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Travel – Freeport (Bahamas) – a city on the island of Grand Bahamas in the district of Bahamas

Traveller — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:07:46 +0000

Freeport is a city on the island of Grand Bahamas and in the district of Bahamas. It is located 100 miles (160 km) east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This city is part of a free trade zone of the Bahamas, operated by the Grand Bahamas Port Authority (GBPA). There was an agreement signed called the Hawksbill Creek Agreement in August 1955 declaring that the Bahamian Government agreed to businesses in the Freeport area and will pay no taxes before 2054. The Pine yard of Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier, was the first development of the economy of Freeport of Bahamas. He owned 50,000 acres (200 km2) of land of this area. After the capital of Nassau, City of Freeport is known to be the most populous city of Bahamas. The Grand Bahamas International Airport serves this place.
Freeport’s land area is about 230-square-mile (600 km2). It is off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida and about 65 miles (105 km) off the coast. Many international companies use Freeport as their business sites. Tourism topped the list for quite some time but from 2004, tourism has decreased tremendously due to hurricane hits.

Things to do:
There are plenty of beaches. Diving, water biking, surfing, Parasailing and underwater cave diving are different activities of the place.

Places to see:
• The Rand Nature Centre: This Centre was named in the honor of James Rand.
• Rand Nature Centre – Bahamas National Trust, Freeport City: This is in the East Settlers Way in the Freeport City. One can take a guided tour through this tropical forest. This Centre has hanging vines, serene pools and unusual wild animals. This is the regional headquarters of the Bahamas National Trust. This centre is spread over 100-acre property. West Indian flamingoes flock to this centre.
• Petersons Cay: This is a small islet of about 300 yards off the Grand Bahamas shore.
• Lucayan National Park: This national park was found by Peter Barrat who was a former Architect. He was also the Freeport town planner. This park is spread to an area of about 40 acres (0.16 km2). This area includes five ecological zones which extend from south shore to the pine yard. There is an underwater cave beneath this park.
• Theo’s Wreck: This is the most popular diving site. This is actually a shipwreck of the ship named Theo Galanopoulos (228-foot cement hauler) which sank off the shore near Freeport in 1982. This is now laying at a depth of 100 feet right off the continental shelf. The marine life, including numerous moray eels have made their home here.
• Xanadu Beach, Freeport City: This is on the Southwest coast of Grand Bahamas Island in the Freeport City. This is a crowded beach. One can rent chairs and umbrellas and enjoy variety of fun things. Parasailing, banana boat rides and JetSkiing, enjoying tropical drinks and snacks are some of the things here. There is an international bazaar with countless eating, drinking and shopping.
• The Garden of the Groves, Freeport City: This is on the Magellan Drive in the Freeport City. This area has jungle and zoo in the 11-acre property. This garden has the most exotic wildlife. Macaws, alligators, pot-bellied pigs and pigmy goats and iguanas are few of them. There is a waterfall and tropical fruit trees all around.
• Pinetree Stables, Freeport: This is located at Little Crab Cay in Freeport city. One can gallop along the shoreline splashing in the Caribbean shores.
• Paradise Watersports, Freeport City: This is located in the Xanadu Beach in the Freeport City. One can enjoy many aquatic activities in this beachfront. Underwater marine life can be viewed by taking glass bottom boats. Reef-n-Wreck snorkeling and parasailing can also be done.
• Xanadu Underseas Adventures, Freeport City: This is located in Xanadu Marina in the Freeport City. Diving is the best here with amazing cave diving which is rare and shark diving is another attraction. One can dive in reefs, cave and tunnels.
• Grand Bahama Brewing Company, Freeport City: This is located in the Logwood Road in the Freeport City. This is a microbrewery in the Bahamas. One can taste the samples and buy too.

Best time to visit / climate:
Freeport enjoys a subtropical climate with mild winters. The average temperatures range in the low to upper 80s, with water temperatures never below 72°. The winters are usually cold and dry while the summers are usually hot and wet. This can be considered as an all year visit site.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
By plane: There are many flights available from South Florida. American eagle offers daily flights from Miami. Bahamasair, Continental Connection, and Spirit Airlines all offer daily flights from Fort Lauderdale.
By Boat: There are quite a number of cruises departing from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) that offer cheap tickets to Freeport and Nassau.

To get around: One can take rent a car to move around.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Yahoo travel
• Tripadvisor Hotels
• Tripadvisor Restaurants
• Hotelclub.com

Blogs / Sites about Freeport (Bahamas):

• Lonelyplanet
• Travelpod.com
• Loadweb.com

Images and photos of Freeport (Bahamas):

• Google Search
• Placesonline.com
• Tripadvisor
• Freeportusa.com
• fotosearch.com

Videos from youtube:

