Recover from a very large explosion disaster in 1991, Mount Pinatubo become the main source of income for the location of extreme sports.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo released the world’s second largest volcanic explosion in the last 100 years. The explosion caused the world temperature dropped 17.27 degrees Celsius and the death toll reached 800 people. Financial losses estimated at about $ 250 million.

Two decades later, the towns around Mount Pinatubo living from the tourism sector since the legendary blast.

You can make the climb extreme in Angeles City and drive packages of lava flows Pinatubo, which forms a giant mud pool containing volcanic material. There are also activities parachuting and air tour for $ 55 per person.

Mount Fuji, Japan

It is impossible to write about the major volcanoes in Asia without including Mount Fuji in the list. Mount Fuji or Fuji-san is the highest mountain in Japan and national icons on the beauty of the scenery and the altitude (3776 m).

In addition to being the most important places to take pictures and show it off to friends or family at home, Mount Fuji is the location of extreme sport for adrenaline seekers. Each summer, about 200 thousand people climb this mountain. The time they need between 4-8 hours. There is also a “school” and paragliding center in the fifth Gotemba station parking area.

Visitors may be lucky not to come to Mount Fuji during cloudy. Instead, you can visit the scenic Hakone in the east of Mount Fuji, and Fuji Five Lakes, north of the volcano.

Mount Bromo, Indonesia

For volcanic action and stunning scenery, Mount Bromo in East Java has no equivalent opponent. Mount as high as 2329 m above sea level is always out and sometimes covered with sulfur smoke dense fog. The beauty is quite feasible to preserve.

Mount Bromo is a mountain “youngest” of the Tengger volcanic complex are spacious and 820 thousand years old. From Mount Bromo, visitors can see the highest peak on Java, which is Mount Semeru, an active release large amounts of smoke every 20 minutes.

Mount Bromo is relatively easily accessible (can be with 45-minute walk or climb the jeep from the nearest village, Cemoro Lawang). But conditions are not always safe. Two tourists died of exposed rock explosion in 2004.

Mount Hallasan, South Korea

Mount Hallasan, the highest peak in Korea (1950 masl), is included in group Jejudo volcano.

There are about 4 thousand species of animals and 1800 plants that make Hallasan as their habitat. See also Baekrokkdam Crater Lake at the summit. Baekrokkdam or “Hundred Deer Lake” beautiful inspiring folklore about fairies that come down from heaven to play with the white deer. Many tourists who visit Hallasan in the spring to see the azaleas blooming in the mountains.

The mountain is also quite easy to climb. Path length of 10 km to finish you live in a day.

Mount Aso, Japan

The world’s largest caldera (width 24 km) has its own cult temple. Mount Aso is a marker of Japan’s most famous and generating money for the prefecture of Kumamoto in Kyushu, Japan.

The main attractions in the crater lake of Mount Aso is a steamy blue on Mount Nakadake. Cable car will transport tourists to the top of the volcano, and there was a complex full of souvenir stalls and hawker. On the edge of the crater there is also a kind of neat sidewalks. In Aso, you will also find a collection of hot water baths.

Mountain biking Cotopaxi Volcano was easily the most scenic, exciting bike ride of my life. And one of my favorite day trips, ever.

First, can I find a tour company that uses quality bikes, and keeps the brakes in good working condition?

Yes. After Googling around, I discovered several positive peoples, which has been running tours to Cotopaxi for an odd 25 years, before anyone else I’m sure. And that’s just one of many trips they run all throughout the country (for more serious riders).

And second, how would I feel at our dropoff point, 4,500 meters above sea level, when I was already having light headaches while acclimatizing to Quito’s 2,800 meter elevation? When I visited the Biking Dutchman’s office a block from Plaza Foch in the Mariscal neighborhood of Quito, I was met by the daughter of the company’s founder. Of course she’s taken the bike ride, and assured me it was no big deal.

And unlike other bike tours, their’s was more focused on the bike riding, and did not include the (strenuous) 300-meter walk up to the base camp used for summit attempts (aka the refuge). In other words, we’d be driven up to the parking lot at 4,500 meters, and almost immediately beginning our descent.

