Travel&tourism

Travel to Brazil

2010-09-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Travel to Brazil

Vacation in Brazil
Your Gateway to Travel and Adventure

Congratulations and welcome to the exciting and enchanting country of Brazil. Whether you’re a first time visitor or a devoted returnee you’re about to unveil a country richly sainted in history, topography, climate, diversity and yes, adventure. A country of such majestic size, resources and natural bewilderment that you will hardly know where to begin your travel journey. From thousands of miles of deserted, pristine, sun-kissed beaches to the amazing Amazon Jungle, waterfalls rivaling and often exceeding those found anywhere in the world, a geographical divergence unmatched not only in its size but its unique and magnanimous splendor, Brazil encompasses countless possibilities each rewarding you with lifelong memories.

Water Recreation in Brazil.
Incredibly this South American country’s coastline begins above the equator and extends itself almost to the Antarctica Circle! Fish the emerald sea or kayak the calm waters, surf the thundering waves, explore the secret coves, windsurf on the wings of an Atlantic breeze, snorkel or scuba dive the shimmering blue waters reveling amongst the brightly colored tropical fish. Or simply relax with a leisurely stroll occasionally digging your toes in the black sands, marveling the kaleidoscope of changing shapes of sunlight, or admiring natures ability to reveal formations of rain bowed coral and craggy rock compositions only to have them suddenly disappear as your feet are cooled by the tepid tides and natures wonderments are once again sent into seclusion .

But the beaches in Brazil are not the only attraction for the water enthusiast. Brazil is endowed with hundreds of rivers and waterfalls each adorned with tropical fauna. Whether it’s tubing down a gentle tributary, the exhilaration of a raft as it meets the churning of white water, cave-diving into underground caverns rarely visited by human contact, or even fishing along the banks of the Amazon for the adrenalizing Piranha. If water adventure is within your travel itinerary, Brazil is the place to go.

Land and Air Recreation.
Up to the task? Brazil answers the challenge. How about an off-road safari, with or without a driver thru narrow roads of rain forest fully encompassed by fields of orchids, eventually leading to a foot path where you board an inflatable boat to an island to view magnificent falls in their eye-popping grandeur. The embodiment of the cyclists is also captured throughout the countryside, along the beaches and in the cities weaving along a latticework of trails and paths. Rock climbers and hikers too will find a haven from the most casual of strollers, to those wishing to test nature’s most severe vertical -challenges. Or if reaching for the sky is your high, hop aboard a hot air balloon, strap on a parachute, buckle-up a paraglider or simply sit back in a helicopter and soak up the panoramic vistas of Brazil.

Why Brazil?
If adventure alone is not compelling enough to visit Brazil consider the fact that the people of Brazil are among the friendliest and most hospitable in the world. The delectable cuisine of beef, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables scrumptiously prepared using indigenous spices. And golf is rapidly becoming popular with a growing number of world-class destinations. Accommodations too are plentiful, appealing to a broad spectrum of budgets, styles and tastes. Opting for an all-inclusive resort, an international hotel chain, an intimate bungalow or a secluded eco-lodge allows you the freedom to gain the maximum value for your travel dollar. Using hotels or resorts as your vacation base, tour Brazil at your leisure. Our travel vacation sponsors will accommodate your every need and desire.

http://travel-andtourism-online.blogspot.com/2010/07/travel-and-tourism-to-brazil.html

Travel In Taiwan

2010-07-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

Travel In Taiwan

Taiwan is one of the most unsung tourist destinations in all of Asia, its modern emergence as an economic and industrial powerhouse still overshadowing the staggering breadth of natural, historic and culinary attractions this captivating island has to offer.

A fascinating mix of technological innovation and traditional Chinese and aboriginal cultures and cuisines, Taiwan is one of the only places on earth where ancient religious and cultural practices still thrive in an overwhelmingly modernist landscape.

