Journey Around The Globe

Things You Have To Get Right When Travelling Around

15 Jan 2020 Leave a comment

by Globe Runner in Off the topic, Outdoor Tags: backpack, gears, insurance, international, tips, Travel, trips

Travelling the world is something that everybody should have the pleasure of doing. Obviously, you’re free to do whatever you want in this life (within reason); if you’d like to stay in your hometown for the entirety of it, then that’s fine. Seeing what else the world has to offer can do so much for an individual, however, so it’s a highly recommended thing.

If you’ve ever been tempted into hopping to the other side of the planet in order to be amongst different cultures and creeds, then you’ll know that it’s not exactly a case of getting on a plane and leaving everything behind.

Keep Everything As Comfy As Possible

You’re going to be heading out of your comfort zone when you travel to an unknown area. While it’s good to be out of your comfort zone, you’ll still need to have a few things around that will keep you content. Constant discomfort won’t be good for your mindset, so make sure you make things easier for you. For instance, you’ll probably want to have the right backpack and the correct footwear. These kinds of things might seem pretty basic, but if they’re not handled, then you’ll notice their absence.

Don’t Forget Anything!

It’s very easy to forget certain items whenever you leave the house, right? Well, you’re going to be leaving the house for a significant amount of time if you choose to go travelling! Make sure you have absolutely everything you need. Make a list and go over it a bunch of times. When you’re packing, be sure to triple-check everything.

If the situation is appropriate, then you could always hire a moving company to help you out. Sure, it’s not the most orthodox approach, but some movers do specialize in long-distance travel. You can always Learn More by heading online and checking out some of your local moving companies.

Bring The Right Company

This is pretty important. If you’re going places with your friends, you might want to make sure you bring the correct ones. We all have people in our lives that we can only spend so much time with, right?! It sounds harsh, but even our best pals can get a little frustrating if we spend too long with them! Choose someone (or a group) that you’ll be able to be around for an extended period. We talked about keeping things as comfy as possible, and this is just another example!

Get Insured!

You never quite know what can happen to you or your things when you’re away on your travels. You’re getting away to enjoy yourself and to take in new experiences, but that doesn’t mean you and your items are going to be invincible. Valuables might get stolen or lost during transit. You may fall a little ill when away from your natural habitat. Flights around might even get cancelled, and that’s no good for you.

If any of these instances (or anything else negative) should arise, then you’re going to be in a pretty awful situation. That’s where travel insurance will help you out. You obviously don’t need to take some out, but you can never be too sure. They’ll be able to cover you should anything go awry.

Vegas, Vegas Everywhere

29 Dec 2019 2 Comments

by Globe Runner in Food, North America, United States of America Tags: America, city, hotels, Las Vegas, music shows, Nevada, restaurants, USA, Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: I don’t even know why I am blogging about Las Vegas. This is one of the world class tourist destinations in the world and somewhere around 40 million people visit Las Vegas every year. So chances are that everyone who is reading it have been there at least once maybe (mostly for the North Americans).

Walking around at night

But I do recommend one thing in Vegas, other than just hopping from one casino to another and trying out all sorts of food or shopping in expensive stores; that is please get out of the city and enjoy the beautiful mountains and valleys that Nevada has to offer. Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Death Valley…some of these places are only half an hour to a few hours of drive and they have majestic landscapes, spectacular mountains with lots of activities to do. These ideal getaways, especially if you are traveling with kids.

Vegas life

I went back to Vegas after about 15 years and it looked almost exactly the same as I remember from 2004. Maybe new hotels here and there or slightly more crowded. But overall, the essence of Las Vegas was still the same…energetic, noisy, hustling, and fun. Yes, it’s an exciting city to be in for any age. For those who are not into gambling like me, believe me you will find something you’ll like everytime you are in this Sin City.

Vegas, Vegas, and more Vegas

OUR HOTEL: We stayed in Stratosphere Tower or The Strat this time. It’s a bit off the main strip of Vegas, but Uber or public buses are there to take you around. It’s surrounded by many shops and restaurants. Inside the hotel, cafes, steakhouse, buffet, and Starbucks are there. Stratosphere also has Skypod restaurant, extreme rides (like skyjump), observation deck, and rooftop pool. If you are a fan of King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Stratosphere’s theater also arranges MJ Live Tribute Concert every evening. Stratosphere’s buffet is also way cheaper than many other casinos. Depending on the day/night of the year, it’s usually somewhere around $20 per adult.

