9 Exciting Things To Do In Pigeon Forge

BY  Arnab Jan 20, 2023

There is a cycling vacation to match every type of traveler, from experienced riders and fitness fanatics to families, couples, and groups of friends. The active getaways aren’t restricted to hardcore cyclists eager to tackle the most challenging climbs. You can book a cycling experience to match your skill level and preferences. Here Are Three Prime Reasons To Consider A Cycling Vacation If you’re debating whether to jump on a bike on your next trip at home or overseas, make an informed choice with these few reasons to consider a cycling vacation. 1: It’s a Fun Way to Get Fit If you love a bike ride at home, you’ll adore a cycling experience on your next vacation. You don’t need the leg power of Beryl Burton to tackle various cycling paths, and it’s a great way to breathe in the beautiful scenery while increasing your fitness level. Reach your cycling potential on vacation by choosing a single-speed and fixed-gear bike from steed bikes, which offers improved speed, acceleration, and maneuverability. As you will spend many hours on a bike, you’ll strengthen your muscles, burn calories, and boost your cycling confidence. Fun, scenic rides will ensure you return home feeling healthy, refreshed, and fighting fit. Also, you will not need to worry about losing troublesome vacation pounds once a getaway is over. 2: You Can Meet New and Like-Minded People A cycling vacation is an opportunity to meet new and interesting people in a beautiful location. As you will already share an interest, you will have plenty of things to talk about throughout the trip, which could provide the basis for strong, long-lasting friendships. Also, a cycling vacation will ensure you each cheer each other on and learn tips to complete a route and improve your skills. An active trip is an ideal option for solo travelers, families, couples, or groups of friends who are happy to meet new people during a getaway. 3: It’s an Eco-Friendly Way to Explore a Destination Every traveler is responsible for protecting the environment. However, many people fail to consider the impact of their actions on the environment during a vacation. You might not bat an eyelid when stepping onto a plane to reach a destination or renting a car to explore a city or town, but it will contribute to carbon emissions. Cycling is one of the most eco-friendly ways to explore a destination. As you will cycle from A to B during a cycling trip, you will lower your carbon footprint during travel. If you’re not leaving the country, you could even cycle to your chosen destination to reduce your carbon footprint and have plenty of fun along the way. If you are more than happy to feel the wind in your hair while breathing in the beauty of your surroundings, you will likely fall head over heels in love with a cycling vacation. It will provide an opportunity to meet new people, boost your fitness levels, and explore a destination while lowering your carbon footprint. Read Also: How The Weather Can Affect Your Motorcycle Riding Gear? A Guide To The Best Restaurants In Mussoorie For Tourists Which Is The Best Time To Visit Ladakh? – Travel Guide

