UNESCO Monday #4: Jeju Island’s Volcano

Julio Moreno South Korea, UNESCO Picture of the Week , , , 1 Comment
UNESCO Monday #4: Jeju Island’s Volcano
Jeju Island - Hallasan
Although it looks like a pond, it is actually quite large.

Officially: Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

Taken: July, 2011

Place: Jeju Island, South Korea

“Yeah yeah yeah, just take us here,” we continued to tell the cab driver, pointing at a wrinkled map (yeah, we still used physical maps). My friend and I felt a little impatient as we knew we had to start this hike early in the morning to get to the top. The volcano that sits in the middle of Jeju Island, Mt. Halla (or “Hallasan”), stands at 1950 meters. It is no behemoth, but nothing to scoff at. The cab driver continued in his vain attempt to dissuade us from taking our chosen trail, but we thought he just wanted to drop us off farther to charge more.

We began our climb at around 9 am and continued for about 4 hours. The trails were awfully empty for such a popular mountain in Korea. Something seemed off. As we edged towards the top, we realized why. This trail Read more →

UNESCO Monday #3: The Everglades

Julio Moreno UNESCO Picture of the Week, United States , , , 0 Comment
UNESCO Monday #3: The Everglades

Everglades

Officially: Everglades National Park

Taken: June 23, 2013

Place: Florida, USA

As I sat in a large dorm room in Mexico next to my temporary roommates, I caught the ear of a French guy who seemed irate as soon as he heard my American accent. Thus far, he had assumed I was a local of Yucatan since I spoke Spanish.

“American?” he asked, with a scoff.

As he cooled it a bit, we began to talk about travel when he brought up that he had never been to the US, nor had any desire to. This was fine, I thought, as I have always known we aren’t exactly held on a pedestal in France, and anti-American sentiment is sometimes valid. I too have gone on rants calling LA overrated, and to be fair, I don’t exactly dream about France either. The following however, took me completely by surprise! Read more →

Ten Tips for Traveling with a Wheelchair

Julio Moreno Guest Posts, Responsible Tourism , , , 13 Comments

People who have a physical disability have it much harder, but they too deserve a break from their everyday lives. Today, I ask that we take one step back and think about those of us in our lives who have not been able to travel because of a disability. This is a guest post from Josh Hansen, the Marketing Executive of Vitalise, a charity dedicated to facilitate travel to those who are on a wheelchair or have other physical disabilities. Please share this list with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, or in person to spread knowledge of such resources available to those in wheelchairs who wish to explore the world, just like everybody else.

Why it Matters

Traveling can be fairly stressful at the best of times, but traveling with a wheelchair can feel outright overwhelming. The good news is that Read more →

Zhangjiajie: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in China

Julio Moreno China, Guest Posts , , 1 Comment
Zhangjiajie: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in China

Today, we feature a guest post from fellow travel blogger Agness Walewinder. She takes us to Zhangjiajie, known to most as the world of Pandora from the movie Avatar. Pandora is a real place that you can visit now, and Agness will convince you why you should put it on the top of your China bucket list. Take it away Agness!

The Hidden Gem of Nature

I would probably not surprise anyone if I told you that China is one of the most diverse and stunning countries in the world in terms of scenery and landscape. Without a doubt, the ‘Land of Dragons’ has been favored by Mother Nature and Zhangjiajie, a city located in northern part of Hunan Province, proves it. Read more →