On any given day, the casual visitor can experience this unique juxtaposition of old and new, witnessing time-honoured cultural practices while still taking in technological milestones such as the world's tallest building, Taipei 101, and the new High Speed Rail that links the island's two largest cities.

Beyond the narrow corridor of factories and crowded cities along Taiwan's west coast is a tropical island of astounding beauty, with by far the tallest mountains in northeast Asia and some of the region's most pristine and secluded coastline. Add to this the impressive array of cuisines - with specialities from all corners of China as well as authentic aboriginal and Japanese fare - and you've got one of the world's most well-rounded and hospitable holiday destinations.

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Travel In Switzerland

2010-07-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

Travel In Switzerland

Small, mountainous and wealthy, with a population of just 7.5 million, Switzerland is renowned for its enviable quality of life in a country that ticks along like clockwork. Its products are sought after the world over, from its delicious cheese and chocolate to luxurious watches whose timekeeping is as sharp as a Swiss Army Knife, another popular export from this sophisticated Alpine nation.

Switzerland's famed political neutrality, financial power and isolated location, ring-fenced by breathtaking mountains, have enabled it to play a safe but central role in European affairs. The conveniently central location in the middle of Europe has also made Switzerland a favourite meeting place for conventions and international conferences - Geneva, for instance, is home to the United Nations.

Switzerland is not only a place for professionals, though. As a stylish tourist destination it offers such top ski resorts as Zermatt, Verbier and celebrity-studded St Moritz, while the white peaks of mountains set against blue skies make a wonderful backdrop for summertime hiking. The ancient capital of Berne provides superb opportunities for sightseeing, shopping and traditional folk entertainment while the largest city, Zürich leads the way in arts, design and nightlife, from opera and world-class theatre to stylish bars and nightclubs.

Switzerland's unique political model is based on consensus-building, and, considering that the country consists of several culturally different groups speaking different languages (Swiss German, French, Italian and Romansch), its peaceful domestic situation is admirable. And while the Swiss in practice have been neutral in foreign affairs for several centuries, they are increasingly willing to get more involved in world affairs and deploy the skills in democracy and diplomacy they have developed domestically on the international stage. Switzerland finally joined the United Nations in 2002, and signed the Schengen treaty in 2005, showing their support for the European Union

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Travel In Kuala Lumpur

2010-07-11T04:14:00.000-07:00

Travel In Kuala Lumpur

Travel In Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — consider printing them all.
Kuala Lumpur [1], or simply KL, is the capital of Malaysia. Literally meaning "muddy estuary" in Malay, KL has grown from a small sleepy Chinese tin-mining village to a bustling metropolis of around 6.5 million (city-proper population of 6,700) in just 150 years. With the world's cheapest 5-star hotels, great shopping and even better food, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.

Districts

Kuala Lumpur is quite a sprawling city and its residential suburbs seem to go on forever. The city also merges with the adjacent towns of Petaling Jaya (originally developed as KL’s satellite town), Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang and Port Klang, creating a huge conurbation called the Klang Valley.

The city can be divided into the following areas, each of which offers a particular attraction or activity.

City Centre – This is the traditional core of Kuala Lumpur where you’ll find the former colonial administrative centre, with the Merdeka Square, Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Selangor Club. This district also includes Kuala Lumpur’s old Chinese commercial centre which everyone refers to now as Chinatown.

Golden Triangle – The area of Kuala Lumpur located to the north-east of the city centre, the Golden Triangle is where you’ll find the city’s shopping malls, five-star hotels, Petronas Twin Towers and party spots.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman – Rarely visited by tourists, this is the traditional colourful shopping district of Kuala Lumpur north of the city centre that moves into high gear when the festivals of Hari Raya Puasa (Eid ul-Fitr) and Deepavali approach. Located just beside the Golden Triangle (northern neighbour) with many popular budget accommodations. The gigantic Putra World Trade Centre & the traditional Kampung Baru food haven are among the most important landmarks.

