itravelnet.com Travel Blog

Travel Photo: Grote Markt Cafes, Mechelen - Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:23:00 +0000

Location: Mechelen - Belgium
Photo: Grote Markt Cafes

Cafes at the Grote Markt (Town Square) in Mechelen, Belgium.

Travel Photo Gallery: Mechelen Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Harefares

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Harefares index the routes of nearly all low cost airlines in Europe.

The great feature about Harefares is that it shows you alternative airports close to your chosen departure and arrival airport. This opens up possibilites that you may not otherwise have been aware of.

harefares.com

Travel Directory: Low Cost Airlines Resources

Travel Photo: Lighthouse Beach Promenade, Kovalam - India

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:51:00 +0000

Location: Kovalam - India
Photo: Lighthouse Beach Promenade

Kovalam is in the deep south of India in the state of Kerala, not far from Thiruvananthapuram.

Travel Photo Gallery: Kovalam Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: FON

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:15:00 +0000

FON is the largest WiFi community in the world. Community members, Foneros, share some of their home internet connection and in return gain access to free Wifi worldwide.

The site has a searchable map of wifi hot-spots around the world, and if you don't have a home to offer wifi, you can but FON wifi Credit.

fon.com

Travel Photo: Ippoton, Rhodes Old Town - Greece

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Location: Rhodes Old Town - Greece
Photo: Ippoton

Ippoton (Street of the Knights), Rhodes Old Town - Greece.

Travel Photo Gallery: Rhodes Old Town Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: earthTV

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:18:00 +0000

earthTV - the world's biggest remote controlled TV camera network broadcasting 24h live video footage from locations locations in Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Oceania.

earthtv.com

Travel Directory: Web Cams

Travel Photo: Berlin Cathedral and Television Tower, Berlin - Germany

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:10:00 +0000

Location: Berlin - Germany
Photo: Berlin Cathedral and Television Tower

Berlin Cathedral and Television Tower.

Travel Photo Gallery: Berlin Photo Gallery

Borobudur - The biggest Buddhist temple in the world

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur Temple is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, which is impressive considering that it's not in a Buddhist country but in Central Java, Indonesia.

It's a temple that ranks with Cambodia's Angkor Wat and Myanmar's Bagan as one of the great religious monuments of Southeast Asia.

What is more remarkable is that it doesn't seem to rank highly on the things to see in Southeast Asia. You'll always meet someone in a guesthouse in Thailand who has been or is going to Angkor. Less people make the journey to Java.

The temple is estimated to be built around 750-850 AD. It was eventualy abandoned as Islam spread through Java and then it was buried under volcanic ash.

It was not until 1815, when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was Governor of Java, that the site was cleared. Restoration began in the time of Dutch rule in the early 20th century, and a full restoration was undertaken from 1973 to 1983.

The temple sits on a 123m x 123m base and consists of 6 square terraces and 3 circular ones, rising up like a pyramid.

When I arrived at the temple I wasn't expecting it to be so big. Once you get up close to the temple it's the detail of the carvings that overwhelms. After walking the first level, taking in both the size and attention to detail in all the carved panels, you really understand that this is one of the worlds great temples.

You enter the temple from the east gate and walk around each terrace in a clockwise direction (as you do in a Buddhist temple). Each terrace is lined with carved galleries of fantastic detail.

Upon completing the 6 square terraces you ascend to the first of the 3 circular terraces, where you will find over 500 Buddha images. The are 72 Buddha images contained inside latticed stupa's, and some of the stupa's are exposed to reveal the Buddha within.

The temple is capped with one large stupa, bringing the temple to a height of 35 metres.

At the top you can comtemplate the valley below and the volcanoes Sundoro Sumbing and Merbabu Merapi in the distance.

Getting To Borobudur

The most convenient way to visit Borobudur is by a day tour from Yogyakarta, which is 42km away. A day tour will also include other activities, such as a visit to the Prambanan Temple complex. If you wish to make your own way, there is a local bus from Yogyakarta which takes 90 minutes.

It is also possible to stay at Borobudur town at guesthouses nearby the temple.

Another popular way to get to Borobudur is via a tour arranged from Bali. seeing that Bali gets more visitors than anywhere in Indonesia, there of plenty of tour companies offering air or bus tours from Bali to Java. If you are planning a trip to Bali it would be worth considering putting aside a few days to do a side trip to Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta Resources

Tourism Indonesia: Visit Indonesia.

Grand Quality Hotel Yogyakarta: Hotel in Yogyakarta.

Featured Travel Site: Pintprice

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:34:00 +0000

You might be familiar with the Big Mac Index put together by The Economist.