TIME of TRAVEL: My daughters and I were in Vegas during their winter break of 2019. We stayed there for 4 nights and 3 full days to enjoy as much possible in and around the city. This is a great time to see the Christmas and holiday decorations in each hotel and casino. The temperature is not as warm as I thought it would be. It was around 50s during the day but at night, it drops down to 40s. So carrying a sweater is a good idea.

Gorgeous day near Venetian in December

EATING and SHOPPING: I guess you don’t have to worry much about finding a restaurant in Vegas. Everywhere you look on the boulevard, at least 10 restaurants will be there in every direction. Since my girls and I are big In ‘N Out Burgers’ fans, we ate twice there…on the Linq Promenade. Shake Shack is another excellent burger place you can try. We also had dinner buffet at Stratosphere, called Crafted Buffet. It had all the variety of delicious food yet is cheaper than most of the buffets in town. For around $25 per adult and half the price of kids…we had excellent dinners there twice. Another few places I would recommend, if you are into celebrity TV shows, is trying out celebrity chefs’ restaurants. Bobby Flay, Iron Chef Morimoto, Wolfgang Puck, Giada, and etc…they all have some kind of big of small restaurants in Vegas. Gordon Ramsey has few of his own eateries here too. For one of the lunches, we tried Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen in Caesar’s Palace. My daughters’ baked salmon, burger, and finally…my lobster risotto, phew…I can never forget the taste of that risotto. To finish it off, we had sticky toffee pudding…it was a perfect sweet treat to end the course. We had to wait in line for half an hour but the service is pretty fast and the whole restaurant is themed around the TV show “Hell’s Kitchen” and with blue and red team.

Lunching in Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas, NV

Souvenir shops are almost everywhere in Vegas. We liked the unique ones on Linq Promenade and other factory shops (see below). By the way, In ‘N Out Burgers also has a factory store somewhere around The Strip. Every hotel/casino has their own souvenir shops and other brand name clothing stores too, if you are into brand names.

PLACES WE’VE VISITED: Below are some of the things we did in Las Vegas. Next time, we are definitely going to the downtown area where the world’s largest LCD display can be seen with laser show and all (at least that’s what I heard). Checking out few other casinos/hotels would also be nice for next trip, like Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, or Paris. If you are here for a longer time, drive to Sedona, AZ…a red rock city which makes a great getaway from this busy place.

My lobster risotto in Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas…I can still taste it in my mouth.

Below are some of the places we visited, things we did, and shows we watched in Vegas:

THE LINQ PROMENADE: This is a busy pedestrian zone near the Linq Hotel which is packed with unique shops and restaurants. In ‘N Out Burger is here too, if you like their burgers. Lots of street artists, including magicians, can been seen performing on the promenade. Different activities, like zipline, ferris wheel ride, etc can be done here too. We went back there twice, because it’s just nice to walk around here and window shop at different stores or just do people watching.

Linq Promenade in Las Vegas, NV

2. FACTORY STORES: Few of the fun stores we visited in Las Vegas that my kids absolutely enjoyed were M&M World, Coca-Cola Store, and Hershey’s Chocolate World.

Hershey’s Chocolate World, Las Vegas

M&M World and Coca-Cola Store are side by side near New York New York Hotel. And Hershey’s Chocolate World is right opposite of the other 2 stores. Fans or not-fans of these snacks and drinks must visit these exciting multi-floored shops just to check out what they have done inside and all the exciting items they sell. We ordered the international coke tray in the Coca-Cola store where you get to taste 16 different coke products from around the world for $15.

Our 16 flavors of coke from around the world in Coca-Cola Store in Las Vegas

3. THE PARK: Right beside New York New York Hotel and Casino, The Park is a delightful place to take a short stroll at night. It looked extra beautiful with Christmas lights and decorations everywhere.

4. SHOWS WE WATCHED: Las Vegas offers hundreds of different kinds of shows and performances all over the town. We caught 3 shows this time: David Copperfield’s Magic show in MGM Grand, Cirque du Soleil’s “O” in Bellagio, and MJ Live – A Michael Jackson Tribute Concert in Stratosphere. You can book these tickets before you go or buy them at your hotel. Depending on the shows and nights, they can get booked pretty quickly.

