Pont du Gard: A Roman Marvel (France)

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The first sight of Pont du Gard is striking. Set in a picturesque valley and with its towering three arched structure reflected into the peaceful river below, it is extraordinary to realise that the bridge was built around the time of Christ as part of a water supply system to the Roman capital of the area, Nîmes (which is well worth a visit with its Roman amphitheatre, Roman house and ancient gates). The huge limestone blocks (many over a tonne) are held together without mortar – a remarkable Pyramid-like construction effort.

Its three layer grand arch stands nearly 50 metres tall (the highest Roman aqueduct in the world) and delivered 200 million litres of water per day from the springs in Uzès to the good folks of Nîmes (the exit point still exists today). The engineering for the times is exceptional, the waterway dropping just seventeen metres over the distance of 50 kilometres (the water took over a day to make its full journey, much of it via underground trenches) and the bridge being responsible for a drop of just one inch over its span of half a kilometre.

Somewhat fortunately, the bridge survived the middle ages, being a tollway granted to the church in exchange for maintaining the structure.

Walks in the area (as well as across the bridge) offer a variety of views of the bridge and surrounding area with information signs along the paths highlighting the rich history of the bridge. Sadly the bridge is ridiculously popular in summer and has been somewhat commercialised with mediocre extras such as a museum, film and info centre.

Being so shallow, the waters of the Gard River are warm, many visitors escaping the heat of southern France by swimming, canoeing or liloing on the gently flowing stream.

Go early in the day to avoid the crowds and the heat, the Pont du Gard being only a short 25 kilometres from Avignon. It makes for a worthwhile diversion to marvel at the remarkable scientific and engineering skills of the Romans, protected with its entry on the World Heritage List).

e-Book Review: Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers (Anil Polat)

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Anil Polat, the author of the popular travel blog Foxnomad has just launched his e-book titled The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers. He kindly sent me a complimentary copy for review.

With a professional career as a computer security consultant and as a long term traveller, Polat is almost uniquely qualified to write on his pet topic. With a striking design, the book is easy to read, well written and targeted for anyone with a little computer familiarity but is bound to have some new ideas for the fairly experienced computer user. It is packed with money-saving ideas for using computers on the road, a place fraught with expensive hotel wifi and dodgy internet cafes. It is targeted at both Windows and Mac users with lessons for Linux users as well.

The e-book is rich in links to sites that offer further detail or explanation on a specific topic along with links and suppliers and companies of recommended services. One excellent aspect of the design is the highlighting of key tips which stand out when referencing the book at a later date.

The nine chapters covers all the major areas of travelling with computers including:
- selection of the most suitable computer for travel;
- finding free or inexpensive software for email, photo editing, office tasks, language translation, travel budgeting and data security;
- backing up data (in multiple places);
- securing data;
- establishing wireless connections on the road (even in remote locations);
- good habits at internet cafes;
- getting open internet access in restrictive countries;
- using e-book readers and mobile (cell) phones
- great tricks and tips for getting discounts while travelling (such as cheaper airline flights and saving 30% on Apple purchases).

Most importantly, Polat backs his book with six months of free consulting to assist the purchaser to setup their own computer travel setup whether it be to save photos on the way or setup free telephony back home. It also includes a year of free updates and is available on Kindle and Nook, along with being a standard PDF.

At $37, the price is on the high-end for travel e-books though it is an excellent resource. However by taking advantage of two or three of the tips could comfortably save more than the cost even before considering the value of six months of access to Polat's expertise (you typically can't get much consulting time for $37 so this alone makes it good value - don't hesitate to take advantage of it). That makes for excellent value and hence Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers is a book and resource that I can heartily recommend.

Disclosure: Travel Wonders receives a small commission on any sale of the book made from this website.

Photo of the Week: Cotopaxi (Ecuador)

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Photographed almost a decade ago, Cotopaxi cuts an impressive figure at sunset in darkening conditions. Ironically it was covered in cloud nearly all day but the clouds lifted just as the last vestiges of sunshine lit this Ecuadorian giant. Still an active volcano, it stands just under an imposing 6000 metres with a rough road that runs to an overnight hut (mainly for climbers) at 4600 metres.

