Don’t be surprised if you come to this amazing land and find yourself feeling a bit breathless on your walking holidays– Peru has many ways of taking your breath away. Here, you have the choice of walking on the clouds; exploring settlements of pre-Columbian civilizations; exploring the lush and magical Peruvian Amazon Basin; or walking towards the snowcapped mountains or the sand dunes of the coastal deserts. Believe it or not, it’s all the same country!

Stopping Time In Peru

So, where to start? How far back do you want to go? Time is an important factor when it comes to deciding what you want to do and where you want to go on amazing Peruvian walking holidays. Peru can accommodate your needs and schedules, whatever they might be. There are hikes that extend from a mere five days, to eight days, to three weeks, or even longer. Once that’s decided, the next question will be, where in time do you want to go? You can stay in the present and enjoy the restful recreation of the Pacific swells from Peru’s northern beaches, and visit the towns, museums, shops and markets; or, as many people do, you can choose to go back into the past.

Should choose the past, exactly how far back do you want to go? On your walking holidays in Peru, you even get a choice whether you want to catch a glimpse of history or prehistory.

B.C: Before Columbus

Pre-Columbian history is perhaps the most popular theme in walking tours in Peru – and for good reason. Incan civilization, considered the best known and most studied of the ancient civilizations, is laid out before you here and one of the things you will most likely encounter first on your walking holidays. Peru has many ancient civilizations, however, so you’ll want to see more- there are some that predate the Incas by several thousand years!

Still, Incan civilization is a good start, and Cusco (or Cuzco), is the starting point of most archaeologically inspired walking holidays. Peru’s Machu Picchu is accessible through different routes, beginning with the classic Inca trail through the Sacred Valley. However, ith the record groups of tourists over the past years, as well as the government limits on the number of trekkers allowed at any given time, you may want to consider the alternative trails. The Moonstone trail, Salkantay and a few others are good options– check with your tour specialist. You may also want to take shorter hikes to other settlements, such as Sacsayhuaman, overlooking Cusco, or Choquequirau (the Cradle of Gold) in the Apurimac River Canyon.

Before History

While you will find sites and artifacts thousands of years older than the Incas on your walking holidays, Peru has something you can visit that was in existence even before the first settlements were built– the Amazon Rainforest! The Manu National Park Reserved Zone, an area of the Amazon jungle with the least amount of human intervention, is one of the places designated by the Peruvian government for ecotourism. Modern-day travellers can see and experience nature as it was before man arrived. Home to thousands of species of flora and fauna not found anywhere in the world, it’s just one of the places that shouldn’t be missed in Peru.

Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. For walking holidays Peru is a fascinating destination. Join us to experience scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.

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An island nation in the south-western Pacific Ocean, New Zealand was one of the last countries on Earth to be inhabited by humans. As such, it still retains much of the unique flora and fauna that draw people to New Zealand. Walking through the cities and trekking through the countryside are great ways to get to know the individual aspects of each area. But if you prefer a more gentile experience rather than camping in the wilds, and like your dinner served to you instead of catching it for yourself, why not do a guided culinary walk through the capital city of Wellington?

Wellington is the third most populous city and is located on the south-western tip of the northern island of New Zealand. Walking around the city with a knowledgeable tour leader will show introduce you to the ins and outs of the culinary capital of the country, which has more restaurants per capita than New York City.

Coffee — Wellington is the coffee headquarters of New Zealand. Walking just a few steps from any inner-city boutique hotel will lead you to one of the many coffee houses where you can get your fix. One of the first stops in the morning on any guided walk through Wellington’s culinary scene, should be at Mojo, located at Shed 13, 37 Customhouse Quay. This coffee house and roastery is arguably the centre of New Zealand’s coffee scene and is housed in a ‘Historic Places Trust – Category One’ registered building. It provides artisan-roasted beans to a variety of other cafes and restaurants in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch as well.

Chocolate — In New Zealand, walking from location to location may be the best way to see the culinary sights while allowing you to indulge at each individual stop. This is especially the case in Wellington when you join a chocolate-based guided walk around the city’s chocolatiers! One of the best stops for chocolate lovers is the L’affaire au Chocolat located at 464 Adelaide Road, Berhampore. Here you can watch chocolatier Jo Coffey expertly craft the chocolates and you can even have a tasting session while learning about the history of chocolate and the process involved in taking the cocoa bean from the tree to your hand.

Michelin Starred Dining — To round out your day of guided New Zealand walking in Wellington, your tour leader should make you reservations at one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants, Zibibbo, located at 25 – 29 Taranaki Street. The restaurant was opened in 2000 by Adam Newell, one of only two Michelin starred chefs in New Zealand. Once you arrive, you will be treated to exceptional service and an array of Spanish inspired dishes with wine pairings. If you really enjoy yourself and want something even more special, you can also book in for a cookery master class, where you will learn to make a three-course meal with Newell himself.

Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us walking South Africa to see scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.

This article was provided by LeadGenerators, the smartest online marketing agency in London, and the proud host a series of internet marketing training seminars.

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If you’re planning to learn a little about the culture while you’re walking in Spain, having a good grasp of the Spanish language can be a real boon to your efforts. Even if you only know a few phrases, it can help smooth the way to make an effort with a little Spanish – and it will certainly garner you a little goodwill – as well as giving some insight into the beautiful natural landscapes you wander across. When exploring the country, learning a few helpful words and phrases can be very useful in making sure you come away from your travels having had a rich, full experience. However, the Spanish language and its offshoots are a far more complex field of study than many visitors might realise!

What’s in a name?

The true origins of the name España (and the derived names ‘Spain’ and ‘Spanish’) have been disputed by scholars. The ancient Roman name of ‘Hispania’ may originate from the use of the term ‘Hesperia’ to refer to the country. However, the word may also be a derivative of the Punic word ‘Ispanihad’, meaning ‘land of rabbits’ or ‘edge’, a reference to Spain’s geographical position at the edge of the Mediterranean. Interestingly, Roman coins from the region show a female figure with a rabbit at her feet!

When walking in Spain, it can be fun to try and puzzle out the mystery behind the name. The linguistic origins of the name remain an enigma – but yet another recent theory has come to prominence, claiming that the root of the name is the Phoenician word ‘spy’, meaning ‘to forge metals’. Their name ‘i-spn-ya’ would mean ‘the land where metals are forged’.

Spain’s different languages

Although Spanish is spoken all over the county, making it a reliable standby for your adventures while walking in Spain, there are other regional tongues which have been declared co-official, making them useful to learn if your travels will take you to a particular region. Basque is spoken in the Basque Country and Navarre, Catalan is spoken in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, while a Catalan offshoot, Valencian, is spoken in the Valencian community.

While Spanish is officially the language of the nation, these other regional languages are robust and widespread enough to have daily newspapers published in them within the relevant regions. Picking up a local paper and enjoying it with a morning coffee while on holiday walking in Spain can be an excellent way to decipher some of the history, culture and modern lifestyles of this wonderful country.

Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us walking South Africa to see scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.

This article was provided by LeadGenerators, the smartest online marketing agency in London, and the proud host a series of internet marketing training seminars.

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One of the most famous areas in South Africa, the Bushveld is an incredible place to visit. A woodland region, the Bushveld encompasses most of Limpopo Province and a small part of the North West Province of South Africa, the central and north-east districts of Botswana, and part of the Matabeleland North provinces of Zimbabwe. When on a holiday walking South Africa, a visit to the Bushveld is a wonderful way to experience the powerful landscapes and beautiful natural vistas of the country. One amazing natural feature of the Bushveld you might see while exploring is the Soutpansberg mountain range, named for the ‘salt pan’ located at its western end.

Flora of the Bushveld

There are plenty of exotic plants and animals to see while walking South Africa. As implied by the region’s name, the well-grassed plains of the Bushveld are dotted by dense clusters of trees and clumps of tall shrubs. The grasses found in the Bushveld are generally tall and turn yellow or brown in the winter, which is the dry season throughout most of South Africa. As most of the region tends to be dry, the Bushveld’s land is mostly used for cattle and game farming activities, with only a few crops grown that are resistant to drought, such as sorghum and millet.

Fauna of the Bushveld

Those walking South Africa hoping to see some of the country’s unique and charismatic wildlife won’t be disappointed when they come to visit the Bushveld. Both white and black rhinos can be seen on the Bushveld, though observers may have trouble telling the two species apart at a distance. Due to their grey hides, the name may seem a little confusing, until you learn the classification of ‘white’ rhino originally stemmed from the Dutch designation of ‘wijd’, or ‘wide’ – for the distinctive size of the Rhino’s lower lip. Other animals a walker can admire from a distance in the Bushveld are giraffes, blue wildebeest, kudu, impala, and even other predators such as lions and leopards.

Animals and Minerals

One thing that can elude the naked eye when visitors go walking South Africa is that the Bushveld is one of the most mineral-rich areas in the world. This is a result of the Bushveld igneous complex, an extremely rich saucer-shaped formation below the ground that stretches for over 50,000 square kilometers. One fascinating fact is that the formation includes the ‘Merensky Reef’, the world’s biggest source of platinum.

Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us walking South Africa to see scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.

This article was provided by LeadGenerators, the smartest online marketing agency in London, and the proud host a series of internet marketing training seminars.

