Westminster Travel Trips

Mexico is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating countries in the northern hemisphere of the western world. Its history, culture, food and collage of ethnic groups and their languages make an astounding study. One region in particular bears repeated mention; the state of Oaxaca (pronounced wah – ha – ka). The capitol city is also called Oaxaca. So it’s Oaxaca, Oaxaca City and state like New York, New York. About an eight hour trip by land east of Mexico City, you’ll need several days to get around and do the area any justice. It’s a definite “must” on your travel tour list of Mexico. I’ve singled out these two day trips in particular, as essential during your time in this region.

A Day Trip to “El Tule”

A Jewish carpenter named Joseph helped his pregnant wife Mary onto a mule for the long trip to Bethlehem, where their first child, known as Jesus would be born. At the same time, a seedling of the Ahuehuete tree (a type of Cypress) was growing on the other side of the world. Now known as the “Tree of Tule”, this massive growth is located in a 17th century churchyard about 10 kilometers outside of Oaxaca in the small town of Tule.

Claimed to more than 2000 years old and to have the largest diameter of any tree in the Americas, it is more than 176 feet (58 meters) around and 126 feet (42 meters) tall. To encircle the Tree of Tule takes nearly 20 people with their arms outstretched. There is a small fee to enter the churchyard to view both the 17th century church and the fence-protected tree. Gnarled sections of bark on the tree suggest the faces of people or shapes of animals while scores of birds circle and play in its massive branches.

Frequent buses and tours go to Tule so you’ll have no trouble visiting this impressive site. Costs range from 10 pesos on up depending on the bus company or tour which will have other sites included on a typical day trip. Buses from the second class bus station in Oaxaca also go to Tule, but the risks may not be worth it. Check around and at the tourist information office before you go.

A Day Trip to Monte Alban

It would be unthinkable to visit the city and state of Oaxaca, Oaxaca and not go on THE day trip of the area:
The Zapotec capitol city ruins on the flattened hilltop called Monte Alban. With absolutely stunning views of the city of Oaxaca along with the surrounding hills and valleys for many kilometers around, a trip here is a must no matter how many other sites you’ve already seen. A well-planned museum (complete with English language bookstore and cafeteria) with local guides available and an extensive number of buildings restored to near-original status grace this once proud city.
To get there: Go to the Hotel Rivera del Angel at Mina No. 518. The ticket office of Autobuses Turisticos is in the lobby. Buses (16 pesos round trip) leave every half hour from 8:30am to 3:30pm. The museum entrance fee is 30 pesos (about $3 U.S. dollars).

After a day of exploring, learning, and photos, buses will return to the city from the tree-lined parking lot entrance where you were dropped off. Workers on the archeological site also take these buses, so you can have some pretty interesting conversations if you speak even passable Spanish. A minimum of three hours or so should be planned to really get the most from this world-famous site. Do be careful, however, of buying “artifacts” from locals, as they may be stolen and illegal to remove from the country or copies of very poor quality.

Take one day trip or try them both. Either way you’ll be in privileged company as any dignitary visiting the region is assured of being taken to both of these sites, often on the same day. Each makes an interesting, informative trip on its own. Visiting each site on different days allows greater freedom to soak up the local ambience and choose days on which the crowds are thinnest. This will often depend on the time of year. “El Tule”, you should note, is virtually unapproachable around Christmas time. Enjoy!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. Free details of his 5-week online course “Develop a Specialty and Get Published on the Web for Fun, Fame or Fortune” and more tips on article writing, public speaking, and mental skills development are online at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

Long Haul Trips on aircraft, trains or buses can really challenge a person’s ability to cope and deal with travel stress. Have you noticed the number of irate people who travel these days? There are five things you can try to help you cope with traveling on long haul trips so that you are not another statistic of being an irate passenger.

#1. Do Not Drink Alcohol

The number one cause for people getting stressed during long haul trips is alcohol, in particular with air travel. Look I like a good drink like the next person, but alcohol has a tendency to change a perfectly sane and calm person into a raving lunatic. Just look at the number of airline shows that you see on television with people behaving badly.

