Get a job and travel

Dear friends, travelers and readers of worldlifetimejourneys, in this article and a future one, we will try to cover two important facts about jobs and travelling together. How can these two be combined? Did you ever considered to get a job and travel? Did you ever thought what this means and involves? Well, you can combine a job with travelling and it has never been easier than in our days. You can get a job and then go in many journeys because your job requires you to do this. On the other hand, you can travel abroad and get a job at the destination. Today we will help you understand what kind of jobs to get if you really want to travel while working. And believe us, there are so many. Some you didn’t even think about or you never heard of.

Get a job and travel – introduction:

It’s been never easier than now to get a job and travel. On the other hand, unfortunately many companies are looking for experienced people for their positions. Which in general is normal and acceptable. But what if you don’t have any experience but you really want to get that job? You like a lot traveling. Who does not? That’s why we are here. You can get a good job that involves a lot of journeys in your country. But many of them go behind your country. You can travel within your continent or even far far away.

All you need is ambition, courage, some money at the beginning, patience and a lot of passion for travelling and these kind of jobs. On the other hand, if you do not have any experience, you can still get a travelling job. How? Be volunteer to a company that has these jobs, do some courses, study a lot and qualify, obtain certificates/diplomas when you finish your courses/studies and prove them you are the best candidate. You have to start from somewhere, so why not considering these options? Well, we wish you to be successful in any application you might have.

Get a job and travel – what types of travel jobs can you get:

There are in total more than 40 jobs that involve travelling. To get a job and travel is not that difficult. We will try to present you the most important travel jobs and some ways you can obtain money from travelling. What types of jobs can you get so that you will travel? (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) You can be simply an English teacher, a writer that works for its own or for a company or a person working in social media. Also a good option can be to work in hospitality sent by your company to work in another hotel from the same group but in a different place or country. You can be a Travel Guide working on your own or as part of a company (this is one of the easiest jobs for travelers), you can work as translator or to work on a cruise ship.

Also you can choose to be a flight attendant, an instructor, a person working in a circus, working for festivals. On the other hand you can work for an international company. You can be a blogger, a street performer or vendor, a musician, a photographer, a travel writer or to work in au pair. Other jobs that require travel are: computer programmer, marketer, web designer, consultant, pilot, tour organizer, online poker player or salesperson. You can also work seasonal and find holiday jobs or to be a volunteer. For the last one please read about Volunteering in Tourism or Voluntourism. Whatever you choose or you like to do, there are plenty of activities. Just get a job and travel.

Get a job and travel – tour guide/leader, cruise ship crew, English teacher or instructor:

To be a tour guide, a tour leader or a tour organizer involves a lot of hard work. But you will be rewarded with good money and the possibility to travel all the time. You can be a local, national or international tour guide and leader. This involves going with tourists in different trips and you need courage, patience, leadership skills and high travel knowledge/experience. You must have a passion for storytelling, good English/national language and knowledge of other languages will be an advantage. To be a travel guide means you must have a high knowledge of the places you present. Also, first aid training and the will to help in emergency situations is also an advantage. In fact you don’t just show and recommend places, but you also take care of your group of tourists.

Working on a cruise ship as part of the crew is very rewarding. You can get good money and travel experience, but the time spent working sometimes has a high volume. You get usually accommodation, insurance, food as benefits included. But because you work many hours and you don’t have where to spend, it’s a good way to save money. And you have your days off to enjoy exotic places where the boat has stops at. You can be anything from waiter to bartender, from housekeeper to receptionist, from beauty therapist to entertainer. As a massage therapist on a cruise ship you can often make more than $ 2000 a month. Also a beauty therapist is quite similar and you need experience in a beauty salon and some qualifications. But there are plenty of jobs to choose from while on a cruise ship.

To be an English teacher and to teach English abroad is the easiest job you can get while travelling. If you are fluent in English with teaching skills and you love to travel then this is the job for you. But to profess in this you will need to be a qualified teacher for foreign languages (TEFL) and to have a college degree. On the other hand you will meet new people, see new cultures and flights or accommodation are normally included. The contract will be between few months to one year usually.

To work as an instructor involves many types and be prepared as you can travel a lot. There are many companies around the world looking for qualified instructors. The most popular ones are either ski, scuba or fitness instructors. The last ones can include personal trainer, Pilates, Zumba, Yoga or even dancing. Scuba diving or ski instructors are very popular. But you have good chances to get a job and travel even if you teach rock climbing, kayaking, sailing, surfing or any kind of sport. To teach any of these it can’t be difficult if you are qualified and you have experience. You can make good money out of it while travelling.

Get a job and travel – flight attendant/pilot, photographer, translator or consultant:

Working as a flight attendant or pilot sounds very adventurous. You get very good money out of it sometimes even $3000-4000 per month (more for a pilot), but there are long hours involved and sometimes can be really stressful. Far from a normal personal and family life, this job is not for everyone. But you have free or discounted flights, free or cheap accommodation and rent and you get also discounts to many other places and hotels. On the other hand you must be able to swim without any help for 25 m, to speak English fluently and to have good customer service skills.

To become a photographer is easy, but to be a professional travel photographer can often be difficult without experience. You need to be qualified meaning you have done some photography courses at least. These can take some time up to few years, but the important side is to have a good eye and talent. You must also have a real passion for travel and photography. But you can make good money by selling your professional photos from around the world to different companies interested in your work. Also you can earn by teaching people how to improve or to get good photography skills.

To be a translator doesn’t mean that you will only work all the time in the same place. It involves sometimes a lot of traveling. You need a degree in languages and to have knowledge of law, sport, politics, economics or science. The most important part of this job is to know a minimum of two languages from which one will be foreign. As many as you know, the better the chances to find a job as a translator. You can help translating for sport teams, for different official speeches, you can translate different types of texts or websites. Or you can help tour companies with translation for groups of tourists. Also, translating in political or business meetings, in international and multicultural companies is not a secret.

A professional consultant involves diverse jobs. In general as a consultant you can work from almost everywhere in the world while travelling. You need a laptop, a mobile phone, good skills in the type of consultancy you want to give and yes, a passion for what you are doing. You can give training for the staff in different companies or you can help companies grow their businesses online through social media and other ways.

Get a job and travel – Volunteer, festival or circus worker, salesperson, travel writer or online poker player:

About Volunteering we wrote in an earlier article. But you do get some money, usually free accommodation and food and you get the chance to travel. Yes, you will travel a lot while helping people and different organizations around the world. You will see new cultures, meet new people while working full-time as a volunteer. Even if you don’t get too much money, you will gain different skills, experience and a new life style.

Two good options for travelling while earning money is to work either for a Circus or at festivals. Working in a Circus always involves travelling from one city to another in national or often international circuits. The bigger and famous is the Circus, the bigger will be the circuit and more cities and countries will include. To take part in a festival doesn’t mean only to watch and have fun, but many groups are full time working like this. You can have fun while working and be part of a group that is always present at the most important festivals around the world. You’ll be a street performer, a musician or roadie (these are often known as busking), a food vendor or a staff working to install stages, stalls or even to organize different events and shows.

You will probably think that a salesperson is only working locally. Not at all. You can travel a lot if you have a business and if you are a good salesperson. You need very good selling and negotiation skills, attention to details and a positive attitude.  (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) It doesn’t matter if you work for your own company or you are selling for the company you work, as long as you have experience and you are good in what you’re doing, you will always travel at least in your region to sell your company’s goods. But bigger companies will send you everywhere in the world and you will have some time to explore the new places. You might need a diploma and the bad point is that the job is mostly based in commission.

There are so many people working as travel writers and they really have a passion for writing about beautiful places. Writing on your own for a blog or website, or writing for a travel magazine or professional travel website can get you good money. Also part of this is to write for travel guidebooks companies. But to be good in this you need good writing skills and experience in travel. Even if in many cases this type of job is not permanent, you can write for money for the companies that are looking for freelance travel writers to help with their businesses.

For many of us to make money and to travel as an online or table poker player can seem difficult. But once you get enough experience, you have the necessary courage and poker skills, you can get very good money by playing poker and you also travel. You can participate in competitions around the world. But you need to be mentally strong, to have attention to details, to be able to focus in really difficult moments and to keep your concentration at high levels. You need to be good in maths and numbers and also to keep your feelings/emotions in place.

Get a job and travel – Hospitality worker, web designer, street vendor or au pair:

If you choose to be a Hospitality worker means you will most probably work in a hotel. But in many cases this can involve travelling. You can choose temporary jobs working from few months to one or two years in one place, Then why not travelling in another city or country to get a new experience there? On the other hand, many big companies or international hotel chains will send you to another hotel from their group either nationally or internationally for different purposes or for a permanent transfer. You can be sent for a training, for practice or to help the staff in a new hotel. If you are a really good waiter, receptionist or more often bartender, you get good chances to travel a lot. Bartenders for example, but hospitality jobs in general are always good jobs to look for in any destination around the world.

To be a web designer it’s not that easy and the majority of us will look confused when trying to understand how a website is created. But for those with experience, to create and design websites can prove to be a perfect job. You are highly paid and you get the chance to travel even if today you can do this job from home. Many companies are looking for people who have knowledge of web design programs, software and hardware and online tools. You must also have at least basic knowledge for HTML, CSS or PHP.

Everywhere you go as a tourist you will see street vendors trying to sell their goods. At popular tourists attractions and objectives you will always see people selling souvenirs, different artifacts, hand-made objects, national costumes, leather, wood and other material goods and crafts or even local food, drinks and more popular jewelry. You don’t need experience for this. You need ambition, some money invested, patience, a lot of time and the passion to travel. Just because you will be in popular tourist places from one season to another.

