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Polar Adventures

March 13, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Safaris, nature trips, kayaking, all these may have been the best adventure experiences at one time or another but times have changed. For a real adventure, you can now explore ‘no man’s land’ and what better place to start than somewhere in the Arctic? Thanks to technology, one can now take a trip to these once ‘forgotten’ lands and enjoy nature in its purest form.

Cruises on one of the high tech ships are bound to be a unique experience. Depending where the cruise ship takes you, you will be able to enjoy interaction with some of the world’s greatest mammals. One of the favourites among the Antarctic cruises is a trip to the Falkland Islands which are considered to be as rich as the Galapagos Islands. Completely unique and diverse ecosystems can be found on this unique voyage including the rare macaroni penguin, nestling albatrosses, sea lions, elephant seals and fur seals. Historical places like the Shackleton’s grave as well as a whaling station are worth visiting.

Falkland Islands (creative commons)

The heavily iced area of Antarctica with its Weddell Sea is one of those places that humans seldom set foot on. Visitors can have a true experience of the purity of ice as they admire the icebergs formed by the clearest water on the planet. Huge penguin colonies, seals, a visit to some research stations and a glimpse of the exotic Weddell leopard are all part of the itinerary for this trip.

Literally be on top of the world and take a trip to the North Pole where there is no land, only ever shifting ice. The experience of standing on 90° North with the world beneath is something each visitor describes differently. Part of adventure is witnessing the icebreaker ship make its way stubbornly through three meters of ice. Feel like the main attraction as polar bears stare at the ship like it was from another planet while arctic birds and walruses fly above.

Feel like you are coming out of a fairytale with a visit to Greenland and its icebergs and glaciers. The country is home to indigenous people and offers a unique cultural experience. With its scenic bays, colourful Inuit houses and adventure waiting around every corner, Greenland is a an amazing destination worth visiting.

Iceberg in Greenland (creative commons)

The Arctic can be the last resort for those who are tired of traditional adventure tours. Whether you choose to be on top or at the bottom of the world, adventure is just waiting to happen.

Channel Crossing

March 5, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Not available on Eurostar

The English and French have always been contriving ways of getting at each other sooner, even going so far as proposing a channel tunnel as early as 1804. The current quickest invasion route is Ashford International Station to Calais in France at a mind-boggling 31 minutes. In literally less time than it takes to board the ferry in Dover, you can have crossed the channel or, more precisely, crossed under the channel in the comfort of a high-speed train.

And frankly if you’re travelling in the dark under 50 km of open sea you might just as well get it over with as rapidly as possible. It’s at best a little dull and your phone won’t work.

If, on the other hand, you’re of a mind to treat the journey as part of your trip, you might consider at least once not taking the fastest route possible and dedicating just one part of one leg of your voyage to the sea.

P&O Ferries operates between Dover and Calais and destinations in Belgium and offers an appreciably different experience to the inimitable Eurostar. For one thing, it might actually be more efficient if, for instance, you’re selling your car in Dover or popping over to France to fill your trunk with low-tax cigarettes and wine. But it’s also a proper throwback experience — it’s an actual boat on the sea and it’s susceptible to waves and fog and the rain and it feels like actual travel in a way that a high-speed drawing room in a tunnel simply never can. And your phone works — at least mine stayed on an English carrier until about twenty minutes out of Calais when it switched seamlessly to a French network.

To the pedestrian passenger — or the driver who leaves his car during the voyage — the ferries are more like junior cruise ships then they are vehicle transports. There’s an expansive view to be had foreship in the pub that wraps itself entirely around the view of flat France as you depart or, much more inspiringly beautiful, the famous white cliffs as you arrive. Or you can pass part of the short 90 minute voyage on the observation deck, complete with telescopes, in the aft. I recommend this very much because you’re outside with the elements and the smell of the sea and sound of the gulls and it’s magic.

Making the trip from, say, London, means getting first to Dover and I recommend arriving early and seeing a bit of this charming little seaside town, particularly the monstrous 12th century Dover Castle and its stunning views. A Dover pedestrian departure is surprisingly uncomplicated — Dover Priory train station is within the town and a delightful walk from the ferry docks. From the terminal you’re taken by bus to the gangplank and board the ship the way people have been boarding ships for hundreds of years. By car it’s even easier if considerably less romantic.

