http://blog.netflights.com/2011/12/09/visiting-the-terracotta-army-in-china/

One key place in Tuscany is of course Florence – if you rent a luxury Tuscany villa Florence is essential to see. The city itself is a UNESCO world heritage site, famous for it Renaissance history and boasts more world class art than many countries which mean that some people never even leave it during their trip to the area.

While Florence is certainly one of the regions most famous spots there are many more places to see – visit Siena to see some of Italys best examples of Gothic architecture, or Pisa to visit its leaning tower and Arezzo, Cortona, San Gimignano and Lucca are all striking places to explore as well.

Tuscancy borders the Tyrrhenian sea which means that you can also enjoy a beach holiday in the region. The coast is dotted with small towns and ports to picture postcard villages. If you are planning on visiting this area Tuscany beach villas make a relaxing and enjoyable base to explore this area.

If you want to explore a few areas of Tuscany you will probably need to hire a car or driver. An excellent spot to explore is Val d’Orcia which is sublimely beutifiul and inspired many an artist and photographer in its time.

One of the beauties of visiting Tuscany is you are spoilt for choice with food and drink so a villa holiday means you can really enjoy what the region has to offer. If you like wine the region is famous for Chianti and Morellino di Scansano. If you are a foodie then fresh vegetables pasta and meat are the order of the day. Towns and villages have markets where you can pick up the best quality locally produced ingredients which you can take back to your villa and prepare into a fantastic meal. If you are just there to relax then you will exjoy the restaurants and bars that are dotted everywhere.

All in all Tuscany is a fantastic choice for a holiday any time of the year.

They might all be small, shiny and you love them – but these devices have a wealth of personal information on them that you should really be protecting!

So exercise the following common sense advice and you can help make sure your travels are the fun they should be and not turn into a disaster if something is lost, stolen or hacked!

Secure Wifi and HTTPS

If you are connecting to a wifi network in a cafe, hotel etc, ideally use one that has password protection and isn’t just an open network that anyone can use. Password protected networks are generally safer to use as only certain people can use it, rather than anyone being able to login and use it.

If you are accessing your online banking, making purchases or accessing anything private, make sure that the URL of the website you are using starts with https: and not http: this shows that the website is encrypting the data when it is transmitted.

Keep your broadcasting to a Minimum

We all love showing off on social media – but that “tweet” announcing your travel plans or Facebook update – could lead to unwanted interest from thieves telling them when you are not going to be home.

If you do feel the urge to Tweet – consider who you are tweeting to – a private twitter account is more secure than an open account and a Facebook account with less private information is better (visit the following link to make sure you have the optimum privacy settings on Facebook).

Using Public Computers

If you are using a public computer, make sure you logout of your email or website you are using – generally just closing a browser does not mean you have logged out a website you were visiting..

Keep Up To Date With Your Finances

Online banking means it is extremely easy to keep tabs on your finances when you are away. It’s a good idea to keep up to date with what is happening with your bank account and credit cards especially when you are abroad. Tourists can be easy plunder to fraud like double charges so keeping an eye on whats going out your accounts can save a big headache further down the line.

Not a security tip but more a hassle saver – From experience it is useful to call your bank or credit card company to let them know you are going to be in another country before you go. Good banks will simply block your card if it suspects suspicious activity, which is a fantastic security feature, but can be amazingly annoying when you have just arrived in a foreign country with no money and your bank card has been frozen and you can’t easily phone the bank to unblock it.

Put your phone in the safe along with your Passport

Simple common sense – If you don’t need your mobile phone when you are out and about put it in the hotel safe! Loosing it abroad can be a potential disaster so minimise the risk by not carrying it about.

Add a tracking App to your phone and computer

There are a number of tracking apps that you can add to your digital devices now so look into getting one for your phone and laptop.

And Finally

If you are one of those people that never added a password to your phone or computer because you couldn’t work out how to do it, go and work out how to do it now!

Some new phones also wipe the memory if the password is entered incorrectly a certain number of times – which is good piece of mind if your phone is ever stolen!