Au Pair or Nanny jobs are not a secret anymore for many of us. And yes, you get to travel with this. It involves staying and living with a family in a foreign country. Here you will take care of the house needs including cleaning, cooking and other activities besides taking care of the family children and teaching them English or another language. But you make money out of it and you don’t spend on accommodation, food and other house expenses. All you need to have is a positive attitude, love for kids and preferably some experience in childcare.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you learn something new. If you love travelling and you want to earn money out of this lifestyle then why not considering a job like the ones presented above? Just get a job and travel!

Tips & Tricks

Get a job and travel

*

Mix the fun with the work you do

 *

Search online for endless opportunities you never heard or thought of

 *

Find the type of job you dream of and travel as you work

 *

Spend some time researching what type of jobs you can do also involve travelling

 *

Qualify before applying for jobs that require any qualifications

*

Obtain a degree in the type of job you want to do. It will help you a lot

 *

Try to learn as many foreign languages you can and the world will be yours

 *

Choose to travel and work in the same time. Fun is guaranteed

 *

Use your skills and knowledge in the field you are professing. Quite often you will find jobs where you can also travel frequently

 *

Don’t forget. If you are good in your job and
there is a possibility for travelling, why not going for it?

 *

Apply for as many travel jobs as you wish and your chances of employment will increase

 *

No experience? Not to worry because many jobs don’t require any experience

 *

Don’t loose the opportunity to travel and earn money

*

If you really want a job but you do not have experience, try volunteering or going for a course

 *

You don’t have anything to loose.
All travel jobs are not that hard to get but they guarantee fun and money

 *

The post Get a job and travel as you work permanently. You’ll be more than satisfied appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

In the south part of Palau on the island of Eil Malk, Oceania/Pacific.

Area/Surface:

57.000 m²

Cities:

Largest city is the capital Koror (45 min. boat ride) with around 11.000 inhabitants.

Average depth:

30 m

Maximum depth:

50 m

Elevation:

Sea level

Length:

460 m

Width:

160 m

When to go:

With an average temperature of 28° C throughout the year, Palau and Jellyfish Lake is best to be visited outside the rainy season between November and May-June.

How to get here:

By plane:

Because there are no roads on the Eil Malk island from Palau, you cannot get here by car or public transport. You must fly first to the International Koror Airport from the main island of Palau and then to take the boat. There are many flights during the week that come here from different parts of the world, but the best is to have a connection in Japan, South Korea, Australia or New Zealand.

By boat:

You can only get to Jellyfish Lake by a 45 minutes boat ride from Koror. Please check online as there are many companies offering day tours.

Jellyfish Lake, Palau

History, importance and name of Jellyfish Lake:

Jellyfish Lake from Palau is a once in a lifetime experience and a lifetime journey for every tourist. If you come in Palau for holiday or even just for business, you can’t miss this top tourist attraction. It’s situated in the south lagoon of this republic, on the island of Eil Malk. This small island is part of the group of islands called Rock Islands, a group of 445 islands which mostly are without any permanent residents. It’s said that the lake formed about 12.000 years ago when the sea level raised after the last glacier era. This lake is one of the 70 lakes from the Rock Islands and one of the 200 saline lakes in the world. Its importance is coming from the fact that here are normally living millions of tiny jellyfish of two different species.

It is a unique place and lake, a fantastic natural phenomenon and is easy to understand why is protected and famous in the world. The name is coming also from these millions of tiny creatures that populate the lake and are totally harmless. In the local language Jellyfish Lake is called Ongeim’l Tketau which means the Fifth Lake. Because there are no predators in the lake and these jellyfish are totally different than their relatives from the ocean, in time they lost their burning hairs, so that today visitors can swim with them without problems.

Relief, climate and the danger that threatens Jellyfish Lake:

The relief that surrounds Jellyfish Lake is amazing. As we mentioned before, it is situated on a rocky island, part of the Rock Islands UNESCO World Heritage. This island of just few meters above sea level, is covered with green vegetation and trees. You will have to hike for about 10 minutes to get from the boat to the lake. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com). The climate in Palau is very warm throughout the year. An annual constant temperature of 30° C will make you feel great. The maximum temperatures during the dry season between November and May-June are around 32° C. On the other hand, the rainy season between June-July and October, brings for you lower temperatures of about 25-27° C. Even like this, you can enjoy this experience any time in the year.

The unique aspect for the lake is given also by the two layers that compose it. From the sea level until around 15-20 m depth, there is the oxygen layer. If you try to get under 15-20 m you will get to the second layer, an anoxic one made from hydrogene sulfide which is dangerous for humans. Unfortunately there is always something to disturb or kill the jellyfish. Besides tourists who don’t follow the rules and disturb or kill lake’s inhabitants, Jellyfish Lake is threatened by natural phenomenons. In the last years most of the jellyfish in the lake died and they need few years to recover. It is said that it’s because of the drought with the last years experiencing less rain than usual. Besides this, the hurricane El Nino affected as well bringing hotter temperatures than usual.

The types of jellyfish from Jellyfish Lake:

We told you that unfortunately most of the jellyfish died in the last year due to unnatural weather conditions. However, scientists hope that when the weather conditions will improve, the jellyfish will regenerate. These tiny creatures follow a daily habit to move from one side of Jellyfish Lake to the other daily. They follows the sun rays which in fact feed their algae living in their jelly. Most of the jellyfish from the lake are Golden Jellyfish. You must know that they are very similar to their ancestors from the ocean, the Spotted Jellyfish. However, they are totally missing the spots from their umbrella head and also the dangerous burning hairs.

They feed from the algae that are present in their jelly and also from zooplankton. They migrate for most of the day following the sun to feed their algae. In the night they usually stay in the western side of the lake. The other species present in Jellyfish Lake is the Moon Jellyfish. This species if part of the Aurelia genus. Comparative with the Golden Jellyfish, they do not have a specific pattern to follow. They feed during the night in comparison with the others, by coming to the surface of the water. Their main meal are the copepods which are small crustaceans found in the zooplankton.

Tourism and what you can see and do around Jellyfish Lake:

Most of the people on the planet never heard about Jellyfish Lake. Also, many never heard about Palau before or they don’t know where it is. Even like this, this unique in the world ecosystem brings from tourism a good profit to the Republic of Palau. During the years where millions of jellyfish swim in the lake, more than 160.000 tourists come here. They are attracted by the warm weather, the fantastic ecosystem and by the lifetime opportunity to swim with these creatures. To be able to get to the lake, all tourists are required to pay $100 for a permit that is valid 10 days. This permit will allow visitors to swim and/or snorkel with the jellyfish. Besides this fee, don’t forget you will need to pay for the boat tour to get you there and sometimes this can add another $100 per person.

Millions of Golden jellyfish swim daily from one side to the other of Jellyfish Lake

But, Jellyfish Lake is just one from the activities which you can do here. Palau is recognized as one of the best places for scuba diving, so many people come here for this. The best place you can go diving in Palau is the Blue Corner plateau that has strong currents. You can also go for a bird watching session or for a kayaking one (either day or night) which is very popular here. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com). You can choose as well to cover yourself in a creamy therapeutic mud at famous Milky Way where most boats stop. You can rent a car or go with a tour to see Ngardmau Waterfall or the abandoned villages from Palau. Exploring the jungle is not easy, but it offers another experience. Whatever you choose to do, you will be totally satisfied. Visit Jellyfish Lake from Palau!

Live weather in

Palau

The post Jellyfish Lake in Palau is a unique and new swimming experience for all appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

On Bihor, Cluj and Alba Counties territory in Apuseni Mountains from the Occidental or Western Carpathians in west Romania.

Address:

Park administration Romsilva, Rieni Commune, Sudrigiu Locality Nr. 136, Bihor County, Romania

Area/Surface:

760.000 m²

Cities:

The biggest cities closer to Apuseni Natural Park are: Oradea (Bihor), Cluj Napoca (Cluj) and Alba Iulia (Alba). There are smaller cities or communes from where you can start exploring this park. Vartop, Arieseni, Garda de Sus, Scarisoara or Albac are in the south part. Chiscau or Pietroasa are in the west part. Rachitele or Belis are in the north part.

Foundation year:

Apuseni Natural Park was founded at 27 January 1990. At 6 March 2000, the park was declared a protected area.

Telephone:

+40 372 702 242 or +40 259 329 339

Website:

www.parcapuseni.ro

E-mail:

office@parcapuseni.ro

When to go:

April/May – October. But we recommend to go in summer months when the weather is perfect for hiking and exploring the area. However because in the middle summer, there are many tourists around, if you want more peaceful moments we recommend you to go either in May-June or September-October.

How to get here:

By car:

There are many routes which you can choose to get here and to help you choose one depends on the type of your car, your allocated time or how many kilometers you want to walk. If you really want to get inside the park by car, please note that you will need a strong car with a high ride height or preferably a 4 x 4 car. It doesn’t matter which way you choose to come here by car. You must be ready to walk (starting from few km up to hundreds of km in several days). You can leave your car in the nearby cities and communes, but if you want to get inside, the best option is to get in Padis area. It all depends where do you want to start your walking trip.

The roads surrounding the park are: the National Road DN75 in the south part. This runs between Stei City in west and Turda City further on in east passing through Vartop, Arieseni, Garda de Sus, Scarisoara and Albac (good points to start the walking journey). The National Road 1R in the east is connecting Albac commune from south with Huedin City in north outside the park. The County Road DJ763 coming from west is the best way to get into Apuseni Natural Park in Padis area. You can get here also from north from Rachitele following the County Road 108C.

