If you are eligible for a visa on arrival, then you don’t have to go to Vietnam Embassy and wait for long hours. You can simply go online and fill out a form asking some basic details about you. If you go by the normal procedures, then you will have to wait for days to receive the approval letter, but in this case, all such things are eliminated. You just have to wait up to two days for the letter of approval, which will come in the form of an email.

Once you get the email, then you can pack your bags and drive to your city’s International Airport. In Vietnam, there are three International Airports named, Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, NoiBai International Airport in Hanoi and Da Nang Airport in Da Nang. You can choose the airport you want to enter the country from. Once you land at the Airport, you will have to get a stamp on your approval letter to enter the Vietnam.

There is a special window created just to stamp the approval letter of those passengers who want to have a Visa On Arrival. This window remains open at all times, so you can land at the airport at any time and get your approval letter stamped without any issues. There is a specific reason for the 24 hour operation of this window, i.e., people come to this country from all around the world, so they need an efficient and incessant service round the clock.

If you are applying for an online visa, then you can pay the fees through your credit card. There is no need to write a check or any paperwork. On the arrival, you again have to loose your pocket and this time, it would be the stamping fee that you have to pay for. You can pay by cash at this moment of time. The Stamping officer will ask for your two passport size passport pictures, so you must have them.

The only thing that you need to make sure is, provide accurate information all the time. The visa process for any country can be made a lot easier if people provide their respective embassies and officers with an accurate information. Vietnam visa is quite easy to get and if you will provide them all the necessary information, then you can save yourself a lot of time and money. You can choose the date of arrival in advance and in case you were not able to go on that particular date, then you can easily go to Vietnam on another date by just informing your agent.

Not only does the name Lijiang prefer to the city, it is also in the name given to the whole county, which is blessed with high mountains, pastures and natural preserves. Lijiang is about 200 kilometers from Tibet and 150 kilometers from Myanmar.

Lijiang is the home of the Naxi people who have built rich the Dongba Culture for hundreds of years. One highlight of your visit here is undeniably the Ancient City District (central Dayan District), famous for its centuries-old buildings, bridges, cobbled streets and canals which collectively allow you to step back in time, and makes you want to stay here for a couple of blissful days.

This Old District captivates you with its marvelous Old Naxi architecture that reflects the blending of cultures over several centuries. Each house in Dayan is surrounded by willow trees and built by the stream. This is why people dubbed the town “Oriental Venice”. While in this ancient district, do not miss the chance to visit Sifang Street (Four Square), which is not only the central street but also a trading and distributing center. Another landmark in the Old Town worth your time is the famous Mu’s Palace (Mufu).

After exploring the district, you can head out to the neighboring area of Nanmen. Although it is a modern spot, this is where you can dine, shop and be entertained. Aside from the Ancient City District the Shuhe Town and the Baisha Quarter are part of the three districts of Lijiang that are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Situated on the first bend of the Yangtze River, Lijiang is also gifted with beautiful natural surroundings. This is the reason the town has become the favored gateway for attractions like Yuguan Park, Lugu Lake, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Hiking excursions are very popular and are usually organized by tour operators in Lijiang. The hordes of adventure-seeking visitors are well accommodated by the town’s wide range of inns, hostels and hotels.

Yuguan Park is a hiking haven that encompasses the scenic Black Dragon Pool and a gorgeous hill overlooking the city. Lugu Lake is home to the unique Mosuo people, who until now, observed a matriarchal society, which is why it is famously called the last “Kingdom of Women” in the world.

The (Yulong) Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, just 35 kilometers north of Lijiang is known for its very picturesque scenery. Check the postcards made for the town and region, and you will find a number that feature this spectacular mountain. During good winter weather, part of the mountain becomes a ski area ideal of beginners. This is the only ski area in the whole province of Yunnan. Take note the Jade Dragon is not a full-fledged resort but is an ideal destination for a day trip.

Aside from traveling with utmost luxury, this journey is all about going back in time as you will travel on a beautifully restored vintage train while exploring the famous American wine country. Most of the cars were built in 1915 by the renowned Pullman Standard Company and were intended to be first class coaches for the Northern Pacific Railway. These days, the refurbished cars have retained their steel structure and come with modern features such as steam heat and electric lights. They are also furnished with velveteen fabric armchairs, Honduran mahogany paneling and brass accents to achieve a high degree of luxury and comfort.

But what makes Napa Valley Wine Train even more exciting is the fantastic dining experience that comes with the train ride. You can enjoy this experience in the form of a multiple course gourmet lunch or dinner. Meals are freshly prepared in the three on board kitchens on the train. Dining arrangements for lunch packages usually follow traditional rail seating. This means that you will share a table with another party. Although it is possible to book a table all for yourself and your companion, the option is limited to when you book the Gourmet Express Package.

