The Nile Cruise - In the Footsteps of the Pharaohs

Egypt is where history first emerged. It is here that we have the first pictographic record of events and persons. Hieroglyphics, the system of writing used by ancient Egyptians can be traced back to about 3200 BC. At about 3180 BC, the nations of Upper and Lower Egypt were brought under the rule of a single king titled Pharaoh. The first Pharaoh is thought to have been Menes, who set his capital at Memphis, 22 km south of Giza in today's Cairo. The Pharaohs established the systems that brought forth the highly successful Egyptian civilization.

The history of Ancient Egypt lasted for about 3,000 years. Ancient Egypt declined, was overrun and thereafter ruled by foreign powers. The Greeks and Romans who ruled after the decline were aware of the great similarity between their own gods and those of the Egyptians. They not only tolerated Egyptian religion, but also expanded existing temples and dedicated new ones to existing cults. Some of the new overlords, Alexander the Great for example, styled themselves as divine priest-kings in imitation of the Pharaohs.

Emperor Theodosius, who reigned after Christianity became the state religion in Rome, extinguished the last remnants of the living culture. The Egyptians worshipped hundreds of gods - a great offense against the monotheistic religions; whose first article of faith is that there is only one God. Theodosius decreed in AD 391that all pagan temples in the Roman Empire be closed. The Arabs, who brought Islam to Egypt in 640 AD, also had no time for deities such as Anubis the jackal, Horus the falcon god or even Amon the king of the gods.

Ancient Egypt was dead for one thousand five hundred years, until the French came across the Rosetta Stone in the nineteenth century invasion of Egypt by Napoleon. This priceless discovery was inscribed in both Greek and Egyptian, and it was the key that allowed the deciphering of Hieroglyphics by Jean-Francois Champollion in 1822. The voluminous literature produced by Ancient Egyptians was now accessible to curious scholars. This rekindled great interest in Ancient Egypt in the West that remains undiminished to this day.

Religion is the common theme running through the attractions of ancient Egypt. The diversity of gods found worthy of worship is astounding. There were over 2,000 of them of either sex and they supposedly manifested themselves to earthlings as animals. There were overlaps and the same gods could be known with different names in various parts of the country. There was hardly any part of the life experience that was not assigned a deity- digestion, mummification, sexuality, feasting, childbirth, writing - you name it. Some gods came and went out of fashion, but those connected with basic aspects of life were enduring. Such deities had cults and temples dedicated to them.

The afterlife was taken very seriously, and a lot of the monuments relate to preparation for that glorious time. Mortuary and burial preparation was so elaborate as to ensure a painless and enjoyable afterlife. The custom of mummification, for example, was seen as necessary for the soul needed a physical body to occupy in the other world. There was however great inequality in preparation for eternal life. The Pharaohs and other royals, nobles and key officials were mummified and accompanied by grave goods and great treasure. The common folk who could not afford the full treatment had to do with statuettes of mummies.

The main draw to Egypt is the legacy of the Pharaohs and the Greeks and Romans who ruled after them. Basically this legacy is associated with temples, tombs and burial places. People in Egypt from the earliest times to present have always lived along the River Nile and this is where you find the richest harvest of ancient monuments. As many travelers will testify, the best way to experience classical Egypt is by taking a Nile cruise. The cruise is a very pleasant and relaxing way to get close to the attractions of antiquity, most of which are not far off from the banks of the river. You also get a glimpse of rural Egypt where many eke out a living just as their forbearers did thousands of years ago.

The typical Nile cruiser is really a floating hotel. Amenities on board will include lounges, restaurants, bars, swimming pool, discotheque and shops. The rooms are rather smaller than those of a land based hotels but will have air conditioning, TV and enough room for twin beds, private shower, nightstand and dresser. The quality of cruisers varies and they are graded with stars just like hotels. Top end cruisers have spacious suites and amenities almost equal to those of ocean cruisers. Generally, the quality and romance of Nile cruisers surpasses other riverboats anywhere else in the world.

Nile cruises normally take three, four or seven nights. You will be able to see the most important and interesting monuments on the shorter and more popular cruises that ply between Luxor and Aswan. The longer sail takes you up to Dendera. The boats sail both downstream and upstream and on the shorter cruises, you can embark at either Aswan or Luxor. The more adventurous travelers or those on a tight budget avoid the luxury cruisers in favour of fellucas- the traditional Nile sailboats. Though amenities onboard fellucas are very basic, those who can survive them, visit all the attractions along the Nile at a fraction of the cost of the cruisers.

At Aswan, the Nile is deep, calm and is at its most glorious. It is a good place to embark on your Nile cruise. Aswan was for long Egypt's southern frontier city and its gateway to Africa. This was the region known as Upper Egypt, being upstream of the Nile. After Aswan, the Nile passes through a section of hard rock, resulting in rapids or cataracts. Thus by nature did Aswan attain its strategic position and it has served as a garrison town for those who have ruled Egypt over the centuries. And for this reason, there are monuments here associated with the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans, Christian Copts and Islam.

At Aswan, make sure to visit the Philae Temple. Ptolemy II started the temple when the Greeks ruled, and the Romans completed it. It was dedicated to the goddess Isis, an important figure in Egyptian mythology that was worshipped across the Roman Empire. Even after Emperor Theodosius ordered all pagan temples to cease operations, Isis was still being glorified at Philae, until about AD 550 when Emperor Justinian finally shut down the temple. The early Christians converted the temple's hypostyle hall into a chapel. For good measure, they defaced some of the pagan reliefs adorning its walls.

The temple forms an excellent backdrop for the nightly sound-and-light show. The temple was nearly lost after the Aswan High Dam was commissioned in the 1960's. It took UNESCO and the Egyptian government ten years to move it, one stone at a time, to higher ground on Agilka Island. Most people also visit Elephantine Island, which has temples and a museum. The Island has been inhabited since about 3000 BC and was an important trading and cultural centre.

Aswan is home of the Nubians, a dark skinned people, related to the people of the north of the Sudan. You can see some Nubian villages at Elephantine Island. The Nubian museum celebrates Nubian culture right from prehistoric times. Aswan was once an important centre for Christian Copts. You can see the ruins of the once majestic Monastery of St Simeon, which was destroyed by the conqueror Saladin (Salah ad-Din) in 1173 AD.

Aswan was the source of the granite stone that the Pharaohs favoured for building temples and other monuments. The Northern Quarries are the site of the giant Unfinished Obelisk. Had the obelisk been successfully completed, it would be the single heaviest piece of monolithic stonework -reaching about 42 m and weiging over 1168 tonnes. It must have broken the hearts of the builders, who supposedly abandoned it, after coming across defects in the rock formation.
The next stop on the cruise is Kom Ombo, 48 km to the north of Aswan. The main attraction here is the Graeco-Roman temple. Work on the temple was started by Ptolemy VII in early second century BC and continued by some of his successors. The Romans Emperor Augustus built part of the temple at around 30 BC. The Temple of Kom Ombo actually consists of two separate temples, each with its own entrance, colonnades, hypostyle hall and sanctuary. The southern temple is dedicated to Sobek -the crocodile god, while the northern one honours Horus -the falcon god.

Though the two gods shared the same grounds, in mythology, Sobek was associated with the god Seth, an enemy of Horus. At Kom Ombo, the gods took the liberty to bring along family - Sobek sneaked in his consort Hathor and son Khonsu, while Horus had his wife Tesentnefert and son, Panebtawy. If you have not seen mummies before, be sure to see the mummified crocodiles in the Sobek part of the temple.

At Edfu, you disembark to see the Temple of Horus. Edfu was the cult centre of Horus the falcon god. It is perhaps the best preserved of ancient temples of Egypt. The temple standing today was started by Ptolemy III at about 237 BC on the site of an earlier Pharaonic structure. Work continued under some of the Ptolemies that followed. Appropriately, the entrance adorned by two majestic granite falcons. The walls bear reliefs depicting Horus. One scene would please any tyrant -it shows Ptolemy XII dealing mercilessly with his enemies.

You next stop and highlight of the cruise is Luxor. The range, magnificence and diversity of the monuments in the Luxor area is unsurpassed in all of Egypt. Known to the Greeks as Thebes, Luxor became the capital of Egypt at around 2040 BC. The city survived the sacking by the Assyrians in the 7th century BC, but steadily declined, and was finally destroyed by the Romans in the first century BC. Among the celebrated monuments dating from Luxor's heydays are the necropolis complexes at the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles. You will also come across some outstanding temples scattered in the region.

The Egyptians buried their dead in the direction of the setting sun and the west bank at Luxor was the final resting place of royalty and high officials. The Valley of Kings is where the rulers of the period historians refer to as the New Kingdom period (BC 1550-1070) awaited the afterlife. The Pharaoh normally picked the spot for his tomb and had it built in his lifetime. Tomb building for royalty and high officials was very serious business and it supported a battery of architects and craftsmen, who had a settlement in the valley. The valley contains over 60 tombs that have so far been excavated.

The tombs have suffered in recent years due to increased number of visitors, pollution and the rising ground water that has come with the Aswan High Dam. For this reason, not all of them are open to the public at any one time. Unless you are a scholar, visiting three or four tombs should be sufficient. Among the best tombs are those of Ramses I, Tuthmosis III and Ramses VI. Tutankhamun's is today the most famous - though he is not considered a significant Pharaoh and he died at only nineteen.

Treasure hunters had over the years looted most tombs in the valley. But Howard Carter, the British archeologist, discovered Tutankhamun's tomb almost intact in 1922. The treasure that was found here is truly amazing- statues, chests, chariots, beds, weapons, and many items he needed for the afterlife. The main item today at Tutankhamun's tomb is his mummy. About 1700 items recovered at the tomb are now at display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The most outstanding of the collection is the 11 kg solid gold death mask. Imagine then, what the looters carried off from the bigger tombs of the more illustrious Pharaohs!

On the other side of the Valley of Kings is the Temple of Deir el-Bahri, built by Queen Hatshepsut. Hatseput. The temple is very impressive from a distance and is a great place to take photos. The name Valley of the Queens is misleading, as both male and female royals and some high officials were interred here. About 80 tombs have been identified, of which the most famous is that of Queen Nefertari. Take more photos at the Colossi of Memnon -two huge statues that are the sole legacy of the temple of Amenhotep III.

Amenhotep III also built the Temple of Luxor on the east bank. The temple was dedicated to the god Amon, though inside you also find a shrine dedicated to Alexander the Great. The temple's entrance is lined with Sphinxes, and inside you find colonnades, courts, obelisks and wall murals. The mosque of Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj was built on top of part of the temple. You can also visit the Luxor Museum, which has interesting exhibits from the area.

The incredibly impressive Temple of Karnak is a huge complex that was dedicated to the god Amon. In the New Kingdom period, this was the most important temple is Egypt. It is probably the largest religious building ever and it can carry no less than 10 average Christian cathedrals. Some of the interesting structures within the complex are the gigantic hypostyle hall, the Kiosk of Tarhaka, statue of Ramses II, temple of Ramses III and the sacred lake.

The best time to take a Nile cruise is over the cooler months of November - March. These are also the peak months and to avoid crowds, always start out early each day. October, at the end the hot season is tolerable, especially when you factor in that it falls with off-season period: it is cheaper ad less crowded. When visiting the monuments, you are advised to hire a guide who will explain the historical context at each site. If you are on a Nile Cruise package, the services of a guide will usually be included.

You do a lot of walking, and you need to bring along suitable shoes. Other items you ware encouraged to pack are: sunglasses and sun screen lotion. Remember also to carry bottled water and photographic film, which you can buy at the cruiser or at a bazaar. Light clothing is generally recommended though you may need a sweater and jacket for winter evenings.

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Andrew Muigai

Editor of AfricaPoint Insider online newsletter

Festive Offers by Rajasthan Hotels During Diwali

Rajasthan hotels are famous for the ambience that is reminiscent of the royalty of yore. Hotels in Rajasthan are often renovated forts and palaces that have opulence and grandeur hardly found in modern architecture. In October and November, tourism in Rajasthan peaks. This is the festive season. Diwali is just round the corner and the place that is famous for its golden sand, wonderful forts, picturesque palaces and amazing people is decked up for the occasion. Rajasthan hotels add to the crescendo by offering lucrative festive discounts. Book a hotel through www.travelgorajasthan.com and get special discounts on hotel rates.

Hotels in Rajasthan are renowned for immaculate service and warm hospitality. TravelGoRajasthan.com offers some of the best known hotels for booking. Heritage hotels in Rajasthan are in itself unique places of attraction. Enjoy and experience hospitality of a different kind that you have not experienced ever before. Diwali means great news. Even heritage hotels and palace hotels in Rajasthan are offering fantastic Diwali discounts and privileges. This facility can be availed at TravelGoRajasthan.com.

In TravelGoRajasthan.com, tourists can find different categories of Rajasthan hotels. There are luxury hotels, palace hotels and heritage hotels. Tourists can also put up in business hotels and budget hotels. People who want to tour Rajasthan during Diwali can book hotels online through TravelGoRajasthan.com and enjoy the luxury of spending a vacation in a heritage hotel or palace hotel at a discounted rate.

TravelGoRajasthan.com is among the very few travelsites that are exclusively devoted to tourism in Rajasthan. The travelsite has a number of premier Rajasthan hotels in its database and even during the peak tourist season the travelsite is able to provide online real time hotel booking. The status of the booking can be seen instantly. Since this is a real time hotel reservation, instant confirmation is displayed. This allows a traveler to plan the tour better.

Rajasthan hotels are falling over one another in a mad race to attract tourists. This is music to the ear for travelers. Avail of the exciting Diwali offers and experience royal hospitality of the beautiful land.

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Arjun Roy

Content Writer in Travel and Tourism sites.

What's To Do In The Cowboy City Of Calgary

Calgary - The World Famous Cowboy City

Calgary a Canadian city has something for everyone. It is known the world over for its cowboy and rodeo status. When large cities are overrun with crime and poverty in these times, you will be amazed by the pristine cleanliness of Calgary. Calgary remains a beautiful city to visit for your next vacation, as it seems to be untouched by these hazards of large-city life.

Calgary is most famous for the event Stampede. Stampede is an annual event and began as a rodeo many years ago to highlight the cowboys in the area. Apart from the rodeos, today, the Calgary Stampede has grown to include exhibitions of all kinds, a busy fairway with exciting rides for the young and old. This is also the venue for concerts and fireworks.

The chuck wagon races are one the favourite event at the Calgary Stampede. You will be able to see covered wagons, drawn by horses and guided by a cowboy, race around the oval. You will want to schedule more of them into your next visit once you get a taste for these rodeo events.

Visiting Calgary doesn't just mean the Stampede! There are many other attractions that will keep you busy for days on end. A trip to Heritage Park Historical Village is a definite must. This replica of a real village from the late 1800's is a great way for you and your family to experience life in those times. You can take a ride on the steam locomotive or take a wagon ride around the village. When you stroll down Main Street you can watch as blacksmiths fashion horseshoes the old fashioned way before stopping to have a meal at the Wainwright Hotel.

The Glenbow Museum is another favorite attraction to see when visiting Calgary. The Glenbow specializes in paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other pieces of art featuring a historical look western Canada. These exhibits chronicle the Native Indians crossed and the settlers moving from the east.

The Calgary Zoo offers visitors a plentiful display of birds, reptiles, and mammals. The zoo features a Prehistoric Park that recreates the history of the dinosaur. This fascinating zoo let's you spend a day walking among ostriches, bears, monkeys, and kangaroos. If you decide not to pack a picnic lunch to eat in the many picnic areas, rest assured you'll find many dining options among the many food kiosks around the park.

Depending on how long your visit is, there are many other attractions in and around the city of Calgary that you'll want to make the time to see. At your time of leisure you can spend at many parks that Calgary has. You can Rent a bike or a pair of rollerblades and roll along the pathways that line the Bow River.

Downtown Calgary offers many designer boutiques and unique shops. You'll find stores the feature the arts and crafts of the local Calgarians, as well as crafts from all over Canada.

A trip to Calgary is a trip that you and your family won't soon forget. Make sure that you find out ahead of time what concerts or other cultural events are taking place so you can plan on spending one night of your visit in Calgary at the theater.

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Peter Steffany is the chief writer for, and editor of RV Calgary, it's one of the webs most up to date Calgary sites, while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Calgary at: http://www.rvcalgary.com/articles

http://www.rvcalgary.com

Cheap Bed and Breakfast Accommodation In Central London

London has a reputation for expensive hotel accommodation with very little cheap budget hotels. OK so what is cheap. For the purposes of this article lets define cheap as below 100$US per night, (60 pounds sterling in local currency) for a standard double/twin room with all taxes paid.

Most of the hotel accommodation in this bracket is termed 'bed and breakfast' hotels. This can be misleading to the unaware. No it’s not a cosy family owned guest house with personal attentive hosts, traditional English breakfasts and home-made offerings, commonly available outside London. The vast majority are small hotels with 20-50 rooms, staffed by immigrants on very low salaries with very simple rooms, seldom lifts and 'continental breakfasts'. That is not to say that these establishments should be avoided, but there are an awful lot of poor quality ones.
The main cheap hotel districts in London are Bayswater, Victoria and Kings Cross. Here you will see lots of these bed and breakfast hotels together in clusters. An ensuite double or twin room with breakfast in these areas is around 70-100$US

Kings Cross has a poor reputation, it used to be notorious for drugs, crime and prostitution. That is all largely behind it now and it’s a district on the up, the whole area is being rejuvenated and Eurostar Trains will terminate at Kings Cross station in 2007. The bed and breakfast hotels are all around a garden square immediately opposite Kings Cross Station. Kings Cross is no more than a mile from the West End, the central entertainment area of London, and there’s lots of public transport on your doorstep.

Bayswater is on the northern border of Hyde Park, London's biggest, and within a mile are Oxford Street, Kensington Palace and Paddington Station, (terminus for the Heathrow Express airport link). Bayswater is a traditional budget area and a great place to stay for the cost conscious traveller. Bayswater High Street (Queensway) is host to a great variety of economical restaurants and shops. Everyday supermarkets, launderettes etc are commonplace.

Victoria is very central, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye are all within walking distance. The cheap hotels are south of the railway station, stretching from the coach stations to Pimlico Underground. The area is pleasant and safe.

Room rates are highly variable. In the depths of winter, rooms may be discounted as low as 50 US$, but be warned these tend to be of the hotels of the worst kind. Most of the hotels will also discount less at the weekend.

Some of the better bed and breakfasts include the Montana Excel and Howard Winchester Hotels in Kings Cross, the Central Hotel in Victoria and the Blakemore and Annur Hotels in Bayswater. Some of these may be advertised as three star hotels - beware in small print you may notice the words 'self rated'.

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Bob Handford is an expert about his city, London and is the owner of the website http://www.londontoolkit.com/ that aims to provide practical information for independent visitors to London. You can contact Bob direct at the web site.
This article may be reproduced freely with a link to the above web site.

Experience the Grand Canyon Without the Crowds

Absolutely The Best Way To Enjoy The Grand Canyon

Honestly, visiting the Grand Canyon can be a stressful experience if you go to the South Rim (with most people). Everyone is jockeying for position, and you sometimes feel like you really cannot enjoy the beauty and grandeur that is before your eyes. But there is a way to avoid all the crowds. There is much more to the Grand Canyon than the South Rim.

You can better enjoy this natural wonder of the world with a little careful planning and a desire to get to it in a different way. You can visit the North Rim, West Rim and the Torroweap. These places are equally mesmerizing as the South Rim and much less crowded as well. They have their own attraction that make your Grand Canyon visit worthwhile.

The North Rim features a very picturesque view of the Canyon. It is also much cooler, as it is at a higher elevation and further north. So, you won't be sweltering in the 100-dregree heat that is characteristic of the South Rim during the summer months. Additionally, a very nice evergreen forest borders the North Rim, making the various hikes very comfortable.

You can get some great accommodation option at the North Rim. From rental cabins right at the canyon edge to a variety of campsites it has it all. For a more private and comfortable lodging you can even opt for the rustic hotel rooms at the large lodge of the North Rim. North Rim also features a restaurant, a bar and a gift shop. The North Rim remains closed for the visitors from October to April and at times May for the winters.

The West Rim is even less crowded that the North Rim. There is a ranch located on the edge, known as the Grand Canyon West Ranch. It offers beautiful accommodations in cabins or even in teepees. Additionally, there are natural springs nearby and it contains a launch pad for a hot air balloon ride. The beautiful vista can be thoroughly enjoued in this out of the way spot.

Torroweap is your place if you are ready to go that extra mile to savor the oddities of nature. It is a bumpy drive down the Arizona Strip District before you turn onto the poorly kept county road and have another hour-long bumpy drive to the edge of the canyon. This ride keeps most of the people away from the Torroweap. It is very close to the Utah-Arizona border. Peculiarity of the way to this destination keeps it deserted most of the times but the beauty and serenity of the place makes it worth the effort.

Owing to its untamed terrain and less visited location, Torroweap has no fences or warning signs. The destination stands welcoming with its wide expanse. The fact that it is less visited is evident from the traces of game trails and faint signs of the other visitors that occasionally come here. The region offers some breathtaking sceneries of dramatic red cliffs and vibrant blue sky. But while you enjoy the scenery take care that you don't drive off the road down the cliff.

The Grand Canyon is truly a site worth seeing, and for maximum enjoyment, it should be seen without crowds. By going to the North Rim, the West Rim, or to Torroweap, you can have truly moving experience that has nothing to do with being pushed by crowds.

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Michell Cinzio is the chief writer for, and editor of A-Z Grand Canyon, visit there for the latest Grand Canyon advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Grand Canyon at: http://www.azgrandcanyon.com/articles

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Weddings Abroad….

Looking for a new and exciting destination in which to get married but need not be expensive? Want a beach, sunshine and an English speaking location but don’t want to travel miles away? Want your closest friends and family to attend your Big Day without burdening them with the huge cost (and embarrassment) of travelling transatlantic?

Then consider getting married in Gibraltar, just a short 2 and half hour flight from the UK and with year round sunshine, a choice of up to five beaches and being a duty-free tax haven, Gibraltar is fast entering the top ten bracket of favourite places in the world in which to get hitched! Unlike the Caribbean, it is not expensive and unlike Las Vegas, it is not crass! You can get married in Gibraltar within 24 hours of arrival without the residency requirements of other countries. Apart from the traditional registry office or church, you can get married al-fresco in a picturesque Italian garden with fountains and a magical backdrop of a waterfall and tropical flowers or even on a rose bedecked terrace overlooking the blue azures of the Mediterranean.

Extremely competitively priced flight and hotel packages are available by booking online at www.mygibraltar.co.uk who also offer a fabulous one-stop Wedding service where they even match the colour of the bridal bouquet to the colour of the dress! You even get a £5.00 per person discount and free night offers when you book online!

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Amit Verma writes about "Weddings Abroad". More Information at - http://www.mygibraltar.co.uk

Choose Your Restaurant In Rome: IL SECCHIO

Choose your restaurant in Rome

Choosing a restaurant in Rome can be not so easy, filled as the Eternal City is with hundreds of excellent places. The good news is that it's rare to get bad food. The even better news is that we've narrowed down your choices. Our restaurant il secchio has a wide range of flavours of the roman food.

Rome is not only the capital of culture, history, art and charme: Rome is also the home of Italy's most delicious ingredients.

Roman meals normally include at least three separate courses: pasta, a main course (usually a meat dish with vegetables or salad), and dessert. Meats, though tasty, are definitely secondary to the pasta dishes, which are generous and filling. The wine is so excellent (especially the white Frascati that comes from the nearby Castelli Romani) and affordable that you might want to do as the Romans do and have it with both lunch and dinner.

In addition to the restaurants located around your hotel in Rome, consider visiting our restaurant in rome that cooks the original roman cooking called " cucina romana".

Despite a sudden rise in prices after the adoption of the euro, Rome's dining tabs are still generally reasonable. One important tip: Check before if your restaurant in rome is open, because days off and vacations can spoil your dinner in Rome.

And remember that family-run trattorias are an extension of the home table. Do not forget to enjoy with your family a very intimate atmosphere tasting the roman food in my restaurant in Rome.

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Stefano Sandano

ORESTE LAGLIA is the owner of the restaurant in Rome called IL SECCHIO and is running this nice restaurant since 1979 with his wife and his daughter.

Visit his website at http://www.secchiorestaurant.it and write him to info@secchiorestaurant.it to have very good recipes with the ingredients of the roman cooking.

A Short Guide To Having Fun In Italy

The best time to go to Italy could well be, well, anytime. In reality the best time is between April and June as the flood of school holidays hasnt yet hit the roads, the countryside is at its fullest bloom and the weather isnt uncomfortably hot yet.

When deciding at which time of the year to go to Italy it may be worth scheduling around a couple of festivals as they are invariably spectacular occasions.

Here is a shortlist of the best on offer:

Festa dei Ceri, Umbria in May
Il Palio, Siena in July and August
Carnevale, Venice in February
Festa di San Gennaro, Naples in December
I Candelieri, Sardinia in August
Palio delle Quattro Antiche Repubbliche Marinare, Venice / Pisa / Amalfe / Genoa in May / June
Processione dei Serpari, Abruzzo in May
Sa Sartiglia, Sardinia in February
Umbria Jazz, Perugia in July

In August prices tend to skyrocket across the country along with the weather, so is best avoided. However, that is not true of the whole of the country. In a country such as Italy the weather is incredibly diverse, ranging from stifling heat in the low-lands of Florence to the snow-capped chills of the Alps and the Dolomites.

Overall you can expect long hot summers the further south you are, with Sicily and Sardinia enjoying the best of all, where sea swimming is possible right into mid October.

Italy is a fairly expensive country with accommodation being the single most costly aspect of a trip. You may find cheaper accommodation out of the city centres and in surrounding satellite towns. Expect to pay around 12 to 20 euros for a youth hostel, 25 to 45 euros for a basic pensione or small hotel, and around 70 to 120 euros for a mid-range hotel.

Eating out is an incredible experience throughout Italy. As any Italian will tell you, there really is no such thing as Italian food, as each region tends to be known for its particular specialities. Budget for around 20 to 35 euros for a great full-course meal with a house wine on average.

The delectable Cucina Italiana is never far away in Italy. If youre a bit of a gastronomic connoiseur then id recommend touring around the Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Umbria regions for the quintessential food tour.

Shop for Italian delights to take home in the Mercato delle Erbe in Bologna, then head off to nearby Modena for a bottle of perhaps the worlds finest balsamic vinegar.

Next pick up a delicious antipasto in the most well-known food town of Parma - see Parma ham and Parmesan cheese.

For you first dish perhaps Umbria for some umbricelli (pasta served with shaved truffles). If you can try to get your hands on the ever-elusive tartufo nero or black truffle from Norcia.

For the next course perhaps a taste of the infamous bistecca alla fiorentina from Florence or head to Perugia for a porchetta, an Umbrian speciality of suckling pig stuffed with its own liver plus a handful of wild fennel and rosemary.

What to drink with these delights? Head to the Chianti region for a rocking red, or Orvieto for a succulent and sharp white.

Round off this tour with dessert in Siena in the form of a slice of panforte, a hard flatcake of candied fruits and nuts, or perhaps cantucci e vin santo (yes you guessed it - a biscuit doused in sweet white wine), a Tuscan speciality.

Getting around Italy is relatively easy and cheap, although car hire prices are on the rise. If you decide to take a train the regionale (local stopping trains) are much cheaper than the diretto (fast intercity and eurostar trains) and in my opinion are far more rewarding as you get to see more and take photos along the way.

It youre in search of good reading to help in capturing the spirit of Italy then id recommend picking up a copy of Il Gattopardo by GT di Lampedusa, The Aeneid by Virgil, La Storia by Elsa Morate or perhaps Grazia Deledda's Canne al Vento.

Have fun!

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Jacob Fiennes is an enthusiastic traveller and photographer with a passion for discovery. He is a founder and regular contributor to the hugely popular worldwide hotel reservations site TravelBX.com. Visit the site for your next hotel room reservation, flight ticket, tailored holiday package and much more.

www.travelbx.com

Costa Rican Beach Jaco

Beaches in Costa Rica, like jaco, may well be one of the most important assets in the eyes of visitors. The beaches come in all sizes, shapes and types.

One of the most known beaches is called Jaco.

Jaco is one of the first beaches to become a real tourist magnet. It is also one of the closest beaches to San Jose.

The beach itself is a three km long beach with nice sand and the water is inviting. However, as always when swimming in the sea, check out current riptides as well as keep an eye on the tide.

Jaco has rapidly become one of the selected party beaches in Costa Rica and the long beach has a multitude of hotels, cabins and rooms for rent.

When visiting the beaches,

• Ask around for information about riptides, before you find them yourself.

• Also, check the time schedule for the local tide. The change in sea level is great and you can be pulled out to sea.

• Remember that the bottom end places to stay are cheap for a reason. Never leave valuable things behind.

• Mid to high end hotels can be of good quality, but check for ceiling fans or ac as well as warm or cold water.

• Remember that the way of cooking will not be the same as in a good restaurant and you may feel the urge to test many local delicatessens when on the beach. This may come as a surprise to your stomach!

• Get bottled water on your way to Jaco. To make sure you will not stand there with the salt from the sea in your month, and no place, where you can find something to drink.

You can travel to and from beaches like Jaco in many ways. Rental car, bus and even by air in some cases. Smaller local airlines fly between the airports in Costa Rica daily and can take you from San Jose to Liberia or some other places. Inquire locally the get the correct schedules and prices.

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Kenth Nasstrom lived in Costa Rica in the 80's and Costa Rica is like a home for him. Visit http://www.costa-rican-information.com for more information about beaches in costa rica.