The best that can be said about the Calais side, if you’re not going there specifically for cheap tipple, is that it’s easy to leave. That’s slightly less true if you’re on foot from the ferry docks but there’s a handy bus to Calais train station. In fact the train station is technically within walking distance but the walk is anything but charming characterised largely by hideous corrugated tin depots. In any case the approach to the ferry terminal is very distinctly designed for automotive traffic and walking to or from it would be like walking to or from an airport.

Remember that the crossing is only 90 minutes and make a point of taking in as much sea air and scenery as you can. There’s no perspective of Dover’s moving white cliffs like that which you get from the sea and while there are obviously quicker and more convenient crossings there’s no experience exactly like a channel crossing.

You can and should book your crossing a bit in advance at www.poferries.com but these aren’t flights — you can book as late the day before departure and a one-way crossing for a pedestrian is around €30. If you don’t book in advance you can buy your tickets right at the terminal — it’s not like they’re going to run out of space — but it’ll cost you about €100.

Poll Indicates Some Couples Like Vacations

February 28, 2013 By admin 1 Comment

In a stunning development, a new poll released this week by the U.S. Travel Association provides strong evidence that couples who take vacations together typically have stronger relationships and better sex lives. While the study was quiet on the point, it seems probable that these couples also have better tans and buy more luggage than couples who don’t take vacations or, if they do, spend them in the basement.

Thank you, scientific polling methodologies!

The survey is unashamedly designed to encourage people to travel more, ideally in the US, and so I can’t criticise its noble intentions. I can, however, delight in making fun of its methodology and conclusions.

For instance, apparently some 83% of the approximately some people who took part in the poll said that a weekend getaway was likely to spark romance. The Travel Association concludes from this that vacations cause whoopy. This rather blindly ignores the more likely and obvious interpretation — those of us who travel are more sentimental than those who don’t. We’re not romantic because we travel, we travel because we’re romantic.

Similarly, 77% of respondents who travel together say that they have a good sex life, compared with 63% of those who do not travel together. This means that both groups are doing pretty well in direct contradiction with real scientific studies that indicate that more than half of people in relationships are unhappy with their sex lives, so either this poll suffers some small selection bias or it sampled at most eight couples (or it’s complete bullshit from beginning to end).

According to the survey, couples who travel together are appreciably more likely to make it past the five year point. I wonder what conclusion could be drawn from that, apart from traveling together reinforces relationships? In light of the fact that most couples identify money as the single greatest source of dispute, could it be that those that can afford to travel are less likely to have financial issues? Yes, it could indeed be that.

Oddly enough, the one figure that’s difficult to misinterpret appears to have made it into the published results by mistake: “More than one in every four couples (28%) say their sex life improved after traveling together”. That’s right, this poll shows that almost 75% of couples experienced no change or a deterioration of sexual activity after traveling together. Now that bit would be worrying if this poll had any credibility at all but it doesn’t so it’s not.

Having said all that I’m pretty sure that a vacation — in that it’s time away from the kids in an anonymous environment that often involves bikinis and other people doing the dishes and not caring what the neighbours hear — is going to contribute to a healthy relationship. In fact I’ll go so far as to say that’s just stating the obvious and it certainly doesn’t need support from an unscientific poll sponsored by an industry lobby.

The Skating Capital

February 21, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

For those privileged few living on the Earth that’s not experiencing drastic climate change — I’m led to understand that’s roughly 1% of you — this won’t be particularly interesting. For the rest of us, though, as of today the skating conditions on Ottawa’s Rideau Canal are officially either “good” or “very good” (and, as might be expected from Canada’s capital city, “very good” is as the absolute best score).

Next year, who knows. It’s -7C (19F) right now and it made it down to -18C (0F) last night and that’s certainly cold enough for at least “good” ice conditions but that’s really not that cold so if you’ve never skated on an inner-city canal and you think you’d like to before Baffin Island becomes a tropical paradise then this would make an excellent winter to spend a weekend skating through Ottawa.

