Top Family Travel Destinations in Russia

Russia is a vast and diverse country, with many different regions and cities to explore. With so much variety in landscapes, climates and cultures in just one country, it may be difficult to know where to start your family vacation. To help you get started on planning your next trip, we’re highlighting some of the best Family Travel Destinations In Russia below! Many families who visit www.pacific.clinic like to travel as well! Check these out!

 Moscow – The capital of Russia, Moscow is a bustling city with much to explore. Take in the beautiful views from atop the Cathedral Of Christ The Savior or admire over 100 different kinds of aircraft at Monino Airfield .

 St. Petersburg – As one of the most popular Family Travel Destinations In Russia , this northern European-inspired gem offers many historic attractions and delicious local cuisine options for visitors. Spend an afternoon exploring Peterhof Palace before watching a ballet performance at Mariinsky Theatre .

 Yekaterinburg – One of our favorite Family Travel Destinations In Russia due to its rich history, there are plenty of family activities that will keep everyone entertained throughout your stay here! Visit Urals State Art Museum or take a trip to Verhnyaya Pyshma Arboretum to enjoy the natural beauty of Mother Nature.

 Vladivostok – Family Travel Destinations In Russia don’t come much more diverse than this! Located on the far eastern side of the country, you’ll find a variety of activities and attractions that will keep everyone entertained throughout your stay here. Visit Nakhodka Botanical Garden or take an exciting trip to Plastun Bay for some amazing snorkeling opportunities.  Stavropol Krai – If you like desert landscapes, then Family Travel Destinations In Russia doesn’t get any better than this beautiful area in southern Russia! Spend time exploring picturesque Mineralnye Vody before taking advantage of all there is to do in Pyatigorsk such as the Caucasian Mineral Waters .

 Sochi – Family Travel Destinations In Russia don’t get much better than this! Located on the Black Sea, there are many beaches to enjoy along with a variety of different activities. Take a trip to Sochi Arboretum or go horseback riding at Krasnaya Polyana Mountain Resort .

 Novosibirsk – Family Travel Destinations In Russia is known for its rich history and culture. One such city that embodies both these qualities is Novosibirsk which hosts multiple historical landmarks including Akademgorodok , one of Siberia’s first science town s.

 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Family Travel Destinations In Russia doesn’t come any further east than Sakhalin Island in Russia! This Family Travel Destinations In Russia has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. If you visit during the summer, be sure to check out some of the many beaches that are on offer, or go fishing in one of the rivers nearby.

  Stavropol Krai – If you like desert landscapes, then Family Travel Destinations In Russia doesn’t get any better than this beautiful area in southern Russia! Spend time exploring picturesque Mineralnye Vody before taking advantage of all there is to do in Pyatigorsk such as the Caucasian Mineral Waters .

  Family Travel Destinations In Russia don’t come much more diverse than this! Located on the far eastern side of the country, you’ll find a variety of activities and attractions that will keep everyone entertained throughout your stay here. Visit Nakhodka Botanical Garden or take an exciting trip to Plastun Bay for some amazing snorkeling opportunities.

9 Reasons to Make Belize Your Next Destination

Belize is an extraordinary country, it is slightly smaller than the size of Massachusetts and the population is just over 280,000 (that is smaller than the size of the capital city of Tallahassee). The country is located in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico.

Returning to Belize feels like coming back home, to a ‘small town’ not an entire country.

I also recommend the CIA – World Factbook web page on Belize to provide you with even more information.

On to the reasons to visit Belize………….

1) Extremely friendly people who welcome you to their country! Belize is home to over 11 different ethnic groups that primarily include Maya, mestizo, Garifuna, Creoles, Mennonites, and British (and a number of US Expats!).

2) A rich ancient and modern Maya culture, Belize was settled by the Maya who constructed major monumental architecture that still exists today after more then 2,000 years has passed. See the EzineArticle on Belize: Maya Ruins & Archaeological Sites You Don’t Want to Miss.

3) UNESCO World Heritage Site – Belize’s Barrier Reef – the largest reef in western hemisphere. The coral reef, warm waters, and beautiful atolls offer some of the world’s best snorkeling and diving.

4) Being able to communicate easily since English is the official language makes your experience that much more rich and meaningful.