Christmas in Budapest

Are you going to celebrate Christmas in Budapest with Hungarian friends? I tell you some essential information about opening hours, public transport and some interesting Hungarian Christmas traditions.

In mid-November Budapest starts to prepare for Christmas. Streets are decorated with colourful lights, shop-windows are adorned to lure in customers hunting for gifts. More and more people set out to look for the ideal Christmas presents in shops or in the markets. If you're looking for a unique Hungarian gift and want to get away from the all alike shops visit the Budapest Christmas Fair at Vörösmarty Square.

Opening Hours at Christmas in Budapest

Shops are open for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Sundays on the three weekends before Christmas. Shops close around early afternoon on 24th December and open only on 27th December. Some larger shopping malls might stay open until early evening on 24th December. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day all shops, supermarkets are closed in Budapest. Many shops do not open between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Life gets back to normal after 1st January.

Restaurants are also closed on Christmas Eve (24th Decemeber), but most of them open on 25th-26th December. Budapest is a popular tourist destination even in winter and restaurant owners are well aware of that. Don't worry you'll definitely find several good restaurants open during Christmas in Budapest

Public Transport at Christmas in Budapest

Public transport vehicles run until around 15.00-16.00. After 16.00 night services carry passangers. On 25th-26th December vehicles run according to holiday schedule. Between 27th and 1st January, vehicles run less frequently than they do on usual weekdays. It's also holiday at schools, all public transport vehicles run according to schedules valid during school holidays.

Some Hungarian Christmas Traditions

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Hungary. The main celebration is on Christmas Eve (it's Szenteste in Hungarian, meaning Holy Night) Familiy members get together in the afternoon on 24th December and decorate the Christmas tree. Grandparents or elder brothers and sisiters look after the little ones, so they won't see their presents placed under the tree. The fragrant fir is adorned with colourful paper decorations and a special Hungarian Christmas candy (szaloncukor) wrapped in shinny coloured papers. Housewives cook traditional Hungarian Chrismas dishes in the kitchen. We usually have fish soup, stuffed cabbage, pastry rolls stuffed with poppy seed, walnut or chestnut stuffings (it's called bejgli in Hungarian). Family members exchange gifts in the evening on 24th December while listening to tradtitional Christmas songs. In Hungary baby Jesus brings the presents, not Santa. We celebrate the arrival of Santa on 6th December, St. Nicholas Day. At midnight people go to the midnight mass. Organ music and pine scent fill the air in churches where people sing together classical Christmas songs. Even non-religious people attend this mass beacuse of its festive and uplifting atmosphere. On the following two days relatives and friends visit it each other at their homes, have traditional Christmas dishes and desserts.

Weather around Christmas in Budapest

When I was a little kid there was always thick snow around Christmas. The first snowflakes fell usually at the end of November. The temperatures were around zero or below. Today it is hard to tell what will be the weather like around Christmas. Due to global warming we have not see any snow in the past couple of years. The weather around Christmas is sometimes rather mild and dull, with some rain, and it's crispy and sunny with crystal blue sky at times. I prefer the latter, though I long for white Christmas every year.

Programs at Christmas in Budapest

The world famous 100-member Gypsy Orchestra performs a concert on 30th December, at 6 pm in teh Budapest Congress Centre. They'll play both clasical and traditional folk music.

The whole city calms down for a couple of days. You can only hear the sound of Christmas concerts and Advent songs in Budapest's churches. After the hectic shopping it's a real realxation to listen to the organ works and contemplate about the meaning of Advent and Christmas. I recommend the Lights of Christmas Festival in Matthias Church on Castle Hill.

Merry Christmas in Budapest!

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Erzsebet Dobos

© Copyright http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com All Rights Reserved

Erzsebet lives in Budapest with her husband and son. She loves the Hungarian capital very much. Erzsebet's goal is to share her insider knowledge about Budapest with tourists visiting the city. On her website, http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com, she provides up-to-date information to help travellers to get the most of their visit to Budapest.

Best Places To Travel During The Holidays With Your Family

Thinking about taking your family on a Christmas vacation?

Although it has long been tradition to wait at home for Santa to arrive, a number of American families spend Christmas away from home each year. Christmas vacations are becoming more and more popular and you will likely find that there is a wide variety of fun holiday vacations available to you.

What better place to visit during the holiday season than the North Pole – North Pole, New York that is.

Located in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, North Pole is one of the most magical places to visit during your Christmas vacation. Perfect for kids and kids at heart, North Pole is open for five weekends prior to Christmas during November and December.

Visitors are offered Christmas vacation packages that include meals, lodging, and admission to Santa’s workshop. Santa’s Village features shops where you can find the perfect souvenir from your Christmas vacation. There is often live music to keep the crowds entertained and you and your family can enjoy watching glassblowers, puppet shows and other holiday entertainment.

If New York state seems a little far from the real North Pole, try getting a little closer to the real thing by visiting North Pole, Alaska on your Christmas vacation. The Alaskan vacation package also includes a visit to Santa’s house in the North Pole. Also offered is an optional dog sled ride through Santa’s village in the North Pole. Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience as you race through the magical North Pole on an authentic Alaskan dog sled. Like the vacation package in North Pole, New York, the Alaskan North Pole offers one or two night stays during weekends.

The Alaskan North Pole Christmas vacation includes hotel accommodations in nearby Fairbanks and at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. There is also lodging available at the Santaland RV Park. The Santa House also offers a large store where guests to the North Pole can find every type of souvenir from ‘I Believe in Santa’ hats to ‘Santa Claus Crossing’ signs and refrigerator magnets. Whether you are two or ninety-two the magic of Christmas in North Pole, Alaska will have you believing in Saint Nick.

If you are traveling before or during the Christmas season, then consider Hershey, Pennsylvania as your vacation destination. The home of Hershey’s candy, Hershey Park becomes home to Christmas Candyland, where over one million Christmas lights are put on display. In addition to the lights, the staff at Hershey Park constructs a number of animated displays that are sure to delight both you are your children.

Christmas Candyland is undoubtedly one of the most exciting Christmas time getaways for kids young and old. In addition to Christmas Candyland guests can enjoy the rest of the Park. Hershey Park is a popular destination for travelers year round, as it offers a wide variety of both entertainment and great candy. Christmas Candyland typically runs for a month prior to Christmas.

If your family has never taken a Disney vacation, Christmastime may be the perfect time to do it. In addition to enjoying the Walt Disney World parade which is televised each year from Disney World in Orlando, Florida, your kids will also enjoy seeing all their favorite Disney characters decked out in their Santa hats and Christmas outfits. There are also a number of special Christmas time shows put on in the parks including Mickey Mouse’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and Belle’s Enchanted Christmas Storytelling.

These Christmas activities can be great for young children. Giant Christmas trees are erected throughout the parks and lit up with thousands of Christmas lights, bringing the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the already magical Disney World. The weeks around the Christmas season are also times where lodging rates at Disney World resorts are typically lower than the peak season rates.

By traveling during the Christmas season you are likely to get tons of fun at a reduced price. The weather in central Florida during the Christmas season is typically in the mid-70s, a great change of pace if you are used to cold, wintry Christmas seasons. Santa’s sleigh may have some trouble landing without snow but the magic of the Christmas season is alive and well at Disney World.

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Joyce Jackson writes and lectures extensively on great travel tips and getting ready the right way for your trip. Her comprehensive website contains freash, real information, tips, articles and resources so you have a great trip every time you leave home! http://www.travelpacking-tips.com .

Holidays

Now is the time that people are looking for Winter Holidays and also thinking about their Summer Holidays too. This article will look at the various options that are available to holidaymakers looking to go on a Villa Holiday in the Winter or Summertime.

Firstly we will look at the winter Holiday options. If you are looking for some respite from the cold winter months there is an abundance of destinations to suit all budgets. The Canary Islands of Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura are an ideal detsination for families and couples alike. With year round good weather and a bustling nightlife these islands have something for every taste. Lanzarote is a fabulous destination for winter holidays the main resorts in Lanzarote are Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise. You have a great selection of villa holidays in these areas and you can be as close to or as far away from the nightlife as you desire. You can book an apartment right through to luxurious villas with their own private pool suitable for families of all sizes. You can laza about the pool all day or you can book a private villa which is a stones throw from all the major nightlife and beaches. Tenerife is the liveliest of all the islands with Playa de Las Americas and Los Christianos being where all the busiest nightlife is. During the day in Las Americas You have a more relaxed way of life with a stroll along the promenade and miles of beaches to choose from. The good thing about all these islands is that there is over 300 days of sunshine every year. No matter your budget the canary islands is an ideal destination. You can get last minute villas from several different websites where villa owners will offer you some great discounts if you book their villa and go within a week.

Our other reccommendation would be Australia. There is thousands of holiday rentals in Australia and a lot of detinations to choose from. Whether you choose Western Australia like perth or fancy the east coast like Sydney you are guarenteed the best weather in the world. Imagine the middle of December sitting next to your very own private pool sipping a refreshing cocktail in 35 degree heat getting a tan while all your friends at home are freezing over the -10 degrees weather. Australia is a long way to travel but if you have the time and the money then it does come highly reccommended. You have the weather, you also have the breath-taking scenery as well of the Indian Ocean right next to any holiday rental that you choose. The Price of the private villas in Australia are very reasonable and they can generally accommodate 8-12 holidaymakers in great comfort. The only expensive part of coming to Australi is the price of the flights. However the airlines like Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airline do have some very good deals which should be able to stretch to any budget.

In Summary if you are looking for some sun over the winter months then Australia and the Canary Islands would be our destination of Choice.

Summer Holidays are now starting to cross peoples minds with the cold winter months setting in. We will cover in brief different options you have while considering your Villa Holiday.

Spain the most popular destination for holidaymakers with your guarenteed summer weatherthere is a lot to do in any of the resorts available. You have the Spanish Coastline which covers the likes of the Costa Del Sol, Costa Blanca, Costa Brava and Costa Tropical to name but a few. There is miles and miles of Sandy beaches and lots and lots of nightlife like pubs, clubs, restaurants to choose from.

The Algarve, Portugals gem in the south where millions of holidaymakers flock during the summer months. In the western Algarve you have your resorts like albufueira and Vilamoura and the smaller eastern resort like Tavira. The Algarve is a beautiful Destination with lots of history and beautiful beaches. If you want a busy resort with lots of nightlife then the western Algarve would be the best bet. The eastern Algarve would be a your choosen destination if you are wanting a slower pace and a more relaxing holiday.

The Canary Islands as described above is also a great destination for summer holidays you get all the nightlife and beaches but the weather is much warmer than the winter months.

Cyprus is an up and coming destination and is becoming more and more popular with holidaymakers. Southern Cyprus has your resorts like Ayia Napa, Paphos and Protaras. There is a lot more private villas becoming available to rent every year. Cyprus has a hot summer and there is a lot to do during the day and night. Cyprus caters for every type of holiday whether you are looking for a relaxing holiday destination or you are wanting the hustle and bustle of major nightlife with clubs and pubs. Cyprus comes highlyreccommended on both counts.

In summary there is a lot of choice for the holidaymaker when thinking about their summer holidays. There are also numerous websites offering private villa holidays and holiday accommodation. The best thing to do is work out a budget for your up and coming holiday, choose your detaination and then book your flights. After that you can start searching for the accommodation which could be a luxurious private villa with its own private swimming pool or even an apartment with shared swimming pool. The choice is yours.

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Peter Hartley has been renting private villas successfully for 3 years. He is the owner of www.lastminutevillaholiday.co.uk for more information please contact him through the website provided.

Travelling in the Arabian Peninsula

It may seem in the days of mass tourism and cheap worldwide flights that no stone has been left unturned in our pursuit of the unexplored. However, Arabia still offers much in the way of mystery and exoticism.

If you are brave enough to venture into this unknown, a feast of surprises await the senses. The scenery is the first to strike. The picture-postcard desert is home to an astonishing array of mountain landscapes, deep and rich forests, bursting and colourful coral reefs, endless date plantations and lush green wadis, plus of course miles and miles of undiscovered, untouched and truly breathtaking beaches.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this fascinating region is its ascension from a 3rd world barren landscape to a series of prosperous, emerging nations in a little under 30 years.

The Peninsula is far from a large plateau of sand and sun. The cultural legacy of the great civilisations can be seen and felt everywhere in the ancient cities, temples and fortifications such as the Beit Sheikh Isa bin Ali on Bahrain's Muharraq Island, or the Madain Saleh embedded in a rock face deep in the heart of the Saudi Arabian desert.

So what activities might one engage in? Truly world-class golf resorts such as the Montgomery in Dubai, thrilling 'dune-bashing' (4x4s driven expertly over dunes at high-speed), wildlife safaris such as watching green turtles invade a beach at dawn to lay their eggs, snorkelling and scuba diving some of the planets most breathtaking and undisturbed coral reefs, or perhaps mountain trekking or desert safaris, meeting the indigenous Bedouin people for a cup of steaming arabic coffee with dates along the way.

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Jacob Fiennes is an enthusiastic traveller and photographer with a passion for discovery. He is a founder and regular contributor to the hugely popular worldwide hotel reservations site TravelBX.com. Visit the site for your next hotel room reservation, flight ticket, tailored holiday package and much more.
www.travelbx.com

Why Vacation in Mont-Tremblant?

Theme parks! Imitation mountains covered with imitation snow; places to eat serving food that just might taste almost like you’re eating in a quaint, foreign restaurant, picturesque little fake villages that are supposed to resemble picturesque little real villages; hotels built around man-made lakes. Sure they’re fun for the whole family but why settle for “fake” or “imitation” or “almost like” when you can have the real thing!

Mont-Tremblant Resort located just eighty minutes by air (gate-to-gate) from Newark Airport to the Mont-Tremblant International Airport, is the ideal, four-season family playground with a real village, real mountains with real snow, real lakes for water sports or ice skating, real quaint restaurants, a real gondola riding over real trees. And there are no long, hot boring lines to stand in while waiting to have real fun.

Every season of the year Tremblant located just north of Montreal and nestled in the majestic Laurentian Mountains provides non-stop activities for all ages. Mountain biking, hiking, horse riding, water sports and of course golfing on world class courses or mini-courses are just some of the many ways to fill up delightfully warm summer days. There is always something happening in the European style village…festivals, wine-tasting, shops that sell more than dispensable souvenirs, and entertainment.

In the fall the Laurentians put on a majestic show when the trees change to their autumn foliage. Tremblant celebrates this with its annual "Symphony of Colours". To truly enjoy this spectacle, just take the gondola up the mountain. Don’t forget your camera as this is one of the most spectacular fall displays in Eastern North America.

In winter, from late November to late April (and sometimes even into May), the Laurentians become blanketed with real snow and Tremblant truly shines as a premiere ski resort. Ice climbing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horse riding, sleigh rides, and so much more keep the whole family on the go all day long. In the evening, Tremblant also offers the best après-ski and nightlife to help you unwind. There are child care services and baby sitting for the little ones. Parents can safely leave children in the care of responsible, trained supervisors who provide organized activities, light snacks and arts and crafts.

To insure your vacation in the Mount-Tremblant region will be memorable for many years to come, book reservations at the areas newest and only "Small Luxury Hotels of the World", all-suite resort hotel, Chateau Beauvallon (www.chateaubeauvallon.com). Inspired by the local architecture with its quaint exterior of gables, porches, shutters and comfortable, country chick interiors, every visitor will find a haven from the fun-filled, activity rich days. And here, everything is real including the lake and the magnificent Laurentian mountain vistas!

Copyright 2005 Paul Altobelli

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Paul Altobelli is Director of Internet Marketing for Chateau Beauvallon—an extraordinary 70-suite Mont-Tremblant resort hotel built on a private, masterfully-landscaped setting in the heart of the magnificent Laurentian mountains. Visit Chateau Beauvallon's website today (www.chateaubeauvallon.com) to book your ski vacation getaway or email the hotel at info@chateaubeauvallon.com. You may also call Chateau Beauvallon at 888-245-4030.

Travel Spain: Girona and the Dali Triangle

Girona and the “Dali Triangle” are destinations known to the lucky few who travel Spain. This area in Catalonia is one of the undiscovered gems of Spain. Girona is about 100 km from Barcelona, but no one who chooses to travel Spain should miss this lovely area. Easily accessible by train, bus or even automobile from Barcelona, this destination recalls some of spain’s most interesting history and one of its greatest artistic minds.

Girona is an beautiful, quaint town with an long history. The town was inhabited by Romans, Jews and Moors at different times in Spain’s history, and traces of each group can be seen in this lovely city. The local dialect is Catalan, not Spanish, but the language of the lovely sights will speak to all visitors.

The Old Quarter is the center of the town’s historic district, filled with medieval arches and dark, winding passageways that recall a different era. Filled with churches, lovely old houses and cobblestone drives, this picturesque section of town has homes dating from the middle ages and several lovely cathedrals.

The old Jewish neighborhood, called El Call is particularly interesting to explore. An old roman tower and the Jewish History Museum are of interest to many, as is the town’s art museum featuring over 1000 years of artworks.

A promenade similar to the one in Barcelona, “La Rambla” will bring to mind a simpler time. This lovely street with overhanging trees, shops, little cafes and great restaurants has changed a little since medieval times, but it’s charm hasn’t lessened.

Nearby, visitors can explore “Dali’s Triangle,” a region just north of Girona and continuing to several destinations important in the life of this controversial artist. In Figueres, visitors can tour the third most visited museum, the Dali designed Museum-Theater. Fancifully designed by the artist himself, this building features large white eggs on the roof, a bright red color and loaves of bread made of glazed ceramics on the outside walls. Inside, visitors can view several of Dali’s most famous works, including “Rainy Taxi.” Dali is buried on site.

In the fishing village of Port Lligat visitors can view Dali’s home. In this isolated hamlet, Dali built several homes together for himself and his wife, Gala. Some of the original décor is intact, including one of his famous “lip sofas.” Of course, the nearby Club Med was not built in Dali’s time, but it could make for an enjoyable stopover.

After visiting the home and Museum that Dali built, visitors touring the Dali triangle will want to stop by the castle in Pubol. Dali purchased the 11th century structure in the 1960’s for his wife, although she banned him from the residence for almost a decade in the 1970‘s. The golden throne that he installed for Gala is still there, and several unusual statues including elephants and other animals are in the gardens. A stuffed hourse guards the door, and several stuffed swans are installed inside.

If you are planning a visit to Spain, travel to Girona and the Dali Triangle for some truly beautiful and inspirational sights. This little-known area of Spain offers its tourists some of the most unique and controversial experiences that the region has to offer.

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Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.portal-viajes.com a website specialized on Viajes, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Viajes. For more info on Viajes visit: http://www.portal-viajes.com.

Inexpensive Travel - The Key

Inexpensive travel can be accomplished in two basic ways. First, get the best deals on the specific things you want. This approach is very limited though. For example, if you find the lowest price on the best hotel in Honolulu at the height of the season, you'll save money, but still have a very expensive room. Trying to get exactly what you want - or think you want - is an expensive proposition, in travel and in life.

The other approach to inexpensive travel is to be an opportunist. This may be difficult for some, and entirely unacceptable to others. Nonetheless, the travelers who get to travel the most, learn the most and do the most, are the opportunists.

When I first went to Ecuador, I went because it was cheap. If it wasn't, I would have had a great time anyhow - somewhere else. A month cost $1045, including airfare, a $130 fee for a guide to take me to the top of glacier-covered Mount Chimborazo, and everything else.

I cut the cost by taking a bus from my home in Michigan to Miami. Round-trip ticket: $158. The round-trip flight to Quito from Miami costs $256, because it was a courier flight. This meant I signed for some luggage (car parts), and could only take carry-on luggage.

I never felt deprived or bored. I had a great time, eating wherever it was cheap and clean, doing inexpensive and interesting things, and traveling across the country to climb Chimborazo. I also met and fell in love with my wife Ana.

How To Be An Opportunist Traveler

Can you drink rum at a dollar per bottle, instead of your favorite beer? Can you eat chicken instead of steak? How about visiting the free sights first, and dancing in the street festival instead of the disco?

As an opportunistic traveler you'll have more fun, and almost everything you want - eventually. Just stop trying to get exactly what you want exactly when you want it. If the guide for Chimborazo hadn't dropped his price from $200 to $130, I would have spent $2 for a bus and gone hiking on El Altar, another great Andean mountain. It would have left me with enough money for several other minor adventures.

There are many things to learn about how to travel cheap. On our last trip to Ecuador, for example, my wife and I discovered a way to save $1000 on plane tickets. Good information can save you a lot of money. A flexible, open-minded approach, however, is the real key to inexpensive travel.

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Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For secrets of cheap plane tickets, plus travel stories, tips and information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com.

Six Great Places to Dine Out When You're in Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Six Finest Places To Eat

Amsterdam offers a hot time to visitors. It provides hot hotels, hot entertainment, and hot places to eat in plenty. The fine restaurant hot spots that serve good food and great atmosphere are everywhere. So, while in Amsterdam, take a look at six of the hottest places to taste the best cuisine.

Beddingtons. This is a restaurant that exemplifies the leisurely fine dining experience. The restaurant does require reservations, and you are in for a comfortable evening in a great atmosphere. Do not eat at Beddingtons if you are in a hurry. The food is prepared under the direction of the proprietor, Jean Beddington, and is a blend of British, Italian, French, Indian, and Japanese. One of the finest examples of fusion dining anywhere.

Cafe Roux offers fine French dining in a more casual atmosphere. The Cafe has a fabulous location overlooking a beautifully situated canal and thus offers great value to its patrons. This a la carte restaurant is a part of the Grand Amsterdam hotel. It is located on the ground floor of the hotel, but also has its own private street entrance. Here again, the proprietor, Albert Roux, personally supervised all of the traditional French preparations which are as delightfully perfect as at a "brasserie"

Segugio. A great place for delicious Italian. The restaurant has an open layout that feels larger than it really is. You can get the regular market dishes, but that would be a waste, considering that the restaurant offers a variety of Venetian specialties that are sometimes hard to find in other places.

Dynasty offers a taste of the Orient in the middle of Amsterdam. It overlooks the beautiful canal house garden that adds to the pleasure of eating. It offers a variety of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes in large portions.

Kaiko is an authentic sushi bar frequented by Japanese on business in Amsterdam. Located near the Okura hotel, it caters especially to Japanese visitors. One can watch the cook prepare the food for a wonderful sushi experience. Kaiko offers some delicious sake and arguably the best sushi in town.

Duende is located in the section of Amsterdam known as the Jordaan. This tapas bar offers delicious Spanish food in a lively atmosphere. Duende, like all the other Hispanic restaurants is reasonably priced. It provides Flamenco music for the pleasure of the guests. This restaurant includes a studio in the back where Spanish dance and Spanish music classes are held.

Whatever your tastes, you are sure to find something to satisfy them in Amsterdam. You are likely to find a fine eating spot whichever part of the city you find yourself in. This city is known for its openness and ethnic blend which adds to the richness and varieties of its restaurants.

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Boris Baravi is the chief writer for, and editor of Amsterdam FAQ, it's one of the webs most up to date Amsterdam sites, why not sign up for the free Amsterdam newsletter. Want to read more Amsterdam articles?, just go to: http://www.amsterdamfaq.com/articles

http://www.amsterdamfaq.com

The World's Coolest FranchIce

Samuel Johnson said it almost 300 years ago, and I still believe it today ...

"If you're tired of London, you're tired of life."

I enjoy many locations around the world, but none so much as London. It's the center of civilization, as far as I'm concerned. If something is 'happening' there, then it's worth taking note.

That's why I was quite impressed to see the IceBar had set up shop on Heddon Street.

You don't need to have a taste for vodka in all its forms, but it helps. That's not only because Absolut is the financial power behind this motif, but because there is a historically-established reason why cultures from cold climates got this creative with a potato. Not only does it 'warm' a soul from the inside, but in the realm of Absolut, it comes in more guises than you've got time to try in a 30-minute session. That happens to be a customer's time limit in the IceBar, which also limits the number of icebarfights on record.

This is a spinoff of the famous IceHotel in the Swedish arctic zone. If you like to travel, then this is a required destination. It's only a 90-minute flight from Stockholm to Kiruna, where you've got a choice of snowmobile or dogsled (hint: take the sled) to complete your journey to the icy climes of Jukkasjaervi in Sweden's portion of Lappland. It's situated along the banks of the Torne River, widely acclaimed as being the source of the purest water in Europe, if not the world.

I think this is one of the most spectacular scenes in existence. Everything is constructed of pure ice, from the chambers to the furniture to the decor (world-class sculptures from global artists are commissioned to create them each season) to the glassware. The all-ice wedding chapel is booked far in advance and the theater stages world-class productions.

The beds do make the concession of thermal sleeping bags, which are amazingly comfortable, but even if you do get a bit chilled here, I guarantee you'll be convinced it was worth it. I cannot think of a more majestic locale to view the Northern Lights flashing across the cold, crisp sky, bathing the ice in a blue-green glow that melds Nature's wonder with that of man's. The IceHotel is breathtaking in every sense of the word. It's an experience which will be etched into your memory forever.

Thus, it wasn't a surprise to me when, during a trip to Stockholm a couple of years ago, I checked into the Nordic Sea hotel and noticed a scaled-down replica of the IceBar adjacent to the lobby. I loathe queues, so fortunately, I was there on a quiet night and there was no 30-minute limit in effect. I donned the thermal cloak and gloves they provide, ordered an Absolut citron and proceeded to mingle in search of someone to share a toast of 'Skol!'. Trust me, it wasn't hard to do!

Its presence was such a 'natural' in Stockholm that I've thought more than once since then that the IceBar meets the critera for being a fixture in that center of chic that is London. And now it's happened.

The £12 cover is reasonable, the drinks are Absolut, the sculptures and decor are changed periodically --- the cumulative body heat does cause melting over time, so re-building is a necessity --- and the atmosphere is the only thing that is always warm. After all, who's going to pay for a 30-minute stay, garbed in silver thermals, and not be in a festive mood? It's a perfect addition to any festive itinerary.

In chatting with the lovely blonde svensk flicka tending bar that evening, I discovered that Absolut is so pleased with the IceBar concept that they're deploying them elsewhere. Besides Stockholm, they opened a franchice (I couldn't resist the pun) in Milan before venturing into London. That makes sense. Stockholm's ambience is quite-stylish and Milan's is lively-stylish. If the IceBar succeeds in those cities, then it's ready to move up to a London setting.

It succeeds spectacularly. After one visit, and 30 minutes of Absolut, you may just reach for the cellphone and book reservations for the IceHotel, then and there.

If so, you'll join a growing list of those who have found that drinks in your ice can be more fun than ice in your drinks.

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J Square Humboldt is the featured columnist at the Longer Life website, which is dedicated to providing information, strategies, analysis and commentary devoted to improving the quality of living. His page can be found at http://longerlifegroup.com/cyberiter.html and his observations are published three times per week.

Waterfalls of Western New York

Mention New York and people automatically think of New York City. It conjures up images of skyscrapers and more recently, terrorism. But, skip the city and head northwest in New York State to a region called the Finger Lakes where you’ll find natural beauty in lakes, hillsides covered in vineyards and hundreds of waterfalls.

The abundance of waterfalls is due to the region’s geologic history of shallow seas and glaciers. The seas deposited shelled creatures to form three major limestone escarpments or rock cliffs. The glaciers scrapped deep gouges and produced massive volumes of water as they melted creating gorges filled with waterfalls including Taughannock, Silver Thread, Buttermilk, Montour, Hector, Stony Brook, and Watkins Glen.

The escarpments interrupted the flow of water and created additional waterfalls. The Onondaga Escarpment is responsible for Akron Falls and Serenity Falls. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for Niagara Falls and the Upper Falls of the Genesee River in Rochester.

Visiting the many waterfalls can be an easy car trip, an invigorating hike or a fun summer creekwalk. There’s plenty of waterfall adventures for every age and ability. On a hot summer day the best place to be is walking up a stony creekbed, lying in a rush of cooling water, and sitting in the spray of a waterfall. Creekwalking is a sport anyone who can walk can enjoy. All you need are some non-slip Teva-like sandals or a old pair of sneakers, a willingness to get your feet wet, and a guidebook showing where to go (http://www.footprintpress.com/Waterfalls/WaterfallsPreview.htm).

Waterfall discovery can be a year round sport. Each waterfall changes with the seasons. A spring torrent becomes a wisp in summer and a wonderland of ice sculpture in winter. And, waterfall sleuthing leads to a trove of history. Early settlers used the waterfalls to power their mills throughout the region. Dams and millponds still dot the countryside. You can see remains of old mills and mills that still operate at Gasport, Williamsville, Littleville, and New Hope. Today we use the waterfalls mainly for their aesthetic beauty and for the soothing effects that waterfalls provide. Waterfalls offer magical sounds and mesmerizing sights to anyone willing to sit for a moment.

Here’s a sampling of the special adventures that await you in Western New York:

- Walk behind a wall of water at Tinkers Falls.

- Hike a mile and cross an 80-foot suspension bridge to reach Royalton Falls where women’s history was made.

- See small flames dance behind a waterfall from natural gas leaks at Eternal Flame Falls.

- Visit Letchworth State Park on a quest to find all 28 waterfalls.

- Creekwalk up Chautauqua Creek to sit naked in the spray of Skinny Dip Falls.

- Bicycle the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail to enjoy Seneca Mill and Cascade Mill Falls.

- Strap on instep crampons and walk up frozen waterfalls in Conklin Gully.

- Load the wee ones into the stroller and follow an easy 0.7-mile trail to see Taughannock Falls plummet 215 feet from a high rock notch.

- Follow a new 0.4-mile paved path in Rochester to stand at the crest of Lower Falls and at the base of Middle Falls of the Genesee River.

- Splash up Grimes Glen to enjoy two 60-feet high waterfalls.

