Travel Sites and Scenes

I’ve recently read an article about Scenic World, a mining site-turned theme park in the midst of Australia’s Blue Mountains. A family of three drove in from the famous Three Sisters rock formation and got a packaged that included the Scenic railway ride and the Scenic cable-way. The couple had no clue what the railway ride was all about and thought it was some boring kiddie theme park ride. Soon as the ride started and metal crunched on like a lap steel guitar from musicians friend, they realize it wasn’t as tame as they thought! It was so unexpected that they developed a fear and thrill of unknown rides from then on!

Bangkok is a city like no other. Though it sounds like a cliché and gets often associated with almost every other city on the planet, you have to really and truly experience Bangkok to understand what is meant by this. Apart from the sex trade which has made this city such a popular destination, there is a lot more here to entice the casual and the serious visitor. Bangkok is a city of beautiful temples; a place where you can shop to your hearts’ content and not break the bank while doing so. There are cheap flights available for Bangkok from all over the world, and there is a wide variety of hotels and lodging places to suit all budgets.

Most hotels offer rooms with breakfast as part of the package. However, Bangkok’s food is among the best in the world and even at breakfast time, you will find fresh food being prepared by the roadside and the locals thronging these places on their way to work. These are fairly economical in cost, and the food is fresh and tasty. After all, Thai cuisine is among the world’s most popular cuisines.

Breakfast can be a fun and exciting way to begin the day and if you are looking for an alternative to that bowl of 20-30 baht Thai noodle soup – just step out of the comforting surroundings of your hotel and try one of these places:

Crepes & Co.

With a name like this, how can they go wrong? They serve breakfast from 9 AM from Monday to Saturday and from 8 AM on Sunday. The extensive menu and excellent dishes have made this one of the most popular breakfast joints in the city.

Bourbon Street

Are you looking for a hearty American or Continental breakfast? Then, make your way down to Bourbon Street on SoiTana Arcade. From pancakes and waffles to Eggs Benedict, they have it all. Have a solid breakfast, forget about the calories and you can happily miss lunch, since you will leave this place well-stuffed and satisfied.

The Sukhothai Hotel

If you are one of those lucky people for whom budget is not an issue, then the Sukhothai Hotel offers you a truly five-star experience. The breakfast array is magnificent and the quality of the cooking and display is unbeatable; luxury and style are the hallmarks of this hotel.

Kuppadeli

They serve breakfast all day here, and their desserts such as blueberry cheesecake and lemon meringue pie are delectable and mouth-watering. They even serve fish and chips as part of their breakfast menu. The eggs are really, really good.

Bangkok Bagel Factory

Located inside the Maneeya Center, they serve a large variety of bagels with the customary toppings; and somehow manage to make them taste even better than the ones you get in America.

Street Food

For a true gastronomic experience which will cost you very little, try the street food in Bangkok. These small trolleys are very clean; they are monitored by the health authorities and they serve delicious, freshly-made food.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and should be a hearty affair, especially if you are feeling a little delicate after the antics of the night before and there are a range of options for people on all sorts of budgets.

If you’re flying in to Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport has around 50 dining venues located in its 25,000-square-metre airport terminal so even if you’re just passing through, there is more than enough opportunity to sample some of the best breakfast options Bangkok has.

Author Bio: David Bell is a freelance writer and blogs about travel, interior design, online marketing, telecoms and small business solutions. Follow him on Twitter @DavidBellWriter

At last I’ve finally visited one of the New Seven Wonders of the World which is the Underground River in Palawan.

Here is a bit of information about The Underground River taken from http://www.puerto-undergroundriver.com/

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most distinguished protected areas of the Philippines. It is located some 360 miles southwest of Manila, the country’s political and economic capital. It was established as a National Park in 1971primarily to protect and preserve the intact old growth forest, interesting wildlife, pristine white sand beaches, unspoiled natural beauty and one of the most impressive caves systems in the world.

The Park features a spectacular limestone or karst mountain landscape. It contains an 8.2 km long underground river that flows directly to the sea. The lower half of the river is brackish and subject to the oceans tide. A subterranean river flowing directly into the sea and the associated tidal influence makes it the most unique natural phenomenon of its type to exist. The presence of 11 minerals, scientifically and aesthetically unique speleothems, and a 20 million year old Serenia fossil embedded in the walls of the cave justifies the declaration of the Puerto Princesa Underground River as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The Park also contains a full mountain to sea ecosystems and protects forests that are important for biodiversity conservation. It is a representative of Palawan Moist Forests, which are among the most significant in Asia, and is noted for high levels of regional and local endemism. The Site serves as habitat to numerous endangered, rare and endemic wildlife species. In the coastal area, mangroves, sea grass beds and coral reefs are found.

The global significance of the Park is recognized by its designation as a World Heritage Site, a Biosphere Reserve, a Ramsar Site, and an Important Bird Area. Inclusion to these prestigious lists confirms the outstanding universal value of the Park that deserves to be conserved for the benefit of the present and future generations. The Park managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa thru a multi sector Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). It has the distinction of being the first national park devolved and successfully managed by a local government unit. Under the dynamic leadership of Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, the Site has become a model for effective protected area management and sustainable tourism in the Philippines.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a source of pride and a key element in the identity of the people of Puerto Princesa in particular and of the Philippines as a whole. It is a symbol of commitment by the Filipino people in the global efforts to conserve our natural heritage.

Seeing the magnificent stalactites and stalagmites that are naturally formed  was truly amazing. There are thousand of bats inside but they didn’t bother us while inside the cave even though the cave is very dark they probably knew that it was still daylight outside. The tour is only until 6 pm to prevent accident because the bats are now awake by that time and  will start flying out of the cave to look for food.

After the tour, we were treated to a buffet lunch consisting of fresh seafood and barbecues and fresh young coconut juice as drink. We also had tinola soup with buco juice, very delicious. Before setting out  on a tour we visited first the aquabeachwear.com for beach house to shop for stuff we will use for our water adventure.  We’ve truly enjoyed our one week vacation here in Palawan and planning another one to explore some more beautiful places we weren’t able to visit. The tour cost Php 1500/pax with free lunch.