Highlands Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

About 135 mi/220 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands is a wonderful place to escape the heat and to experience Malaysia's lush interior—it has one of the finest climates in all of Southeast Asia, which is one of the reasons it became the most important hill-station retreat during British colonial times. You can spend several days hiking along jungle paths to see mountain scenery and waterfalls, visiting butterfly and orchid farms and touring tea plantations.

Tidy rows of tea bushes are a dramatic contrast to the surrounding jungle vegetation. Tours include a walk through the fields and a visit to the processing plant where the drying and packing is done by hand. The hill station offers a decent golf course and excellent accommodations—worth the long, winding drive. Even if you don't stay at the oh-so-British Ye Olde Smokehouse Hotel, be sure to have a look (or partake of afternoon tea).

If you're driving from Cameron Highlands to Penang, Taiping is worth a stop. Off the main road about 60 mi/97 km south of Penang, this old mining center has a beautiful lake, colonial architecture, misty views of the surrounding hills and a nice museum (the oldest in Malaysia). Also nearby is Maxwell Hill, another hill station unchanged since colonial days but less visited and with limited facilities.

Overview

Introduction

Extending more than 200 mi/320 km from north to south along the border with Mozambique, Zimbabwe's eastern region is dominated by a series of dramatic and beautiful mountain ranges. Deep valleys, gorges, granite peaks and tropical forests make this a great area for trout fishing, hiking, cycling, climbing, bird-watching and just relaxing. It is a favorite retreat in the summer for Harare residents, as its cool climate is a welcome change from the heat of the city. The Eastern Highlands incorporates the hills and mountains of Nyanga to the north, Vumba to the east of the town of Mutare and Chimanimani to the south.

Mutare is the largest town in the Eastern Highlands, though it's hard to believe when walking through its semi-deserted streets with hardly a high-rise building in sight. Circled by a rim of granite mountains, it is perhaps one of the most beautifully located cities in Zimbabwe. The valley also forms a natural gateway between Zimbabwe and the coastal lowlands of Mozambique; the border is only 5 mi/8 km east of town. Mutare is easily accessed by road and public transport from Harare, though you'll need your own transportation to drive the scenic roads in the area.

Nyanga National Park. Mutare is an ideal base for excursions to Nyanga National Park (British magnate Cecil Rhodes' former estate), 50 mi/80 km north of Mutare, where you'll find some of Zimbabwe's most breathtaking scenery. Mount Nyanga (at 8,500 ft/2,590 m, the nation's highest) is there, as are several waterfalls (Pungwe and Mtarazi are our favorites). The vegetation is mostly moorland, with rain forest on the higher slopes and a fantastic range of wildflowers that bloom, including flame lilies (Zimbabwe's national flower), orchids and gladioli. Activities include visiting dams and angling for trout. The Rhodes Museum has exhibits on anthropology.

Vumba Mountains. Also within a short drive of Mutare are the Vumba Mountains (about 20 mi/32 km south of Mutare), an enormous ridge of granite clothed in indigenous forest. You can drive through, stopping occasionally at special lookout points—there are some breathtaking views of Mutare and neighboring Mozambique. If time permits, have tea and stroll through the beautifully landscaped Vumba Botanical Gardens, home to orchids and other native plants in an English-garden setting. The birdlife is abundant, and also found in large numbers is the Samango monkey, which is endemic to the Eastern Highlands. Close to the gardens is the excellent Leopard Rock Hotel, easily the best accommodation in the region and boasting a world-class golf course.

Chimanimani Mountains. Hikers and climbers, in particular, are drawn to the Chimanimani Mountains, about 90 mi/145 km south of Mutare, which are regarded as the southern end of the Eastern Highlands. Like the Vumba, they share the border with Mozambique. Near the village of Chimanimani is a trail that leads into the mountains and the Bridal Veil Falls. The round-trip should take around three hours. The water cascades down a 165 ft/50 m rock face into a pool, and when the wind lifts the froth up, it resembles a floating bride's train, hence the name. You can swim there, but the water is very cold.

Overview

Introduction

Built at a moderately high altitude (6,550 ft/2,000 m) to take advantage of the cool breezes, Genting is where many residents of Kuala Lumpur go to relax, escape the heat, gamble in the casino and let the kids play in the theme park. Located 85 mi/140 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur, the integrated resort development includes hotels, casinos, a theme park and an 18-hole golf course, but you can find little of this atmosphere elsewhere in Malaysia

Part of the appeal for visitors from sweltering Kuala Lumpur is Genting's cooler climate of 68-77 F/20-25 C during the day and 59-68 F/15-20 C during the night, but unless you are a confirmed gambler (or are itching to play a round of golf), your time could be better spent elsewhere as it does get crowded during peak periods.

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Located 165 mi/265 km south of Johannesburg, the lovely but out-of-the-way Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa has antelope and lots of birds, including the rare bearded vulture and the bald ibis.

But the main attraction is the scenery: beautiful, multicolored sandstone cliffs. Caves in the sandstone rocks have well-preserved San paintings.

Also within the park is the Basotho Cultural Village, where you can learn about traditional music, food (and beer), handicrafts and more. Plan an overnight in the park or in the neighboring village of Clarens, a well-established artists' retreat with gorgeous galleries, craft shops and cafes.