So I paid a $10 deposit on the $45 tour (which included lunch, but not the $2 park entrance fee paid on arrival).

Welcome to Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador’s second tallest at 5,897 meters.

My trip left the next day, a Saturday morning, which meant trying to get a good night’s sleep in the hostel was near impossible.

How to Mountain Bike One of the World’s Tallest Active Volcanoes on 2 Hours Sleep

At 7 or 8 AM, I grabbed a quick breakfast at one of the few open restaurants in Plaza Foch, and met up with the guides and our group for the day outside the Biking Dutchman’s office.

We piled into two 4 x 4 trucks, with the mountain bikes on top, and drove about 2 hours through Southern Quito to Cotopaxi National Park, stopping for snacks once along the way.

During the drive, I got to know some of the others in my truck. Most were Americans, and there were even two older couples, one in their 40′s, and one easily in their 50′s. I admired their sense of adventure.

Once inside the park, we stopped at a rest area where I had the chance to drink my first coca leaf tea, which is suppose to help with the effects of high altitudes.

For $3 per cup, it better!

This was also where we were fitted with helmets, and given gloves, which are as much for warmth, as protecting our hands from the day’s riding, and in the event we should bite the dust on the rocky roads.

And then we began the ascent up the volcano to the parking lot at 4,500 meters. A new high for me, though it lacks the sense of accomplishment when you don’t get up that high by trekking.

Downhill mountain biking Cotopaxi Volcano. This photo was shot just below the parking lot.

Our guide matched each person individually with a bike based on our heights, and then gave us a safety briefing, including tips for how to properly go mountain biking down Cotopaxi Volcano (or anywhere for that matter).

Tips for Mountain Biking Cotopaxi Volcano

• Use the back brake 70%, and the front brake 30%.
• Don’t mix up the brakes, because if you press the front only you’ll immediately fly over the handlebars.
• Stand up, with the pedals parallel to the ground, your right (dominant) foot forward, and knees bent.
• Lean your weight backwards, especially on the steeper terrain.
• It’s better to allow the bike to gain some speed than to be riding the brakes hard the whole way (let the bike’s front shock absorbers do their job, and you’ll have a more comfortable ride).

And then we were off and riding down one of the world’s tallest active volcanoes!

At first, I was riding the brake’s pretty hard, however as I began to trust the bike more and more, I loosened up and did better maintaining a constant speed.

The road was very rutted, and keeping to the inner or outer edges often helped reduce the bumps.

Traffic continued to go up the road in the opposite direction, but it was slow enough that you always saw them coming, and could adjust your position and speed accordingly.

Cotopaxi Volcano as seen from about 3,800 meters. If you look closely, a little below the yellow “refuge” tent on the volcano, you can see the parking lot where we began.

The main downhill portion runs 8 kilometers from the parking lot to relatively flat terrain, and it’s over pretty quick, even if you’re stopping to take pictures along the way.

The sweeping views of the valley and nearby mountains were gorgeous, and our partly cloudy weather offered near-perfect conditions according to our guide.

Dressing in layers is important, as you’ll want to be warm at the top, while a t-shirt or long sleeve shirt is sufficient by the bottom. Sunglasses are an absolute requirement due to the elevation, and reflection of the sun off the glacier. Sunscreen is also a good idea.

One of the 4 x 4′s was always behind our group in case someone needed a break, which was the case with the oldest woman on the downhill section.

Everyone else rode down at their own rate without any trouble.

Don’t let the flat ground deceive you, it was still a lot of work to pedal as we were over 3,000 meters in elevation the whole day.

With the Biking Dutchman trips, you spend more time mountain biking Cotopaxi Volcano National Park after the downhill section, versus other trips which spend that time hiking to the refuge, and if possible, further up to the snowline.

The terrain in the valley may look flat, and easy to ride, but when you’re pedaling at altitudes of 3,300 – 3,700 meters, it’s still hard work.

