Local tour guides can pass on intimate knowledge of a strange city, helping to make a short stay even more enjoyable. Source: Supplied
DOC Holiday offers advice on the best New York tours run by locals, activities for the kids in Bali and her two favourite African safaris.
MY FAMILY and I are going on a holiday to New York this summer and we would like to do a tour of the city with a local. Do you know if we can do this and how much it will cost?
Doc: Yes, I do know a great way to be shown around by a local, and I think it's a great way to experience many of the things that tour operators avoid. A company called Global Greeters first began in New York, with its "Big Apple" welcome visitor program. It consisted of friendly residents who went out of their way to help an out-of-towner feel welcome. Since then, the concept has spread all over the world, and the network was formed as a voluntary association of independent welcoming programs. All the programs are free, offer greeter services as an individual or small-group experience and are characterised by enthusiastic, local residents who love their home city. It is an easy online process, where you fill in a request form and, before your visit, you will be contacted and advised of your greeter. The greeter will then personally contact you, usually via email to get an idea of what you would like to experience with them. I found it was a perfect way to harvest the local knowledge and, if you do this first-up in your visit to a city, it certainly helps with getting accustomed to and more familiar with the different languages and customs.
I AM planning a holiday to Bali with my husband and children, together with my two sisters and their families. In total, we have seven children and want to know lots of things for the children to do. Could you offer some suggestions?
Doc: Bali is a great destination for families with kids and it offers heaps of fun things for kids of all ages to enjoy. One of my favourites is the Bali Waterbom Park. Only minutes from Kuta, it has been a landmark in Bali since 1993 and the constantly evolving park has a mind-boggling array of water attractions including giant slides, boomerangs and meandering moats to float around on. Another I like is the Bali Safari and Marine Park, where there is a large collection of exotic animals, a marine park and now an exciting theatre with stage performances. There are great photo opportunities with baby orang-utans and tigers, and they do a really good job explaining the need for better conservation. The interactive elephant performance is particularly good for children, as it explains how the loss of native vegetation is having a drastic effect on these animals. Bali Treetop Park is in Bedugul, in the cooler mountain district, so it's great for a change of pace and families with children as young as four can swing from tree to tree, zoom down flying foxes and climb to their heart's content. For a little monkey business, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is worth a visit, hang on tight to your glasses, camera and jewellery though. For something unique try the Sea Walking Club Aqua Bali. It's where children and their parents can walk on the ocean's floor viewing the sea life at depths of 3-5m, using special breathing apparatuses. If all this hasn't tired them out, take to the streets for a spot of shopping. The kids have a great time bargaining for caps and cheap watches, my two just couldn't believe the "bargains" they were getting. If you're looking at accommodation, hotels such as Bali Dynasty, Holiday Inn or the Bali Padma all have great kids clubs and are well suited to families.
MY HUSBAND and I, seniors but quite fit and active, would like to do some sort of African safari. Our aim is to see as many animals as possible. We would like a small group and as non-touristy as possible. What is the best time to go?
Doc: I think the best time for an African safari is when the animals are easy to find and are dense in numbers. My two top picks for the variety of animals and the viewing opportunities are Kenya and Tanzania. The best time to go to Kenya to experience the highest density and diversity of wildlife is when the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and gnus descend on the Mara plains - with the predators close behind. This wildlife spectacle is from July to October. With the scarcity of water during the dry seasons, the animals tend to gather around permanent waterholes, hence they are easier to find. The vegetation is also less lush, which simply means that spotting the animals is easier. June to November is Tanzania's dry season and is the best time to visit their southern parks. Both these countries receive a lot of rain outside these times, roads get washed out and the animals tend to spread out. If you want a chance to see the mountain gorillas while you are over there, Uganda is the place and is best visited from December to March or June to September. Abercrombie and Kent offers a great range of tours on foot, by four-wheel-drive, from the water or from the air, and has trips that combine both countries.
"Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook
Follow @Escape_team on Twitter
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét