Category: Destination Guide

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Destination Review – One day in Amman, Jordan

In between my Royal Jordanian flight from Cairo and my connection to Bangkok, I had an enforced layover of 17 hours in Amman.

Since this was a largely daytime layover, I decided to head into the city and take some time to get a taste of the local sights.

In view of the length of the layover, I chose to book a cheap hotel room for the day, if only to have somewhere to shower and rest for a while, as well as having access to power for charging purposes.

I chose the centrally located Hotel Pasha, at a cost of around $34 (£26). The hotel also arranged a private airport transfer for $21 (£16) each way.

The hotel was quite basic, but it was clean, secure and had everything I needed for a one-day layover.

After depositing my hand luggage in the room and taking a quick shower to refresh myself from my early start in Cairo, I was ready to begin exploring the city.

I began at the Nymphaeum, the ruins of a Roman fountain, a short distance from the hotel.

Moving on, I strolled around the city markets, located in the heart of the city and selling everything from spices to textiles.

A short distance from the markets, I stopped at a local bakery for a light lunch, trying some the delicious savoury flatbread.

I rounded this off with some of the local ice cream, which was definitely welcome after a couple of hours of walking.

Next was the Sha’aban area, with the colourfully decorated Rainbow Street.

I finished my short tour with a visit to the Roman Theatre, across the road from my hotel.

Feeling the effects of my early start in Cairo, I then retired to my hotel for a few hours of sleep, before my overnight flight connection.

In total, I spent around four hours meandering around the streets of Amman.

Obviously this is not nearly enough even to scratch the surface of what Jordan has to offer. However it proved to be a pleasant transition from the chaos of Egypt to the serenity of Malaysia, my next destination of the season.

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Destination Review – One Day in Cairo – Pyramids of Giza

On Christmas Eve 2023, I found myself with a spare day in Cairo before continuing my Winter travels to Malaysia.

I decided to take a half-day tour to see the most iconic landmark of Egypt, the world famous Pyramids of Giza.

I was picked up shortly after midday at the Intercontinental Citystars Hotel, in a relatively modern and comfortable minibus, for the one hour drive to the pyramids.

The tour began at the Great Pyramid, dating from roughly 2,600 BCE.

The tour included an entrance ticket to the Great Pyramid. However, I declined this, having been warned of the long queues to enter and the crowded and cramped conditions inside.

Instead, I took a short stroll around the base of the pyramid, to view some of the smaller tombs, as well as the holding area for the camel rides.

After the visit to the Great Pyramid, my tour group was driven roughly ten minutes to the panoramic viewing area, offering a sweeping view of the ancient structures, juxtaposed against the distant metropolis.

Here, there was the option of taking a camel ride.

As this was Christmas Eve, there was even a camel decked out in festive garments.

Whilst there was not such an obvious animal welfare issue as I observed in Edfu, I couldn’t be sure of the situation and preferred instead to spend my time admiring the vista.

The tour concluded with a visit to the legendary Great Sphinx, the oldest known monument in Egypt, dating from the 26th Century BCE.

The tour was around six hours long, including transport from and to my hotel near the Citystars Mall, at a price of $138 (£109). With only one free day, I considered this to be good value in view of the comprehensive nature of the tour.

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Destination guide – Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona

After flying to the USA from the Dominican Republic last Autumn, a good friend of mine and I took to the road to visit the Grand Canyon.

As we only had a few days to view this magnificent landmark, we decided to visit only the South Rim.

The South Rim is generally considered to be the best option to visit, in order to gain an overview of this spectacular natural feature.

As we visited during the late Autumn, we had to be a little patient and wait for the right conditions, but we were eventually rewarded.

As you can see, Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to appreciate this stunning vista.

On our last day, my friend ventured out in the early hours to capture the panorama in the dawn’s auroral glow.

We spent two days appreciating this captivating landscape and we could very happily have spent much longer.

The South Rim offers dozens of viewpoints, each of which offers a unique perspective on the topography.

Due to the distances between these viewpoints, it is highly advisable to travel by car, although many of the points are served by relatively frequent buses from the Grand Canyon Village and lodges.

If time is a precious commodity, as it was for us, I would suggest staying in the village lodges. We chose the Maswik Lodge, which I will review in the coming days.

All of the photographs featured in this article were taken by my good friend, Stefan Mundt of Eagle Studios in Racine, Wisconsin.

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Destination Guide – Dallas, Texas

The Texan city of Dallas is one which I have been keen to visit for some time now, and I had the chance during a recent road trip in the USA.

Dallas is best known as the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, so my first stop was Dealey Plaza, where this infamous event in history took place.

The Texas School Book Depository, from where the fatal shots were fired, is open to the public. Visitors can view the sixth floor box room and the road from the viewpoint of the assassin.

My afternoon and evening were spent viewing the city from the observation deck of the Reunion Tower, which offers a 360° panaroma from a height of 470 feet (143 metres).

My next stop was the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, which at the time of my visit was decorated for Christmas.

After this, there was time to fit in a visit to the Dallas World Aquarium, which as well as marine life houses a wide varierty of exotic birds and is a very pleasant place to while away a few hours.

The few days I spent in Dallas provided only a taste of what this iconic city has to offer. It is definitely a city I would look forward to visiting again.

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Destination review – One day in Santo Domingo

On my way back from the Dominican Republic’s northern coast to Punta Cana, I stopped by Santo Domingo to see what the nation’s capital had to offer.

The main attraction of Santo Domingo is the Zona Colonial – the old Spanish quarter, which allows a multitude of possibilities simply to wander and immerse oneself in Latin America’s rich colonial history.