Freeport Bahamas

Tour of Freeport, Bahamas

Our Lucaya Beach, Freeport Bahamas

Bahamas Jeep Safari, Grand Bahama Nature Tours, Freeport , Bahamas

The Niagara Falls (US) – An Amazing Spectacle of Mammoth Proportions

Traveller — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:27:53 +0000

Located right on the international border of North America and Canada lies a very delightful and amazing spectacle of nature known as the Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls are gigantic waterfalls on the Niagara River, situated between the two cities of New York on the American side and Ontario on the Canadian side. The falls are divided into three parts by Goat Island: The huge Canadian falls, with their distinct curvy shape, also known as the Horseshoe Falls, lying on the Canadian side and the American Falls, lying on the American side. Majority of the falls lies on the Canadian side. The third part is the smaller Bridal Veil Falls, on the American side, separated by Luna Islands from the two main falls. The Falls were formed when at the end of the last ice age, glaciers receded, leading to the formation of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment on their way to the Atlantic Ocean, giving birth to the Niagara Falls.
The Niagara Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America. For most people, it is an experience of a lifetime, to see three quarters of a million gallons of water explode every second over the edge of the American Falls. The height of the American Falls varies from 70 to 100 feet and width is 1060 feet .Revered for its beauty, as it is, the Falls have also been utilised for commercial and industrial purposes, the main being hydroelectric power.
The Niagara Falls became a popular tourist attraction in the 18th century, and is now the main attraction of Niagara Falls (the city in New York), which is named after the falls itself. It has been a hotspot for honeymooners for a long time now. Jerome Bonaparte (Napoleon Bonaparte’s younger brother) honeymooned here with his bride in the early 19th century. The waterfalls have also been a favourite with movie makers. The visits to the Niagara Falls rose considerably in 1953 after the release of the movie, “Niagara” starring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten.
The views of the Niagara Falls are such that leave everyone spell bound. You have volumes of water gushing down, and the ways that are available to get you closer to the action like boats, helicopters etc. makes everything much more exciting. At night, the falls are illuminated with floodlights, giving the falls a divine look. During winters, the whole scene changes as everything freezes to ice, forming mammoth razor sharp icicles.

Best time to visit / climate:
Best time to visit would be during summer, which is from mid May to September. That’s when the water flow is at its peak, the sky is blue and clear and all the attractions are open. People also come to visit Niagara Falls during winter and fall (October to February) when everything is covered in ice, but the falls look very romantic and picturesque. Most of the attractions are closed during this period.
The climate is mostly bright and sunny during summer with temperatures ranging from highs of 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) to lows of 50 degrees F (9 degrees C). July is the hottest month. The only drawback of summer is that it can get very hot and humid. Winters are cold with temperatures ranging from highs of 60 degrees F (16 degrees C) to lows of -10 degrees F (-23 degrees C). February is the coldest month.

LOCATION ON GOOGLE MAPS:

View Larger Map

How to get there :
If you like to drive, it’s a 6.5 hour drive from New York City. Air travel takes 45 minutes, but going from terminal to terminal, checking in and out, and finally driving to the falls takes 3 to 4 hours. You can also take a train or a bus. Check with your local travel and tours provider to explore your options.

View Larger Map

Places to stay (Restaurant’s, Hotels (with website / contact numbers):
There are many options for tourists in staying and eating at Niagara Falls. There are camp grounds available for backpacker’s and many two or three star hotels for people looking for budget accommodation. Some of the area’s top rated hotels are mentioned below:
1. The Giacomo, 222 First Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Phone : 716-299-0200

2. Seneca Niagara Hotel, 310 Fourth Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303

3. Days Inn Niagara Falls Buffalo, 2821 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Niagara Falls, NY 14304

4. Comfort Inn The Pointe, 1 Prospect Pointe, Niagara Falls, NY 14303

Most popular Bed and Breakfast places:
1. Hillcrest Inn, Hillcrest St, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Contact number: +1 716-278-9676

2. Butler House Bed and Breakfast, 751 Park Place, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
+1 866-706-8199

Top rated restaurants:

1. Caffe Lola, 507 Third Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
2. Wine on Third, 501 Third Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Price range: $15 to $20
3. La Galera, 6621 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY 14304

Source: http://www.tripadvisor.com

Apart from the names mentioned above there are a number of other eating joints like McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bells etc. for the junk food lovers and a number of other restaurant’s offering ethnic cuisines like Indian, Chinese, Italian etc.

Blogs / Sites about Niagara Falls (and small excerpts):

1. Formation of the Niagara Falls: (http://www.niagara-usa.com/)
Although the Falls at Niagara are about 12,000 years old, the story of their formation can be traced back hundreds of millions of years into the past. Five hundred million years ago the Earth was very different from the way it is today. Its climate was mostly tropical, and the land masses that would one day become North America and Eurasia were still in the process of separating from one another.
Most of the western and central portions of what was to become North America (including the Niagara region) lay underneath shallow tropical seas and brackish ponds. The eastern part of this future continent was dominated by the Taconic Mountains, a range that was taller than the still unformed Rockies would ever be.
The Taconic’s no longer exist in our world. Five hundred million years of erosion have reduced them to the Appalachian, Allegheny, and Catskill Mountains that we know today. The silt and minerals that were worn away from the Taconic’s, however, provided the materials that formed the Niagara region and (much later) the Niagara Falls.
Read more: http://www.niagara-usa.com/about_formation_of_the_falls.html

