photo credit:caperfrasers.wordpress.com

A few days ago I came upon an article about three small islands, that I actually had no clue even existed. You would think being a Canadian and all that I would have known that a few islands around Newfoundland existed. Although, the funny thing is these tiny collection of islands are not apart of Canada. They are apart of the country of France.
These islands are located about 25km away from the coast of Fortune, Newfoundland. They can be accessible by a short ferry ride and among the Canadian locals of N.L, these islands are a lovely easy vacation spot. With only a small population of 7,000 people, the New France Colonial is a bustling busy place. Today the residents of these islands rely heavily on government jobs, tourism and of course seafood.
The main island, yet the smallest has a town called St.Pierre where it is the most populated. What is so popular about this island rather than the other islands are the  homes. They are decorated with much colour and charm. Also many tourists go for the well name bakeries and seafood restaurants.
What is so interesting about this small community is the history. Back during the prohibition days- 1920′s, most of the fishing docks were being used a shipping stations for all the distribution of alcohol across North America. Many Europeans fled to this island to work at the docks during this time of crisis.
As it being part of the European Union, these islands work on the Euro dollars and only speak French. The people still to this day keep all the French traditions alive through summer festivals, amazing food, and their native language.
This is a place totally worth seeing if you enjoy French dishes, local culture and a friendly atmosphere.

Photo credit: st-pierre-et-miquelon.com

So if you have no idea what I am talking about it, check it out. This rock has much history behind it, but within the last few years many people want to keep that history restored.

The Ayers Rock, which is also known as the Uluru, by it’s Aboriginal name, is now begin considered to be closed to all climbers. As it said in the national geographic in late October this year, “ Giant Rock to be closed for Religious Reason?” Now, if you are an obsessive backpacker like me, who wants to visit all the wonders of the world, well I say better hurry to see this one!!! So why I am eager to see this ROCK, well depending on the time of day and the weather, this rock changes colour!!!!! Oh yes, it turns colour from a bright red to violet and to even blue! This rock has a vast amount of culture, which is very significant to the locals. Plus this landmark represents dreams, traditions, existences, stories, and defines daily life to Australians, which makes it even more intriguing in why to visit this wonder of the world.

For backpackers, it can be quite difficult to get to this site, since it is located in the middle of Australia. The most common way to reach this site is by car. There are many versatile ways in getting around the Uluru roads that lead to the rock. However, since it is in the outback and road conditions can be a little awful at times and a tour guide or going with a bunch of other backpackers maybe the best option to take. But the closest city near Ayers Rock, to stay a night or two is Alice Springs. It’s a very small place, but if you want to see the sunrise and sunset on the rock, I say catch a sleep or two in this village. Plus meeting locals and hearing the history and traditions about this rock is so worth the trip! So can you see now, why I really want to explore this wonder of the world!?

The stories of Croatian history have now been seen as ancient past events to the locals and the younger generation. I have come to the decision that  Croatia is a safe and stable country with only positive attributes. Yet, I would still like to explore the islands and I know there would be no better way  than to sail. I  have researched some tours but I need your help to decide which one would be the better option. The best tours I came across were On The Go Adventures, and Contiki Tours.

On The Go Adventures includes an 8 day sailing discovery that takes off from Split. What I like about this tour, is the snorkeling along Kornati reef and visiting Krka’s towering waterfall. The tour extends to cities such as Rogoznica, Zadar, and Sali. A numerous amount of historical sites are some of the highlights of this adventure. From visiting the Gothic styled Foscolo Palace, St Laurent Church, 9^th Century Church of St Donatus, and discovering the floating museum. Well, yes I love history and discovering new places, but I also enjoy crazy adventures!

Contiki Tours offers the Croatian island cruising for 10 days. The tour starts in a fantastic seaside town called Split. From there it goes on to explore one of the most popular islands, Hvar. One reason why I picked this tour, was because of this city. The nightlife is the regions hottest spot and known for a famous/rich crowd. Partying on the coastline, with cocktails and eating extraordinary seafood is my kind of fun!! After Hvar, the next stop is Korcula, the home of Marco Polo. Amazing architecture is renowned in this small village, including flavoursome wines. I am very much a red wine gal, so this caught my attention pretty swiftly. A few days afterwards, the tour heads to Dubrovnik; the city is know for its history. This is the city where I can go kayaking, waterfall climbing, and jumping off cliffs into the deep sea! Cliff diving is awesome!!! The remaining of the trip will take me to Trstenik, Markarska, and back to Split.

There it is, the top two tours I believe that are perfect for a sailing excursion. I am someone who loves to jump on the thought of stumbling across adventures that I have never tried before. I enjoy trying new things, so sailing is a must!!! What do you think? What tour would you choose?!