This fascinating temple was discovered in the 1800’s in Esna, just 35 miles south of Luxor, located 9 metres below street level. The site has only been partially excavated due to the surrounding built up area but the sections of the temple that were excavated offer an exceptionally preserved example of this period of Egyptian architecture.

The current structure dates back to the Roman era, although it’s believed to be constructed on the site of an earlier temple, and is one of the most recent temples to have been constructed in Egypt. The temple itself is dedicated to the ram god Khnum, also known as “the Great Potter”, who was believed to be the creator of people.

The hypostyle hall is the section of the temple that you can see today, excavated from the surrounding ground. It features fantastically detailed hieroglyphics and impressive columns decorated with floral capitals that still retain some of the original colours. The columns in the hypostyle hall are arranged in a traditional perfect symmetry, only slightly thrown off by what’s thought to be a Priest’s robbing rooms set off to one side. The courtyard to the temple features a fantastic statue of the lion-headed goddess Menheyet believed to be consort to Khnum.

With thousands of tourists seeing many of the same historical sites during their Egypt cruises why not consider a day off the beaten track and discover somewhere a little different? Egypt offers some of the best preserved ancient sites in the world and always makes for a great holiday experience.

• Star Alliance (featuring United, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines plus many others)
• Skyteam (Air France/KLM, Delta and Korean Air)
• Oneworld (American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia and Qantas).

Many tickets are flexible – you can call the airline mid-trip and have the date and time of your flight changed at very little or no cost: ideal when you want to stay that bit longer somewhere – but some tickets are less so; ensure you know the rules before travelling.

Different tickets allow stops at specific locations – generally the more you pay, the more stops and greater flexibility you get. A common rule is the direction of travel – many say you can only go in one direction around the globe. Going east is generally more popular but it’s easier going west to beat jet lag!
Look carefully at the details of ‘open tickets’ – often they’re not as open as you may expect. All round the world tickets world must have the point of departure fixed and the route decided, with specific dates printed on the flight tickets. However, you can change these dates en-route, and round the world tickets are generally highly-flexible. Changes to the itinerary may incur a charge, must be within the rules of the ticket and not exceed the mileage of the original ticket.

Ticket prices are usually set by mileage and the date of departure from your home country. It is more expensive to fly during peak times such as summer holidays and the run up to Christmas – the best prices can be found between April and June. Prices can vary depending on the destinations chosen for your route, as airport taxes differ considerably between airports – find out about this, as choosing airports with high taxes could add a few hundred pounds to you overall ticket price.

Most round the world tickets have a mileage limit of 29,000 miles. Some tickets allow you to buy extra mileage to visit extra destinations, and some allow backtracking. Short backtracks are common for transiting between different regions and continents but major backtracks can only be included on certain tickets provided they remain within the rules limiting total mileage and the total number of permitted stops. Almost all round the world tickets are valid for twelve months – if you plan to travel for longer than this, you need to buy additional tickets.

If ticket price is your main concern, shop around online and you may be able to undercut the specialist agents competing for your cash. However you may find the services of an expert who knows all the tricks of this complicated trade very useful. There are so many variables to consider and different options for travel that you may find that a good agent can help you find a cost effective way to find exactly the right ticket for the trip you dream of making.

Or not if we want our hard earned saving to last more than a couple of weeks anyway, the best way to travel and to travel successfully is to follow some very simple but important tips to make sure you stay safe and get the most out of your backpacking experience.

Travel light
The first rule for any backpacker has got to be, travel light. We have all been there, even on 2 week holidays where we have packed 12 pairs of shoes and only worn the same pair of trusty favourites every night. The same goes for backpacking, and more so as this bag will not be left in your hotel room, an unnecessarily heavy bag will soon become tiresome and you will quickly wish you hadn’t packed that extra outfit.

A great must have item is a sarong, this handy item takes up hardly any space and can be used as a cover up, a blanket when you need something to sit on or your feeling a little cold and pinned to a top bunk can provide a bit of extra privacy, much needed in a busy hostel.