Skating on the Rideau Canal is an Ottawa tradition and has been for over forty years. So now it’s well-entrenched and the Rideau is a full day’s entertainment. There’s music and hot food and hot chocolate right on the ice, skate rental and sharpening services, first-aid stations and public toilets. It’s a giant, friendly community party and while the locals have a clear advantage they will absolutely not laugh at your amateur efforts to stand up on skates. Indeed, with the anonymity of a strange city, a good reason to wear a balaclava and 7 km (about 5 miles) of ice open all night and all day the Rideau’s skating season — typically from about mid-January to the beginning of March — is probably the ideal occasion to learn to skate.

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Ottawa’s a little hard to access compared to, say, Toronto or Montreal. If you’re not coming from one of these cities then you’re probably going to have to get there first and either drive, fly or take the bus or train from there. It’s winter so I recommend the train and the corresponding wonderland view, but Ottawa itself is mighty easy on the eyes, too, and if you’re just making it a weekend to skate then maybe fly. The nicest bits of the city are, happily, within walking proximity of one another and if you make to Parliament Hill you’ve found the practical centre of Ottawa as a tourist destination. From there you can walk the older and more charming parts of Ottawa before returning to the ice from which you get another and equally charming perspective. Ottawa, being a capital city, has plenty of museums and most guides will tell you to see them and by all means do if you, say, break your leg skating (you’re not going to break your leg) but between you and me museums are not Ottawa’s trump card.

Having said that, the Rideau is easily the most accessible and most romantic and most frozen inner city canal on which you can make a weekend this winter and if you’re up for it you should make the most of it while you can.

Extreme Getaways… if you dare!

February 20, 2013 By admin 1 Comment

While some prefer to sunbath on beaches and take dips in pools, others… well, let’s just say others want to take a trip to the wild side. If you’re the latter, then check out these vacation spots/ activities that will tickle your adventurous personality and your daredevil personality.

Do you love mountain trips? Do you love food? If the answer for both questions is yes, then this restaurant is for you! Said to be the most exclusive restaurant in the world, Beifang restaurant is located on top of Mt. Huashan of the Anhui Province on the Great West Mountain. To get there, you’d have to hang on chains, travel on wooden planks, stick your toes in rocks and climb the steepest ladder ever. But the effort is worth it because when you get there the food’s free! Well… IF you get there.

Take Jaws on a date as you go shark cage diving. Give the Great White Sharks a chance to bond with you in shark dips. Several divers will be placed inside the cage in full gear, and will be placed in Shark-infested waters. South Africa’s Cape Town Shark Diving is one of the prime spots for activities like these, and there are also spots in Florida and Hawaii. Think you’re brave enough to try it?

Afraid of heights? They say that in order to get rid of a fear; you have to face it. Mountain climbing is too cliché for an adventure, but sleeping on hanging sleeping bags sounds pretty much like a frightful thing to do. Climbers secure their sleeping bags and they lay in it, using it like a hammock, except you can’t hang your foot out because your whole body might follow suit.

Finally let’s take ‘cool’ to another level. Say, South Pole? Well, if you like barren wastelands and lip-chapping temperatures, South Pole (Antarctic) tours are for you. See the aurora australis and spend the night with the penguins. But you can do more than this because there are also activities like hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, skiing and wildlife trips. It’s best to bring someone with you because cold, cold nights call for cozy ups with a partner.

Yes, life is a constant adventure. But adventures differ, and yours just might be better.

A City Where People Stop for Time

January 16, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

As you stroll through the streets of the famous city of Prague, you will get a lot of attention. Street vendors will all be hawking their goods at the top of their lungs in order to attract you to their wares. People will be strolling alongside you accompanied by the constant chatter filling the air. Suddenly you will notice that the noise level begins to subside and the attention of the people is being diverted to the tower of the town hall. There are two blue windows that begin to slide open. Figures emerge two by two representing Christ’s apostles come out. The leader is holding a large key.

What you have just observed is Prague’s famed astronomical clock, one of the most famous attractions of the Czech Republic. This event happens at the top of every hour from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. These mechanical figurines spring to life with amazing regularity. The display of the apostles is not the only parade of figures you will witness. Each hour the figures of the most feared people or events will parade out of the clock tower windows. You will see the Miser showing the greed of many. At another hour you will observe Vanity admiring himself in the mirror. Death also takes a turn at the window followed by the Turk who represents invasion.

