1001 Places Archives

1001 Places I’d like to visit before I die #19 – Brisbane

By Marie Gizelle

March 18, 2013October 20, 2018

By Tobytoblerone - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65504628

Whenever Sydney, Brisbane or any part of Australia comes up in a conversation, I would be reminded of my first ever childhood friend who gave me a koala plush toy, one that I treasure until now. Yes, 22 years later and I still have the lovely little koala and I’ve associated both of them to anything about Australia. It would be nice to see her once again, perhaps take a trip down memory lane or better, somewhere at the land down under. Australia, and Queensland have a lot to offer when it comes to tourism and Brisbane is one of the cities worth visiting this summer. What with its many parks and wharves and the first ever koala sanctuary, it’s a must-see city for the adventurous.

Here are some of the top vacation spots one shouldn’t miss when in Brisbane.

1. Brisbane Forest Park. A place where waterways meet, Brisbane forest park is home to the Walk-About Wildlife Centre. The centre in turn features Australian wildlife on display at that includes Australian native birds, a platypus, sugar gliders, wallabies, wombats and other animals we wouldn’t see around or in any other parks.

2. The Old Museum Building of Brisbane. Originally called the Exhibition Building and Concert Hall, it was built in 1891. It is home to the Queensland Youth Orchestras, who use the building as a rehearsal, performance and office space. The building is also home for theBrisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Youth Choir among other performing groups.

3. City Botanic Gardens. The perfect spot to read a good book or have lunch under cycads, palms, figs and bamboo trees. Don’t be surprised to see brides and grooms brimming with happiness as you stroll around this garden, it’s a favorite wedding venue too.

4. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Wanna hold a real koala? This is the only place for it. The sanctuary began with two koalas called Jack and Jill and now holds kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, wombats, echidnas, and other reptiles as well as kookaburras, emus and cockatoos. This place will be especially enchanting for kids and kids at heart or the animal-love in us all.

5. Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Kangaroos – another lovable creature native to Australia, so popular that a rock climbing area. Try it for yourself or if you ain’t the type then spend some time for barbecue just by the foot of the cliff. 🙂

There are a lot more places that one can explore in Brisbane, that a week would not be enough, with all the scenery, river and those, a cruise should also be in order. Or one can book car hire in brisbane with DriveNow and simply drink in the beauty of the surrounding, the sunsets and take a million photos of the wildlife that is native only to the land down under.

1001 Places I’d Like to visit before I die #18 – Bhutan

By Marie Gizelle

In 1001 Places&Asia

January 26, 2013February 21, 2018

One of the least explored places in Asia and also the happiest country in the region is the Kingdom of Bhutan. That fact alone makes me want to see the place, it is on number 18 in this list of places I want to visit but I won’t mind seeing it first. 🙂

Unassuming yet enchanting. That’s perhaps the best description for Bhutan. The country, one might say, is still unadulterated. The greenery and the mountainous landscape even though seen only in photos would give you a feel of fresh air and cool breeze.

bhutan, valley — Haa Valley, wikimedia commons

So what do you do in Bhutan in case you decide to visit? Try the following:

1. Visit Dzongs. Dzongs or Zhongs are a type of fortress architecture. They serve as the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district. Mostly, half is an active government facility and the other half is open to monks and to the public for prayer. Some of them worth seeing are Dzong at Wangdue Phodrang, Trongsa Dzong, the largest dzong fortress, Rinpung Dzong at Paro and the Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzonga at Punakha which is said to be the most impressive.

2. Buddha Dordenma. See one of the largest Buddha rupas in the world. With a height of 169 feet (51.5 meters), this Buddharupa is made of Bronze and gilded in gold. There’s also the Kuenselphodrang nature park just below the statue for added recreation.

3. Temples and Monasteries. There are a number of temples and monasteries all around Bhutan but one is most especially famous being located at the cliffside of the upper Paro valley that it appears to be hanging. Called Tiger’s nest, the monastery is more popularly known as Paro Taktsang. The visit would be a challenge as you have to walk a lot going up. Consider this a fitness and spiritual visit in one trip.

4. Jigme Dorji National Park and Motithang Takin Preserve. Bhutan’s national animal is called Takin, it looks like a crossover of a cow and a goat that many who have seen one says it’s quite unique. They can be seen mostly at these two locations but more prominent at the preserve. The National Park also houses a number of other animals and birds which nature-lovers would be happy to encounter.

5. Handicrafts and weaving. Bhutanese law requires all Bhutanese citizens to wear the national dress in public areas and as formal wear. Thus, Bhutanese clothing is very unique and the weavers have perfected their hand-weaving traditions to create a fashion sense all their own. You might recall Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, the queen consort of Bhutan, as the wife of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during their marriage, though a commoner she was the subject of many magazines for her beautiful Kira wedding dress. The dress was woven from raw silk a, she wore a light yellow tego (long sleeved, short jacket-like garment) and a kira colored red, yellow, green and white, along with red earrings to match her red wonju (long-sleeved blouse).

There are shops were you can buy weaved products and local handicrafts, there are museums where royal clothing are displayed and where you can also buy them.

6. Food. Bhutan is widely vegetarian. This is a good way for one to go on a kinder diet, thus not only becoming healthy in the process…along with a lot of walking, a close encounter to nature and rubbing elbows with monks, you are sure to see the world in a different light after experiencing the life of the happiest people in Asia.

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1001 Places I’d Like to Visit before I Die #17 – Florida

By Marie Gizelle

In 1001 Places

May 10, 2012February 20, 2018

Over, under, sideways, forward, backward, and all around… the faint of heart need not be scared because this is not what you can expect from your Florida flights. After a safe and uneventful flight to Florida, you can rediscover the child in you and enjoy the exhilarating rides in one or several of this key US city’s theme parks and water fun parks. The kids would of course love it a lot! They love Disneyland and I think no matter which part of the world, they’s be happy to come back.

Three of the theme parks that you can visit in Florida are Disney World, the Universal Studios, and Sea World. When you book your Florida flights, you can already book hotels or any accommodation of your choice at locations near the theme parks that you want to visit. In and around Disney World, for example, are hotels and apartments where you can get park admission packages together with your room and board bookings. There are also shuttle services to take you to Disney World’s park entrance and then back to your hotel’s doorstep at the end of the day.

Disneyland and Kids — My kids always look back to our Disneyland adventure (Paris).

Also within Orlando, Florida are the Universal Studios and Sea World. These two theme parks are within a stone’s throw away from Disney World. The Universal Studios is paired up with another theme park, Islands of Adventure, under the same umbrella of companies. These theme parks have movie-based rides and attractions – you can even sing, dance, or dine with popular characters like Woody Woodpecker, Spiderman, and other Marvel Superheroes. The attractions you can find in these theme parks include the Universal CityWalk, the Revenge of the Mummy, and the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit rollercoaster.

The Sea World theme park in Orlando, Florida is a water and marine mammal park. This park features a lot of thrill rides – definitely not your typical rollercoaster ride. Sea World is particularly known for its Journey to Atlantis ride, the Wild Arctic helicopter ride, and its animal observation stations. Another unique attraction at Sea World is the Shark Encounter. In this “ride,” park visitors are put into an acrylic tube and submerged into a tank to see sharks swimming around. Younger kids can also have some active play time with the park’s mascot, Shamu, at the Happy Harbor.

There’s certainly a lot for the entire family to enjoy in Florida theme parks. Attractions are not limited to heart-stopping and gravity defying rides. A whole lot more attractions and activities are left for younger children, the elderly, or those who just cannot take the extreme excitement to choose from. Strolling along the cobblestoned walks of the theme parks or going into a park building whose interiors have been transformed into a different realm can be just as exciting.

1001 Places I’d Like to Visit Before I Die #16 – Namibia

By Marie Gizelle

In 1001 Places&Africa

May 4, 2012February 21, 2018

The nature lover in me is starting to feel quite stifled by urban living. I have always wanted to take a trip to Africa and when I came across some online brochures about flights to South Africa, there was no doubt in my mind that Namibia should be my next vacation destination.

It would be great if I can get in through Cape Town International so I can take a side trip to the winelands in the area – and, of course, who would not want to visit a city that is considered to be one of the most beautiful the world over? I can head out to Namibia through Johannesburg where there are flights to Namibia every day. My itinerary will have to be fixed depending on the great deals on these flights that are available online.

Giraffe Namibia — Wild in focus. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com

Namibia is northwest of Johannesburg, sitting right above the Northern Cape of South Africa. This country used to be a province of South Africa and boasts of the same natural attractions, flora, and fauna that abound in the entire African continent. On my list of places to visit are the Fish River Canyon Park, the Waterberg Plateau Park, and the Namib Naukluft National Park. These three places will give me a tip-to-tip exploration of Namibia. I’m looking for flights to South Africa that offer deals on tours and visits to Namibia and these natural treasures. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get by with the vacation money I have saved up – I definitely would not want to pass up any of Namibia’s and South Africa’s best sights.

They say that the Fish River Canyon Park on the southern part of Namibia is one of the largest all over the world and is one of the country’s natural wonders. I’d like to try to do some hiking on the Fish River Canyon Trail, although I have to remember to get some waterproof packs and Ziplock packs for my hiking essentials. Perhaps after a cold dip in the river waters, swimming along with big fishes, I can go on to see some desert creatures at the Namib Naukluft National Park. It would be such an experience to see the Namib Desert’s towering sand dunes up close.

Next up would be the Waterberg Plateau Park up in northern Namibia where rare game species, endangered species, and breeding colonies can be found. There’s a four-day hike package but, I’d have to think about whether I have enough time, money, or energy left after my exploration of south and central Namibia to do some more hiking in this hot and arid country.