Travel Journal - Kendra Simpson

MY TOP FIVE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS AND SOME OTHER GOOD PLACES TO VISIT!

urnal Travel20Jo 14 United Arab Emirates

Italy

New Zealand

Scotland

Spain

Plus: Photos of Greece...my ultimate dream vacation!

Around the World Fifteen Countries 1. Argentina 2. Australia 3. Brazil 4. Fiji 5. France 6. India 7. Italy 8. Japan 9. New Zealand 10. Peru 11. Scotland 12. South Africa 13. Spain 14. United Arab Emirates 15. The United Kingdom

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I love to Travel!

Traveling is truly one of my favorite pastimes! Nothing makes me happier than throwing some clothes in a bag and jumping in the passenger seat for a road trip weekend. But I also love to plan travel.

I love to research travel destinations, hotel arrangements, and prepare itineraries.

When I was young, I was lucky enough to frequently travel the United States. My family drove from our home in Mississippi to Washington, D.C., Florida, Montana, and Califoria just to name a few. There are several states that I still want to visit, but now my dream destinations are abroad.

Before I could begin to travel, I had to decide what type of traveler I am and what I wanted from my vacations.

In addition to travel, I love hostory. Like an archaeologist planning a dig, I look for historical places of interest at my destination and on routes along the way.

The history of a place is what gives it character and what makes it interesting to me. I want to know how the locals have fun, what they eat, and where they shop.

I want to hear local bands play regional music in back street bars unknown to most tourist. However, there are times when I just want to relax and be pampered. That is when I book a leisurely vacation at an all inclusive resort in a tropical paradise. my jetsetting alter-ego relies heavily on the concierge to point me in the direction of fine dining, elegant entertainment, and boutique shopping.

The pages that follow reveal what I discovered as a virtual globetrotter and my top five travel destinations.

Kendra Simpson

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Table of Contents Page 5:

Great Places to Visit

Page 8: UAE Page 10:

New Zealand

Page 12:

Spain

Page 14:

Italy

Page 16: Scotland

Great Places to Visit

Oberoi Udaivilas Hotel

15) India

India is famous for its religious history which is very interesting to me. Entrance is easy. There are several interesting landmarks. Branded hotel accomodations are available.

Inidian cuisine is not appetizing to me. Although there are landmarks, I am not intersted in the history of India. The transportation system seems archaic. Air fare is expensive.

India has a lot to offer for some travelers, but it is not a country that I am interesed in visiting.

Tokyo, Japan

14) Japan Entry into Japan requires only a passport and the country has sixteen international airports. The transportation system is modern. I love sushi!

Japan’s cities are crowded and the climate is hot and humid. Airfare is very expensive. Japan is very industrial and the air quality is poor.

I can get great sushi in the states, so there’s no need for me to travel to Japan.

13) Fiji

Fiji is an amazing island with crystal blue waters.

Luxury hotels are available with beautiful views of the ocean. Fiji is secluded making it a great destination for romantic get aways.

There are only two airports on the island and air fare is extemely expensive...over $4,000 per ticket. Most of the activites revolve around the beach or diving. The beach is great for a moment, but I need more.

Fiji might be good for honeymooners, but it’s not for me.

Sheraton Fiji Resport

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More Places to Visit

12) Peru

Inca Ruins, Peru

Peru is a lush country full of historical remains from ancient civilizations. Airfare is realatively inexpensive.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of hiking involved with visting the remains. That’s just not for me, so Peru did not make my travel list.

11) Argentina

This is a beautiful country with lots of amazing landscapes. The population is culturally diverse. Air transportation is available, as well as luxury hotel accomodations. Entry is easy.

Argentina offers alot of outrdoor activites, but that is not something I am interested in.

The cities seem to be very urban and over populated. I could not find any historical sites that interesed me. Airfare is quite expense.

Argentina is not for me.

10) South Africa

South Africa has amazing landscapes and exotic animals. It’s a great place for adventure seekers and sports lovers.

I am neither an adventure seeker or a sports lover. The food does not sound appealing. I don’t think South Africa is the place for me.

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Buenos Aires, Argentina

South Africa

Rio de Janeiro

9) Brazil

Brazil is a tropical country with lush rainforest. It has lots of historic landmarks and the city’s famous celebration, Carnivale.

Air fare to Brazil is very expensive at almost $3000 per passenger. Brazil is simply not in my budget.

8) France

Paris, France

France has great wine and mild climates.

Entrance into the country is easy. Luxury accomodations are available with modern amenities. Air fare is reasonable and ground transportation easily accesible.