Unless you want to be out of breath the whole time, it pays to keep a slow but steady pace.

We enjoyed a lunch of pasta, and some kind of spinach pastry, overlooking Laguna Limpiopungo (3,830 meters). The chocolate brownies for dessert were the bomb. And worth the price of the trip on their own.

Fresh ginger tea was served, a reminder of my time in Nepal.

A look back at Cotopaxi Volcano from the end point of our bike ride, just as storm clouds begin to roll in. If you look very close, you can see the faint signs of the road winding back and forth down the middle of the volcano.

Our mountain biking trip through Cotopaxi National Park concluded some 26 – 30 kilometers from where we started up on the volcano.

Toward the end, we passed wild horses grazing near the road.

Some sections were more fun to ride than others. At times, I was surprised at how fast I’d be going over what appeared to be some very rough terrain.

Our guide was right about learning to trust our bikes — the more time I spent on it, the more I relaxed and enjoyed the bumps.

Storm clouds and lightning had begun to roll through the valley, and our guide wisely suggested we stop, whereas they normally allow riders to keep going for as long as they want.

I highly recommend mountain biking Cotopaxi Volcano to everyone, regardless of age, sex, or physical fitness.

Though obviously it helps to be in good condition, the spirit of adventure will serve you just as well.

_______

What You Need to Know

How Much:  $47 + tip ($45 for tour, $2 for park entrance)

Difficulty:  Moderate

Where to Book:  Most hostels and travel shops in Quito. I recommend it (Foch 746 & Avenida Amazonas, opposite the Magic Bean restaurant in the Mariscal neighborhood). They use Trek mountain bikes, and maintain them well. Nobody in my group complained of bad brakes.

What to Bring:  A daypack, your own supply of snacks and water (at least 1 liter, preferably 2), sunglasses, sunscreen, several layers including a light jacket in case it rains. Extra cash for cocoa leaf tea ($3) and tipping the guide at the end.

The readers of an online travel magazine have named Bali as the top holiday destination in Asia for 2011.

The poll, conducted by Smart Travel Asia, also picked out several Bali resorts as the top places for a relaxing break.

Bali took the top spot from Kerala, India, which was bumped down to No. 4. Phuket, Thailand, and Hong Kong were the runners-up, respectively.

In terms of top places to stay, a number of Bali resorts were included in the top 25 list, including the Bulgari Resort Bali and the Four Seasons Resort Bali at spots 2 and 3, respectively.

The poll also reported on preferred budget airlines, with AirAsia getting the gold star. Indonesia’s own Lion Air failed to chart.

The poll did not specify the number of voters, but the demographics skewed upscale. According to the magazine, voters took an average of 15.75 air trips over the past year and earned an average annual income of $150,000.

• This is the route map showing the route served and the location of bus halts.
• The bus system operates daily from 5:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. covering a route system from Batubulan to Nusa Dua.
• The provincial government of Bali has allocated Rp. 5.5 billion (US$625,000) to cover the operational expenses of the new bus system.
• The cost of a one-way fare for an adult passenger is uniformly Rp. 3,500 (US$0.40) and Rp. 2,500 (US$0.28) for students.

By some reports, only student wearing school uniforms are provided the lower student fare.

These places must have all captured your fancy for some reason or another. Save for the locations in Canada and Australia.

Here are the list of 13 places you would most like to find out :

1.  Socotra  (Yemen)

If you’ve seen photos from Socotra you’ll understand why this is a very special place. It is an island in the Indian Ocean located about 240km from the coast of Yemen. It is home to species found nowhere else on Earth. Moreover, they look really cool. It has been called the most alien looking place on Earth.

2.  Nahanni National Park (Canada)

There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada and one of them is Nahanni. Located in the Northwest Territory of Canada, it might well be the most underrated national park in all of North America. This place is incredible. Being in the NWT it is not an easy park to visit. You pretty much have to fly there via bush plane.

