A Sampling of the World’s Great Train Rides

November 27, 2009

Some of the world’s great journeys start with a great train ride. You can ride the rails on all continents but Antarctica.  Choose from the 400 mile Copper Canyon trip to the 5771 mile Trans Siberian trip to the short St. Moritz to Zermatt trip.

Here’s a sampling of the world’s greatest train rides.

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  • Trans-Siberian Railway takes you 5771 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean across 10 time zones.

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  • Lhasa Express takes you from Beijing, China to Lhasa, Tibet. This is a 4,064 km trip and if you’re a budget traveller you’ll me thrilled with the $US49 hard seat price. Try that for 3 days!
  • The Ghan Train is a journey from Adelaide to Darwin, Australia. You will travel 2979 kms over 2 nights and 3 days through the outback.

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  • The Glacier Express is only a 7.5 hour trip and takes you from St. Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland.
  • The Rocky Mountaineer offers a few options but the most popular one leaves from Vancouver, BC and heads to Jasper,Alberta over one night and two days.

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  • Oslo-Bergen Railway in Norway is considered to be one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. It sounds like a true adventure in the winter when major storm cells hit. You can get off along the way and explore on foot, bike or skiis.

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  • Peru Rail takes you from Cusco to Machu Picchu, Peru

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  • The Pride of Africa links Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania to Capetown, South Africa on one of the most luxurious trains in the world.

I have omitted many of the shorter, scenic trips and barely touched on Europe. The Man in Seat Sixty-One is an excellent resource to help you with further planning.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Miscellaneous travel tips | 1 Comment 

Canada’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

November 26, 2009

World Heritage Sites are chosen for their exceptional universal value. They include cultural, natural and mixed properties in 148 countries. There are 890 properties worldwide as of July 2009. Some are under threat from environmental degredation, war and overuse. Nonetheless, the  inclusion of  a visit to a World Heritage site as part of an adventure travel trip, will never ceases to add a meaningful component to your trip.

Here is a list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Canada, a few of which I am embarrassed to say, I have never heard of until today.

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Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Alberta

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Banff National Park

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L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland

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On the Alsek River

Happy Exploring!

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Canada, Miscellaneous travel tips | 1 Comment 

The Eagles Have Landed.

November 24, 2009

It’s that time year again where it is possible to view a massive number of bald eagles congregating in a small area in both British Columbia and Alaska.

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Three specific eagle viewing sites are:

  • In Brackendale, just outside of Squamish which is halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. Peak viewing is from mid December to mid January though large numbers may still be around in February.  Be adventuresome and try a rafting trip in the winter as an alternative way of seeing the eagles.
  • Along  the Harrison River, about an hour east of Vancouver. The two day bald eagle festival has just occurred though the eagles don’t know that, so they’ll be around for many more weeks.
  • In Haines, Alaska where they celebrate the eagles over a 5 day period with photography workshops, nightly entertainment and guided viewing. This is the spot to see the largest gathering in the world at one time. Then, as it gets colder, the eagles move south to British Columbia.

You’ve just missed two of the festivals.  But a trip to either Harrison River or Brackendale on the dullest days of Decemeber to watch these amazing birds is a sure way to light up your day.

Here are some interesting bald eagle facts:

  1. The average lifespan in the wild is up to 28 years
  2. They have a 6-8 foot wingspan and can weigh up to 14 pounds
  3. The biggest eagle nest ever recorded weighed 2 tons, and measured 9.5 feet across by 20 feet high
  4. The bald eagle was delisted from the ‘Threatened and Endangered Wildlife’ list on June, 2007.
Eagle The Eagles Have Landed.

Bald Eagle - Photo by James Ridge

Leigh McAdam

HikeBikeTravel

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Canada, Miscellaneous travel tips | 1 Comment 

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Another Free Guide – Cabot Trail Biking Tour Guide

Palm Springs, a desert resort city of 40,000 plus people, is located 100 miles east of Los Angeles and 130 miles northeast of San Diego. It is one of nine cities that make up the Coachella Valley with mountains surrounding it on all sides.

Inside Cabot Trail Biking Tour Guide you will find the following

1. Fantastic scenery, especially along the western coast of Cape Breton Highlands National Park

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