Sunday, October 8, 2017

A Great Visit To The Greatest Wall Of China

The Great Wall is a must for a China tour, while Badaling is a must for a Great Wall tour. Badaling Great Wall in Beijing is the best-preserved and most complete section among the various, hence the most popular, even among world leaders. You should visit it at least once in your life. The portion of the wall running through the site was built in 1504 during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location's strategic importance. The highest point of Badaling is Beibalou, approximately 1,015 metres (3,330 ft) above sea level.



Why visit Badaling rather than others

  • It is the most popular section.
  • It is the best-preserved and most complete section.
  • Compared with other sections, most stairs are not very steep and they are equipped with handrails, so it is a relatively easier climb.
  • This section has been equipped with cable car and pulley to save energy, and it even has some facilities to make it easier for seniors and the disabled.
  • It is close to downtown Beijing, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away, and easy to reach by public transportation.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Manitoulin Island - The Largest Fresh Water Island In The World With Heavenly Experience

History and Geography

View From Cup and Saucer Trail Top
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian lake island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest freshwater lake island in the world. The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the historic Odawa name "Manidoowaaling", which means "cave of the spirit." It was named for an underwater cave where a powerful spirit was said to live. Manitoulin Island contains a number of lakes of its own. In order of size, its three most prominent lakes are Lake Manitou, Lake Kagawong and Lake Mindemoya. Each of these three lakes in turn have islands within them, the largest of these being Lake Mindemoya's 82-acre Treasure Island, located in the centre of Manitoulin.

The island has an area of 2,766 km2 (1,068 sq mi), making it the 172nd largest island in the world and Canada's 31st largest island. The island separates the larger part of Lake Huron to its south and west from Georgian Bay to its east and the North Channel to the north. Manitoulin Island itself has 108 freshwater lakes, some of which have their own islands; in turn several of these "islands within islands" have their own ponds. Lake Manitou, at 104 km2 (40 sq mi), is the largest lake in a freshwater island in the world, and Treasure Island in Lake Mindemoya is the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake in the world. Motors are prohibited on boats on Nameless Lake.

The island also has four major rivers: the KagawongManitou RiverBlue Jay Creek in Michael's Bay and Mindemoya rivers, which provide spawning grounds for salmon and trout.

The "Cup and Saucer Trail", which climbs the escarpment, provides a spectacular lookout over the island.

Manitoulin Island Map - Click To Expand

Amazing Trip Through The Most Scenic Route In Ontario

I was lucky to go visit this island last week through the most scenic route in Ontario. This scenic route is also the best during fall for enjoying fall colours. The following video captures a lot of information that may help you in planning your trip to this beautiful island. You can see the following in this video:

- Round trip route details from Toronto through the most scenic route
- Sunset views at Ms Chi-Cheemaun Ferry From Tobermory to South Baymouth
- Cup and Saucer Trail
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Little Current Swing Bridge
- Road biking at the best road bike trails in Ontario
- Many bays including South Bay, Providence Bay, and Green Bay
- Lots of bird watching

We enjoyed every moment on this island. I hope you will enjoy this video as well. Please subscribe and like this video if it helped you in learning or planning your next trip.



Tuesday, August 1, 2017

An Amazing Biking Trip To Etobicoke Creek Trail, Brampton Canada

Let's Have Fun

What a wonderful summer with nice temperature which allowed me to do 900 km of biking so far. Over 550 km were done just in Jul. More I bike (cycle) more I fall in love with it. For local friends, Etobicoke Creek Trail is the hidden beauty with connected trails away from traffic for almost 30 km of round trip route. You can run, bike, walk, enjoy cricket (what a beautiful pitch), tennis, soccer, baseball, lake and lot more on this lovely trail.

It runs parallel to the main street across Brampton. You can find all necessary details in this blog/video if you decide to enjoy nature while keeping you active. I heard about this trail and there was no easy way to find the details. I spent some time to put my learning together. I hope you will find it useful.

On a beautiful evening in Jul 2017, I started my ride at steels and main. Round trip journey was almost 30 km which I coved in 1 hour 15 minutes. Trail was amazingly beautiful and not crowded. You can see complete details of this trip in the following video.

History

This pathway is named after the Etobicoke Creek which runs parallel to the trail. the name etobicoke means, “where the black alders grow”. The Etobicoke Creek played its part in brampton’s development.

