Archive for October, 2008

Electricity Plugs World Wide for Vacation on Islands

Do you often come to a new island and get in trouble with your electricity plugs for your electric gadgets and tools?
How many times have you had to buy a new set of electricity plug adapters and converters for not being without your usual electrical appliances in another country?
At least I have had that trouble [...]

Do you often come to a new island and get in trouble with your electricity plugs for your electric gadgets and tools?

How many times have you had to buy a new set of electricity plug adapters and converters for not being without your usual electrical appliances in another country?

At least I have had that trouble a number of times, mainly for my rather broad arsenal of digital cameras and devices, and sometimes also for the computer. – It is always more than inconvenient.

The international hotels will often have special international standard options in the hotel room, but smaller nice local resorts might not have that. In fact quite often I have been surprised to realize that many vacation destinations are having a rather narrow home brewed stock of guests that are accepting the situation as is.

You have two options to avoid getting in trouble with your electricity plugs:
1. Bring a number of different adaptors with you from home – or as emergency deals in the airport.

Or

2. Know exactly what is needed in your next vacation destination from home so you can bring exactly what you need.

The best solution to your elec plug needs are here for your information on this website:
http://www.travel-images.com/electric-plugs.html
(opens in a new window).

It helps you with how the electricity plug should look like or  the adapter should be, and how the electric currency is at the local country or territory. Below under the many plug drawings you will find the list of the countries with the letters referring to the correct electricity plug to use in that specific country and information about the electricity currency of the country.

Any experience or any issues with this list? -  please help fellow travelers with a comment and correction.

Sexiest Beaches of the World 2008 at Islands for Vacation and Fun

Many have encountered nice things with a partner on a beach – the relaxed atmosphere at the beach and the minimal amount of cover of the body fire up some warm feelings.
The sexiest beaches of the World have now been appointed and here I will draw your attention to these sexy beaches at islands. [...]

Many have encountered nice things with a partner on a beach – the relaxed atmosphere at the beach and the minimal amount of cover of the body fire up some warm feelings.

The sexiest beaches of the World have now been appointed and here I will draw your attention to these sexy beaches at islands. May be it is a good idea to take this list into account for your next island vacation, or use it just for fun and dreaming.

Anyway sandy beaches are something special and together with your special one the beach can be even more attractive.

So let us take a look at the most sexy beaches of the world of 2008 at islands:

Sexy Beach Site: Kas in Turkey
Southwest Turkey, a place with historic towns and Roman ruins along the coast.

Sexy Beach Site:  Paros, Greece
One of the Greek islands in the Cyclades
Kolymbithres Beach and the town of Naousa. Seems to have an especially relaxed and warm atmosphere for good relationships, also new.

Sexy Beach Site:  Pemba Island, Tanzania in East Africa
From Zanzibar you have to take an extra flight to reach Pemba Island. But it should be worth the efforts: Wonderful sandbanks and a very local atmosphere. Bring your partner as this is really off the bitten track. An expensive resort on Pemba Island is available.

Sexy Beach Site:  Providencia, a Caribbean island off the coast of Nicaragua
Described as a “a back-to-basics paradise where beach shacks hum with both reggae and salsa, beers are cheaper than bottled water, and there’s nothing to do but back-float in calm, sun-dappled waters.”

Sexy Beach Site:  Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands
This is a Spanish volcanic island 100 miles off the coast of Africa. It has a very special atmosphere coming from its volcanic origin with dark lava fields and black sand beaches. But also whaite sandy beaches exists as well as golden beaches.
Caleta del Congrio is a remote beach at the island’s southern tip where young people are known to leave all their clothes – for swimming etc.

Sexy Beach Site:  Oahu, Hawaii
In winter, the North Shore’s Sunset Beach is legendarily sexy with many hard bodies working around their surfboards. Another option is Kailua Beach a nice sandy beach with pretty girls and attractive guys.

Sexy Beach Site:  St. Lucia, Caribbean
Good Caribbean beaches: Reduit (with lots of tourists) and Cas-en-Bas

Sexy Beach Site:  St. Philip, Barbados
Many options at Barbados, but for example Crane Beach east-coast with pink sand and not that crowded.