By means of transport:

You can get in the south or west parts of the park either from Oradea, Cluj Napoca or Alba Iulia. Please check your route and plan ahead. For coming by train please go on www.cfrcalatori.ro or www.infofer.ro. The best way by train is to get in the major cities that surround Apuseni National Park and from here to take the bus. For coming by bus please go on www.autogari.ro. Please note that if you want to arrive in Garda de Sus or Arieseni coming from Cluj Napoca you need to change the bus in Campeni. From Oradea there are daily direct buses that go to Vartop, Arieseni, Garda de Sus, Scarisoara or Albac. For any other details and help please contact us.

By plane:

You can get closer to Apuseni Natural Park by plane. The nearest airports are at Cluj Napoca and Oradea. From here you will need either to rent a car or to use the buses.

Apuseni Natural Park

Location, importance and description of Apuseni Natural Park:

Apuseni Natural Park is one of the 32 National and Natural parks from Romania. It is situated in the west part of the country, opposite the capital Bucharest which is more than 500 km away. The silent, remote and peaceful area of this natural park together with the beautiful panoramas, splendid scenery, the awe inspiring natural formations and the well marked hiking trails, give the importance of Apuseni Natural Park. Apuseni, Bihorului, Codru Moma, Vladeasa, Gilau and Padurea Craiului Mountains compose this natural protected area. Everywhere you go, you will have the mother nature following and watching you on every step. Geological formations, caves and ice caves, virgin untouched forests, natural monuments, gorges and keys, valleys, lakes and rivers are not enough to describe the beauty of this place.

The importance of this area is also given by the combination between the cultural, karstic/natural and ecological diversity. Because of the fragile karstic (limestone) relief, with the help of the water, wind and glaciers, some of the most beautiful caves from Romania are found here. The biggest lake situated in the north-east part of the park is Belis-Fantanele Lake. Because of the big number of caves (more than 200 in total from which most are in Sighistel Valley) the park itself is like a cavers paradise. The small villages with separate houses (frequently few km away one to the other) are enriching the cultural beauty.

Fauna and flora from Apuseni Natural Park:

Apuseni Natural Park is a protected area since 2000. Talking about a mountain natural park the biodiversity is very rich and important. Among the animals that you can encounter here, some are protected by law. You can get good chances to see deer, hedgehogs, wild boars, squirrels, field mouses, rabbits and different types of bats. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) Rarely you can see bears, wolves, lynxes, martens or otters. As about the birds you can see mountain roosters, golden eagles, woodpeckers, blackbirds, grouses and many others. Trouts, graylings, chubs or barbells are among the fish species present here. There are in total 21 bears, 26 wolves and 12 lynxes in the park.

Flora is even more complex and rich in vegetation in Apuseni Natural Park. Most of the forests present here are coniferous with species of fir, spruce, larch, pine and others. But on lower elevations you can find also deciduous forests like oak, beech, lime, ash, birch, elm, chesnut and many other species of trees, or in combination with the coniferous forests. Smaller trees like bilberry and raspberry trees, juniper and hazelnut trees are also present. You can also see small but beautiful plants like Campanula alpina, Lady’s Slipper, Dew of Heaven plus many other flowers. All plants will enrich your biological and ecological experience.

Tourism and what can you do in Apuseni Natural Park:

Because of the complexity and diversity of the activities that you can do here, together with the multitude of natural formations present, tourism is at its best during the high season. Apuseni Natural Park is annually visited by few hundreds thousands tourists. They come here for the fresh mountain air, for the activities and most of them are camping. If you decide to come here you plenty of activities to choose from. The best way is to explore the park on foot because hiking is the first activity in the park. There many marked trails that you can choose from, all with different degrees of difficulty.

Besides hiking, you can go rock climbing or you can explore the caves by practicing the Speleology tourism. Popular among tourists is canyoning on the rivers or going for a rafting session on the rapids, practicing the winter sports like skiing, sledging or cross-country skiing. You can also go for a hike in the winter when the landscape is all covered in white, you can  go mountain biking or to observe the fauna and flora. Besides these activities, most of tourists just come here to relax, to gather with friends and family around the fire. They socialize, they have the meals together and from time to time go for a little walk.

What can you see in Apuseni Natural Park:

There are so many you can see in Apuseni Natural Park. But we will try to tell you here about the most important natural but also about the man made tourist objectives and attractions. You cannot miss the Bears Cave from Chiscau, the cave from Meziad, the crystal cave from Farcu, the glacier ice caves from Scarisoara and Vartop, Groapa Ruginoasa (Rusty Precipice), Sighistel Valley with over 200 caves, Ponor, Varasoaia and Florilor Meadows or Ponorului Citadels cave from Padis. Also important are Belis-Fantanele Lake, Galbenei Keys, Rachitele and Vladeasa waterfalls, Padis plateau, Boghii Valley and many more.

As about the human made tourist objectives, you can find them mostly on the outskirts of Apuseni Natural Park. You can visit many wood churches like the ones from Arieseni (1791), Stancesti (1752), Garda de Sus (1792), Bradet (1733) and others. Also don’t miss the Folk or Ethnological Museum from Chiscau, the Municipal Museum from Beius or the Memorial House “Closca” from Carpinis village. Even if the human made attractions are present, the most important ones are the natural ones.

Cetatile Ponorului (Ponorului Citadels) are among the best caves to see in the park

Hiking trails and natural reservations from Apuseni Natural Park:

We mentioned you earlier that the most important activity in Apuseni Natural Park is to go hiking. There are 35 marked hiking trails here from which you can choose depending in how fit you are physically. The trail between Vartop (DN75) and the Black Rocks (Pietrele Negre) is 6.5 km (about 3 h) and you can see Groapa Ruginoasa and Tapu Meadow along the way. The trail between Vladeasa Cottage and Garda de Sus is 62.5 km and you can cover it in two days. Along the way you can see Varasoaia and Calineasa Meadows, Ordancusa Keys, the ice cave from Scarisoara and different peaks. Other marked trails are: Vartop (DN 75) to Tataroaia Peak (7 km – 3h), Boga to Bulbuci Waterfall (3 km – 2h), Pietroasa or Stana de Vale to Bohodei Peak and Waterfall (about 17 km, only for experienced hikers with basic climbing skills).

Now let me tell you a bit about the natural reservations within Apuseni Natural Park. The White Rocks (Pietrele Albe) Reservation, Izbucelor Valley botanical reservation, Carligati Peak a flora and landscape reservation are among the best. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) But the most wonderful parts of the park are the Lost World and Padis Plateaus. Here is the biggest concentration of natural monuments and you get plenty to do and see. If you want to fully enjoy this park, we recommend you to come and stay here for minimum 3-4 days. But if you have one week to spend here, it will be much better so you can cover more. Visit Apuseni Natural Park for a wonderful lifetime experience!

Endless coniferous forests hiding a rich fauna, are everywhere in Apuseni Natural Park

Live weather in

Romania

The post Apuseni Natural Park is the perfect short holiday for mountain enthusiasts appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

In the Ma’an Governorate from the central-south part of Jordan

Address:

About 240 km south of Amman, Jordan’s capital and 120 km north of the city of Aqaba at the Red Sea.

Area/Surface:

264 km²

Date of construction:

Around the 3rd century BC built by the Nabataeans Arabs.

Opening hours:

Summer: 6am to 6pm.
Winter: 6am to 4pm.

Prices:

For tourists who sleep minimum one night in Jordan the tickets are:
One full day: 50 JOD (Jordanian Dinar) which is about 70 US Dollars.
Two full days: 55 JOD which is about 77-78 US Dollars.
Three full days: 60 JOD which is about 84-85 US Dollars.

For tourists who do not sleep in Jordan the ticket is: 90 JOD or approximately 127 US Dollars

More about other tickets and tours please check Official page

Telephone:

Petra in Jordan +962 321 570 93

E-mail:

info@visitpetra.jo

Website:

www.visitpetra.jo

Best time to go:

Petra in Jordan can be visited anytime of the year due to the warm weather. However we do recommend you to visit during the spring between March and May or during autumn between September and November just to avoid the heat summer wave with temperatures of more than 35° C. During spring or autumn the temperature not higher than 25° C makes from a visit to Petra a perfect day. We highly advise you to arrive very early in the morning not later than 7am if you wish to avoid the big tourist crowds.

How to get here:

By car:

From the capital Amman in north you have two good options. You can come on the Desert Highway following the Highways number 35, 15 and again 35. Or you can come on the King’s Highway following the road towards the Highway 65, then take Highways number 60 and 35 to get to Petra. The first option is about 240 km and takes 3 hours driving. The second option is more scenic and takes you 260 km during a 4 hours drive. Coming from the port city of Aqaba in south, you come on the Highways number 80, 15 and 35. The total journey is about 2 hours on a 120 km distance.

By bus:

To get here by bus you have various options either from Amman or Aqaba. But more about the buses and public transport please see the Official page.

By plane:

Jordan has two major international airports where tourists can arrive. You can choose to arrive either on Queen Alia International Airport from Amman or on King Hussein International Airport from Aqaba.

Petra in Jordan

Importance and history of Petra in Jordan:

Petra in Jordan is situated in a remote and desert area from southern Jordan. To get here by car is easy by just following the brown signs that indicate a tourist attraction. The importance of this place came together with the Arab Nabataeans period. These people it is thought that built the ancient city of Petra around the year 300 BC. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the world and definitely the most visited from Jordan. This ancient and archaeological park is important also and unique for the rock-cut architecture and the splendid combination of styles. Petra in Jordan is included from 1985 on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Also, it is considered to be one of the new 7 wonders of the world and a place to see before you die.