BY  Sibashree Sep 10, 2024

Connemara National Park has been an important Irish national park, having won the Green Flag Award in 2018. This international benchmark shows its worth as a green space and park. Further, in 2021, it also sought the New Heritage Site Accreditation, which shows the quality of the national park and how it is maintained in a sustainable way.   Moreover, this park is even rich in geology and houses many historical and archaeological sites. In addition, as an outdoor enthusiast, you can explore its various hiking and walking trails.   So, want to tour this Irish national park, which has a dash of history, culture, natural abundance, and more? Here is a complete guide for you.   Important Information About Connemara National Park  Visiting Time: 9 am to 5:30 pm  Entry Fee: Free  Closed On Christmas Day, St. Stephen’s Day, and Red and Orange Weather Alert Days  Amenities: Education Center, Visitor Center, Playground, Cafe, Toilets and Picnic Areas  How to Reach: You can reach this national park by train, car, or bus. You have to reach Galway City first and then take a bus (or private car) to reach the park.  Main Access Point: Near Letterfrack along the N59  Pet Friendliness: Dogs are Welcome to Walk the Trails   Fascinating Geology Of Connemara National Park  The national park is a part of the Twelve Ben area. So, the park also has underlying metamorphic rocks. The sediments forming these rocks are aged between 700 to 550 million years.   Further, you will find schists and gray marbles around the edges of the rocks. Moreover, at the top, you will see quartzite. In addition, it is astonishing to know that the final shaping of the park took place around 10000 years ago or during the last ice age.  The park has a rocky formation with boulder clay and a deposit of sand and gravel. The distinct geological features have contributed to the type of vegetation found in this area.   What Animals Are In Connemara National Park? Which Plants Does This Park Have?  The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, has marked Connemara National Park as a Category II Protected Area. So, there is a constant endeavour to safeguard the landscape, wildlife, and ecology of the park unadulterated.   The park has many heritage breeds along with a wide range of protected flora and fauna. In addition, there are some conservation projects to protect the flora and fauna. The table below shows the details.  Birds* Stonechats Wrens Robins Peregrine Falcon Merlin Sparrowhawk Kestrel Mammals Nocturnal Animals  Pine Marten Bats Foxes Badgers  Diurnal Animals   Pygmy Shrews Red Deer Wood Mice Otters Hares Stoats Connemara Ponies Other Fauna Freshwater Pearl Mussel Salmon Trout Smooth Newt Common Frog Rare and Protected Plants and Other Flora Sundews Butterwort Purple Moor Grass Roseroot Purple Saxifrage Starry Saxifrage Pale Butterwort Lesser Twayblade Mountain Sorrel St. Patrick’s Cabbage St. Daboec’s Heath Heritage Breeds Connemara Ponies Cladoir Sheep Moiled Cattle Old Irish Goats Galway Sheep Conservation Projects** Control of Rhododendron Mweelin Exclosure New Found Wood Connemara Pony Cladoir Sheep Preservation Committee Irish Moiled Cattle & Conservation Grazing  *The national park has a large number of birds in the winter. Many native birds of Ireland, such as woodcock, song thrush, mistle thrush, snipe, and starling, increased in numbers in this season.   Moreover, fieldfare, redwing, and many other birds from Northern Europe flock to this park in great numbers during winter.   **The conservation projects in the park are designed to maintain biodiversity. These also try to eradicate the negative impacts on the rare and protected flora and fauna of the park.   Habitats Of Connemara National Park  Connemara National Park has wet boglands and uplands as its habitats. Further, the extremely wet boglands are the hubs of various vegetation. However, the uplands have drier mountain bog communities.  Boglands   Boglands are found in the low-lying areas of the park. Further, in these wet boglands, you will find the western blanket bog. In addition, purple moor grass surrounds this western blanket bog, and thus, it has a grass-like appearance.   In the national park, you will find these boglands near the pool surface, slope inclines, flat lands, and flushes. However, these boglands can appear on your route if you're hiking off trails, and there can be swallow pools. So, be careful!  Uplands   The mountainous and rocky uplands also house a wide variety of vegetation. The grasslands and heather here are also home to some rare and endangered animals, such as red deer and Old Irish Goats.  Moreover, the heathlands here are drier due to a higher altitude.  Hiking And Walking At Connemara National Park  For hikers, all roads in the Connemara National Park lead to the Diamond Hill summit. , panoramic views of Letter Hill or Tully Mountain. Twelve Bens and Kylemore Abbey are also visible from the mountain summit. However, the national park has three more major hiking trails. Check out the table below.  Name of the Trail Difficulty Level Distance (in Km) Upper Diamond Hill Difficult 3.7 Lower Diamond Hill Moderate 3 Sruffaunboy Trail Easy 1.5 Ellis Wood Nature Trail  Easy 0.5  If you are planning to complete a multi-day hiking trip in the national park, you can consider camping here. However, you have to abide by the Wild Camping Code and the regulations related to the Camping Exclusion Zone.   Moreover, you can take a walk (self-guided) through the Tree Trail in the park. It begins from the Car Park Kiosk, and throughout the trail, you will meet tree varieties such as holly, hazel, oak, and Scots’ Pine.   Did You Know?  Through the Connemara National Park West Center and the Letterfrack Village, you can have a thought-provoking walk. The trail you will take is known as the Poetry Trail. Further, in various locations along the path, you will find nine poems by eminent Irish poets like Mary O’Malley and Moya Cannon, which are placed on plaques.   In addition, it is a one-of-a-kind experience for poetry lovers. Some of these nine poems talk about the park and its importance in Irish history. Further, the remaining ones are more generic in nature.   Exploring History At Connemara National Park  The archaeological and historical sites at Connemara National Park tell the tales of human lives and the history of the park for thousands of years. The park’s two megalithic tombs (West and East Tomb) in the park were already popular. However, thanks to the surveys of Helen Riekstins, an archaeologist and national park guide, we have 13 other sites that add to the importance of the park.   Among these 13 sites, six further have been visited by NMS or the National Monuments Service and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Here are the visited sites.  A standing stone  A cairn  Enclosures  A pre-bog wall  Nearby hut  A house  Further, the other seven sites are to be a part of the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) review for inclusion.   The pre-bog wall is likely to be associated with neolithic farming. On the other hand, the hut sites and standing stones are believed to be from the Bronze Age.   Connemara National Park has sites that are 10000 years old. These sites existed as coastal middens and belonged to the Mesolithic or Stone Age.  Many archaeological and historical sites are found near Diamond Hill, Letterfrack, and Mweelin.   The megalithic tombs in the park are around 4000 years old.   Connemara National Park is a twin historic site with Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland. These twinning sites speak for the cultural bond between Ireland and Canada.  Guglielmo Marconi, who received the patent for two-way radio in 1912, is associated with the place. Between Diamond Hill and Mweelin, he suspended the wires, and the current site of Bunaboghee Bog and Park Office had the second line. Here, he invented the first Full Duplex Radio.   So, the presence of various archaeological sites and the association with famous personalities make this park a delightful site for history lovers. Moreover, the Letterfrack Industrial School (1890) is a site important in modern history. Further, the school’s graveyard here tells the grave tales of injustices to the boys resting there.   Final Words   Located in County Galway, Connemara National Park covers around an area of 2,000 hectares. The park opened its door to visitors in 1980, and since then, it has been a place of attraction with its scenic beauty, geological variety, rich wildlife, and hiking trails.   The park also hosts many events like the Summer Evening Lecture Series and Heritage Week Celebration. Moreover, stargazing has become a popular activity in the park, and adults and children over 7 years of age can participate in the star-watching event. You can also check the National Parks website for the latest events at Connemara National Park.  So, are you planning a visit to this historically and naturally rich Irish national park anytime soon? Or have you already been to this wonderful place? Don’t forget to share your experience with us!  Also read Why Include Whale Watching In Your LA Itinerary. From Cocktails To Kickflips: Must-Try Activities In San Diego. Lake Clark National Park And Preserve: Very Few Know How It Preserves The Alaskan Spirit And Culture.

