Crystal & Fantasy Caves

DREAM ADVENTURE 57:  visit Crystal Cave & Fantasy Cave in Bermuda




Crystal Cave is the most famous of Bermuda's many subterranean caverns. It is located in Hamilton Parish, close to Castle Harbor. The area surrounding Harrington Sound (which lies to the south of Crystal Cave) is of limestone formation and noted for many subterranean waterways, through which the waters of the sound empty into the Atlantic. Crystal Cave is one of these, and - as its name suggests - is one of the most spectacularly beautiful, with many stalactites, stalagmites and deep crystal-clear pools. However, some crystal formations have been damaged by earthquakes in the far past.

An excursion to Crystal Cave also includes the neighboring Fantasy Cave with Fantasy being deeper (88 steps down). Fantasy Cave was reopened in the summer of 2001 with all the pathways rebuilt and re-illuminated by artificial lighting.

Fingal's Cave

DREAM ADVENTURE 56: explore Fingal's cave in Scotland



"The breathtaking Fingal's Cave in Scotland gives you impression that someone has built it. The perfect hexagonally jointed basalt columns were formed during many years when the hot lava was cracked into perfect hexagonal patterns in a similar way to drying mud cracking as it shrinks, and these cracks gradually extended down into the mass of lava as it cooled and shrank to form the columns, which were subsequently exposed by erosion." -www.mediadump.com

Pamukkale, Turkey

DREAM ADVENTURE 55: visit Turkey's cotton castle

I've been having cravings for Thanksgiving food lately so maybe that's why Turkey has been on my mind recently but this place looks absolutely stunning; I've never seen anything like it.


These stunning terraces of water are found in Pamukkale Turkey and were shaped from a substance called travertine, which forms from the build-up of sediments of calcium carbonate deposited in water from hot springs. Then the calcium dioxide degasses and you are left with these beautiful terraces, with warm water flowing over them." -www.mediadump.com

more tourist information can be found HERE 

awesome blog  entry about Pamukkale with pictures HERE

Kyoto, Japan

DREAM ADVENTURE 54: visit Kyoto's bamboo forest

"Dense bamboo forests—with their rows upon rows of long, ringed, smooth stems—provide a feeling of composure and tranquility. The sound of wind blowing through bamboo, of stems knocking against one another and leaves rustling, is revered in Japan. Nowadays, bamboo forests are few and far between. This one, on the way to Okoeni Sanso from Tenryu-ji, is a delight. The forest is a short walk from the Saga-Arashiyama train station." -Fodor

"It is a beautiful forest with a path through its heart." -Spacious Planet


source

Besides the bamboo forest, Kyoto has many more sites to see and beautiful temples to visit.

This was the best link I've found about nearby sites and activities: Kyoto Travel

53

DREAM ADVENTURE 53



"The Blue Grotto in Capri is a gorgeous cave with a brilliant blue color to it due to two separate sources of light. One is tiny, the opening you can see in this picture which allows small rowboats in. The other opening is much larger and beneath the first, sending in rays of light into the cave from below. Of course, it is more difficult for this second hole to allow light through as it is underwater, but its size makes the difference." www.mediadump.com

Hoi An, Vietnam

DREAM ADVENTURE NUMBER 52

excerpt from opentravel.com



Hoi An is a place that cannot be missed while in Vietnam. This colourful, magical and beautiful little town is home to more silk lanterns than people. Situated on the coast of the South China Sea, the town used to be an important port and trading centre.  Today it is a fairy tale spot visited by thousands of travellers and backpackers that cannot resist its charm. Hoi An's fabulous atmosphere blended with captivating hospitality and fairytale architecture make the town one of the most rewarding destination in South-East Asia. 