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Walking in Spain, and specifically The Balearics, can make for a wonderful holiday, but sometimes it can be a little difficult to get off the beaten track. But with a little effort, it is still possible to find quieter and more traditional corners to explore. Alcudia, on the island of Majorca, offers one such opportunity.

Two towns become one
Going back to Roman times, the original Alcudia was a fortified town connected to a small harbour area about a kilometre or so away. Even as late as the mid-late 1960s, the area remained quiet and relatively unchanged over centuries.
As tourism increased, the port area became rapidly developed as the Alcudia Beach resort, aimed at a clientele preferring quiet charm and sophistication rather than the “dance until you drop” culture more prevalent around the bay of Palma. Over a relatively short period of time, Puerto Alcudia dwarfed its older neighbour and became the centre of local activity; however, this was perhaps no bad thing for Alcudia town itself.

The Town
Many visitors who come on a holiday to go walking in Spain choose to base themselves in Puerto Alcudia. It is a pleasant slightly international resort, which has some nice coastal walks on cliff paths that provide stunning scenery. If you enjoy a little more traditional culture, take the relatively short and gentle walk up to the old town. The terrain is flat and easy but, as always when walking in Spain, remember to take water with you, cover your head and avoid walking at peak heat times during the summer months.

The old town is an impressive site with its surrounding Roman/medieval wall, which you can walk around (it was heavily restored in the 1960s/70s). Once you enter the town through one of the gates, you’ll find a charming mixture of architecture – ranging from Romanesque to Moorish and Mallorquin.

Things to do
Alcudia old town isn’t somewhere that boasts breathtaking vistas or epic buildings and architectures. What it does have aplenty, though, is charm and a taste of local Spanish/Mallorquin culture – something that you’ll appreciate if you are based in the more cosmopolitan port area. There are a multitude of ancient narrow streets packed with interesting shops and local stores. There’s also a great café culture where you can sit and watch the world drift by as you sample a drink or two and possibly indulge in some tapas.

The old town of Alcudia has some delightful local shops and stores and the town has managed to stay distinctly ‘in touch’ with the surrounding countryside, so you’ll see some wonferful local produce and craft. On Tuesdays and Sundays, the town hosts a market where you can see a wide variety of locally produced items, including lace. Remember though that market days can be very busy; traffic may be heavy with associated parking troubles – particularly in high season. If you’re on a holiday walking in Spain, the last thing you will want to do is spend time sitting in traffic jams! Leave your car behind in the port and simply take a picturesque walk up the road.

Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us walking South Africa to see scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.

This article was provided by LeadGenerators, the smartest online marketing agency in London, and the proud host a series of internet marketing training seminars.

Thank you for visiting our article directory! Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!

While it may be one of the world’s lesser-known destinations for a holiday spent walking, South Africa is rapidly growing in popularity for the genre. There are obvious reasons for this: modern cities, a diverse range of exotic wildlife, and some of the most stunning terrains in the entire world, much of which is perfect for walking. South Africa is home to a diverse range of landscapes, and one of the most dramatic and impressive is The Drakensberg. Located in the eastern part of the country, the mountain range spreads through both KwaZulu-Natal province and the neighboring country of Lesotho.

The Drakensberg
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, the rugged wilderness of the Drakensberg makes it a fascinating destination for walking. South Africa doesn’t just boast stunning landscape – the Drakensberg is also home to an impressive series of caves and cave paintings, revealing the long human history of the area. The cave paintings were produced by the bushman population that inhabited the area at least 40,000 years ago – possibly up to 100,000 years ago. The works of art form the largest collection of rock art in the world, the oldest of which has been dated to around 400 BC, with paint chips found in the same area around a thousand years older than that.

The Fauna of the Slopes
The area is home to 300 different species of bird, making up a third of the non-marine avian species in southern Africa. Non-avian species that inhabit the area include the klipspringer, the eland, the mountain reedbuck, the grey rhebok and the oribi. Many of these grazing species can be spotted in the area by those on a holiday walking. South Africa has a huge variety of wildlife, but some, like the Drakensberg river frog can only be spotted in the areas around Drakensberg.

Visiting the Drakensberg
The tourist infrastructure of the area has been developed in recent years, alongside the wider growth of tourism in the country. There have been a far greater number of hiking trails opened up along a wide variety of routes. Walks in the area can take in stunning sights, including the peaks and hills around Cathedral Peak, ideal for visiting local attractions such as the Doreen Falls, Neptune Pools and Rainbow Gorge. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, and an area home to some endangered species, access to the park is strictly controlled – but with such a vast area to explore, the mountain range makes a perfect destination for walking holidays.

Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us walking South Africa to see scenic locations & landscapes at the best value prices. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.

This article was provided by LeadGenerators, the smartest online marketing agency in London, and the proud host a series of internet marketing training seminars.

Thank you for visiting our article directory! Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!