Seven Tips for Effective Travel Insurance

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Guest post written by Mark of Travel Wonders on behalf of cheap.co.uk, providers of travel essentials including travel insurance, car hire and airport parking.

I continue to be surprised by the number of travellers I meet that are uninsured relying on little more than good fortune. Travel insurance typically includes a variety of benefits such as medical and injury expenses, loss of bags, unavoidable interruption to travels, Evacuation and/or medical care in some countries is astronomically priced and no treatment will be forthcoming without up-front payment.

Read the Policy

While insurance policies can appear a little daunting, it is important that you read the terms and conditions before signing or paying for any travel insurance. It is an individual’s own personal responsibility that they have the required coverage for their journey. Check for suitable coverage for the countries on the itinerary, the planned activities, the traveller’s age (policies typically have explicit terms for people over a certain age) and for any pre-existing medical conditions. All the tips below require that the policy is checked carefully - this is one time to sweat the details.

Use a Comparison Site

Avoid taking the travel insurance offered with travel agencies. It is one of the highest margin elements of an agent’s business with large commissions paid by insurance companies and rarely offers good value. Travel insurance comparison sites offer quick and easy contrast between different companies based on price and features. After all, if the agent works out cheaper, you can always go back and take out the insurance.

Insure Early

It is strongly recommended to obtain your insurance early. Though the payment is related to the length of the actual holiday, coverage automatically commences for unavoidable cancellation or delay of your holiday.

Ensure Coverage for Planned Activities

Many policies have exclusions including snow skiing, scuba diving, golf, rock climbing and trekking. Ensure that any planned activities are covered by your policy (even if it costs more) by checking the policy document before signing up. Many policies require that the traveller informs the insurer of the adventurous activity before departure.

Understand Coverage For Costly Items

Ensure that you understand and have desire coverage for expensive single items such as photography equipment, laptops and electronic gadgets. Some travel insurance policies have a single item maximum which can be extended for an extra fee. Some home contents insurance policies also provide coverage for portable goods for an increased premium.


Avoid Excess Car Hire Insurance

Most car hire companies demand an extra fee of $20 to $30 to waive or reduce the outrageous excess on car insurance, often several thousands of dollars. Travel insurance typically pays out the excess on car rental insurance if you have an accident in the rental vehicle.

Multiple Trip Coverage

A number of insurers offer good value for year long coverage for multiple journeys or vacations (as against one year-long holiday). Each journey is typically limited to periods of 30 or 45 days, but can include as many vacations as you wish. If you foresee having more than one break, often including breaks in your home country (read the policy), then take the multiple-trip insurance policy.

Stories on the internet and in magazines are rife of dream holidays spoiled by a failure to insure or by a badly chosen insurance policy. Make insurance an aspect of planning a trip and help ensure that an unexpected event during a holiday is only an inconvenience and not a long term financial disaster.

Photo Credits: stretcher

Drinks Around the World: Bibicaffe (Italy)

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Again a product of an age-old family recipe, Bibicaffe is one of the more unusual soda drinks I have ever tasted. Bibicaffe is a bottled, mildly carbonated coffee drink - a sparkling espresso. While a fraction sweet to me (though at least it is real cane sugar), Bibicaffe has subtle flavours of caramel and vanilla woven into a strong coffee flavour, presenting one of the most unusual drinks I've tried and very refreshing straight from the bottle (small bottle with the traditional bottlecap) on a hot Italian day (exploring Pompeii).

Alternatively, Bibicaffe is served in cafes poured over ice and with a dash of cream (like a bubbly macchiato). Reading their website, it is also used in a range of suggested cocktails. Incidentally, the Bibicaffe website is one of the most painful and cheesy sites I've ever witnessed with cringe-worthy music and painful cartoon-like graphics. Visit at your peril!!

For those who like coffee, Bibicaffe is well worth trying when exploring the wonders of Italy. Whether it is for refreshment or a bit of a lift, it is one of the most unusual and best soda drinks I've drunk and a real taste of Italy.
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Travel Wonders highlights a characteristic drink experienced on his travels. Prior articles have featured drinks as widely varied as Vietnamese slow-drip coffee, Austrian Almdudler, Green Mint Tea from Morocco and cherry beer (Belgium).