Loafers Lake @ Etobicoke Creek Trail
Due to its meandering form, buildings along Main Street North were constructed on unique angles to allow for the natural flow of the Etobicoke Creek. The creek once flowed through the downtown core, and its banks overflowed repeatedly through the first 150 years of Brampton’s history. Completed in 1952, the ambitious engineering project to divert Etobicoke Creek away from the downtown allowed Brampton to prosper.

The multi-use Etobicoke Creek Trail is suitable for walking, jogging, and cycling year-round. There are many wonderful spots on this trail to stop and enjoy the sounds of nature’s wonders. From the Peel Village Golf Course the trail passes under Steeles Avenue. As the Etobicoke Creek Trail meanders through the downtown, a wide variety of cultural and seasonal activities can be accessed by the trail. A farmer’s market is held every Saturday morning during spring, summer, and fall in the Rose Theatre Square. The nearby Gage Park is voted to be one of the top five parks within the Greater Toronto Area. The Peel Heritage Centre is open year-round, or alternatively, Downtown Heritage Walks allow for an up-close look at greenhouses, cemeteries, and historic buildings.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Jim Corbett National Park - The Best Of Nature and Indian Culture

During my short India trip, I was lucky to visit Jim Corbett National Park the last week. This park is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, a Project Tiger Reserve lies in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The magical landscape of Corbett is well known and fabled for its tiger richness. Established in the year 1936 as Hailey National Park, Corbett has the glory of being India's oldest and most prestigious National Park. It is also being honored as the place where Project Tiger was first launched in 1973. This unique tiger territory is best known as the father who gave birth of the Project Tiger in India to protect the most endangered species and the Royal of India called Tigers. 

Apart from tiger reserve, there is a lot more to discover nearby. If you have time and desire to experience Indian culture in the middle of nature then Jim Corbett is the best place to visit. Here is a quick snapshot of my amazing trip which will give you an idea of nature, culture and adventure you could expect here. 




Rest of the article will be divided in the following sections along with lots of useful tips:

  1. Key attractions and tips about these attractions
  2. What to Expect in Jim Corbett and Golden Rules
  3. Where to stay to get closer to the local culture

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Let's Talk About Spring

Spring is one of the four conventional temperate seasons, following winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. At the spring equinox, days are approximately 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses.

During early spring, the axis of the Earth is increasing its tilt relative to the Sun, and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly, causing new plant growth to "spring forth," giving the season its name.

Snow begins to melt, swelling streams with runoff and frosts become less severe. In climates that have no snow, and rare frosts, air and ground temperatures increase more rapidly.

Alright, no more boring facts. Let's start with some of the cool facts about this amazing season:



Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth. People start to "Spring Into Happiness". I visited Algonquin National Park and Muskoka during mid-jury and I was very pleased to see the variety and unadulterated beauty of the nature. It felt like life is coming back to earth after a very cold winter season. You can peek into my experience through the following video. I just loved it. Please subscribe to my channel if you like the videos. I will be sharing lot more to keep you entertained and informed.



Many flowering plants bloom at this time of year, in a long succession, sometimes beginning when snow is still on the ground and continuing into early summer. In normally snowless areas, "spring" may begin as early as February (Northern Hemisphere), heralded by the blooming of deciduous magnolias, cherries, and quince, or August (Southern Hemisphere) in the same way. Many temperate areas have a dry spring, and wet autumn (fall), which brings about flowering in this season, more consistent with the need for water, as well as warmth. Subarctic areas may not experience "spring" at all until May.

Friday, March 31, 2017

Best Places to See in Atlantic Canada

ATLANTIC / MARITIME CANADA is a historic region to visit with nature all around. This blog is from our short trip to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, & Prince Edward Island that covers some of the most beautiful places in Canada. This was an amazing family trip and I highly recommend everyone to visit this part of Canada. You can also be part of our trip by watching the following video.


BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE TRIP


NEW BRUNSWICK

Lots of people prefer to drive from Toronto to New Brunswick, however it's a very long and dry journey. As it would have been a problem for parents to sit for long hours, we took a flight from Moncton. We choose Moncton over Halifax as flight tickets were significantly cheaper and we needed to go to Hopewell Rocks anyways which is very close to Moncton. We rented van and went to the Hopewell Rocks directly from the Airport. Here are the key attractions we covered in New Brunswick: