The Norwegian Jade sits ready to sail from the Greek port of Piraeus. In the distance is the metropolitan city of Athens. Piraeus is a great port city in its own right but better known for being the port serving the Greek Capital.
For cruise ships visiting the port a fast and inexpensive subway ride can take you to the Acropolis station in just 40 minutes. Find everything you need to know about making the trip here:
Visiting the Acropolis from the port of Piraeus Greece An easy trip from the port of Piraeus into Athens for a visit to the Acropolis is inexpensive and takes about forty minutes each way. The main Piraeus Metro station is located at the back of the port itself and is a fifteen to twenty minute…
General – Piraeus is the seaport serving the city of Athens. This city is a major metropolis in its own right and the commercial area southeast of the port and near the sea has a number of excellent restaurants and attractions. While most passengers visiting this port for the first time will head out toward Athens and…
One of our favorite places in Alaska is Resurrection Bay near Seward. This bay offers some of Alaska’s greatest wildlife experiences. Seabirds, sea lions, dolphins, mountain goats, orcas and sea otters.
Here Are A Few Our More Recent Posts You Might Find Interesting…
People, places and captured moments selected from The Intentional Travelers photo collection. Marksburg Castle on the Rhine River Marksburg Castle, a majestic fortress located above the town of Braubach in Rhineland, Germany. This castle holds the unique distinction of being the only hilltop fortress on the Rhine that has never been captured or destroyed. Originally…
The History Behind The Celebration Of Easter Without question the holiest site in all of Christendom is located in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. It represents the location where Jesus was crucified and where his body was laid to rest. Today there is a high level of certainty that the location has been actually identified.…
with From Cartagena, Columbia to Ushuaia, Argentina the South American continent is an amazing land of natural wonders and human accomplishments. Explore the islands of the Galapagos or hike around Iguazu Falls, climb up to Machu Picchu or cruise through the Panama Canal. You can even cast off for a trip to Antarctica or walk…
It seems so other worldly, like Mars or the Moon but it’s right here on Earth. It’s so alien that the NASA space program uses it to test rovers and other equipment. Find the answer HERE. Here Are A Few Of Our More Recent Postings You might Find Interesting…
Carved out of the gently rolling countryside of northwestern South Africa by an ancient river is one of Earth’s largest canyons, the Blyde River Canyon.
Often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of South Africa,” the Blyde River Canyon is a scenic natural wonder located in the Mpumalanga province. It is the third-largest canyon in the world, stretching for 26 miles and reaching depths of 2,625 feet. Formed over millions of years by the erosion of the Drakensberg Mountains by the Blyde River. Its unique geological features include the Three Rondavels, a trio of distinctive rock formations, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes, cylindrical potholes carved into the rock by swirling flood water.
The Blyde River Canyon is home to a rich and diverse ecosystem, with over 1,000 plant species and numerous animal species, including baboons, klipspringers, and blue wildebeest. The canyon is also a popular destination for hiking, camping, and white-water rafting.
When visiting the area take the “Panorama Route” a scenic drive that winds its way around and through the Blyde River Canyon. Take in breathtaking views and visit some highlights that include God’s Window, a natural rock formation with panoramic views of the canyon. There’s also the Three Rondavels, a trio of distinctive rock formations, the Bourke’s Luck Potholes a geological wonder, formed by swirling water over millions of years. Take time to visit the Potholes and walk along the rim of the potholes or take a guided tour to learn more about their formation.
Whitewater Rafting the Blyde River is an exciting whitewater rafting experience for thrill-seekers with several companies offering trips, allowing you to navigate the rapids and enjoy the stunning scenery from below.
The Blyde River Canyon is a hiker’s paradise, with numerous trails offering varying levels of difficulty. The Bourke’s Luck Potholes Trail is a popular choice, leading to a series of cylindrical potholes carved by the river. For a more challenging hike, consider the Graskop Gorge Lift Company Trail, which descends into the canyon and offers stunning views.
Looking for specific travel or cruise information? Search our site using a specific word or phrase.
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“I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.”Susan Sontag
Welcome fellow travelers, we are The Intentional Travelers and we’re glad you stopped by. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us. We hope you’ll find us worth the visit and please come back soon.
Looking for travel inspiration?