The sculpted city of Petra was in the past the capital of Arab Nabataeans people. They lived in this area from the 6^th century BC. The complex was built more than 2000 years ago carving directly in rock the city of Petra. Once considered a city, today is more to do with tombs. When later the Romans conquered Petra, it became part of the Roman empire around 106 AD. They built here and introduced their own elements like a Roman bath, forum or theater and not only. It’s important for you to know that Petra was for many centuries a hidden, forgotten and unknown place. Only in 1812 it was rediscovered by Johan Burckhardt an explorer from Switzerland who discovered this place with the help from a Bedouin and dressed as an Arab person.

The splendid Treasury, the facade that you see first time before entering Petra in Jordan

Other names, movies and threats related to Petra in Jordan:

The splendid, historic and charming city of Petra in Jordan, is showing its great walls and façade as you come to an end from the narrow canyon that leads you here. To get to Petra in Jordan, you must make your way through the beautiful canyon called Siq. This gorge is about 1.2 km long, but very narrow. What you see at the end of it is even more beautiful. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) The magnificent façade is showing in front of you. It is made from red-pink stone and this is why it’s also called the Rose City. In fact, the word “Petra” is coming from Greek language and means “Rock”.

You must know that Petra is a famous place for movies. Many parts from the 1989 movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” were filmed here. Parts of Mortal Kombat, The Mummy Returns or Transformers movies were also filmed here. Unfortunately there are many threats that in time are slowly affecting the ancient city. Erosion, winds and weather in general, together with the massive crowds of tourists or the bad reconstruction are all affecting Petra. Also is good for you to know that the city was heavily destroyed in 363 AD by a powerful earthquake. Because of the threats over Petra, many organizations united to fight against these through various projects.

Architecture styles and what you can see at Petra in Jordan:

Petra was for about 600-700 years the most important trading place in this area. Also it’s a strategic city for caravans between India, China and Syria, Egypt, Rome or Greece. It is situated 914 m above the sea level. Nabataeans combined the Assyrian and Egyptian styles with the Greek classical one, to built this ancient Rose City. The most important part you can see is the Treasury which is the façade and the most beautiful, the most photographed part of Petra in Jordan. In Arabic language it is called Al-Khazneh. This welcoming and gorgeous wall is 27 m wide and 40 m high. It is also the most rich in decorations and elements. Because initially was used as a tomb for a Nabataean king, it is said that the urn which stands on top of the Treasury contains pure gold.

There are other two important places that you should not miss when entering Petra. The first one is called “The High Place” just because you have to go on a steep climb to get up on the Attuf Ridge where you can see two obelisks and a high altar. Here it is said that the Nabataeans gave offerings to their gods Al Uzza and Dusares. The other important place is the Deir or known to the people as the Monastery. It is a 46 m wide and 40 m high rock that as well is carved so ancient people could go in. Inside there is a big room where important religious days and festivals took place. If you come by a 5 days trekking tour, you will approach Petra from the Monastery side. This place is situated about half an hour from Petra’s main entrance.

Other buildings and tourism at Petra in Jordan:

Besides the important buildings mentioned above, you can see other interesting, some strange buildings which will not disappoint you. The Roman Theatre is a fine example that remains since Roman times. It’s a huge building dating from the first century AD having a Greek style from the Nabataeans period. Important to mention is that the Theatre is also carved in the rock and has more than 3000 seats. The Royal Tombs are so interesting to see and their impressive facades are a fine example of ancient architecture. They are situated about 250 m away from the Theatre and you can get to them by an easy walk up. At the top you will be rewarded with superb views. The most important tombs are: Tomb of Unayshu, Corinthian Tomb, Urn Tomb, Silk Tomb, Sextius Florentinus Tomb, Palace Tomb and Carmine Tomb.

Once inside, you cannot miss the East Cliff and the magnificent views from the Colonnaded Street. Go and see Wadi Turkmaniyyeh a nice walk connected with Petra in the north side of it which can get you to other two further tombs. Also the “Litte Petra” which is only few kilometers away to the north, has a little Siq and beautiful facades. Inside you can see and explore the Temple if the winged lions together with other temples, altars and buildings. Even if Petra in Jordan is situated in the middle of the desert, the modern city Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) few km away is made for tourism as hotels, restaurants and shops are found here. Since it was introduced to modern tourists, Petra tourism started to grow. Today more than 500.000 tourists are visiting the ancient city every year.

Following the narrow canyon called Siq, you finally get to Petra in Jordan

Activities at Petra in Jordan:

As an important activity, we recommend to take a night tour of Petra just because it’s a totally other experience than the day tour. First of all are less tourists and you get the chance to walk through the Siq with candles and accompanied by Bedouin music. We also recommend another activity, another way to see Petra. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) This is by riding a camel so you can admire this 2000 years old wonder of the world. If you have more time to spent in the area you can go and visit two museums: Petra Archaeological Museum and Petra Nabataean Museum. You must know that either for pleasure or for those who cannot walk too much to get to Petra, there is the possibility to “hire” a camel or a donkey to go inside and see the main attractions.

About safety in the area, other things to know and our recommendation regarding Petra in Jordan:

Tourism in Jordan and also at Petra unfortunately decreased since conflicts in neighboring Syria started in 2011. But even like this, we must tell you that this place is totally safe. Why do we say this? It is just because you are far away from the conflicts and once you fly in Jordan and make your way south you will be even further. Other than this nothing dangerous happened in this remote desert. If you want to stay minim one week in Jordan, why not considering a visit to the Dead Sea, to the spectacular scenery of Wadi Rum in south, to the beaches at the Red Sea near the city of Aqaba? Or for some moments of silence try a picnic at Beida, Heishah or relax at a Turkish Bath.

Most of the tourists enter Petra in the morning through the canyon. The views that come in front of you when approaching the façade (Treasury) of Petra are magnificent. Depending of the moment in the day, the colors vary a lot and change in pink, red, yellow or orange. To be sure you spot the best view over Petra, we recommend you to go there early morning so you will miss the huge tourist crowds. We also recommend to stay here for minimum 3 days. Only like this you can fully enjoy and visit Petra in Jordan!

Make a ride on a camel to see Petra in a different way

Live weather in

Jordan

The post The ancient city of Petra in Jordan, also called Rose City has a unique architecture appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

Romania is a country situated in Eastern Europe and has a coastline to the Black Sea in south-east and borders with the following neighbors: Moldova in east, Bulgaria in south, Serbia in south-west, Hungary in north-west and Ukraine in north.

Population and capital:

20.255.000 people / Bucharest 2.200.000 people

Calling code:

+40

When to go:

To taste the Romanian traditional food you can go any time of the year. It all depends what other activities are you planning to do. But we recommend to go in the holiday season either during Christmas and New Year times or during Easter Holidays just because in this periods it’s a tradition everywhere in Romania to cook original dishes.

Romanian traditional food and cuisine

Introduction in the Romanian traditional food:

Romanians are peaceful people but also hard workers. Since long ago they had different activities developed in the rural side, activities like agriculture, fishing, hunting or growing domestic animals. Because of their activities, Romanians developed in time a diverse food being inspired from different international cuisines like the ones from Germany, Serbia, Balkans, Hungary, Italy or Turkey. They got a bit from everywhere and put their talent in to compose delicious and tasty dishes. Today there are more than 80 traditional food dishes from Romania. Here we included all types of food from starters, different types of bread, vegetarian food, main dishes, different types of salads and condiments, different types of cheese, deserts and also we included traditional drinks. But now we invite you to read about some of the Romanian traditional food.

Sarmale (Meat rolls in cabbage leaves) – Romanian traditional food:

Sarmalele (plural) or Sarma (singular) are for sure one of the most consumed Romanian traditional dish. It is composed by minced meat, rice, sour or fresh cabbage leaves or vine leaf plus other ingredients. The minced meat is generally from pork, but it can be also made from beef, chicken, lamb or rarely from fish. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com). The word “Sarma” is coming from Turkish “Sarmak” and means “to wrap”. In fact Sarmalele are made the filling composed by minced meat, rice and other ingredients is wrapped usually in cabbage leaves. Some people wrap it in spinach, vine or other kinds of leaves. Also, if you are a vegetarian you can change the minced meat with vegetables, mushrooms or corn.

To be more tasty, Sarmalele are cooked at a lower fire in a cast iron or ceramic pot either on stove or in the oven. Romanians serve this dish all year round but are more present during the Holidays. They usually add smoked bacon, thyme leaves, pepper, dill and mamaliga which is another Romanian traditional food. In the end sour cream is added on top.

Mamaliga (Maize or corn mush) – Romanian traditional food:

Mamaliga is a Romanian dish usually consumed in the rural areas of the country. It is made from corn flour. Generally speaking when you eat mamaliga, you don’t need to eat any bread during your meal. Even if this is a national food in Romania, it is known to other countries around the world. People in whole Eastern Europe, in Switzerland, Mexico or even in South America in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela or Uruguay are eating it. Quite often mamaliga is coming as a side for sarmale (see above). It is cooked from corn flour added in a cast iron pot full with boiling water and salt is also added. It can be served together with many other types of food, most of the time as we said above, it is replacing the bread.

