to carry all camping, food and personal luggage, all the way up to the very luxurious camping and food options. We took our tour with the midrange option - Gap Adventures, enjoyed every second and would highly recommend them. Day 2 is the hardest of the 4 - the ascent of ?dead womans pass` - but the views at the top are well worth it and you will feel a great sense of achievement once you reach them. The porters are an integral part of the Inca Trail experience, there are a total of c. 300 of them per day on top of the 200 walkers .. we had 12 porters for 6 of us in our group. Each porter carries about 25 kilos on their backs and they lug this up literally vertical slopes and then back down again ... at a run and in flip flops!! It?s unbelievable to see ...
apparantly one of the porters actually managed to complete the whole Inca trail (with out any weight on his back though) in 3 hours 45 minutes ... this is a trail which takes all the tourists 4 days! The porters run ahead of the walkers and then set up camp for lunch, then go ahead again to set up camp for dinner and tents for the night. When we walked it there were porters as old as 58 in our group and apparantly there were 70 year old porters still working the trail! Having a very knowledgable guide who speaks good english makes a big difference to the experience so do your research when picking a tour company. The last stretch of the trail is begun at 4am on the 4th morning to ensure you'll arrive at the sun gate in time to see the sun rise and mist roll off the valley to reveal Machu Picchu.
East of Cusco on the border with Bolivia is Lake Titicaca - the highest navigable lake in the world. Take a boat tour out on to the lake to visit the amazing floating reed islands of the Uros people. The community here have been making their homes from the reeds of the lakes and living upon them since pre incan times. Walking on the islands as they bob up and down is a very strange experience but the reeds are layered up very thick as the islanders simply add a layer every time they feel concern over sinking! It is also possible to stay in home stays on some of the bigger non reed islands of the lake - very basic accomodation with no running water or electricity but a real chance to witness the local way of life which has remained unaltered for generations.
By:Wikidtravel
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Trip to African Safari
Trip to African Safari
A visit to Safari is always an adventurous and full of excitement. For ultimate experience, Safari is the first preference. Here, is tailor made information about a trip to African Safari.
There are number of Safari in Africa, with enriched splendor beauty of nature. South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar are the safari can be visited in Africa. Among them, South African Safari is considered to be the best and famous in the world.
African Safari Tour serves with the maximum number of wild life parks to draw deep attention of viewers to itself. Safari lovers, from all over the world visit to the place to experience one of the best vacations in African Safari. The vibrant parks due to its topography are widely surrounded by varieties of birds and mammal attracting maximum tourist to it.
Major, vivid and rare species are dwelling to natures the African Safari trip.
Journey to African forestland, enables to witness wild life closely along with the flora and fauna of variety. There is vast variety of natural habitat and parks, which captivate the attention of the visitors to it.
African Safari helps to entertain, all the types of viewers comes to enjoy the African tour. Thrill loving viewers, can stimulate them, by witnessing the different types of wild animals and the natural beauty.
To enjoy the trip to African Safari and make the vacation worth joy, some planning to the tour is must.
Following are the few tips to be remembered while preparing for Safari trip :
* Consult the best company, offering the tour package to have hassle free trip
* Choose to stay in hotel or permanent tented safari to find the true experiences
of visit in Safari.
* During the Safari tour, carry full information on the park to visit to avoid
misguidance.
* Carry safety aids to avoid any major injury during the African Trip.
* Carry minimum and only essential things in the tour like food, water, shoes and clothes.
If one takes care for above tips, he/she will enjoy the African Safari to the fullest and remember it as one of the best tour.
By:Pooja Rai
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
A visit to Safari is always an adventurous and full of excitement. For ultimate experience, Safari is the first preference. Here, is tailor made information about a trip to African Safari.
There are number of Safari in Africa, with enriched splendor beauty of nature. South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar are the safari can be visited in Africa. Among them, South African Safari is considered to be the best and famous in the world.
African Safari Tour serves with the maximum number of wild life parks to draw deep attention of viewers to itself. Safari lovers, from all over the world visit to the place to experience one of the best vacations in African Safari. The vibrant parks due to its topography are widely surrounded by varieties of birds and mammal attracting maximum tourist to it.
Major, vivid and rare species are dwelling to natures the African Safari trip.
Journey to African forestland, enables to witness wild life closely along with the flora and fauna of variety. There is vast variety of natural habitat and parks, which captivate the attention of the visitors to it.