A main focus for tourists that are traveling in the area is to watch the moving figures carefully. But the true draw of the clock is its astronomical dial. The outer ring of the clock is divided into 24 hour sections beginning at sundown. The ring always rings on the 24^th hour at the exact time that sundown occurs no matter what time of year it is.

Inside the ring is the Roman numeral division. This divides the day into two 12-hour time periods. Noon is at the top and midnight is at the bottom. The golden hands tell us the time of day it is.

But that’s not all there is to this world famous clock. An astronomical dial and a small sphere tells the path of the sun and the different phases of the moon. The rotation of the constellations in the night sky is also detailed among other things. This astronomical clock has been one of the most popular tourist attractions in Prague since its creation all the way back to the 15^th Century and with all of its intricate details you could be occupied for quite some time.

But if the intricacies of this very elaborately detailed clock are not enough to engage your fancy then you might want to visit the location of the Lennon Wall. Located in Mala Strana district, near the French Embassy until around the 1980’s when people began to cover it with graffiti and lyrics all inspired by the Beatles songs.

Before the end of the 80s communism was the power to reckon with and the authorities banned western music. Since the music of John Lennon promoted freedom it was considered illegal to listen to it. At the death of Lennon in 1980 he became a popular icon for the youth at the time. People started by painting his picture on the wall and over the years since then they have dedicated the wall to him with all sorts of graffiti and writings in his honor. The wall has been whitewashed several times and some taggers have even been jailed for their actions but the wall has survived in spite of the government’s threats.

A visit to the Civic Square will provide you with a connection to the Czech culture and the location of many public demonstrations. Here in the heart of New Town plenty of places to explore the history of the country. You can take walking tours from this point to just about any of the wonderful sights of Prague.

A must see is a visit to Prague Castle. Ranked number one in the Guiness Book of Records is not the real attraction of this amazing structure. The complex has been the home of many Kings, Queens and Presidents of the country. The entire complex encompasses more than eighteen buildings that include palaces, churches, halls and towers. You can wander through their beautiful gardens. There are eight of them and immerse yourself in the rich tales of life long past.

The city of Prague is a city of unparalled beauty and style. Whether you will visit for a day, a week or a month you will not be able to see and enjoy everything the city has to offer. When you are there you can’t help but to stop and let time catch up with you.

Obsolete Serendipity

January 14, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Best to just leave it there until you need it.

Part of the great romantic appeal about hitchhiking, particularly across Europe and borders and linguistic and political and cultural divides, is the possibility of getting splendidly and serendipitously lost.

Mind you, this fanciful prospect is the flip side of getting hopelessly and desperately lost and not liking it one bit.

I propose a compromise — bring a phone. A good phone, mind you, with Google Maps. The astute reading this will point out that this isn’t a compromise at all but a complete discarding of the element of risk to which I say not true — the battery might run out. You can fine-tune the serendipity levels by keeping the phone off or not until you need it.

If you live in Europe and you’re hitching to other European countries you already know that roaming costs are extortionate and if you’re coming from North America you’ll find it out soon enough. I have a solution for that, too. Buy a SIM card for every country you’re in. Few and, so far as I know, no countries in Europe don’t have a discount prepay SIM provider from whom you can get a native number over the counter at almost any store.

For between €10 and €20 you can get a SIM with that much credit and if you’re careful how you use it (meaning, just don’t) you’ll have plenty of data credit if and when you need it. This means avoiding the temptation to surf the net while waiting for a ride which requires a degree of self-restraint so elevated that if you manage it you’ll also, as byproduct, achieve nirvana. So you might want to buy a little backup credit when you buy your SIM.

For hiking in the UK, Germany and Spain get a Lebara SIM (one for each country, of course). In the Netherlands get Hema or even one of the mainstream carriers like Orange. In France look for Bouygues (Lebara operates in France, too, but doesn’t offer data). Alternatively, if you’ve got a European postal address you can order a Belgian SIM from the Dutch/Belgian offering Mobile Vikings whose data plan works in both countries and beyond that has very reasonable, non-rapey roaming charges. Note though that Mobile Vikings can’t be bought in stores and can only be topped up online so if you run out of credit and your only way of getting online is your phone then your serendipity risk has obviously somewhat elevated.

