4 Reasons You Must Visit Gatlinburg This Summer

BY  Abdul Aziz Mar 12, 2021

Temperatures are heating up across the Valley of the Sun and soon it will be summertime! If you are looking to explore the Phoenix area this summer, make sure you know exactly what to expect. Triple-Digit Heat: Expect triple-digit temperatures just about every single day through the summer season. Some days you may get lucky and enjoy a breeze to cool you off a bit, but be prepared for extreme heat. Don’t let the heat stop you from doing things you enjoy outdoors, just make sure to be smart about it. The best time to go hiking is during the early morning hours before it really starts to heat up. It can be dangerous to hike in extreme temperatures, so avoid hiking when it is in the triple digits. Also, drink plenty of water and wear your sunscreen. When it is the hottest time of day, between 3om and 5pm, use a swimming pool to cool off. Again, just make sure you are staying hydrated and wearing your sunscreen. In the evening is the best time to take a stroll through your neighborhood. The sun will be going down and the temperature will be a little cooler. As long as you are smart and safe, you can still do the things you love outdoors in the summer months. Wind and Rain: On top of extreme heat be prepared for monsoons, which will bring dust storms, thunderstorms, and potential flooding. Each year is different when it comes to these storms, so make sure to check the local weather to know what is heading your way. You never want to be caught out in a dust storm or heavy rain, which usually hits in the late afternoon and into the evening. The best idea is to stay safely indoors and enjoy the storms from your home at Sky Crossing. Special Events: Another great thing about Phoenix is there are many awesome special events to enjoy during the summer months. Baseball is in full swing in the summer, so be sure to check out an Arizona Diamondback ballgame. The stadium comes with a retractable roof, so you won’t be sweating in your seats! For an educational experience, check out the Desert Botanical Garden Flashlight Tour. The Desert Botanical Garden is a gorgeous place to visit in the heart of Phoenix. During the warm summer months, they offer nightly flashlight tours so your whole family can safely explore the desert after dark. It might get hot in Phoenix, but if you are prepared and do things safely, you can still enjoy all Phoenix has to offer during the summer months. Read Also: How To Prepare Yourself For The Perfect Vacation: Top 7 Tips Top 12 Amazing Sahara Desert Animals You Need To See 10 Travel Tips For Singles At This Valentine’s Day : T AND TB

BY  Sibashree Oct 4, 2019

In Afrikaans, a kloof is a narrow mountain river valley or a canyon. And South Africa off-the-beaten-path adventures have followed a course parallel to the antics of European and American canyoneering enthusiasts. Kloofing is following a mountain river from its beginnings down through waterfalls, rapids, whirlpools, hiking, and climbing your way in between swims. It’s a bit like high diving, hiking, and being put through a spin cycle—all at once. If you are still confused, I am referring to Southern Africa and its off-the-beaten-path adventures. Do you want to know about more hidden gems in Southern Africa? Keep reading!  THESE Are the Best Southern Africa Off-The-Beaten-Path Adventures Southern Africa, with its eclectic culture, has been attracting tourists to its iconic monuments and natural landscapes. Here are some off-the-beaten-path adventure spots you must add to your itinerary list. 1. Kloofing Near Cape Town  In the mountains behind Betty’s Bay, a short drive from Cape Town, are South Africa’s two best kloofing day trips. Choose between the regular route, where you’ll have to leap 20 feet off a waterfall into the pool below, or Suicide Gorge (heads up: this means a leap of 60 feet). To date, no one has been hurt seriously on a kloofing trip. However, if you’re subject to vertigo and aren’t at least halfway fit, then don’t do it. The company Day Trippers will provide guides, wetsuits, lunch, transport, and moral support.  