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Sue Freeman’s expertise is fun in the outdoors. She’s the author of 11 guidebooks and 1 travel narrative, all aimed at enticing others to explore the outdoors. Sue escaped a corporate executive job in 1997 after 25 years, to follow her passion and has been spreading the word ever since. With a background in Medical Technology and a MBA in Marketing, writing would seem to be an unlikely career change. But, years of business writing combined with a love of the subject matter can be a powerful combination.

http://www.footprintpress.com

The Top Five Things To Do In Tuscany

Tuscany, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, with its architectural and artistic heritage, boasts dozens of museums, the most famous one being the Uffizi in Florence, medieval towns, and world-famous vineyards. Tuscany is pastoral Europe in its prime. Here are the top five Tuscan things to do.

No. 1: Visit medieval Siena

This is Italy's greatest medieval town. Walk through the narrow maze of streets and alleyways at the Piazza del Campo.

No. 2: See the leaning tower of Pisa

This is the famous leaning tower or Campanile, which means bell tower. It really is leaning!

No. 3: Enjoy scenic Cortona

Founded by the Etruscans, Cortona was populated as far back as the 7th century BC. The Etruscans were a curious people; they just loved to live on hills. Cortona is on of the oldest hill towns.

No. 4: Explore the city of Lucca

Built on top of a Roman colony, the city of Lucca dates back to 180 BC. Visit the Roman amphitheatre and discover the many churches and piazzas and other medieval buildings.

No. 5: Taste wine in Chianti

Tuscany produces world-famous wines, its most popular being Chianti. Travel to the Chianti region for a sojourn of bacchanalian proportions. If you still want more wine then try the rich red wines of the Montalcino vineyards and the Vino Nobile from Montepulciano. Montepulciano is the highest hill-town of the region, so take time to enjoy the views of Southern Tuscany from these heights.

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Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.travel-your-world.net on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Travel Tips: Preparing For A Vacation In Africa

There are many new and exciting things to see in Africa. There is no way anyone could possibly see everything there is to see in one trip. This is why travelers need to decide exactly what they want to see before taking their trip so they can book the appropriate safari. There are many animals to choose from, chimpanzees, gorillas, the “Big 5” (lions, rhino, buffalo, leopard, and elephant), crocodiles, and birds to name a few. There are many things to prepare for before going, and travelers should be prepared if for no other reason than their safety.

There are different types of safaris travelers can choose to take. There are safaris where you can hike, mountain bike, take a balloon trip, canoe, hunt, ride a horse, or even ride a camel. You will also need to decide on just how much luxury you will want on your trip. Traditional tented safaris are luxurious with camp set up for you, hot showers and gourmet food. Then there are guided safaris where you travel on four wheelers or trucks and a guide will stay with you wherever you go. Package safaris are like guided safaris except you will not travel with a group. Then for the more daring travelers there are independent safari where you rent your own vehicle and plan your own trip

Many people think that Africa is an extremely dangerous place to visit, but it is no more dangerous than any other place you might go if you go prepared. The most common crime you will run across is probably petty theft. No matter how much money tourists in Africa have, they probably still have more than the natives. Wearing flashy jewelry, expensive cameras, and expensive watches just draws attention and is probably not a good idea to carry around. Try not to look lost and try not to travel alone if you can help it. Also never carry all of your cash on you at once so that if you are mugged you won’t lose everything that you have.

Another safety issue when traveling to Africa is your health. Tuberculosis (TB) is traveling through the African air and affecting hundreds of people. To avoid catching TB try to avoid people who are coughing and sleeping in crowded areas. Another health hazard in Africa is the Putzi fly, which is a native to the country. The fly’s lay their eggs on human clothes that are hanging out to dry then hatch when contacted with human skin. The simple solution to avoid these flies is to always iron your clothes before wearing them. Travelers should always watch for mosquitoes as well because they can carry yellow fever and malaria.

Even with the disease in Africa it is still at the top of most peoples wish list of places to go. There are many beautiful sights and sounds and if correctly planned and the right precautions are taken can be a spectacular experience.

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A.M. Howard
For more valuable information on travelling to exotic locations, please visit our website at http://www.info-research-online.com.

What You Need To Know About Oxford Greens And Fox Hopyard Golf Courses

Oxford Greens and Fox Hopyard are two beautiful courses that are well worth a visit by any golfer.

Oxford Greens has been open since June 2005 and Mark Mungeam designed this championship layout course. Among other impressive features, it boasts of five sets of tees that are suitable for players of all abilities. Its’ beauty mainly lies in the fact that a substantial part of the course has been carefully curved out of the woods west of Naugatuck State Forest. It incorporates and takes full advantage of more than 680 acres of natural and breathtaking beauty of the forest and woods. The design of this course can best be described as neoclassical.

Arguably the highlight of any experience at Oxford Greens is when you enter the second hole. Here one is immediately bathed by the wonderful vista of water, grass and sunsets. This is no doubt one of Connecticut’s most impressive golf courses.

Fox Hopyard Golf Club in East Haddam, Connecticut, is situated adjacent to the Devil’s Hopyard State Park, and is another fine course. It is both a golf course with a great design and also one that is beautifully conditioned. When playing at close to 7,000 yards from the back tees, this Par 71 layout gives you woods, meadows, water, wetlands and even wildlife in a combination that no golfer can forget in a hurry. The course was designed by one Roger Rulewich and is probably one of his most memorable designs ever. The Clubhouse, which is built right atop a 30 foot rock ledge, has a commanding view of the southwest 9th and 15th to 18th holes.

Both Oxford Greens and Fox Hopyard courses should be carefully taken note of by any golfer who is yet to experience either and should then be visited at the least excuse, whenever a golfer gets the chance.

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Glenn Ford
Need to know more about golf tee times, discount tee times, or getting tee times online? Just check http://www.teetimewatch.com for all your tee time needs!

Aladdin Hotel Vegas

How would you like a place where you can rest comfortably, have real fun, win some money and be transported to a mystical and enchanted time space like the ones you have read in books about the magical Arabian nights?. Would not it be nice? Aladdin hotel Vegas allows guests to enter a modern-day Cave of Wonders filled with gourmet restaurants, world-class shopping at Desert Passage and dazzling entertainment. Themed after several stories from the "Arabian Nights," Aladdin hotel Vegas takes you on a mystical journey. See a lot of cool things: ebony horses stampede from the race and sports book, a giant Djinni's lamp smokes in the casino center and the structures over the casino table games resemble magic carpets.

Get online all the information about Aladdin hotel Vegas in a very professional and interactive way, including the exact location and the best ways to get there from any starting point no matter where it be, how many rooms the hotel has and when is the best time to go knowing that you will certainly find great rooms available so you can rest comfortably; also find out the great first-class service you can get there which will allow you to have everything you need while you are there at any moment, which attractions and activities you may find there for yourself and those who travel with you whether they be kids, teenagers or adults, including pools, health club, spa, lots of world-class shops, wedding chapel, parking garage, convention rooms and much more, assuring you will have the best time of your life and can really enjoy your time there; and , of course, lots of beautiful pictures that will make you want to come to Aladdin hotel Vegas and stay there for a long time. In few words all you need to know so you can get a lifetime and magical experience as you always wanted.

Also get detailed information about the prices you will find there and how to pay them, whether it be in cash or with credit cards no matter what credit card you may have. But do not worry about how much it will cost you; the whole experience at the hotel will certainly meet your budget, so you will just have to concentrate in having a great time.

Now that you have already covered all you need to know for your next visit to Las Vegas, what are you waiting for? See all sorts of magic things that will make your visit here a lifetime experience, have fun and try your luck in the gaming areas, and get the most comfortable rooms you have ever seen. Aladdin hotel Vegas will grant all your wishes, and you will wish you could stay for a thousand and one nights. Just do not get too surprised if you see magic carpet flying around there.

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J Herrera is a freelance writer for travel topics.
http://www.las-vegas-luxor-hotel.com/directory/1/aladdin-hotel-las-vegas.html

Planning For Road Trip Travel

Whether you are a seasoned pro or a novice newcomer to the world of interstate travel, planning a road trip can be more time-intensive than you think. If you are about to embark on a cross country adventure or a coastal tour of the Atlantic, there are a few important things to consider before you hit the road. With a little planning and forethought, your trip should go off without a hitch.

Preparation for a road trip should start weeks in advance. Beyond saving up your money for the trip, you must also make sure that all of your bills are paid and animals are taken care of while you are gone. You should begin contacting possible house-sitters well in advance, especially if you are planning to take your trip during vacation season. At the least, you will want to arrange for someone to pick up your mail, and to give the appearance that your house isn’t just sitting empty for weeks at a time.

Another thing you should do in advance is to make sure that your car is in good working order. Most automobile service shops offer trip checks that include checking your brakes, tires, transmission, belts and hoses- all of the things that could leave you stranded if something were to go wrong. They will also change your oil and fill up all of your fluids to prepare your car for putting on a lot of mileage. Once your car is checked out and ready to go mechanically, you should then make sure it is legal. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of your insurance card in the glove box, and make sure your registration sticker is current and properly placed on your windshield. Also, it is a good idea to bring an extra set of keys in your wallet or purse just in case you accidentally lock them in your car.

Planning where you are going is the next step in preparing for road trip travel. There is a lot of flexibility in this step, because it is all up to you. One of the beautiful things about a road trip is that you can go wherever you want whenever you want without being confined to other people’s schedules or destinations. If you are adventurous, you could just get in your car and start driving wherever the road takes you. Just be sure to bring a good map in case you want to find your way back. However, if you are a planner by nature, you might want to plot your route out on a map. Consider how long you’d like to be gone and what you would like to see, and you can use mileage charts to figure out how long it takes to get from one place to another.

Once you are finished with the preliminaries, it is time to start packing. If you are not sure where you are heading, it would be wise to bring a variety of clothing choices, both for hot and cold weather. That way, you won’t end up in a snow storm with only Bermuda shorts to wear. However, if you know you are driving to the desert or the beach, be sure to plan accordingly. Pack sunscreen, cool clothes and several jugs of water for those long desolate stretches.
You should also remember to bring a camera and several rolls of film or memory sticks to document your journey. Once you are back in the real world, you will only have photographs and memories to remind you of your trip. Also, be sure to bring along a wide variety of music, as even your favorite tunes can start to get old after several hours of driving.

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Sintilia Miecevole
Travel information on http://www.findatravel.com with the all time expert, Sintilia Miecevole is waiting for you. You'll have resources at your fingertips from purchasing airline tickets, to finding vacation packages. Find destination information, travel, news and more.

10 Places To Get That Holiday Trip Tan

Are you tired of watching your friends, family members and coworkers go on vacation and return a week later with a beautiful tan? Well it could be you with that stunning tan if you plan your next vacation in the right place. By selecting one of our top ten places to get a tan as your next travel destination, you will be sure to come back with an eye-catching tan.

1. Located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Copacabana Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. With a backdrop of the rolling hills of Brazil, you will not only find yourself tanning here but also enjoying the beautiful scenery. In addition to being a great place for tanning and for enjoying the landscape, Copacabana Beach is rarely quiet. There is always something happening on this beach, whether it is tourists enjoying the summer sun during the day or music and drinking at night. Copacabana Beach offers it all to the tourist looking for a tan.

2. Waikiki Beach on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is a great place for sunbathers to sit back, enjoy the sun and watch the action all around them. While sitting on the sand beachgoers can watch the experienced surfers surf the large waves that swell off the two-mile long beach. Hawaiian beaches offer soft sand and spectacular sun. After tanning during the day, stick around to watch the beautiful sunset at night.

3. If you are looking to get a great tan during your trip to Europe make a stop in Greece. The island of Crete off of the south coast of Greece is surrounded by 100 miles of beach along its coastline. Try the area of Rethimno on the island’s northern coast. The beach is beautiful but tends to be crowded, as it is one of the most popular spots on the island. If you are looking for a place to tan in solitude then try elsewhere, as there are plenty of small, secluded beaches scattered around the island where you will be more than likely to catch a few rays.

4. Baby Beach located on the coast of Aruba is a great place for sunbathers. The ocean along the beach’s shore remains very calm and shallow making it a great place to put a low beach chair for the day. If you would rather work on your tan than take a dip, you can spread your beach towel out in the soft Arabian sand that lines the shore of Baby Beach. How great is this beach? It is even a favorite among locals, who make this one of the most frequently visited beaches among locals.

5. If you are looking for a great beach for sunbathing but are not sure about leaving the US, try Newpoprt Beach in Southern California. Newport Beach is one of the most famous and frequently visited beaches in California. When you arrive make sure to take notice of all the tan bodies around you, proof that sunbathing on this beach will get you that bronze tan you are looking for.

6. The worst part about tanning, other than the unexpected burn, is the tan lines that inevitably come with your sunbathing. What is the best way to avoid tan lines? By losing your bathing suit! Haulover Beach in Miami, Florida offers beachgoers the option of shedding their suits in pursuit of that all over tan. Located close to both South Beach and downtown Miami, Haulover Beach is the ultimate place for those seeking the perfect tan.

7. For the frequent traveler who is looking for a more unique place to bronze up, why not try the Sentosa Resort in Singapore. Sentosa offers guests the option of three beaches; Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach, which is probably the best bet for sunbathing. Tanjong Beach is typically frequented by those looking for a quiet day of solace and relaxation on the beach. The sun is bright, the water is cool and the conditions are perfect for tanning.

8. For a beautiful tan in a beautiful place, make sure to visit St. John Island in the Virgin Islands. One of the only seemingly untouched islands in the Caribbean, two-thirds of St. John is designated as a National Park, preventing any development on the land. There are a number of beaches on St. John from Cinnamon Bay to Hawksnest Beach but one thing is certain, whatever beach you choose on this island will be beautiful and great for tanning.

9. Down in southern Mexico you will find miles and miles of beaches in Cancun. Cancun boasts a fourteen mile peninsula that jets out into the ocean and provides a favorite beach-going spot for vacationers. There are a number of scenic beaches great for tanning in Cancun but think about trying San Miguelito, which is also home to a small, historic Mayan ruin.

10. If you have plenty of money to spend on your vacation, consider visiting the beaches of St. Tropez in France. A number of famous people make vacation stops at St. Tropez each year, pointing to the specter of this French getaway. The Plage Port Grimaud is undoubtedly the place to be seen catching rays in St. Tropez, as it is the most popular beach in the area.

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Joyce Jackson writes nad lectures extensively travel tips and good preparation advice to have a great trip every time you travel! Her tips and advice, article and resources are on her website: http://www.travel-packing-tips.com.

Set Sail To The Azores Islands

Being excellent navegators and having a deep desire to expland its territories, The Azores Islands were founded by the Portuguese in 1317. This is a clump of nine islands in the rough Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 kilometers west of Lisbon, Portugal. As a curious traveller, I always make it a habit of finding out how a city, town or in this case an island got its name. The name Azores comes from the name of a bird similar to a goshawk which is what the first settlers thought they saw, but it turned out that what they were seeing in abundance was just a type of eagle.

The nine islands that make up the Azores are called Santa Maria, Sao Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, Pico, Faial, Sao Jorge, Corvo and Flores. As far as we know, they are all from a volcanic eruptions and still seem to be active as far as registering seismic movements. Culture, tradition and religion have always been closely linked and therefore there is a tight tie between the festive celebrations held all over the islands in the small chapels from the 26th of August until the 31st. This celebration is to honour the Holy Spirit which the islanders feel will protect them from any natural disaster, especially the ones related to its volcanoes.

Of all territories that Portugal once possessed, only Macao, the Azores Islands and Madeira still remain. Under the command of Henry the Navegator, these islands became a very important stop over for ships sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, they received visitors from all over the world who not only brought riches and stories but also fruits, spices and plants. In 1420, Henry sent settlers to the island of Madeira with plants that he thought would grow well in the volcanic ground and in the mild year round climate typical there; the grapevine and sugar cane being the best product up until now, both heavily used in the Portuguese cuisine and well as other spices like the black pepper and cinnamon. But nowadays, the Azores have changed their tea, tabacco and fruit fields for livestock and tourism.

Azores Islands and Its Third-Terceira

As its name well announces, Terceira was the third island discovered by the Portuguese around 1450 having had as its original name that of Island of Jesus Christ. At the beginning Praia was the capital, being the first beach were the Flemish colonizer Jacome de Bruges first settled. But as we all know, improvements were made and they decided to use the town of Angra do Heroismo as the new capital, probably because it was well protected by the bay ( angro ) and the Brasil Mountain standing strong against the ocean. Here, there is a 17th century castle called Saint John the Baptist. All over the islands there are lagoons which look like big cauldrons which offer a breathtaking view of its natural surroundings. If I had to recommend one or two outstanding features, I would probably describe the beautiful Se or Cathedral with its bell tower decorated in blue, green and white tiles. Or even more so are the curious windows that the houses still have, made from stones in an arched formation with gaily painted frames such as green, blue and yellow. And the glass in these windows look like its cracked or iced.

Easy Come and Easy Go to Azores Islands

But as all practical traveller, the question of getting there and accomodations is always an important aspect to look into when planning a comfortable holiday. On all the islands, tourism is very well cared for and the hotels are tops. You can choose between sea front four star hotels to quaint rural house in the mountains or simple campings. And in the location of Lajes on the Terceira island and in Ponta Delgada in Sao Miguel island, there are airports which have daily flights between them and to Lisbon on mainland Portugal.

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Robert Carlton revealed a lot of articles for http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com an website on Lisbon.

Las Vegas: The Best Magic Shows

Las Vegas is the premiere destination for those wanting to sit back and be entertained. If magic is what you want to see, then Las Vegas is the right place because it offers the very best magic shows in the world.

The essence of magic is illusion. Things that are there one minute, but disappear the next. This is the magic that kids love best, so if you are visiting Las Vegas with the family, reserve a place for yourself and your family where Lance Burton the 'Master Magician' will suspend your disbelief.

If you like your magic with a dash of comedy then Penn and Teller are the guys for you. They are the supreme crowd pleasers. They'll befuddle you with their tricks, let you in on some of their secrets and then confound you once more.

Rick Thomas invites you into his world of magic, which he calls, "The Art of Dreaming". He performs the most evocative magical illusions with his team of dances, birds and even, a Bengal tiger.

The Showgirls of Magic show is the prime Las Vegas experience. Gorgeous showgirls performing virtuoso illusions. The show is a cabaret of magic, dance, and comedy.

For more comedy and devious sleight-of-hand action try the Mac King Comedy Magic Show. King is a magical whiz and loves to include the audience in the fun. So it's the perfect magical show for all the family to enjoy.

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Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.your-spirit.com on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

The Evolution OF Map Printing

The first ever created maps were made not for economic reasons but more for religious purpose. The early maps of the world display religious icons similar to the icons that are found on the pages of the Book of Kells. During the 12th century the map of the world were created with the shaped of a T and O. And it portrays the world as circle and is divided by a T-shaped cross having Jerusalem as its center. The circle has been associated more with religious belief than with any scientific findings that the world was round. The circle more of represents the God’s affection that is perfect in every aspect. The T and O map is most commonly used by the church to represent the world unfolding according to God’s will.

One drawback of the T and O map is that it cannot be used for travel but only for religious venerations. On the advent of the 15th century although the map is still created with the T and O image however some additional drawings of real people and continents can be seen. Nevertheless, its functions remain to be the same as its 12th century counterpart.

There are also some manuscripts that have started on focusing outside the secular world and we may say have started on some features of the map as we come to know it today. There are additional features like drawings of real rivers with its corresponding names, real named places complete with geographical locations but still with religious icon drawings. This indicates the last of the 15th century map.

The additional information on the maps during the last period of the 15th century was gathered by travelers. The maps created in Europe were the only maps that may be considered as close to accurate and this was made possible through the travels of Marco Polo.

Ptolemy is a 2nd century geographer and astronomer. He was the first to create the first map that may be used to navigate the world. Ptolemy’s map was considered to be the most accurate ever created map before Christopher Columbus’ journey. But like any manuscript map, the Ptolemy’s map was not intended for navigation but more of an attempt to reproduce classical manuscripts.

The Spaniards already knew cartography and has somewhat influence the Dutch. And so when the Dutch has finally pulled away from the Spanish control they started off with their cartography and started collecting information from Holland. They have managed to print their very own map in 1570.

The creation of the map in 1570 has brought about great exploration that has changed Europe in a great extent. They no longer believed that Atlas a Greek mythological character holds the earth on his shoulders and that he plays with earth like a ball. With the creation of maps the world was no longer engulfed with mystical darkness that used to scare people into exploring the land beyond.

Plus with the creation of today’s maps which makes it even more beneficial for people who loves to travel since it does not only helps them to arrive safely in their destination it also allows them to return home. Maps also help the economic world since it allows for exchange or the trade of goods and services between nations.

__________________
Jinky C. Mesias is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management. She is at present an Associate Manager of a Life Insurance Corporation and a freelance writer.

For suggestions and comments about the article kindly visit http://www.aprintingpress.com

jinky@rushprintingservices.com

The Evolution OF Map Printing

The first ever created maps were made not for economic reasons but more for religious purpose. The early maps of the world display religious icons similar to the icons that are found on the pages of the Book of Kells. During the 12th century the map of the world were created with the shaped of a T and O. And it portrays the world as circle and is divided by a T-shaped cross having Jerusalem as its center. The circle has been associated more with religious belief than with any scientific findings that the world was round. The circle more of represents the God’s affection that is perfect in every aspect. The T and O map is most commonly used by the church to represent the world unfolding according to God’s will.

One drawback of the T and O map is that it cannot be used for travel but only for religious venerations. On the advent of the 15th century although the map is still created with the T and O image however some additional drawings of real people and continents can be seen. Nevertheless, its functions remain to be the same as its 12th century counterpart.

There are also some manuscripts that have started on focusing outside the secular world and we may say have started on some features of the map as we come to know it today. There are additional features like drawings of real rivers with its corresponding names, real named places complete with geographical locations but still with religious icon drawings. This indicates the last of the 15th century map.

The additional information on the maps during the last period of the 15th century was gathered by travelers. The maps created in Europe were the only maps that may be considered as close to accurate and this was made possible through the travels of Marco Polo.

Ptolemy is a 2nd century geographer and astronomer. He was the first to create the first map that may be used to navigate the world. Ptolemy’s map was considered to be the most accurate ever created map before Christopher Columbus’ journey. But like any manuscript map, the Ptolemy’s map was not intended for navigation but more of an attempt to reproduce classical manuscripts.

The Spaniards already knew cartography and has somewhat influence the Dutch. And so when the Dutch has finally pulled away from the Spanish control they started off with their cartography and started collecting information from Holland. They have managed to print their very own map in 1570.

The creation of the map in 1570 has brought about great exploration that has changed Europe in a great extent. They no longer believed that Atlas a Greek mythological character holds the earth on his shoulders and that he plays with earth like a ball. With the creation of maps the world was no longer engulfed with mystical darkness that used to scare people into exploring the land beyond.

Plus with the creation of today’s maps which makes it even more beneficial for people who loves to travel since it does not only helps them to arrive safely in their destination it also allows them to return home. Maps also help the economic world since it allows for exchange or the trade of goods and services between nations.

__________________
Jinky C. Mesias is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management. She is at present an Associate Manager of a Life Insurance Corporation and a freelance writer.

For suggestions and comments about the article kindly visit http://www.aprintingpress.com

jinky@rushprintingservices.com

Rural Tourism in Mallorca: Where To Go

Rural tourism has become quite popular on the last years and Mallorca (Majorca) is a good destination for those looking to escape from massified areas and resorts.

There are many rural hotels in Mallorca, some of them offering luxury accommodation with all the facilities for the modern and smart traveller, which is looking for a place to escape and relax, and others are somewhat more agriculture oriented, perfect for those that want to try what living in community is and learn a little more about farms and its kind of life.

In Pollensa places such as the Son Brull Hotel and Spa that mixes both relax and farmhouse-community style. The guest is here given the option to choose which of these fits more its holidays.

Next to the world famous sandy beach of Es Trenc, in the Campos area, a good and cheap (or at least affordable) option for a rural finca is Finca Sa Casanova which offers activities such as trekking, horse riding and mountain bike, among others.

More in Campos: the Finca Es Palmer, which as been awarded by many traveller guides and offers 10 superb rooms, swimming pool and solarium. It is also really near to the beach as well as to the Golf Sa Rapita.

In Fornalutx, a small village with less than 600 inhabitants the Fornalutx Petit Hotel offers interesting rates for accommodation in this small and unspoilt village. Unfortunately this small charming hotel seems to offer only its pool and sauna as pluses. However, be pretty sure that in familiar hotel like this their staff will help you in organizing your activities.

At Alaro, the rural hotel S'Olivaret also offers activities such as trekking, hiking, tennis and the like. S'Olivaret perfectly conjugates history and tradition with comfort. More in the north of the island, in Soller, the Rural Finca Ca's Sant offers peace, tranquillity and calmness surrounded by more than 30.000 sq. metres of enviable beauty.

And in Llucmajor, the Finca Son Guardiola offers authentic Mallorca accommodation in an old by completely refurbished area with more than 50.000 square metres of its own property.

The finca Sa Torre is situated in Santa Eugenia, next to the Santa Maria villa and could be a good choice if you plan to visit Palma during your holidays, as it is only 15 minutes driving from Palma de Mallorca. This village is still really small and keeps it mallorcan character. Every body still greets you while walking although they do not know you. Also, on Sunday you can visit the Santa Maria market, which in my humble opinion is one of the best to be found around the island. And by the way, is not more than 20 minutes driving from Palma.

Mallorca is not only sun, beaches and sangria, but the smart destination to escape from major cities. And rural tourism the way to find the real Mallorca.

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Oscar Riera has been working in Mallorca hotels for more than 12 years and has given advise to thousands of travellers during that time. Now, he is laso the webmaster for Best of Mallorca (www.bestofmallorca.net), an online tourist to guide to the island.

Rural Tourism in Mallorca: Where To Go

Rural tourism has become quite popular on the last years and Mallorca (Majorca) is a good destination for those looking to escape from massified areas and resorts.

There are many rural hotels in Mallorca, some of them offering luxury accommodation with all the facilities for the modern and smart traveller, which is looking for a place to escape and relax, and others are somewhat more agriculture oriented, perfect for those that want to try what living in community is and learn a little more about farms and its kind of life.

In Pollensa places such as the Son Brull Hotel and Spa that mixes both relax and farmhouse-community style. The guest is here given the option to choose which of these fits more its holidays.

Next to the world famous sandy beach of Es Trenc, in the Campos area, a good and cheap (or at least affordable) option for a rural finca is Finca Sa Casanova which offers activities such as trekking, horse riding and mountain bike, among others.

More in Campos: the Finca Es Palmer, which as been awarded by many traveller guides and offers 10 superb rooms, swimming pool and solarium. It is also really near to the beach as well as to the Golf Sa Rapita.

In Fornalutx, a small village with less than 600 inhabitants the Fornalutx Petit Hotel offers interesting rates for accommodation in this small and unspoilt village. Unfortunately this small charming hotel seems to offer only its pool and sauna as pluses. However, be pretty sure that in familiar hotel like this their staff will help you in organizing your activities.

At Alaro, the rural hotel S'Olivaret also offers activities such as trekking, hiking, tennis and the like. S'Olivaret perfectly conjugates history and tradition with comfort. More in the north of the island, in Soller, the Rural Finca Ca's Sant offers peace, tranquillity and calmness surrounded by more than 30.000 sq. metres of enviable beauty.

And in Llucmajor, the Finca Son Guardiola offers authentic Mallorca accommodation in an old by completely refurbished area with more than 50.000 square metres of its own property.

The finca Sa Torre is situated in Santa Eugenia, next to the Santa Maria villa and could be a good choice if you plan to visit Palma during your holidays, as it is only 15 minutes driving from Palma de Mallorca. This village is still really small and keeps it mallorcan character. Every body still greets you while walking although they do not know you. Also, on Sunday you can visit the Santa Maria market, which in my humble opinion is one of the best to be found around the island. And by the way, is not more than 20 minutes driving from Palma.

Mallorca is not only sun, beaches and sangria, but the smart destination to escape from major cities. And rural tourism the way to find the real Mallorca.

_______________
Oscar Riera has been working in Mallorca hotels for more than 12 years and has given advise to thousands of travellers during that time. Now, he is laso the webmaster for Best of Mallorca (www.bestofmallorca.net), an online tourist to guide to the island.

Adventure Travel On Horseback

When you think of “adventure travel,” what crosses your mind?

Hiking?
White water rafting?
Scuba diving?

Something as sedentary as a cruise ship or land rover safari?

Those ideas lose their “adventure” status when you compare them to galloping on a horse in Africa with a zebra and wildebeest racing along side you, or quietly observing the elephant and giraffe.

How can a traveler visit the remote parts of the world’s most beautiful and interesting places while...

Practicing a fascinating sport

Avoiding polluting

Keeping in harmony with history and nature

Being free to explore exotic locations

Making friends in remote places, and

Sharing the experience with a willing animal?

Have you ever considered the tremendous advantages of adventure travel on horseback? A horse can take you to beautiful and remote places which are difficult to reach in any other way. At the same time, you can practice a challenging sport which has been a favorite of mankind for millennia.

Destinations like Africa, Asia, Europe and South America offer a wonderful variety of adventure tours on horseback. Though comparatively little known to Americans, the British and particularly the French have highly developed the riding tour concept in many parts of the world. In many locations in the United States rights-of-way for horses have been lost, but many still exist in other countries.

Horses and horseback riding are deeply woven into the culture and history of most cultures from Argentina to Ireland. This is how our ancestors traveled and for those with a sense of history there is no more appropriate way to go. If you arrive in a foreign place on horseback, you will most likely be enthusiastically greeted by locals with waves and smiles which greatly facilitate meaningful contacts. Those who arrive by bus, on foot or on a bicycle are usually ignored. Horses are a great introduction and ice breaker almost anywhere.