Other must haves include, a pair of light, plastic flip flops for the communal showers, you do not want to be going in there barefoot, a wash bag for your essentials (spilled products all over your clothes is not fun!) and only ever take a maximum of one pair of jeans as these are particularly heavy to carry. Other useful things to take with you include, a bottle opener and torch, both of these can be bought in handy mini sizes that attach to key rings.

Purchase Travel Insurance
The last thing you want to do when you have finally embarked on your trip of a lifetime is to have to cut it short for any reason. When preparing before you go it is vital that you purchase travel insurance, there are plenty of policies around that offer great value for money and many companies offer specific backpackers cover.
Whilst saving for travelling you might be tempted to think that taking out travel insurance is a waste of money, don’t scrimp on the important stuff as it could mean that a small mishap goes from minor inconvenience to putting an end to your trip.

Travelling overnight
Travelling overnight is a great way to save money, not only does it mean you are provided with accommodation for the night you also don’t have to waste any valuable time that could be spent in the day seeing fantastic sites being cooped up in a hot bus or train.

Not only that but the night buses are cheaper than their day time counterparts.
The one sacrifice you may have to make is that it’s unlikely to be the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had, but if you are looking for a luxurious night’s sleep maybe backpacking isn’t for you after all!

When booking be aware of scams, some companies in Thailand may look like a reputable bus company but whilst you are asleep above, one of their crooks is in the hold with your bags removing all of your valuables and re packing your bag as if nothing was ever taken. Always book from a government run bus company, whilst others will claim to save you money it will end up costing you in the long run.

Always take your valuables out of your luggage and keep them on your person when putting your luggage into a hold of any kind, they are much safer on you than in any bag.

Do your research
Whilst the idea of nomadically wondering the globe, not knowing where the next bus or train will take you might sound romantic, it’s not realistic, and if you do travel this way you will end up spending a lot of your money very quickly. The best thing you can possibly do is research and plan as much as possible before your journey begins, find out where the cheapest hostels are, which offer free transport from the airport, where the cheapest and best local food can be bought and when is the best time to travel by bus or train.
There is a world of research and past experience at your fingertips on the internet, use it!

Go to online travel guides, engage in community forums and discuss where you are travelling too, chances are someone will have been there before who is more than happy to pass on their advise and save you a bit of money as well as let you into some hidden secrets of the best places to visit.
Photo credits smcgee and sincity

Northern Lights Iceland:

The Northern Lights, sometimes referred to as Aurora Borealis, are a spectacular display of natural light. It usually appears during the night in the polar regions of the world; and there is nowhere more breathtaking than Iceland to discover this. The Northern Lights colour up the sky in shades of turquoise, blue, green and red. It is one of the most naturally stunning things in the world, caused by magnetic fields around the North Pole.

image credit flickr lydurg

Blue Lagoon Iceland:

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa which is heated by a unique lava formation. People are able to bathe in the steamy waters, which have often been known to cure some skin diseases such psoriasis due to the rich mineral content in the waters. Temperatures average between 37 and 39°C, perfect for relaxing in and taking in the beautiful surroundings.

Golden Circle:

The Golden Circle is made up of three main attractions; the Thingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Haukadalur, where the two geysers, Geysir and Strokkur, which spring from the earth, are located. The Golden Circle is an extremely popular tourist attraction and it is clear why. These three places are not only filled with natural beauty, but also holds some of the most significant histories from Iceland’s past. The Thingvellir National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site. It contains the largest natural lake in Iceland, a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Range, and is also the site where the first Icelandic Parliament was formed in 930 AD.

Iceland really is one of the most uniquely spectacular countries in the world. So many natural wonders occur here, it is not surprising that visiting Iceland is one of the places most people dream of going to.

Travel & Visas
Southeast Asia is well served by international airlines, so is very easy to get to. As ever, try to book your flights well in advance to keep prices down. In some countries you’ll need to purchase a visa, but not all, so it’s worth doing a bit of homework before you travel. In general, Bangkok is the centre for obtaining visas for most countries in the region, so people often start their travels from here.