If you are willing to pay more, you can have your meal in the Vista Dome, where all the tables are private. Dinner on board the Napa Valley Wine Train is an entirely different experience as the tables are private, the ambiance is more formal and the dishes are complemented with glasses of fine wine. If you want a romantic date night, then there’s no other ideal package than the Moonlight Escape excursion.

Meals can be enjoyed in the first or second seating section. In the first seating section, meals are served when the train goes to St Helena. You can choose between soup or salad which accompanies the main course of your choice. Your dining experience is completed with coffee and dessert, which you can enjoy in one of the lounges while train is heading back to Napa. If you choose the second seating section, you will have appetizers on the way to St. Helena, and then have your main course on the return trip. Some examples of main course meals include roasted beef tenderloin, coriander chicken breast and grilled salmon with potatoes.

The Millennials, also known as Generation Y, a well-informed and socially responsible group of people born between the years 1980 and 2000, are transforming the travel industry, which is currently striving to respond to the changing market conditions.

The new trend among this social segment, whose members constitute the spearhead of economic activity and thus can afford to travel to foreign countries, is “reaching out to local communities, learning the local customs, and fully experiencing with all senses what each place has to offer.”

Of course, realizing how some of our supposedly innocent personal decisions may affect other people’s lives and our planet in general has also played a key role in shaping new attitudes and creating new perspectives in vacation planning, especially when travelling abroad.

As early as 1990, a number of joint initiatives aiming to strategically promote ecotourism were launched by government agencies and organizations active in tourism, and have been supported since by companies and individuals around the world.

For example, the International Ecotourism Society has been providing for decades the guidelines, setting the standards and advancing the principles of ecotourism in more than 120 countries. However, ecotourism does not always mean eco-friendly tourism. Guests could spend their vacations close to nature but at the same time leave their footprint in a way that has a negative impact in the environment and the native population.

Therefore, it comes without saying that we should all significantly contribute in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and untreatable waste by discouraging uncontrollable pollution in places we travel.

We could actively repudiate overexploitation of the environment, and hopefully avoid global warming and other undesirable or irreversible effects, if only we were more sensitive to eco-friendly vacation offers. Instead of blindly selecting one of the package deals that are usually advertised online, we should rather ask for more information about environmentally inspired trips and search on our own for the true facts.

Check out the destinations in terms of the methods they use in agriculture, transportation, energy production and recycling. You will be surprised to see that some of the most unspoiled places in our planet face unaddressed challenges because of wrongful practices in the expansion of tourism.

As far as concerns my home country, Greece, a country that almost doubles its population in summertime thanks to tourism, it is worth noting that travelers seek to have all options available. In the morning they may desire to walk alone their way discovering pathways or sail routes that usually lead to a remote beach, but also like to spend the evening tasting extraordinary food recipes of fresh “tsipoura” and “lavraki” fish, accompanied with green salad enriched with local herbs and extra virgin olive oil pressed on the olive mill of the area.

So getting my escape-to-Medellin, Columbia ticket – where they have free wi-fi-everywhere – rivaled a Charlie Chaplin movie. It took two days to find a site to book the ticket. The reservation was confirmed, but for some reason they couldn’t process the credit card details. Damn good thing, too, as I had managed to book another ticket. I didn’t confirm the first one within 24-hours so it was cancelled.

The confirmation was sent to my email address to I had to go to the hotel to have it printed. Fine. The address was the longest I have ever seen and I made a mistake so I had to get the woman who worked there to type it in for me.

With my confirmed ticket in my hot-little hand I felt safer and more secure. But this was Cuba and one can never take anything for granted.

For example, when I arrived on Cubana de Aviacion (CDA) – after a 24-hour delay in Madird -neither of my bags showed up on the conveyor belt. There was a group of about 25 people all yelling and pushing and shoving at some poor official cowering behind a glass wall who was trying to sort out claims. I wonder if he got danger pay as the Latinos weren’t pulling any punches.

A European woman who spoke Spanish told me that as the flight had doubled they had arranged another plane that went via Caracas. As it was a longer flight, the CDA people had convinced a number of passengers – she and her partner included – to go that route as it was “safer.” The bags didn’t make the connecting flight so they were in Venezuela.

Late the next morning the casa particular where I was staying received a call saying my bags were at the airport. They were filthy and covered in some sort of white powder. But at least they were in Havana. It took three hours and a taxi fare of $30 to retrieve them.

The next task was finding an Air B&B type of accommodation in Medellin. After waiting an hour – there are only four computers available and one has to wait – I gave up as it was so slow. I Decided to just find a hotel near the airport for the first night and organize something in the city center via wi-fi.

Cuba is a delightful country, which oozes old world charm. In 1978 I was there on a holiday – on my Canadian passport – and so much has stayed the same. The villas, however, are in even more need of repair, the old cars are still running, being stuck together with snare wire and a bit of chewing gum.