If you seek a wilderness adventure, then horses are the way to go unless you want to walk and carry your equipment. Riding tours can take you from inn to inn, castle to castle, palace to palace or from one comfortable camp to another. Costs are very reasonably compared to biking or bus trips.

Horseback riding adventures vary widely in the skill and experience required to handle them safely. Most of these tours move out at all paces and include some good gallops so that one can cover 15 to 35 miles in a day. Beginners need several days of instruction before attempting even an easy trip, but those who are reasonably fit, not too overweight and have open minds can catch on very quickly. A week of intensive riding with good instruction can easily prepare most people for the less demanding adventures.

One of the enormous advantages of travel on horseback is that you are sharing the adventure with a willing animal who is also interested in the sights and sounds and who loves a brisk gallop on a beach or open plain as much as you do. A day in the saddle is also great exercise and riding is an excellent way to keep fit while having fun. It is far more interesting and satisfying than sitting confined in a bus or land rover all day which really isn’t adventure travel at all. Another dividend is the keen appetite you develop after a day in the saddle for the delicious food you will be served.

On an African ride, a good horse can outdistance an irate Cape buffalo or elephant and keep you safe. Comfortable camps are set up for you each night, the food is excellent and the service superb. Or try a horseback tour visiting the castles of the Loire Valley and ride into the courtyards on your horse like a knight of old. You can gallop along forest tracks where the French aristocracy once chased the wild stag. There is a broad spectrum of possibilities available for horseback riding vacations.

If it appeals to you to travel in harmony with nature without using polluting, noisy machines or an unresponsive bicycle, then you should look into horseback riding tours.
Copyright 2005 Bayard Fox and Equitours, Ltd.

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Bayard Fox has been riding for 70 years on six continents and has ridden enough miles to circle the globe several times. He is owner and founder of Equitours Worldwide Horseback Riding Vacations http://www.ridingtours.com/.

Great Activities And Adventures In Kauai

Hawaii is made up of several islands and Kauai is one of the most famous and certainly has many activities to occupy tourists on vacation. In fact, Kauai has so many things to do that you may not want to travel to any of the other islands because you are having so much fun! In fact, the Hawaiian island of Kauai is the oldest of all the Hawaiian islands and is known for its dense and beautiful foliage and flowers as well as its amazing strands of beaches. Whether you are heading to Kauai on a family vacation, honeymoon or business trip you will find plenty of activities geared to you. The following suggestions are just a few of the many activities awaiting you on tropical Kauai island.

Kauai Activity #1 Helicopter Ride

A helicopter ride is an amazing experience in itself, but when you are flying over the breathtaking landscape of Kauai you will certainly be blown away. The reason is because on the helicopter ride you will get an up close view of the most amazing waterfalls, cliffs, and foliage you have ever seen. Another benefit you will receive when taking a helicopter tour is an up close view of Mountain Waialeale, which without taking a helicopter tour you will be unable to see. This activity can be a little on the expensive side, however if you want to take the most amazing photos you should definitely do so.

Kauai Activity #2 Movie Tours

Kauai is very popular as a location for movies and over the years many movies have been filmed there, at least in part. As a result, there are movie tours you can take to see where different movies were filmed and learn a little more about the filming process. For example, South Pacific, Gilligan’s Island, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and many other movies have locations that are part of the movie tours in Kauai. So, if you are a movie fan, or simply a fan of one of these movies, you might enjoy taking a bus, jeep, or even helicopter tour of these locations.
Kauai Activity #3 Koke’e State Park and Waimea Canyon

Exploring Koke’e State Park and Waimea Canyon provide tourists an incredible view of Kauai. Within the State Park there are many different hiking paths that lead to Waimea Canyon as well as others that take you to other strategic areas for viewing. The Park is huge so you can spend a whole day exploring. Make sure you take a hiking path to the Canyon where you will be amazed with all the colors that make up this 10 mile long and two mile wide canyon. It is simply awe-inspiring to take in and you should spend some time simply appreciating nature and the beauty of Kauai.

Kauai Activity #4 Waialua River Valley

The only river in Hawaii that can be traveled offers amazing boat and kayak trips for tourists. This provides an amazing view of foliage, wildlife, as well as the Fern Grotto. Spend the day navigating the river in a kayak or boat and truly enjoy the beautiful scenery of the island and the Waialua River.

Kauai Activity #5 Limahuli Garden and Preserve

One of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the United States, Limahuli Garden and Preserve offers guests 1000 acres of flora and fauna. There are guided tours if you are interested in an in depth tour and learning more about the garden and its plants and flowers, or else you can tour the botanical garden on your own.

Kauai Activity #6 Play Golf

Kauai does not have a lot of golf courses, but the ones it does have are out of this world and were designed by PGA heavyweights like Jack Nicklaus. As a result, if you enjoy playing golf then you must check out at least one of these amazing courses on Kauai Island. If you are visiting in the fall you might want to attend the PGA’s Grand Slam, of course you would need to buy tickets early.

Kauai Activity #7 South Shore

The South shore of Kauai is absolutely amazing in its beauty. You will enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches, the deep blue ocean, and the unbelievable sunsets. Also, most every day the sun is shining so you can work on your tan or simply engage in some of the fun beach activities in and around Poipu.

Kauai Activity #8 Sugar Plantation Tour

If you are interested in learning a little of the history of the islands while you are on vacation you should definitely tour the sugar plantation in order to get an idea of how the island survived for more than one hundred years. You can take a tour or else visit the free museum, depending on your schedule and budget.

Kauai Activity #9 Luau

Hawaii is known for luaus and when you are on Kauai you should definitely attend a luau. There are many that take place and your hotel may be the best place to view this Hawaiian tradition.

Kauai Activity #10 Na Pali Coast

Last, but certainly not least, is a tour of the Na Pali Coast. This is considered one of the most amazing areas in Kauai, however you can’t reach it on foot. You will need to take a Zodiac raft or else a helicopter tour in order to really get a great view of the area. You will be overwhelmed for sure and this tour should be first on your list!

There are plenty of other activities to keep you busy when you are on Kauai from eating in some of the finest restaurants, shopping, playing tennis, and simply enjoying the beauty that is Kauai. However, the length of your vacation will determine how many activities you can actually take in, as well as your budget. So, try the top 10 list here and if your wallet and schedule allow check out some of the other amazing opportunities available on the island of Kauai.

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Stephanie Coburn is the Marketing Director for Wailua Bay View, an oceanfront Kauai vacation rental. She has personally researched and experienced many of the activities and destinations graced with Hawaiian culture as described above. Learn more at http://www.wailuabay.com.

Visiting Dublin, Ireland

"In Dublin's fair city where the girls are so pretty I first laid my eyes on sweet Molly Malone. She wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow, singing cockles and mussels, alive a live O."

Dublin on the East Coast of Ireland has come a long way since Molly Malone was immortalized in the famous song and has now become a statue close to the Main shopping area of Grafton Street. Erected to commemorate Dublin's own millennium, a statue of Molly Malone pensively stares at passers-by on the southern end of Grafton Street. Ever ready for a comic put-down, Dubliners immediately christened the well-endowed Molly "the tart with the cart."

Dublin is now one of Europe's premier locations. Ireland in general has embraced the common European community but is still quintessentially Irish. Whether you visit Dublin for business or pleasure make some time to explore this wonderful city. It is both modern and energetic with its old traditions are all around.

Dublin's coastline, wild willful and rugged, can be explored by bus or train journey from the City Centre. The Irish people's Celtic heritage thrives in their creative spirit and love of music. The pubs around Dublin are full of life and everywhere you go you will experience the warmth, charm and gentle humor of the inhabitants of this tiny land with a turbulent history.

Dublin founded in the 9th Century by the Vikings is split in two by the River Liffey and hosts great rivalry between the inhabitants on both sides of the river. The two main bridges are O'Connell Bridge and the Ha'penny Bridge, so called because of the toll which used to be charged to cross it. O'Connell Bridge takes you to O'Connell Street home of the historic General Post Office, the first building to fly the Irish flag during the Easter Rebellion of 1916. The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the finest in Europe with one whole exhibit devoted to the works of J.B. Yeats brother of the poet W.B. Yeats. Take a stroll round St. Stephens Green before heading to Grafton Street one of Dublin's most stylish shopping streets. Grafton Street is home to street artists and musicians and has a wonderful atmosphere.

Take some time to visit Trinity College, the oldest university in Western Europe founded in 1592. The university houses the Long Room home to the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is one of Dublin's most popular and significant visitor attractions. Dating back to around 800AD, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful religious manuscripts in the world. Written on vellum, it contains a Latin text of the four gospels in script accompanied by whole pages of detailed illustration. The book has been on display since the 19th century and has the dubious honor of having been defaced by Queen Victoria. A decorated page and a page of script can normally be seen when you visit.

The library contains busts of some of its most famous scholars many of them writers and intellectuals. One of its most famous students was Jonathon Swift who wrote "Gulliver's Travels". Swift later went on to become Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral another must visit on your list. St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in the 12th Century and beautifully restored with money provided by the Guinness Family one of Ireland's most famous families.

The Guinness brewery was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness and is now the largest brewery in the World. No visit to Dublin would be complete without tasting the "black stuff" first hand. To many, Guinness is one of the most important features of Ireland. With 300 million pints exported every year, it is no surprise to learn that Ireland is the world's leading beer exporter. Completed at the cost of IR£30 million, the Guinness Storehouse is a fine addition to Dublin's ever-growing list of purpose-built attractions. Set inside a converted 18th century fermentation building, it comprises of six floors linked by a giant atrium in the shape of a pint glass. Although the actual brewery is not open to the public, the storehouse's new exhibition space outlines the 200-year history of the company and reveals many brewing secrets. The models and displays of the exhibition are followed by a short film and a glass of the famous brew.

If your schedule allows there are some interesting day trips which you can take from Dublin. To the North West is the Boyne Valley. There is historical evidence in this area dating back to 6000 B.C. New Grange passage is said to be the oldest man made structure in the world dating to 3000 B.C. The Wicklow Mountains to the south of Dublin are sparsely populated and enjoy a slow pace of life. The monastic settlement of Glendalough in the middle of the valley dates to the 6th Century.

Founded by St. Kevin this is a powerful, peaceful, beautiful place and well worth a visit. You can take a trip to the Curragh of Kildare for a flutter on the horses. The Curragh consists of 4000 acres and is home to over 60 race horse trainers. It has produced some of the most expensive race horses in the world with prices running into 7 figures.

All in all you will have a wonderful and energetic time in Dublin. Be prepared to walk as it is very easy to get around on foot. And you will need to walk off those Irish breakfasts, with bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, eggs, soda bread and pots of delicious Irish tea. Hmmm!!!.....
"Go N'eirigh an bother leat" and have a wonderful time in the Capital of the Emerald Isle.

Copyright 2005 Fionnuala Downhill

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Fionnuala Downhill is President of Four Corners Hotels offering discount hotels around the world. She is a native of Ireland. http://www.fourcornershotels.com/index.php/IE--Dublin

Ghost Hunting on Oregon's Coast

The winds cut deeper and make progressively louder noises as the days shorten. Fog creeps in from the sea more often. And then Halloween shows up, as if to really remind us about things otherworldly. It's no wonder Oregon's northern coast has a load of ghostly tales swirling about.
It's no wonder the remake of "The Fog" currently in release is set in a fictional North Oregon Coast town. From flying pots and specters who've moved from one building to another in Seaside, the ghostly legends of a hotel in the Nehalem Bay, to the myriad of hauntings in ancient Astoria - there's plenty for the ghost-hunting tourist in this pristine and stunning area.

SLEEPLESS IN SEASIDE

Tales of things creepy abound in Seaside - but they're hard to find. It's almost as if they've been swept under the carpet.

For almost 100 years, the old Hotel Seaside (later named The Seasider) was a grandiose, beautiful building that was a sort of centerpiece to Seaside, at the Turnaround. So it's no surprise that place acquired tales of apparitions and otherworldly guests over the years. There were numerous spirits that purportedly haunted it.

These days, the Shilo Inn sits in that spot. But when the old hotel was torn down, the spooks moved to Girtle's Restaurant, just down the street on Broadway, according to owner Bob Girtle. He recounted numerous stories of otherworldly happenings in the restaurant, having seen them himself or coming from various employees who tell their own tales. They talk of seeing the mysterious shadows of feet walking behind the door of a closed-off area of the kitchen, visible from the small space between the floor and the door. This happens when it's not possible anyone else is in there, say Bob and his crew. They don't even check that room anymore when they see the shadows.

Then there is the notorious flying coffee pot in the galley area between the kitchen and the main dining room. Bob and others on his staff have experienced this more than once. Sometimes it moves a bit, others it literally flies across the hallway.

Bob said he inherited some employees of the old Seasider back in the 80's, and at least one said they saw some of the same ghosts.

John Sowa, owner of the New Orleans-style eatery Lil' Bayou, also related tales of moving objects in the kitchen and a strange sense of someone being near him while alone in his office. Kitchen utensils are found in different places than employees have left them, or an object suddenly falls off a hook or a shelf.

Lil' Bayou lies in the historic Gilbert District of Seaside, which is filled with old buildings, almost all with upstairs areas that are often unused. The charming, atmospheric area has gone through a rebirth in recent years, and often there are whispers of ghosts coinciding with many of the renewed buildings.

The Seaside Aquarium may have a closet containing something - or rather, an upstairs that could be haunted. When the building was a natatorium back about 80 years ago, there were apartments at the top floor. That area isn't used much at all now, but manager Keith Chandler says he's heard whispers over the years the top floor is haunted. Various stories have been handed down over the years about noises coming from there.

EERIE AND NOT-SO-EERIE ON THE BAY

Manzanita, which caps the north end of the Nehalem Bay, is shrouded in mists and mystery, with Neahkahnie Mountain looming overhead and legends of a galleon and its buried treasures. Some versions of that tale contain atrocities, like purportedly burying their African slaves alive with the treasure to keep the natives away.

On its beaches, there are mysterious piles of rocks that have appeared over the years, apparently overnight. Sometimes they appear as single piles or stacks. No one has ever figured out who is responsible, creating speculation of an otherworldly artist.

In nearby Wheeler, facing the Nehalem Bay, Old Wheeler Hotel owner Winston Laszlo says he's encountered several things in that old building he couldn't really explain. Sometimes, he said, he believes he sees someone in the corner of his eye, only to discover there's no one there.

Once, Winston was looking in a mirror in the hotel's public area and saw the reflection of a man sitting in a chair behind him. Winston says he turned around to look at the man, whom he didn't recognize as a guest, and there was no one there.

A pair of ghost hunters even came to the visit the place and took photos of what they believed could be "spirit orbs" just outside the basement area. Winston still has copies of these.

Winston and wife Maranne Doyle-Laszlo say the entire building seemed to be against them during the process of remodeling the ragged old construct into the first-rate hotel it is now. They had a nagging feeling a presence seemed to arrange one disaster and setback after another, such as when a window blew out in a storm. Then, one day, they say the building seemed to accept them, and reconstruction proceeded smoothly thereafter. (www.oldwheelerhotel.com. 877-653-4683.)

In an email just before her visit, ghost hunter Martina DeLude told Winston that made sense. "Ghosts that haunt residential and business locations become very threatened when someone starts changing things that they are accustomed to. Some spirits actually become incensed when furniture is moved around. Just like the living, most spirits do not like change. Possibly, as soon as they realized that it was once again going to become a hotel - perhaps something they may remember - they decided to help you along instead of stifling your efforts."

In other tales, Wheeler Antiques owner Garry Gitzen says a Wheeler woman, descended from local tribes, actually burned down her own house in recent years because disturbing spirits haunted it. She did this in lieu of tearing the thing down, never rebuilding it, with rumors floating about that Native American children had died in a fire in that spot in ancient times.
Not all is creepy here. According to Winston and Garry, there is a host of well-meaning spirits there known as the "Good Spirits of Wheeler," and Ekahni Books owner Peg Miller says the place is a sort of "spiritual vortex lite." They all point to something they call a "Wheeler Moment," where serendipity seems to suddenly rear its head. Locals talk of numerous circumstances where pleasant, happy coincidences popped up, assisting folks in some way. They all note various incidents where someone is discussing wanting to do something, and someone or some opportunity arises that helps things along - like the time the Garry and Winston were talking about creating a film festival, and they discovered a documentary filmmaker was staying in town.

ASTORIA - OR GHOSTORIA?

At the very tip of Oregon, Astoria is full of major ghost stories of one sort or another. That's no surprise, considering it's the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi.

The Liberty Theater is widely regarded as haunted. It was once a haven for the likes of Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, Guy Lombardo and supposedly even gangster Al Capone. Purportedly, it's also occupied by someone named Paul. One employee was quoted as saying that Paul is "quite handsome," giving him the nickname Handsome Paul. He apparently wears a "white tuxedo and a panama hat," according to the Clatsop County Historical Society.

Cast and crews over the years have talked about spotting him. While mostly just an apparition, he's been known to slam doors and make other unruly noises. Other tales from the theater include objects gliding through the air, knobs unscrewing themselves from appliances and utilities, as well as two or three other inhabitants from beyond.

Also famous for being haunted is the firehouse there, plus the town has a brutal history of men being "shanghaied" in the early part of the century.

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Andre' Hagestedt is editor of Beach Connection, a tourism publication covering the upper half of Oregon's coast - some 180 miles.

La Gomera Island

La Gomera, belonging to the Canary Islands, is a very peculiar and interesting spot. This island has a central massif of a height of about 1490 meters which can easily be seen from the distance and is, without any doubt, a unique peculiarity. This massif shows a dramatic drop which turns it to be a very impressive place as well as it provides an amazing sight.

Besides its geographical and geological characteristics, La Gomera also offers several other interesting and attractive peculiarities. One of these peculiarities is the way it has maintained its traditions and cultural characteristics through the pass of time. This way, tourists who visit this island could meet some antique traditions and customs in the same way people could have observed them a long time ago.

There are several interesting spots and places tourists should make sure of visiting while being in La Gomera. One of these spots is the Hermigua. The Hermigua is a village of small charming houses which together offer a very interesting landscape. Besides this, it is also interesting to remark that Hermigua shows one of the main banana plantations areas in La Gomera.

Vallehermoso is another spot tourists should try to visit in La Gomera. Vallehermoso shows a very beautiful environment full of natural elements such as fruit trees, palm trees, and exotic plants which give the area a very colorful appearance as well as turn it to be very aromatic and enjoyable through all the senses. Another spot to visit in the island is the Cedar Forest, which is not only among the most interesting spots in La Gomera, but one of the most attractive forests in the entire archipelago as well.

Valle Gran Rey is another of the most interesting places La Gomera offers. Valle Gran Rey shows a variety of trees and natural elements which together turn it to be a very beautiful place. Besides this, those tourists who enjoy sea related activities and landscapes should visit Playa Santiago. Playa Santiago or Santiago Beach is a very beautiful sea area where visitors can not only enjoy the environment but also fish.

___________________
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com.

La Gomera Island

La Gomera, belonging to the Canary Islands, is a very peculiar and interesting spot. This island has a central massif of a height of about 1490 meters which can easily be seen from the distance and is, without any doubt, a unique peculiarity. This massif shows a dramatic drop which turns it to be a very impressive place as well as it provides an amazing sight.

Besides its geographical and geological characteristics, La Gomera also offers several other interesting and attractive peculiarities. One of these peculiarities is the way it has maintained its traditions and cultural characteristics through the pass of time. This way, tourists who visit this island could meet some antique traditions and customs in the same way people could have observed them a long time ago.

There are several interesting spots and places tourists should make sure of visiting while being in La Gomera. One of these spots is the Hermigua. The Hermigua is a village of small charming houses which together offer a very interesting landscape. Besides this, it is also interesting to remark that Hermigua shows one of the main banana plantations areas in La Gomera.

Vallehermoso is another spot tourists should try to visit in La Gomera. Vallehermoso shows a very beautiful environment full of natural elements such as fruit trees, palm trees, and exotic plants which give the area a very colorful appearance as well as turn it to be very aromatic and enjoyable through all the senses. Another spot to visit in the island is the Cedar Forest, which is not only among the most interesting spots in La Gomera, but one of the most attractive forests in the entire archipelago as well.

Valle Gran Rey is another of the most interesting places La Gomera offers. Valle Gran Rey shows a variety of trees and natural elements which together turn it to be a very beautiful place. Besides this, those tourists who enjoy sea related activities and landscapes should visit Playa Santiago. Playa Santiago or Santiago Beach is a very beautiful sea area where visitors can not only enjoy the environment but also fish.

___________________
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com.

Peter the Great’s Summer Palace – St. Petersburg, Russia

During the communist reign in Russia, architectural styles could best be described as bland. Fortunately, the summer palace of Peter the Great wasn’t affected.

Peterhof

Known as Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great is a very impressive area. The palace is arranged with a central rectangle format over roughly two or three acres. This area is then surrounded by areas of wood and “nature” as the Russians call it. Peterhof stands out like a jewel among the bland communist structures found in greater St. Petersburg.

Fountains, Fountains, Fountains

At the time of construction in 1715, Peter the Great was clearly in his “fountain” phase. Peterhof isn’t so much a palace as a collection of some of the most impressive fountains you’ve ever seen. There are fountains in the front, back, each side, in the bathroom and so on. All of them are impressive and worth a look.

Foremost of the fountains of Peterhof is the Great Cascade. Arriving from St. Petersburg by boat, one is offloaded on a long pier at the end of the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal cuts through the woods surrounding Peterhof directly to the front of the palace. As you proceed, you start to notice something big and colorful at the front of the palace. Welcome to the Great Cascade.

The Great Cascade sites at the base of Peterhof and is more impressive than the palace. Created in the Baroque style, the Great Cascade is hard to describe. At its base is a pool a large pool with rock platforms crowned by golden statutes spouting water. Rising up from the pool to the palace are two sets of steps surrounding a plateau. The steps are a combination of black marble inlaid with gold and white marble. The steps are crowned with statues and, again, fountains, which make them a combination of sprouting water and cascading falls. All of this is built up on a collection of rock and rises over 30 feet to the base of the palace. As I said, the Great Cascade is hard to describe. If you would like to see it, just do a search for “Peterhof” on your search engine of choice.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Great Cascade is the power source. With fountains blowing water thirty to fifty feet in the air, there must be some serious pump action at work? Nope. Peter the Great created a system that runs entirely off gravity. Great, indeed!
Day trips to Peterhof are hocked something fierce in St. Petersburg. While I usually disdain tourist traps, this is one you should definitely see.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

10 Travel Tips

Going away on vacation should be an enjoyable experience but everyone has a horror story to tell. Perhaps your hotel room was robbed, or perhaps a careless spouse accidentally gambled away more money than they realized, or perhaps you simply lost your wallets somewhere between the airport and hotel. Here are 10 ways to make sure that your trip is a success in spite of those obstacles.

1. Use a hidden wallet to carry most of your valuables and identification.

2. If you feel comfortable sending it in the mail, mail a money order or a traveler's checks to yourself at your hotel so that even if you lose some of your money, more will be coming.

3. While you don't have to be too strict, you should have an agenda and leave it with someone at home. This way, if something happens in the area where you are vacationing, your loved ones will be able to have a fairly good idea of where you are.

4. Keep copies of identification at home, even if you take the originals with you.

5. When you go on vacation, choose one credit card to bring, rather than bringing all of them. This way, if your wallet gets stolen, you will minimize your losses.

6. Another option is to choose a preloaded credit card, which is really more like a debit card that you put money "on" so that if you end up losing your wallet the thieves cannot wreck your credit rating.

7. Bring important phone numbers with you on your trip and put them in two different places. Bring a phone number that will cancel your credit card; if you're traveling out of the country bring a phone number to reach the embassy; bring phone numbers of close family and friends who can help you if you get into trouble; and bring phone numbers of the hotel and car rental company as well.

8. You'll want to have your travel insurance information. Be sure to keep a copy of your travel insurance at home as well as on your trip so that a family member can access it if necessary.

9. Bring basic medical information with you, like blood type and allergies, and make sure that the medical information is translated into the primary language of the place you are going to so that non-English-speaking doctors will have no problem understanding the situation.

10. Know what kind of insurance is covered on your credit card, if that is how you are using to paying for your trip. For example, some credit cards cover car rental insurance, but may not cover it in the country are you are going to. Be sure to know what insurance you have before you leave.

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Jeff Lakie is the founder of http://www.my-discount-airfare.info website providing information on Travel.

10 Travel Tips

Going away on vacation should be an enjoyable experience but everyone has a horror story to tell. Perhaps your hotel room was robbed, or perhaps a careless spouse accidentally gambled away more money than they realized, or perhaps you simply lost your wallets somewhere between the airport and hotel. Here are 10 ways to make sure that your trip is a success in spite of those obstacles.

1. Use a hidden wallet to carry most of your valuables and identification.

2. If you feel comfortable sending it in the mail, mail a money order or a traveler's checks to yourself at your hotel so that even if you lose some of your money, more will be coming.

3. While you don't have to be too strict, you should have an agenda and leave it with someone at home. This way, if something happens in the area where you are vacationing, your loved ones will be able to have a fairly good idea of where you are.

4. Keep copies of identification at home, even if you take the originals with you.

5. When you go on vacation, choose one credit card to bring, rather than bringing all of them. This way, if your wallet gets stolen, you will minimize your losses.

6. Another option is to choose a preloaded credit card, which is really more like a debit card that you put money "on" so that if you end up losing your wallet the thieves cannot wreck your credit rating.

7. Bring important phone numbers with you on your trip and put them in two different places. Bring a phone number that will cancel your credit card; if you're traveling out of the country bring a phone number to reach the embassy; bring phone numbers of close family and friends who can help you if you get into trouble; and bring phone numbers of the hotel and car rental company as well.

8. You'll want to have your travel insurance information. Be sure to keep a copy of your travel insurance at home as well as on your trip so that a family member can access it if necessary.

9. Bring basic medical information with you, like blood type and allergies, and make sure that the medical information is translated into the primary language of the place you are going to so that non-English-speaking doctors will have no problem understanding the situation.

10. Know what kind of insurance is covered on your credit card, if that is how you are using to paying for your trip. For example, some credit cards cover car rental insurance, but may not cover it in the country are you are going to. Be sure to know what insurance you have before you leave.

________________
Jeff Lakie is the founder of http://www.my-discount-airfare.info website providing information on Travel.

The Future Of Travels Is The Quest For Authenticity

In his novel "Timeline", Michael Crichton has one of his characters saying:

"Today, everybody expects to be entertained, and they expect to be entertained all the time. Business meetings must be snappy, with bullet lists and animated graphics, so executives aren't bored. Malls and stores must be engaging, so they amuse as well as sell us. Politicians must have pleasing video personalities and tell us only what we want to hear. Schools must be careful not to bore young minds that expect the speed and complexity of television.

Sooner or later, the artifice of entertainment - constant, ceaseless entertainment - will drive people to seek authenticity. Authenticity will be the buzzword of the twenty-first century. And what is authentic? Anything that is not controlled by corporations. Anything that is not devised and structured to make a profit. Anything that exists for its own sake, that assumes its own shape. And what is the most authentic of all? The past.

The past is a world that already existed before Disney and Murdoch and British Telecom and Nissan and Sony and IBM and all the other shapers of the present. The past was here before they were. The past rose and fell without their intrusion and molding. The past is real. It's authentic. And this will make the past unbelievably attractive. Because the past is the only alternative to the corporate present.

What will people do? They are already doing it. The fastest-growing segment of travel today is cultural tourism. People who want to visit not other places, but other times. People who want to immerse themselves in medieval walled cities, in vast Buddhist temples, Mayan pyramid cities, Egyptian necropolises. People who want to walk and be in the world of the past. The vanished world.

And they don't want it to be fake. They don't want it to be made pretty, or cleaned up. They want it to be authentic."

Agreed.

[Copyright 2005 Travels.affari.to - http://travels.affari.to/news/45.htm]

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Trent Lott is a travel editor at www.travels.affari.to, part of the Affari.to network. Travels.affari.to publishes travel stories, travel news and hosts a travel forum.

The Essential Normandy- 8 Must-See Venues

To fully understand Normandy, one has to visit more than WWII sites and museums. To experience this region and understand its history and culture, one should visit these eight venues:

1. Honfleur- This picturesque little port village has been a magnet for artists for years, including the French impressionists. The cobblestone streets of the town and the old basin full of sailboats are especially gorgeous. One can visit the many shops and galleries, and there are excellent restaurants nearly everywhere. There are several museums and unique old wooden churches to see as well.

A drive of about a half-hour to Deauville and Trouville is also worth the effort. Walk the famous boardwalk in Deauville, which has hosted the annual American Film Festival for years, and observe the interesting architecture of the huge beach houses, unique in Europe. On the way to or from Deauville, stop at a cider/calvados tasting location. Several are marked along the road. Grapes are not grown in Normandy to make wine, as the local beverages are made mostly from apples or sometimes pears. The cider is fizzy and has only about one-third the alcohol of wine. It goes well with a local favorite, moules-frites (mussels and fries). Calvados is brandy made from apples. Speaking of food, Normandy is famous for its dairy products, and you’ll no doubt sample the butter (this is one of the few places in France where one is encouraged to butter bread) and cheeses, especially the three Normands (“les trois Normands”) camembert, pont l‘eveque, and livarot.

2. Caen- This city was rubble after the bombings of WWII. The Caen Memorial is easily the best of the WWII museums. There are many WWII museums throughout Normandy, and some are almost tacky, with only a handful of old pictures and a few old uniforms and medals. This one is first class and tells the story of the events leading up to WWII and the Battle of Normandy. The film is also first rate and shows the American and German sides preparing for the invasion and then after the battles began. There is also a display honoring Nobel Peace Prize winners. One can easily spend half a day at this museum. Downtown Caen is also very pleasant, especially the pedestrian street with its many shops and cafes. One can also visit the chateau, constructed by William the Conqueror, and several impressive abbeys and churches.

