While thinking on a topic for this month, I was not quite sure as there are many places to write about. Given that already half the month is gone I decided to write about some old travel memories which I have shared before in my other monthly travel stories. So here is the next part of some of my memorable travel experiences. I have shared four such stories before so I am calling this as Part 5 of the same series.
Between my travel stories I have also shared a few of my journals, if you have not browsed through these here is the link to those. Some of these might be related in some ways to travel but are not specific stories related to any of my travel destinations.
So continuing with my memorable travel experiences, here are four sights which I really enjoyed mainly for each of their distinct natural beauty.
Blue Grotto, Malta
Malta has so many wonderful sights be it natural, archeological or cultural. I always wanted to see the famous Azure Window but unfortunately the arch collapsed in 2017. The next best natural sight which I enjoyed in Malta is the Blue Grotto. Located on the south east coast of Malta, the Blue Grotto includes a number of sea caverns. The main cave looks exceptionally beautiful when seen from the top and the colour of the blue Mediterranean sea makes the entire surrounding absolutely stunning.
The best way to enjoy the caves is to take a boat ride around and inside it. The colour of water shining in the sunlight reflects within the caves creating a surreal experience. The boat ride only takes place during good weather and when it is not too windy, but I was lucky enough to be there on such a day to thoroughly enjoy this spectacular beauty.
Sumidero Canyon, Mexico
Last year I travelled to Mexico City and from there to Tuxtla, San Cristobal, Palenque, Campeche, Merida, Chichen Itza and finally to Playa del Carmen. It was an exceptional trip and the weather was gorgeous.
From Mexico City, I flew to Tuxtla and visited the natural wonder Sumidero Canyon in the Chiapas state of Mexico. Sumidero Canyon is a 41 kms long and about 1000 m deep rift cut by Rio Grijalva which is about the same age as the Grand Canyon in the USA. At its highest spot marks the place where about 1000 Chiapa people committed suicide rather than submit to Spanish rule. I took a 2 hour speed boat ride through the canyon as that is the best way to explore and truly appreciate the beauty of Sumidero Canyon.
The speed boat stopped at many places during the ride and one thing I enjoyed in particular was a waterfall called the Christmas Tree. The waterfall along the ridge really looks like a Christmas tree.
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
During my Ireland visit, after enjoying various sights of Dublin, I took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway. The tour follows a scenic drive along the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast of Ireland and continues on parts of the north and south coasts. The entire route of the Wild Atlantic Way is 2,500 km and passes through nine counties and three provinces.
The Cliffs of Moher, an UNESCO World Heritage site, rank as one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland. The sea cliffs are located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. The cliffs run about 14 kilometres.
At the southern end the cliffs rise 120 mts (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag’s Head. 8 kms (5 miles) to the north, they are about 214 mts (702 ft) near to the O’Brien’s Tower.
O’Brien’s Tower is a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien. The cliff side footpath round to O’Brien’s Tower provides a stunning view of the cliffs.
Curonian Spit, Lithuania
During my Baltics trip in the summer, I visited the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. One of the sights that I truly enjoyed in Lithuania is the Curonian Spit. It is a 98-kilometre (61 mi) long sand dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast and is spread across the two countries of Lithuania (in Klaipeda county) and Russia (part of Kaliningrad) . The northern part of the Curonian Spit is in Lithuania. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Of the 61 miles, 32 miles of the Curonian Spit is part of Lithuania. The highest moving sand dunes in Europe can be seen here and Parnidis sand dune is the highest which is about 52 m above sea level. Certain marked areas here can be hiked but the dunes are best seen by taking a boat ride on the Curonian Lagoon. From the boat the dunes look massive and the floating buoys of the international border with Russia can be seen too.
HELPFUL HINTS
- The boat ride in Sumidero Canyon can get bumpy and windy so best to be prepared.
- Local restaurants from where the boat ride starts serve freshly caught and cooked fish.
- Boat ride around the Blue Grotto can get cancelled at the last minute if the weather turns bad.
- Prepare to get slightly wet as the boat speeds through the Mediterranean Sea.
- The dunes of Curonian Spit is best viewed from a boat so do not miss this.
- It is best to plan a stay at Klaipeda and enjoy the local sights and Lithuanian food.
- Weather at Cliffs of Moher is very unpredictable so best to be have rain wear.
- The visitor centre has exhibitions, information, cafe and a shop.
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Awesome !
Thank you very much