The Prime Wine Tours Around the World

While travelling, it is easy to be overwhelmed by choice, for when the world is before you, where do you go first? However, it helps to have goals when you plan your travels—even before you start thinking about the budget. So here are the five most enjoyable locations if one of your goals is to visit the most memorable winery when wandering. 

South Africa's Cape Winelands

This is an image of Cape Town , South Africa. This Picture was taken by Taryn Elliott.

This area is the ideal climate for the grape vines, with breathtaking mountain ranges. In this region, there are more than 300 wineries, and they are within a 60 minute drive from one another. However, the oldest one is Lanzerac, for it was founded in 1692, shortly after the Dutch colonized  Cape Town. Lanzerac has beautiful views of the Stellenbosch valley, a spa, and a place to spend the night. Even so, they advertise wine because it attracts tourists. Wine advisors direct the wine tasting and are tailor-made for the group visiting the estate.

Hahndorf Hill, Australia 

This image was taken in South Australia and had some hills and a mountain range in the background. Jay Wennington took this Picture.

This winery is in The Adelaide Hills, known for growing and making unique wines, like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Adelaide Hills is located in South Australia and is a large area with a dry climate. The Hahndorf Hill winery is in a village of German influence, Hahndorf, and it's apparent from the soil that the hill used to be a mine. Moreover, the minerals in the ground wine aid with Australia's version of wine offered. Some examples of the unique wine available are Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt. Overall, this winery offers a secluded experience and is only a couple minutes' drive from the main street at Hahndorf.

El Grifo,Canary Islands Spain

This image was taken in the Canary Islands and depicted alcoves and volcanos in the background. Marie Bastin took this picture.

When you think of a winery, do you think of a volcano? Not many do, but at El Grifo, that is the reality. The grapes thrive in the enriched volcanic soil and dry climate. The benefit of volcanic soil is that a light layer of ash and soil can produce extremely fertile grapes.

 The Canary Islands are on the coast of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean on the South- West of Spain and the West of Morocco, Africa.

El Grifo has been producing wine for over 244 years. The winery produces over  500,000 wine bottles from harvest yearly. When tourists visit, they are met with fields of grapes surrounded by black soil and walls made of lava stones. The standard tour costs 20 euros, so a guide gives a 60 minute tour. However, there is a cheaper option where an audio recording guides you, costing  only 7 euros.

Sula Vineyards India

This image shows a lake and the Greenery around the lake.Mitesh took this picture in Nashik, India.

In 1996, the Sula Vineyards was founded.It was created by Rajeev Samant who became interested in wine after his stay in California. His interest peaked when he studied in The United States of America and worked at a winery. Later he was interested in the fertile land of Nashik, which was known for growing grapes, and the rest is history.

In Nashik, there are two distinct seasons: the dry season and the wet season, the wet season is often overcast, and the dry season is humid and hot.

The wine tasting and tour are a private experience for you and your loved one. The winery is connected to hotels where one can overlook the vineyard and the lake beyond; moreover, they also have options to dine in the sunset for a quiet night.

One of these locations should have an atmosphere that could fit your travel needs and entice your need for adventure. Whether you are interested in the views, histories or wines, every last one of these locations invites you on a little soul search—time to get away from everyday life and look at what the earth has to offer you.

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Alyssa’s a college student who wants to travel but is broke, so she'll do some research to live vicariously through others on the internet. She reads to feel emotions when she has free time and then eats ice cream to process her sorrow, even though she is lactose intolerant.

Cebu, Philippines: The Place to be This Winter

Now that the pandemic is over and things are going back to normal, you might be booking a well-deserved vacation. If you’re not sure where to go yet, read on to learn why the Philippines should be your next stop. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by palm trees and coconuts?

1. Sirao Flower Garden

Do you love flowers? Then you’ll definitely have to stop by this botanical garden in Barangay Sirao, Cebu City. It’s also named Little Amsterdam because of the windmills and all the flowers. There are giant statutes and structures for people to sit and stand on. It is the perfect spot for taking pictures! Entrance fee is cheap (about $2 CAD) and there are food stalls run by locals nearby to reward yourself from all the selfie-taking.

one of the many gardens in sirao garden. credit: stefanie velichkin

2. Temple of Leah

Built in 2012 by Teodorico Soriano Adarna for his wife Leah Adarna, this is the perfect spot for romantics. The water fountains and nude statues will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a Grecian temple. It features a museum, an art gallery, and a library. The most impressive art piece is a nine-foot brass statue of Leah. Like the Sirao Flower garden, it requires a small entrance fee. It’s not a big place, so you’ll be able to squeeze it into a busy day.

one of the statues at temple of leah. credit: rj trazona, unsplash.

