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Argentina Featured Articles travel guide

Why 2016 is THE Year to Visit Argentina

Thanks to a precipitous drop in the Argentinian currency, mid December 2015, it became an instant Top Value Destination for Canadian Travelers. Of course that means it’s also an excellent value for those carrying USD, EUR or AUD.

Argentina is a beautiful and diverse country. It’s the jumping off point for expeditions to Antarctica and has one of the longest stretches of Atlantic coast in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a great year to go.

What to do in Argentina

If you’re interested in Wine Tasting in South America, then Argentina is where you want to start. It’s a country with a thriving winery scene.

Looking for 8 Reasons to Add Argentina to Your Big Trip? We’ve got ’em.

You’ll likely fly into Buenos Aires. Here are 6 Off the Beaten Path Destinations within the city.

There is no flavor that more represents the culture of Argentina than Mate. Get to know it.

Up on the border with Brazil is the mighty, and stunning Igazu Falls. You want to visit this place. Take your camera, and your sense of awe.

Explore all of the ways in which Tango is Not Just a Dance.

Are you a golfer? Did you know that Buenos Aires has over 50 venues? Yep.

Argentina. This is your year.

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Featured Articles Turkey

Inspiration for Your Trip to Turkey in 2016

The Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, the Ottoman Palaces… the grand sights of Istanbul pull with an Oriental flavor on a romantic traveler’s heart strings. But Turkey is far more than it’s big ticket tourist sights.

This year BootsnAll named Turkey one of it’s Top Value Destinations for Canadian Travelers. What that also means is that it’s an excellent value for those traveling with Australian money, US Dollars or Euros in their wallets.

2016 is a great year to visit Turkey and we’ve got plenty of inspiration for you:

Let’s start the count with 10 Experiences Not to Miss in Turkey: Oil wrestling anyone? Pamukkale’s pools? Cappadocia balloon flights?

Have you ever written a love letter to a city? Or read one? Check this one out: A Love Letter to Istanbul.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT leave Istanbul without eating these ten dishes. You’ll be glad you did.

You’ll want to read this First-Timer’s Guide to Avoiding Embarrassment in a Turkish Bath. Do you get naked, or not? What exactly goes down behind those closed doors? This will take you inside a hammam before you venture there in person.

Istanbul is the city everyone talks about, but it’s not the capital of Turkey. That’s Ankara. It’s got a pretty great Saturday night in store for you.

Last, but not least, if you’re looking for an escape from a harsh, cold winter, then Selcuk on the Turkish Blue Coast will take care of that. Visit some ruins and dip your feet in the sea. It’s way better than shoveling snow!

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Articles Featured Articles Vietnam

Why 2016 is THE Year to Travel to Vietnam

Vietnam has long been a pillar on the Southeast Asian circuit. It’s a great value, culturally fascinating, historically rich and an adventure to travel in. People come here to eat food, have clothes made, explore the recent history of the Vietnam War, and bask along the coast of the South China Sea.

In 2016 it’s on our list of Value Destinations for European Travelers, but it’s also a great deal for folks with American money, Canadian, or AUD 

Here’s a list of some of the best adventures the country has to offer:

Indie travel is still possible in Vietnam for around $30 USD per day. That’s a fantastic reason to add it to your RTW itinerary right there. Learn how to stretch your budget and enjoy this country.

Visit Nha Trang, Vietnam’s Happiest Beach Town and relax by the sea for a few days, or a few weeks.

Take some time in Hoi An and get some clothing custom made. Suits, traditional Vietnamese dresses for women, party gowns and more are available, made to measure, by some of the best tailors in the world.

Gorge yourself on Pho. At about a buck a bowl, it’s available, street side, in every one horse town and down every side street from Hanoi to Saigon. Eat it until you can taste the subtle differences by region and recipe. You haven’t been to Vietnam if you haven’t had Pho.

When you’re ready to get out of Hanoi, head to Sapa. Up by the Chinese border, just getting there is an adventure. The landscapes are stunning, the air is clear, and you’ll experience a part of Vietnam that’s a bit less traveled.