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH US
GO TAKE A HIKE
Again thank you for dropping by and before you leave check out a few of our recent articles below.
For thousands of people each year seeing this Canadian lighthouse means they are on their way to Alaska. Most north bound Alaska cruise ships from both Vancouver and Seattle will cruise through this stretch of Canada’s Inside Passage bound for Alaskan waters. The Point Atkinson Lighthouse was built in 1888 on the western tip of…
Traveling Again With Exoticca To South Africa After our experience traveling with friends to South America using Exoticca we booked another trip with them. This time we went to South Africa for almost three weeks, just the two of us. Our View Of Packaged Travel Tours We’ve always been skeptical of packaged travel tours and…
A Short Story Those signs are everywhere, but apparently the monkeys can’t read. In a picnic area in South Africa’s Kruger Park the trees are filled with monkeys and if you don’t hold onto your bag lunch they’ll drop down, grab it and be back in the trees before you can blink. Two girls sharing…
Booking a cruise? We’ve plenty of information on several hundred ports of call on The Intentional Travelers. It’s a great place to help you make plans for that day in port. To access information on cruise ports click on any image below or to find a specific port enter the name below in the Search…
Summer in Budapest is normally a great time and what better way to take advantage of the fantastic weather than to dine el fresco. Budapest is famous for its restaurants and you’ll find opportunities for outdoors dining in dozens of locations. Bon Appétit! Mathyas Church stands behind chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant in the Buda…
We’re avid cruisers and with over fifty cruises, on all the world’s oceans, we’ve gained some experience regarding ships, itineraries and cruise life along the way. We’ve added a whole section about the Cruise Life as a part of The Intentional Traveler. There’s information on saving money on booking, ideas on selecting a stateroom, taking advantage of loyalty programs, selecting cruise itineraries and what you can expect when visiting over one hundred cruise ports of call.
OUR STORY
We’re Judi & Dennis and we are The Intentional Travelers. We’re a retired American couple that often traveled the world for years with our business. Now in retirement we just can’t seem to shake that wanderlust.
We’re avid cruise enthusiasts, love hiking and have now visited over eighty countries, hundreds of cities and have cruised all the worlds oceans.
It’s our nature to be frugal and firmly believe the less we spend the more places we can visit. For that reason on our site you’ll find lots of ideas to help you travel for less. Occasionally we’ll slip in a story or two from the road.
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Welcome fellow travelers, we are The Intentional Travelers and we’re glad you stopped by. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us. We hope you’ll find us worth the visit and please come back soon.
Looking for travel inspiration?
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH US
GO TAKE A HIKE
Again thank you for dropping by and before you leave check out a few of our recent articles below.
For thousands of people each year seeing this Canadian lighthouse means they are on their way to Alaska. Most north bound Alaska cruise ships from both Vancouver and Seattle will cruise through this stretch of Canada’s Inside Passage bound for Alaskan waters. The Point Atkinson Lighthouse was built in 1888 on the western tip of…
Traveling Again With Exoticca To South Africa After our experience traveling with friends to South America using Exoticca we booked another trip with them. This time we went to South Africa for almost three weeks, just the two of us. Our View Of Packaged Travel Tours We’ve always been skeptical of packaged travel tours and…
A Short Story Those signs are everywhere, but apparently the monkeys can’t read. In a picnic area in South Africa’s Kruger Park the trees are filled with monkeys and if you don’t hold onto your bag lunch they’ll drop down, grab it and be back in the trees before you can blink. Two girls sharing…
Booking a cruise? We’ve plenty of information on several hundred ports of call on The Intentional Travelers. It’s a great place to help you make plans for that day in port. To access information on cruise ports click on any image below or to find a specific port enter the name below in the Search…
Summer in Budapest is normally a great time and what better way to take advantage of the fantastic weather than to dine el fresco. Budapest is famous for its restaurants and you’ll find opportunities for outdoors dining in dozens of locations. Bon Appétit! Mathyas Church stands behind chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant in the Buda…
We’re avid cruisers and with over fifty cruises, on all the world’s oceans, we’ve gained some experience regarding ships, itineraries and cruise life along the way. We’ve added a whole section about the Cruise Life as a part of The Intentional Traveler. There’s information on saving money on booking, ideas on selecting a stateroom, taking advantage of loyalty programs, selecting cruise itineraries and what you can expect when visiting over one hundred cruise ports of call.
