World Travellers

What can you see when you’re on vacation in Holland? Is there anything of interest that is fun to do? Some of the things that Holland is known for include tulips, cheese, the paintings of Rembrandt and Van Gogh, windmills, clogs, diamond cutting, quaint buildings, pottery, bicycles and the canals of Amsterdam. You will learn about eight places you can go to see some of them right here. Find out about some of the cities, towns and villages that you’ll see when you’re on vacation in Holland, a small European country, part of The Netherlands, bordering Germany and Belgium, a little larger than the State of Maryland.

In Amsterdam you can take one of 110 glass-topped cruise boats along some of the 165 canals and see the world’s narrowest house - only one metre wide; or visit Coster Diamonds to see how these jewels are cut and polished; walk across a few of the 1,281 bridges in the city; drop by the Anne Frank House, or take in the Rijksmuseum and feast on Rembrandt’s masterpieces including the “Nightwatch”. If you prefer tulips instead, impose on the Bulb Fields in the “Garden of Europe” at Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden. Indubitably a sight to behold! Certainly a must-see when on vacation in Holland. How about wildlife and nature trails? - A short drive will take you to Holland’s largest park: de Hoge Veluwe, 5,500 hectares of woodland, heathland, lakes and driftsand; and breeze into the Kröller-Müller Museum, which houses some of Van Gogh’s most famous works. Something cheesy? - See how the famous “Edamer” cheese, as it is known, is made in the village of Edam. It has a very mild taste, slightly salty or nutty and almost no smell when compared to other cheeses. It also has a significantly lower fat content than many other traditional cheeses. Why not check out the Zaanse Schans? - A delightful old hamlet on the banks of the River Zaan, with characteristic green wooden houses, charming stylized gardens, small hump-backed bridges, tradesmen’s workshops, historic windmills, engaging little shops and discover the art of clog making too when you’re on vacation in Holland. Palatial settings? - Hang around the 17th century Het Loo, previously a royal palace with its formal gardens, at Apeldoorn. In the 18th century, William III’s baroque garden was swept away for a landscape park in the English taste. Always wondered how ornaments are made? - Frequent the pottery factory in Delft. Delftware is a blue and white pottery, part of the “tin glaze” style, in which tin-based white glaze is first applied, then metal oxide decoration and finally a lead-based clear glaze overcoat to make the surface glossy. Want to see a village where life has hardly changed over the last 400 years? - Visit Staphorst, famous for many of its residents wearing traditional Dutch clothing. It also happens to be one of the most religious villages of the Netherlands. As you can see you will have your favourite places to see when you’re on vacation in Holland but why not plan your trip so that you can see them all? The Netherlands is not that large a country so distances are short and you can cover a lot of ground in a day when you’re on vacation in Holland; the Dutch are friendly and they will make you feel welcome no matter which sights you decide to visit.

Bundesautobahn 7 bisects Germany in virtually a straight line drawn north to south, and could be called the country’s Main Street if it weren’t for the BMWs passing you at well over 150 mph. To exercise such speed on this highway is a pity since you are going to miss some of the most spectacular scenery in NorthCentral Europe.

The southern stretch of this autobahn rolls along the high plateau of the Swabian Alb on the edge of the Black Forest, and is blessed with sweeping vistas of craggy limestone mountains and rolling, bumpy emerald hills. You will definitely want to thank your travel agent for suggesting this memorable and awe inspiring drive.

Almost on another planet from Germany’s industrialized north lies the charming and pleasant town of Ulm on the Danube. Virtually bombed into rubble in WWII, Ulm has rebuilt some of its most impressive historical buildings such as the world’s highest church steeple at the Ulm Munster. The Rathaus Town Hall was built in 1340 and features an astronomical clock on the gable dating from 1520.

If you are a rookie to the world of adventure travel vacation, then you will need to learn how to plan for adventure travel!
It is very important that you understand the basics of adventure travel before you actually engage in adventure travel vacation. Why? Due to the fact that adventure travel sometimes involves risk taking, you should be familiar with how to plan for adventure travel, for your own safety as well as the safety of others.