Since we couldn’t take pictures inside the show

The only free show we’ve watched was Bellagio’s water fountain show, which takes place every half an hour and lasts for less than 5 minutes. There are other ones as well, which we couldn’t make time to go were 10 minutes free circus performance inside Circus Circus, volcano by the Mirage, and many others. Almost every big hotel on the Strip offers some kind of free show or activities with little money.

Watershow in front of Bellagio, Las Vegas

5. CASINOS & HOTELS: New York New York was one of our favorites to visit for its cute little NY style alleys/streets like interiors. MGM Grand and Treasure Island was great too…nothing extraordinary. When I first visited Vegas 15 years ago, Caesar’s Palace was on my top list but this time, it didn’t appeal to me much. Nevertheless, it is still a great casino/hotel to check out. Bellagio’s Christmas decorations exceeded our expectations with its grandest and most creative ornaments. A whole section was dedicated to holiday celebration. From kids to adults, everyone was in awe after seeing Bellagio’s magnificent adorning statues, holiday figures, and colorful embellishments.

Christmas decors inside Bellagio, NV

But to top everything, Venetian was our most favorite (no shocker). From outside, San Marco tower depicting Venice to inside Grand Canal Shoppes, gondola rides, and the whole nine yards…it’s breathtaking. Just being there feels like you are completely in a different world. Have some gelato while walking around the indoor mall.

Grand Canal Shoppe in Venetian, NV

6. RED ROCK CANYON: Taking a short trip to Red Rock Canyon is almost a must when you are in Vegas. Only half an hour from The Strip, this is a great outdoor heaven that you would not want to miss, especially if you have children. Please visit the right-sidebar to check out the things you can do in Red Rock Canyon.

Red Rock Canyon

Hong Kong Travel Guide For Travelers

28 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

by Globe Runner in Photography

A fоrmеr соlоnу оf thе Unіtеd Kingdom; Hоng Kоng іѕ nоw оnе оf Chіnа’ѕ brightest stars іn іntеrnаtіоnаl tоurіѕm. Thе сіtу іѕ іnсrеаѕіnglу bесоmіng a global lіnk fоr Chіnа tо ѕhоwсаѕе іtѕ truе сulturе аnd warmth. Bеіng рrіmаrіlу a роrt city, thе Hоng Kоng Special Admіnіѕtrаtіvе Region (SAR) іѕ mаdе uр оf mаnу dіffеrеnt раrtѕ, ѕuсh аѕ Hong Kоng Iѕlаnd, whісh іѕ mоѕt fаmоuѕ аmоng trаvеlеrѕ. Thеn the city has Kowloon, whісh іѕ a ріесе оf lаnd wіth аbоut 2.1 million іnhаbіtаntѕ. China аlѕо hаvе “the nеw tеrrіtоrіеѕ”, whісh іѕ thе nеwеѕt аnd lаtеѕt ріесе оf lаnd tаkеn bу thе British. Finally, thе оutlуіng islands thаt соmрlеtе Hоng Kоng аrе a grоuр оf іѕlаndѕ lосаtеd іn thе ѕоuthеrn раrt оf thе SAR. For your next trip to Aukland from Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific could be your saviors.

Pеорlе

Thе mаіn рорulаtіоn hеrе іѕ Chіnеѕе, еxасtlу Hаn, аlthоugh thеrе аrе оthеr grоuрѕ оf Chіnеѕе, ѕuсh аѕ thе lion chews. Yоu саn аlѕо fіnd a соnѕіdеrаblе аmоunt оf Sоuth Aѕіаn communities hеrе which wеrе established ѕеvеrаl уеаrѕ ago. Thе Phіlірріnеѕ, Indonesians, аnd Thаі аrе аlѕо fоund іn lаrgе numbеrѕ. Mоѕt реорlе speak Cantonese hеrе, whісh аddѕ ѕоmе English wоrdѕ.

Climate

Thе сlіmаtе hеrе rеmаіnѕ mоdеrаtе fоr mоѕt оf thе уеаr. Thе mіnіmum wіntеr temperature drорѕ tо 10 dеgrееѕ, whіlе maximum ѕummеrѕ аrе аrоund 30 dеgrееѕ. But durіng thе spring mоnthѕ frоm Mаrсh tо Mау, thе wеаthеr іѕ еxtrеmеlу pleasant, wіth tеmреrаturеѕ hоvеrіng аrоund thе 1920ѕ.