Chiftelele (meat balls) – Romanian traditional food:

Chiftelele (plural) or chifteaua (singular) are another common dish served all year and known in all the regions from Romania. They are composed from minced meat (usually pork or beef), eggs, dill, parsley, condiments, bread, garlic and onion. It is mainly made from meat which is cooked in fat and served normally with mashed potatoes, mustard or salad. Many people make them in tomato sauce or they add carrots, scrape potatoes and other veggies. In some ways Romanian traditional dish of chiftele is found in other countries around the world. Worldwide burgers meat are made very similar with Romanian chiftele. In Italy they are served with pasta, in Mexico with albondigas or in Greece they are called Keftedes. They are also found in Germany as Königsberger Klopse or in the Middle East are served with falafel.

You can try the meat balls or chiftele if you come in Romania

Boeuf Salad – Romanian traditional food:

The ancestor of the Romanian boeuf salad is the Russian salad known also as Olivier. This name is coming from the chef Olivier who cooked it for the first time in 1860 in Moscow. After the original and expensive Russian recipe was lost, this salad was widely adopted in many countries from Europe. In Romania it is made from authentic ingredients. Boeuf salad is composed from beef meat, eggs, potatoes, carrots, parsley, parsnip and celery which are boiled. After cooking them, they are cut in small cubes while peas, peppers, small cut pieces of pickles and olives are added. In the end the natural made mayonnaise is added all over the salad which is decorated with veggies at your preference.

Why not trying the traditional Boeuf salad in Romania?

Romanian sausage (cârnat) and caltabos – Romanian traditional food:

Romanian sausage is a widely spread dish which is again composed from minced meat (generally pork), salt, condiments and bacon. Romanians as well as most of Europeans put these ingredients together composing a pasta which is wrapped in a cylindrical shell. On the other hand similar with the sausage is the Romanian traditional dish of caltabos. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) This is known in different ways around Romania. In fact they are made from the pig’s innards, bacon in some regions of Romania and sometimes rice which are boiled, small cut and wrapped. They can be consumed fresh or smoked.

Sausages are spread in the world but for you here is Romanian traditional sausage

Filled peppers and mushroom white sauce stew – Romanian traditional food:

The filled peppers known in Romania as “Ardei umpluti” are a Romanian and Moldavian traditional dish. They are composed again from minced meat (usually pork), rice, eggs, onion, tomatoes, dill, parsley, tomato sauce, salt and other condiments. Wine and sour cream can be added after cooking them in boiled water. For vegetarians the minced meat can be changed with veggies, mushrooms or soy. Another national food of Romania are the mushrooms white sauce stew know as “Ciulama de ciuperci”. It is composed by mushrooms, onion, garlic sauce, salt, butter, flour, black pepper, dill, parsley and veggies juice. The mushrooms are cut and fried with onion and garlic sauce. Later are added the flour mixed with butter, the dill, parsley and the other condiments. In the end you add the sour cream and can be served with mamaliga.

Mmmm…Yummy isn’t it? Here for you mushroom white sauce stew

Tripe soup – Romanian traditional food:

The tripe soup known in Romania as “Ciorba de burta” is one of the best soups and a favorite dish for many Romanians. It is composed from meat soup, beef tripe, pork legs or beef marrow bones as meat. Then you add garlic, onion, celery, carrots, red pepper, parsley, egg, garlic sauce, bay leaves, salt, pepper and other condiments. The tripe soup is not good without either lemon sauce, lemon salt, vinegar or borsch. To cook this Romanian traditional food you will need in total 3 to 5 hours most of the time being spent on cooking the meat. In the end for the tripe soup to taste even better you add sour cream. For spicy food lovers, you can eat it with hot pepper.

Tripe soup will be one of your favorite dishes if you try it in Romania

Creme brulee, sweet cow cheese dumplings and poultry milk – Romanian traditional food:

Some of the Romanian traditional deserts which we are telling you here about, are very tasty believe us. Creme brulee, known in Romanian as “Crema de zahar ars” is a popular desert dish. It is composed by eggs, milk and sugar and you can add on top vanilla or whipped cream. The sweet cow cheese dumplings know in Romanian as “Papanasi cu branza” are a fine desert spread all over Romania. It is composed by sweet cow cheese, flour, eggs, semolina, biscuits and sugar. On top to be even tastier, you will add sour cream, jam, cream or sugar.

You can taste and try in Romania this delicious sweet cow cheese dumplings

The last presented desert is the poultry milk known in Romanian as “Lapte de pasare”. It is one of our favorite deserts because it is not difficult to make and so tasty. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) It is composed by egg yolk which together with sugar, vanilla and milk compose a cream similar with vanilla. To obtain the final composition, you will add egg white mixed with sugar and vanilla. We try to present here for you the best Romanian traditional food. Now that we raised your appetite we invite you to visit Romania and taste the national tasty dishes!

Last but not least, you can try filled peppers, a Romanian traditional food

Live weather in

Romania

The post Romanian traditional food is coming in many different forms. You just need to taste it appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

In the south-eastern part of Kazakhstan, Asia.

Area/Surface:

16.400 km²

Cities:

Largest city is Balkhash with around 66.000 inhabitants.

Average depth:

5.8 m

Maximum depth:

26 m

Elevation:

340 m above sea level

Length:

605 km

Width:

Between 10 and 74 km.

When to go:

Due to the fact that during winter between November and March the lake is frozen, May to October will be the best time to go, but we recommend to go in the summer months when the weather is perfect for exploring the area.

How to get here:

By car:

The best way to come here by car is from north either from Astana the capital or from Karagandy. You can also come from south from Almaty but the distance is bigger.

Coming from the north (Astana or Karagandy) you will drive on the M-36 that gets you to Balkhash city. Then the M-36 continues on the south-west side of the lake then to Almaty. From Astana you have around 600 km (7-8 h drive) and from Karagandy around 380 km (4 h and a half).

Coming from the south the quickest way to get to Balkhash city is by driving on the same M-36 (635 km around 8 h). But in just 4-5 hours you can get on the southern shore of Lake Balkhash.

By train:

To get to Balkhash City from Astana by train you will go more than 20 hours.

By bus:

To get to Balkhash City from Astana by bus you will go around 9 hours. Bus station is called Saparzhai.

By plane:

You can get to either Astana or Karaganda Internatinal Airports from many places in the world. But you can only get to Balkhash City from Karaganda by an internal flight that goes 3 times a week. The company that operates this flight is Zhezkazgan Air.

Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan

History, name and waters that feed Lake Balkhash:

Lake Balkhash was know to the local people even since the year 103 BC. The lake played an important role in the daily life of the Turks, Mongols and Chinese people. During the Chinese dynasty of  Qing, between the seventh and twentieth centuries the lake represented the north-western part of the Chinese empire. For more than 100 years until the Soviet Union was split, the lake was on Russia’s territory and only since 1991 is part of Kazakhstan. The name is coming from the local word “Balkas” that means “tussocks from a swamp”. There are many rivers that feed this lake and the most important are: Ili or Ile River (main) and Aksu, Karatal and Lepsa Rivers.

Relief and climate from Lake Balkhash:

Lake Balkhash is divided in two different parts by the Saryesik Peninsula situated almost in the middle part of the lake. The interesting part around the lake is that is composed by two totally different parts. You must know that the eastern part is filled with saltwater and is much deeper. The western part is filled with fresh water mainly because the volume of the water coming from Ile River. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) The two distinct parts are separated by a 3.5 km long strait which is 6 m deep. On the north side of the lake the relief is rocky and with higher altitudes while in the south part you can find shallower water and a sandy shore. The lake also has 43 islands and some small hills around.

As about the climate you must know that the winters are harsh with low temperatures dropping below -20° C. The summers can be hot with frequent temperatures over 30° C which makes it the perfect season for holidays. During the months of June, July, August and even September, the water temperature is between 20 and 25° C which means you can easy swim and relax in Lake Balkhash waters. The high temperatures in the summer make this lake a favorite holiday destination for Kazakhs. Also tourists around the world come here in an unknown part of the world, a new country and a new adventure.

Fauna, flora and the local activities around Lake Balkhash:

Fauna and flora in the Lake Balkhash region will amaze you because here you can find over 340 species of animals. Among these are foxes, wolves, wild boars, muskrats or hares. It is known that here lived also the Caspian tiger which probably now is extinct. You can see also over 120 species of birds among are golden eagles, pheasants, cormorants, great egrets or pelicans. Among the 20 species of fish you can find here catfish, breams, perches or the endemic Sazan or Pike fish. Many of the species found here are endangered.

Flora at Lake Balkhash is also important. There are riparian forests, willow, cane, reeds everywhere, algae, poplar, rushes and many other species of water plants. If you come here, you can see that locals are involved mainly in fishing, navigation, transport, economy and energy projects, many working in power-plants.

Tourism and what you can see and do at Lake Balkhash:

If you decide to come for a holiday at Lake Balkhash we recommend you to combine this place with a visit to Karagandy and the capital Astana. In total you will probably need a minim of one week spent in Kazakhstan from which we recommend 2-3 days in Astana, one in Karagandy and another 3 or 4 at the lake. Unfortunately tourism is underdeveloped here despite the beautiful area and the activities you can do here. It is just because tourism here is not the main thing and is not well promoted. But around the city of Balkhash at the north side of the lake, tourists will find good hotels and resorts to spend their holidays.

There are plenty of activities which you can choose from. Here is a paradise for fishing enthusiasts or for photography lovers, who spend time taking pictures of the endangered species. You can also get fantastic photos of the landscape or go about 70 km north to the region of Bektau-Ata mountains. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) This superb mountain range consisting of canyons, rocks and lakes will offer you great opportunities for photos and adventure in the wild. There are also activities for sail lovers because sailing and yachting is popular at Lake Balkhash. Also the lake becomes more and more popular among those who love swimming or diving, making it a perfect summer destination.