2. Lesotho on Horseback  The mountain kingdom of Lesotho, in east-central South Africa, serves up stone villages atop remote hillsides. Villagers, called Basotho, live draped in blankets and robes, almost like ancient Greeks. Shepherd boys sit on the slopes, playing flutes. Vultures and eagles cruise overhead. In Lesotho, the horse remains the chariot of choice, and this is how you’ll want to get around as well. Semongkong Lodge, near Maletsunyane, southern Africa’s highest waterfall, offers horseback treks for several days. You’ll stay in timeless Basotho villages and ride some of the subcontinent’s steepest terrain. The Basotho ponies, schooled in a special “tripling” gait, are tough, sure-footed, and afraid of nothing. A tip: Book a trek that coincides with Semonkong’s horse races. They’re wild spectacles involving carefully nurtured thoroughbreds, child jockeys, and epic bouts of drinking.  3. Hike Chimanimani To Make The Most Of Southern Africa Off-The-Beaten-Path Adventures  As South Africa fills with travelers, more and more are heading into Zimbabwe, and several areas have been developed for hiking, fishing, riding, and other types of tourism. But the mountainous Eastern Highlands, east of Chimanimani in southern Zim, are hardly developed at all, and that’s their appeal. Besides, this area, part of the Lebombo Mountain range that marks the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, provides year-round cool relief from the heat of the plains below.  For the serious hiker, a stiff climb-in is rewarded by an upland paradise of high pastures, waterfalls, forests of flowering protea trees, and caves large enough to sleep in. Because the water up here is pure and drinkable, you can live here for days if you bring enough food with you. The only downside: Don’t cross over to the Mozambique side of the mountains, as old land mines from that country’s now-defunct civil war are still scattered on the range’s eastern slopes. Stick closely to the maps (available in Chimanimani village).  4. Learn Polo-Cross  Hugely popular in Zimbabwe and a growing equestrian sport around the world, polo-cross means falls, body crunches, and glancing blows with the lacrosse stick. But those with a go-smack-em attitude and sufficient riding experience can learn this fast and highly skilled equestrian sport on trained horses at Mopani Lodge, near Kwekwe in the Midlands area.  Relax between sessions by riding out on the ranch (which has a cross-country course if you still need an adrenaline fix) or just by sunning at the pool. And because of the favorable exchange rate, what would be an extremely expensive riding holiday anywhere else in the world has become one of adventure tourism’s best bargains.  5. Hunt with Bushmen  If you’re after Southern Africa off-the-beaten-path adventures, you can’t do any better than traveling with the Ju’Hoansi. Ju’Hoansi is the last Kalahari Bushmen clan to pursue the traditional hunting and gathering lifestyle. They’ve decided to open to small-scale tourism in their remote Namibian locale. You’ll camp near the Ju’Hoansi village of Makuri, go hunting with the men, and gather with the women. This is no theme-park experience: If the hunters stick an animal with an arrow, you may have to track it for up to two days and then carry out your share of the meat. If you love hunting, you can take the best hunting bow with you. You must also carry your own water and food. Don’t just spend a couple of days here: Allow at least a week for the people to become comfortable with you. If you’re lucky, they may also invite you to attend a trance dance, at which miraculous healings often take place.  6. Dune Boarding  The seaside town of Swakopmund, where the Namib desert falls into the sea, has become southern Africa’s dune-boarding capital. You’re driven out to the foot of a mountain-sized sand dune, given a large oblong sheet of hardboard, some furniture polish, a pair of heavy industrial gloves, and some welding goggles, and the next minute you’re flying almost vertically downward. It feels suicidal; even on the easiest descents, the board can pick up speeds of 60 or 70 km (about 43.5 mi)/hr. Steeper ones are much faster. Then you graduate to jumps, finally ending the day with the “Knucklegrinder,” an 800-foot whoosh down to a hard gravel plain.  