Sicily is an island full of surprises, and many cities and locations stand out: Taormina is definitely one of those. If you are looking for a place to stay, consider an excellent opportunity to relax in villas in Taormina for holidays. 

Taormina, which is about an hour’s drive from Catania airport, is located high above the Ionian Sea, with a fantastic view of both the sea and Mount Etna, especially if you choose to stay above the city. If Agrigento, Cefalù, and Palermo have an intriguing aspect, Taormina will leave you amazed. Taormina is considered one of the most expensive cities in Sicily, and to enter the city, you must park away from it. There are small buses that lead there as most roads are paved with stone. Taormina is located in the immediate vicinity (about 30 minutes by car) of the volcano Etna. 

A quick trip to the Etna Volcano

The highest volcano in Europe is Etna. It is an active stratovolcano, which is part of the Metropolitan Town of Catania. This volcano has caused some critical catastrophic events since ancient times, until the last years and is still active. It is by far the largest source of tourism in the area. In fact, many tourists who decide to come and visit the area choose it to visit the Etna volcano. That is because the mountain incorporates unique sceneries and a couple of monuments. Since 2013 it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Take advantage of your visit here and equip yourself with a digital camera!

The Etna volcano has 400 craters, and the magma tries to touch the surface and penetrates from different points of the mountain.

Guided tours will take you there, or you can go by car. The top of this huge mountain can be reached with an experienced guide and is located at about 3000 m above sea level.

You can go to the top of the mountain if the weather is good, but you need a license and a guide that costs about 60 Euros per person. For the lower level, you don’t need a permit. An elevator takes you to the top, starting with the bus or car parks where the tourist spots are located.

The best thing to be there is early in the morning because the temperatures vary, and the weather might change.

Don’t Miss to Visit Taormina

The impressive city of Taormina is only 30 minutes driving from Mount Etna. When you approach the city from the top, you will have a fantastic panorama of the city and understand why so many celebrities love this city! 

Some facts about Taormina? Famous scenes from Marlon Brando’s Godfather were filmed in Taormina, and in 2017 this city organized the important G7 Summit. 

The most famous place in Taormina is the Ancient Greek Theatre, with a beautiful view to the Ionian and Calabrian coasts. The theatre has still its seats like there were still theatre plays: They are carved into the rock. 

Only the theatre in Syracuse is bigger than Taormina’s one. In the last 50 Years, Taormina’s incredible theater has been hosting a considerable number of concerts, theater plays, and musicals. Famous operas and ballets found their way to Taormina. 

The Greek Theatre was built in the Greco-Roman period, and it is mostly made of bricks. Its astonishing stage and view offer excellent opportunities to take lovely pictures. Once you are there, take your time to capture this moment full of history!

A successful trip offers the opportunity to reconnect with your family, but without proper planning, it can turn out to be quite chaotic. As you strive to find ideal holiday deals that match your budget, you also need to factor in various considerations, among the primary ones being the destination. The good news is, with Dealchecker, you can comfortably find holiday deals for varying destinations for a memorable trip. While planning a trip with children, here are the tops tips to ensure it goes smoothly.

Choose your travel destination in advance

While planning a trip with your children, you need to ensure that a destination not only offers exciting activities but is also a convenient choice. For instance, you need to consider the time difference and see how it could impact the trip. Other pressing concerns include the destination’s weather as it can significantly affect the trip outcomes.

With your children’s age and interests, you can quickly narrow down your destination choices to ensure you go for a thrilling, comfortable, and convenient choice with amazing holiday deals to make it affordable. To ease the process, you can buy a guide and plan an itinerary with each member’s interests and weigh the destination’s effectiveness. After choosing a destination, ensure that your children receive vaccinations and ensure yours is up to date as well to avoid the frustration of cutting the trip short due to health concerns.

Book your trip with your children

Now that you have a set destination, it is time to book your trip, but first, put your affairs in order. For starters, check your papers, including passports and identity cards. From there, you can book your flights in advance to ensure that you get side by side seats; after all, you don’t want to be seated on one corner with your children on the other end. The next step is booking your accommodation. As you search for an ideal choice, consider how effective it is, especially for a baby. For instance, you might be required to carry your baby equipment, an inconvenience that could significantly affect your trip.

One month before departure

As your trip day approaches, you need to gather all the necessities to ensure it goes smoothly. Buy equipment and clothing that matches your interests and destination. For instance, if the destination is a cold country, shop for ideal clothing such as a large down jacket. While gathering the essentials, don’t forget to grab some new and portable games to keep your children engaged while traveling.