3.  St. Helena

A speck of land located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, St. Helena is best known as the location where Napoleon was exiled and died. Getting to St. Helena isn’t easy. There are no flights here and there isn’t an airstrip to land even if you could find one. The only way on or off the island is by a mail ship which arrives about once a month. A trip here would also probably involve visiting several other islands in the Atlantic such as Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Where are the backpackers?

4.  Tuvalu

Tuvalu is one of the smallest nations in the world both in terms of area and population. It is also made up exclusively of coral atolls which makes it extremely vulnerable to sea level rise.

5.  Kashmir (India)

Despite its political problems with India, Pakistan and China, Kashmir holds the most interest in India. The mountains plus the people make it a fascinating place.

6.  The Atacama Desert (Chile)

This is the driest place on Earth. Some soil samples taken here were found to be the most devoid of life ever found on the planet, including Antarctica. For a sucker for extreme places, this is one of the most extreme.

7.  Lake Baikal (Russia)

This has always been the one place in Russia that you gonna wanted to visit. Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake in the world. It contains about 20% of the unfrozen fresh water in the world.

8.  Mount Everest (Nepal)

Dont mistaken, You dont have no to CLIMB Mount Everest. May be you can make it at altitude when you’re at 10,000 feet, but I don’t think so at 30,000 feet. However, the act of getting to Mount Everest would constitute the greater adventure.

9.  Leptis Magna (Libya)

Maybe right now is not the best time to visit Libya. However, in a few years hope things will settle down enough to visit what are probably the greatest Roman ruins in the world: Leptis Magna. Located on the African shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

10.  Persepolis (Iran)

The former capital of the Persian Empire, Persepolis, along with Leptis Magna, some of the greatest ancient ruins in the world. Also, going to Iran in and of itself would be an interesting experience.

11.  Lord Howe Island (Australia)

Lord Howe Island is located about 600km east of Australia and is technically part of the state of New South Wales. It is also home to the southern most coral reef in the world and is considered by many respected travelers to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Getting there requires a propeller plane and you are weighed before you can get on board. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed on the island at any given time.

12.  Li River (China)

Elephant trunk hill

There are many of the iconic images people have of China are from the Li River. The Li River would be one of those places where you can do no wrong taking photos.

13.  Pitcairn Island

If you are dont aware of it, it is perhaps the most remote human settlement in the world. With a total population of 48 people, all of whom are descendants of the mutineers of the HMS Bounty, Pitcairn is one of the hardest places in the world to visit. There are no flight and no regularly scheduled ships which visit the island. This might just be the hardest human settlement in the world to visit.

Cant wait to travel to all of these exotic places.

This bottle cap music maker (for lack of a proper name) at Dulce Jesus Mio, a popular discoteca in Medellin.

The domestic beer bottle caps are flattened, and then pierced through a wire.

When it comes to creating a fun atmosphere, a little ingenuity can go a long way.

King Tut, The Pyramids, The Valley of the Kings. The list is endless. But it’s just not the history and the culture, it’s the people too. Egyptians are some of the kindest and most generous people on the planet. They will welcome you into their homes in a second and even if they have almost nothing, they will share it with you.

An afternoon on the Nile with an Egyptian felucca captain sailing your boat as the sun sets over the Nile in Luxor is a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed.

2. China.

China is not somewhere people immediately think of when planning a holiday…but they should, and hopefully after the Olympics in Beijing they will. Even if you could only afford 7 to 10 days, an itinerary that takes in Beijing, Xian, a Yangtze River Cruise and Shanghai will be a great introduction.

And for an unforgettable experience, juts visit Guilin. Guilins landscape is amazing and totally unique. It can’t necessarily be called Mountainous as such, but the peaks that do rise, rise almost vertically up into the mist.

If you get a chance take a ski lift up to one of the peaks and just stare in awe at the view, and if you are feeing adventurous, take a kart down a toboggan style run (about 3,000 feet in length) !

3. Jordan.

Handily located, if you plan it right you can visit Egypt and Jordan together to make a real trip to remember. Amman is a great city full of atmosphere, Petra is marvellous, but surely the can’t miss site is the Dead Sea. The only ocean in the world with so much salt in it, you actually float !