Brickfields – This area, located south of the city centre, is Kuala Lumpur’s Little India filled with saree shops and banana leaf rice restaurants. Kuala Lumpur’s main railway station – KL Sentral – is located here.
Bangsar and Midvalley – Located south of the city, Bangsar is a popular restaurant and clubbing district while Midvalley, with its Megamall, is one of the city’s most popular shopping destinations.

Damansara and Hartamas – Largely suburban, these two districts to the west of the city house some interesting pockets of restaurants and drinking areas. This district virtually merges into the northern part of Petaling Jaya.

Ampang – Located east of the city, Ampang is home to Kuala Lumpur’s Little Korea and most foreign embassies.

Northern suburbs – This huge area to the north of the city is home to several attractions, such as the Batu Caves, the National Zoo and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia.

Southern suburbs – This district may not interest travellers much, although Kuala Lumpur’s main stadium at Bukit Jalil and The Mines theme park are located here.

Understand

Founded only in 1857 as a tin mining outpost, Kuala Lumpur is fairly new as far as Malaysian cities go and lacks the rich history of George Town or Malacca. After rough early years marked by gang fighting, Kuala Lumpur started to prosper and was made capital of the Federated Malay States in 1896. Malaysia's independence was declared in 1957 in front of huge crowds at what was later named Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), and Kuala Lumpur continued as the new nation's capital. The economic boom of the 1990s brought KL the standard trappings of a modern city, bristling with skyscrapers and modern transportation systems. Like most of Malaysia's big cities, about 55% of Kuala Lumpur's population is of Malaysian Chinese descent

The original topic : Travel&tourism

sea voyage

2010-07-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

sea voyage

The anti-whaling and environmental awareness initiative TransparentSea has scooped the esteemed ASB (Australian Surf Business) Surf Industry Award at the annual Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame held on Queensland’s Gold Coast on the weekend.

The ASB Surf Industry Award is presented to “a person, persons or organisation that has continued to support the growth of surfing industry through financial and non-financial philanthropic contributions in the areas of community, environment and humanitarian aid during the 2009 calendar year”.

Among the judging panel that voted in the category are world champion surfers Mick Fanning, Tom Carroll and Layne Beachley, renowned author/journalists Sean Doherty, Nick Carroll and Adam Blakey, and industry legends Derek Hynd, Norm Innis and Phil Jarratt.

TransparentSea involved a core group of surfers who undertook a 36-day surfing/sailing odyssey down Australia’s East Coast in sea kayaks last October to highlight the plight of the migrating whales destined for the Great Southern Ocean and the inevitable visits by the Japanese whaling fleets.

In conjunction with Surfrider Foundation Australia and environmental watchdogs Tangaroa Blue, the surfers also participated in beach-clean ups and highlighted other areas of environmental concern.

Professional surfer, activist and the driving force behind TransparentSea, Dave Rastovich, accepted the award before a room packed with luminaries at the Coolangatta Hotel. Rastovich’s gracious acceptance speech included a call to industry for further support and the suggestion to utilise the network of surf schools that expose thousands of participants each year to surfing and the surfing culture for the first time.

“To inform people at the entry level of our sport is such an awesome opportunity. We have a chance to teach them about the aspects of surfing that we can’t live without which includes the beaches and the need to respect and protect them,” said Rastovich.

“If we can communicate these messages and make them a part of the foundation for learning for everyone who makes the decision to surf, then we will affect our culture in a powerful way.”

The TransparentSea voyage topped a list of commendable projects that included Rip Curl’s Planet Days, the National Surfing Reserves and World Safaris for contributions to surf travel.

Past winners of the ASB Surf Industry Award include Billabong (2008) and Coastalwatch (2009).

ASB publisher Keith Curtain said, “ASB is extremely proud to be associated with these awards and we congratulate Dave and the cast and crew who participated in the TranparentSea voyage on their win.”