A few days before departure

It is time to polish your trip plans, among the most significant point at this moment, being packing and double-checking your packing list. Ensure that you pack right but light by avoiding unnecessary items that only make the luggage troublesome. While polishing your packing list, double-check your crucial documents, including passports, tickets, games, and medication, if any. Ensure that you park them in a way that they are easily accessible to avoid holding the line at the airport as you struggle to locate them.

With an effective plan and fantastic holiday deals, the trip with your children won’t only be successful but also help you to reconnect, create memorable moments, and take the much-needed break from your busy schedules.

Lake Titicaca Floating Islands Cultural Hike Tour

Peru is a beautiful country, and one that everyone should visit at some point. It has a great variety of things to see, ranging from historical ruins to lush jungles and from bustling cities to local villages practicing traditional crafts. You will have a unique trip when you go to Peru.

If you are pressed for time or budget, or if you just want to make sure you are creating the best trip possible, you should visit these monumental destinations to ensure you are creating the trip of a lifetime:

Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain gets its name from the beautiful, multi-colored stripes that appear because of the layers of minerals that are solidified in the rock. The mountain has vibrant layers of gold, lavender, turquoise, rose, and more. The mountain was revealed after snow melted away, so it has only been relatively recently known.

Besides marveling at the beauty of Rainbow Mountain, you can hike the mountain, check out wild llamas and horses in the area, and visit local communities on the mountain that are living indigenous lives. Be prepared for a strenuous hike if you want to scale the mountain! It is more than half the altitude of Mount Everest.

Sign up for a guided tour in Peru to get the most out of your visit to Rainbow Mountain. You’ll see all the best parts of the mountain and learn about the local history. 

The Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru that was once the hub of the Incan Empire. Here you’ll find multiple sites with architectural ruins, including Ollantaytambo and Pisac. The Sacred Valley also hosts multiple towns and villages where you can learn about colonial life, weaving, and other traditional crafts. You can spend days exploring the area, and you’ll continue to discover new and exciting things. 

The Sacred Valley spans an area of about 60 kilometers, so there is much to discover here. It lies between Machu Picchu and Cusco, so you can easily include it in a trip to these two sites, as well. Make sure you plan to be in the Sacred Valley on a Sunday, when there is an amazing handicraft market. 

Maras Salt Pans

The Maras Salt Pans may have a pretty uninspiring purpose, but they are amazing to look at, and they offer an insight into the way people lived in the past. The salt pans are the result of a tectonic shift that pushed lands that were once part of the seabed high into the sky, creating the Andes mountain range. The pans sit 3,000 meters above sea level, and they collect salt water brought in by the Qoripujio spring. The water evaporates, and local people come in to collect the salt left behind. 

You’ll be amazed at the geometric design of the salt pans, and you’ll learn a lot about the Chanapata culture that first worked the pans. There are roughly 5,000 pans in terraces along the valley, and an intricate network of channels feeds the water into them. You can watch the workers scoop out the famed pink salt, which is sold around the world and even graces the tables of gourmet chefs. 

Moray Archaeological Park

Just south of the Sacred Valley, you’ll find the Moray Archaeological Park, which consists of circular, clay terraces leading down to a point. These man-made creations are gorgeous, but they are not as popular for tourists, so you’ll be able to enjoy the site without the crowds you would find in Machu Picchu. 

The Incas used the Moray park for agricultural experimentation. It’s here that the Incas tried out different temperatures, soil types, and more to grow wheat, quinoa, other grains, and flowers. The site also has an irrigation system using canals. You’ll learn a lot here about Incan life, and you’ll be amazed at the beauty created with such a simple structure. 

The Nazca Lines

The Nazca Lines are formed in the dry desert in Southern Peru where there is less than a half inch of rainfall each year. Besides geometric designs like trapezoids, rectangles, and swirls, you also see designs like monkeys, hummingbirds, and spiders. These distinct white lines are unmistakable against the red landscape.

What’s so fascinating about the Nazca Lines is that no one knows why they are there or who created them. There are more than 300 geometric figures and 70 animal and plant designs. There are also more than 800 straight lines, some of which span 30 miles. Some of the plant and animal figures are as big as 1200 feet, which is the height of the Empire State Building. 

Lake Titicaca Floating Islands

Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America, and it is at 12,500 feet above sea level. In fact, it is the highest lake that is still navigable to large ships and other vessels. Within the lake are large, man-made islands. These islands are made of reeds thatched together, and they float on the surface of the water. There are 41 of these islands, and they house indigenous tribes. Many villages continue on these islands, and you can visit them to learn about their way of life, or you can even schedule a homestay with a local family.

Peru has many beautiful locations that you should try to see on your visit if you can. If you are limited by time or budget, you can make your trip an unforgettable one by visiting these landmark sites. You’ll enjoy an incomparable vacation, and you’ll come away with some amazing photographs and some great stories!