If you are taking a long haul trip on an aircraft, I recommend that you limit your alcohol as when flying at height the affects of alcohol are in fact multiplied. Personally, I discourage all of my staff from drinking whilst flying to avoid travel rage.

#2. Make Sure That You Drink Lots Of Water

Have you ever had a headache come on? Often this can be because you have not drunk enough water especially when you are working in air-conditioning. Just because you are working or traveling in air-conditioning you can still dehydrate which can cause aches and pains and in particular headaches. By ensuring that you drink lots of water during your trip, it will ensure the aches and pains will not exacerbate your travel stress.

When going on long haul flights I always ensure that I carry a 1 litre bottle of water and a small 300 ml bottle of water with me, so that I can stay hydrated especially if the airline charges for water like some of the discount ones. I carry the 300 ml bottle of water so that you can fill your 1 litre bottle in the bathroom because quite often it will not fit under the tap in the sink in the toilet.

#3. Make Sure You Walk Around the Cabin Once An Hour

Nobody likes to be cooped up especially in a confined space and your body does not like it. There are studies throughout the globe, showing that people who sit in the one position on a long haul flight may have the risk of contracting Deep Vein Thrombosis. Having seen my grandmother go through this disease because she did not do the right thing whilst traveling on a train for 24 hours, I strongly encourage everyone to make sure that each hour you get up and walk the cabin.

Walking does two things, one it allows you to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing through your veins and secondly the exercise helps you to produce alpha waves or calmness waves in your head which will in turn help you to beat the travel blues.

#4. Listen To Relaxation Music

Listening to music is a fantastic way to reduce stress and with IPODs and cheap CD players it has never been easier. However, a word of warning, you need to choose music that is not going to stimulate stress. Some music is not really suitable for stressful situations as it can in fact amplify the feeling of stress.

One type of music, which research has shown to help reduce stress is Baroque music. This music is written so that there are only 60 beats per minute and funnily enough that is what our heart rate should be. The baroque music has been found to increase the alpha waves in the left and right sides of your brain and this helps improve learning ability, creativity and calmness.

#5. Meditate

Okay, I can hear it now, “Oh Yeah Hippy, Want Us to Meditate do ya?” Absolutely! Look whilst meditation has certainly been a thing of fringe groups in western society or associated with eastern religions many researchers are now coming to the distinct conclusion that meditation can make a huge difference to our day-to-day lives and help us to overcome stress, especially while traveling. Look, why not try out meditation for just 20 minutes a day. It is a fantastic tool and when you become proficient in the art you will find that moving to a start of calm is really easy.

There are many different techniques to help you meditate and I certainly recommend meditating using Baroque music as we have found that it helps the person meditating get to that point of peace a lot quicker than other types of meditation music.

The bottom line is this. I have traveled many hundreds of thousands of kilometers across the globe and many people ask me why I travel so well and the simple secret to it is, I follow the five things I outlined before. Apart from that, when dealing with airline staff, if you are not absolutely calm and extremely polite and gracious they could send your baggage to Timbuktu and make you wait a day or two in the airport lounge before they will help you get to where you want to go. Maintaining your composure whilst traveling will also help your health and help you to enjoy your trip. I love traveling because I get to see the world and see the wonderful things it has to offer. Why be stressed when you are there?

To finish off this article let me reiterate the five things you can try to reduce your stress when traveling on long haul flights:

#1. Do Not Drink Alcohol
#2. Make Sure That You Drink Lots Of Water
#3. Make Sure You Walk Around the Cabin Once An Hour
#4. Listen To Relaxation Music
#5. Meditate

Chris has a Six Step Meditation Program called Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management, Baroque Meditation Music – Meditation Music and Seven Ways of Reducing Stress

The Rovos Rail

Since its establishment the Rovos Rail has earned an international reputation as one of the worlds most luxurious travel experiences. The extravagant elegance alludes to an era of romance and opulence. A train trip on the Rovos Rail allows passengers to experience the magic and mystery of Africa in complete luxury.

