Haiku Ladder (3922 steps to Heavenly views of Oahu). The Ha'ikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haiku Ladder, is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oahu. The trail began as a wooden ladder spiked to the cliff on the south side of the Haiku Valley. It was installed in 1943. This set of stairs, tucked into the cliffs above Haiku Valley, reaches for the crest of the Koolaus. Its frequent disappearance into the clouds has earned it the name "Stairway to Heaven". Update: As of 2003, the stairs have been completely repaired after the city [View Full Entry]

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Livingstone, Zambia: The Adrenaline Capital of Africa Summary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS4O8j561cI ...The nicest people I met on this Africa trip live in Zambia. And the best part, they don't treat their tourists so blatantly like a dollar ($) sign. Hawkers selling "cheap, very cheap, free to look" souvenirs right outside your hotel does NOT exist anywhere in Livingstone, Zambia. And you can walk down the street in peace, like a normal human beings (almost like a local)....w/o having to ward off hordes of souvenir sellers clammering all over you, not giving you a moment [View Full Entry]

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Stone Town, Zanzibar - Shadiest place in all of my trip If you are going to Zanzibar Island, there is no avoiding Stone Town since the airport and the ferry terminal into the island is situated there. But do yourself a favor and get out of StoneTown as soon as you get there. How can I put this: Stone Town has this way of bringing out the worst in people. The place is very shady and don't even think of doing any of your gift shopping for back home in Stone Town - its waay too expensive. The store owners start [View Full Entry]

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Bwejuu, Zanzibar Island (East side) I liked the beaches on the East side of Zanzibar. Very quiet beaches...you get the whole beach to yourself. Especially good for a nice stroll in the afternoon around sunset. And the best part, these are quiet fishing villages so you really get to get a taste of local culture instead of getting swarmed by touristy traps in Stone Town. Any local fisherman will take you out to the coral reef from the beach for about $10 for 2 ppl. The reef is ok...its no Great Barrier Reef though. This video will really give you a [View Full Entry]

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Masai village in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area: On your way to any safari, your drivers are going to stop in one of these Masai village as part of a "Cultural Experience". Its a scam. Just be wary of it. There is nothing "cultural" about this other than the experience of being 'taken for a ride'. Before you are allowed inside the village, you are accosted outside the village gates by an English-speaking Masai wearing a fake Rolex and the whole getup, demanding that you pay him $50 directly before you are allowed inside their Boma (village gate). I thought this was [View Full Entry]

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-Serengeti National Park, -Ngorongoro Crater, -Lake Manyara, -Arusha National Park. Please follow link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d3ZhktaMo4 [View Full Entry]

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Kilimanjaro: The Roof of Africa. - Altitude at Uhuru Peak - 19341 feet. I've been mesmerized by Kilimanjaro ever since i watched the IMAX movie on Kilimanjaro. After many years, I finally got to stand on top this month! Please follow this link for my edited Google video of our kili ascent with some cool Africa tunes integrated in: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3900111604255724726&hl=en I had a lot of people ask me this: (explanation below). Kilimanjaro is named "world's highest freestanding mountain" because it rises 15,100 feet from its base, its the most difference [View Full Entry]

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Jordan - Aqaba Aqaba (Arabic: العقبة‎, Al-ʻAqabah) is a coastal town in the far south of Jordan. The town is best known today as a scuba diving/ snorkeling and beach resort. Aqaba has been an inhabited settlement since 4000 BC profiting from its strategic location at the junction of trading routes between Asia, Africa, and Europe. "We have taken Aqaba!" (you wouldn't get it if you've never seen 'Lawrence of Arabia'): During World War I, the occupying Ottoman forces were forced to withdraw from the town after a raid led by T.E. Lawren [View Full Entry]

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Beautiful Beautiful Wadi Rum: Wadi Rum (Arabic: وادي رم) is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southwest Jordan. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. This was my trip favorite. Possibly the most single beautiful location i've been to. Peaceful and untouched by the modern world (unlike Petra which was too touristy and commercialized in my opinion). If you like a vacation with adventure, where everything is not spoonfed to you, then i highly recommend over-nighting in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. Before I go on about thoughts on Wadi R [View Full Entry]

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On the road to Petra Petra is an archaeological site in Jordan. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture. The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun. Make sure to visit the Khazneh in the morning around 9am (the way the morning sun hits the building is mar [View Full Entry]

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