A good traveling phone charges quickly and holds its charge for a long time, which means that at this writing there are no good traveling phones on the market. There are a couple of not entirely useless traveling phones, though, and I’m going to recommend the Samsung Galaxy Mini. It’s small, cheap, and durable, it charges reasonably quickly and the user experience is so poor that you’ll be tempted less often to play with it to while away the time between rides.

Remember that Google Maps employs GPS to find your position and GPS uses your battery like its bitch, so use it sparingly. Even if you’ve got plenty of charge the maps application itself is very data intensive so, really, until you need it just try to forget you have a phone.

Hitchhiking 2.0

January 10, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Try this at home

There’s no arguing that today travel is more economical and enjoyable and democratic than it’s ever been but I confess to just a sliver of nostalgia for some of the romance made obsolete by the internet age. I kind of miss waiting in line with fellow travelers to buy tickets and passing the occasional night with the bums at a train station. And I’d like to experience one last time that anticipation of not having any idea at all what sort of hotel I’m booked into. I do not, however, miss hitchhiking in the slightest.

It’s a new millenium. You don’t need to be standing on the shoulder in the rain with your destination written on a bit of cardboard just to exchange the risk of being beaten death for a ride somewhere. There are websites for that now.

In fact all the best parts of hitchhiking are preserved in the internet age — you get where you’re going cheap and you meet people of all sorts except those too busy or unfriendly to offer you a ride. You’ve got to kick in for gas these days but that wasn’t unheard of in the age of the cardboard sign either. And any sentimental customs of the open highway lost to the mists of nostalgia are more than balanced out by the sheer breadth of possible destinations and routes.

Now, I love the trains and if you’re planning on bumming around Europe by train than I’m absolutely not going to try to talk you out of it, but if you’re undecided I’m going to suggest hitchhiking by internet. This is not your father’s hitchhiking; there are websites and networks and organizations dedicated to matchmaking drivers and passengers and destinations and there’s almost nowhere you can get by train that you can’t get to in a carpool and it’s going to cost appreciably less than a Eurail pass.

The advantage that scheduled trains have over hitchhiking is the scheduled part. They tend to leave roughly when they say they will and arrive at the places they say they’re going to when they say they’re going to get there. That’s changing rapidly but does it really matter? You’re bumming around, not commuting.

The most obvious site for arranging pan-European carpooling is craigslist. Coincidentally, it’s also probably the worse. It’s got some trips and if you look in both the city you’re in and the one you want to get to there’s a chance you’ll find something but there’s a better than even chance that it will be for an hour ago.

Have a look at craigslist anyhow but then look here: www.carpooling.co.uk. It’s pretty intuitive. Pick a start city (if the cities you’re looking for aren’t there then click on the Europe tab) and a destination and then select from the the numerous offers. Note that some of them look like rides but are in fact bus or train tickets and there’s nothing wrong with that except that they often have conditions (most commonly, student or age restrictions) that may render them invalid for you.

Read the description of the ride because as often as not they’ll tell you about the vehicle, whether or not you can bring luggage and how much, if there are other stops along the way or if the driver is willing to go off-route and of course your share of the costs. You’ll need to register to book a journey and it’s easy so you don’t need to use a fake name and the houses of parliament as your postal address. I did that just for fun. All you really have to have is an email address.

Carpooling.co.uk is also carpooling.fr and carpooling.de and a lot of other country domains so you’ll find a lot of ads in local languages but please don’t let that put you off. Your tourist enthusiasm will be widely welcomed and this is another advantage that internet hitchhiking has over the cardboard sign — you won’t be the only stranger in the car.

Up For A Scottish Highlands Adventure?

December 20, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Why not take a full-day trip to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands?

It is cool and foggy as we arrive at 60 High Street, on Edinburgh’s Royal mile. Exhausted and excited in equal measure we prepare for a 12-hour return excursion to Fort Augustus, nestled on the banks of infamous Loch Ness.

Andy, our guide is very friendly. Funny and knowledgeable he describes the trip ahead.

Heading north from Edinburgh, we wind through the cobbled streets of the Old Town and out of the busy capital. As the scenery changes from cityscape to countryside we travel along the fortified walls of Stirling Castle.

Our first stop arrives around 10:30am. We pull in to The Trossachs Weaving Mill Shed, where we meet Hamish the hairy ‘coo’ (Andy informs us that Scottish cows are called coo’s). This is the first of many stops, with enough time to explore the gift shop and take in the Callendar scenery.