Beautiful sunset over Lake Balkhash

As about the tourist objectives and attractions in the area of the lake or not far away, you can find many of them. There are 88 archaeological sites not far away, also caves, mounds, old settlements and others. In fact, tourists love to come here especially for a relaxing and quiet holiday far away from the noise and stress of a big city. Holiday hotels and resorts can be found in many places around the lake. Please find more information here. Visit Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan!

Silent and beautiful mountains of Bektau-Ata nor far from Lake Balkhash

Live weather in

Kazakhstan

The post Lake Balkhash is the third largest lake in Kazakhstan situated in the south-eastern part appeared first on WLJ.

 The world at your fingertips

Did you ever heard someone saying that you have the world at your fingertips? Did you ever thought what that would mean? Well, we will explain you in this article how things are going today and how easy is to arrange and book a holiday while you are really travelling. It really doesn’t matter if you are travelling for either a business or leisure purpose, most of the people today have their smartphones with them everywhere they go. Well, together with tablets and laptops all these devices are made to help you make your travel easier than ever.

The world at your fingertips – definition:

Generally speaking the words “the world at your fingertips” mean that you can have anything you want within easy access. It means that you have access to everything in the world with the help of technology and other sources. Even if in particular these words would perfectly fit to a young person who is active, energetic and ready to go all the time, generally speaking they are perfect for anyone that has access to a smart device. We are not living 400 or 500 years ago and not even 100 years ago when today’s technology didn’t even existed. We are lucky to have the possibility to arrange world lifetime journeys, holidays and to book flights or hotels in just few steps. It is just because most of you have the world at your fingertips.

The world at your fingertips – importance of apps:

We all know that planning few months ahead is the best you can do when you want to arrange a holiday or journey. But with the help of our smart devices, today you can really have the world at your fingertips. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) Travelling in many places around the world we realized how small is the world and how easy is to have it at your feet. Not necessarily need to call or book in advance, just open your smartphone, tablet or laptop and use from hundreds or thousands of apps the one that best suits your needs. You can find applications for accommodation bookings, transport tickets and you can do many more travel arrangements with the use of apps.

It is said that by 2020, more than half of the world tourists will use their smartphones or tablets to arrange a holiday or journey. We can’t imagine how important is to have the possibility to do bookings and to buy tickets in just few minutes and steps. With the evolution and creation of apps, we are able to arrange last minute holidays at better prices. You now have the world at your fingertips.

The world at your fingertips – mobile sites improved:

We were talking about the applications on smartphones or tablets. But on the other hand most of the travelling websites improved their mobile sites as well. Hotels or hostels, flight, rail or coaches companies and not only, most designed their mobile sites for easy bookings. There are various information and charts that you can see all over the internet. They show you how in the last years bookings made on smartphones almost overtook the ones made from desktops or laptops. Companies pay more attention on their own mobile websites because they know for you is better to have the world at your fingertips. We are always on the move, always in rush. For many of us it seems that the time is not enough for the activities we have to do.

Now almost every travel website that you go on, will offer you the possibility to complete a booking or a purchase within few clicks. In fact it shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes to book a hotel room or to buy a flight ticket. The only things you should know already are the location you want to go, keeping in mind some of the features the hotels need to have. Once you know your location, head on to the mobile site and complete your booking or purchase. It can be an online travel agency, a hotel or a flight, rail company. Same as doing a booking, to complete a purchase is easier today than it was years ago. Only by using your credit or debit card, an e-voucher or using your loyalty points you can purchase a travel ticket or holiday in few clicks.

The world at your fingertips – book your room while you are travelling:

It sounds very adventurous. But to have the world at your fingertips, it means you can book as you go like many people do today. Most of the people book far in advance and plan their trip accordingly. On the other hand, last minute bookings are not a secret anymore. You just need a bit of courage, some virtual money on your bank account, a destination in mind and you are good to go. These last minute holidays and journeys are working perfectly for any length of your trip or any type of destination. But keep in mind that you have more chances to get good deals if you travel outside the high season. Why not trying to book a city break during quieter times? Why not trying to book a room in one of the beach hotels during spring or autumn?

Book when the crowds are not so big and you will benefit of the best deals. Do your homework before your trip and search for the price range of the hotels at your destination. Also keep in mind some of the features you really need the hotels or rooms to have so you can apply your filters. But please note that as many filters as you put, they will narrow your searches and you can loose good deals. If you decide to go directly at your destination, try to arrive as early as you can. Like this you have plenty of time to go around that city and to look for the best accommodation deals. Always look further than the tourist areas or further than the city center. Look for Bed and Breakfast if you can stick with that and you will certainly get the best prices.

As closer to the city center or to the beach you are looking, the higher the prices for rooms. Then it depends of what type of traveler you are. If you are looking for a nice and quiet sleep, then consider accepting a room at the upper floors or a room away from the noisy area. Don’t forget that you can rely on others people help to find good rooms to stay. Talk with the local tourist information office, with travel agents or even with taxi drivers. Sometimes you’ll be welcomed by locals offering their rooms to rent so why not having a look?

The world at your fingertips – buy your last-minute travel tickets:

While booking/buying travel tickets few months in advance remains the most secured option, last minute tickets gain more trust. Normally the best possible prices you will get immediately after an airline gets a flight on the market. But how do you know when is that happening? Every time a new flight, rail or sail journey is coming up, they offer several seats at the cheapest prices. When these seats are booked, the travel companies increase their prices. Again, they usually offer several seats at the newer discounted price and so on. Normally if you book minimum of 2-3 months in advance, you should benefit of the best possible prices.

But what if you don’t know your dates until very late before going or you simply love to be spontaneous? Well travel companies like airlines, rail, buses or sail companies or even rental car companies, all have the strategy to offer cheap last-minute tickets most of the time. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) If the transport you are travelling with is not going to be full, then the prices can drop significantly. You will certainly get the cheapest options if you don’t care too much about the dates or destination of your travel. In two words: be flexible. But to have the world at your fingertips and to leave everything on the last-minute there is always a risk. While most of the time prices will drop, there is the chance not to do so, in which case you either not go or you will end up paying double or more.

It’s important to know that last minute transport is cheap when you book outside the busy times. Please book during the week (preferably Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays) and during the quieter months usually October until before Christmas and January until before Easter. Avoid weekends and school holidays and also the daily peak times if you want the cheapest transport deals. Another important thing is to clear your cookies history every time you finish a search because the more you do searches, the higher the risk from the transport companies to increase their prices due to your searches.

The world at your fingertips – mobile ticketing and conclusion:

Today more of you have the world at your fingertips. More people are using mobile ticketing which is by far less time consuming and often better in prices. It also reduces the paper costs using this paper-less option by paying for your travel arrangements directly from your phone using a secured platform. Many travel applications like Airline ticketing, rail ticketing, bus ticketing, tourist attractions ticketing or even rooms ticketing are available today for an easier use and a quicker booking and payment process. You can now secure your seat or room in minutes. The delivery methods are also more convenient than going to a local travel company or to the ticket desk of a airline, bus or railway company. You will receive your tickets in minutes via e-mail or SMS. You will simply receive a confirmation form or e-mail with the barcode or OCR code needed to be scanned.

In the end, if you really are flexible and spontaneous you can get the best last minute deals. You need courage, you must like to risk a little bit and to choose the least crowded periods. Only in this way you can secure the best travel deals in the last possible minute. Travel safe and choose to have the world at your fingertips!

Tips & Tricks

Arrange journeys, holidays and book flights or hotels in just few steps using your smartphone

*

Follow applications and travel website directly on your smart device

 *

Check frequently for accommodation and transport on mobile websites

 *

Complete a booking or purchase in just few clicks on mobile websites

 *

Book your room or seat as you travel

 *

Use your electronic wallet, an e-voucher or the loyalty points to pay

*

Check for last minute holidays and journeys

 *

Choose to travel midweek or outside school holidays

 *

Choose to travel outside peak times or outside the high season

 *

Check for the price range on the destination before you book

 *

Arrive as early as you can to find the best room

 *

Apply your filters when checking for travel arrangements (not too many)

 *

Always look further away of the city center or tourist areas

 *

Ask local tourist office, travel agents or taxi drivers for offers

*

Accept the risk and leave everything on the last minute

 *

Clear your cookies history every time you finish a search

 *

The post Have the world at your fingertips today, due to the fast evolution of technology appeared first on WLJ.

Warwick Castle, one of the best medieval castles in England

Miami Seaqiuarium, one of the best to see in Florida, USA

Glasgow, a cultural city and one of the largest from Scotland

Enjoy Stockholm from Sweden and some of its attractions

Plitvice Lakes National Park, a natural wonder from Croatia

Sighisoara City is the most beautiful medieval city from Romania

Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend will fascinate you for sure

The cultural city of Munchen, Bavaria’s capital is a beautiful city, the third largest from Germany

The Venice of the North, Amsterdam in Netherlands is a very modern and interesting city to visit

The European Parliament and European Council
are here in Strasbourg, France

The city of Romeo and Juliet, one of the most romantic cities in the world, Verona in Italy

One of the smallest but very precious cave in Romania called the cave with crystals from Farcu

Miami Beach is the place where hundreds of people
are coming daily to have fun, to swim and to sunbath

One of the most visited castles in Europe,
Hohenzollern Castle in Germany

One of the most romantic lakes in Europe, Lake Bled in Slovenia

The sacred pilgrimage site of Fatima, Portugal

Birmingham, the second largest city in United Kingdom

Bran Castle (Dracula) in Transylvania, Romania

Madame Tussauds wax museum in Los Angeles

The post Find here all our slideshows for 2017. Great journeys and destinations appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

On Dambovita, Prahova and Brasov Counties territory in Bucegi Mountains from Southern Carpathians in Romania.