OUR STORY
We’re Judi & Dennis and we are The Intentional Travelers. We’re a retired American couple that often traveled the world for years with our business. Now in retirement we just can’t seem to shake that wanderlust.
We’re avid cruise enthusiasts, love hiking and have now visited over eighty countries, hundreds of cities and have cruised all the worlds oceans.
It’s our nature to be frugal and firmly believe the less we spend the more places we can visit. For that reason on our site you’ll find lots of ideas to help you travel for less. Occasionally we’ll slip in a story or two from the road.
Please Join Us By Subscribing
We understand that the last thing you want is to add you name to another mailing list but we promise to work hard to make this worth your while. By subscribing you add to our online rating which encourages us to continuing to add content. So please give us a try and if we don’t measure up you can always unsubscribe at any time (our unsubscribe really works).
Sign up now – you won’t be sorry and this really means a lot to us…
Subscribe
Thanks For Visiting
And Come Back Soon.
Looking for specific travel or cruise information? Search our site using a specific word or phrase.
SEARCH
“I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.”Susan Sontag
Welcome fellow travelers, we are The Intentional Travelers and we’re glad you stopped by. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us. We hope you’ll find us worth the visit and please come back soon.
Looking for travel inspiration?
EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH US
GO TAKE A HIKE
Again thank you for dropping by and before you leave check out a few of our recent articles below.
For thousands of people each year seeing this Canadian lighthouse means they are on their way to Alaska. Most north bound Alaska cruise ships from both Vancouver and Seattle will cruise through this stretch of Canada’s Inside Passage bound for Alaskan waters. The Point Atkinson Lighthouse was built in 1888 on the western tip of…
Traveling Again With Exoticca To South Africa After our experience traveling with friends to South America using Exoticca we booked another trip with them. This time we went to South Africa for almost three weeks, just the two of us. Our View Of Packaged Travel Tours We’ve always been skeptical of packaged travel tours and…
A Short Story Those signs are everywhere, but apparently the monkeys can’t read. In a picnic area in South Africa’s Kruger Park the trees are filled with monkeys and if you don’t hold onto your bag lunch they’ll drop down, grab it and be back in the trees before you can blink. Two girls sharing…
Booking a cruise? We’ve plenty of information on several hundred ports of call on The Intentional Travelers. It’s a great place to help you make plans for that day in port. To access information on cruise ports click on any image below or to find a specific port enter the name below in the Search…
Summer in Budapest is normally a great time and what better way to take advantage of the fantastic weather than to dine el fresco. Budapest is famous for its restaurants and you’ll find opportunities for outdoors dining in dozens of locations. Bon Appétit! Mathyas Church stands behind chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant in the Buda…
We’re avid cruisers and with over fifty cruises, on all the world’s oceans, we’ve gained some experience regarding ships, itineraries and cruise life along the way. We’ve added a whole section about the Cruise Life as a part of The Intentional Traveler. There’s information on saving money on booking, ideas on selecting a stateroom, taking advantage of loyalty programs, selecting cruise itineraries and what you can expect when visiting over one hundred cruise ports of call.
OUR STORY
We’re Judi & Dennis and we are The Intentional Travelers. We’re a retired American couple that often traveled the world for years with our business. Now in retirement we just can’t seem to shake that wanderlust.
We’re avid cruise enthusiasts, love hiking and have now visited over eighty countries, hundreds of cities and have cruised all the worlds oceans.
It’s our nature to be frugal and firmly believe the less we spend the more places we can visit. For that reason on our site you’ll find lots of ideas to help you travel for less. Occasionally we’ll slip in a story or two from the road.
Please Join Us By Subscribing
We understand that the last thing you want is to add you name to another mailing list but we promise to work hard to make this worth your while. By subscribing you add to our online rating which encourages us to continuing to add content. So please give us a try and if we don’t measure up you can always unsubscribe at any time (our unsubscribe really works).
Sign up now – you won’t be sorry and this really means a lot to us…
Subscribe
Thanks For Visiting
And Come Back Soon.
