Undiscovered Comoros Islands, Indian Ocean

Scattered in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique are the four small islands of the Comoros, whose name comes from the Arabic for "moon". The name is strangely appropriate considering the islands have been so surprisingly isolated from the tourism boom that has enveloped the rest of the Indian Ocean nations.

Harbor

Like neighboring Zanzibar, the archipelago lies at the crossroads of the Arab and African civilizations, and its Arabian heritage can be seen in the delicate arches of its whitewashed mosques. Like another neighbor, the Seychelles, it also boasts all the requisites of a fantasy island, tropical warmth, turquoise waters, palm trees. But nobody visits the Comoros – supposing they have even heard of the place.

The reason is the troubled Comoran history. Since independence from France in 1975, the Union of the Comoros has been anything but united. While one of the islets, Mahoré, voted to remain a French overseas territory, the three others have gone through a turmoil of no less than 20 coups d'états, several led by the infamous French mercenary Bob Denard, with the latest occuring as recently as 2008.

No wonder that when I landed on Ngazidja, the main island, I found a neglected (but peaceful) backwater. Imagine streets with more potholes than asphalt, goats munching on heaps of roadside trash, dilapidated collective taxis wheezing around, and run-down hotels, only one of which had 24-hour running water. Conversely, the total absence of foreign tourism meant that people were friendly and happy to chat.

Tower

But once I had visited the few nice sandy beaches and spent a few evenings belting out karaoke favorites at one of the three decent restaurants in Moroni, the capital city, I discovered that I had pretty much exhausted the after-work entertainment possibilities. Only one adventure remained - to hike the Karthala volcano.
Its dark mass looms 2,361 meters above the port of Moroni, sometimes wrapping its rainforest-covered flanks in a blanket of clouds. It happens to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world, having erupted 20 times in the past century. But at the time of my visit it had been quiet for two years, so a climb was safe. Because the paths up were notoriously poorly marked, I hired a guide. His name, appropriately, was Chauffeur ("driver" in French).

On the said day, he swung by at 5 a.m. to pick me up from my hotel, where I waited gazing at the starry sky beside the bemused security guard. Our battered taxi collected another traveler, a Frenchman named Ludovic, and we drove to a village an hour away. Chauffeur was wearing a pajama-like tracksuit, a droopy sweater and worn boots, Ludovic (like myself) regular clothes and a pair of trainers.

Both took regular cigarette breaks. Little wonder that peasants in flip-flops breezed effortlessly past us, when we set off through plantations of banana trees, fragrant clove trees and vanilla bushes. Vanilla had been the cash crop of the islands until artificial flavorings made its price crash. Our guide was less than knowledgeable when we asked him about wildlife. "Are there any snakes here? - Yes there are. What kind of parrot is that? Yes, it's a parrot."

Landscape

After an hour-long slog up winding paths, we emerged from the forest and walked through rust-colored heathland. We were now high enough to take in both edges of the island, where the blue of the ocean melted into the sky. We stopped to pluck wild strawberries, which seemed to melt on our tongues in a burst of sweetness. Around noon, we reached zebu pastures and pitched our tents, then continued upwards in the mid-day heat.

Presently, we hiked on ashen gray land, stepping over sun-bleached dead trees. We climbed one last ridge and a lunar landscape opened in front of us. The most barren field of brownish ash, strewn with rocks, stretched ahead. We trudged across it to reach the edge of the collapsed crater, the caldera. Hundreds of meters below us, two tiny fumaroles puffed.

The only sound was the whisper of the light breeze. We picnicked, snoozed. Ludovic wrote "la vie est belle" (life is beautiful) in the sand, then we proudly crossed the moon-like surface again and made our way back down to our campsite.

The next day, the climb down the mountain was long and uneventful, until we reached the village, where the children excitedly pointed at us with cries of "mzungus!" (white people). I had a wonderful time and I think, with more development, that the islands could be a tourist attraction. Someday, perhaps, the children of the island won't find visitors to be so strange and unusual.

Spending Bali Family Holidays in Luxury

Knowing Bali and Its Culture

Bali is located in the westernmost end of Indonesia (Lesser Sundra Islands), lying between Java and Lombok. It is one of the country?s 33 provinces and the top among tourist destination spots. Bali?s mountainous feature includes peaks over 3,000 meters in elevation. Since the island is surrounded by coral reefs, white sand beaches are very popular during summer. For art lovers, Bali provides diverse and sophisticated art forms such as sculptures, paintings, wood carvings, performing arts, and handy crafts. For those who wanted to spend their Bali family holidays in luxury, cozy villas are also available for them with private pools and spa.

