Exotic Destinations for a Holiday Out of the Ordinary

Travel Tips - Ross French - September 28, 2017

Looking for a holiday out of the ordinary? Travel to an exotic destination where you can experience sights, smells, and tastes that you have never experienced before. Here are some ideas for an exotic destination that is out of the ordinary.

Havana, Cuba

Havana is a bustling city known for its museums, forts and lively public squares. It has exquisite cafes and bohemian themed bars. Havana’s old town, called Habana Vieja, is known for its magnificent Baroque styled Catedral de San Cristobal, and the military fortress of Castillo de la Real Fuerza.

You can also visit El Morro, a fort at the bay of Havana, El Capitolio (the national capital building) Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (the national museum) and one of the world’s largest opera houses Gran Teatro de La Habana.

Rajasthan, India

Rajasthan has a range of exotic cities, palaces and forts, just waiting for curious travelers to explore. Jaipur, the capital city also known as the pink city, has a modernized business centre with rustic age old charm. Amber Palace, City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal are a few destinations to visit. Jaisalmer, the golden city, is considered a gateway to the Thar Desert.

The prominent landmarks are the Jailsalmer Fort, Jain Temples and the Gadisar Lake. Jhalawar is an historical city which is also known for its vibrant flora and fauna. The Chandrabhaga Temple, the Sun Temple, Herbal Garden, Buddhist Caves and Stupas are some of the prominent destinations to visit.

Bhutan

Bhutan is known as Druk Yul which means Land of the Thunder Dragon. Bhutan is in the Himalaya Mountain Range and you can visit ancient Buddhist monasteries like Taktshang Monastery that is at an elevation of 3,988 metres and has stunning flora and fauna.

Ta Dzong is a museum that is located at 3,400 metres. The country is also famous for bird watching and Wangdue Phodrang Valley is a great place to go.

Dubai, UAE

Dubai offers a variety of attractions varying from mosques to shopping malls. Exotic places to visit would be the Jumeirah Mosque and Fahidi Fort which also houses the Dubai Museum. If you wish to access the tranquility of the desert you can head deep into the desert for a safari.

You can also ride a camel and relax in Bedu tents. Ski Dubai is an indoor Ski resort in Dubai for those who wish to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and is located in the Mall of the Emirates.

Cambodia

This beautiful country has a history of extreme violence and you can visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh to learn more about it. Angkor Wat is filled with temples that are a complex mixture of symmetry, symbolism, intricacy and epic proportions.

The Cardamom Mountain range is densely covered with lush virgin rainforest and it runs through south west Cambodia and eastern Thailand. Some of the rare species listed in these forests are the Malaysian sun bear, pileated gibbons and Siamese crocodiles. There are many beautiful resorts to stay in.

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Travel News: Margyle on Foreign Relations

Travel Tips - Ross French - November 12, 2010

By: Margyle

I know it seems like every time I write it has something to do with Canada and I’m sure our readers probably get tired of hearing about it, but it should stop doing so many stupid things. I love my country but that doesn’t mean I can’t yell at it from time to time.

Take recent international boners for example. Over the course of a few weeks, Canada has managed to piss off the United Arab Emirates over letting some of their planes land in Canada more often. Whether in direct retaliation or ‘unrelated’, the UAE then nixed the free Canadian base used by the military for the Afghanistan war and now required Canadians to get a visa before traveling here. Be it a wee smidge of an overreaction on the part of the UAE or a justifiable response, I won’t engage in the finger pointing game.
Some experts near to the issue say ‘who cares… UAE is fading fast and it will hurt them by losing Canada as a friend and economic partner’ but this completely misses the point.

The bigger issue comes down to how a country and its people are perceived on the world stage. When your government makes some decision that affects trade or travel conditions for its citizens, you have to be aware that other countries might automatically assume certain things about you. Some people hold the attitude that you shouldn’t care what others think and do what makes you happiest but those people tend to be jerks oblivious to social propriety. With that segue in place, look at the way Americans are popularly perceived – pretty craptastically, which is often unfair and incorrect. You can say this is because of actual interaction with people, but a lot has to do with what their government has done.

It doesn’t mean every tiff with a country will lead to closed borders and prejudice, but it does mean you should keep yourself informed of what is going on in the world. As I write this, Canada is also mulling closing some of its embassies in Africa… a scary thought considering if something goes wrong, where are you to turn for assistance – not to mention a symbol of friendly relations between countries. You can’t control the jackassery of your government or the hissy fits of other countries, but you can be aware of what could await you before you get on a plane – because it can happen overnight.

In regards to it being harder to get into the UAE for Canadians, I personally don’t care. There are tons of other places higher on my list to visit. Besides, the initial snub by Canada was probably in response to the CN Tower being dethroned by Burj Khalifa. It’s all we have!

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