3. Bayeux- This city was not badly damaged in WWII as the Germans retreated to defend Caen. The cathedral is imposing and is among the top gothic cathedrals in France. The main attraction in the town, however, is the famous Bayeux Tapestry. This remarkable work, commissioned shortly after the conquests of England in 1066, tells the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings. It was originally meant to hang in the cathedral. It is only 19 inches high, but it’s length is 203 ft. It is remarkably well preserved. Be sure to see the film, and rent an audio player to use while viewing the tapestry to get the most out of your visit.

4. Omaha Beach/American Cemetery- For Americans, this is hallowed ground. People from other countries, Canada and Britain, for example, might prefer to visit the sectors of their soldiers, such as Sword, Gold and Juno beaches which are several miles to the east. There are numerous British, Canadian, German, and other cemeteries throughout Normandy as well. I was originally not excited to visit the American cemetery, thinking it would be a deflating experience. However, when one sees the fabulous white marble headstones and the meticulously kept grounds (the grounds are owned and maintained by the U.S. government) it is clear that there is huge respect for our fallen countrymen. To understand what these men did and the ultimate sacrifice they made in France makes one proud. The largest of the two American cemeteries at Colleville-sur-Mer looks directly over Omaha Beach. (The other is at St. James, farther to the west, and is also worth a visit, although not many people go there. It‘s about half the size of Colleville and unique in its own way). Leaving the parking lot at Colleville, one can see a small monument to the American 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red 1, which was responsible for that sector on D-Day. This is also worth a quick visit.

The best way to truly understand what happened at Omaha is to take a tour with an expert. We have used the services of Col. Oliver Warman, British Army Retired. Col. Warman will take you to places must tours don’t visit, and he has intimate stories about what took place there on D-Day, when several thousand American soldiers lost their lives (the official figure is in the hundreds). He’ll take you from the hills overlooking the beaches down to the beaches themselves and explain how effective the German defenses were, especially the 12 machine gun nests that spanned Omaha.

5. Arromanches- It was here that a huge artificial floating port was erected. The Germans knew the Allies would need a large port, and all of those in France were heavily defended. The sections of the port were constructed in England and were floated across the English channel just after D-Day. The museum has an excellent model of the port and a good film. There is also a 360 degree theater on the hill overlooking the town. This film is one of my favorites, and it show scenes of the area, both during the Battle of Normandy and then contrasted with how they look today.

6. Pointe du Hoc- At this strategic location American Rangers scaled the cliff walls on D-Day. There are bomb craters everywhere, destroyed German bunkers, and one gets a feeling of how difficult the fighting must have been. There were many casualties, and the Americans were almost driven back over the cliffs, but for some still unknown reason the Germans pulled the big guns back from the point to the rear. These were found unguarded by an American patrol, and they were quickly destroyed. If you take a tour with Col. Warman, as described above, he can take you here as well, and his perspective and stories about this location are more than worth the price.

7. Utah Beach- I was surprised to learn that the fighting here was much less intense than at Omaha, and the number of casualties here on D-Day was low, only about 15 KIA before noon. It is, however, a big part of the American D-Day story and therefore worth some time. The museum is reasonably good as well, and the grounds, again owned and maintained by the U.S. government, are well kept.

8. Mont St. Michel- This spectacular setting on the border between Normandy and Brittany is one of the most popular tourist locations in Europe. The island village is dominated by the cathedral at the top. At certain times of the year the tides are high enough to surround the island by the sea. If possible, spend a night on the island itself, and you’ll have a chance to wander around without the normal crowds. The shops are mostly tourist traps, but Mont St. Michel is worth a day. There are hikes and horse-back excursions one can take as well.

The above general itinerary goes from east to west and will take nearly a week. There are of course other venues in Normandy to visit. The eight listed above, however, will give you a fulfilling experience, and upon completion you’ll be able to say that you have truly experienced and understand the culture and significance of this outstanding region.

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Walter B. Ballenberger is founder of Beaux Voyages, which provides active tours in France including bike tours in Normandy and other regions, wine tours, and Tour de France bike tours. He has lived and worked in France and speaks the language fluently.

France travel planned and not sure what venues to visit? Get FREE ADVICE from Beaux Voyages

www.beauxvoyages.com

Montjuïc - Best View in Spain

The mountain of Montjuic juts over Barcelona's port on one face, and on the other side overhangs the Placa Espanya. With this location, it is ideal for playing. The mountain became the central mark of the World Fair of 1929 and the 1992 Olympic games. It's beautiful and green, still forested and covered in parks. Montjuic is popular with pedestrians and cyclists of all kinds because of its extensive and green paths. Barcelona has recently started working on installing walkways and escalators to connect visitors to the harder-to-navigate sections.

Among these sections is the Font del Gat, once a fashionable modernista cafe designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Today, it's an information and visitors center and restaurant, and a great starting place to explore Montjuic. Also in the tall mountain you'll find some of the best museums in Barcelona like the MNAC and the Miro Foundation.

The most popular attraction around Montjuic is the Magic Fountain, or Font Magica. In daytime, the grand fountain beneath the MNAC staircase seems ordinary, but after dark, you'll see the magic part. Music blasts from loudspeakers, and varicolored lighting illuminates the dancing waters of the fountain. Carles Buigas designed it for the 1929 World Fair, and it's perfect for watching from one of the cafes surrounding it. Shows run throughout the summer, from May to October on Thursday through Sunday after dark. (at other times of the year, they're held only on Friday and Saturday after dark).

If you want to visit the Castell de Montjuic on the sea side of the mountain, your best choice is via the cable car, the Transbordador Aeri, that runs across the port. It runs daily from 10:30 AM to 7 PM.

Once you're settled on Montjuic, there's plenty to see and do.

What to Do

At the CaixaForum, you can view rotating diverse art exhibitions on three floors of a building that used to be a textile factory designed by modernista architect Puig i Cadalfach. Later, Japanese architect Arata Isozaki added a walkway, courtyard, and entrance to set off the art stored within. At any given time, you're also likely to find performances related to the art being exhibited, especially world music and modern dance, and there's an excellent bookstore in the foyer. You can find more modern art at the Fundacio Joan Miro, devoted to the master of contemporary Catalan art. The Miro collection, donated by the artist, is so large that only part of it can be displayed at any given time. If you're not familiar with Miro, the audioguide you can pick up at the front desk will help you understand the depth and breadth of this master's works. In sports-mad Barcelona, you'll also find the Galeria Olimpica, a museum devoted to the games held in 1992. This museum is located in the cellar of the old Olympic Stadium.

But in a lovely setting like Montjuic, you don't want to be indoors all the time. The Jardi Botanic opened in 1999, but has already received international admiration for landscaping and concept. Most species are Mediterranean, or from a similar climate like Australia and California, and the park is divided into regions for each area. The telecommunications aerial, rather than detracting from the beauty, is designed to blend with the landscaping, and because of the way it leans, it acts as a giant sundial.

The Poble Espanyol will keep you outside. It's a recreated Spanish village built for the 1929 World Fair and has almost a Disneyish feel. You can find over a hundred styles of Spanish architecture in one tiny spot, from the Levante to Galicia and Castilian high gothic. The entrance, a facsimile of the gateway to Avila, leads you to the center of the village, where you can have drinks at the outdoor cafe, or visit the flamenco taberna and other nightspots. Provincial crafts and souvenirs are sold everywhere, and you can see artisans handprinting fabric, making pottery, or blowing glass. Though some see this as a tourist trap, if you won't be able to see much of Spain outside Barcelona this is a good choice for finding almost everything you're interested in.

And history, of course, is not neglected. The Museu Militar de Montjuic is found inside the Castell de Montjuic, a fortress dating back to the 1600s that overlooks the sea. The collection is a treasury of military artifacts from armor to weapons to accoutrements to military art, and the fortress itself provides breathtaking views of the Barcelona skyline and the sea. The Museu d'Arquelogia de Catalunya occupies the former Palace of Graphic Arts of the 1929 World Fair. It surveys the long history of Barcelona, from the Iberian prehistory to the Greek, Roman, and Carthaginian periods, including many artifacts that were unearthed very close by. On the floor, you'll find actual mosaics moved here from the places where they were unearthed; the curators invite visitors to walk over them, as they believe using them as they were intended provides better preservation for them.

There is much more to do on MOntjuic, including visiting the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalynya (MNAC) or the Pavello Mies van der Rohe. Your best bet: go early, and don't have a set agenda. Enjoy exploring MOntjuic.

Places to Stay

Montjuic, hampered by a lack of amenities like water, has few homes but many pleasant places to visit. One place to try is the Hotel Torre Catalunya, a skyscraper-style four-star hotel with excellent amenities. Its restaurant, the Ciudad Condal, offers gorgeous views of the city from the 23rd floor. You'll also find a Spa, health center, and many other amenities here.

At Montjuic's base you'll find the Hotel Fira Palace, which opened in time for the 1992 Olympics and has excellent access to the exhibition centers of Plaza Espanya. Family accomodations are unmatched in the area. Restaurants are expensive, so you may want to try outside the hotel, but the amenities, like a piano bar, massage, service, and patio garden, are unique.

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Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com. Please visit http://www.eurotomic.com/spain.php if you're planning a trip to Spain.

Beautiful Lake Garda Italy

The crystal clear waters of Lake Garda are perfect for swimming and many popular sports such as windsurfing and sailing. The local climate is softened by the presence of this large body of water, which makes it comfortable for exploring the towns and villages on and close to the lake towns such as Garda, Lazise, Sirmione, Torri del Benaco Bardolino, Limone and Peschiera which are wonderful places to visit with a great choice of hotels, villas and Holiday homes or just for wandering around the cobbled streets filled with shops, hotels and restaurants and are home to bustling lakeside markets.

Do visit the old port of Torbole, the charming old streets of Limone and the castle and Roman Villa in Sirmione.From Malcesine you can take a cable car onto Monte Baldo for some mountain walking and superb views. Walks on the lake shore from Lazie or Bardolino also help to work up an appetite.On the southern shore, jutting into lake garda, lays Sirmione with its quiet cobblestone streets, thermal baths, fairytale castle, olive groves and quaint hotels. Gazing across Lake Garda from the town of Desenzano on its southwest bank, the view is quite spectacular. Lake Garda’s has more in common with southern Italy. The Veronese east bank of the Lake produces olive oil and famous wines, such as Valpolicella and Bardolino.

Looming above the area is Mount Baldo with its three peaks. Projecting through the last glacial sheet, its unique flora is a throwback to pre-glacial times.The rich soil and mild climate of the lake area encourages an abundance of wildlife and flora. Cedars, olives, lemon and palm trees flourish and the Gorgeous shoreline offers pristine beaches. Numerous ancient castles dot the hillsides. The cablecar ride to Monte Baldo provides magnificent views of Lake Garda and the mountains beyond.

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Christopher Panduro
Moved to Lake Garda from the UK 13 Years ago. I fell in love with the Lake and decided to create a website www.lakegarda.biz about it.

First Tourist Heading for Mars

September 21, 2050 - At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the launching window of fall 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in February 2053, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.

Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home. Patrick was of course very excited: "This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible."

To be able to pay the US$ 1.3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake in the business empire his father had built. "I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me", says Patrick. There is no risk though that you will find Patrick begging in your street corner when he comes back, rumors says that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.

So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? "Well, since I don't have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea", he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn't expect too many guests until someone can offer a lower transfer fare.

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Pontus Edenberg is the editor of News of Future, a publication with news about space tourism, future technology, society, environment, health etc. People of the world are invited to comment on the news and take part in shaping their future.
newsoffuture.com

Port Olimpic - Where The Games Were Held

In 1992, the Olympics were held in Barcelona, Spain, exposing most of the world for the first time to the vibrant, wealthy city that had grown here over the years. Port Olimpic was built specifically to host the Olympics, and became the most successful and popular section of the Nova Icaria project. In this bright, modern area, it was almost too easy to forget how ancient Barcelona really is.

Today, well over a decade after the Olympics, Port Olimpic is still a beautiful place to visit when you've come to Barcelona. With a brilliant night life filled with bars, restaurants, dance clubs, and people, the evenings here can be magical. And during the day, the same restaurants are just up the street from excellent places to shop, visit, and stay. Port Olimpic is located beneath the twin skyscrapers Mapfre Tower and Hotel Arts Barcelona.

Where to Stay

The Hotel Arts Barcelona is one of the Ritz Carlton chain, and is by all accounts the best hotel in Barcelona. It has excellent views of the Mediterranean, Barcelona, and the mountains behind the city. Fine art, from Chillida drawings to Susana Solano sculptures, are everywhere, and excellent restaurants and amenities abound. If you stay here, you'll be in walking distance of the beaches and marina, have access to The Spa by Six Senses, and you won't even have to walk outside to get to the Casino de Barcelona. The one thing to remember: get a room facing away from the nightclubs or high up in the building. The discos get very loud at night.

Where to Eat

In the Hotel Arts Barcelona, you'll find the Enoteca restaurant, featuring Mediterranean cuisine by Chef Jaime Perez and some of the finest wines produced in Spain. For more informal dining, try the Arola or the Bar Marina, also in the Hotel Arts.

Or you can walk down the Ramblas and choose from dozens of little restaurants. But be warned: many of the restaurants here are anything but authentic, and pickpockets do cruise the area.

What to Do

With a beautiful port looking out onto the Mediterranean, Port Olimpic is one of the more enjoyable places in Europe to rent a speedboat and just tool around for the day. Port Olimpic is perfect for most boating ventures; its marina was built specifically for Olympic sailing competitions, and you'll find the flats where athletes were housed close by. Reclaimed beaches line the seaside, where you can swim or engage in a variety of water sports. Near the 700-berth marina, you'll find dozens of places to eat.

Fronting the Marina adjacent to the Hotel Arts Barcelona you'll find the Casino de Barcelona. In the casino itself you'll find three hotels, a bar, and a disco as well as the gambling areas themselves.

The Ramblas, a long pedestrian boulevard from the seafront to the Placa catalunya, is a home for street vendors, artists, tourists, locals, con men, and pickpockets. It's fascinating to explore the colorful area, but you should keep a firm grasp on your purse or wallet.

Something Special

Consider picking up a Barcelona Card. At a reasonable price (currently 17 euros for one day, 30 for five days), you can access for free over a hundred different attractions all over Barcelona, as well as take advantage of public transportation for free. Included in the price are museums, nightclubs, shops, restaurants, entertainment, other services, and even unique means of transport. The Barcelona Card is available at any Turisme de Barcelona office as well as a few other places throughout the city.

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Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com. Please visit http://www.eurotomic.com/spain.php if you're planning a trip to Spain.

Preparing For A Trip To The Magic Kingdom

Spending a day at the Magic Kingdom can be a truly magical experience or a very stressful one. What makes the difference is being prepared for the park and arriving with a plan. Families that travel to the Magic Kingdom without researching the park layout, park attractions and features of the park will find their day spent tackling long lines, hot weather and confusing park details.
The best way to approach a trip to the Magic Kingdom is to review all the available information on the park while planning your trip to Orlando. First time visitors will be overwhelmed by the number of attractions, shows and sheer size of the Magic Kingdom. If you plan to spend only one day at the park you will have to plan on making some tough choices on what you really want to see. When traveling with children, it is always best to plan on spending two full days at the Magic Kingdom. This will enable you to see all the attractions and get the full Disney experience.
By reviewing the park layout in advance you can prepare a “plan of attack’ for the park. Even in the off season, the Magic Kingdom is always the most crowded of all four Disney Parks. Many of the most popular attractions, such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Winnie the Pooh’s Adventures always seem to be packed with people waiting on line. You will maximize your time at the Magic Kingdom if you understand the best ways and times to visit each attractions.
Also, Disney is always adding new attractions, refurbishing current ones and introducing new park policies (security checks, FastPass tickets for attractions). Learning about these procedures in advance will only maximize your day, touring the park. Advance planning will definite save you time and money as you visit the Magic Kingdom.

While reviewing the park layout and policies you will also be able to see which attractions are geared for the members of your family. Height and size restrictions do apply on some attractions, and some even include warnings for small children (attractions that contain complete darkness, loud noises, etc). This advance information will prove important so your children are not disappointed once they arrive at the park.

Advance planning can not be stressed enough when planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom. Do your homework before traveling and when you arrive at the park you will have a truly Magical Day.

© Copyright MouseManual.com, All Rights Reserved.

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Jessica Mitchell is the author of the Mouse Manual a Walt Disney World Travel Guide. She and her family have vacationed at Walt Disney World every year for the past 7 years.

Choose A Bed And Breakfast Over A Hotel Chain And Enjoy Your Vacation

Traveling for business or vacationing always has one thing in common; you need a place to stay. Unfortunately, many individuals choose large hotel chains which have no personality and do nothing more than provide a place to sleep for their guests. However, when business and vacation travelers choose to stay at a Bed and Breakfast they are able to enjoy their trip even more simply because Bed and Breakfast inns focus on each individual guest. In fact, there are several benefits a Bed and Breakfast has over regular hotels.

Benefit #1 Feel at Home

Most Bed and Breakfast Inns are typically small and have a limited number of rooms to rent out. However, each room has a lot of personality and is generally decorated around a theme and focuses on the comfort of guests. Each room is decorated in an elegant at-home way that is easily enjoyed by guests who want comfortable and beautiful surroundings to enjoy while on their trip. You certainly won't encounter the generic rooms of common hotels. All in all, when you stay at a Bed and Breakfast you will feel at home.

Benefit #2 Great Food

As the name suggests the daily rate of a Bed and Breakfast stay will certainly include the first meal of the day. While a Continental breakfast is frequently included in chain hotel rates the breakfast at a Bed and Breakfast is always of a significantly higher quality. This is because innkeepers take pride in serving well balanced and tasty meals allowing guests to enjoy every aspect of their stay. Although every Bed and Breakfast is different you can generally expect a full breakfast of meat and eggs with fresh baked muffins, fresh squeezed juice and fruit. Usually breakfast is served on fine china with silver cutlery, much higher class than disposable plates and cutlery at low priced hotel chains.

Benefit #3 More Economical

You are probably thinking, "yeah, right!" But the truth is Bed and Breakfast Inns really are more economical when you consider the entire price of the stay. For example, a Bed and Breakfast may charge what seems like expensive nightly fees, but everything is basically included from local phone calls to movies, and concierge services to parking. Just these extras at a hotel can add $100 or more to your daily bill. So, in the overall scheme of things a Bed and Breakfast will probably save you money and you will be more comfortable and relaxed at the same time.

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Shawn Everett is the owner of The Bed and Breakfast Connector http://www.bbconnector.com/.

Budget Travel Tips 101

Everyone loves to travel (almost everyone). I certainly do. Believe it or not, doing it right and doing it on a budget takes a little skill, knowledge and practice. But the required skills are not difficult, the knowledge required is easy to obtain, and the fun is in the practice!

This past spring my wife and I were lucky enough to be able to spend 10 days in Italy. We didn't spend a fortune, we scrimped on a few things and spent on others, and the net result was a very pleasing travel experience. Planning, of course, is key. We had agreed to our general itinerary and had a limited amount of time to spend, so the general outline of the trip was pretty clear from the start. We flew to Rome, spent a few days taking care of the biggies like St. Peter's, and the Vatican Museum, and did lots of strolling around the city.

Where did we stay? At a "budget" hotel. How did we find it? The Internet. There are so many choices of reasonably-priced hotels, that the biggest problem is narrowing down the list. If you have even minimal Web-surfing skills, finding your accomodations this way is really pretty easy to do. Many establishments even offer a discount for reservations made online. Oh, by the way, when we paid the bill on the way out, we paid in cash - another discount!

How did we get from the airport in Rome to the hotel? (Hint: not by taxi.) We took the train! Much cheaper, more fun, and in fact, easier. Even if you can't actually read the signs in the airport, finding the station is very easy. How did we really know it was so easy to get to the city from the airport on the train? We cheated. We read a travel guide before we left! I'm not pitching a travel book here, and I honestly don't remember which one it was, but the point is, a little research in advance can save you a lot of money, time, aggravation, fear, uncertainty and all those other negative emotions brought on by arriving in a foreign place and suddenly realizing you have no idea what to do next. And finally, from the train station in the city to our hotel was a short walk because we planned it that way - no taxi fare. The walk to the hotel was made even more pleasant by the fact that we were not over-burdened with luggage, which brings us to the next practical tip - packing.

Ten days in Europe (or anywhere else) doesn't require a mountain of baggage - at least not for two adults. Bags with handles and wheels are essential. Walking to the hotel with our luggage was a breeze. Packing, like the other parts of a trip, requires a little planning. If you're careful, and are clear about your plans for touring and socializing, you can get by with less than you think.

Keeping your travel documents and money secure is always a concern. I learned an important lesson a few years ago during a trip to Europe. Having done a lot of business travel all over the world, I made the mistake of thinking I was immune from pick pockets. I won't mention the city the event took place in, but afterwards I was stunned at the skill demonstrated by the "team" that got my wallet - out of a jacket pocket that was zipped closed! It happened in a revolving door - and thinking back on the episode, I realize that I was expertly sized up for the "hit" beforehand. In short, realize that anyone can be "fooled" even if you think you're an expert. Lesson - I NEVER travel now without a money belt. On our last trip to Italy, all valuables were in the money belt at all times, and there were no incidents. Even the "gypsy kids" at the Coliseum were not a threat (if you go to Rome, be sure to read about the area around the Coliseum - you must see it, but it's prime territory for expert young thieves).

In summary, a little thought and some careful planning can make a huge difference in the level of pleasure you derive from your next trip - whether it's a European jaunt or a car trip with your whole family to mountains. I think letting someone else do it all and spending your days sealed up in a tour bus or following someone else around all day deprives you of half the fun. So plan your next trip carefully and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

____________________
Pete Cullen runs the website http://easy-budget_travel_tips.com/

Budget Travel Tips 101

Everyone loves to travel (almost everyone). I certainly do. Believe it or not, doing it right and doing it on a budget takes a little skill, knowledge and practice. But the required skills are not difficult, the knowledge required is easy to obtain, and the fun is in the practice!

This past spring my wife and I were lucky enough to be able to spend 10 days in Italy. We didn't spend a fortune, we scrimped on a few things and spent on others, and the net result was a very pleasing travel experience. Planning, of course, is key. We had agreed to our general itinerary and had a limited amount of time to spend, so the general outline of the trip was pretty clear from the start. We flew to Rome, spent a few days taking care of the biggies like St. Peter's, and the Vatican Museum, and did lots of strolling around the city.

Where did we stay? At a "budget" hotel. How did we find it? The Internet. There are so many choices of reasonably-priced hotels, that the biggest problem is narrowing down the list. If you have even minimal Web-surfing skills, finding your accomodations this way is really pretty easy to do. Many establishments even offer a discount for reservations made online. Oh, by the way, when we paid the bill on the way out, we paid in cash - another discount!

How did we get from the airport in Rome to the hotel? (Hint: not by taxi.) We took the train! Much cheaper, more fun, and in fact, easier. Even if you can't actually read the signs in the airport, finding the station is very easy. How did we really know it was so easy to get to the city from the airport on the train? We cheated. We read a travel guide before we left! I'm not pitching a travel book here, and I honestly don't remember which one it was, but the point is, a little research in advance can save you a lot of money, time, aggravation, fear, uncertainty and all those other negative emotions brought on by arriving in a foreign place and suddenly realizing you have no idea what to do next. And finally, from the train station in the city to our hotel was a short walk because we planned it that way - no taxi fare. The walk to the hotel was made even more pleasant by the fact that we were not over-burdened with luggage, which brings us to the next practical tip - packing.

Ten days in Europe (or anywhere else) doesn't require a mountain of baggage - at least not for two adults. Bags with handles and wheels are essential. Walking to the hotel with our luggage was a breeze. Packing, like the other parts of a trip, requires a little planning. If you're careful, and are clear about your plans for touring and socializing, you can get by with less than you think.

Keeping your travel documents and money secure is always a concern. I learned an important lesson a few years ago during a trip to Europe. Having done a lot of business travel all over the world, I made the mistake of thinking I was immune from pick pockets. I won't mention the city the event took place in, but afterwards I was stunned at the skill demonstrated by the "team" that got my wallet - out of a jacket pocket that was zipped closed! It happened in a revolving door - and thinking back on the episode, I realize that I was expertly sized up for the "hit" beforehand. In short, realize that anyone can be "fooled" even if you think you're an expert. Lesson - I NEVER travel now without a money belt. On our last trip to Italy, all valuables were in the money belt at all times, and there were no incidents. Even the "gypsy kids" at the Coliseum were not a threat (if you go to Rome, be sure to read about the area around the Coliseum - you must see it, but it's prime territory for expert young thieves).

In summary, a little thought and some careful planning can make a huge difference in the level of pleasure you derive from your next trip - whether it's a European jaunt or a car trip with your whole family to mountains. I think letting someone else do it all and spending your days sealed up in a tour bus or following someone else around all day deprives you of half the fun. So plan your next trip carefully and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

____________________
Pete Cullen runs the website http://Easy-Budget_Travel_Tips.com

Take a Budget Mediterranean Cruise for your Honeymoon

Taking a Mediterranean cruise is the dream of many people, especially for their honeymoon. Fortunately, if this has always been a dream of yours it is easier than ever to attain simply because there are so many yachts and cruise ships that focus on a honeymoon Mediterranean cruise and making your first vacation as husband and wife the best it can possibly be.

If you are on a budget, don’t worry either because you can take a Mediterranean cruise for a good price if you simply do a little bit of searching. Many travel websites focus on Mediterranean cruise vacations and frequently offer discounted packages. Of course, you won’t get a discount Mediterranean cruise if you simply sit back and do nothing about it. What you need to do is search all of the Internet sites that focus on cruises, even discount cruises. Then, find out what time of year is the best time for a Mediterranean cruise as well as the least expensive time of year for a Mediterranean cruise. These considerations can save you a significant amount of money on your Mediterranean cruise if you plan to travel in the off-season.

Also, different day packages as well as Mediterranean cruise destinations might affect the price of your Mediterranean cruise. Keep this in mind and don’t have your heart set on an exact list of destinations or days, but rather work with what is available and less expensive. If you are determined to take a Mediterranean cruise for your honeymoon you will be able to find something that will be pleasing to you as well as your budget. The best advice is to start searching and making plans for your Mediterranean cruise as early in advance as possible in order to get the best deals.

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Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.cruisesreviews.info a website specialized on Cruise, resources and articles.

Great Hotels Cater to Families in Las Vegas

There are many fine hotels in Las Vegas to choose from, but parents traveling with the children are looking for a different kind of experience than the seasoned gambler. Luckily, there are several fine hotels in Las Vegas that cater to the younger crowd, ensuring that the entire family has a great time.

Circus, Circus is a great choice for a family vacation in Las Vegas. The facility is comprised of three towers with a connecting sky shuttle, viewed by most children as the first attraction. The Adventuredome inside the complex is the world’s largest indoor theme park, and a perfect destination for some fun with the children. Circus themed shows and wandering performers abound, and everyone will enjoy the miniature golf, bungee jumping and choice of over 200 carnival games. Of course, parents will enjoy the 100,000 square foot casino and great restaurants.

Another family oriented property in Las Vegas is the Excalibur. Designed to replicate King Arthur’s Camelot home, Excalibur gives children and experience similar to walking into a fairy tale. Families walk across the moat to enter the property, and every detail is charming. The first floor of the hotel is designed especially for kids, full of carnival games and arcades and themed entertainment. The large pool areas feature a waterfall and several waterslides, and a popular dinner attraction is the Tournament of Kings, a show with dragons, jousting, wizards and great food. The large, themed casino is a treat for parents, as are the other great restaurants on property.

Another exciting family hotel is the Luxor, an Egyptian Pyramid set down in Las Vegas. This great hotel is actually larger than the pyramids in Egypt and is guarded by an authentically styled Sphinx. The kids will enjoy the two story video arcade and IMAX theater. All of the rooms have sloped walls, inviting a geometry lesson, and furniture decorated with Egyptian symbols. Kids love exploring a recreation of King Tut’s Tomb and the accompanying museum, said to be quite authentic. There are five pools on site and a motion simulator ride with an Egyptian theme. Of course, a spacious casino and several spas join world class restaurants for the parents to enjoy.

If you’re traveling with younger children and need a little “alone” time, consider the Orleans Hotel. They’ve created a parent’s dream with Kids Tyme, an onsite daycare facility with an impressively large jungle gym, arts and crafts activities and movies. The center is open 7 days a week and serves children from 2 ½ years to 12 years old. Also on site is a huge bowling center with 70 lanes, an 18 theater movie complex and Tyme Out video arcade. The property also has a pool, spa and fitness center and a great showroom. Of course, the adjoining casino offers plenty of opportunity for the adults to enjoy themselves as well.

Consider these fine hotels and make your next trip to Las Vegas a family affair. Everyone can have a great time in Vegas!

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Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.portal-hoteles.com a website specialized on Hoteles, resources and articles.

Finding Cheap Hotel Rates

The days of showing up at a hotel and paying whatever price is posted are over simply because it is so easy to find cheap and discounted hotel rates online. Some people still call up a hotel to make reservations and pay whatever the rate is, however people are wising up to the many cheap hotel rates to be found online and since saving money is always a motivating factor many people are shopping and booking online and as a result are receiving cheap hotel rates for the same room in the same hotel for the same dates.