Overview

Introduction

Founded in 1875, Highlands is situated at an elevation of 4,118 ft/1,275 m in the mountains of western North Carolina. Its elevation keeps summer temperatures mild, averaging a maximum of 75 F/24 C. Many travelers escape the summer heat with a visit to Highlands, which is about a three-hour drive from Atlanta.

Travelers who enjoy outdoor activities will find Highlands much to their liking, with hiking, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, canoeing, rafting, gem mining, tennis and golf among the many activities. Highlands is also known for its gorgeous waterfalls.

For those who prefer more laid-back activities, there are many spas to choose from, as well as fine-dining experiences at several upscale restaurants. Cultural events include theater and chamber music, as well as art and antiques auctions.

Shoppers will enjoy the multiple galleries, boutiques, antiques stores, unique shops and specialty stores.

Accommodations range from historic inns to rustic cabins to plush hotels.

For more information, visit http://www.highlandschamber.org.

Overview

Introduction

Located 65 mi/110 km southeast of Pittsburgh and encompassing five counties of southwestern Pennsylvania (in the Allegheny Mountains), the gorgeous region of Laurel Highlands offers great hiking, fishing, hunting, white-water rafting and skiing. And the mountain resorts in the area provide beautiful accommodations.

If you don't want to spend all your time outdoors, a number of attractions in the area will keep you busy. In Mill Run, you can tour Fallingwater, arguably the best-known and most innovative modern home in the U.S.: Architect Frank Lloyd Wright suspended it directly over a rushing waterfall. Advance reservations to see it are an absolute must.

Also open to the public is Kentuck Knob, in nearby Chalk Hill. This Wright home, on a more intimate scale than Fallingwater, sits on top of a forested hill. The home's beautiful grounds contain impressive works of art and sculpture. Ohiopyle State Park offers renowned white-water rafting through the Youghiogheny River Gorge and nice views of Ohiopyle Falls and the 100-acre/40-hectare Ferncliff Peninsula National Natural Landmark with its abundant wildlife and embedded fossils.

Fort Necessity National Battlefield is the site of George Washington's only surrender: to the French in the French and Indian War. Fort Ligonier (the main British supply base in that war) and Bushy Run Battlefield (site of another battle between the English and Native Americans) also lie nearby.

In Brownsville, tour Nemacolin Castle, a 22-room mansion dating to the 1790s; the Black Horse Tavern, where early meetings of the Whiskey Rebellion took place; and the Flatiron Building Museum, one of a few buildings of its shape in the U.S.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' summer training camp is in Latrobe.

Overview

Introduction

The Potomac Highlands area, about 150 mi/240 km northeast of Charleston, is one of West Virginia's most popular destinations—and with good reason. It has a lovely mountain setting that allows year-round recreation (skiing in the winter; golf, hiking, biking, rock climbing and white-water rafting in the summer).

The highlands incorporate the Canaan Valley (pronounced kah-NANE) as well as two national forests and other public lands.

Snowshoe Mountain Resort near Slatyfork is the state's largest ski resort and enjoys the best snow conditions in the Mid-Atlantic. It also has an excellent golf course, The Raven; a small lake; an alpine village with shops and restaurants; and activities such as sporting clays, fishing, and ATV excursions.

Canaan Valley Resort State Park has a lodge and other overnight accommodations and contains ski slopes, hiking trails and facilities for swimming and tennis. We recommend it highly. Canaan Valley is the state's oldest ski resort. It's very much oriented to families and offers cross-country ski trails and an ice-skating rink in addition to the downhill slopes. The resort has an 850-ft/260-m vertical drop and a maximum run of 6,000 ft/1,830 m.

Nearby is Blackwater Falls State Park, set in a rocky, grass-covered gorge. The falls are named for their lovely "black" color—though they're actually closer to dark brown. The water picks up the color from leaves as it flows through the area: This "forest tea" is completely natural.

The very impressive Monongahela National Forest and George Washington National Forest both contain wilderness areas and rivers for recreational use. Among the options are hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, rafting and scenic drives. Rock climbing at Seneca Rocks in the Monongahela Forest is one of the area's big attractions. The rocks are a striking natural feature (up to 900 ft/275 m tall) and are a world-class rock-climbing site that draws climbers from around the globe.

The West Virginia State Wildlife Center in French Creek is a small state zoo, but we think you'll remember your visit. An array of the state's indigenous wildlife live in the zoo, which was carved out of a section of forest and is ringed by a 1.5-mile/2.4-kilometer walking trail. What we especially liked was the large amount of space the bison, elk, foxes and other animals had to roam.

For breathtaking views—and a chance to spot bald eagles and osprey—take the Potomac Eagle Excursion Train out of Romney for a 3.5-hour round-trip ride through the South Branch Trough of the Potomac River. The diesel-powered train offers sightseeing and dinner tours.

Overview

Introduction

Covering most of the northern half of Scotland, The Highlands provide some of the most spectacular scenery in all the British Isles.

The desolate and untamed splendor of moors, mountains and sea-lochs is interrupted only by crofting communities nestled in the bottoms of the fertile straths and glens and a string of fishing villages dotted along the coast.

Natural attractions range from the blanket bog of the Flow Country (a vast peatland full of rare wildlife) to the popular beaches and massive seaside cliffs of Sutherland in the north to the rugged beauty of Argyll in the south. It's a region where every road is scenic.