BY  Abdul Aziz Apr 30, 2021

If you ever plan on visiting the stunning Mediterranean island-country of Malta, you should be familiar with the means of transportation, which are available as well as their pros and cons. Thanks to the size of the islands, it’s relatively easy to get around, but every form of transportation has its fair share of upsides and downsides. It’s easy to make the wrong choice and be stuck with a form of transport which you don’t really like. To help you out – here’s a guide! Buses – always a favourite: Just like in any other country, Malta has a public transit system that consists of many different bus lines. There are close to a hundred different routes as well as dedicated bus lines that head to the airport or ride at night. Using the bus is cheap and simple enough, but the comfort won’t necessarily always be there. During the peak of tourist season, it could be difficult to get a seat which means that you might need to stand for the duration of your journey. The biggest pros are the price and that with enough time, you can go seemingly anywhere on the map. Rent a car – convenient, but costly: Most business travellers and people that want to get around to more remote locations, choose car rental service. With daily rates starting at ~20€, it’s definitely something worth considering, if you came to Malta for an active holiday with your sights set on getting to see as many sights, in the shortest amount of time possible. However, younger and international drivers could see higher rental rates and you might not always end up with an automobile that you fancy. It’s costly in the end, but very convenient if you prefer mobility over anything else. Taxi & ride-pooling – probably the best comfort to value ratio: There are white taxis of Malta which are available to pick you up from anywhere, except for bus stops. Most of them have fixed taxi rates and are located at the airport or sea terminal. White taxis are less popular amongst locals and favoured more by tourists and business people. They’re a very comfortable means of transportation, with the high cost being the only significant downside. Taking the comfort of a taxi but for a lower price is a service called ride-sharing and ride-pooling. This service, meaning ride-pooling in Malta is getting more and more popular because the rates are significantly lower than with a taxi. The service works by arranging pickups from a more centralized location and allows the driver to pick up multiple passengers along the way. You might share a cab with one or two other people, but the savings of cash and the reduced CO2 emissions are definitely worth looking into. For more information, you can visit https://www.cool.mt/, where you will find an app that is an easy and fast way to book your ride. Renting a bike or scooter: With the growth of ride-sharing applications and platforms around the world, Malta also has private and platform-based bike & scooter rental points where you can rent one. Why don’t you check out the best electric scooter online here? This might be the most exotic and fun way to travel during the hot spring or summer, but it isn’t the most convenient choice all of the time because of the uneven terrain as well as the limited number of bicycle lanes on the island. Water transport: Being an island, Malta also has a developed water transport system. A ferry goes back and forth between Malta and Gozo multiples times per day with the journey taking close to twenty minutes one way. There are regular ferries and smaller boats that can take you to other islands as well as the famous water taxi service, being serviced by traditional Maltese boats which are called dghajsa. Read Also: Top 10 Most Popular Paraguay Food That You Must Try Batista Restaurant Las Vegas – Restaurant Info, Ratings & Reviews