What you may not know is there are many websites online that focus solely on providing you with discount hotels, flights, care rentals and the like. So, finding cheap hotel rates is as simple as searching online. To find cheap hotel rates you first need to get on the Internet. Once there, you should go to a search engine to search for cheap hotel rates. Be specific when using the search engine, however, because you will want to find as much specific information on cheap hotel rates as possible while weeding out other information. Keep in mind as well that if you do not find the cheap hotel rates you are looking for on one search engine you can always try another. However, you will find the best cheap hotel information on some of the larger search engines.

Once you receive your cheap hotel results all that is left to do is start researching the websites. While many websites will have similar discount rates, some will be more expensive while others will have the lowest cheap hotel rates. This requires a little bit of research, but when it comes down to saving a lot of money and cheap hotel rates it is worth it.

Enter the hotel information or the general location where you are interested in staying, and then search for cheap hotel rates. You will be surprised at the difference if you already called to request rates from the same hotels.

Once you have found the cheap hotel rates that meet your needs, simply book online and always write down your confirmation number so you will have your cheap hotel rates.

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Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.hotels-reviews.info a blog focusing on the hotel, resources and articles.

Top Ten Beaches in the World

The sun, the soft sand sifting through your toes and fingers, the salty wind blowing in from the sea, the sound of waves…the ultimate holiday and vacation! If you’re like everyone else in this world, you should be looking for some of the top beaches in the world. And lucky for you, we have done the research on the world’s most popular beaches and have listed them here for you in no particular order.

The first one is Poipu Beach, Hawaii. If you believe in Paradise, this is it. In terms of a beach, this is definitely a world-class beach and should not be missed. Absolutely breathtaking! Poipu Beach is recently named America’s top beach by The Travel Channel with the most extensive golden sand and provides a host of activities for travelers and beach-lovers.

The second on the list is Matira Beach, also another not-to-be-missed beach! Matira Beach is one of those magical islands of Bora Bora that makes up French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Long and lazy stretches of beach with whispering shores is what you can expect from Matira Beach. In fact, Matira Beach is as magical and enchanting as it comes. It’s not called the world’s most romantic beach for nothing. People flock to Matira Beach to make proposals – imagine that!

Just when you thought there is nothing more to Mexico but Tequila and snakes, in comes Maroma Beach. Maroma Beach is more like a holiday resort getaway destination offering a combination of luxurious resorts and spas; and 500 acres of beach and rain forest.

Next on the list of top ten beaches are Pink Sands and South Sands – nestled on the edges of Salcombe. A contending beach would be the Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The beaches are filled with beach-goers almost all year round and who can blame them? Inexpensive accommodation and traveling makes these beaches the top few beaches in the world!

If you’re hooked on surfing, don’t forget to drop by Biarritz Beach on a holiday. It’s an absolute haven for surfers with 2 large beaches and a myriad of smaller beaches in between. And France also offers holiday-goers and beach-lovers a gem of a beach in the form of the St. Tropez beach. Who doesn’t know that St. Tropez is well known for its bikinis and beachwear groundbreaking fashion rules? St. Tropez is a hot favorite among Hollywood stars and is nestled along the French Riveria. It pays that St. Tropez beach is also a short drive from Nice and Cannes.

Coming up next is the Clifton Beach on Cape Town, South Africa. One of the most amazing sceneries can be found there. Imagine enjoying the beach with the gorgeous Table Mountain as a backdrop. There’s never anything quite like that on a beach. And if you’re looking for a natural and exotic beach, you might want to try out Anse de Argent beach in Seychelles. For nature-lovers, Anse de Argent is heaven!

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Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.the-great-outdoors.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Traveling and Playing Golf Today

Taking the family out for a holiday and you play golf!

If you’re a golf enthusiast, you will know that golf is all about who you play golf with and where you play golf. It makes a world of difference! In fact, it’s a good idea for you to take your family on an outing or a holiday in a golf course. Although not all your family members will like to play golf with you but you get to kill two birds with one stone. You get to play your golf and your family gets to enjoy the luxurious hotel and resort setting and visit from travel destinations.
The golf courses will keep changing to give golfers a fresh layout

Before you start looking for a golf resort to play golf in, check whether the golf course is actually a public one, a private one or a semi-private one. The classifications determine whether you’ll get to play golf there or not. A private golf course is reserved and is not open to the public. The semi-private golf courses are a membership-based golf course that allows certain public to play on their golf courses, for instance, hotel customers. Bear in mind that re-design and renovation of golf courses is an extremely common thing. Hotels and golf course owners usually renovate their golf courses consistently because people get bored playing in the same golf course over a certain period of time. So, to make it more attractive for golf enthusiasts, they will renovate or improve on the layout of the golf courses. It’ll also be more challenging for return golf enthusiasts.

Keen on improving your golf? Enroll in a golf school, of course!

And if you’re keen on improving your golf, you can even enroll yourself into a golf school. A one-on-one golf course is probably going to cost you an arm and a leg – especially if you’re talking about engaging the services of a professional golf instructor. Budget and time may become an obstacle to a golf enthusiast. So, what is the next best thing to do? To enroll yourself in an affordable golf school, of course. You’ll get to play and have fun at the same time – and if it’s a crash course, it won’t take up too much of your time because the syllabus is cramped into a certain period of time. And because these golf schools give golf lessons in small groups and not on a one-on-one basis, the cost of enrolling in the schools is much more affordable. The newer and broader types of packages offered from some of these golf schools can accommodate golf enthusiasts with all kinds of abilities – from amateurs, beginners to expert golfers.

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Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.travel-and-play.com on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Family Canoeing Vacation

Canoeing is a wonderful vacation idea. It can be a real family-type adventure that is challenging yet not too difficult. Besides being a distinctly fun activity, it is also a form of travel. With a canoe you have the means to safely access wilderness areas that otherwise might not be possible for a family. In more touristy places you have the means to slip off across the river or lake for more private family fun.

If you have your own canoe, great. It is easily carried on your car to where you will be using it. Or you can rent a canoe for long excursions or for as little as a few hours. This is a very flexible way to travel and explore.

Canoeing as a family is a slow paced activity which provides the opportunity to really get close to nature. The kids are involved not just as spectators but as an active part of the effort. This can be an exceptionally rewarding and confidence building experience for them.

Paddling a canoe is fun but potentially boring for the kids. There are plenty of ways to keep there interest up. Paddling close to shore gives everyone a chance to watch for birds and animals. Find a beach or large rock to stop at and go for a swim. Children too young to paddle can have fun pretending to paddle with small toy paddles. If you have two canoes you can race them. Navigate around and between rocks to create a sense of excitement. Make up stories about what’s in the trees on the shore or what’s around the next bend.

A great idea is to bring a camera along to photograph wildlife. Keep in mind that you should always keep a respectful distance. But you can still get a good close-up shot with a telephoto lens. A water resistant camera is recommended and be sure to wear it on a short strap. You don’t want to drop the camera into the water!

Always keep safety in mind. Bring life jackets for everyone. Anyone who can’t swim should wear one while in the canoe. Go over the rules before boarding the canoe. Standing up or switching places should never be done while the canoe is in the water. Leaning over the side is a no-no because it can tip the canoe and someone could fall out. Do a little research on boating safety so you can prepare yourself and the family to stay safe.

Show the kids who are old enough to paddle how to handle the paddle. Go over the basics of how to steer the canoe.

One of the great things about a family canoeing vacation is that it naturally combines with camping and fishing, which are always popular with kids.

Your canoe can take you to your campsite along the shore of a lake or river. Canoe, explore and fish during the day then relax beside the campfire in the evening. Nothing beats the taste of hotdogs and marshmallows personally toasted over a campfire.

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Peter Shannon is author and owner of http://www.1001-vacation-ideas.com/. Here you will find a large collection of vacation and getaway ideas for travelers searchable by theme and location.

Loincloths and Tenderizing at a Budapest Spa

The Gellert Hotel Spa is renowned as the ultimate spa destination in Hungary. Here’s a first hand account of the Gellert experience.

Gellert Hotel Spa

While in Budapest, everyone kept saying I hadn’t experience Hungary until I had a spa. According to my newfound friends, “a spa” meant the Gellert Hotel Spa.

Being a macho American male, I had dragged an American girl I met on the train with me to the spa. The purported purpose, of course, was chivalry and introducing her to an experience she would never forget. After paying $2 each, my bluff was called. Women and men were separated for the treatments. I was alone and didn’t speak a word of the language!

Once separated, I was sent into a large room with what appeared to be a few hundred dressing rooms. An attendant looked up from a desk, said something in Hungarian, slapped a piece of cloth in my hand and pointed to a dressing room.

In the dressing room, I prepared to change only to realize the cloth was no more than a string and a 2 x 2 inch square of cotton. For those anatomically challenged, the string went around your waste and the cloth hung in front. At this point, there was only one thing to do. Chant the traveler mantra, “Ah, what the heck. I’ll never see any of these people again.”

Outside the dressing room, I proceeded to immediately stand around, try to look casual and see what the locals were doing. This was a bit difficult as I was the only person in the room.
Eventually a local showed up, changed and headed down a hall. I followed and hoped he didn’t notice.

At the end of the hall, we walked through two giant pools. The walls were painted in baroque styles, the steps into the pools were marble and the whole place was impressive. I nearly let my loincloth slide up.

After the pools, we approached a room that looked remarkably more industrial. There was a line out the door and I dutifully joined it behind my guide. After a few moments, we rounded the door and I saw something I did not expect. Eight loincloth clad men like myself were lying on metal tables. Large male masseuses were standing over them. They would slap them about, spray them with garden hoses, slap them about and repeat as necessary. This wasn’t the massage I was anticipating, but I sure as heck wasn’t getting out of line. That would be to embarrassing!

After a few moments, it was my turn to jump up on a table. My “masseuse” looked at me and said, “Americanski?” I nodded. He grinned. And the beating began. A Hungarian/Turkish massage reminded me of the movie “Rocky.” In Rocky, the lead character pounds on sides of meat to get ready for his fight. In the case of the massage, I was the side of meat. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t exactly relaxing.

After a few moments of tenderizing, I was lifted off the table and sent flying through the air. As time slowly passed, I noted this hadn’t happened to any of the men who went before me. I also noted the limestone and marble material used in the walls. Just as I started panicking, I splashed down into a pool to the sound of laughter. While I was trying to decide if I should laugh or be enraged, my body started sending its own signals. I was in a pool of what had to be the coldest water on the planet earth. I am talking Antarctica kind of cold.

Leaping out of the pool, the men in the room gave me a standing ovation accompanied by hunched over, gasping laughter. Now I knew Hungary.

Well, when in Rome…err, Budapest.

_________________
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

The Ultimate Traveler’s Day Dream Come True

More than a few times, I’ve caught myself sitting at work day dreaming about dropping everything and just jumping on a plane. In October of 2003, I did just that.

Life can grind you down when you get in a rut. In my case, I had a particularly bad case of the blues in October 2003. My girlfriend and I had apparently come to an agreement that there was no need for me to exist on the face of the earth. My glamorous and exciting Internet business had become a bore. All and all, I was in a rut and needed a change. The travel gods apparently agreed.

On a Wednesday, I made the final decision to sell my business, get what I could for it and hit the road. The next day, I received a call from a man in Chicago what wanted to buy my web sites. This was particularly interesting since I hadn’t actually told anyone the sites were for sale. By the end of the day, we had agreed on a price, signed a contract and he was wiring the money.
First thing Monday morning, my bank verified the wired money had been received and credited to my bank account. I picked up a couple of American Express checks, packed a small backpack and headed to the airport in Los Angles, known as “LAX”.

The Dream Comes True

I walked into the international wing of LAX and did what every traveler has dreamed of doing. I stared at the flight board and just let the various destinations soak into my brain. After a few minutes, Asia percolated to the top of my grey matter and I started searching for the airlines with flights there.

After a few misses, I was able to get a ticket on a Korean Airlines flight to Bangkok. I passed through security, picked up a guidebook for Asia and headed to my gate. Three hours later, we lifted off the runway and I waived goodbye to rut for three months.

I’ve disdained heavy planning for my trips. I prefer a very loose schedule because I want time to live out unexpected events. If you ever get the chance to chuck everything and go travel for a few months, just do it. You never know when you’ll get the chance again!

__________________
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Lost in Lagos, Portugal

Lagos is a small town in Portugal built on a large hill overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. While its old world charm is evident during the day, it can be a real pain at night.

Upon arriving by train in Lagos, I quickly booked a bed in a private home with a local family. I was loaded in a car and driven to the home that was just over the crest of the hill on which Lagos is built. From the home, it was about a mile down to the beaches and water. Ah, good old exercise.

Being from San Diego, I immediately put on my trunks, flip flops and headed for a swim. As I came over the top of the hill, I looked around to get my bearing and admire the view of the sleepy town of Lagos. It reminded me of home and I stomped on down to the water with a smile on my face.

While swimming and catching a tan [okay, sunburn], I met some fellow travelers from London. From the beach, they took me to see cultural sites such as museums and so on. Okay, we went to a couple of bars. As evening turned into night, I endeavored to turn in early as I was burnt out from the long train ride from Lisbon. We agreed to meet the next day and I congratulated myself on my restraint as I walked out of the drinking establishment.

As I walked along, it dawned on me that I didn’t know the name of the street I lived on. No reason for alarm. I was at the bottom of the hill and a mile or so up on the top was my room. Figuring I would see something familiar, I started huffing it up the hill.

Many of us non-Europeans go to Europe for the historic effect. Tiny winding streets with cobblestones are a personal favorite, but not when you’re wearing flip flops and there is practically no lighting. I fell on my butt at least twice on dew covered cobblestones. As I neared the top of the hill, I managed to crack my right foot on one of those owe so cute half curbs that seem to appear throughout Europe.

Making matters worse, I was lost. I stopped to get my bearings and tried to avoid thinking about the sticky, wet feeling on my right flip flop. It was useless. There wasn’t enough light to make out much and what I could see was completely unfamiliar. There were people walking around, but I couldn’t ask them for help since I had been to stupid to write down the address of my host.

Being a typical male, I took the only logical option available to me. I walked up and down streets for roughly two hours, got chased by two dogs, cracked my right foot AGAIN on curb and generally developed a bad mood.

Just as I was contemplating sleeping in the bushes, I rounded the corner and there it was. The most beautiful little white house with a $6 room in Lagos. Delusional and tired, I staggered up to the door. It was locked. I gathered my wits and knocked. The lady of the house opened the door, looked me up and down and started giggling.

Like a wayward son, she took me into the kitchen and made some tea. I had scrapes on my knees and the toenail on the big toes of my right foot was an international disaster zone. She and her husband kept asking me if I had been in a fight!

Lagos is a great town if you’re looking for a little beach time. Just make absolutely sure you write down the address of where you are staying.

_________________
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.

Travel and Tour Tip For The First Time Visitor To China

China is a large country at a size of 9,596,960 sq km. China was only partially open to the world from 1980 onwards and has been a communist country for many decades. Although there is much progress in the travel industry and infrastructure of China, there remain areas that need to be improved before it can match the level that most tourist would require.

However, much of the fun remain that it is different from the rest of the world. China will be the host nation for the Olympics in Year 2008. Travel facilities and infrastructure will be improving quickly as we approach Year 2008.

China is rich in culture and history. Visit the Great Wall of China in Beijing, sip Chinese tea in Xiamen, dance with ethnic tribes in Yunnan, check out 19th Century European buildings in Qingdao - there are just so much to do and see in China!

Below are some travel tips to make your travel in China easier:

Entry Visa

China require entry visa from most countries. Apply at the Chinese consulate or through your travel agent before travelling to China.

Climate

Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north. Be prepared with the right seasonal clothing.

Foreign Exchange

The unit of currency is known as Renmembi(RMB) or Yuan. Get some Chinese Yuan in your local country before travelling. When in China, exchange foreign currency for local currency in the banks or at the hotel. Banks tend to give slightly better rates than hotels. Take note that some banks close for a noon siesta between 12-2pm.

Payment facilities

Most better class hotels and shopping centres take Credit Card or Travellers cheques. Smaller hotels and shops take cash only. Once out of the bigger cities, credit card and ATM cards tend to be almost impossible to utilize. Cash is still king in Chinese business and trade.

Counterfeit notes are common in China. Check carefully before accepting change, especially if it consists mostly 100RMB notes. You can feel a texture difference where counterfeit notes is concerned.

Understanding of English

Most civil servants, custom officials, police, hotel staff and men in the street do not speak English or at best a smattering of English.

Most signboards and notices will carry both English and Chinese. However, be aware that some translations can be so notorious that one can hardly understand what was it's original Chinese intention.

Do not expect hotels or shops to understand English. Only the very big hotels will have staff that will understand English.

Most young people can understand basic English if you speak slowly.

Social Security

China is generally a safe country. However, hang on tight to your wallet especially in crowded, popular tourist sites in tourist cities such as Beijing and Xian.

These tourist cities also has a lot of touts in the streets touting tourist from currency exchange to jewelleries to female companionships. Avoid at all cost!

Domestic Travel

Bus, train, ferries and domestic flights are quite well developed. Avoid the crowd at the stations and book your tickets through the hotel tour desk or the nearest tour agent. Prices are likely to be competitive and tickets will be delivered to your hotel room. Again, avoid ticket touts who approach you in the streets.

Local buses are cheap (US$0.10 or YS$0.20) and you may want to try out. Taxis are convenient and are available at all hours. Starting fares differ from each city and may be as cheap as US$0.70 in Weihai and US$1.50 in Shenzhen.

Avoid travel in China during peak holiday seasons or book tickets well ahead.

Local Hotels

There is a good choice of hotels in China ranging from one star to the most luxurious 6 stars. Most of the time, the rooms are safe and clean and in my opinion, cheap does not mean bad.

There are many websites selling China hotel rooms on the internet. You can also check out the travel counters which are available in most train, bus stations as well as airport.

Book ahead if travelling in peak seasons.

Peak Tourist Seasons

Chinese New Year: Date varies but generally late January or early February.

May Day: First two weeks of May

China National Day: Middle two weeks of October

Avoid travelling during these period. Book rooms and travel modes way early if need to travel. Believe me, the crowds during these period of time will be scary. What do you expect when the entire Chinese nation of 8 billion people are on holiday as well!

Chinese Food

Local food is absolutely fabulous. Try as much Chinese food as your wallet or stomach can afford. Restaurants are available everywhere and open to late hours. Most restaurants will have a menu that include photographs of the various dishes. Better yet, simply point at the food that your next door table is having, especially if it looks delicious!

However, avoid street side stalls and drinking directly from the taps if you have delicate stomach.

Telecommunications

Mobile phone coverage in China is good in most locations. Global auto-roaming within China is not a problem.

Internet

There are cyber-cafes everywhere in China, especially in tourist areas. Most are patronised by young people playing online games but you still can check your Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail. Access may be a bit slow for international websites.

You will need to show your passport as China has tight regulations at Internet Cyber Cafes.

Toilet facilities

One of the worst experience many has with China is the atrocious toilet facilities. Things has improved very much but it may still be a good idea to empty your stomach or bladder at every opportunity in a hotel, restaurant or departmental store. Public toilets and toilets in small shops can be a nose hazard!

* Useful China travel tips *

Try to get a English speaking tour guide at every opportunity you can. China has a rich and wonderful history and culture and without a guide, somehow, the flavour and significance of most tour sites can be lost.

*Sneaky tip: Hang around a group that has a English speaking guide if you cannot afford one!

Always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver so that you can complain if you have been cheated or for tracing purposes if you happen to leave your camera behind in the taxi.

Try to take the namecard for each hotel that you are staying at as these cards will have a Chinese address and the map of your hotel location. This is useful if you need to seek assistance to find your way back as the English version or pronounciation of a hotel or a street name may be quite different from the Chinese version.

After a tiring day, check out Chinese foot reflexology or Chinese TuiNa (Chinese massage). Wonderful for the body after a hard day and very cheap to boot. Simply look out for shop signs that shows two feet! They are everywhere.

Make friends with the Chinese whenever you can. They love to meet foreigners and will make good tour guides. Just buy a small present as a small token of appreciation.

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Ken Cheong worked and live in Mainland China for 5 years. He has great admiration for the Chinese people who has suffered for many years from war and political unrest to become a up and coming economy today. He shares his experience in China with people interested in visiting or working in China in his chinese culture website. Please feel free to share or post this article as long as acknowledgement is made to: http://www.chinese-culture.net

Austria – Vienna, Salzburg, Halstatt and Sound of Music

Austria simply can’t be beat when it comes to beauty. You’ve seen the country in the Sound of Music, but the cities of Vienna, Salzburg and the alpine town of Halstatt are just as nice.

Vienna

Vienna is a city with a ridiculous amount of history. The home of the waltz, Habsburg Palaces and an unrivaled musical past. Walk for an evening through the cobblestone streets in the center city and you can almost hear a famous composer at work. In fact, many of the walking areas are lined with small orchestral ensembles playing their way through the evening. Elbowing in on their act, of course, are those unique artist who dress in a period piece and then stand in one position for what seems time eternal. Buddhist monks would be envious if they believed in envy.

The only downside to Vienna is the expense. It is very expensive. If you are going to spend some time in the city, be ready to pay for the privilege.

Salzburg

Salzburg is one of my favorite cities and I always try to hit it when I am traveling through Europe. The real home of Mozart, Salzburg is Vienna without less of the hustle and bustle. A walk through the shopping district will leave you breathless and, sometimes, penniless, but it is a worthwhile go. Salzburg is a city where you can drink bear with monks, take in an opera or just walk through exquisite rose gardens. Unfortunately, it gives Vienna a run for its money when it comes to being expensive. Yes, pun intended.

Halstatt

Halstatt is the little town in the Alps that puts the Sound of Music to shame. Located roughly an hour outside of Salzburg, the easiest way to reach it is by train. The train travels well up into the Alps and drops you off by the side of a lake. You plop down in a little hut and wait for the ferry from Halstatt to appear. The ferry then halls you across the lake to a Alpine town with no cars – Halstatt. It is like stepping into the past. People are friendly, prices are reasonable and romance is on the hoof. Swans swim along the outdoor cafes dotting the lake and, well, it is pretty dang nice. If you are looking for a little romance, Halstatt is definitely worth your consideration.
For many travelers, Austria gets scratched off the “must visit” list because it is so expensive. Still, you should try to visit it at least once in your life to take in the splendor.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Portugal – Lisbon, Algarve and Lagos

On the southwestern tip of continental Europe, Portugal is an old school country. In this article, we take a look at Lisbon, Lagos and the Algarve.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the biggest city in Portugal and is located on the Atlantic coast in middle of the country. I’ve been to Lisbon three times, but only for a few days each time. Every time I come away with the impression of elegance.
Arriving by train, your first taste of Lisbon is when you walk out of the train station directly onto the shore of the harbor. As you look to the ocean, the name “San Francisco” immediately comes to mind. Mountains rise up on both sides of the mouth of the harbor and then there is the bridge. Running across the mouth of bay is a bridge that looks for all intensive purposes like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I’ve never had a chance to research it, but there has to be a connection.
As you walk into Lisbon, everything is clean and relaxed. There are walking only streets with cafes and garden areas. Bringing to mind San Francisco again, there are cable cars running though the center of the city. I can’t tell you why, but Lisbon is a very low stress city on both the mind and the wallet. Yep, it is cheap and a good destination for budget travelers.
Algarve
The Algarve is the southwestern tip of Portugal and borders on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans. This is an interpretation on my part as some feel the area only covers the beaches on the Mediterranean Ocean. Regardless, the Algarve is a collection of beach towns that remind me of Southern California in the 1940’s. No I am not that old. I am just relying on family stories and pictures. Jeez, give me some credit! One of the highlights of the Algarve is Lagos.
Lagos
I grew up in San Diego, California. It’s a great place to be a kid and an adult. The only complaint I have is a lot of people seem to feel the same way. The population has exploded beyond belief, freeways are crowded on weekends and housing prices average roughly $500,000 for a deluxe closet without driveway. Its still nice, but I’ve begun to think about relocating. If I do, Lagos may be my destination.
Lagos is a sleepy beach community with just about anything you could want in paradise. White beaches, private beaches, grottos, wine growing, a lively nightlife, modern conveniences and just about the nicest people you have ever met in your life.
You can stay in a hotel while in Lagos, but this is a mistake in my opinion. Instead, go to the train station and reserve a room with a family. Families in cities all over the world do this, but Lagos is different. The family you stay with more or less adopts you as one of their own. They will haul you all over town, introduce you to other locals and generally give you a true taste of Portugal. For veteran travelers, nothing could be better.
Rating
For an overall rating, I give Portugal and Lagos the highest rating of “bar.” I loved it so much, I wanted to stay and almost purchased a bar by blackmailing, bribing and begging a friend in California over the phone. Alas, his wife didn’t think it was such a good idea.
Hey, how about you? We could probably still get a good deal! No, seriously.
About The Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.

Lagos, Portugal – Casa Rosa and Joe’s Garage

If you’re a budget traveler or backpacking Europe, Lagos is a cheap slice of paradise. Casa Rosa is the place for general sustenance, while Joe’s Garage is a place to let go.

Casa Rosa

Casa Rosa claims to be the haven for backpackers in Lagos. The more you travel, the more you know such claims are rarely true. With Casa Rosa, however, I can confirm the claim is true. This hole in the wall served heaping mounds of the food of the day for really cheap prices. It was packed with backpackers, which made it a good place to meet people and exchange war stories.
I haven’t been to Portugal for four years, so I have to attach a caveat to recommending Casa Rosa. When I first visited Casa Rosa in the 1990’s, it was owned by a couple of Brits, who were apparently trying to sell it. I dropped in twice in subsequent years and they were still there and still trying to sell it. Whether this ever occurred, I can’t really say so keep in mind there may be a new owner or the place may not exist at all.

Joe’s Garage

In every town or city, there is one “underground” night spot you just have to visit. Of course, you first have to find out about it and then figure out where it is. People “in the know” typically heavily guard this information. For years, Joe’s Garage has been such a place in Lagos.
The recommend attire for Joe’s Garage is a bathing suit, t-shirt and flip flops. The place appears to have no ventilation whatsoever and is insanely hot. Turning a negative into a positive, the owners have a strong water policy. Water shoots out of the ceiling, mouths of statutes on the wall and water guns expertly aimed by bartenders. If you were glasses, just leave them at home.

Joe’s is open from around ten in the evening until the hour you stagger out. It is located on Rua Primiero de Mayo, but don’t bother writing that down. The place has so little signage that you could be standing in front and completely miss it. The best way to find it is to follow the late night crowd as they begin filing out of the bars around midnight.

Lagos is an ideal spot for budget travelers. The town is has beaches, nightlife and is cheap. Enjoy!

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

France at 200 kph – of Grandmothers, Lyon and Rain

In my teens, I traveled to France with my mother, father and grandmother for a month of sightseeing with a rental car. Michael Schumacher and Formula 1 have nothing on my father and our Opel rental car.

American fathers have an interesting if somewhat aggravating habit on trips. Yes, I am talking about the desire to see everything there is to see. This was particularly problematic in France, which has a gazillion things to see. For some reason, my memory is a blur! I’ll have to refer back to my Nomad Travel Journal, but here we go…

Churches. Big churches. Small churches. Church ruins. New churches. For three days, my grandmother had insisted we stop at every church we passed. She is just about the greatest grandmother a kid could hope for, but she had been a grade school teacher for forty years and there is just no disobeying. Did I mention we looked at churches?

We pulled into Lyon as the third day turned to evening. It was raining. We were tired and grumpy. After a minor argument, we pulled up in front of an older hotel with vacancies and checked in. Family arrangements being what they were, my parents had one room while my grandmother and I shared a second. We all agreed to take a nap and meet a little later.

As I lay on my bed, I watched the rain come down hard on the windows. I also admired the old, intricate wood structure that was our hotel. I dozed off and was awaken a few hours later by my grandmother.

“The door is stuck!” she told me.

Grumbling, I walked over to the door and gave it a yank. Then I gave it another yank. Like a bad comedy, I put one leg up on the wall and yanked again. Alas, the wood seemed to have swollen and jammed the door shut. I couldn’t budge it.

At this point, my grandmother made a passing comment about the two years of French I was taking in high school and pointed to the phone. Dutifully, I called down to the lobby and chaos ensued. Somehow, we had lost the key, so I couldn’t tell them what room we were in. It just got worse.

What is the French word for “door?” Don’t know? Neither did I nor do I now. All I could say to the person at the front desk is, “We are stuck!”

To top matters off, I also started yelling my last name, Chapo, thinking they would at least come investigate. After being hung up on twice, it occurred to me that the pronunciation of my last name means “hat” in French. Yes, I was yelling,
“We are stuck! Hat!”
“We are stuck! Hat!”

Intensely cussing up a storm, I walked over to the door and banged it with my fist. It bounced open. My grandmother and I stared at each other and burst out laughing.

I hoofed it to my parent’s room to tell them the story. Half way through the tale, my mother plugged in her hair dryer, flipped it on and blew out the electricity for the entire floor.
We left very early the next morning.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com/ - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Halstatt, Austria – Scoffing at the Sound of Music

Set in Austria, the Sound of Music is an epic film spurring dreams of a heavenly land in every child that sees the movie. In truth, they should have filmed the movie in Halstatt, Austria.

Halstatt

I had been in Salzburg for four days and was growing restless. The city was an eyeful with beautiful garden areas, architecture and plenty of sites to see. At the end of the day though, it was still a city. And an expensive city at that!

Flipping through my guidebook, a local I had made friends with suggested I take a day trip to the little town of Halstatt. As I looked under “H” in the index, he told me I wouldn’t find it in the book and I should just trust him. Off to the train station we went.

Sitting on the train, I soon met a fellow traveler heading to Halstatt. We chatted as the train puttered up into some of the most impressive mountains I’d ever seen. Soon we were running between the face of a mountain and a deep blue lake. The train stopped and he indicated this was our stop. There was a small shack, but no other buildings much less a small town. I began to suspect my buddy in Salzburg had pulled on over on me.