Address:

Park administration, Moroeni Commune, Principală (Main) Street., Nr. 71, Dambovita County, Romania

Area/Surface:

326.63 km²

Cities:

The biggest cities closer to Bucegi Natural Park are: Targoviste (Dambovita), Ploiesti (Prahova) and Brasov (Brasov). There are smaller cities from where you can start exploring this park: Busteni, Sinaia or Predeal situated on Prahova Valley.

Foundation year:

A protected natural area was nominated since 1943, but Bucegi Natural Park was founded in 1990.

Telephone:

+40 372 758 550

Website:

www.bucegipark.ro

E-mail:

bucegipark@gmail.com

When to go:

May – early October. But we recommend to go in summer months when the weather is perfect for hiking and exploring the area.

How to get here:

By car:

There are many routes which you can choose to get here and to help you choose one depends on the type of your car, your allocated time or how many kilometres you want to walk. It doesn’t matter which way you choose to come here by car. You must be ready to walk (starting from few km up to hundreds of km in several days). The closest cities or villages where you can leave your car are: Sinaia, Busteni, Moroeni, Azuga, Predeal, Moeciu, Bran, Rucar, Rasnov and many more. It all depends where do you want to start your walking trip. In total there are 14 access ways in  Bucegi Natural Park.

The roads surrounding the park are: the National Road DN71 in the south-east part coming from Targoviste City. The National Road DN1 in the east where is Prahova Valley and where are the most accessible ways. The National Road DN72A in the south-west part coming from Targoviste City. The European Road E574 from the north and west parts coming from Brasov City.

We recommend if you to come by a 4×4 car because you cannot get inside the natural park without it.

By means of transport:

You can get in the cities on Prahova Valley (Sinaia, Busteni, Azuga, Predeal) from any point of the country. Please check your route and plan ahead. For coming by train please go on www.cfrcalatori.ro or www.infofer.ro. For coming by bus please go on www.autogari.ro.

By cable car:

You can get in Bucegi Natural Park by two cable cars. From Sinaia you can get a cable car towards Cota 2000 and one from Busteni towards Babele-Sphinx formations. The third cable car will get you from Babele-Sphinx plateau towards Ialomitei Cave.

Bucegi Natural Park

Location, importance and description of Bucegi Natural Park:

Bucegi Natural Park is one of the 32 National and Natural parks from Romania and starting 1990 covers an area protected by law. It is situated on Dambovita, Prahova and Brasov territories, in the central-south part of Romania. This is one of the most beautiful and important parks from Romania, covers 326.63 km² and is highly protected due to its rare and rich in diversity flora and fauna. More than 1 million national and international scientists and tourists are coming every year to visit this park. Since 1935 it covers an area between 1000 and 2505 m height which is Peak Omu. Bucegi Natural Park is also important due to the splendid natural formations that you can find here. The park comprises several reservations, rock formations, caves, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, forests and more natural objectives.

Fauna and flora from Bucegi Natural Park:

Bucegi Natural Park is also part of the protected areas Natura 2000. Regarding its fauna and flora it is important for you to know that many rare species are found here. Among more than 3500 species of fauna present here, the most important you can see are the following. You can see the rare brown bear, the lynx and the wolf which are most active during the night. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) You can spot the rare mountain rooster or the black wild goat. But more common are the bats, the deer, some species of frogs or the Carpathian Triton. But of course there are so many other animals just because the park is rich in species.

On the other hand, flora is even more present in Bucegi Natural Park than the fauna. Flora is so varied here with as well over 3500 species because of the diversity of relief forms ranging in elevation between 1000 and reaching the maximum at 2505 m height. You can see among the most important, species as the Edelweiss or Leontopodium Alpinum. Other species are Rhododendron, the White Ivy, Gentiana Lutea, Nigritella Nigra, Junipers, Pinus Cembra, the Yew or the Larch. At lower altitude, the hardwood (deciduous) forests are present, while at higher altitude are endless coniferous forests. You can’t go away from here without falling in love with the forests and landscapes you see.

Tourism and what can you do in Bucegi Natural Park:

You don’t need to be a mountain lover to come here. Coming here and just enjoying the splendid views over Bucegi Mountains can change your vision. Tourism improved a lot in this area during the last 15-20 years. Today, Bucegi Natural Park attracts more than one million tourists every year. There are plenty of activities that you can do in this magnificent park and the most important activity is to go hiking.

Besides exploring the area on foot on one of the marked trails (alone or with guide), you can relax and breath the fresh mountain air, you can practice your climbing skills on more than 280 routes, you can practice Speleology Tourism for those passionate by caves or you can go and practice the winter sports in one of the excellent winter resorts from Prahova Valley. Not to forget to mention is that you can also go with a mountain bike and explore the park, you can watch the fauna and flora or simply you can record some nice movies or take plenty of photos to show your family and friends.

What can you see in Bucegi Natural Park:

Whatever you can see in Bucegi Natural Park you will not forget. There are so many natural and human made tourist objectives and attractions that you can’t imagine. As about the natural ones we mention the unique rock formations known as “Babele” (mushroom aspect) and “the Sphinx”. Then you can see canyons, gorges or keys like Zanoagei, Tatarului, Horoabei, Orzei, Ghimbarului, Rateiului or Ursilor. There are also two important caves to explore: Ialomitei and Ratei. The first one gives the name for the splendid Ialomitei Waterfall that you can enjoy together with many other smaller waterfalls including Urlatoarea Waterfall. Also, as you walk along the trails from Bucegi Natural Park you can enjoy other rock formations. Moara Dracilor (Devils Mill), Coltii Morarului (Miller’s Fangs), Mecetul Turcesc, Turnul Seciului or Baba Mare are just few of them.

As about the human made tourist objectives, you can walk up the highest peak in Bucegi Mountains which is Omu Peak at 2.505 m height. Not far from here, on Caraiman Peak you can see the Heroes Cross, built in the memory of the soldiers died in the First World War while Ialomitei Cave hides a monastery inside which you can visit together with the cave. Around the park you can visit Dracula’s castle, Bran or the architectural gems Peles Castle and Pelisor Castle from Sinaia. In Sinaia you can also see the Memorial House of George Enescu, an important Romanian composer, pianist and violinist. Few km away, in Busteni you can visit Kantacuzino Castle and the Memorial House of Cezar Petrescu a Romanian novelist. In the north side of Bucegi Natural Park you can see beautiful Brasov City and Rasnov Citadel.

Ialomitei Monastery is built at the entrance in Ialomitei cave and it worth the visit

Hiking trails and natural reservations from Bucegi Natural Park:

The most important activity in Bucegi Natural Park is to go hiking. There are 39 approved and marked trails which you can choose from and they all have different degrees of difficulty. The shortest one takes about 45 minutes to one hour while the longest one lasts for a full day. Most of the trails will take you in different places within the park area and last between 1 hour and 5-6 hours. If you choose to stay here, you have plenty of accommodation options from camping to good comfort hotels and cottages. So nothing to worry about when visiting this amazing mountain park. More about the hiking trails here. (only in Romanian)

Now let me tell you a bit about the natural reservations within Bucegi Natural Park. You can see Pestera Reservation which includes Ialomitei cave and monastery and also Ursilor and Pesterii Keys and Horoabei Valley. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) Then, Babele Reservation with an easy access via the cable car from Busteni, will fascinate you for sure with its “Babele” and “the Sphinx” rock formations. Plaiul Hotilor Reservation (paleontological area), Omu Peak Botanical Reservation (protected area for rich fauna and flora) and Zanoaga Reservation are also important. Other natural reservations are Valea (Valley) Horoabei-Cocora, Coltii lui Barbes Mountains, Rateiului Cave or the Steep Bucsoiu-Malaiesti-Gaura.

To fully enjoy this park, we recommend you to come and stay here for minimum 4-5 days. This can be enough time to combine the natural beauty with the architectural attractions. It doesn’t matter when you choose to come here. It will be for sure a lifetime journey that you will never forget. Visit Bucegi Natural Park!

The easiest access to get in Bucegi Natural Park is by cable car

Live weather in

Romania

The post Bucegi Natural Park is an international treasure for all mountain lovers appeared first on WLJ.

Location:

Silvasu de Sus in Hunedoara County, Romania

Address:

On DJ687K only few km after the village of Silvasu de Sus, Hunedoara. The monastery is situated 13 km away of Hateg City and 16 km away of the better known Hunedoara City.

Date of construction:

Around 1405, but it passed through different periods of restoration and modernization.

Opening hours:

From morning until sunset (all day). Be aware that during the Holy Days can be crowded.

Prices:

Free

Telephone:

Prislop Monastery +40 720 855831 or +40 372 779206

Website:

www.arsenieboca.ro

www.crestinortodox.ro

Best time to go:

You can visit Prislop Monastery anytime during the year, but the best months are between March and June and between September and early November. You can visit outside these months but during winter it can be unpleasant the way to the monastery as the weather and the road can be unpredictable while during summer and Holy days please be prepared for big crowds as pilgrims head to the monastery from all over Romania during the warmest months of the year.

How to get here:

By car:

The best way to get to Prislop Monastery is by car. Any other form of transport can prove difficult in getting you here. The monastery is the end of the County Road DJ687K that comes from Silvasu de Jos commune. If you are coming from south and west from Timisoara-Lugoj-Caransebes direction or from Bucharest-Pitesti-Ramnicu Valcea-Targu Jiu-Petrosani you will definitely pass through Hateg City. To get here you will come on the National Road DN67 (from west) and the European Road E79 (from south). From Hateg there are around 13 km to the monastery. Follow the county road DJ687A and in SIlvasu de Jos turn left on DJ687K towards Silvasu de Sus and then to Prislop Monastery.

If you come from north (Sibiu on E68/A1 or Deva on E79) you will pass through Hunedoara CIty. Make sure you turn on the county road DJ687 towards Hunedoara and from here towards Silvasu de Jos on DJ687A same one coming from south from Hateg direction. Don’t forget to turn right this time on DJ687K when in SIlvasu de Jos towards Prislop Monastery.

By train:

The closest you can get by train to Prislop Monastery is to Hateg or Hunedoara cities. You can arrive here with connections from any bigger city of Romania (for routes, prices and timetables check www.cfrcalatori.ro or www.infofer.ro).

By bus:

To get here by bus you can start from any big city from Romania and the prices and times to get closer to Prislop Monastery are varied depending from how far you are traveling. Check here for transport from different cities in Romania (http://www.autogari.ro). On the right side as you go on the website you can choose different city to start from. Keep in mind that the best is to get first either to Deva, Hunedoara or Hateg where you will find many daily buses going towards Silvasu de Jos commune. From here, either try to get a car (hitch hiking) that goes to the monastery or go on a 5 km walk on the road getting you to the monastery. But there are many chances you can catch a car.

By taxi:

We suggest you to take the taxi only from Deva, Hunedoara or Hateg Cities as if you take it from further away it might be costly. Taxi can be a quicker, better in this situation, but more expensive way to get here than the buses.

!Either you go by train or bus none of them will leave you at the monastery. You will have to walk from either SIlvasu de Jos or Silvasu de Sus (5 km respective 2-3 km).

Prislop Monastery

We heard for the first time about Prislop Monastery only few years ago. After deciding when to go, finally we choose this sacred place to be one of the highlights of our September trip in 2014. For me and my group of friends it was the first stop on the 10 days trip around Romania. We arrived at the monastery on a Saturday morning and it was our biggest mistake to go there that day, just because it happened to be weekend and also a Holy Day in the same time. So, you can imagine a huge crowd of thousands of pilgrims going there in the same time. The parking there was full. Cars or coaches arrived one by one, so we hardly had space to move around. But the feeling to be in this special place worth all the effort.

Now, if you don’t plan really well ahead (like we did not in this particular case) you will end up in big queues. Believe me, it is a big difference if you decide to go during weekends or Holy Days or you will go during the week either in spring, autumn or winter. As much as you can, try to avoid the crowds and the festive days. Just to give you an example, we have been at Prislop Monastery two times. The first time we’ve been there in September 2014, we had to wait around 5 hours to get to the most sacred place at the monastery. This is the grave of Arsenie Boca, considered to be the Saint of Ardeal (a big region in Romania). During his life many miracles happened. But later in the article will talk a bit about him.

The second time we’ve been there it was in spring of 2016 and this time was a big difference. I remember we arrived there on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning and there were much less tourists and pilgrims than last time. As a comparison, this time we could easily get in without problems, we could get holy water without waiting in a big queue and also we arrived at the Holy grave of Arsenie Boca in less than one hour. Thousands of pilgrims visit Prislop Monastery every month and come here with different diseases and health problems, others have sentimental problems or different other personal or financial problems. Most of them went on the right way and started to feel better and better after one or more visits to the monastery and specially after praying at the sacred grave of Ardealului Saint.

Once you get there make sure you follow some strict but important rules for visiting the monastery. I must tell you that the road that gets you to the monastery is from place to place really curvy and there can be few bumps as well so please drive carefully. When approaching the monastery keep in mind that there are two possibly parking places. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) On busy days you will not get the chance to park in front of the monastery specially if you arrive late. But you can park 1-2 km away where is the second parking space. Here you will also find many street vendors offering you from local food and drinks to religious artifacts and other Romanian souvenirs.

As you pass the entrance gate, even if it’s hot outside, make sure you cover your legs and arms with the clothes provided at the entrance. This is specially for ladies who must also cover their heads. You must keep the silence at all times and walk only in the places you are permitted to. On both sides as you walk towards the monastery you will find to buy religious artifacts, books and other souvenirs. You cannot go inside with pets or to smoke. When getting to the sacred grave of Arsenie Boca, make sure you pray in silence, you can kiss the cross and leave your turn quickly and quietly. Prislop Monastery is a sacred place. Please visit in silence and respect the rules and people around you. But now let me tell you about this place in details.

Prislop Monastery is waiting its pilgrims from all over the world

Location, importance and the legend around Prislop Monastery:

Prislop Monastery is situated in one of the most beautiful mountain areas from Romania not far from Retezat Mountains. This region is called Hateg Country a name coming from Hateg City which is the center of the region. The monastery you visit is situated at 640 m height and is surrounded by hills. For hundreds of years now, this is an important place for your and others pilgrimage, specially for Romanians and not only. But the importance and the sacredness of the monastery increased during the life of Arsenie Boca. This monastery is mainly inhabited by nuns. Some of them continue the old craft of painting religious scenes and portraits on glass.

The legend of Prislop Monastery says that Lady Zamfira an important person in those times came here to threat her health problems. After she drank from a spring next to the monastery, she got well quickly. Because of this miracle with the Holy water, she decided to reconstruct the monastery. But let me tell you the second legend. This time a more recent one is about the Wise Priest, Arsenie Boca. Many people came here to heal during his life, because he had a special gift from God. He was able to know everyone’s problems even before they started talking. He knew exactly what to tell them and people always listened to his teachings carefully. Because many miracles happened during his life, every day and year more and more people come to pray here.

In a day like this you must be full of patience to get to Arsenie Boca’s saint grave

History of Prislop Monastery:

You must know that the first founder of the monastery was Saint Nicodim or Nicodim from Tismana. He was in good relations with Hungary’s king, Sigismund and started to built a monastery in this area around the year of 1405 at the beginning of the XV century. For more than 150 years Prislop Monastery continued quietly to grow its cultural life and to protect people around. You must know that around 1564, Lady Zamfira started to reconstruct the monastery. Between 1564 and 1580, this monastery was rebuilt, so Zamfira was considered the second founder. She also helped the monastery to be painted inside and brought a miracles making icon of Our Lady Mary.

You must know about the restorations of the monastery that the interior frescoes were repainted in 1759 by Simion from Pitesti. For about 200 years the monastery was under Greek-Catholic dominance, but in 1948 it came back to its Orthodox origins. I must tell you about the second restoration period which started as well in 1948. At 25 November the priest Arsenie Boca came here from Sambata de Sus and started to transform this place into a more beautiful one. He restored the monastery with the help from brother Nicolae Zaharia. In the last decades Prislop Monastery started to have a more impact over the people from everywhere and more pilgrims are coming here every year.

Next to this cross you will find the trail that gets you to the cave of Ioan Sihastrul

About Saint John (Ioan) from Prislop Monastery:

Saint John from Prislop lived here for several decades. He dug a cave into the rock not far away from the monastery and lived here for many years. A hunter killed him because he was confused with a wild animal. Today, you know him as Ioan Sihastrul. You can visit his cave by coming at the monastery and filling you with positive energy. The legend around him is still present and he is considered a saint because is well known to God and rich in holy spirit.

About Saint of Ardeal, Arsenie Boca and his activity at Prislop Monastery:

The little Arsenie Boca was born in the village of Vata de Sus, near Brad City at 29 September 1910. Know when young as Zian, he started school in 1919 after the first World War and finished the Orthodox High School from Brad in 1929. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) He continued his studies in Sibiu and Bucharest and besides theology he studied medicine and beautiful arts. After studying few years and praying at the Saint Mount Athos from Greece, he turned back home with more knowledge. In 1939 he starts at Brancoveanu Monastery from Sambata de Sus and one year later gets the name of Arsenie.

Priest Arsenie Boca was wrongfully arrested and questioned between 1943 and 1948 and after only 3 years at the monastery (he came at Prislop in 1948) was brought by force to work at Danube-Black Sea Chanel and later in 1955 he was again arrested and questioned. In 1959 he was forbidden from keeping the masses in the church. During the next decades he had a difficult life with many periods spent in arrest. But every time, he found the silent places and monasteries especially at Prislop Monastery where he could paint splendid icons and frescoes. Finally, Arsenie Boca passed away and joined God on 28 November 1989 in Sinaia. His grave from Prislop where he was buried on 4 December 1989 is of a very high importance for pilgrims from everywhere.

What can you do and see in Hateg Country and our recommendation:

I must tell you that this are from Romania is not all about Prislop Monastery. Probably of a very high importance is Huniazilor or Corvinilor Castle which you can visit in Hunedoara. You can see and visit also old Dacian citadels in Orastie Mountains or on the road between Hateg and Caransebes cities. These citadels called Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa or Sarmizegetusa Regia. Besides these ancient places you can see the Dinosaurs Geo Park or the Aurochs Reservation. Also, do not miss the fortified churches and monasteries in the area, one of them being Densus Church. In the end we recommend you to spend a couple of days in this beautiful are from Western Romania because there are plenty to see and do. Visit Prislop Monastery!

If you want to improve your spiritual life, make a lifetime journey to Prislop Monastery

Live weather in

The post Prislop Monastery is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Romania appeared first on WLJ.