51: Cappadocia

Visit Cappadocia, Turkey



Located about 12 hours from Instabul by bus, Cappadocia in central Turkey is famed for its pottery and unique rock formations of which the ancient inhibitants used to carve out their houses and other structures. The tradition of pottery and ceramics in Turkey is one of the world's oldest crafts dating back to the 8th century. Cappadocia is also home to odd looking rock formations called fairy chimneys that are found in a bunch of shapes such as mushrooms, cones, columns, etc that were created as a result of the eroding rains, rivers, floods and winds as well as its troglodyte dwellings carved out of the rock and cities dug out into underground, presents an otherworldly appearance. This region also has 8 underground cities to explore, many beautiful free, places to go hiking and hot air balloon tours (google pictures of hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, it's stunning!). Cappadocia is also one of the biggest wine-producing regions in Turkey and they also have the Turasan Wine Factory to visit and reviews of the local cuisine are wonderful and once you start looking for a place to rest your head, there are a few cave hotels that would surely warrant a once in a lifetime experience.

50: a little closer to home

Being a poor young adult, sometimes it gets hard thinking about all these dream vacations and things to do while simultaneously having less than 40 bucks in my bank account but I relish in the what ifs and maybe somedays and my daydreams are enough for me. But for my 50th dream vacay I decided to post something attainable in the near future that I've actually wanted to do for the last couple years now. 

VISIT LEAVENWORTH.




Especially in the Christmas time. It looks absolutely stunning. I honestly can't believe I've never been living so close. This Christmas I definitely will spend the weekend up there. It's even beautiful in the summer though with their gardens, shops, parks and wine tasting. Or even in the fall during Oktoberfest -- in Leavenworth, it's claimed to be the biggest outside Germany!

the most beautiful city in Europe

In keeping hope that April showers will bring May flowers... and not more rain as we're accustomed to here (I am growing sick of the grey), I've decided to dedicate the rest of this month to beautiful, breath-taking, fairytale and less gloomy destinations around the world.

excerpt from opentravel.com*

DREAM ADVENTURE 49: visit Colmar, France

"Picturesque Colmar in France, considered the most beautiful city in Europe, looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. This tiny town in Alsace is famous not only for its magically colourful old town. Colmar, situated along the Alsatian Wine Route, is called the "Capital of Alsatian Wine" - it boasts a sunny microclimate and is the second driest city in France, making it ideal for wine growing. As if being the wine capital was not enough, Colmar, with its pretty squares, fountains and canals, is also called the "little Venice" (la Petite Venise). It is also the home town of Frédéric Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty, and the painter Martin Schongauer."*

Underwater Suite

DREAM ADVENTURE 48: stay a night at the Conrad Maldives Resort's underwater suite



"What's one way to show a little spontaneity in an un-adventurous vacation? How about a meeting under the sea. Ithaa, the world's first all-glass undersea restaurant at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, is celebrating its fifth anniversary by turning its underwater restaurant into a suite built for two.

The Maldives resort is offering guests the chance to spend the night under-water by turning the restaurant into an exclusive suite for two, complete with a private champagne dinner and breakfast in bed. (Caveat: Private in this sense means more underwater sea creatures and less humans.) Resting five meters (approximately 16 feet) below the Indian Ocean, the restaurant-turned-romance room is surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear glass. Using aquarium technology, "Ithaa" meaning "pearl"in the Maldivian language of Divehi, was built to allow guests to enjoy the color, clarity and beauty of the Indian Ocean without getting their feet wet.

Diners at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant enjoy a set-menu of 23 different dishes over four courses. The restaurant is adults-only for dinner (children can join for lunch) and it only seats 12 people.

The cost of this little luxury? $320 per person for dinner. Want to spend the night? The price is available upon request, depending on your dates of travel."
excerpt from http://www.gadling.com/

Looking at the other accommodations, all of them seem fabulous. Even though the sun is shining here today in the Pacific NW, I long to visit an actual beach -- not Ocean Shores, the one here that never (okay... RARELY) reaches above 60 degrees.

Ocean Shores


Maldives
 

It looks like an absolutely stunning island with crystal clear water and loads of beautiful aquatic life