Everyone has an opinion as to why they love a city. Often a favorite is the result of a great experience than the city itself. Thinking about cities you’ve visited what actually made them appealing? Over the years we’ve come to some conclusions on what makes a great city. Most of all they make you feel welcome and leaves you wanting to stay longer.
The first thing that struck us is that most cities that we really enjoyed are clean. Very little litter. Trash really says a lot about the livability of a place along with graffiti. If the locals don’t care how their city looks they can’t be happy living there. Unfortunately this often is the fault of government policies and enforcement than the people themselves.
Graffiti, just like cleanliness, speaks with a load voice. In many cites graffiti is ugly and nasty and says that this is not a nice place to be. Sometimes it’s threatening like gang signs. But there are many cities where much of the graffiti is actually street art that actually adds to the mood of a place.
That leads to the next characteristic – friendliness. I think the attitude that keeps a place clean is also the same attitude that lifts people’s spirits and makes a city seem friendly. It doesn’t take long once you are in a city to feel that difference. We’ve all experienced cities where all you had to do was act a little lost and people would come up to you asking if they could help. Not all cities are like that.
Mass transit is another big major attribute and just like cities are different so is what you find in mass transit. Cleanliness, cost, coverage are all factors. In Singapore the trains and stations are spotless, the system is easy to understand and generally the riders friendly. More than once young people not only offered us seniors their seat but were insistent. In New York – don’t expect that.
A city’s culture and history are also very important and often are what bring us to visitors to the city. Besides the historic sites, the older a city the deeper the culture and that includes food, customs and overall character. It’s the difference in how a place feels.
So, taking everything into consideration here’s our top ten picks…
Budapest
Bangkok
Amsterdam
Singapore
Cape Town
Lima
Buenos Aries
Florence
Athens/Pireaus
Dublin
We know you think that we missed a few and we’ll admit that everyone should have Rome, Paris, Lisbon, Venice and a number of others on their bucket list, but these are those cities that we can return to over and over again…
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is probably our favorite city and the competition is stiff. This city has it all; it’s beautiful with amazing landmarks and history. The public transportation is inexpensive and extensive. Being clean doesn’t begin to tell the story and the people are helpful and friendly. There is nothing, anywhere that compares to strolling the banks of the Danube after sunset.
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is our second favorite city. The people are amazing, the sights are exotic as well as incredible and the culture has to be experienced. Public transportation can be a bit different but we adore the food.
Amsterdam
For a Western city Amsterdam has a culture all its own. The reputation is drugs, sex and
Singapore
When asked about Singapore our response is “we’ve seen the future and it’s Singapore”. Modern, historic, really clean, fun and very friendly. This beautiful city has very little if any crime, a fantastic mass transit system and more five star restaurants that maybe any other city. Everyone should experience Singapore.
Traveling light can become a lifestyle once you give packing some thought. It actually makes the trip much easier on you when you no longer are hauling around oversized and heavy luggage.
Pick your wardrobe carefully. Check the weather where you are going to help determine what clothes to pack. Also try to determine any special events that may require dressing up or dressing down. With this information you will be able to determine what you will need but also what isn’t necessary.
Eliminate items that need special care. Don’t take clothes that wrinkle easily or need ironing. (You can pack a small spray bottle and use water to spritz out most wrinkles.) Avoid items, like silk, that are easily damaged in a laundry.
Packing cubes
Stage clothes you’ve selected in one place so you can make an evaluation. Ask yourself questions like what combinations do I have and how many items work with each other. It’s important to be able to mix and match. Many environments also lend themselves to layering your outfits.
Select clothes designed to travel. Give priority to clothes that can be rinsed out and dried quickly. There are growing choices in miracle fabrics that are designed to keep you cool and dry fast. These items are generally lighter in weight so they take up less space when packing.
Pick shoes with a purpose. We travel with very lightweight tennis shoes (actually running shoes), a pair of sandals and we usually wear our everyday shoes. Pick a comfortable pair that will fit into your wardrobe choices. When packing, fill fold-top sandwich bags with socks and small items and put them in your shoes. This keeps things organized and also keeps the shoes from creasing.
Select the right suitcases. It is awkward to find yourself on a crowded train with an oversized suitcase that you can’t lift or will not fit in the overhead. On commuter trains, you cannot place suitcases on the seats without being lectured or, at best, glared at the entire trip.