Another site has come up with a worldwide comparison index: Pintprice.com. Beer prices from 206 countries with the help of thousands of beer drinkers.

While the type of beer may vary, making it not truly like the Big Mac Index, it's a fascinating way to compare the cost of living around the world.

pintprice.com

Travel Photo: Yogyakarta Railway Crossing, Yogyakarta - Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:03:00 +0000

Location: Yogyakarta - Indonesia
Photo: Yogyakarta Railway Crossing

Yogyakarta railway crossing.

Travel Photo Gallery: Yogyakarta Photo Gallery

6 things to see in Yogyakarta

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:21:00 +0000

Yogyakarta in central Java makes for a handy base to explore the surrounding region. The city is nearby to the world heritage sites of Borobudur and Prambanan temples, as well as the smoking Gunung Merapi volcano.

It's also a great place to just hang out for a few days. There are plenty of interesting sites, and the city is well set up for travellers.

Here are some highlights of Yogyakarta.

Kraton

The Kraton is a walled royal enclave in the heart of Yogyakarta. It is a city in itself with residences within the walls as well as palaces, museums, temples and the home of the Sultan.

Kraton Entrance

Jalan Malioboro

JL Malioboro is the main *thouroughfare* of Yogyakarta. Here you'll find street stalls and cheap souvenir shops sitting beside air conditioned shopping malls. A great place to find Indonesian products such as batik art, topeng masks and wayang golek puppets.

Jalan Malioboro

Taman Sari

Taman Sari (Water Castle) is a complex that can be found within the Kraton. The area was a system of palaces, pools and canals, which is mostly ruins today.

Water Castle Area

Pasar Ngasem

Walk around the lanes of Pasar Ngasem (Bird Market) to see thusands of birds as well as exotic and domestic animals for sale.

Bird Market

Pasar Beringharjo

Pasar Beringharjo is the main market of Yogyakarta. Wander through the food and spice markets, check out the antiques and curios, or shop for batik or other souvenir items.

Pasah Beringharjo

Dutch Yogya

There are still building that remain from the era of Dutch colonial rule in Yogya. The most notable are public buildings, such as the post office, and bank offices.

Post Office

Old Amsterdam

Yogyakarta Resources
Tourism Indonesia: Visit Indonesia.
Grand Quality Hotel Yogyakarta: Hotel in Yogyakarta.

Featured Travel Site: Literary Traveler

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:12:00 +0000

People have long been visiting destinations from books or visited places that gave their favourite writers inspiration.

Literary Traveler provides travel writing featuring writers and the places that they have travelled. The site also includes a range of literary tours.

literarytraveler.com

Bandung - The Camden of the east?

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:16:00 +0000

While Bandung in West Java may no longer be the Paris of Java, it may just be the Camden of the East.

Camden is a borough of North London, and it is best known for its market on the Camden High St. The Camden market has jeans, shoes, jackets, army disposals, smokers paraphanalia shops and outfitters for punks and techno heads. The street is famous for its shops with oversize fibreglass objects on the shop roofs.

In Bandung there is a similar place called Jeans Street, which is in North Bandung on Jalan Cihampelas. The jalan (street) is lined with dozens of shops selling cheap jeans, clothing and accessories.

Each shop has a theme and many of them are adorned with oversized promotional statues on the shop fronts.

Some of the shops, like the clothing it sells, knock the names off from famous comic book and film characters.

It is not all knock off pirated goods though. There are many local designer ware as well as some items that you wont find so easily any where else.

Overall it is an interesting place to have a walk around or stock up on clothing.

Time Lapsed Journey Across China

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Grab a coffee and put aside 5:18 of your time to watch this incredible video.

Time lapse video from Christoph Rehage of thelongestway.com, who recorded his walk across China by beard & hair growth.

youtube.com link: The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse

Travel Photo: National Monument, Jakarta - Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Location: Jakarta - Indonesia
Photo: National Monument

The National Monument stands at the centre of Lapangan Merdeka (Freedom Square), Jakarta.

Travel Photo Gallery: Jakarta Photo Gallery

Bandung - Someplace of Java

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Bandung in Indonesia was once known as "Paris of Java". I saw a few T-shirts with the proclamation "Paris Van Java", but other than that there is not much evidence to suggest that this was once a grand city in the resemblance of the French capital.

Jalan Asia Afrika

Bandung was once a grand city, but much of its grandeur has been lost over the decades. The local government have added their bit to urban defilement by cutting down many trees lining the streets in order to improve traffic, in the process making the city a hotter place with Jakarta style traffic jams.

Bandung's claim to fame is that it was the host of the 1955 Asia-Africa conference, which was attended by a who's who of the developing world, including Soekarno, Ho Ch Minh, Nehru and Nasser among others.

There are numerous Art Deco buildings that can be found around the city, some of which were built around the time of the conference. If Bandung still wanted to be known as "someplace of Java", then perhaps it could be "Miami of Java", or "Miama of the east".

OK, so it doesn't have a beach, which makes naming an inland city after Miami a bit odd. What it does have in common is a wealth of Art Deco buildings. If Bandung restored and brightly painted all the Art Deco buildings in the city it would be a tourist attraction in itself, just as it has become in Miami.

Featured Travel Site: Lewis and Clark Trail

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:27:00 +0000

National and state parks, historic sites, campgrounds and RV parks, museums and other points of interest are easily located on with online maps on the trail of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

lewis-clark-trail.us

Directory: Route Planners

Transjakarta - The express bus system of Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Jakarta has a population of approximately 9 million people and no metro system. It's a city that sprawls in every direction and its traffic congestion is legendary.

The city has come up with a workable bus system that has at least made travel in some parts of Jakarta much faster.

Transjakarta Bus

Transjakarta is a network of express bus services that use designated lanes on key roads. The bus lanes are separated from the rest of the traffic on the major roads and special bus shelters collect the bus fare in advance.

Transjakarta Bus Lane

The buses have modified wide doors which are at the same height as the terminal gate. A conductor is on each bus who controls the amount of people who get on, so it doesn't become a great crush of passengers.

Transjakarta Bus Station

The buses run regular services, so the wait is not usually too long.

While an express bus service is no substitute for an extensive metro system, TransJakarta works surprisingly well. The government have talked of building a metro system, but if or when that ever happens, this is a good solution to the traffic jams of Jakarta.

Travel Photo: Skyscrapers And Palm Trees, Singapore City - Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:10:00 +0000

Location: Singapore City - Singapore
Photo: Skyscrapers And Palm Trees

Skyscrapers and palm trees in the Central Business District of Singapore.

Travel Photo Gallery: Singapore Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Escape Artist

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:21:00 +0000

A huge directory of international real estate, overseas jobs, living overseas and other expatriate resources.

escapeartist.com

Jalan Jaksa - The Backpacker Budget Accommodation Street in Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:19:00 +0000

For backpackers and budget travellers arriving in Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa is the the best option to find budget accommodation.

The jalan (street) has Losmen (basic flophouse style accommodation) and budget hotels. This type of accommodation is not bookable online so you have to look around for a place once you arrive.

Jalan Jaksa

While Jalan Jaksa is no where near the size of Khao san Rd in Bangkok (or the same liveliness), it serves a similar function as a good hub for travellers while passing through Jakarta on their way to other points of Indonesia.

Cafe on Jalan Jaksa

As well as budget accommodation there are plenty of bars, cafes, restaurants and mini-marts.

Jalan Jaksa Minimart

There are also netcafes and travel agents that can book bus tickets, airfares and tours. Many of the cafes also have free wi-fi for customers.

Jalan Jaksa Travel Agent

Second hand books for sale on Jalan Jaksa

Getting to Jalan Jaksa

From the Airport the cheapest way to Jalan Jaksa is the bus service which runs to Jakarta Gambir Station, the main train station of Jakarta. From the station Jalan Jaksa is about 1.5 kilmetres aways, which a three-wheel motorcycle taxi (bajaj) can take you.

If you are arriving in Jakarta by train, get off at Gambir and follow the directions as above, or if your trains stops at Gondangdia, then get off at this station as it is only 500 metres from there.

Travel Photo: Limmat River, Zurich - Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:53:00 +0000

Location: Zurich - Switzerland
Photo: Limmat River

Travel Photo Gallery: Zurich Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: England Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:23:00 +0000

I have known that England rocks for quite a while, but now it's official. England Rocks has been put together by Enjoy England, the domestic marketing arm of VisitBritain.

The website lists Englands impressive rock heritage with the help of Google Maps. Places that are of pop cultural significance are marked on the map. You can plan a Beatlemania pilgrimage or see the London home of Jimi Hendrix.

england-rocks.co.uk

Spain Travel Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:41:00 +0000

Spain related travel blogs added to the travel blog directory:

allspainaccommodation.blogspot.com
A discussion point for all people who have visited Spain, or are planning on visiting. Leave your comments, queries, articles and stories of your Spanish experience here.
Spain Blogger

spainreview.blogspot.com
Stories and information about Spain.
Spain Review

Travel Directory: Spain Travel Blogs

Travel Photo: Radcliffe Square, Oxford - England

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Location: Oxford - England
Photo: Radcliffe Square

Radcliffe Square, Oxford, England.

Travel Photo Gallery: Oxford Photo Gallery