Out of nowhere, a small ferry pulled up to our shack. On we hopped and off we went across the lake. As we closed in on the far shore, a small town began to take shape. Swiss chalets, swans, cobble stone streets, outdoor cafes and…no cars. None.

Halstatt turned out to run about a mile along the shore of the lake. It was like something out of heaven. It is amazing how quiet things are when there are no cars, mopeds, trucks and other vehicles. Frankly, it was surreal.

I rented a room in a chalet directly on the shore of the lake. My window looked out over the lake. As the evening wound down, it was hard to imagine a more peaceful place in the world. The morning was more amazing.

Halstatt is located at a very high point in the Alps, which had a surprising effect. Lying in bed, I stared out my window into what looked like a television set gone bad. It was totally grey.

Walking to the window, I was stunned to realize we were so high the clouds had settled roughly 20 feet above the lake. Words fail me, but it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. There was total silence, a slowly swirling cloud cover being reflected by the lake and swans floating around. Truly a site to behold.

Halstatt is a difficult one-day excursion from Salzburg? The difficulty lies in leaving. I stayed for a week!

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Switzerland – Interlaken, Zurich, St. Moritz and Geneva

Switzerland is the land of skiing, chocolate and very private banking. Ah, but there is so much more to experience in the land of neutrality.

Interlaken

Interlaken gets its highly creative name from sitting on the split of land between two lakes. If you’re looking for a little extreme sporting, this is place. You can backpack, horseback ride, parasail and so on. To really take in the majesty of the alps, I highly recommend you cough up the money for a go at skydiving. You may have gone ski diving before, but I guarantee you nothing compares to free falling down through the mountains of Switzerland. This is how God must feel looking down at the earth. While God gets the view for free, you will have to pay…a lot. Still, the view and experience is something you will never forget.

Zurich

Zurich is the cleanest city in Switzerland, Europe and maybe the world. There place simply sparkles. Various guide books challenge readers to find a cigarette butt or piece of trash on the sparkling streets. Personally, I find the cleanliness of the city a bit of a negative. Stop rolling your eyes. The place is simply so clean that it seems to lack any real character. One keeps getting the feeling you are walking around a Disneyland Park. The budget traveler should be aware that Zurich is more expensive than even Disneyland.

St. Moritz

If you’re looking for the arrogant rich, over the top luxury and incredibly expensive prices, St. Moritz is for you. Not really my crowd, so on to the next city…

Geneva

Geneva is not “just another” clean city in Switzerland. Okay, it looks like it at first and second glance, but the third glance may prove a delight. With cobble stone streets, the city reminds one of the stereotypical Swiss images in the media. In reality, Geneva has a bustling underground of live music, art and general fun. Four aspirin and two bottles of water later, I can certainly attest to it. The only way to let your hair down in Geneva is to buddy up to a local and follow their lead. Trust me, you’ll have a blast.

Switzerland often seems a bit too good to be true. Perhaps it truly is a mountain mirage. Guess you’ll just have to visit to do your own investigation!

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com/ - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Srinagar… City of Dal Lake

If you've longed for the delights of a houseboat holiday, now is the time to try one out.
Srinagar is a unique city because of its lakes - the Dal, Nigeen and Anchar. The River Jehlum also flows through a part of the city.

The Dal, Srinagar's largest lake, has the most number of houseboats, followed by the Nigeen and the Jehlum.

As a general rule, houseboats in the Dal are of all categories, from deluxe through to D class, while those in the Nigeen are largely luxury class and those in the Jehlum largely economy class. This, however, is a generalization.

Most houseboats on the Nigeen and the Jehlum are situated on the banks of the lake, and can be accessed directly from land without the help of a shikara, while all those on the Dal require a shikara to get to and from them.

Most houseboats on the Dal are situated in long straggling rows; some face the Boulevard, Srinagar's most exciting address, while others are situated singly or in groups of two and three. The location of a houseboat tells us nothing about its class, but before checking into one, there are a few factors which you may like to consider.

A honeymoon couple may want to be away from it all, and may choose a houseboat with few, if any, close neighbors. To them, it will be an advantage to stay in the interior of the lake, accessible by a half hour long shikara ride. A family with young children on the other hand may find themselves better served in an area which overlooks the Boulevard where a crossing takes just five minutes.

When your houseboat is in a busy area of the Dal, it is enjoyable just to sit on balcony and watch the world row by.

Each houseboat has anything between two and four bedrooms in it with attached bathrooms and a common sitting and dining room. The charges of a houseboat always include all meals and a certain number of, crossings by shikara to and from the houseboat.

Houseboats offer far more personalized service than hotels because of the far higher host:guest ratio. On the other hand, fellow guests at the same house- boat tend to interact much more than if they were staying at the same hotel.

This is why houseboats are ideal for a large group of eight or more adults.

The Dal is famous not only for its beauty, but for its vibrance, because it sustains within its periphery, a life that is unique anywhere in the World. The houseboat and shikara communities have lived for centuries on the Dal, and so complete is their infrastructure on the lake, that they never have to step on land! Doctors, tailors, bakers - you'll see them all in tiny wooden shops on the lake, near picturesque vegetable gardens and acres of lotus gardens.

A shikara ride is one of the most soothing, relaxing aspects of a holiday in Kashmir. It can be an hour long ride to see the sights of the Dal; a shopping- by-shikara expedition to visit handicraft shops within the periphery of the lake; or a whole day trip to visit important city landmarks.
Because the Dal is so central to the landscape of Srinagar, many places of tourist interest have, over the ages, been built in its vicinity. Nishat and Shalimar gardens as well as Hazratbal mosque is directly accessible by shikra.

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Aadil Mukhtar
Is the writer of more than 1300 articles about kashmir and has his blog www.ilovekashmir.blogspot.com.

Gambling In Las Vegas

The two letter noun that completely defines gambling is LAS VEGAS. It has become the dream destination of all gamblers and holiday seekers. The one place you can drain all the tension and if unlucky all the money is VEGAS. Set in the midst of the desert it makes an oasis worth reckoning. Offering free drinks and luxurious ambiances the casinos of Las Vegas are nothing short of wonderland. It’s so easy for a person to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the busy streets or overcrowded casino tables. One must be care full while in Vegas as you may loose more then you plan to earn.

The gambling sees no rich or poor. All you need is the willingness to spend the money you have, the daring to go for the risky bets and you never know you can be the crowned king of gambling. This is the philosophy of the gambling paradise on earth. The casinos are full of games to bet on. There are sophisticated games with latest technology and there can also be the most famous card games to play. For example, despite all the advances games like blackjack and poker remain most played.

Although the whole city and places around it are mushroomed with casinos and entertainment centers but some places are better then others. And the best Las Vegas has to offer can be found on the Fremont street. It has been the street where you can find the most advertised items that Las Vegas has. The El Cortez, the Horseshoe etc. are the major places to go and try luck. Gambling majors like Steve Wynn have brought about a completely fantastic arena for the gamblers by the name of Golden Nugget. It has an excellent accommodation and luxurious settings for the gambling lovers.

Gambling is not the exclusive domain of the rich and spendthrift. With the increasing numbers of non-gambling tourist making it to Vegas every year, it has become imperative for the city to have places that offer cheap and dilettante gambling. you can make it to the Klondike, one of the most inexpensive casinos, then you can fulfill your dream of sitting on an poker table and yet not be robbed of. Most non-gambling tourists look for such places.

You may also decide to come out of Vegas with riches in both hands. This requires a lot of skill and time to spend. One has to survey the prospects and identify the one where the odds to win are the best and then intelligently with some prior knowledge bet on it. All the time one is betting, temperament is one thing you can’t loose. You have to be cool and play on. Keeping in mid what you have with you and what are you willing to loose. There is no point wonder what went wrong in the last bet that you even lost your shirt in it. The only advise for new visitors is that, in a place that offers free drinks for a person betting any thing over 25 cents, better safe then sorry.

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Mansi Gupta writes about. gambling in las vegas Learn more at http://www.betsinvegas.com.

Flying Internationally on Chartered Planes

If you’re a budget traveler, chartered planes will cross your travel planning path at some point in time. The quality of charter flights can be both good and bad.

During certain times of the year, flying to a particular location can be very expensive. One way to beat the expense is to book a seat on a charter flight. I did this very thing once, booking a round trip ticket to Europe during the high season. The seat set me back $400, a savings of about $350 at the time.

The chartered flight had good and bad points. I don’t want to get sued, so I’ll leave out the name of the company in the following.

Bad Points

I was flying out of Los Angeles and into Paris on an unnamed charter flight. The fun started upon arriving at the airport. The flight left at 2:00 in the afternoon, but the ticket window wasn’t open at noon. An hour later, a very long line of passengers were starting to grumble about being ripped off since the ticket window still hadn’t opened. A riot was ready to break out when a tired looking man came out and opened the window at 1:45. In response to shouts asking how we were supposed to all board the plane in 15 minutes, he kindly let us know the flight was delayed by three hours.

Bad Point Number One: Customer Service Stinks on Chartered Flights.

Once on the plane, I was extremely fortunate to be located one row in front of the toilets and directly in front of an emergency exit. Because of the emergency exit, my seat did not recline! Admittedly, this was more bad luck than anything to do with the charter company. The smell of the lavatories, however, was very strong. The flight was 11 hours, most of which I spent cursing myself for being cheap.

Bad Point Number Two: You Get What You Pay For.

Good Points

There is one very good point when it comes to flying charter. While the initial booking is cheap, most travelers fail to take full advantage of the nature of a charter flight.

Charter flights have first class seating. Not many people who can afford first class tickets will take a charter flight. In fact, the first class section may be close to empty. When you check in, make sure to ask if you can upgrade to first class for the flight. If you can, it is usually very cheap to do so. On my return flight from Paris to Los Angeles, I upgraded for a whopping $50 and immediately became a travel snob. “You call this water?! I demand 1949 Perrier! And a lobster! And I want to fly the plane!

Charter flights definitely are a cheap way to fly. Just keep in mind you get what you pay for.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Copenhagen – Ice Rinks and Danish Elephants

On my first visit to Denmark, I fell in love with the country and the city of Copenhagen. Contrary to my guidebook, you could see elephants and experience ice hockey in the dead of summer.

The Hanson Brothers

Upon arriving in Copenhagen, I was burned out from backpacking and looking forward to a good nap. I was traveling with three other Americans and we became distressed as each subsequent hostel told us all beds were sold. After asking around [okay, we were in a bar], we were given a lift by a local to a “hotel” guaranteed to have space.

I could only sigh as we pulled up to the ice rink for the local professional team. Since we were “high and dry”, we entered and booked our beds. Left face off dot. Yes, our beds were arranged around the left face off dot. To make a little extra money during the summer, the rink melted the ice and set up beds everywhere. The scene can best be described as a giant collection of cubicles in an office with beds instead of desks. It was cheap, dry and had a communal feel since you could hear everything. If you’ve seen the movie “Slap Shot”, it was like living with a few hundred Hanson Brothers.

Danish Elephants

Okay, there was one Danish elephant. Okay, it was made out of wood. And poured beer. From its trunk. Ah, let me start at the beginning.

Having been befriended by some local Danes, we were asked in hushed tones if we would like to see real Danish elephants. Yes, we’d be able to touch them. No, they weren’t dangerous. We could even ride them? Wow, this was going to be a great entry in my Nomad travel journal.

We were picked up at the ice rink that evening and taken to the center of town. We stopped in front of what looked like all the world to be a small tavern. This is where they keep the elephants? We walked into a small tavern with…a life-sized, wood elephant.

As it turned out, the elephant was the world’s biggest and best beer dispensing unit. Put you glass under the trunk and pull down on a tusk to dispense your beverage of choice. Each tusk provided a different beer, but I investigated the mechanism far to often that evening and don’t recall the brands. Unfortunately, there didn’t appear to be an aspirin elephant anywhere to be seen the next morning.

If you’re going to be visiting Copenhagen and don’t give a hoot about privacy, the ice rink hotel can’t be beat for price and a communal spirit. Well, maybe by the Danish elephants, but don’t tell anyone I told you.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Denmark – Copenhagen, Helsingor and Beverages

Denmark is one of the hippest countries in Europe. Copenhagen is the center of activity with a lively evening scene, palaces and castles.

If you’ve traveled to Denmark, you’ll understand when I immediately bring up the subject of bars. The Danish like to toss back a few when time permits. Time seems to permit a lot and a few beers often become many. To this end, going out for a night on the town with friendly Danes can be dangerous in the summer. Due to its location on old mother earth, it doesn’t get dark in Denmark until elevenish during the summer. This can be difficult to adjust to, particularly when you look down at your watch and realize it is four in the morning. And the sun is coming up! Ah, but Denmark is not all socializing.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is one of those cities that is large, but feels small. I think this vibe arises from the fact there are a lot of walking only areas. Even in the center of the city, the streets are arranged like those in a neighborhood. This gives even the biggest restaurant or bar on the biggest street a local tavern feel.

If palaces and castles are your thing, Denmark has much to offer. The palace of Amalienborg and surrounding neighborhood area are definite examples of that over the top palace building period of Europe. A quick minivan trip out of town will deliver you to the castles of Kronborg and Frederiksborg. As castles go, I use the one through five cake rating and give each of these three cakes. The cake rating, of course, comes from the French Queen who suggested the poor be given cake to stop the complaints of starving.

Helsingor

Helsingor is a provincial city that represents the true Denmark or so I was told. Surprisingly, many a Dane seemed to consider Copenhagen a great city, but not really representative of true Denmark. With a righteous desire to seek the truth, I visited and stayed in Helsingor for three days. Indeed, the town was much sleepier than Copenhagen and had more of an authentic feel to it. But there was one problem.

Helsingor is full of Swedes. When I say “full”, I mean it in the most complete interpretation of the word. I like Sweden and the people, so it wasn’t a big deal. Still, did this mean the Danes felt true Denmark was a Swedish colony? When I posed this question one evening, I was educated in a tone of near outrage. Turns out the Swedes were everywhere because Denmark has liberal alcohol laws while Sweden is extremely repressive. Since the countries are remarkably close to each other, the Swedes pop over for a few days of fun in the sun. Ah, my mistake!
All and all, I enjoyed my time in Copenhagen and give it a my highest “employment rating.” By employment rating, I mean that I liked it so much I tried to find a job so I could stay.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Nearly Broke in Nice, France

I had been backpacking for three months around Europe and had reached my final destination of Nice. Too bad I had 10 days till my flight home and I was nearly broke!

As I sat in the Gar de Nice, the train station, I started giving serious thought to how I was going to survive for 10 days on $150.00. I had just arrived from two weeks in Barcelona, a Spanish girlfriend and, well, it had seemed worth it at the time.

Lodging seemed like a good place to start. Hmmm…the Ritz? Probably a bit pricey. Eventually, I found a bed in a communal room in a hotel with a lot of character. By communal, I mean eight beds for both boys and girls in one room. By character, I mean the place was old when Napoleon was in power. The snoring alone was enough to raise the ancient roof.

Still, it only set me back $8 a night, so I had $70 to live off for ten days. $70 doesn’t go particularly far in Nice and some involuntary dieting was coming front and center in my mind. Even McDonalds was expensive, but the clean bathrooms made a daily trip worth it.

Fortunately, one of my roommates was Thomas from England. He was broke as well, but intentionally so. He had come down from London to relax on the beach. Every night, he went out and played guitar in front of cafes for spare change. He made the equivalent of $10 to $15 a night and felt he was playing well. I pointed out the money was being paid to make him go away. He just smiled.

Thomas soon figured out I was dead broke and empathized with my situation. For the next 10 days, I would follow him on his musical rounds and keep an eye out for the police. Apparently, the local authorities frowned upon freelance guitar sessions. This was particularly true when he played the extended version of “Hey, Jude” in front of diners that weren’t tipping.

Afterwards, we would buy wine and grab a bus to Villefranche Sur Mer, a beach area just to the east of Nice proper. There we would visit various friends Thomas had made over the years, drink wine and eat until the wee hours of the morning.

I have to admit is was a very good time and I was melancholy when the day of my flight finally came. Okay, the snoring in the room was obnoxious, but you could avoid it by staying up all night!

If you get stuck in Nice and are low on funds, Thomas still goes every summer. He’s the tall guy singing Beetles tunes off key.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

Margaret Island – Paradise in Budapest

The Danube River runs through the center of Budapest in Hungary. In the middle of the city chaos lays an oasis of tranquility, Margaret Island.

Margaret Island

Margaret Island is one of the unique elements of Budapest. The island is located in the middle of the Danube River in central Budapest and is a little more than 1 mile long and 500 yards wide. With the exception of a hotel at the south end, the island is free of cars and buildings.

Historically, Margaret Island served as a private park for Hungarian royalty and you can see why. The island consists mostly of paths flanked by old growth trees, rose gardens and tailored lawn areas. Peacocks walk freely around the island and wild ducks nest throughout the island. At the south end of the island, you can visit hot thermal springs, walk on paths through peaceful ponds or relax in front of tiered water cascades. During part of the year, plays are undertaken at an outdoor theatre.

The island is named after Princess Margaret, the daughter of King Bela IV. If the beauty of the island is a reflection of the Princess, she must have been one impressive woman.

These days, the island is open to the public and serves as a recreation area. During the weekdays, workers in Budapest pour out of the city and onto the island for lunch breaks. Only in Budapest can you be in the middle of an active city, walk 200 feet across a bridge and be in a peaceful, forested area.

Traveling can be hectic and stressful. If you’re feeling this way in Budapest, a visit to Margaret Island should provide a cure.

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Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories.

8 Things Not To Forget When Traveling To The Tropics

Sometimes it is hard to pack for a place or climate that is new. When packing to go to the tropics there are some items that you don't want to forget.

1. Appropriate Identification: With tighter security these days it simply makes sense to carry a passport and photo ID. Also be sure to have identification for your children traveling with you.

2. Contraceptives: Well... If you think you will be getting down and dirty on your trip you should bring contraceptives.

3. Appropriate Clothing: Yes the tropics are warm but if a sudden storm rolls in it can get quite cool, fast. Always bring good shoes, pants and even a light jacket.

I find it is better to pack lightly, You never know when you will need to carry your luggage for a distance. 3 or 4 full changes of cloths will often be enough.

4. Sunscreen: SPF 30 minimum. Any less and you stand to get burned. A sunscreen should also contain either zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

Before leaving on your trip it is a good idea to spend some time in a tanning bed. This can give you a good base to withstand the intense sun near the equator.

5. Medication: Obviously bring any prescription medication but you should also think about Aspirin, Pepto Bismal and other pharmacy items.

Be sure to carry any medicine in the original package and carry copies of your prescription as well.

6. Guide Book: A guide book to the area that you are visiting can come in real handy. Besides showing you the attractions in the area it will also have important phone numbers in case of an emergency.

7. Cash: Having a credit card and travelers cheques with you is a must. Also carry enough American cash for 2 days of emergency living. You never know when a storm will knock out the power.

8. Snorkel: If you have any plans to go snorkeling you may want to bring you own snorkel and mask, or at least a snorkel. Rentals are shared by many people. If you are packing light a snorkel takes up almost no space.

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Dave Markel is the owner of the Cancun Resort Guide. For more information about Cancun and the Mayan Riviera visit http://cancun-resort-guide.com/.

St. Tropez - A "Must-See" Part Of The French Riviera

A visit to the French Riviera would not be complete without a stop in St. Tropez. Renowned for its miles of glistening white beaches, exotic food and as a playground for the rich and famous - it is THE place to see and be seen.

A true jewel of the Riviera, St. Tropez is an animated seaside resort where the azure water and cerulean skies are backlit by brilliant sunsets of ripe apricot, ruby red and gold.

The late afternoon breeze from the Med causes the jewel-colored awnings of the sidewalk cafes to snap and wave merrily, and brings a welcome relief from the heat of the day. Here, the air is fragrant with jasmine and mimosa, andthe occasional whiff of a gourmet meal being prepared makes your mouth water.

The nightlife in St. Tropez is fast, energetic and frenetic. You can always find something going on -- there are numerous clubs where you can eat, drink and dance the night away.

"St. Trop" as it is known by those in the film industry, means "Saint Too Much." It was "discovered" in 1956 when Roger Vadim’s "And God Created Women" was filmed here, launching a young Brigitte Bardot into instant super stardom. St. Tropez became a Mecca to artists, writers and, of course, movie stars in the 60s.

St. Tropez is the favored vacation site of chic Parisians and most of Europe. International stars still flock here in the spring and summer, and you never know whom you’ll run into at the open-air market in the Place des Lices, or while sipping an aperitif at one of the many outdoor cafes. In fact, people watching is a favorite pastime in the summer, when the sidewalks are crowded with tourists and sun worshippers.

At the heart of St. Tropez is the harbor. Take a walk along the pier, and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a picture postcard or a painting by Signac or Matisse. Picturesquely painted villas with red tiled roofs sit along the dock, indulgently watching over the wooden fishing boats that bob gently next to large, expensive yachts. 12th century churches, the famous parasol pines and narrow cobblestone streets among picture-perfect houses complete the feeling that it’s too beautiful to be real.

Much has been made of the very special quality of light that is only found in St. Tropez. Maybe it's because of its unique and paradoxical location, or perhaps the spectacular, almost tropical climate has something to do with it. Whatever the reason, when you see the way the luminescent light plays across the wooden sailboats, or highlights one of the beautiful fountains, you’ll feel the stirrings of your inner artist, and long to pick up a paintbrush and palette.

St. Tropez is also known for its beaches. The most famous is the Plage de Pampelonne, with its five km of almost blinding white sand, exotic boutiques, sidewalk cafes and restaurants, including the renowned "Club 55." At the north end you’ll find the Plage de Tahiti, which is a well-known haunt of famous celebrities. Other beaches you can visit include Bouillabaisse, Caneliers, and Salins. To the south of Plage de Pampelonne is Cap Camarat, and just beyond that - a little less accessible and therefore much less crowded - are Plage de l’Escalet and Plage de la Briande. If you go a little farther south, you’ll find a wonderful beach - Gigaro, and the town of La Croix Valmer.

In all, you’ll find over 40 beaches in the area, so it’s easy to enjoy soaking up the sun every day, if that’s your pleasure. If you prefer something a little more strenuous than lying on the beach, St. Tropez offers something for everyone in way of activities. You can find: Hiking, Biking, Golf, Tennis, Racquetball, Fitness Center, Miniature Golf, Amusement Parks, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Shopping, Restaurants (from the very expensive to the inexpensive), Cinemas, Swimming, Snorkeling/Scuba Diving, Boating, Sailing, Water-skiing, Surfing, Windsurfing, Parasailing, and Jet skiing.

When you’re finished soaking up the sun, you can move indoors, and soak up a little culture instead. There are plenty of wonderful museums, art galleries and other events scheduled throughout the year.

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Sandy Knoll, the author, operates a websited devoted to beaches and everything related to beaches. She operates http://www.finbeach.com which is a great beach resource. Email her at sandy@finbeach.com.

The Ghan: A Great Australian Train Journey

The Ghan is a living legend in Australian history and offers the ultimate journey through the heart of the Australian continent. Named after Afghan cameleers who originally helped open up the desert interior of Australia in the late 19th and early 20th, the Ghan is at once a luxury railway train and a 3000 kilometre railway journey that meanders from the fertile Adelaide countryside through the rusty red hues of Central Australia to the tropical splendour of the Top End.

The railway line began its colourful life as the Northern Railway in 1878, at the height of a national railway boom, in the hope of developing the pastoral and mining potential of the Australian interior. Soon becoming known affectionately as The Ghan, by 1891 the line reached from Port Augusta to the outback town of Oodnadatta in northern South Australia. Oodnadatta remained the end of the line for the next forty years.

In 1895, in an effort to advance construction of the line, it was stated that "the interior was not all desert, but had extensive areas of good land fit for cultivation and a variety of tropical products". The line was finally extended to the Central Australian town of Alice Springs in 1929, and remained there until 2003 when a major project to extend the line through to the Northern Territory capital, Darwin, was completed.

Until 1929, almost all goods to Alice Springs were transported by camel trains driven by Afghan tribesmen adept at handling these hardy 'ships of the desert'. The camel trains would meet the train at the railhead in Oodnadatta and carry goods ranging from pianos, motors, and furniture to food supplies, mail, newspapers and clothing on to Alice Springs. The arrival of the camel trains was always a time of great excitement. The camels remained a viable means of transport in Central Australia for so long because the development of motor transport was hindered by a lack of well formed roads and the reliable availability of fuel supplies.

Part of the Ghan's legendary reputation derives from the many mishaps which occurred during the early years of its operation. The 1520 km journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs passed through some of the driest and most difficult country on earth. Normally dry rivers would frequently flood after a downpour and run several kilometres wide, sweeping railway tracks, bridges and other infrastructure away in their path. Sometimes the train would not arrive for weeks or even months. At one point during the 1970's the Ghan was not sighted in Alice Springs for 3 months and essential supplies had to be flown into the town daily.

By 1980 the Ghan's route had been relocated a considerable distance to the west, and the line upgraded from narrow gauge to the wider Australian standard gauge. In the process, many new bridges and earth works were completed, and the Ghan's reputation for unreliability became history.

Today the modern Ghan is a world-class luxury railway and renowned attraction for travellers wishing to experience the real Australia in comfort. The 3000 km journey from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs takes two days, and passes through just three other towns of any size, Port Augusta in South Australia and Tennant Creek and Katherine in the Northern Territory.

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Miguel Scaccialupo is a freelance writer and regular contributor to web publications focusing on Australia's Northern Territory such as http://www.newterritory.com.au/

Finding Cheap Airfare For Indian Travel

The land of myriad cultures, staunchly rooted in tradition, the habitat of millions of people belonging to varying religions and the country known for its distinguished history…India is a place worth visiting in the Asian continent.

Though India covers a small area on the globe, the country earns a widespread popularity. Apart from producing some of the universally eminent personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Sachin Tendulkar and the like, India has many other lures that add credit to its name. People from all across the world come to India to experience the divine grace and charisma in the cities of Haridwar, Rishikesh and Vrindavan etc. The great Indian temples most of which are an emblem of Indian mythology have been mystifying people in all corners of the world since ages. What to say about the contribution made by India in the wonders of the world…US President Bill Clinton too couldn’t resist the enticement to bask in the glory of globally acclaimed Taj Mahal.

This mesmerizing country recognized and memorized for several reasons including the hospitality of Indians can be explored at ease and without a second thought. The reason being the economical air fares from all over the world to India. For instance

- If you are placed in Los Angeles or San Fransisco, a flight to Indian subcontinent will just cost you $1039. The decision of which Indian metropolitan to land like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai etc. is at your discretion. The rates remain uniform for all the cities.

- From Dallas or Houston to any of the Indian metros the air ticket is available for a mere $1159. The rates do not vary in case you board the flight to India from Chicago, Detroit or Minneapolis.

- It is still cheaper to fly to India from New York, Boston or Washington. The fare to Delhi can be purchased at the petite amount of $949. While going to Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and other cities will cost you $1,119.

These rates might slightly deviate with your choice of airline but not much. The entire information about some of widely accredited airlines to India such as Jet airways from USA to India, Luthfansa, British airways, Singapore airways and so forth is accessible online. Once you brief yourself with all requisite nitty-gritties you can book make your reservations there and then. Besides these acknowledged airlines there are some others that will facilitate you with economic airfares to India clubbed with good and reliable service. What more can one ask for that almost all of these airlines frequently pop up with heavy discounts on their various packages…!

So relish the twin pleasures of feeling the getting lost on the mother earth of Buddhism, a land that stands as a paradigm example of unity in diversity that comes with the least expense on air fare but maximum enjoyment and everlasting memories.

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Mansi Gupta writes about indian travel guide. Learn more at http://www.meet-india.com

Gorilla Safaris: Trekking a Pinnacle of Uganda Tourism

Uganda “The Pearl of Africa” is small country in the Eastern and Central Africa bordering Kenya in the East Tanzania and Rwanda in the south, Congo (DRC) in the west and Sudan in the north.
Uganda has a unique description which cannot be close to the truth….situated in the fertile heart of Africa, astride the Equator boasts of wide diverse of landscape, from rugged snow capped mountains, the vast flatlands stretching to the horizon, Uganda offers visitors a wealth of breathtaking scenery , with range of broad savannah, rain forests to arid – semi desert , plenty of wetlands and abundant fresh rain forests. It is within such charming climate that has natured and protected the mountain gorillas that still survive on earth.

It is estimated that not more than 600 still survive on earth and that those still surviving live in the environs of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in south western part of Uganda.
Every visitor coming to Uganda would wish to get into contact with these gentle giants moreover our distant cousins. Uganda should treat gorilla tracking as the pinnacle of the tourism industry in the country if they are to continue attracting more numbers of tourist visiting the country and increase passes to visit these gentle giants. Below is my gorilla experience.
Gorilla experience.

Having slept in dream world of tomorrow experience, I woke up so early by 5.00 am and took shower to enhance my energy. Shortly we were briefed by the park guides what we were likely to go through before meeting the forest beasts and most important as to how to conduct ourselves once we are in vicinity of gorillas.

We set off under dense under growth and faster we moved, in the jungle under dense layers of canopies. The terrain is hilly but all covered with thick forest. We would stop to wait for those who needed to catch their breath. It took us about 5 hours to get near them. Closer the gorillas got. Our guide signaled that he has seen waste (poopoo) and this was sign indicating to us that we are almost seeing them. Shortly started seeing fresh under growth beaten. Continued hiking in the jungle following some beaten tracks. We came across some monkeys and many bird species in the jungle. The Forest truck was narrow, overgrown. As a result we could not see far ahead of us.