Transportation Details during Family Holidays

Having Bali family holidays will be more exciting, fun, and easy when travelers know about Bali?s transportation details. Since family holidays ought to be fun, it shouldn?t be ruined due to direction issues and lack of guidance in terms of tourist destination spots. Ngurah Rai, Bali?s international airport is located near Jimbaran at the southernmost part of the island. A coastal road surrounds the island which makes it perfect in spending holidays with kids on a road trip. An integrated areal traffic control system is also implemented in order to reduce traffic jam in the island.

Bali?s Tourist Destinations Ideal for Spending Holidays with Kids

Conrad Bali boasts 6.8 acres of landscaped gardens and provides direct access to Tanjung Benoa Beach. For gourmet hunters, the spot offers five dinning options and a cool, large, outdoor lagoon pool for kids and adults. Of course, Bali family holidays won?t be complete without excellent spa services which can also be found in Conrad Bali.

Some tourists consider Ramada Resort Benoa Bali, located in the south of Dua, when spending their family holidays. This resort offers a wide range of water sports aside from its pristine white beaches. According to some reviews, they have a very great time spending their holidays with kids in the resort.

Best Hotels for Bali Family Holidays

Of course, every family wants to spend their precious vacations in luxurious hotels with excellent services. Among those top hotels in Bali is the Vira Bali Hotel. This hotel is located 100 meters from Tuban beach. Aside from that, the hotel offers a restaurant, outdoor pool, and a one way shuttle service going to Kuta Beach. For those adventurers who wanted to try Balinese designs and styles, they can always stay at Bali Emerald Villas wherein luxurious private pool, personal butler, spa treatments, and laundry services awaits. Spending Bali family holidays in one of these hotels can make it unforgettable for kids and the whole family.

Author: Ymreb Momville

Different Things to Do on Your Trip to India

So you have planned a trip to India and are all set to embark on your journey. If you have read/ heard about travel in India you will know that the opportunities to spend time are virtually limitless and there is no end to the various things to do, experiences to undertake and sights and sounds to marvel at. It can be quite challenging for a traveler to make the most of traveling in India since the country is so vast and there is just so much to do. In this article, we have shortlisted the best ways to spend time during a vacation in India.
1. Go Shopping for Unique Goods: This is a favorite pastime of all tourists in India. The handicrafts industry in the country produces just about every imaginable good, from textiles and garments to jewelry and footwear, from paintings and sculptures to household utility items and home furnishings. Instead of purchasing the usual mementoes, spend time in the bazaars and ?haats? of India to buy the ?real India goods and wares? and take back a small piece of your trip to India with you. Delhi Haat in the capital city of Delhi, Lal Chowk in Kashmir and Meena Bazaars across various states in the country are all great examples of shopping opportunities.

2. Spend Time Trying Out the Food: Food is one of the biggest attractions of visiting India. From the spicy hot foods of Rajasthan to the localized Chinese cuisine all over the country, from the sambhar-vada of South India to the extravagant meat dishes of Kashmir, the cuisines and variety of food in India are limitless. For true Mughal cooking visit Old Delhi and Chandini Chowk in Delhi while you can try all kinds of state cuisines at Pragati Maidan and Delhi Haat.

3. Storytelling styles and puppetry are an integral part of the culture of India. No trip to India is complete without attending some shows. The India Habitat Centre in Delhi is often a venue for various street plays, concerts and small performances. Delhi Haatal ways has ongoing thematic festivals, usually with focus on specific states at a time, and one can not only buy goods and try out cuisines of the state but also attend theatre, dances and music performances of the state. These events are lively and vibrant and are a great effort on the patrons? part to keep the ancient traditions and culture of the country alive. You can watch these age-old arts come to life, meet the performers, hear about the history of these performing arts and take beautiful pictures and videos that you will cherish for life.

Now that you have a list of the three best ways to spend time on a trip to India, make sure you follow this advice and do these things. Apart from visiting the monuments and tourist attractions and spending time at all the famous places it is also essential to explore the culture, cuisine and spirit of the country on any travel plan.

In order to get more details on shopping, dining and cultural opportunities of India do some research on the Internet. This way you will have an extensive list of places to go to, different schedules and price lists to rely on during your travel.