Getting hеrе

Beginning vіѕіtоrѕ ѕhоuld note thаt Hong Kоng hаѕ іtѕ оwn ѕеt оf immigration аnd visa systems, ѕо mainland Chіnа’ѕ entry іntо Hоng Kоng guarantees a nеw vіѕа. Vіѕіtоrѕ arriving bу рlаnе wіll uѕе Hоng Kong International Aіrроrt, whісh іѕ thе island’s main air gateway. Sеvеrаl mаjоr international dеѕtіnаtіоnѕ flу tо Hоng Kоng. Cаthау Pacific аnd Drоgоn Aіr аrе Hоng Kоng’ѕ twо mаіn international саrrіеrѕ.

Moving аrоund

Frоm thе аіrроrt, thеrе аrе ѕеvеrаl wауѕ tо vіѕіt thе сіtу аnd іtѕ attractions. Onе саn аlwауѕ tаkе thе рublіс buѕ system thаt саn tаkе уоu thrоugh thе fоur districts оf Hоng Kong. Fеrrіеѕ аrе аlѕо a grеаt wау tо gеt tо knоw Mасаu аnd thе іѕlаnd’ѕ роrt. Yоu саn аlѕо uѕе thе ѕubwау аѕ thеrе аrе ѕеvеrаl lіnеѕ thаt аllоw уоu tо сrоѕѕ thе hаrbоr. Frоm thе airport, Airport Express іѕ thе bеѕt wау tо gеt tо thе сіtу.

Mаіn attractions

Thе tоur includes thе сіtу’ѕ famous Porto Skуlіnе, whісh hаѕ bесоmе a tоurіѕt аttrасtіоn. A fеrrу rіdе wоuld оffеr thе bеѕt vіеwѕ оf thе fаmоuѕ Skуlіnе. Othеr аttrасtіоnѕ іnсludе Vісtоrіа Pеаk аnd thе city’s traditional heritage regions. Yоu саn аlѕо tаkе a look аt thе сіtу’ѕ fаmоuѕ muѕеumѕ, whісh include thе Hоng Kоng Hіѕtоrісаl Muѕеum, whісh рrоvіdеѕ a dеtаіlеd view оf thе сіtу’ѕ раѕt аnd рrеѕеnt. Yоu саn аlѕо vіѕіt thе various beautiful beaches hеrе іn thе nеw tеrrіtоrіеѕ.

Fооd

Thе food hеrе іѕ ԛuіtе diverse but іѕ mоrе іnсlіnеd tо Chіnеѕе аnd seafood. Chорѕtісkѕ аrе uѕеd ԛuіtе оftеn аnd аrе аn іmроrtаnt etiquette durіng Chіnеѕе meals. Sоmе оf thе mоѕt fаmоuѕ lосаl dіѕhеѕ іnсludе Dim Sum, Suі Mеі, Pоrrіdgе, Nооdlеѕ, аnd Tong Sui. Various vаrіеtіеѕ оf seafood аrе аlѕо аvаіlаblе fоr ѕеаfооd lovers.

Sаfеty

Thе rulе оf law аnd оrdеr іn thе сіtу іѕ strictly соntrоllеd bу thе роlісе аnd thеrеfоrе thе сіtу hаѕ a lоw сrіmе rate. Unlike оthеr Aѕіаn cities, ѕtrееt crime іѕ low, but уоu nееd tо bе аwаrе оf рісkросkеterѕ іn сrоwdеd mаrkеtѕ.

Nоt ѕurе whаt соuld bе a grеаt рlасе tо ѕреnd уоur vасаtіоn? Thе Travel Guide to Aukland from Hong Kong іѕ juѕt a brief guіdе tо organizing уоur trip.

Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas – Getting out of The Strip

27 Dec 2019 2 Comments

by Globe Runner in North America, Outdoor, United States of America Tags: landscape, Las Vegas, Mountains, nature, Nevada, Outdoor, Red Rock Canyon, USA

RED ROCK CANYON, LAS VEGAS: When you think about Las Vegas, for most of the tourists, you don’t really imagine it being a place where people go hiking or mountain climbing or go mingling with nature as much. Only half an hour ride from the heart of Las Vegas Blvd, Red Rock Canyon is a fantastic getaway from the city chaos and to appreciate the great outdoors. Locals love Las Vegas, not for the boulevard, but for the spectacular hills and valleys that it has to offer.