We have gotten into the habit of traveling mostly with two carry-on size suitcases and a couple of backpacks. We also use packing cubes to organize the suitcase contents and reduce items shifting around. We also carry a light- weight foldable backpack for day outings or for holding things acquired along the way.
The following is a collection of links for light weight, easy dry clothing we’ve found that can save you time and space while traveling:
32 Degrees – We’ve become very fond of this line of clothing. Available in thermal and sweat wicking shirts and other apparel. We both wear their T’s and thermals.
Exofficio – They offer a wide assortment of fast dry under garments for men and women along with interesting travel ideas.
Balanced Tech @ Amazon – another good collection of fast dry clothing.
Under Armour – This company was the first in the market with sweat wicking clothing and was originally marketed to the military and police.
UNIQLO – this is a Japanese clothing company that is expanding quickly worldwide. We believe they offer a premium line at reasonable price. We have bought and traveled with their moisture wicking polo shirts and while heavier then Columbia they seem to rinse and dry just as quickly.
Columbia built its brand around cool travel clothing. I have had issues with their polo shirts developing pulls in the fabric and am beginning to rethink this shirt.
Rinse And Dry As You Go
Having enough clean clothes while traveling can be a problem. If you’re traveling on your own, you may be able to get laundry services at your hotel but that also comes at a premium price and can take a day or two. The other alternative is to find a laundromat (more common in the US then overseas) and spend a few hours washing, drying and folding.
32° Polo Shirt
A better solution is to travel with clothes that wash and dry quickly. There are any number of brands on the market that are lightweight and can be washed in a sink and then hung to dry in the bathtub/shower. The advantage here is that these clothes take up less room in your suitcase, generally wrinkle little or not at all and, because they can be quickly washed, you can pack fewer items. Todays new wonder fabrics and blends make the job of packing for a trip easier than ever too. Warmer, cooler, moister wicking, fast drying clothes for traveling are available from a number of sources. Perfect for layering, they are easy to rinse out in a sink and dry and are ready to wear again in an hour or so. Two of our favorite brands are 32° and Uniqlo’s AIRism.
Some great products to help you handle your own laundry are a universal sink stopper, travel size packs of detergent and an inflatable hanger. The sink stopper is necessary when you end up with a sink that doesn’t have a good stopper. The travel size detergent packs take up little space and, because they are single use, they can be disposed of as you use them. An inflatable travel hanger takes almost no space and can be blown up when needed and then deflated when it’s time to move on. Carrying a couple of plastic clothes pins can also be useful when hanging clothes to dry.
Over the period of couple of weeks we recently toured in South Africa and covered a great deal of territory, mostly in buses. This gave us the opportunity to see a lot of this incredible country up close. At every turn the landscapes simply took our breath away.
The central and northwestern regions of South Africa are generally flat land mixed with gently rolling landscapes filled with large stretches of farms, managed forests and coal mines.
Kroger National Park
Kruger National Park is generally similar geography but kept mostly undeveloped, with some mountainous areas along the eastern boundary. Kruger with its connected parks have resulted in a vast amount of land remaining in a wild natural state.
Traveling south from Kroger you soon get to the Grand Canyon of South Africa. The Blyde River Canyon, also known as Motlatse Canyon, is the third-largest canyon in the world, stretching for 26 miles and reaching depths of 2,600 feet. Miles and miles of incredible landscapes.
The Blyde River Canyon
Traveling south toward Cape Town are a number of long valleys oriented north-south providing South Africa with a perfect environment for growing grapes and yielding a number of excellent vineyards.
Table Mountain
Hout Bay Coastal Cape Town
Cape Town itself sits on the Atlantic with a number of coastal bays backed up by steep mountain ranges. This, in addition to providing amazing landscapes, shelters the city and its suburbs from cold weather fronts out of the southeast.
The Cape Peninsula
South out of Cape Town is the Cape Peninsula ending at the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, which results in a unique marine environment. A cold Arctic current flows northward along the Atlantic coast, while the warmer currents from the Indian Ocean flow southward along the eastern Indian Ocean coast. These currents are responsible for the peninsula’s extreme climate changes.
The Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It is the southern most point of land on the African Continent with a lot of the surrounding land preserved in National Parks..
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