Money
With so many different countries and currencies it’s easy to get confused and then ripped off, so again, do your homework. Exchange rates are generally better within the region than outside, so often the simplest approach is to withdraw money from ATMs on arrival. Make sure you bring more than one debit or credit card with you in case one is lost or damaged, and have a backup supply of US dollars – many countries use them as a second currency.

Accommodation & Transport
As with all popular travel destinations, most places are well served with accommodation, from on-a-shoestring backpacking hostels through to luxury hotels, and at the cheaper end of the spectrum booking in advance is often not necessary. Similarly, the sheer number of tourists means that there are lots of transport options. Local services will often be cheaper than tourist-specific ones, but may be much slower and less comfortable. Buses are the most-used transport for travellers, but trains and budget airlines are also available.

Timing your Visit
Most of Southeast Asia is hot and humid all year round but people often choose to travel between November and April to avoid the very hottest period. Bear in mind, however, that some areas are now very popular destinations, so you may want to avoid the crowds. It’s also worth trying to time your visit to enjoy the local festivals, for example the Thai New Years Day celebration of Songkran falls between 13-15 April and offers the opportunity to join in a national-scale water fight! Check travel guidebooks or online to find out what’s going on and where to go.

Food
Almost everywhere you go in Southeast Asia there will be street stalls selling delicious local food very cheaply and if you live off this you can live on only a few dollars a day. However, this comes with the usual health warnings associated with eating local food. There are always opportunities to eat Western food but you can expect to pay over the odds for this, and the same goes for drinks too.

Simplify
It’s easy to forget to notice what’s going on around the edges of your subject, and a mistake many people make is to forget to zoom in to remove the bits you don’t want to see. Check not just the centre of your view finder, but take a look around the edge, do you need to zoom some more, and if you change the angle a bit do you get rid of the garbage can you don’t want to see. You could wait and crop later, but if you do that, you end up with either a tiny picture, or a larger one that’s at a lower overall resolution, so don’t waste pixels, zoom in when you’re taking the shot.

Compose
A good picture will convey a message rather than just show an image. It will convey because of the composition that you choose.
In other words, you don’t just want a picture that says ‘Here is the Acropolis in Greece’. You want one that says ‘Here is the Greek Acropolis, with the hot sun glinting off it’s incredible structure, and the storm clouds building in the background’.

To do this, you need to compose your picture, and create a frame within which we see what we want to see. The clouds and the sunshine will help to frame it, and the landscape around it will also do this. Think about whether you want your picture dead centre to draw the eye directly to it, of if you want to set it off centre so that the eye is drawn around the picture to see the whole thing. It’s a bit like the way gardeners draw your eye around a garden with curved paths and planting that’s not dead straight.
Its worth remembering the law of thirds – life is given to a photograph or drawing when the focal object is placed at a point that splits the picture into 1/3 and 2/3rds. This can be left/right, or above/below.

Patterns are also important in a photograph, it can be a line of trees, or the curve of a river, or the furrows in a ploughed field, they’ll all help to create a stronger image, particularly if you get diagonal lines as well as they will help to lead the eye. Natural frames work well also. It can be the break in a stone wall, or taking the picture through an open window, or between two buildings.

Lighting
Film is much more sensitive to UV light than our eyes are, so on a slightly hazy day where there’s a lot of UV light you might see the sky as nice and light blue, but the camera won’t. It’ll look very white and drab. Remedy this by taking pictures at different times of the day, or from angles that don’t show much sky, or find something to frame against the blank whiteness.. a tree, or a building.

Size
changing your angle can change the perspective and apparent size of an object. Make it seem bigger, bolder and more imposing, or smaller and more part of the overall landscape.
Overall it’s about thinking a little before you click the shutter on your camera. You’ll find there’s a lot of great travel pictures to be had, just by slowing down, focusing and thinking about these simple things before you start.

Useful Links
http://freedigitalprints.org.uk/