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A world of adventure in Scotland

May 30th, 2012 | Posted by glenn in Traveling - (0 Comments)

Scotland is a haven for adventurers.  With some of the most beautiful scenic land in the world, Scotland can honestly boast about natural beauty and convenience of travel.  So pack your gumboots and woollies and get back to nature in the land that was once called Caledonia.

Watersports

With over ten thousand kilometers of coastline, endless rivers and lochs, Scotland is certainly one of the most amazing destinations in Europe for diving, kayaking, surfing and white water rafting.  You can explore caves, cliffs and secluded beaches in a kayaking expedition or explore hundreds of shipwrecks and a sunken German fleet from World War One.

Keep in mind that Scotland constitutes over 790 islands.

Wintersports

Whether you are a skier or a boarder, Scotland has five fantastic ski centres that offer you a range of green, blue, red and black runs and the peaks overlook some of the most majestic mountain views in the world.

Hunting and fishing

Scotland now has more than 200 sporting experience providers who can take you on the most exhilarating hunt you can imagine.  Or, if you prefer, they can take you salmon fishing or deep-sea fishing.  The choice is yours.

Easy travelling

When you plan your trip to Scotland, make sure that you get out into the breath-taking scenery and don’t restrict yourself to main cities as we often do when travelling.  Scotland has a convenient network of motorways that cover the country for fast and convenient travel between cities and major towns and the scenic rail routes are some of the best in the world.

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Travelling to Ireland

May 15th, 2012 | Posted by glenn in Traveling - (0 Comments)

Travelling to Ireland

Ireland is a beautiful island with a rich culture for tourists to enjoy so before you pack your bags, here are the top 5 things you should know to enjoy a trip to Ireland.

1)      English is not the (only) official language of Ireland. 

The official language in Ireland is Irish (Gaeilge).  Irish is part of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic family of languages.  Irish is a first language to only about 30000 people most of whom live in the country areas.  You can travel throughout Ireland without needing to use Irish but you may see road signs etc in Irish.  It is advisable to get a map which has place names in both languages if you are planning to travel outside the major cities.

2)      Ireland’s two national sports are Gaelic Football and Hurling.

Gaelic football is described as a cross between soccer and rugby while hurling is the fastest field sport in the world.  You should try to catch a game if you go to Ireland in the summer.

3)      Irish food is very “hearty”. 

Travelling to Ireland

Irish Stew

Almost all traditional Irish dishes are made with meat (especially lamb and pork), potatoes, and cabbage.  Here are a few; Boxty (potato pancakes), Champ (mashed potatoes with spring onions), Coddle (a stew of potatoes, pork sausages and bacon) or Colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage).

4)      It is relatively convenient.

The Irish government has been spending a lot of money on modernizing the rail system.  But if you are going to travel by train, try to book your travel in advance for huge savings (sometimes more than 50%).  But if you are booking at short notice be aware that not all special rates (e.g. family rates) are announced online and sometimes booking at the office at the station will be the cheaper option.

5)      You probably won’t need a visa.

If you are from the EU, you only need your passport or national identity card, you won’t need a visa.  Most other countries’ nationals can stay for up to 3 months without a visa.

Don’t forget the best travel advice anyone can give you is to check with your embassy or travel agent before you travel to any new country and notify your embassy if you plan to stay there more than a month.

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