Travel Archives - The Middle Age Wanderer

How to Tell if an Animal Encounter is Ethical?

Posted In: Travel Tips

Ethical animal tourism is top of mind for many of us when we travel. So how do we tell if an animal encounter is ethical? I wanted to start by explaining why I believe I am in a position to talk about ethical animal encounters. For almost ten years I sat on the board of one of the largest animal welfare organisations in the Southern Hemisphere. The organisation provides assistance to over 50,000 animals (of which half are wildlife) every year, operates 10 shelters and a large wildlife hospital. What[...]

Iceland

13 Must See Waterfalls in Iceland

Posted In: Iceland

The waterfalls in Iceland are stunning and we spent an amazing 18 exploring the country and visiting many of those waterfalls. You will see waterfalls throughout the country, whether they are one of the top Instagrammed waterfalls in the world or a waterfall created just because it is raining. The waterfalls on this list are in order of us visiting them as we drove clockwise around Iceland. While I have called this post 13 Must See Waterfalls in Iceland, there are actually 17 waterfalls on this list. Some[...]

Chemainus

Chemainus – World Famous Mural Town

Posted In: Canada

The quaint town of Chemainus is found on the Chemainus River Valley on the east coast of Vancouver Island in Canada. We didn't know of the town but found it as we headed from Victoria to catch the ferry to Vancouver. Because we had some spare time before ferry left, we spent a few hours exploring the town. If you are visiting Vancouver Island, add Chemainus to your itinerary. Spend at least a few hours exploring the town, finding the murals and doing some shopping. HistoryThe Hul'gumi'num firs[...]

Kyoto

Pokemon Street Lights in Kyoto

Posted In: Japan

Now I need to start by saying I haven't ever played Pokemon Go but have friends that do and my husband even created an account to play a few times while we were in Japan. But it was obvious from the moment we arrived in Tokyo that Pokemon Go was really popular. In Tokyo, we stayed a short walk from Shinjuku Station. We found a Pokemon Go area just outside the station. We walked by this area a few times and people where there playing each time. After some time in Tokyo, we head[...]

Take Better Travel Photos: Look for the Detail

Posted In: Travel Photography

We all take quick snaps when we travel, but spending a little bit of extra time to "look for the detail" can add extra meaning to our travel photos. Let's look at some examples. select one object from many In this example, we were walking along the Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris or as it is known, the "lock bridge". The photo below shows how many locks have been added to the bridge (and this is only a small section) but it really does not evoke any emotion. It really is just lots of locks, most of which are the s[...]

Iceland

11 Tips for Driving in Iceland

Posted In: Iceland

Iceland is truly a beautiful country and a great way to see it is to hire a car and take a road trip. There are no trains and unless you are on a guided bus tour, there are limited buses. So, we spent 18 days exploring Iceland by car. From that experience, here are our 11 tips for driving in Iceland. Iceland is a relatively easy country to explore by car as it is quite small at 103,000 square kms (approximately 40,000 square miles). Iceland compared to the UK (Source: https://thetruesize.com) Also, by[...]

Paris

Moulin Rouge – A Photo Gallery

Posted In: France

The Moulin Rouge in an iconic Paris show. We booked for the show only and not the dinner. It was still daylight when we arrived but it’s not until after dark that the building lights up with the neon lights. You cannot take photos of the show. The show itself was a good show with the exception of it using animals. I am very anti the use of animals for shows. They brought out miniature horses for one part and they have a pool with pythons which a women is “thrown” into. The pythons were not moving and the woman[...]

Egypt

10 Must see Sites in Egypt

Posted In: Egypt

Egypt has so many amazing historical sites that it is impossible to include them all in a list (well it would be an extremely long list!). Therefore, I have prepared a list of my 10 must see sites in Egypt to include in planning for your adventure there. 1 – Abu Simbel The Abu Simbel temple complex is located at Abu Simbel which is a village in Nubia, just north of the border with Sudan. It is part of the Nubian Monuments UNESCO World Heritage Site which stretches from Abu Simbel to Philae.[...]

Iceland

10 Must Visit Churches in Iceland

Posted In: Iceland

We spent an amazing 18 days exploring Iceland. The churches in this beautiful country are unique and usually are accompanied by stunning scenery. The churches on this list are in order of us visiting them as we drove clockwise around Iceland. If you are considering doing a road trip in Iceland, read my 11 Tips for Driving in Iceland. 1 – Reykholt Church There are two churches on this site, with this church being the oldest, dating back to 1896. The church sits behind its new counterpart and amongst an[...]

Eaglehawk Neck

Tessellated Pavement – A Photo Gallery

Posted In: Australia

The Tessellated Pavement is a state reserve at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania. It is about 25 minutes from this historic Port Arthur and about 90 minutes from Hobart. It is located on a narrow isthmus connecting mainland Tasmania to the Tasman Peninsula. Apart from Port Arthur, the Tasman Peninsula is home to stunning natural formations such as the Devil's Kitchen, Tasman Arch and the Tasman Blow Hole. We stayed at Eaglehawk Neck overnight which allowed us to take the short drive to P[...]