Beauitifull places

“Where are the best beaches in Africa“, on the other hand, is a subject we could happily rant on about for a few hours. So much so, that when we started trawling the archives for the ‘top 5 beaches’ we had very quickly amassed a list of a large multiple of that number!

Yip… we love beaches! Tim and Lurks approve in Northern Senegal…

The truth is that from Cape Town to Tangier, the west coast of Africa is brimming with countless spectacular, empty movie-set like sea-and-sand setups.

It’s easy to forget that a large part of central and west Africa falls within the tropics. The implications being one often encounters swarms of malaria-carrying mosquitos and other strange biting insects you may have had nightmares about before… but it also means one encounters some legitimate ‘tropical beaches’, along with a lot of really really good ‘beach weather’ to enjoy them in…

It’s obvious that the list below is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a hint at what’s out there. Given the questions we receive are often from non-surfers, this is a list of lie-in-the-sun-and-contemplate-your-navel kind of best beaches, as opposed to drop-in-and-smash-turns-on-your-board-in-baggies kind of best beaches…!

(highlights in chronological order…)

1. Cabo Ledo, Angola

The two sets of footprints – Lurks and Stone…

Crystal clear, warm water, soft white sand and fairly spectacular surrounding ‘nature reserve’ ensures Cabo Ledo is one of the more popular hangouts for Luandans on the weekends. A rare handful of accommodations (not cheap!) and seafood in the vicinity make it one of the more hospitable spots on the list.

If you’re lucky like us you may get to break your suspension on the tricky roads getting there from the south, and have to spend two weeks camping here enjoying the generous hospitality of a Angolan local Paullo while you try arrange for your car to be fixed…

The only catch? a really active local crab population and chilled drinking water that will set you back close to EUR3 a bottle!

P.S: there’s a decent wave here too… bonus!
‘

2. Phillipes’ pool, Pointe Noire, Congo

We always knew bodyboards had to be useful for SOMETHING!

OK it’s hardly a beach, but in terms of perfect places to lie and contemplate your navel, Phillipes’ inflatable pool deserves a special mention. Delicious Congolese specialities and cold Heinekens flow freely from the kitchen, and the host is one of the biggest legends we met on the trip.

Only catch? You have to know Phillipe. Try the surfspot out front of ‘La Pyramid’ around lunchtime, on any day, and you’re bound to meet him just like we did…
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3. Limbe, Cameroon

Just before it started raining again…

Unless you’re used to walking on black sand in the shadow of one of Africa’s tallest volcanoes, the beaches around Limbe are a fairly unique experience. Add some nice warm water, a very cool tight crew of local surfers who hang out here, and a helping of some delicious ‘aloko’ (fried plantain) from the nearby restaurant… it doesn’t get much better than this.

Only catch? Limbe is the third most rainy place in the world. Take a sturdy umbrella for cover inbetween tanning sessions!
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4. Niega Plage, Western Ivory Coast

The Niega Macdonalds is just around that corner…

For sheer isolated unspoilt tropical beauty, this place is hard to beat. A fairly tricky hour-long 4×4 access track to get there keeps it that way. If you’ve come with Jules like we did, he’ll probably keep you hydrated by chopping open some of the sweetest coconuts in the world that are lying around, with his machete.

Only catch? It’s isolated status also means there’s an abnormally high level of sealife around… maybe don’t wade toooo deep!
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5. Somewhere between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Lurks takes a leisurely stroll after an unleisurely day of digging the car out of the sand…!

And finally, what better place to contemplate your navel than in the middle of biggest beach of the world, the Sahara desert. Take in some of the most mind-alteringly spectacular surrounds and watch flocks of migrating birds as your buddies pull in a little something to grill for lunch from the rich surrounding sea.

Only catch – you’re going to have to drive for about two days to get to this one. You’ll need a GPS, but you’ll still probably get lost as the live sand-dunes have crept across the mapped tracks, and you’re going to be digging a lot. Is it worth the mission? Like everything on this trip – without a doubt.

Famouse places

Brooklyn Bridge

Skyline of New York

Skyline of New York

Another Shot of the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge

Central Park: Sheep Meadow

The Central Park

The Chrysler Building in New York City

The Chrysler Building

Poland pictures

Poland pictures
Poland
Poland pictures
Poland

Hong kong pictures

hong kong map
Hong Kong The Peak
hong kong
hong kong
Hong Kong Night
hong kong
hong kong

University of Hong Kong.