5) It also helps that the exchange rate is not complicated: $1 US = $2 BZ (not that you can’t handle difficult ones!)

6) Belize is close to home and safe, just a little over 2 hours from Houston or Miami.

7) Archaeologists have helped to explore the extensive cave systems that contain prehistoric remains, including ceramics, stone tools, and cave art. These caves also offer visitors an adventurous, although not too strenuous chance to tube, canoe, explore, and hike through these incredible formations.

8) Extraordinary jungle lodges, beautiful beachfront cabanas, and incredible food!

9) Authentic and meaningful travel when you spend real time in Indian Church Village, helping out, you’ll see how little they have and how happy they are, often surprising, but experiencing this can positively enhance your own outlook on life.

You’ll truly love this unique Central American country!…

Scuba Diving Adventure in Belize

Scuba Diving Belize, Belize Atoll Diving

An Atoll is a body of water surrounded by an outer reef system and Belize has 3 of the 4 located in the Western Hemisphere, Turneffe Atoll, Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Glovers Reef Atoll, the remaining one is Chinchorro Banks located south of Cancun in Mexico.

The water tend to be very calm and generally even in inclement weather a calm dive site can be found on the leeward side of the islands

This is the very best diving Belize has to offer, although when you visit these Atolls there is nothing much else to do other than Dive, relax, and fish but if you are a diveaholic then this is the place to Dive to give you the very best that Belize has to offer.

I forgot to mention you can do day trips to Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef Atoll from Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker so if you choose to dive there you can still dive the best Belize has to offer.

To Dive the Belize Atolls you have several choices such as land based operations like Lighthouse Reef Resort or Turneffe Island lodge or one of the Live Aboard Dive Boats live by the Belize Aggressor that departs from Belize City.

Southern Diving Belize & Whale Shark Diving

Scuba Diving Belize in the south of the country has become famous over the past few years with the discovery of migrating Whale Sharks that visit Gladden Split to coordinate with the Snapper spawning..

This happens from March through June each year. The best time to dive is on the full moon where you will see these behemoths and thousands of Snappers spawning.

The ride out to the reef takes about 1 hour form most of the mainland resorts from Hopkins down to Placencia.You can also access Glovers reef from the southern resorts this is my favorite atoll.…

Scuba Diving Belize

Diving Ambergris Caye and Diving Caye Caulker

These islands are the most popular destinations for Scuba Diving Belize as they offer the visitor a nice array of activities other than Scuba Diving however both these destinations offer challenging diving.

The Barrier reef which is the type of diving you will be doing from these islands can be quite challenging for many divers. The Barrier Reef runs 175 miles the entire length of Belize, the reef actually comes right up to the surface and the waves crash over the reef as they head to the shore, what this means is the only way to get out to open sea is by negotiating the breaks in the reef called Cuts, these are natural paths out to sea and deep enough for boats to pass through.

Negotiating these cuts in all but calm weather can be quite tricky for the boat captains and uncomfortable for the divers on board.

During the months of Dec through April you can expect 5 to 8 ft rollers to be coming through the cuts, the boat captains are very skillful at getting through however every now and again you go up and the boat comes down hard.

Many divers are not prepared for this type of diving, most expect flat calm seas like they experienced in the Cayman Islands or Cozumel and find it a little beyond their comfort level. (Not recommended for people with any type of back problem.)

The boat crews do a great job, but if you are not comfortable with choppy seas or get seasick, or you’re not as fit as you should be, maybe this diving is not for you.

The best dive boats for diving in these waters are the ones that exit from the side and enters from the side, after owning more than 20 boats during my dive operator days in Belize including side entry and swim platform boats I can speak from experience when I say rear entry platforms are dangerous in these swells, if you can imagine being thrown around as you try to de-kit with the rear of the boat bouncing up 4-8ft its not only dangerous but unnecessary keep the dive platforms for calm waters.

On a positive note you will become a better diver for it and there will not be many other tropical places that will challenge you like diving the Belize Barrier Reef. Once you have dive the Belize Barrier Reef from these locations most other tropical destinations will be a walk in the park.