This alone makes Jordan a must see country and on top of what I have already mentioned, don’t forget the Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Jerash and the Kings Highway. A week in Jordan is good, but 10 days is better.

4. Hong Kong.

Although there is much more to Hong Kong than just shopping, if you do love to shop, then Hong Kong is the place for you. A stroll along Nathan Road and a visit to the Temple Street market just HAS to be done. And make sure you have your bargaining hat on as haggling is as big a part of the experience as the purchases themselves.

There lots more to Hong Kong too. The great thing is that despite it being a modern city, there is tradition around every corner. Don’t forget to take a trip to Victoria Peak and enjoy the stunning views and remember that even if it’s misty, there are 2 guys at the top who will take your picture and transpose it onto a picture of what you should see if the weather where not so poor ! I also suggest a couple of half day visits out to Lama and Lantau Islands too. A great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the craziness that is Hong Kong.

5. Thailand.

Thailand suffers a little from it’s reputation of being a very hedonistic destination and while it is true that the is a very wild side to Thaialnd (especially certain areas of Bangkok, Phucket etc) there is also an amazing culture to immerse yourself in.

There really is everything there, adventure, culture and even for the not faint hearted, a place about 1 hour north of Thailand where you can go in, yes go in, with real live tigers. No cages, no chains, just you and around a dozen tigers. For me it was a thrill of a lifetime and without doubt it is just one of the many reasons that Thailand is in my top 5 of places you need to visit in the world

For first time travelers, here are some historical destinations you can consider for you student travel:

Athens
As the center of knowledge, government, and system in the ancient world, every student would be amazed how this ancient city grew and evolved. Students can visit Acropolis, Agora, Library of Hadrian, Kerameikos, Olympieion & Southeast Athens, Pnyx, Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds, Arch of Hadrian, City Eleusinion and other ancient sites in this ancient city of Athens.

Egypt
Visit one of the earliest civilizations founded in this part of the world. Egypt features 3000 years old city in the banks of River Nile. Egypt is also one of the oldest tourist spots in the world with visitors coming from the ancient Rome and Greece.

Moving your way south from Cairo, the nation’s capital, you can stop at Giza where the infamous Great Pyramid stands. It was built by Pharaoh Khafu in the year 2550 BC. Standing at 147 meters, it was the largest and the most ambitious structure built in the ancient Egypt requiring 2.3 million stone block to erect. Also at Giza, see the Pyramid of Khafre home if the Sphinx. It was built 30 after the Great Pyramid. As the second largest, the Pyramid of Khafre stands at 144 meters of 471 feet. The third pyramid located at Giza was the Pyramid of Menkaure which stands at 65 meters or 213 feet.

Further south, Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser built in 2630 BC. Pyramid of Pepi II, also located at Saqqara was the last pyramid built by ancient Egyptians. In Dahshur, the Bent and the Red Pyramids are located. And down south at Maidum, the Maidum Pyramid can be found.

See the temples, mummies, tombs, hieroglyphics, and Valley of the Kings and the Queens if you visit Egypt.

Rome
See ancient Rome still intact with evidences of Roman structure and architectures built more than 2000 years ago. Rome presents the living timeline from the Roman Empire to the shift of the Middle Ages, to baroque and renaissance, to the dawn of the romantic period and enlightenment. Rome preserves its temples, churches, arts, and priceless paintings and murals.

Turkey
A former territory of the Roman Empire which stood strong for more than a thousand years against several barbarian attack. Turkey is in the easternmost part of Europe that features a diverse culture, religion, philosophy, and architectures.

China
Travel Far East and learn the history of the ancient eastern civilization that was once unknown until the last centuries. See the Great Wall, a remnant of the Zhou Dynasty along with other unique oriental culture and tradition. See the Chinese painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, and Chinese art.

Peru
As the center of the Inca civilization, Peru is a great destination for student travel for discovery of South American history. The 500-year old Inca traces could be relived in the Inca Trail that is both exciting and educational. Walk to the Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and Pisac.