The College of Communications at Cal State University Fullerton offers a Master of Arts degree in Communications in partnership with the School of Professional and Continuing Education, University of Hong Kong.
Communications courses are normally offered during January, June and July!

In Search of a Cool Summer: Da Lat, Vietnam

Filed in archive A World Away by Greg Cruey on June 24, 2009

Da Lat is the honeymoon capital of Vietnam. It is a romantic French Provincial town snuggled into the cool hills of Southeast Asia.

Detailed day-by-day weather records are not available for Da Lat, but the temperature in the city is consistent throughout the summer months: lows drop into the upper 50's and highs rarely climb past 78F degrees. This means that Da Lat is often cooler at the hottest point of the day than Saigon gets at the coolest point of the night. Rain is regular and plentiful.

The city is filled with enchanting spots. Three lakes grace the city. Xuan Huong Lake extends directly into the downtown area and is dotted with villas and cafes. Dan Thein Lake and Chien Thang Lake are both just a couple of miles from downtown. Legends about lovers who came to sad ends surround the lakes.


© functoruser




Da Lat has a lot to offer the average site seer. The city has temples and pagodas (some still actively used as monasteries), villas and palaces, plenty of shopping, sidewalk cafes, and ethnic experiences.

Linh Son Pagoda is the oldest active monastery in the city. It is not quite half a mile from the center of Dalat. The pagoda was built in 1938 and has been managed by a series of monks, including Thich Tu Man, who has been at Linh Son since 1964. Linh Son's bronze Buddha was forged in 1952; it weighs about 2700 pounds.

Da Lat's three palaces are referred to simply as Palace 1, Palace 2, and Palace 3. The palaces were all completed by the French, but only Palace 3 was a royal home. It was owned by the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, Bao Dai. You can find it on Le Hong Phong Road, about a quarter of a mile southwest of Da Lat's central district. The palace is open to the public. Bao Dai was Vietnam's playboy emperor who disappeared into exile in France and Monaco after WWII. His family's living quarters are still decorated in yellow. Photographs of the emperor and his family still hang on the walls.

n Search of a Cool Summer: Baguio, Philippines pictures

Asia is hot in the summer. At least most of it is. But there are a few spots where the summer traveler can enjoy moderate, perhaps even cool, weather. Chief among those locations is Baguio City, Philippines.

Baguio is referred to affectionately as the summer capital of the Philippines. The title is unofficial but well deserved. June, July and August are cool, wet times in Baguio. While the temperature in Manila is hovering around 78F degrees at night in July, it rarely climbs past 75 in the heat of an afternoon in Baguio. And while residents of the Bay City are running their air conditioners, Baguio's citizens can sleep with their windows open...

During the 52 days between June 20th and August 10th it was warmer than 80F degrees in Baguio only 5 times in 2001. The temperature didn't even reach 75 degrees on 28 of those days.

Temperatures at night always fell below 65 degrees. Thirty-eight of those days saw more than a tenth of an inch of rain.
What is there to do in Baguio? Sitting on a porch and looking at the mountain scenery might be sufficient occupation. But there is plenty to do besides breath the pine-scented fresh air.

A number of tribal ethnic groups from the surrounding mountains make Bagiuo an ideal location to observe tribal culture. The Ibalois are thought to city's original settlers, but there are also Bontocs, Kalingas, Ifugaos, and Kankanaeys.

Baguio's Session Road is worth a day. The street is the heartbeat of Baguio's commercial life - with bazaars and cafes, bookshops and banks, department stores and movies theaters. The public market at the bottom of Session Road is among the city's most interesting places.

You can also visit Mansion House, the former summer residence of the American governor-general of the Philippines. Today it is the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines.

There's also the Camp John Hay golf course; 18 holes in the mountain air. The camp used to be a recreation spot for U.S. troops. Or there's Burnham Lake; the man made body of water in the heart of town is a popular place to picnic or paddle around in a small boat.

If you're up to a short trip, the Asin Hot Springs is located about 10 miles outside of Baguio. The resort there includes a swimming pool surrounded by thermal hot springs.