There are a lot of good things about France, but it is just not a country I wish to visit.

Stonehenge

7) United Kingdom

The UK is packed with history! It is home of the world’s argest airport and ground transportation is plentiful. Air fare is reasonable .

I really can’t think of anything negative, but if I can only pick five I’d like to spend more time in Scotland.

6) Australia Australia

Australia is a beautiful country with various landscapes and great beaches. Travel to the country is easy and airports are plentiful.

Ground transportation is easily accessible.

Luxury accomodations, shopping, and activites are abundant.

There are a lot of great things about Australia and I would like to land there on my way to New Zealand.

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5) Dubai, UAE Atlantis the Palm, Dubai

Getting There The 18 hour flight departs Friday 10/17 and arrives Saturday 10/18 a little after 8:00 pm.

The hotel shuttle delivers us to the hotel.

Tired from the long day of travel, we check into our room and order room service.

Dubai Adventure We woke up bright and early Sunday morning ready to explore! The hotel package incuded unlimited trips to Aquaventure waterpark and the aquarium, so we started there. On Monday, we swam with the dolphins and discovered the sea lions at our resort. Tuesday, I took a trip to the Dubai Mall. Wednesday we visited the Dubai Museum and toured some local mosques, then set out to explore the Bedouin dessert on camelback! On Thursday, we visited Dubaulan, the UAE equivalent of Disneyland.

That evening we enjoyed a quiet dinner at the resortand and prepared ourselves for a long day of travel on Friday!

Dubai is a fabuous city!

Dubai Favorites

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Jumeriah Beach Bedouin desert excursion The Dubai Mall The Palm Islands The Burj Khalifa Dubailand

Culture

The United Arab Emirates is a very conservative, masculine culture. The cities are very modern and technically advanced, but the old traditions remain. The people are very respectful and expect the same respect in return. Alcohol is not common and usually not availablein restaurants.

It is considered rude if you leave food on your plate, so don’t let your eyes get bigger than your stomach.

Don’t Forget to Pack • • • • • •

Passport Conserative clothing Sunscreen and sunglasses Camera Extra bag for purchases Extra clothes

Dub page 8 - My Travel Journal

Travel Basics:

October 17 - October 24 AIr Fare $1286.70 (each) Atlantis The Palm $4753.05 Currency Dirham

Location on map

bai camel page 9 - My Travel Journal

Travel Basics:

June 21 - June 28 AIr Fare $1863.99 (each) The Langham $1459.08 Currency New Zealand Dollar

Location on map

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4) Auckland, New Zealand Getting There The 28 hour United flights makes 2 stops in route to Auckland, New Zealand and arrives early the following morning. We jumped on the shuttle from the airport to our hotel downtown.

Pacific Auckland

Culture

Auckland is a melting pot of cultures with diverse cuisine, festivals, art, and music.

Auckland is the world’s largest Polynesian city. The majority of the residents are o European descent and there is a growing Asian population. Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand are of Polynesian decent. The traditions of the Maori including the art of tribal tattoo is still prevelant and central in New Zealand.

The room was not ready when we arrived early that morning, so we changed into our swim suits, checkd our bags, and headed to the pool to relax after a long day of traveling. The following morning we took a shuttle to Pkiri Beach for a day of horseback riding and fun in the surf. Friday we set out on a bush and beach wilderness tour. On the days to follow, we enjoyed golf, the beaches of Auckland, and volcano tours. We even took a private tour of Waitomo Caves, the filming location of the Hobbit movies! On our final day in Auckland we took a harbor dinner cruise. We feasted on fabulous fare as the sun set on our New Zealand vacation.

Favorite Things

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Auckland Zoo Maori historical tour Auckland nightlife Silo Park Food Truck Garage

Auckland skyline

Don’t Forget to Pack • • • •

Passport Swimwear Sunscreen and sunglasses Camera

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3) Ibiza, Spain Getting There The 17 hour Delta flight landed safely in Ibiza a day after our departure. We caught a taxi tothe Hard Rock Ibiza luxury hotel.

Transportation options on the island are plentiful, but we mainly used taxi service to get around.

Spanish Conquest

Culture

Ibiza is famous for it’s party atmosphere.

Visitors to this island come to party in clubs and own the beach. DJs from around the world to entertain the mass club scene. It is a party ground for the rich, famous, and beautiful. During the peak season, Ibiza is expensive and crowded. Going topless on the beaches is completely accectable.

We arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel around 3:00 pm and grabbed a late lunch by the pool after check in. The folowing day, we set out to explore Ibiza Old Town and discover teh islnad’s culture. We took a day to visit Necropolis del Puig des Molins underground tombs and spooky burial chambers. At night, we visited the Amante Beach Club and Sa Trinx. On Wednesday, I visited the hippy market at Es Canar and snagged some excellent vintage swag! Everyday, we made time to catch some rays on the beautiful beaches of Ibiza. On our final day we had dinner, drinks, and a magnificent sunset at the historic Cafe del Mar.

Ibiza Favorites • • • • • •

The beaches Old Town Ibiza The markets Eivissa Dalt Vila Atlantis Jazz Festival

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Hard Rock

Don’t Forget to Pack • • • • •

Passport Swimwear Sunscreen and sunglasses Camera A party attitude!

Travel Basics:

August 24 - August 30 AIr Fare $1608.10 (each) The Langham $2523.00 Currency Euro

Location on map Ibiza Top House page 13 - My Travel Journal

2) Venice, Italy Travel Basics: April 1 - April 8 AIr Fare $1415.80 (each) Carnival Palace Hotel $2608.11 Currency Euro

Location on map

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Getting There The flight from Gulfport to Venice is 24 hours, so we arrived late Thursday afternoon. We took the water bus from the airport to our hotel. Carnival Palace Hotel is fabulous!

Touring Venice The night was still young when we arrived, so we headed out to explore Venice! After sunset, we engaged in a ghost stories wakling tour. That really got our spirits up!

The next morning we headed out to tour the Venetian islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Saturday, we visited St. Marks Bascillia. On Sunday, we took a Venetian wine tour and a romantic gondola ride in the evening. Monday and Tuesday we shopped and ate our way through Venice, stopping in local taverns and boutiques for authentic Italian fare and goods. Wednesday morning, we enjoyed one last gondola ride through Venice before boarding our plane and heading home.

Venice Favorites

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Super friendly people Amazing food Gondola rides Art and architecture The wine Vincent Bar High end shopping

Dinner at sunset

Culture

Italy is a very friendly country and the locals greet you with big hugs and kisses on the cheeks. Respectfully return the gestures. Clothing and fashion is very important to Italians. Italian food represents a huge par tof the culture.

Sauces and pasta made from scratch, ice cream and espresso are a few of the foods Italy is famous for.

Don’t Forget to Pack • • • •

Passport Italian dictionary Sunscreen and sunglasses Camera

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1) Glasgow, Scotland Getting There The 18 hour Delta fight from Gulfport to Glasgow made stops in Atlanta and Amsterdam. We arrived at Glasgow Airport and picked up our Enterprise rental car on site. We arrived at our hotel in time to grab dinner and a glass of wine in the Bistro before settling in for the night.

Scottish Experience We woke early Friday morning and headed to Killermont for 18 holes of golf. After a full day of golf, we were off to enjoy the nightlife in the City of Music. The next day we took the 47 mile scenic drive to visit Edinburgh. While in Edinburgh, we visited the famous Edinburgh Castle and stopped in Scotland’s People Centre to research our family ancestry. Sunday, we struck out of the Clyde Valley Tourist Route to enjoy historica landmarks and the beautiful Scotish landscapes. Monday, I shopped. On Tuesday we took a Clyde River tour and then jumped back into the car to explore more countryside. We woke early for breakfast on our last day in Scotland and drove to the airport. Goodbye to Scotland!

Culture

Scotland has a rich culture and heritage.

The Scottish people are warm and fun loving. They love everyone and strive to make visitors feel at home. They are proud of their nationality, but welcome new and diverse cultures. Scots love to party! And they are good at it. Street parties and music are engrained into their society.

Scots are famous for wearing kilts, playing the bagpipes, and whiskey. The Scottish Highland Gmes are a tradition that has spread worldwide.

Don’t Forget to Pack • • • • •

Passport Golf clubs Sunscreen and sunglasses Camera Kilt

Favorite Things • • • • • •

Golf!

Tea at the Willow Tea Room Researchign family history at the Mitchell and Scotland’s People Centre Kelvingrove Art Museum and Gallery Edinburgh Castle University of Glasgow

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University of Glasgow

Travel Basics: May 6 - May 13 AIr Fare $1333.10 (each) Hotel du Vin & Bistro Glasgow $1881.36 Rental Car $133.89 Currency British Pound

Location on map The city at night page 17 - My Travel Journal

My ultimate dream vacation!

Travel Greece! to...

Macedonia

Mykonos