Go Back 800 Years in Dubrovnik, Croatia

With its city walls built between the 13th and 16th Centuries, Dubrovnik Croatia offers a medieval Mediterranean experience, commonly thought to have only been found in Western Europe




Comprised of cathedrals, monasteries, and towers, all packed together between 30 foot walls that touch the Ocean, Dubrovnik Croatia is an Adriatic beauty. Founded in the 8th century, Dubrovnik was protected by the Byzantine Empire for 500 years, though later came under authority of the Venetians, whose capital city, Venice, was another major trading force of the Adriatic.

Dubrovnik was especially vibrant during the European Renaissance, experience peace and economic prosperity for a few hundred years, during which artists and culture flourished.

Though confrontations emerged within its massive walls during the Yugoslavian civil wars in 1991 and 1992, Dubrovnik's timeless architecture and beauty still stand strong today, and is considered by many to be THE jewel of Croatian tourism.

After looking at these pictures. I agree.

Iguacu Falls is Huge

Iguacu Falls, consists of 275 waterfalls, and sits on the Iguacu River between Brazil and Argentina.



Rumor has it that the waterfalls were created when a native woman named Naipi fled an arranged marriage with a God. The God then created the waterfalls in his anguish, kind of like a modern day person with anger problems bunching a dorm room wall.

Iguacu Falls was featured in Miami Vice as well as the latest Indiana Jones movie. It is not quite as wide as Victoria Falls in Africa, but still wider than Niagara Falls. Take that Buffalo, NY.







To visit this surreal waterfall, check out Macuco Boat Safaris

Busiest Airports in the World in Q1 2008

This data is from January through March, 2008. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is now the busiest airport in the world.

Next on the list? Tokyo, Chicago, London, LA, Dallas, Paris, Denver, and then Madrid.

Before seeing this list for myself, my guesses were Denver, Chicago, and London. If NY's airports weren't such a headache, I'd think they'd be on the list as well, but apparently, those folks still can scale their airport.

Here's the full report from wikipedia.

The Beijing National Stadium is Magnificent

completed in March 2008, Beijing National Stadium will host the primary track and field events of the 2008 Summer Olympics.






The stadium was designed by dutch architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron with collaboration from ArupSport and Chinese design and research group. By collaborating with ArupSport, the design of this magnificent building will not be completely credited to the Dutch.

The stadium has capacity for 91,000 people.

Check out the Beijing Travel Swicki for more information on things to do in Beijing, such as visiting the Forbidden City or Tianenman Square. Following the Olympics, I wouldn't be surprised if Beijing became a predominant tourist destination, not just in Asia, but in the entire world.

The Great Barrier Reef Spans almost 350,000 Square Kilometers

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of more than 2900 coral reefs and more than 900 individual islands




Nestled in the Northeast of Queensland, Australia, some 2 million tourists come to the Great Barrier Reef every year. In 2005, it was estimated that this tourism generated 5.1 Billion Australian dollars, up from 4 Billion Australian dollars in 2003.



By far, the most popular vacation activities here are diving and snorkeling, but if you find yourself here on a not-so-sunny afternoon, try glass bottom boats, underwater observatories, or helicopter flights. Judging by the above picture, a helicopter flight may be the best way to take in the magnitude of this coral paradise.






There are also 1500 species of fish living here. Keep an eye out for Yellow Faced Angelfishes, Fusiliers, or Tiger Sharks.

Happy swimming.

Tahoe Boat Rentals and Bar BQs

Tahoe City, located in North Lake Tahoe, 3 hours drive from San Francisco, serves up both extreme water sports and a relaxed and serene vibe



Living and vacationing in Tahoe California isn't a thing to do, its a lifestyle. Live there for a year plus, and you may even be emblemized via a black and white photo, artistically personifying the collective mindset of the thousands of people that vacation/live within the hundreds of thousands of square miles of state forest and clear, green blue water that makes up the region.

Snow run off creates the clearest lakes in the United States at altitudes of 5,000-10,000 feet. This creates semi-deserted paradises, where one can lounge/swim with few onlookers.





To do more than just lounge, check out Cope and McPhetress Marina in Tahoe City, which offers boat and jet ski rentals on Lake Tahoe. You can then Bar BQ on the nearby beaches and grassy knolls. Not too shabby of a lifestyle after all.

Mayan Ruins at Sunrise

Found these pictures at the BACAdventures Blog. Beutiful Mayan ruins at sunrise, with the tops of the structures just showing above the tops of the clouds. Where are Mayan ruins? They're all over the Yucatan Penninsula in South/Eastern Mexico. Yes, near Cancun. But check out Tulum for a more adventurous/exciting/offbeat vacation.