7. Ride the Namib  It’s easily one of the most spectacular rides in the world: You’re galloping through the Namib Desert, the world’s oldest, surrounded by 2,000-foot-high, blood-red sand dunes. Thousand-year-old plants that resemble exploded cabbages grow on gravel plains that see rain once in a century. Lonely canyons echo the barking shout of baboons and the nighttime cough of leopards. Then, suddenly, green oases spring up, overgrown with camelthorn and tamarisk trees, where herds of desert antelope gather in the shade. Continue to sun-blasted mountain ranges where ice-cold springs bubble straight from the rock.  Trot through this barren wilderness with Reit Safari, which offers 10-day rides on Namibian Hanoverians (German horses) and rehabilitated mustangs, starting on the mountains west of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, and ending in the ocean of the aptly named Skeleton Coast.  8. Earthwatch Cheetah Project  The lion really can lie down with the lamb—or at least the cheetah can. So, the biologists of this Earthwatch cheetah conservation project believe, anyway. Your job: to assist in live-capturing and radio-tracking cheetahs and other big cats on the wilderness ranches of central Namibia—the last place on earth where cheetahs still exist in reasonable numbers. Local ranchers used to shoot them on sight. However, now many are cooperating with the study, which seeks to prove that cats only rarely hunt livestock if their natural prey is readily available. You, the paying volunteer, have the satisfaction of contributing directly to the conservation of these cats while at the same time experiencing the adventure of chasing after and handling them.  9. Bike the Botswana Pans  Why would anyone want to bike through the Makgadigadi Pans—two vast, shallow expanses of mud? In the scorching Botswana summer, they fill with rain, releasing millions of tiny brine shrimp, which in turn attract breeding flocks of pink flamingos.  In the dry winter, they bake to a hard white crust. A perfect surface across which to go roaring on a quad bike. So wide are the pans that when out in the middle of them, you can’t see the “shore.” And the stars in this part of the Kalahari are unrivaled.  From Jack’s Camp, a luxurious place at the edge of the pans. You take quad bikes out to a table set out in the middle of the emptiness to find dinner laid and ready. By day, you go walking, look at the game, and pick wild foods with a Bushman guide called Cobra.   If you go during the sweltering summer months, you can’t quad bike the pans (too glutinous). However, you do see the flamingos. Further, if you’re lucky, you might see the eastern Kalahari’s summer zebra migration.  10. Deep Kalahari  If you have at least two weeks to explore Southern Africa off-the-beaten-path adventures, hire a 4×4 and blast off into southern Africa’s most remote country. The bigger-than-Switzerland Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Aha and Tsodilo Hills. This is rugged driving on some of the toughest tracks in Africa; you must know what you’re doing in a 4×4. You must carry all the fuel and supplies. And if you get stuck, well, suffice to say it’s best to go in a convoy of two vehicles. Highlights of this once-in-a-lifetime trip include the desert lions of Deception Pan.  The Bushmen communities at Molapo and Xai-Xai (where you can go out with the hunters). The stalactite-filled caves of Drotsky’s Caverns and the ancient rock paintings of the Tsodilos. When you emerge at Shakawe at the northern edge of the Okavango Delta, you’ll forget what civilization looks like.  Final Words on Southern Africa Off-The-Beaten-Path Adventures  With dense vegetation, rugged cliffs, and fascinating wildlife, the Southern Africa Off-The-Beaten-Path adventures promise an unforgettable experience. These trips are also about learning about various fascinating cultures and respecting nature.  So, if you plan to visit Southern Africa soon, you can visit any of the places I have discussed here. Don’t forget to share your experience once you come back! Happy journey!