Sexy Beach Site:  Gotland, Sweden, in the Baltic sea
Spend time as you like on the miles of empty beaches or meet the Swedes when they have left the capital Stockholm for vacation on one of the many islands in the Baltic sea, of which Gotland is the biggest island. Midsummer’s Eve is the biggest and longest party day of the year.

Sexy Beach Site:  Fire Island, New York
Along Long Island’s south coast stretches 31-mile-long Fire Island with the gay crowd at Fire Island Pines and the young professionals at Ocean Beach. The five-mile stretch in Robert Moses State Park as an East Coast beach that attracts all kinds of people is a good choice.

Site: Peter Island, British Virgin Islands

Peter Island is a private island. Deadman’s Bay is THE beach. Only one resort: Peter Island Resort and bring your partner.

Sexy Beach Site:  Krabi in southern Thailand
The many islands with spectacular cliff formations of the Andaman Sea is a good reason to go to Krabi. I have been there many times and always enjoyed this distination. Krabi is on the Thailand mainland, but tourists are often going to the islands for one day stays or for week long stays. The best beach in Krabi area is Phra Nang to be reached by boat.

Read more about the sexiest beaches of the world, not only the sexy beaches at islands, at Concierge (opens in a new window).

Or read the full text of Sexiest beaches of the World 2008 here at MSNBC

Please add your comments if you think we have missed one of the sexiest beaches (on an island) of the World CLICK HERE, if the comment box isn’t below.

Vacation on Islands and Environmental Concern

I love vacation on islands but it is a fact that we tourists are not only bringing some wealth to the island, we are also increasing the environmental impact on the island, and on the environment in general when we travel.
Learn what you can do to minimize the environmental impact during your stay on a [...]

I love vacation on islands but it is a fact that we tourists are not only bringing some wealth to the island, we are also increasing the environmental impact on the island, and on the environment in general when we travel.

Learn what you can do to minimize the environmental impact during your stay on a beautiful island.

Transportation to the island

One of the bigger environmental impacts during a vacation will often be the air pollution and use of natural resources during the transportation to the island and back again. Far away islands like tropical islands will often imply that you have to fly to reach the island. In other cases a combination of driving with a car and going on a ferry might be the needed transportation form. Many small islands don’t have an airport or are too close to the mainland.

Reduce your impact from your transportation by some of the following tips:

- Going by car:

* Go together in the same car and don’t use a bigger car than needed for the number of people and goods.
* If possible use public transportation.

- When flying

* When flying, plan the vacation of the year to stay longer time and travel less times. This way you might be able to reduce your environmental impact to half of what it would be else.

Reduction of your environmental impact during the stay at the island

You will have an impact through
- your consumption of natural resources during your stay on the island
- your generated pollution from your activities and consumption during your stay at the island
- your use of the natural environment.

Consumption of natural resources on the island
Fresh water is often a scarce resource on islands as smaller islands have less resources of clean ground water compared to the mainland.
* Use the shower thoughtfully – it is easy to reduce your water consumption through your shower behavior to the half of normal without missing anything.
* Don’t let the water run in the sink or elsewhere.
* Check if the toilet is running – call for technical assistance if needed.
* Don’t have your towels and sheets wasted everyday as washing is having a big impact on the local resources.

Waste and pollution on islands
Systems of recycling and hazardous waste is often missing on islands
Many islands are missing even the most basic systems to handle waste in an appropriate way. The waste is being burned or dumped in the environment without the needed technology and concern in place. Please take that into account when you through something in the wastebasket:
* Especially hazardous waste is what you can help with.
* Bring your used batteries with you home again and make a proper deposit of them well back at home.
* Don’t leave any electronic outdated device as waste at the island – take it with you home.
* Don’t through any poisonous liquids or medicine into the toilet or wastebasket – take it with you home.