Hamish – The Callendar Coo

As we venture on, Andy plays us local traditional music as well as more recognisable Scottish tunes from bands such as The Proclaimers, setting a relaxing tone as we cross Rannoch Moor.

We stop and absorb the dramatic Glen Coe, the site of the infamous massacre in 1692. A lone bagpipe player fills the fresh air with eerie song from the site’s car park.

Passing through Fort William, we stop off for a cheeky tipple of scotch and observe one of the largest settlements in the Scottish Highlands. It is from here that we are able to see Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles. Its peak breaks through the fine cloud.

As we drive through the Great Glen, Andy talks us through interesting sights and important local facts about the area.

Driving through Highland Perthshire, we dip through native forests and flowing rivers before arriving at our destination.

Caledonian Canal- Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus is a quaint village settled on the shore of Loch Ness with a peaceful vibe, despite the tourists. There is plenty to enjoy about Fort Augustus. The loch is calm and eerie, it is easy to see why so many legends are attached to this place.

While on the loch, there is an option for us to take a ‘Nessie’ hunting boat cruise. It is hard to resist, having traveled all this way. We climb on board and head our across the dark, murky water. Even in summer the wind is biting cold. With a complementary Taste of Scotland lunch provided by the company, many people choose instead to nestle on the grass in the sunshine and enjoy a picnic overlooking the Caledonian Canal.

The tour ends with a relaxing drive home on much the same course as we arrived by. Andy puts on relaxing local music and most of us fall asleep, while other ponder what they have seen. What sounds like an incredibly long day, slips by in a blink.

The full-day Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness tour is a truly worthwhile experience.

Up for a Caribbean Island Vacation?

November 18, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

“Welcome to the Caribbean, Lad!!!” – The Pirates of the Caribbean

This one statement has drawn many a visitors to these exotic islands after it was first heard from Johnny Depp in the movies “The Pirates of The Caribbean”. The Caribbean compromises of around seven thousand islands that are surrounded by seas that are very crystal clear. The Caribbean provides the tourist a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the open blue sky and the plenty of beaches that surrounds it. This place is in fact considered to be a spot for both families and the newly wed couples. With plenty of islands around, the visitors can simply have a gala time visiting some of the most popular ones with their loved ones and enjoy their vacation to their full satisfaction.

Saline Beach at St. Barts: This is a very small V-shaped island which is just around 8 miles in radius. Inspite of its small shape, this place has been one of the perfect holiday destinations for the average people and the rich. People seeking tropical luxury can get in bounty from this place. The Saline Beach is located on the south coast and is considered to be the most secluded and perfect beach of this island. The sandy beach is white in color and horseshoe shaped and is very close to the country’s important village of Gustavia. Walking for around ten minutes from the car parking area, the visitor can easily enjoy the beautiful scenery that this tropical paradise has to offer.

Englishman’s Bay in Tobago: Tobago is regarded as the lesser developed half of the country of Tobago and Trinidad and is said to be the home to one of the best beaches found in the world. The beach present here is around a mile in length and u-shaped and is enclosed by a lush green headland of this island. A beautiful stream flows in the southern end, out into the sea from the tropical jungle and one could view the beautiful and brilliant coral reefs teeming with various types of tropical fishes that surround the white sands. This place is also secluded and has some small refreshment centers run by the locals.

The Pink Beach of Barbuda: The beautiful island of Barbuda and Antigua is situated in the centre of Leeward Islands, in the eastern part of the Caribbean. The island of Barbuda is said to be almost undeveloped and is considered to be still an untouched paradise, hence making it the perfect place for tourists having a liking for adventure and nature. However, there are various luxurious resorts and plenty of sublime beaches that provide the tourists with natural scenery and relaxation. This place is really ideal for those beach lovers who want to spend their vacation in luxury. The Pink Beach is very popular in Barbuda and is situated only a few miles to the south of the village of Codrington. The coral sands that are champagne colored tend to stretch almost around 8 miles from the Palmetto Point to Spanish Point and the offshore snorkeling is simply amazing. People who want to stay at lonely places would simply enjoy this beach and can stroll for miles without actually seeing another soul in sight.