Travel by postcards: A Little Beijing

I receive a lot of emails offering to send me products to review... travel books, CDs, language-learning tools, you name it. I'm halfway through several books which I dip into before I drift off to sleep each night, and I'm trying to learn Italian again. And I will get around to writing those reviews soon, I promise. But there's one special product I received from Singapore yesterday which I couldn't resist placing at the top of the reviewing pile that I'm itching to tell you about - something that appeals both to my fondness for postcards and my constant search (and desire to dabble in) new forms of travel guides...

The Accidental Traveler, Linzy Q, who blogs at My Impromptu Travel Journal emailed: "I came across your blog about Postcard Stories and I really like what you wrote. I'm wondering if you would be interested in something that I've published. Entitled "A Little Beijing", it is a publication that stitches together photographs, maps and descriptions of quaint destinations throughout the city in the form of 60 postcards + 1 map of the itinerary. Each day, travellers follow pre-determined routes (outlined on a color coded map) and carry with them approximately 10 corresponding postcards. Upon visiting a place, travellers scribble down their thoughts and mail them back home. Once they get back, a complete documentation of their trip should be waiting for them in the post."

Not only is 'A Little Beijing' a novel concept, but it's every bit as enchanting as it sounds! I'm sure I squealed with delight as I opened the packaging. The postcards come in a handy box, the instructions are easy to understand, the off-the-beaten-track itineraries are well thought-out (intriguing neighbourhoods, quirky points of interest, well-paced) and easy to follow, and the postcards themselves are gorgeous - fabulous photography and beautifully designed (Linzy has won awards for the design). They are the kinds of interesting, arty postcards you only wish they sold in Beijing, the kinds of postcards you would buy if you could anyway, indeed, they're the kinds of images you'd happily gaze at on the wall of an art gallery and wish they also came in postcards.

And while I adore Linzy's idea of following the itineraries on the cards and jotting down your reflections of the places you visit and sending the cards home to yourself as a keepsake, I also love the idea of sending them back to your family members or to a close group of friends who can share what you're up to with eachother while you're away, piecing together the narrative of your journey like a jigsaw puzzle. I told you in Postcards to my Mum about my mother's accident a few years ago and how when she was in hospital in Perth and I was on the road researching a book in Greece I used to send her a postcard a day. I can see 'A Little Beijing' having similar uses... how wonderful to share your journey to Beijing with an invalid grandmother or another family member or friend who can't travel but who travels precariously through you... think of the possibilities.

You can buy A Little Beijing at Linzy's blog or bookstores in Hong Kong and Singapore, which she lists on her blog. Well, if anything, isn't it just a great excuse to go to Beijing?

4WD-ing Campervanning for Beginners

Going on that great Aussie road trip and planning on doing it all? Making the wrong choice when considering which vehicle to hire can leave you missing out on some of Australia's most spectacular scenery — or even stranded in the outback. As part of the three month road trip through four states of Australia which Terry and I recently completed while researching guidebooks, we tested out several different 4WD vehicles and in our story Campervanning for Beginners published recently on NineMSN's travel site, we explain the pros and cons of each vehicle and how to decide on the right one to suit your style of travel and type of journey. Essentially, there are two main vehicle choices for this kind of trip, a 4WD campervan and a motorhome. But while motorhomes are spacious and comfortable and allow you to stop anywhere and make a meal or take a nap, they're generally 2WD, rendering many of the country's most scenic bush tracks (especially those we wanted to tackle) off-limits to travllers. As Terry writes in the story: "Any feelings of envy for those decked-out homes-on-wheels with onboard bathrooms would soon be forgotten as we passed them turning around at the start of tracks signposted "high-clearance 4WD only". A motorhome may get you to the Blue Mountains but it's not going to take you along the Birdsville Track!" And we know where we'd rather go.

Mud Volcanoes in Azerbaijan

A mud volcano may be the result of a piercement structure created by a pressurized mud diapir which breaches the Earth's surface or ocean bottom.In 2001, one mud volcano 15 kilometers from Baku made world headlines when it suddenly started spewing flames 15 m high. Seeps have temperatures up to 2–3 °C above the ambient temperature. In Azerbaijan, eruptions are driven from a deep mud reservoir which is connected to the surface even during dormant periods, when seeping water still shows a deep origin. It is estimated that 300 of the planet's estimated 700 mud volcanoes are found in Gobustan, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. The term mud volcano or mud dome is used to refer to formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases, although there are several different processes which may cause such activity.
They are also often associated with lava volcanoes; in the case of such close proximity, mud volcanoes emit incombustible gases including helium, whereas lone mud volcanoes are more likely to emit methane. They are also often associated with petroleum deposits and tectonic subduction zones and orogenic belts; hydrocarbon gases are often erupted. Mud volcanoes are often associated with petroleum deposits and tectonic subduction zones and orogenic belts; hydrocarbon gases are often erupted.

All about the backstreets hongkong

It's all about the backstreets, isn't it? Whether it's Hong Kong (pictured), Shanghai or Dubai, it's the backstreets of those cities that are the most fascinating. That's where I like to think we find what's 'authentic' - a term in itself that's up for discussion, right? But to really see how people live, we need to get off the high streets and stylish boulevards. I'll admit I love my galleries, restaurants and shops, but I also like to leave the chic streets and get lost. The more I travel the more inclined I am to leave the guidebook at the hotel and just take a map and phrasebook. I'm bored with the term 'off the beaten track' (can we try to find another?) but getting off the tourist trail and wandering around an everyday neighbourhood, even an unfashionable suburban mall, can be just as compelling, don't you think? My favorite big cities to get lost in would have to be Hong Kong, Beijing, Dubai, Damascus, Mumbai, Marrakesh, Milan, Venice, Antwerp and Amsterdam. What are yours?