BY  Abdul Aziz Jun 15, 2021

Nothing screams luxury than owning a personal yacht and taking it for a vacation. When you make it to the big league, having a boat or two is part of the lifestyle. If you are adventurous and want to explore nature, you must get your luxury boat and luxuriously spend a glamorous yacht vacation. Going on a yacht vacation doesn’t have to be a flight journey to Europe or the Hawaiian Islands. Sailing is one of the most popular vacation activities by most people, so owning a small yacht or any boat would be a perfect way to spend your downtime out at sea. Spending your holiday in the middle of the ocean will fill you with a sense of wonder. Sailing along with the sea would provide a wonderful experience that you can cherish for a long time. How Are Rich Spending Their Holidays? Summer traveling is always associated with a longer time to spend with the family luxuriously. The summer and fall seasons always bring the most memorable days in the year. And if you want to spend your holidays most luxuriously, plan out for the yacht vacation. Here are the few steps you need to follow if you are interested in spending your holidays in the luxurious boat life. 1.Relaxation:  There is no point in having a vacation if you don’t have the opportunity to unplug from the busy world and relax. On a ship, you can enjoy a calm glaze setting that offers relaxation and peace of mind.  The super-rich value their time and privacy above everything else. Therefore, they know that a private ship will help them get away from the public eyes and provide them with personal time. When you search for peace, floating on the Sea in the Yacht Vacation is the perfect sense to find peace inside your heart. Having a private yacht offers you ultimate privacy and eloquent opportunities for enjoyment, unlike other hotels, apartments, or cruise ships. With a yacht, you can combine home-like comforts with stunning beaches while maintaining a distance from the crowd. Sailing on a yacht can be relaxing for the mind, body, and soul. It is an excellent way to get active while experiencing the peacefulness and openness of the sea. Spending time with the people you love, away from the bustle of the city, is the best thing you can do to rejuvenate your body and soul.  2.Discover New Places:  When you have a personal boat, you have the opportunity to be adventurous and discover new places. Follow your arrow and let the boat guide you to new destinations. Don’t wait anymore; glorious sunrises and sunsets, white sandy beaches, and pristine waters await you. Picture yourself visiting these heavenly sights while soaking up the sun along with the enchanting blanks of the Caribbean Sea. Floating on the blue water of the Caribbean Sea like a pirate is the perfect definition of the Yacht Vacation. Imagine the tropical wonders of Far East Thailand or the exotic and historic charms of Bali.  3.Maintenance:  If you want to enjoy your boat and the benefits that come with it, you must also learn how to maintain your vehicle. A boat requires up-gradation and maintenance to perform at its fullest capacity. For instance, Marine Stabilizer reduces the rolling motion of a vessel. These stabilizers are crucial as they provide comfort to the people on the boat. You will benefit from installing a high-performance stabilizer on board. Quantum power pack has unprecedented roll control for increased comfort during anchoring and massive waves. Natural Seaside disasters are the main problem which you have to face during the Yacht Vacation. Quantum power pack ensures onboard crew safety, and enhanced onboard comfort reduces fatigue. Stabilizers reduce 18% fuel consumption if ZeroSpeed™ mode is used instead of an idling engine.  It maintains vessel navigability and enhances operational efficiency additionally, and it reduces downtime and prevents scheduling due to harsh climatic and sea conditions. Stabilizing fins help minimize onboard injuries and prevents damages to cargo equipment during military missions.  4.The Places For Yacht Vacation: For the private yacht traveling, along with the sea route, you have to monitor the sea route’s safety and security. Natural disasters are the most common type of problem for yacht vacations. To recover from this type of problem, you have to choose the best suitable sea routes, which are the most common sea routes for boats and yachts. Here are some names of a few popular routes which are perfect for the Yacht vacation. Greek Isle Croatian Island Caribbean Sea Italian Coast  Indonesian Island Spain's Balearic Island These places are the popular yacht routes for private yachts. These all sea routes are popular water routes, so if you face any trouble on Sea, the help will reach you in seconds. Conclusion: A yacht vacation is a clear sign of luxury, and the vacation will bring you the most memorable days of life. Summer is the best time to explore the new routes on the sea and leave your vacation days in leisure. These four are the main reason the rich people are choosing the Yacht vacation as the holiday spendings. Are you going to spend like this? Then start for the marvelous yacht vacation for today. Read Also: Top Ten Southern Africa Off-The-Beaten-Path Adventures Planning A Hunting Trip To Africa – Here’s What You Should Know