3. Bantayan Island

For the island lovers, you’ll have to stop here. Bantayan Island offers many activities such as swimming, cliff-diving, island hopping, and kayaking. The island supplies the fish for the city, and even Manila and Mindanao. The best time to go would be during the dry season, from February to mid-May. There are plenty of hotels and resorts to stay in. It’s less crowded than Boracay Island, another popular vacation spot in the Philippines.

palm trees at bantayan island. credit: Stefanie Velichkin

4. Oslob Whale Sharks

Located in the Oslob municipality, this spot became popular when fishermen would feed the sharks and tourists would gather to watch. People can go snorkeling and diving with the sharks, or just watch from a boat. They are harmless and while you can get pretty close, you can’t touch them; they’re still wild animals, after all. It’s a pretty cool experience, especially if you can manage to get a picture or video with them. It’s not everyday you can swim with sharks!

a single whale shark. credit: olga ga, unsplash.

5. Simala Church

If you didn’t know already, Filipinos are very religious; most of them are devout Catholics. Even if you’re not religious, the Simala Parish Church in Sibonga is worth a visit. It looks and feels like a castle. While there’s no entrance fee, visitors must adhere to a dress code. That means no sleeveless tops, shorts, or skirts. It is a very spiritual place and visitors must be careful not to disturb fellow patrons.

a view of the church. credit: Stefanie velichkin

In addition to all these beautiful places, everything in the Philippines is cheap: food, hotels, and souvenirs. English is one of the official languages so as long as you stay in the city, you’ll be able to converse with most of the locals without knowing any Tagalog. So what are you waiting for, book that ticket already!

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Stefanie Velichkin is a young actor and writer from Ottawa, ON. She is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Theatre program and a student of Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. Her interests include true crime, cats, and drinking bubble tea.

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Two countries, two cultures, one heart

You know how you can feel dumb half of the time when you travel to a foreign country because half of the things don’t make sense? Well, that is pretty much going to be a common feeling if you end up in a multicultural couple.

Don’t get me wrong, I personally adore being on this journey, and it has countless positive sides… but it means facing a lot of unexpected complications too.

Cultures definitely have a huge impact on our education and how we end up seeing the world. For example, someone from India and someone from France has very different opinions about how family works, and technically, there is no problem with this.

Except on the day these two people decide to create a family together.

While French parents expect their kids to leave the house once they are independent, Indian parents are used to having their son stay home forever with his wife. The entire country is organized in a way where retired parents would struggle if they did not prepare themselves to live without the financial support of their son, while the French wife could feel suffocated if they decided to live with his parents.

In my opinion, this is when the open-mindedness of people enters into action. No matter where we come from, we do not always agree with our country’s traditions, and if we do, we can be open to different opinions.

Being from two different countries can mean having different cuisines, different religions, and different visions about what is right and what is not… Moreover, as I mentioned family earlier, family can be a big problem because parents do not always accept the fact their child married a foreigner. This can lead to quarrels, painful conversations, and sometimes, unfortunately, to break ties with relatives.

But it can mean beautiful discoveries too. Being in a multicultural relationship can help you to grow. It makes you see the world in a way you may never have thought about. It can lead you to live in a country you would have never considered; a country that turns into your home.

As someone who found love on the other side of the planet, I can tell you I could not be more grateful. This relationship enabled me to open my mind and become a better person. It gave me opportunities I would have never thought about before. And most of all, it forced me to get out of my comfort zone. It proved to me I could be so much more than I thought.

So yes, you will have to learn and teach a new way to cook. You will have to handle a family that might not accept you immediately. You will have to accept that your vision of life is not the only one. But if this person is your soulmate, no matter what differences of opinions you have, you will both work it out beautifully.

(But good luck when you will have to decide how to organize your wedding.)

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Angelika, a Frenchie with limited patience and very low social energy. She very often hates people who are loved by everyone and complain approximately 100 percent of the time. She generally talks way too much when she stresses and always promises herself that she would never do that again, before, of course, doing it again.