2. Sight-Seeing, attractions, what-to-do:
• “Niagara Falls will impress the nature lovers in the family and convert the ones who aren’t. Choose an adventure. You’re bound to get wet. Why Go? An up close and personal look at Niagara Falls. Who cares about getting wet even with the poncho on? Why…”
Read more: http://attractions.uptake.com/new_york/niagara_falls/961790070.html#ixzz0tg5Oz9S1

• “Niagara Falls State Park draws millions of visitors each year who want an opportunity to view the spectacular falls from one of the many outlooks. But there are many more Niagara Falls attractions to experience while you’re here. Get up close and personal with the Niagara Falls by taking a short walk to the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls to feel the mist during the Cave of the Winds tour. Or take a Niagara Falls tour of a different sort with the Maid of the Mist® boat ride, which takes you right down to the base of the falls.”
Read more: http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/Activities.aspx

• “Niagara Falls has many attractions from museums to the Maid of the Mist, to free concerts and events. Whether you want to absorb the beauty of the rushing waters of the falls or simply enjoy the historical sites, you will find and assortment of attractions and things to do in Niagara Falls. Visiting Niagara USA is an exciting adventure that can take you across many of Niagara’s regions. Niagara Falls attractions and museums like the Castellani Art Museum, the Native American Museum of Art, or the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum are sure to leave you with the culture of Niagara”.
Read more: http://www.niagara-usa.com/attractions.html

3. Map of Niagara Falls, NY.
(http://www.niagarafallslive.com/map_of_the_niagara_falls_region.htm)

4. A description along with many photo’s of the Niagara Fall’s.
• http://www.niagarafallslive.com/Facts_about_Niagara_Falls.htm
• http://mappery.com/Niagara-Falls-Map

5. Photo / Image Gallery:
• http://www.planetware.com/pictures-/niagara-falls-us-ny-nf.htm
• http://jboyd.net/Niagara.html

Video’s:

1. Video of Niagara Falls in action on youtube

2. Niagara Falls on the US side

Being a tourist in San Francisco

Traveller — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:52:14 +0000

I have had occasion to go to San Francisco a few times, basically due to work related travel. The first time, I got a chance to travel on a type of tram (a cable car running on the ground). Lots of fun and very enjoyable. Later, on different occasions, I got the chance to see some more sights in the city (tourist places, not the night life / clubbing culture). San Francisco has an incredible reputation as a very liberal city, with a very mixed population (it is apparently the first city in the US where the white population is now less than 50%). Plus, it has pretty good weather; visitors not from Iceland don’t freeze to death in the winter in San Francisco, unlike many other cities in the US .
So, as I mentioned, I got a chance to travel to San Francisco in the month of December. I like weather with a nip in the air, and that was exactly what I got. The first few days were spent in San Jose doing the usual company related drudgery, and then the first weekend came. There were a group of us, and we decided to spend a bit of money (although you can use a combination of the usual bus / BART / Caltrain stuff) and hire a cab that will take us out for a period of around 8 hours through the city and nearby places (imagine hearing from your friends again and again about the scenic Pacific Highway !).
The cab arrived sharp at 9 in the morning, and off we went. Given that we were somewhat of a novice to the whole area, we asked the cab guy to take us around a few of the places (of course, we did mention a few of the places we knew about such as – Golden Gate Bridge, Pacific Highway, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz). Off we went first to the Golden Gate Bridge (wikipedia) and then the highway beyond that. The Golden Gate Bridge is a mighty structure, worthy of admiring, and wondering how much time and effort went into building such a structure.

Moving beyond that, soon we reached a beautiful stretch with a great view of the water (from a height) and some distance beyond the Golden Gate Bridge we reached a small township and a beach where there were a number of people surfing (when asked about how cold it was, the cab driver told us about the wet suit that the surfers were wearing which insulated them to some degree).

None of us knew anything about surfing, so we just sat and watched for some time; then we returned back to San Francisco for some more sight-seeing. We came to the Harbour, and could see Alcatraz from a distance; however, tickets for Alcatraz needed to be booked earlier and it took more time than we had. So, we settled for a cruise on the Bay (there are several cruise ships that take you for a 1 hour tour of the Bay). The cruise had a running commentary, and the ship took you under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz (was very pleasant).

1 hour over, I dragged my colleagues to the cable car station (wikipedia) of Fisherman’s Wharf. This is more of a tourist attraction, but it is fun travelling on an open tram that runs on the up and down roads of San Francisco. The best place was to sit on the outside plank, so that you had the most fun. This takes you to Union Square, and then back. On the way, people can many times get on and off when it is running, and on several streets, cars have to follow because there is not enough space to overtake.

Next, we went off to the Crooked Street (a portion of Lombard Street). This is a section of the street that is one-way and has many sharp turns (8 in all as you head downhill). From the top of the street, you get a great view of the downhill sections of San Francisco. It was fun going down this winding road, and wondering about the people who actually live there. And then, before you know it, our trip to San Francisco was over (we exhausted our allotted time and had to head back to our hotel in San Jose).