African Safari helps to entertain, all the types of viewers comes to enjoy the African tour. Thrill loving viewers, can stimulate them, by witnessing the different types of wild animals and the natural beauty.
To enjoy the trip to African Safari and make the vacation worth joy, some planning to the tour is must.
Following are the few tips to be remembered while preparing for Safari trip :
* Consult the best company, offering the tour package to have hassle free trip
* Choose to stay in hotel or permanent tented safari to find the true experiences
of visit in Safari.
* During the Safari tour, carry full information on the park to visit to avoid
misguidance.
* Carry safety aids to avoid any major injury during the African Trip.
* Carry minimum and only essential things in the tour like food, water, shoes and clothes.
If one takes care for above tips, he/she will enjoy the African Safari to the fullest and remember it as one of the best tour.
By:Pooja Rai
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Know About Indian Railways Reservation System
Know About Indian Railways Reservation System
Since the advent of train journeys in 1853 when the first passenger train was started, Indian Railways has always been reinventing and innovating itself. From the days of steam engines to electric express trains, it has come a long way. While the make and comfort that the Indian Railways offer has obviously improved with the boost in technology, the truly revolutionary concept of the Indian Railways has been the introduction of the online railways reservation system. A highly risky venture considering the literacy rate of the country, let alone internet literacy rate, it has been a brave attempt at modernization of a government run public transport system.
While train tickets could always be booked from the large number of railway reservation counters of the Indian Railways, the attempt to offer the service online and to make it a smoother and convenient process for travellers has definitely been a successful one. Owing to the online railways reservation system, train tickets can be booked without the hassle of standing in queues, jostling with people or frantically searching for the right train as per timings and fare variations in different classes of train tickets. All the relevant information, including the number of trains from one destination to the other, available categories of coach classes, availability of train tickets for a particular class and the fare for each class, is just a few clicks away. What makes it even more convenient is the mode of payment. While earlier the online railways reservation process accepted only credit cards as mode of payment during booking of train tickets online, now other payment options like direct transfer and debit card can also be used to pay for train tickets on the online railways reservation system.
Keeping in sync with the traveller’s convenience, train tickets booked through the online railways reservation system are available in the form of e-ticket (email tickets) or i-ticket (paper ticket). While the e-ticket, booked through the online railways reservation facility of the Indian Railways, is instantly delivered to the passenger through e-mail, an i-ticket is sent via regular mail, and takes 2-3 days to be delivered. Besides the convenience of booking train tickets, the online railways reservation system also offers information about other processes of the Indian Railways that are linked with online bookings. All essential information about the online railways reservation system and process is readily available including details of cancellation and concession policies.
By:kuldeepmmt
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Since the advent of train journeys in 1853 when the first passenger train was started, Indian Railways has always been reinventing and innovating itself. From the days of steam engines to electric express trains, it has come a long way. While the make and comfort that the Indian Railways offer has obviously improved with the boost in technology, the truly revolutionary concept of the Indian Railways has been the introduction of the online railways reservation system. A highly risky venture considering the literacy rate of the country, let alone internet literacy rate, it has been a brave attempt at modernization of a government run public transport system.
While train tickets could always be booked from the large number of railway reservation counters of the Indian Railways, the attempt to offer the service online and to make it a smoother and convenient process for travellers has definitely been a successful one. Owing to the online railways reservation system, train tickets can be booked without the hassle of standing in queues, jostling with people or frantically searching for the right train as per timings and fare variations in different classes of train tickets. All the relevant information, including the number of trains from one destination to the other, available categories of coach classes, availability of train tickets for a particular class and the fare for each class, is just a few clicks away. What makes it even more convenient is the mode of payment. While earlier the online railways reservation process accepted only credit cards as mode of payment during booking of train tickets online, now other payment options like direct transfer and debit card can also be used to pay for train tickets on the online railways reservation system.
Keeping in sync with the traveller’s convenience, train tickets booked through the online railways reservation system are available in the form of e-ticket (email tickets) or i-ticket (paper ticket). While the e-ticket, booked through the online railways reservation facility of the Indian Railways, is instantly delivered to the passenger through e-mail, an i-ticket is sent via regular mail, and takes 2-3 days to be delivered. Besides the convenience of booking train tickets, the online railways reservation system also offers information about other processes of the Indian Railways that are linked with online bookings. All essential information about the online railways reservation system and process is readily available including details of cancellation and concession policies.
By:kuldeepmmt
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
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