The reason the majority of visiting Divers to Belize tend to stay on these northern islands is they offer other things to do than diving such as Mayan ruin tours, Cave tubing trips, the islands have shops restaurants and nightclubs so all in all it’s a nice mixture of things to do other than just diving. For more information on Diving Ambergris Caye visit Dive Belize.…

Vacationing in Brazil

Brazil is the largest country from South America, bordering each country of the continent except for Ecuador and Chile. It is a country of contrast, of great beaches, the fantastic Amazon forest, great soccer players and of course Carnival time. Brazil has a lot to offer: an extraordinary mixture of races and cultures, a wide range of weather patterns, great cities with a mix of high technology and slums.

What to Visit

Some of the most visited places in Brazil are Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro (the two megacities on the south-east coast), Fernando de Noronha Island, the city of Salvador in the northeast and the colonial towns of Olinda and Ouro Preto. If you want to experience the natural beauties of Brazil, you can visit Iguacu Falls. The best time to visit Brazil is, of course, the time of the Carnival.

The Carnival is held every year four days before Ash Wednesday. It exhibits Native, African, Euro and German elements and the rhythm, participation and costumes vary from one region to another. The best place to experience it is Rio de Janeiro, where you can watch the annual parade of the Samba Schools.

The most visited and modern resort in Brazil is the small Praia de Pipa, located in the NE of the country. It is a very popular city with foreign tourists as well as with Brazilians. The friendly and open locals have a laid-back attitude and this might be a most welcomed destination if you are eager for a change.

In southern Brazil a tourist destination that you might visit is the state of Santa Catarina, which is visited every year by a lot of people who prefer quiet places. There are a lot of beaches not far from the medium-sized cities. Some of them are Estaleiro, Taquaras, Mariscal and Garopaba. Praia de Pinho situated in the most important touristic area from southern Brazil is the first official nude beach in the country and it is also a paradise for naturists. There are a lot of activities available in the region, like trekking, diving, fishing and rafting.

Eating In Brazil

The food in Brazil is characterized by a wide variety. Local people prefer a simple breakfast composed of milk, bread, jam and coffee and sometimes ham, cheese and fresh fruit. In addition to this, there might be papayas, mangoes, watermelons or avocado cream. For lunch or dinner, there are countless restaurants to choose from, from sumptuous ones to family small restaurants where meals are dispatched in terms of weight of the food. Pay attention to the fact that Brazilians prefer not to eat anywhere on the street or during riding, walking and doing any other things.

Excellent seafood can be found in the coastal towns, especially in the northeastern part. There are also self-service restaurants where you can opt for an all-you-can-eat price (Rodizio) or “por quilo,” meaning that you weigh the food after serving yourself.…

Things to Do on Holiday in Brazil

Brazil is located on the eastern side of South America and is one of the largest countries in the world. Not only is Brazil one of the largest countries in the world but it also has some of the best scenery in South America.

The country has about 4500 hundred miles of coastline on the Atlantic and boasts the world’s largest river, the Amazon. It is also home to the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon Rainforest, which covers almost half of the country.

Many holiday makers stay in holiday home accommodation while visiting Brazil. While on vacation in Brazil many holiday makers explore the beautiful countryside and watch the nature and wildlife of the Amazon Rainforest. This is like the Grand Canyon of Brazil, full of amazing sites, exotic wildlife with beautiful mountains to climb.

After you have had the opportunity to visit the world’s largest rainforest, you can then visit the country’s largest city, São Paulo. Sao Paulo has beautiful skyscrapers, amazing shopping centers, and many other great tourist attractions. After leaving Sao Paulo, many holiday makers set off to explore some of the 4,500 miles of shore line of the Atlantic Coast. This coast is popular with tourists who want to learn to surf and many holiday makers visit Rio de Janeiro. This area is popular with surfers for the great surfing conditions and at night they like to sample some of the many great bars and restaurants.

Brazil is a great place to go and stay in a holiday villa or self catering holiday apartment. It is a country that likes to party and enjoy itself and its locals are extremely friendly and welcoming. Its cities are full of many great bars and hold carnivals at different times of the year. Many tourists come to Brazil especially for these carnivals and the locals encourage the tourists to take part.