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Featured Articles Vietnam

Top Resources for Traveling in Southeast Asia

A good portion of indie travelers come to Southeast Asia and spend a considerable amount of time there. Those who take round the world trips often plan their trips around spending as time in the region as they can, and with good reason. The relative ease of travel, the budget friendly nature of most countries, the friendliness of the people, and the natural beauty all combine to create the perfect storm for the indie traveler.

Sifting through all the information out there can be maddening, so BootsnAll wanted to simplify it for you. Here are some of the best articles and resources put together by the world’s indie travel leader for traveling in and around Southeast Asia:

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Featured Articles Vietnam

Why You Should Add Vietnam to Your Indie Trip

Vietnam. Some people love it. Some people hate it. There are very few people who just kind of like it or kind of dislike it. I’m not quite sure I’ve ever been to a country that has such a love-hate thing going on with the people who visit it.

I am in the “love it” camp when it comes to Vietnam. Though it was hectic, chaotic, dirty, the traffic was insane, and some of the touts were quite pushy, I was able to overlook those negatives because of all the positives the country brings.

If you are planning any kind of travel in the region, here’s a few reasons why I think you might want to add Vietnam to your indie trip.

  • While the people aren’t as smiley as in Thailand or as laid back as in Laos, they are quite friendly, but you have to open yourself up to them.  If you come across as aggressive and standoffish, then you will get the same treatment from them.  But if you let your guard down a bit, you will find that the Vietnamese people are amazing.
  • If you happen to be traveling with children, then this is the place to go.  I have never seen a culture so enamored with kids and babies.  The men, in particular, go gaga over the little ones.  It might take a little getting used to, but they are so kind and gentle and just want to meet your child.
  • Mountains, bays, jungles, rivers, beaches, big cities – Vietnam has a wide variety of sites for all travelers.
  • The French influence on Vietnamese cuisine makes it stand out among the rest of the food in SE Asia.  A steaming bowl of Pho for breakfast, crazy sweet and strong coffee, home made beer (Bia Hoi) for the equivalent of a quarter – I could go on and on and on about the food in Vietnam – it’s my personal favorite in the entire world.

For more on traveling in Vietnam and SE Asia, check out some of BootsnAll’s most popular Indie Travel Guides for the region:

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Featured Articles Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to Anaheim

matterhornAnaheim is a suburban city located 25 miles from Los Angeles in the Orange County of California. This city is known for its theme parks, sports team and a convention center. The main attractions of the city include Disneyland resort, Adventure City Anaheim Garden walk, Angel stadium and The Grove of Anaheim. Anaheim Convention Center here is also the largest convention center on the American west coast. Anaheim is also known for its sports teams namely Anaheim Ducks in the NHL and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the MLB. Its proximity to Los Angeles attracts several tourist here. If you plan a travel from LA to Anaheim there are a lot of travel options that are available.

But in spite of all these choices, most people are probably interested in going from somewhere in Los Angeles to Disneyland, so those options are spelled out below.

By Car

The traveling distance from Los Angeles is approximately around 26 miles from Downtown Los Angeles to Anaheim, a bit over 30 miles starting from Hollywood, and around 40 miles if you start from the Santa Monica/Venice area. Even coming from one of the closer areas, it is at least a 30-minute drive by car from Los Angeles and at times it might take up to a hour and a half or two hours, depending upon the traffic. There is also a option of renting cars from Los Angeles if required. Since cars are so dominant in this area, this is definitely the most popular way to do it, but you have other options.

By Bus

One could take LUXBUS from Los Angeles. There are two daily departures from Los Angeles to Anaheim. One being at 7.30 in the morning which could be the most comfortable option. There is also another bus service available at 3:30 in the evening. In both the cases the travel takes around 1 hour approximately. The ticket prices are around $32 for one way and $52 for a round trip. Tickets can be reserved in advance.

There are LuxBus tourist packages that are available. One could say this is a slightly expensive option to get to Anaheim. But the buses are very comfortable to travel. It is also worth its price because the seats are really good and it’s a luxury bus. There are also Greyhound buses that run between Los Angeles and Anaheim. There are around 7 buses daily available. The first bus is at 5.45 in the morning and last at around 6 in the evening. The travel by Greyhound takes around a hour. Buses are available every 2 hours.Tickets can be around $8 to $15 depending on the bus you take. This Greyhound buses are much more economical when compared to the LUXBUS which is really expensive. Anaheim is also well served by two public transport systems Metro and OCTA, but using these local services could take many hours each way if you are going a longer distance.

By Airport Shuttle

There is also a option to take airport shuttle from Los Angeles airport. At around $13 this is a much cheaper option compared to the Luxbus. The bus is know as the Disneyland Resort Express could be a very good option whether you travel alone or as a group. This service, operated by the Grayline Bus Company, is also a convenient and reliable mode of travel. At around $13 per head this could be a cheaper and better option than the LuxBus. There are also Super shuttles that are available from Los Angeles International Airport to Anaheim.These shuttles need not be booked in advance. There are Super shuttles around every 15 minutes and the cost is around $15-$20.

By Train

Finally, if you’re going by train there are two rail systems namely Amtrak and Metrolink available in Anaheim. One could take a Amtrak train from Los Angeles. This is more flexible because there are a lot of trains that are available. The journey by train is also very quick at 39 minutes. There are around 10 trains daily and we can travel in the time that suits us the most. The tickets are also very easy to get. The first train is around 6:00am and trains are available all around the day. The trains depart from the station almost every hour. The last train is around 7:15 in the night. The cost of the ticket is usually around $12. This could be the cheapest option to get to Anaheim from Los Angeles.

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Featured Articles Guatemala

Buses in Guatemala

If you are a budget traveler or just a tourist looking for the quint essential Guatemalan experience, the “chicken buses” are what you are looking for. I wouldn’t even go so far as to say you have to look for them, they are quite hard to miss. These lavishly painted and often decorated buses can be found whizzing by in any of the major Guatemala cities or highways. The chicken bus may not provide the comforts of a tourist van or taxi, but they are much cheaper, and much more colorful!

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Croatia Featured Articles

Croatia in Pictures: Danger Children

I’m quite used to signs warning about school crossings and whatnot, but these signs in Croatia always gave me a giggle when I saw them:

See, apparently kids in Croatia are so unpredictable – so dangerous – that they might even be so bold as leap outside the danger symbol itself. You never know. Drivers in Croatia, beware.

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Croatia Featured Articles

Croatia in Pictures: Primosten Angel

I’m a big fan of visiting cemeteries when I travel, so when I started hiking to the church atop the hill-like town of Primosten in Croatia I was hoping to find some cool, old cemetery – with crumbling and run-down graves and crypts, much like some of the crumbling buildings I’d seen on the way up to the top of the hill. I found a cemetery, all right, but instead of an old one it was new. Still, some of the angels on the graves had lovely views.

On the horizon, you can see the islands of Kornati National Park. In a conversation I had with a tour guide at Krka National Park, I learned that the islands in the Kornati chain have rather interesting names… Stemming from when the Austrians rounded up locals and asked them, “What’s the name of this island?” so they could put it down on a map. The locals weren’t terribly fond of the Austrians taking over, so they gave them false – and dirty – names. The only one the tour guide would translate for me was “Big Hooker.” She said the others were too risque for mixed company.

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Argentina Featured Articles

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls is one of the most famous and spectacular waterfall in the world. It is located on the Iguazu River, on the border of Brazil and Argentina.

Legend

Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful native girl but she fled with her mortal lover in a canoe. Furious, the god sliced the river, hence creating the waterfall.

How to get to the falls from the Argentine side

The waterfall can be access via two roads, on both sides. If you want to visit it from the Argentine side, the town near Iguazu Falls is Puerto Iguazú, in the province of Misiones. The falls are part of the Iguazú National Park, shared between Argentina and Brazil.