Using the natural environment
When we use the beach and other parts of the natural environment at the island we should be careful not to make any impact from our stay and activities.
* Don’t break corals when swimming or diving.
* Bring all waste with us from the outdoors
* Do not harm wild plants and animals.
* Follow the restrictions, explained by CITES etc. about which kinds of threatened animals and plants to take into consideration especially at that island / in that country. CITES about Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
* Follow the instructions in using trails and parks to minimize your impact and helping the environment, so also the place will be nice when you visit it again.

Appreciate any progress of environmental clever management

* Tell the responsible people how happy you are with new initiatives at the island to reduce the environmental impact of the stay of tourists.

* Ask for measures to combat environmental problems when adequate to the right people. Communicate your concern to the local media.

* At home write to your local media about the environmental situation at the island.

Please add your comments about what we can do to reduce our environmental impact during island vacation >>>  CLICK HERE

Sandy beaches – Where does the white sand at the white sandy beaches come from

Who doesn’t love sandy beaches
I am a big lover of sandy beaches. A sandy beach is the best substrate for laying and enjoying the sun, and to walk out in the water at a sandy beach is a nice feeling for the feet as well as for the whole body. When we have children with [...]

Who doesn’t love sandy beaches

I am a big lover of sandy beaches. A sandy beach is the best substrate for laying and enjoying the sun, and to walk out in the water at a sandy beach is a nice feeling for the feet as well as for the whole body. When we have children with us the sand at the beach is also what gives the family life the feeling of a real beach life with digging in the sand, building sand castles and playing around.

Beautiful white sandy beaches are of cause very popular for many when we search for a travel destination whatever it is in US or abroad. Especially white sand beaches are often regarded as a must when we think of an island vacation.

It’s obvious that an island has more coastline compared to the mainland. And because the island is exposed to the sea all around the chance that the island has some bays or coves with shallow water with nice sandy beaches is much higher than in other places. But of cause the formation of sandy beaches is dependent on a number of different factors.

The sand at a beach will always come from the sea, unless it is an artificial supply from the owner to make a beach more attractive. The waves and the current of the sea will transport the material from one place and dispose it in areas with more calm and shallow water. Because of the transportation of the sand by the water, the corns of sand will be sorted after size and density.

During the transportation often through very long time the individual corns of sand will be worn down, becoming more rounded in shape. This is part of background for the nice feeling of walking in the sand, that the sand is being felt soft to touch.

If the beach is in a temperate climate white sand will normally be made predominantly of the mineral quartz. Quartz is the most common mineral at the face of the Earth. Quartz is a very hard mineral and withstands weathering very well. When it is a part of rocks of granite the other minerals of the granite will decompose faster than the quartz forming clays that are carried far away and often deposited at the floor of the ocean while the quartz sand might be deposited along some shores. You can read some specialist knowledge here about quartz

If you take a magnifying glass or a loupe and study a small sample of sand corns you will see that they are much more diverse than seen by the naked eye. The corns of quartz will dominate but many other minerals of different colors might be mixed with the quartz corns. So even if the quartz is harder and more resistant than many other minerals some of the other minerals persist together with the quartz corns. Some of these will in fact have the same hardness like quartz, like granate.

Tropical sandy beaches
If the white sandy beach is in the tropics or in the subtropics the material of the sand is often of a quite different composition. In such cases the sand is often made of calcium carbonate and its origin is from corals, living corals or older geological formations of limestone. Many of the tropical islands have coral reefs out in front of the beach in the ocean, and waves will erode the formation, at least to some extent.

Interesting enough the parrot fishes are biting off small chunks of the living corals and live of digesting the living material. The inorganic content of the bite is discharged from the body and this form a contribution to the coral sand at the beach.

If you have been at such a tropical or subtropical location with a shiny white sandy beach you will probably recall how the corns of the sand had a tendency to stick to your body, even more than you will experience at a sandy beach with quartz sand. The coral sand is often less rounded compared to the corns of quartz, and the density of chalk is lower compared to quartz.

At some of our most popular sandy beaches the sand isn’t only made of coral debris but small pieces of shells from bivalves and snails are forming a rather big portion of the more or less white sand at the beach. Beaches famous for shells and shell collecting include Sanibel Island.

Add your comment about sandy beaches for vacation >>> CLICK HERE