Hong Kong: local colour, part 2

On the subject of 'colour', I still think of Hong Kong as the classic 'vibrant cosmopolitan Asian city'. Don't you? Bangkok and Tokyo may share that title, but Hong Kong has something special, an effervescence other cities don't have. The city may not have the flamboyance of Shanghai or the audacity of Dubai but Hong Kong has a certain sizzle all its own. Once a city other Asian cities aspired to be, a city every traveller wanted to see, I wonder now if Hong Kong hasn't lost its appeal to some. Revisiting Hong Kong a couple of years ago, the city's biographer Jan Morris said: "Not long ago Hong Kong was one of travel's absolutes - history's absolutes, too. A city-state like no other, spectacularly unique, with the tallest buildings, the most extravagant shops, the grandest hotels, the busiest port and the most terrific airport - a marvellous anomaly, a historical epitome, a boast, a marvel and a show, whirling away night and day in the South China Sea. Traveller, just look at it now!" Her description of Hong Kong could apply to Shanghai or Dubai, but is that still how we see Hong Kong?

Bangkok: local colour, part 1

I'm always looking for colour when I travel, whether it's that sense of vibrancy, energy and immediacy of life on the streets, or a sense of 'local colour', that the neighbourhood I'm exploring is real, gritty and authentic, or simply the riot of colour and sound that can be experienced in cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bangkok. Like this street in Bangkok's Chinatown. Do you know what I mean?

Thailand: as imagined

Don't you love it when you travel and arrive at a place that's exactly as you had imagined? Do you think to yourself "this is exactly how I imagined"? This image of little houses shaded by palm trees against a backdrop of limestone hills near Khao Sam Roi Yot national park was the Thailand of my imagination. My Thailand had nothing to do with hammocks on white sand beaches. Nor blue skies obviously because it was drizzling and moments later the rain was pelting down. The thing I find fascinating about travel is that, like a good film, it's as much about having your expectations met as is it is about the incongruities, chance encounters and serendipitous moments. What do you think?

Thailand: the missing palm trees

I located my missing palm trees. I knew I hadn't imagined them. They're in Thailand, on the coast somewhere between Hua Hin and Khao Sam Roi Yot national park. We'd hired a car in Hua Hin and driven down to the park to see the limestone hills, the monkeys, and the amazing bird life. On the drive back, we followed the coast as much as we could, stopping at creamy sand beaches and tiny fishing villages. It started to rain. I remember thinking at the time that the dramatic contrast between the gray-blue sky and the rust-red soil reminded me of Broome in the north-west of Australia. That's why I took this picture. So how did this memory converge with my Moroccan one? Does that happen to your travel memories?

Plitvice Waterfalls The Beautiful Fall in the World

Waterfall located at The Lakes Plitvice, it can not be imagined as Niagara waterfall. This is is a national park in the highlands of the eponymous Plitvice, Croatia, to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sixteen separate lakes (clusters of 12 lakes and clusters below 4 lakes), composed tiered naturally start from a height of 636 m to 503 m. Water coming out of the lake is the lowest form Korana river.
Plitvice Lakes which is located on the basin karstic rock, mainly dolomite and limestone, which form the special features. The lake is naturally fragmented by dams travertine, which is a deposit of moss, algae and bacteria. Formation of travertine dams increases about about 1 cm per year. The lake is also famous for its color changes, ranging from sky blue, green, blue or gray. These color changes depending on the amount of minerals or organisms in the water and sun elevation.

Park has been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979. Opertion After the Storm, UNESCO listed the park is in the status of 'danger' on the List of World Heritage in Danger. With a variety of considerations, the Croatian government set the status of de-mining Efforts. In December 1998 UNESCO issued a list of endangered sites. On this day, Plitvice Lakes are one of the largest tourist attractions in Croatia. In 2000, the park has been expanded by over 102 km ².

The Best Waterfall On China "Huangguoshu "

Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun, Guizhou, China, is the largest waterfall in Asia. Located in southwest of An Shun City, the Huangguoshu Scenic Spot includes more than ten aboveground and underground falls of different features.There are mainly three National Parks in the Huangguoshu National Park: Waterfalls Cluster, Water-Curtain Cave and Rhinoceros Pool (Xi Niu Tan).
Huangguoshu Waterfall, of All these will make you profoundly affected. The breakers send up a fountain of spray adding more mystiques to this place. During the flood season, the water rolls down to Xiniu Tan like ten thousand horses galloping and shakes the ground and the hill.
During the flood season, the water rolls down to a pond named Xiniu Pond (Xiniu Tan) with thunderous roars which can be heard in five kilometers away. Its water rushes down to a pond named Xiniu Pond (Xiniu Tan) with thunderous roars which can be heard in five kilometers away. Huangguoshu Waterfall, the biggest one in China and one of the famous ones in the world, is about two hundred and thirty feet long and two hundred and sixty six feet wide. Among them Huangguoshu Watefall is most famous.if your interest for holiday in the Huangguoshu Waterfall visit the travel china, china travel agent, china travel tour, and others in china travel.