Travelling Eastern Canada

Canada is not as well-known as it should. It’s not the land of cold and snow popular opinion makes it out to be (at least, not all year long!). In fact, the summers are quite nice and warm, and Canada has a rich history that deserves to be discovered. Whether for pleasure, for a wedding or for a business conference, Eastern Canada has everything you desire.

Québec City and Montréal

The easternmost of eastern provinces, Québec has two major cities: Québec and Montréal. Québec was founded in 1608, which makes it one of the oldest cities in North America. Québec is well-known for its winter festival, for its old-world charm in the New World, and for its amazing French cuisine. It is also the seat of the Québec provincial government. The views from the heights of the cliff over the river and the south shore are unequalled in the province. For a romantic stop in a European ambiance, Québec is a great choice. Lower along the St. Lawrence river, you will find Montréal, the biggest and most populous city in the province, and the third in Canada. Montréal is about 40 years younger than Québec, which still makes it pretty old. Stroll in the Old Port, take in the many shows, plays and stand-up comics, or enjoy a walk through its many museums. Montréal is the cultural heart of Canada, and its multicultural population gives you access to a wide array of food choices, some as exotic as Tibetan or as classic as chinese Dim Sum. The subway system is easy to travel and will take you anywhere that’s really interesting: the Oratory, downtown, the Olympic Stadium and much more.

Ottawa and Toronto

Ontario is the most populous province in the country, and it hosts the federal capital, Ottawa. Ottawa is well-know for the longest skateable river in the world, the Rideau Canal: if you enjoy winter traveling, Ottawa is definitely a must. The parliament buildings have an amazing Neo-Gothic architecture that imitates those in England but still has peculiar Canadian characteristics. Visit one of the many museums or witness a sitting of the House of Commons. A few hours south, you will find Toronto, the Canadian metropolis. Set on the edge of a Great Lake, so big you can’t see the other shore, Toronto is the business center of Canada. Its downtown core compares favourably with New York; in fact, it is more compact and easier to visit than its American sister. Toronto has plenty of theaters and museums; the campus of the University of Toronto has served as a replacement for Harvard University in many television shows and movies.

As you can see, the cities of Eastern Canada offer a lot of possibilities for the adventurous tourist. Weddings, group trips, conferences are only a few of the reasons to visit this beautiful part of the world. And it’s perfect for those who love winter, as these cities and their regions offer much to the skier and snowboarder, as well as those who just enjoy walking in a winter wonderland only to go back to a warm fire in their hotel room.
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3 Reasons Why Smaller Ships are better for Fiji Cruises

Fiji is best known for its imagery. Getting around and exploring the place, however, is a bit more complex than just hopping on the nearest cruise liner. The Fiji islands are also a complicated navigational and physically diverse area, and getting to some places can only be done by smaller ships and other craft. The outer islands are accessible by air or by sea, but most seasoned travellers to Fiji prefer to go by water. Grab some travel insurance and check it out for yourself.

1. The Fiji islands- An experience

Fiji is actually a group of islands, spread over a large area including reefs and open ocean. The two main islands are Fiji itself and Vanua Levu to the northeast, with many others scattered in an arc of islands to the south. The reasons for using smaller craft like yachts and power boats becomes pretty clear when you arrive. The big ships can’t go everywhere in this environment. They also can’t afford to use large amounts of fuel traveling around this large area. Generally they only stop at Fiji, and you can’t do much more than pass by the other islands.

The real Pacific island experience is based on exploring the islands yourself. Regular visitors soon learn how to get around Fiji for themselves, and if you’re a boat person, you can have some real fun exploring a navigator’s dream.

2. Cruise Tours

The easier, and definitely the best way to travel around when you haven’t been to Fiji before is on one of the tours. This is a good way to familiarize yourself with the islands and the coast, and the tours are a great way to explore the islands. There are a couple of well-known cruise tours, the MV Reef Endeavour and the square rigger schooner Spirit of the Pacific. Tours may also include things like diving and glass bottom boats, depending on your preferences.

These tours are straightforward things, and often include excursions into the islands, well worth doing to see more of the place than just the tourist resorts and do some exploring. You can get authentic Fijian stuff all around the islands, so these tours are good basic training in local shopping, too.


3. Getting to know the islands

When you know how to find your way around, you can arrange your own travel. It’s a good idea to check out communications, weather, and any safety issues, if you’re doing the sailing. Also make a point of familiarizing yourself with seasonal factors, and don’t do any traveling on your own in storm season.

You can have a beautiful, truly peaceful and relaxing time cruising the islands. This is the original paradise, as painted by Gauguin, and raved about by travelers for over 200 years. All you need to enjoy yourself in Fiji is some cheap travel insurance and a good boat, and the islands will do the rest. Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy!

Capoeira - Martial Arts For Brazilian Vacations

It's widely known that if you share something in common with people from your travel destination, you'll have no problem starting a conversation with locals. Cricket in India, surfing in Australia, tango in Argentina; there will always be a lively conversation around the next corner if you're an enthusiast or a practitioner.

One of the great Brazilian passions is Capoeira (cap-o-wear-a), a mixture of martial art and dance that was developed some time after the 16th century by African slaves in Brazil. Under the watchful eye of their captors, the slaves developed a way to practise their fighting techniques disguised as a traditional dance. Capoeira spread from Brazil rapidly in the 1970s, and is now practised all over the world in a wide variety of forms from its original state.

If you'd like to be able to break some common ground with Brazilians either over a conversation or by jogo (game or match), here are some suggestions to be well prepared.

Listen to Brazilian music and do some dancing

Brazil has a rich culture of music and dancing, so if you've got two left feet you should try and learn to loosen up a bit. Get together with a group of friends and check out a Brazilian music venue, or even put on some samba at home to dance to if you can't bear the thought of showing your moves in public.