Brazil is a vibrant country that offers great contrasts. It has big bustling cities where you can rent self catering holiday apartments. These can be used as a base to sample the local culture and enjoy the local nightlife and food. There are also some great shops in Brazil and many tourists return home with some good bargains.

Brazil also offers some of the best beaches in the world and holiday makers on a family beach holiday to Brazil can stay in holiday villas with swimming pools or self catering holiday apartments. They are a great way of experiencing a relaxing sun holiday on the beach. As well as getting a great sun tan, many tourists also try their hands at many of the water sports that are on offer. They may sail, scuba dive, snorkel or simply enjoy their time swimming in the clean warm water.

Lovers of nature may rent one of the many self catering holiday cottages in Brazil and explore the superb natural habitat. They may trek through the rain forest, take a boat ride down the Amazon or simply relax and watch the local wildlife.…

Holidaying in Brazil

An increasingly popular country to visit for Brits is Brazil and there are many reasons why people want to go there. Firstly and very importantly is the weather. Brazil is south of the equator so whilst the UK is in winter it’s summer over in Brazil, and the summers are not like in the UK, they are long, hot and dry. If you visit the North East of the country, which is very close to the equator, temperatures rarely go below 30 degrees in summer. As well as it being very warm it is also dry. Winter in the North East is not much colder than the summer but the downside is that there is a lot of rain, therefore summer is definitely the time to go.

Not only is there good weather in Brazil there is also a great deal of attractions to see. If you take the most popular destination in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, there are some of the most famous landmarks in the world to visit. Probably the most famous places to visit are the beaches; there is Copacabana, made famous by the Barry Manilow song and Ipanema from the Bossa Nova song by Antonio Carlos Jobim, The Girl from Ipanema. These beaches are not just famous from songs being written about them; they was also featured in a number of films and documentaries about Brazil. One of the most famous films which featured Copacabana was the critically acclaimed City of God which looks at the life of young men growing up in the Favelas of the city.

One downside of visiting Brazil is the cost of the flights, though it’s relatively cheap when you get there, it is expensive to fly to Brazil. The very cheapest flights are around $500 going up to over $1,000 in summer, and especially for the New Year. What’s strange about the price of flights to Brazil is that there are many destinations further away that are cheaper than Brazil. For example it can often be cheaper to fly to Australia and Brazil even though it’s twice the distance. The reason for the cost of flights is that, even though it’s becoming more popular, there are still not a large number of airlines flying to Brazil from the UK.…

Things to Do in Brazil

The tourist industry is one of the biggest and most important in the world service sector; unfortunately Brazil lags far behind in this area, but it improves every year. In 1997 statistical data shows 600 million international tourist trips, of which only 3 million went to Brazil, which is less than half of one percent. However the number is growing every year, as Brazil can offer 5 thousand miles of beach, a nice tropical climate, the greatest rainforest on Planet Earth and a wonderful friendly people. Brazil just needs to learn to promote itself and invest in tourism infrastructure.

Here is a list of interesting places you can go when visiting Brazil.

o The world’s largest biological reserve – Amazon rainforest that contains one-third of all living species on the earth and is crossed by 10 of the world’s 20 largest rivers, including the River Amazon.

o Brazil Carnival, an event lasting four days that changes dates every year. Carnival is a really a must see entertainment and the peak holiday season in Brazil. The Carnival starts 40 days before the Catholic holiday, Lent.

o Rio de Janeiro, big city (River of January), the word exotic sums up Rio. Rio de Janeiro is also sophisticated, open, chaotic, friendly, busy and relaxed. Everything is rolled up into one in this city. One of the most famous Brazilian property creations is in Rio. Rio has much to offer both for rich tourists and budget travelers: there are cheap hotels and restaurants aplenty, and the beach is a free entertainment zone.

o Beautiful forested Tijuca National Park in Rio and mountainous Diamantina National Park in Bahia where you can take a hike on trails into such Brazil’s wilderness areas.

o The monumental Iguassu Falls which is another spectacular natural highlight of Brazil. The falls are even included in UNESCO world heritage sites, and located in a wondrous subtropical humid forest. These falls consist of 275 falls over three kilometers wide and 80 meters high, it’s even wider than Victoria Falls, higher than Niagara Falls and more beautiful than both.

o Don’t miss surfing in Brazil as it has something to offer surfers of all abilities, at any time of the year. The best months in the north are from November to March, and in the south from April to October. Island of Santa Catarina offers plenty of challenges for more experienced surfers.…

Why Everyone Needs to Visit Sicily

Sicily is one of the five primary autonomous regions in Italy, and is the largest island located in the Mediterranean Sea. Based just south of the Italian Peninsula, the island features long and warm summers, but the best time to visit is during late spring and early fall.