I started my walk at the Catedral Primada de América. Dating from the 16th Century, this is the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

I continued to the Parque Colón, followed by a slow meander along the Calle las Damas towards to Fortaleza Ozama, finishing with a coffee at the Plaza España.

From there, there was time to appreciate the Parque Independencia, commemorating the independence of the Dominican Republic in 1856 following a 12 year war.

It is important to remember that while Santo Domingo is a coastal city, it is not a beach destination.

Although there are beaches along the Malecon seaside walk, they are in a pretty sad state and unsuitable for use.

If you are looking for pleasant beaches, you need to travel at least an hour west of the city.

Santo Domingo’s charm lies not in its beach life, but in the depth of colonial heritage to be found in the historical quarter.

If you have the chance to spend some time in Santo Domingo, I definitely recommend taking a day to explore the Zona Colonial.

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Destination review – Cabarete Caves, Dominican Republic

As part of my three week stay on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, I headed slightly inland for a day to visit the 5 million year old limestone caves near Cabarete.

This natural phenomenon is carved by natural cold water rivers and range from tight, narrow passages to wide open caverns.

Safety precautions are rudimentary, but our group’s tour passed without incident.

The caves are full of intricately formed stalactites and stalagmites, formed over the course of millions of years.

The Cabarete Caves are easily accessible from the main destinations on the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, around a 10 minute drive from Cabarete, 30 minutes from Sosua and one hour from Puerto Plata.

My visit was arranged by the language school, where I was studying Spanish, but travel can easily be independently arranged by private or shared taxi, or in the ubiquitous fixed route minibuses known as guaguas.

If you have a spare day in this region, it is well worth stopping by Cabarete to visit the caves.

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Destination – One Day in Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas is an often overlooked option for a stop between Memphis and Dallas. I decided to call in on exactly this route and check out this pretty little city.

My day started with brunch at The Corner Diner in the Downtown area. There was a long line of customers waiting to get in, but I was assured it would be worth it.

It certainly was. My Hot Chicken Waffle was tasty and the service was excellent.

After brunch I decided a little exercise was called for, so I walked a roughly 5-mile stretch of the Trail of Tears, a network of trails spanning more than 5,000 miles across 9 states.

The trail took me along the Arkansas River, past the Main Street and North Broadway bridges and several pretty picnic areas.

After my 5-mile stroll I decided to catch the historic tram back to town to pick up my car and head onwards towards Dallas.

Little Rock is a pleasant little city and I definitely think it is worth either a day trip from Memphis, or a stop along the route to Dallas.

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Destination Guide – Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a stunning city in which to spend a few days.

I spent three full days in Memphis and could very happily have stayed much longer.

I started my tour on the iconic Beale Street. With its lively bars and soulful restaurants juxtaposed against historical stores, Beale Street truly has something for everyone.

From Beale Street it is only a short distance to the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

The distance from Beale Street is a very easy walk, but I chose to ride the Main Street Trolley, operated with historical trams plying the routes between many of the top sights of Memphis. This is a very economical option at $1 per ride or $2 for a day pass.

The tram also passes by the iconic Peabody Hotel with its famous duck pond.

To round off a day in Memphis, I can recommend two alternatives.

One option is a cruise on the Mississippi River with live music and a simple, but tasty and unlimited barbecue.

If, however, you really want to sample an authentic Tennessee barbecue, The Commissary in Germantown is well worth the half hour drive.

I have to say that Memphis is an extremely interesting and thoroughly enjoyable option for a city break and was one of my favourite cities of my 7,000 mile road trip.

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Destination Guide – One Day in Detroit

Detroit, Michigan is a city with a turbulent history and not one which many tourists would think to consider.

This however is a shame, because I visited a good friend there in October and found a vibrant and fun city, teeming with old world charm.

The autumn weather was still pleasant enough for a stroll along the Riverwalk, where our day started.

As a natural segue, we joined a lunch cruise on the Detroit Princess with live music and views of both Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

The $59 ticket price included live music, a very good buffet lunch, coffee and nearly 3 hours on the water. I considered this to be excellent value.

After the cruise, we headed over to the historic Eastern Market for a drink at a couple of the German style beer halls.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my day in Detroit and having a local person to show me around proved invaluable, as the city holds many hidden gems.

I can definitely recommend exploring this underrated city if you find yourself in Michigan.

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Destination Guide – One day in Chicago

Chicago is a very popular choice for travellers looking for a USA city break.

I started my 10-week USA road trip there in October and took a day out to enjoy the city.

As my friend and I only had one day to explore the city, we chose to take the Big Bus tour in order to see as many of the main sites as possible in a short time.

At $45 per person this is an expensive option, but for a one-day visit to the city we considered it worth the price for the convenience and time saving.

We started our tour at Millennium Park, with its famous art and architecture.

This last photo of “The Bean” sculpture was taken by my good friend Stefan later in the year.

Nearby is the beginning of the famous Route 66, running all the way through to Santa Monica, California.

Although I was not planning to drive any of Route 66 on this particular trip, it was nice to see the starting point.

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Following this, we moved on to Navy Pier for a pleasant stroll and some views of the city skyline.

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For a slightly different perspective on the city, we took a 90 minute river cruise through the central Riverwalk area of the city.

Rounding off our day in Chicago, we headed for the 360 Chicago observation deck on the 94th floor of the John Hancock building.

As the name suggests, the deck provides a 360° view of the city. I recommend visiting at sunset for the best views.

Obviously there is much more to this city than can be experienced in a single day, but I feel that we had a good experience of what the city has to offer.

Chicago is definitely a very good choice for a USA city break.

If you can suggest any improvements to this one-day itinerary, please visit our USA forum and let us know.

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