The following five adventure travel vacation tips will help you to enjoy your trip!

1. You must consider how much physical activity you would like to engage in. Do you want to simply travel the world and see exotic places which entails a relatively low physical impact or do you want to hike climb? The word adventure means something different to everyone, so if you are not truly physically inclined or you would not enjoy yourself engaging in activities that demand a lot of physical exertion, you will want to bear such a fact in mind when you are planning your adventure travel vacation.

This is a great concept in vacationing, whether it is in the states or abroad. You can plan where you want to go, what you want to see and have it designed specifically for you and your interests. You could even get a small group of friends together and share the experience and expense of a personal tour guide and it would be so worth it.

The advantages of a personal tour guide are amazing and endless, you can go as fast or as slow as you want, you can ask your own personal questions as you tour, they are very familiar with the area you are touring and if there is a language issue they can translate make the area you are visiting come alive and understandable. They can also give you history information about the area that would/could be missed on your own or in a large tour group setting.

What a great idea for honeymooning couples, much more romantic to have a personal tour guide, so much more intimate with detailed attention on the areas of interest for a newly married couple and places/things to see and go that are of interest only to a romantic couple. Also check out Honeymoon Registry at your Personal Travel Website, your guests can contribute towards your personal tour guide as wedding presents.

My husband and I just cruised with Holland America on the Westerdam. First, let me tell you this ship is has been very popular with my clients, I am a travel agent that specializes in cruises. Last spring, I had a client that sailed in the Caribbean on the Westerdam. She loved it so much, she turned right around and booked it for an Alaskan cruise. She loved it just as much the second time. Now, me myself, I typically like to try a different ship each time I cruise. But I have to tell you, I would definitely cruise on the Westerdam again.

What a beautiful ship. The Holland America Westerdam is 4 years old but nearly spotless. Her decor is beautiful…I loved the crystal ship model rotating in the chandelier of the Atrium, right across from the Pinnacle Grill. Our room was a typical balcony stateroom but it was very well appointed compared to some of the other ships we have sailed on. There was plenty of storage space for all the clothes and gear we brought. We appreciated the full bathtub rather than just a shower! We also got a look at the suites onboard this ship. They were very nice. I loved the large seating areas, enormous bathrooms (for a cruise ship) with double sinks and the spacious balconies.

England has many beautiful cathedrals, but in my opinion, Winchester Cathedral is without doubt the most beautiful. Its scale, architecture and setting make it unrivalled. And, if that wasn’t enough, the cathedral happens to be in England’s most preserved and picturesque city.

Winchester has been a place of importance for over 2 millennia. After the conversion to Christianity, the people of Wessex built a place of worship on the sport where the present cathedral now stands. The recorded church is from about AD 169 when Lucius, ‘King of the Britons’, converted to Christianity. He made Winchester is seat of power and the cathedral the centre of worship for his people.

Not much is known about the first church; it was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the next few hundred years as pagan and Christian warlords fought for control over the area. This era of uncertainty was finally ended in 635 when king Kynegils defeated the Saxon king, Cerdic. The king destroyed the pagan temple ‘Dagon’ and laid the foundation stones for his Christian church. From that day onwards, there as been a Christian place of worship on this same spot.

Staying on the Islands of Greece

When staying on one of the islands of Greece, you’ll receive a two-fold benefit. First, the scenic mountains, forests and coastlines will mesmerize you. Second, there’s a quiet stillness in many of the remote locations that is very inviting if you want a peaceful vacation. If you plan to visit several different islands in Greece, you might find an island tour package helpful. You’ll be able to visit several different popular islands, and the travel agency takes care of your transportation to and from the islands by ferry and also your hotel stay at each island. You can enjoy islands such as Crete, Kos, Lesvos and Rhodes during your visit to Greece without the typical hassles. These tour packages are also great if you’re planning to tour the Cyclades. Many packages enable you to choose which islands you want to visit during your stay, and your hotels as well.

Taking the Ferry