Some of the major reasons you should visit Sicily include:

Good Weather All Year Round

Based in the Mediterranean, Sicily is an excellent option for people who might not be able to plan their vacation around the traditional holiday dates. Not only is Sicily blessed with extended summers, but features very mild winters as well, so there’s no bad time to visit the region.

Wide Array of Beaches

Sicily boasts over 1000 kilometers of coastline and offers its visitors a wide selection of beaches to come from. The beaches also vary in terms of their size and makeup. You can choose to visit one of the traditional sandy beaches, or opt for places such as Scala dei Turchi, which features exceptional rock formations.

Historical Attractions

Sicily is rich in history, with the Greeks, Arabs and Romans all leaving their mark during their time on the island. The Valley of Temples is a great attraction for those enticed by ancient Graecia sites, while the Cathedral of Monreale, originally built in the early 1100s, represents one of the best examples of Norman architecture.…

Tour Israel

In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about trying to be more of a traveler and less of a tourist whenever you visit new places and that idea is worth considering if you plan on going on a bible lands tour. While the two ideas generally sound the same, the main difference is that a tourist wants to look at things and places while a traveler tries to go further and understand these places to build a connection. This is basically what any Christian wants to do when they get the chance to go on biblical Israel tours. So, how can you be more of a traveler and less of a tourist on your next trip to Israel? Below are some tips that should help with that.

Choose Fewer Destinations

One of the things that most tourists do when they visit Israel is to try and visit as many places as possible during their tour. But, the fact is that Israel is full of interesting places to visit and if you try to cram all of them into a tour that lasts just a couple of days then you will probably just be able to get a passing glimpse at the best. However, if you choose fewer destinations in your itinerary, you will have more time to explore each one of them and be able to understand them better, in addition to developing a more intimate connection with those places.

Stick to One Lodging

Unless the first lodging that you get is exceptionally miserable then you might want to stick to one place throughout your stay in a certain part of the country instead of trying to sample different hotels. The point here is that the longer you stay in one place, the more connected you will feel to the place. Plus, from the conversations that you have with visitors like yourself, hotel staff and even people like the taxi driver you will find out lots of interesting local tidbits.

Dine Locally

The best way to explore culture, it is said, is through its cuisine. When it comes to Israel you will be able to do that better by dining locally instead of dining at starred restaurants. For starters, the conversation at local eateries is more open and fluid which would give you a chance to interact with the people and learn new things every day. You may even leave with a couple of recipes for preparing local delicacies.…

The Fascination of the Canals of Venice

One of the most exciting attractions one can think of in the world is the canals of Venice. People think of them in romantic terms as some of the more unique curios created by man to date. But how did they come into existence, and why?

Centuries ago, Italians chose to settle on a group of islands located in a lagoon. This migration occurred around the sixth century, and the town was called Venice after the Veneti people who originally lived in the area centuries before.

Venice became a major financial and cultural center before long. As it prospered, it built its architecture upon its islands and created canals as connections. Venice has around 25 miles of canals, all connected to one central channel called the Grand Canal.

For many years, there was no way to enter Venice besides through the Adriatic Sea, which connects the Grand Canal. Nowadays, there is a railroad, and one can take a train to Venice or drive and park outside of the city.

But to get around Venice, you either need to walk, bicycle, or take a gondola through a canal. One hundred seventy-seven channels flow through Venice, and Venice is the only major city in the world with no trucks or cars.

Venice does not allow large cruise ships because the canals cannot handle their girth. But some of the smaller boats are allowed for now, and if you are planning a trip to Venice soon, it might be worth asking a travel agent if cruises exist.

Besides the gondolas, the canals of Venice use taxis and water buses to help people get around. Indeed, one can swim in a channel, but there is a risk of pollution and waste, so it is not a good idea.