The Rovos Rail operates two classic train each consisting of 20 carriages most of which date back to the 1920s. 72 passengers can be accommodated on these glorious trains which have been meticulously restored to allow you to enjoy a luxurious and comfortable African escape.

Fine Dining

The accent on the Rovos Rail is focused on fresh local ingredients and traditional dishes. A full breakfast is served each morning consisting of a variety of hot and cold dishes.

Lunch and dinner are three course affairs on board this magical train. The starter is followed with a choice of a fish, meat or vegetarian dish, after which guests can sample some of the most delicious deserts imaginable. At each meal passengers can chose from a selection of wines from acclaimed South African cellars which have been chosen to compliment the meals. The train’s dining rooms are formal and tables are adorned with crisp linen, fine china and gleaming silverware. Guests will thoroughly enjoy the fine cuisine in five-star luxury whilst some of the most magnificent scenery imaginable unfolds beyond the windows.

Rovos Rail – A Selection of Trips

The luxurious Rovos Rail travels to a host of South African and Southern African destinations. From the roaring desert sands of Namibia to the smoke that thunders at Victoria Falls, the Rovos Rail transports visitors in style to some of the most magnificent destinations Africa has to offer.

One of the Rovos Rail’s most popular journeys is the week long trip between Pretoria and Cape Town. On the 1600 kilometre route you will experience an eclectic blend of gorgeous scenery from dramatic mountain ranges and endless grassland plains to the modern urban centres and picturesque winelands.

Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most popular tourist destinations and a scenic, luxury rail trip is a fantastic way to get there.

Another fantastic journey is the 6100 kilometre journey from Cape Town will transport you through South Africa and across Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. Known as the Authentic African Adventure this journey this spectacular train safari offers spectacular scenery the highlight being the Victoria Falls. Once reaching your final destination, Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania guests can visit Zanzibar, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the wildlife delights of the Serengeti.

The 550 kilometre trip between Cape Town to Knysna is one of the most glorious ways to take in the beauty of South Africa’s Garden Route. Departing from Cape Town and steaming through with views of the winelands, wheat fields and gorgeous mountains to a stop at George where visitors will board the antique Choo-choo train to Knysna. Knysna is the heart of South Africa’s lake district and visitors will be kept busy with a host of sporting and recreational activities as well as sampling the magnificent oysters for which the town is renowned.

South Africa is a haven for golfing enthusiasts and a nine day golf trip on the Rovos Rail is one of the most fantastic ways to see South Africa as well as taking in some of the best golfing opportunities the country has to offer. Commencing in Pretoria the journey will take you through the Drakensberg, the Kruger National Park, Swaziland and Durban to Sun City where you will end your trip. Along the way you will tee off on some of SA’s finest courses including the Royal Swazi Golf Club, Durban Beachwood Country Club and the Champagne Sports Resort. At all the stops along the way there is plenty of entertainment to keep the non-golfers in your party occupied including game drives and a trip the internationally renowned Sun City resort.

The journey from Pretoria to Namibia is one of the most scenic. The 3400 kilometre journey takes you from Pretoria to the sands of the Namib Desert with plenty of stops along the way. Some of the stops on this adventure include: a visit to the big hole in Kimberly, the Fish River Canyon, a game drive and lion feed in Windhoek, a trip to the wildlife paradise known as the Etosha National Park. A luxurious train trip on of the most beautiful routes in Africa will be one of the most remarkable holidays you will ever experience.

The pride of Africa

Fondly named the pride of Africa the Rovos Rail trains provide domestic and international visitors to experience some of the greatest landscapes, dining and attractions Southern Africa has to offer.

Superior Choices specialises in luxury accommodation in some of South Africa’s most beautiful locations. One of their most amazing offerings includes trips on the luxurious Rovos Rail to a host of Southern African destinations. http://www.superiorchoices.co.za