So no sooner had we moved in a bit open place but with thick ferns and orchids, could already view a few of them sitting majestically and motionless in tree branches watching and waiting for us.

Our efforts and determinations were about to pay off. We came across a small river and crossed it in one leap. Now we really came close. We were tired but very excited; we moved down and crawled closer to the gorillas in total silence. They had finally come into full view-over 14 of them-an unbelievable sight!

Two silver backs sat next to each other at the head of the group, while the others huddled together closely behind and continued their silent stares. Once in a while the juveniles could move in play some manner almost coming closer to where we were while the adults broke into a low grunt and moved closer. Meanwhile each of us was fidgeting to take a snap of life time as to many of would be their last chance to see these forest beasts.

The bigger silverback suddenly stood on all fours and stiffened, indicating we had probably moved too close.

One of the gorillas appearing to be stubborn refused to sit with the group or even join them when they began moving further away. He continued to sit by himself in the bush and watched us. We also watched him, and waited for him to join his family. Eventually he left the bush and sat in the path just behind us. We left the path so he could move ahead of us and join the others, but still refused to move. When our patience finally run out and we decided to follow the other gorillas before they disappeared out of sight, Finally he moved and followed closely behind us. Whenever we stopped, he too would stop and move whenever we moved.

“He is trying to show the silverbacks that he too can lead. He wants to make sure all is well” ranger guide explained. He soon and went to join his family who were already moving ahead and disappearing under the thick leaves. For one hour, we had watched infant gorillas playing on their mother’s bellies, juvenile gorillas somersaulting on tree branches, and male gorillas shaking the ground with their chest thumps. For one hour, we had sat entranced by the sight of the gorillas, so massive that one us thought a gorillas paw to be a head. It was an hour well spent. We continued pondering over our time with the gorillas long after they disappeared out of sight.
Finally it was time to retrace our steps back to the vehicles. Three hours of climbing awaited us. But we didn’t mind. Our mission had been successfully accomplished. We were happy and done.
Not even the torrential rain which poured half way into our journey back, could erase our spirits- no wonder this forest is at times referred to as rainy forest. It is a memory I still savor and linger in my dreams.

It is to this emphasis that the caretaker of the habitat of these distant cousins Uganda Wildlife Authority should continue playing a pivot role to conserve for the future as their motto spells. Company offering trips to East Africa – Kenya Tanzania and Uganda plus Rwanda called Travel Hemispheres, http://www.travelhemispheres.com, arranged our tour package. And can be reached on this email:
Our email address is jakke2@ yahoo.com

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Jakke Roberts has travelled to many parts of the African Continent. He is a photo journalist and a safari snub.

To Cruise Or Not To Cruise?

There is a saying: you haven't lived until you've cruised. Cruises today have become the hottest way to spend holidays. Researchers have found that one in four Americans dreams of cruising around the world. In recent years, discount cruises make cruising available to people of all ages and all levels of income.

What makes a great cruise vacation? First-rate accommodations, exotic locations, sumptuous meals, world-class entertainment, and top-notch facilities – all that for less money. All these features are included in a cruise package even a discount one. You can relax, get pampered, and discover new countries without the stress and jet lag most people experience during vacations abroad.

Research shows that today when picking a way to spend a vacation, people search for something that is drastically different from their everyday life. They seek to completely change the way of living – at least for a short period of time. Psychologists find that the more the difference, the better would be the rest and relaxation. That’s why people go to African safari, hike in a Guatemalan jungle, rent boats in Normandy, or stay on a small island in the Caribbean’s.

A cruise ship is extremely different from the way most people live. You can stick to a scheduled routine or you can sunbathe all day long. It does not matter if you buy full-price or a discount cruise. Even a discount cruise offers all the same features of cruise vacation. Cruise ships today offer the tourists the best of the traveling industry: spas, gyms and restaurants with lots of diet choices, facilities for kids with professional personnel, lots of sports activities from skating to tennis, casinos and even theatres.

When planning a cruise or buying a cruise package, even a discount cruise, you should always make sure to check what is included and what is not. A discount cruise package normally includes the cruise ship transportation, meals and snacks, accommodation, access to the gym and other sport facilities plus, nightly entertainment. However, gambling and spa visits are not usually standard. Most often, the cruise package includes a trip or tour to some of the exciting places on the cruise itinerary.

If not specifically discussed, you would have to pay for your flight to the port from where the cruise leaves, as well as for medical services if these are not covered by your medical plan. On board, you will have to pay for bar beverages except for those that come with meals. Be prepared to pay extra money for any visas that you need, and don’t forget about travel insurance.

You’ll find all the things included in the cruise package are listed in the travel agency brochure. If you are not sure, ask the agent beforehand so you know what to expect.

Have you read enough to start searching for the next available discount cruise package for your family? Make sure you remember these most popular cruise destinations: Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Hawaii, and Mexico – these are great cruising destinations all year round!

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Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Cruises please visit http://www.cruisetripsguide.info/

Your Breckenridge Vacation

You'll be welcome with open arms in Breckenridge, Colorado. Breckenridge ski resort offer the world's finest powder and terrain anyone can manage. Half of all slopes at Breckenridge ski and snowboard resort are for beginners. The other half is for moderate to extreme skiing. Breckenridge is the only ski area to offer this much skiing for all types of ability levels.

The town of Breckenridge is just like you would dream about on the way to your ski vacation. The town has a Main st. with stores, restaurants and variety. You won't be disappointed as you stroll down Breckenridge's Main st. The main area is about ½ mile long and make for a lovely walk during the daytime or night time.

As far as resorts go, you can stay in a classy hotel and pay big bucks, or you can stay just outside of town nestled in the Rocky. Many condos are located a few miles down the road on RT. 9 otherwise known as Main st. If you decide to book a condo out of town, you'll get a better sense of what a mountain vacation is all about. On top of this advantage, you can also expect to pay significantly less than if you stay in the busy town of Breckenridge. Be prepared to breathe the fresh Colorado mountain air. It's truly invigorating!

As the seasons change in Breckenridge, Colorado, your outdoors options expand and contract. Once Spring comes, the skiing gets better and the temperature goes up. Yes, it still snows hard in the Spring time. The only difference is the quality of the snow. It tends to be wetter than the winter dry fluffy snow. Either way, it's great and you'll love the Spring time snow as much as the Winter snow. After all, the base of Breckenridge in April is about 60 inches deep.

Summer time in Breckenridge is truly a beautiful time! You can fish the streams for Rocky Mountain trout or you can mountain bike, raft, boat (Lake Dillon) or just relax in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. There will never be a boring day during your Breckenridge ski or summer vacation.

Fly fishing is a very enjoyable sport to engage in during the Summer time. It seems like every stream or lake in the Rocky Mountain's houses some of the largest trout in the world. Since fishing season is only 5 months out of the year, it seems like the trout jump right on to the hook. Just kidding of course! It's not that easy to catch Trout, but if you use the right flies, you just might find the statement above to be true.

Mountain bike trails are everywhere, but be careful!! Be sure to have a map and enough food & water in case you get lost. The smartest thing to do is the mark your course with sticks in the ground if you have any doubts about not getting back home or to your vehicle. As long as you are sure of this, you're going to have a great time. Breckenridge offers mountain bike trails that go to the tops of mountains and down to the valleys. The scenery is breath taking and without a doubt, you're going to love mountain biking in Breckenridge, CO. As far as rafting goes, there are many options within 20 miles of Breckenridge. The water flows highest around mid July because of all the snow which has melted from the mountains. There are plenty of guided trips who will help you navigate through the rivers.

Once you experience all the Breckeridge has to offer, you'll surely come back every year to enjoy yourself again and again. Also, did you know the state of Colorado has more blue sky days than any other state in the US? It's true!

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Scott Palat
You'll be 20 miles from 6 world class ski resorts nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Breckenridge, Colorado offers skiing, snow mobiling, fine dining, shopping and more.. Your ski or summer vacation starts here! Go to http://www.yourskivacation.com/.

London Calling – The Capital Fights Back

With the recent problems in London it is a depressing fact that the city will be portrayed in a negative light across the globe. As with all tragedies such as the London bombings people start to associate a particular place with the terrible events that went on. The tourism industry in London has undoubtedly been affected with many people cancelling trips and holidays to the capital. While these attitudes are perfectly understandable as people have every right to be concerned for their own safety – it is always sad to see such a great city tarnished by such appalling events.

However, the city of London is one that is used to dealing with adversity and the fact remains – London is still one of the safest and most exciting holiday and short break destinations in the world.

The first thing that will strike you on a visit to London is the sheer diversity of activities available to you. From an architectural and historical point of view the city has a great deal to offer – especially as it is home to the Royal Family. For those interested in the history of the royal family it may be worth checking out the http://www.superbreak.com website which has a range of excellent accommodation + tour packages of Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London and The Price of Wales current residence Clarence House. All these tours come thoroughly recommended and are an absolute must for royal enthusiasts.

Another wonderful feature of London is its exciting and dynamic West End. Indeed, critics are already hailing 2005 as the best and most important summer season for years in London’s West End with a number of family orientated shows like The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Billy Elliot earning rave reviews. In addition to the number of quality family focussed shows there are also a number of more adult orientated productions such as Chicago or The Producers which is being shown at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. A trip to the theatre can easily be turned into a relaxing short break or weekend staying at one of the many quality hotels in the area. For further details on west end shows the website http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk is an excellent resource.

One reason people flock to London all year around is the quality of the shopping available. With over 30,000 shops from huge department stores to fabulous fashion boutiques, London is the UK’s centre for fashion, style and music. A wide variety of shops are all over London, from high priced exclusive clothing, to some amazing deals at the famous markets in Camden and Portobello Road. Quite simply London is a shopper’s heaven – just make sure you take your credit card!

Finally, the city is also a great place to bring the children of all ages. From the world famous London Zoo to the dizzy heights of the spectacular London Eye children are bound to have a great time. One of the best destinations for all the family is the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. The museum is filled with world class exhibitions including the awesome “T Rex Returns” which makes use of some previously unseen animatronic models which can sense their prey arriving! For further details visit the informative museum website at www.nhm.ac.uk.

Overall, it is easy to see why London is such a short break destination. While the recent problems will certainly have postponed many trips there it is hoped that they won’t be cancelled forever. London has so much to offer and the cities tourism industry is better equipped than ever to ensure that a short break in their city will be a fascinating and enjoyable experience that will live long in the memory for all the right reasons.

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Robin Richmond is a freelance travel writer and webmaster of www.travel-tips.co.uk.

Spain. Facts and Figures

Spain is a country in southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France. Spain consists of 19 autonomous communities including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera.

The total area of Spain is 504,782 sq km.

Spain has borders with Andorra (63.7 km), France (623 km), Gibraltar (1.2 km), Portugal (1,214 km), Morocco (Ceuta) (6.3 km), Morocco (Melilla) (9.6 km).

The Spanish climate is considered temperate; clear, hot summers in the interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in the interior, and partly cloudy and cool along the coast.

The population of Spain is 40,341,462 (July 2005).

Castilian Spanish is the official language nationwide and is spoken by 74% of the population. Catalan is spoken by 17%, Galician is spoken by 7%, Basque is spoken by 2%. These languages are official regionally.

Religion: 94% of the people are Roman Catholic.

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Hugh Griffin
The http://www.spain-encyclopedia.com Spain Encyclopedia is a free online encyclodedia dedicated to Spain and all things Spanish! We welcome contributions on all aspects of Spain and Spanish life. In particular we welcome factual entries about cities, towns, and tourist resorts, topics relevant to living in Spain, food and drink, the history of Spain, tourist information, Spanish weather, Spanish holidays and fiestas, Spanish culture and customs.

Madrid and its Gran Via

The Gran Via in Madrid is one of the major roads of the city and which contains some of the most interesting and attractive tourist attractions and recreational spots of the area. This road or street marks one of the main and central spots of Madrid in which there is always people, traffic and movement, no matter the time of the day or night.

One of the main characteristics and attractions of La Gran Via is its wide amount and variety of shops. This road offers many different shops, some of them from world wide famous designers and trade marks and some others from local ones, allowing people to be up to the date not only regarding world fashion but regarding local designs and products as well.

Tourists who wish to meet some cinemas and theatres would also be able to do so while visiting la Gran Via. There are several theaters, cinemas and other entertainment related spots spread throughout this road in such a way that visitors could always have fun, during day as well as in nights. There also are many cafes and restaurants where tourists could have a break and enjoy a nice meal or a coffee while watching Madrid’s every day life as well as meet some local people who, most of the times, would be willing to share any information regarding the city you may wish to ask.

Besides its shops and theaters, La Gran Via is also famous by its constructions. This road has many amazing constructions, many of which show unique characteristics and were built by some of the best architects and designers of the last century. This way, those who enjoy disciplines such as architecture and design, and wish to meet peculiar places while being in Madrid should make sure of meeting La Gran Via.

La Gran Via was built between 1904 and 1929 with the goal of connect the Plaza de España with the Calle de Alcalá. In order to achieve this, several buildings and constructions had to be demolished, and several years would pass since the road started being planned, during the middle decades of the XIX century, and when it was finally constructed in 1929.

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Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com.

Visit The Historical Sites Of Kitchener-Waterloo

The Waterloo Region of Ontario in Central Canada is rich in history and culture, much of it comes directly from its original European settlers - a number of Mennonite families who migrated from Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. In more recent years the cultural diversity of the Waterloo region has been shaped by immigration from all corners of the globe. This immigration is due in no small part to the prosperous, diverse economic activity of the region and the presence of two highly respected Universities.

Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower is a monument which honours the first pioneers of the Waterloo Region. Those original Mennonite pioneers came to the region from Pennsylvania between 1800 and 1803 and settled on the banks of the Grand River where they found lush and productive farm land. The monument was constructed in 1923 on an acre of land just east of the Grand near the small town of Doon. The unique Swiss look of the tower spire reflects the Swiss Mennonite homeland of the original settlers.

At Doon Heritage Crossroads you can explore Waterloo County as it was in 1914. Come back to see what businesses, homes and farms were like and how people went about their daily lives.
Joseph Schneider Haus Museum and Gallery recreates life as it was in the area in the 1850s. This is the house that Joseph and Barbara Schneider built in 1816. They were among the early Mennonite pioneers who trekked to the new frontier from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the early 1800s.

Homer Watson was a noted local artist of the Waterloo Region. He was known as the "Man of Doon" since Doon was the site of his home and studio. Homer Watson House

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Rick Hendershot publishes the Linknet Publishing Network which provides online advertising opportunities and helps online marketers build an online presence. http://www.sbo-linknet.com/products.

The Prado to Sol in Madrid

The Prado to Sol is one of the main regions of Madrid, containing some interesting constructions and monuments among other elements. This spot and its surroundings have many interesting attractions to offer and a variety of entertainment related activities available for tourists to enjoy.

Some of the constructions and monuments located within the region of The Prado to Sol are very antique and date from many centuries ago, being this one of their most attractive features. Those who enjoy architecture, arts, history among other disciplines would be able to find interesting places to visit in this area of Madrid. There are several restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops, and theaters spread throughout this area and its surroundings in such a way that tourists would be able to have a good time no matter what their preferences are.

One of the most interesting spots tourists can meet within the area of the Prado to Sol is the Puerta del Sol and its main building. The main building located by the Puerta del Sol is where the Ministry of the Interior functions although originally, there was where the Central Post office was established. This building shows a very appealing style, with several interesting ornaments and features which those who enjoy architecture would be glad of observe.

Other interesting spot visitors can meet while being in the region of The Prado to Sol is the Paseo del Prado. There are several interesting things to observe within the Paseo del Prado, such as for example some of the most beautiful fountains of the region. Two famous fountains, known as the Neptune and the Four Seasons, are located nearby this area.

Near by the area of the Prado to Sol there also are some of the main constructions of Madrid, such as for example the Royal Palace or the Prado Museum. The Royal Palace is a very impressive construction which shows a very clear neoclassical style, combining some features of Italian style in its facade with some others typical from a French style in its interior. The Prado Museum is very interesting due to the elements and objects exhibited in it as well as to its architectural structure.

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Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com.

All-Inclusive Family Vacations: Get The Planning Right

An all-inclusive family vacation is a fun and convenient way to spend a holiday. You spend a week or two with your family in an exciting, often exotic location, without worries about schedule, planning, transportation, or calculating those annoying extra costs. You pay once, and enjoy the rest.

Planning an all-inclusive family vacation is often half the fun. Even before you visit the travel agency you can work out loads of exciting family vacation ideas based on the world’s most famous all-inclusive resorts that fit your budget.

Popular all-inclusive family vacation favorites include Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Other great family destinations include Rocky Mountain ski resorts and Disneyland in California or Florida. Transatlantic trips are less popular, because not many people want to travel this far with younger children.

The best way to please all family members is to plan an all-inclusive family vacation with your family. Take enough time now to plan your next family get-away, as you will have fun together as a family, learn more about the world around you, and at the same time get the most from your vacation.

The first thing that you need to do when planning a trip to an all-inclusive resort is to be clear on your location choices. Time and budget restrictions will be factors. Certain times of the year are better for vacationing families than others. For example, when you plan going to Florida, you should prepare to spend twice than average for hotel or even bed-and-breakfast accommodation during the school vacation periods.

Among the busiest holidays with the highest tourist traffic are long weekends, Easter week, Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. April to May and September to November are the best times to take an all-inclusive family vacation, especially if you are flexible, because rates are much more affordable than during the high seasons.

Most all-inclusive family vacation packages have age limitations for children, depending on the type of activities offered by a resort. Because of this, all-inclusive family vacations may be more suitable if you have older children. For trips that involve rafting, some companies require that children are at least ten years old. Some all-inclusive vacation packages include offer activities that take less than a day, which is a great way to have fun without too much pressure for the younger family members – and your wallet, too.

Look for family-friendly vacation destinations. Family focused resorts are designed with children in mind, which is reflected in the selection of activities, their safety, availability of other entertainment, even the number of food choices. Plus, at family-friendly resorts you can meet other families with children the same age as yours, and sharing the fun can turn a good all-inclusive family vacation into a great one.

When picking an all-inclusive family resort, make sure you check what is included in the price of the package. All-inclusive family vacations can be expensive, but most parents agree that you get lots of fun for the money. In most cases, the price of the package includes accommodation, basic activities, sports and leisure equipment, meals, and transportation to places of interest and an airport coach. Never be shy about asking for a child’s discount – sometimes an agent can offer you one even if it is not listed. You can further lower the costs by taking a smaller hotel suite.

All-inclusive rates provide convenience and comfort both for parents and kids. With a little creativity, vacation planning can be a fun, exciting, and an educational way to spend some family time together with the end result being a great vacation enjoyed by the whole family.

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Kathryn writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on All Inclusive Vacations please visit http://www.allinclusiveguide.info and for additional vacation based articles http://www.allinclusiveguide.info/allinclusivearticles/.

Chicago - A City Of History, Culture and Character

Chicago: More Than Just The Windy City

A visit to Chicago leaves you spellbound. Like all other metropolitan cities of North America such as Los Angeles and New York, Chicago also has a truly cosmopolitan nature. This is evident by the number of people from all over the world who have made this lovely city their home.
It's this wide diversity of people that gives Chicago its wide variety of culture and arts. No where else in America can you find the jazz and blues that permeates this city. This combination of culture and diversity also creates a culinary circle in the city that leaves nothing to the imagination. With so much going for it, you'll want to make sure that you include Chicago on your list of cities to visit.

There are many attractions in Chicago that you won't want to miss. One of these attractions is the Art Institute of Chicago. You'll be able to spend a few hours looking at art and sculpture from the last 5000 years. The huge collection of postimpressionist and impressionist paintings are a must while you're at the museum. Don't forget to get your picture taken beside the lions outside the museum.

A good way to truly experience the lifestyle of any city is to visit its neighborhood. One such area is Lincoln Park, which is famous for its Biograph Theater, site of the John Dillinger shootout by FBI in 1934. This neighborhood never sleeps and reflects the spirit of Chicago. At all times you can find people strolling, walking, running, cycling or even rollerblading among the hustle and bustle of a busy city life.

This neighborhood also has a place where you can have your drawing made by guess who? A CHIMPANZEE! This is possible at the free public zoo, the Lincoln Zoo in the same neighborhood. Chimpanzees artwork is a popular zoo product all over the world. Besides the chimpanzees and gorillas the zoo also has a variety of other lesser known animals such as the Galapagos turtle and poisonous spiders from far off places.

By now quite a few of you must be wondering about an important aspect of any trip, shopping. Chicago provides ample opportunity for this, on the Magnificent Mile avenue stretching from the Park to the Chicago River. Another landmark of Chicago that you can find on path is the Tribune Tower, standing in all its gothic beauty from 1925 till today. This tower's base is also the resting place of various rocks that have been brought from all over the world by newspaper reporters.

Besides the zoo, Chicago also boasts of one of the earliest aquariums with world's largest marine and aquatic animals collections, the Shedd Aquarium, built in 1929, popular among kids. You can have look at marine life such as penguins, dolphins, beluga whales, harbor seals, moray eel

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Perry Manzani is the chief writer at Fancy Chicago?, the best place on the internet when you're after fresh up to date advice and comment to do with Chicago. For more articles on Chicago why not visit: http://www.fancychicago.com/articles.
Why not sign up for our free Chicago newsletter at: http://www.fancychicago.com/newsletters

The Best Snowmobile Tours In Idaho - Finding The Ideal Package

There are many choices in choosing a snowmobile tour in Idaho. You can enjoy a guided tour or set out on your own personal adventure when you locate the perfect snowmobile tour in any region of Idaho you desire. You can navigate the numerous trails alone or with a professional tour guide and the beauty of the area in incomparable. You can choose from day trips or overnight packages and ride on established trails or in the open powdered snow.

Multi-day or single day tours are available to areas of Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, and the Continental Divide Trail. You'll get knowledgeable tour guides, meals if you choose, and numerous options as far as lodging or camping. You can customize your snowmobile tour in Idaho to match your ideas and the professional tour guides will attend to your every need. You can book your snowmobile tour in Idaho online and the accommodations are outstanding. Day or overnight tours, snow coach tours, and tours to natural hot springs are all available to you at reasonable prices.

Togwatee Pass is a very popular snowmobile destination. Here you will find the top snowmobilers in the country. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are also popular destinations. Each year the National Parks Service implements a plan for use of the parks by snowmobilers and the trails are clearly marked and designed for safety. Your snowmobile tour in Idaho can be customized to your specifications and can include small or large groups of people. The lodging and riding choices are enormous. Snowmobile tours in Idaho are competitively priced and it is easy to reserve your choice in hotels, camping, and snowmobile rentals.

The terrain and weather in Idaho allows for unique opportunities in snowmobiling. Everyone, from beginners to the expert snowmobiler, can find the perfect snowmobile tour in Idaho. From the mountain ranges to the National Forest, there are many breathtaking trails from which to choose. Instruction and training is available for the less experienced and the snowmobiles are in excellent operating condition. A snowmobile tour in Idaho is an excellent way to spend your vacation and the adventure is sure to leave a lasting impression.

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John Maxim is an expert on outdoor fun and adventures. He can be found on the web at http://www.snowmobileground.com.

Vacation Travel Insurance Tips

Travel insurance is an important but often overlooked part of your vacation. Whether you are traveling to a foreign country or to the next state you should consider travel insurance.
Some of the reasons to have insurance are to cover medical expenses, life insurance for your family, or trip insurance when something goes wrong.

If you have medical coverage, check with your insurer to find out the specifics regarding your planned destination.

You can buy medical coverage for the duration of your trip or for longer periods. Some travel insurance policies cover multiple trips of specific duration. Some will cover you for travel up to a year.

Planning a skiing or mountain climbing vacation? You may want to consider evacuation insurance. If you need to be rescued it is quite possible that the you will end up with a hefty bill to pay for the service.

If you are going on a cruise, taking an organized tour or just flying on an airplane you may want trip cancellation insurance. You or a family member may get sick at the last minute or your plans may change unexpectedly.

Many companies do not offer refunds and you could be out thousands of dollars. There are many things out of your control that can mess with your plans. Refunds are tough to get sometimes.

Other popular coverage is loss of baggage, baggage delay, travel delay, dental, 24 Hour Traveler Assistance, and accidental death.

If you are driving out of the country definitely check with your auto insurer. Purchase any extra coverage needed. You may want to ask about an international roadside assistance policy.
Auto breakdowns and accidents are bad enough at home but the problems are compounded abroad.

Check with your credit card company. You may have some coverage if you purchase your vacation with their card.

If you are traveling with a group you may be able to get coverage cheaper as a group rather than individually.

Sometimes you will pay more for less coverage if you buy it through a travel agent who makes a nice commission. This is not always the case but it's your money. Shop around for the best deal.

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Peter Shannon is the owner of www.1001-vacation-ideas.com. Here you will find a large collection of vacation and getaway ideas for travelers searchable by theme and location.

Hawaii Vacations: 10 Great Adventures

Here’s some Hawaiian vacation activities that are sure to create great memories for a life time.

What: Hawaii Snorkeling
Where: Ohahu – Waikiki Beach
Who: Paradise Cruises

Description: If you’d love to get up close and personal with beautiful tropical fish, then a snorkeling cruise is something you can’t miss. You’ll climb onboard The Starlet and head out to the Kewalo Reef, with the famous Diamond Head as your backdrop. The fish have been hand fed, so they’re plenty friendly. This is a very nice excursion if you are a snorkeling novice. Other activities include windsurfing, kayaking, a floating trampoline, and a water slide. Relax on deck while sunbathing. A BBQ lunch is included.

What: Hawaii Luau
Where: Ohahu
Who: Germaines Luau

Description: Imagine being a guest at a grand Hawaiian luau. As you sit comfortably amongst new friends and old, you watch the royal procession enter with fanfare, and witness the imu ceremony—see a roasted pig raised up from the ground. Then you dine on traditional Hawaiian dishes like poi and haupia, as well as, Mainland favorites like fried chicken and tossed salad. After your scrumptious meal you sit back and enjoy the wonderful Polynesian entertainers featuring dancers from Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji and Samoa. Many consider this the best luau in all of Hawaii.

What: Swim with the Dolphins
Where: Ohahu
Who: Dolphin Excursions

Description: You’ve fantasized about it. Now it’s time to do it. You’ll be taken out on a boat with about twenty or so other dolphin lovers off of Ohahu’s western shore. There you’ll see plenty of spinner dolphins frolicking in the early morning seas. You’ll be given expert snorkeling instruction so that even beginners can slip into the water and swim amongst the sea’s friendliest inhabitants. As a bonus, you may get to see whales, sea turtles and other exotic sea life.

What: Experience Polynesian Culture
Where: Ohahu
Who: Polynesian Cultural Center

Description: Learn about the rich history of Polynesian cultural traditions at this popular Hawaiian attraction. See live demonstrations of carving tiki statues, dancing with fire knives, barefoot tree climbing, and the IMAX™ presentation of: “Coral Reef Adventure”. In the afternoon enjoy the spectacular Pageant of the Long Canoes, a live reenactment of Polynesian cultural history on floating platforms. Top it all off with a Polynesian review show featuring dancers and native drummers.

What: Horseback and ATV Tours
Where: Ohahu
Who: Kualoa Ranch

Description: Tour the beautiful island of Ohahu on horseback. They have three types of horseback tours: 1) One Hour Ride: Explore the southern half of the ranch surrounded by an 800 year-old fishpond; 2) Two hour ride: Explore the northern part of the ranch and see WWII bunkers, mountains, and the Pacific Ocean; 3) Cowboy Experience: A crash course on how to herd cattle. ATV Tours: Explore the countryside on an ATV.

What: Hawaii Submarine Tour
Where: Ohahu, Maui, Kona
Who: Atlantis Submarines

Description: Explore the ocean depths and learn about the Pacific’s beautiful and exotic sea creatures on a U.S. Coast Guard approved submarine tour. See tropical fish, sharks, sea turtles, eels, shipwrecks and more up close. A unique and educational experience the whole family can enjoy. The subs are spacious and air conditioned, and go down to a maximum depth of about 125 ft.

What: Hawaii Military History Tour
Where: Pearl Harbor and Other Sites
Who: Home of the Brave

Description: Honor the brave service of U.S. military members in Hawaii. This tour begins at historic Pearl Harbor. Other stops include: Wheeler Army Airfield, Schofield Army Barracks, Fort Shafter, Punchbowl National Memorial, Downtown Honolulu, Home of the Brave Museum and Gift Shop.

What: Hawaii Day Hike
Where: Honolulu
Who: Department of Land and Natural Resources

Description: Put on your walking shoes, grab some water and head on over to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Here you can find free hiking trail maps. Decide on what trails you’d like to see and spend the day exploring some of Hawaii’s most beautiful places. Some popular destinations are: Manoa Falls Trail, Waikiki Historic Trail, Koko Crater, Makapuu Lighthouse, and Kaena Point.

What: Learn How to Surf
Where: Ohahu
Who: Hans Hedemann Surf School

Description: Learn to Hang 10 on Hawaii’s most scenic beaches. Discover the techniques of surfing in a safe environment from trained professionals. They offer private, semi-private, or group lessons. In a couple of hours, you’ll be standing up on a surfboard and riding your first wave!

What: Volcano Hiking Excursion
Where: Honolulu - Diamond Head

Description: Diamond Head is a dormant volcanic crater that is very popular with tourists. Hiking up Diamond Head will take you about 45-60 minutes and will lead you along a changing and challenging terrain that ends in a long, steep set of stairs. Once you get to the top, the view is magnificent. Keep in mind that you must be in shape to attempt the full hike up. There are places to rest, but no facilities. The trail can be hot, so go very early in the morning—and bring water.

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Donna Monday

Cruise the beautiful Hawaiian Islands – even if you’re on a budget

http://www.last-minute-hawaii-cruise.com