“The list of nominees are all winners in their own way and the finalists underpin the commitment of individuals like Dave and Australian surf businesses across the areas of environment, junior development and humanitarian aid in 2009,” added Curtain.

For more info, please see the links below, or contact:
TransparentSea Media Manager – “JJ”
Media contact: jj@premiummedia.com.au
Mobile: +61 (0) 421 384 431

ASB Magazine:
Australasian Surf Business (ASB) magazine is Australasia’s only surf trade publication. ASB is delivered six times a year to every surf shop in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. In 2008 ASB received the Pioneer Award at the Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame. To subscribe check out http://www.asbmag.com for all the latest news, jobs and market research.

About Hall of Fame:
The Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame Inductee were first convened in 1985 by the Australian Surfriders Association (now Surfing Australia) to preserve the history of Australian Surfing and honour its great achievers.
Each year the Australian Surfing Awards incorporating the Hall of Fame Inductee are presented to recognize those who have continued to develop surfing in this country. The awards include a number of support categories that recognize the broad spectrum of individuals and organizations who are involved in the industry through events, competition, business, media, photography, movies, clubs, travel, administration or pioneering new initiatives. For more info see www.surfingaustralia.com

_____________________

Thursday, November 5th, Bondi Beach, NSW, Australia): The anti-whaling and environmental awareness campaign initiated by professional free-surfer and activist Dave Rastovich (Brunswick Heads, NSW, AUS) reached its exciting conclusion at Bondi Beach, Sydney today following an epic and testing 36 day voyage by sea which began at Byron Bay on October 1st.

Anti-whaling and environmental campaigner, free-surfer Dave Rastovich rides his last wave to shore at Bondi following an epic 36 day, 700+km voyage from Byron Bay. Image credit Skennar/Transparentsea

Dubbed “Transparentsea” the campaign takes aim at the Australian Government’s lack of action on Japanese whaling activity in the Southern Ocean, as well as highlighting areas of environmental concern along Australia’s eastern seaboard.

Rastovich and his fellow campaigners, including surfer/artist Chris Del Moro (San Diego, CA, USA), musician Will Conner (Byron Bay, NSW, AUS), activist Howie Cooke (Byron Bay, NSW, AUS) and photographer Hilton Dawe (Byron Bay, NSW, AUS) were welcomed to shore by hundreds of well-wishers and supporters, having accrued nearly 800km at sea in their trimaran kayaks, as they traced the path of migrating humpback whales south.

Surfers show their support by paddling out to greet the Transparentsea team at Bondi. Image credit Skennar/Transparentsea

Rastovich, who in 2005 co-founded the group “Surfers for Cetaceans” and was this year one of just 300 invitees to Al Gore’s “The Climate Project” Asia Pacific Summit in Melbourne, recounted the incredible personal interaction he and his team had experienced alongside whales during their journey and encouraged the Australian public and all-like minded people to pressure Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett to uphold their pre-election promises.

“Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett told the Australian people they would enforce and uphold international laws that would prevent the Japanese from targeting whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. To date they have not acted on these promises,” said Rastovich.

“We’re here as representatives of the global surfing community and all people who are passionate about saving these amazing mammals, and we’re asking Rudd and Garrett to act now and do what they said they were going to do.”

“Everyone we’ve encountered during our trip, in every coastal town and at every beach, has been shocked to learn the Government is not acting on this issue,” said Rastovich.

During their frequent stops down the coast, the Transparentsea team in conjunction with Surfrider Foundation and Tangaroa Blue also initiated beach-cleanups with all the rubbish collected, tabulated and added to the National Marine Debris database.

“This journey has given us first-hand experience, undeniable proof, that our beaches may look good from far, but they are far from good. We visited beaches that did not have a single human footprint yet they’re covered with plastic and other forms of garbage that damage ecosystems and enter the food chain where it stays forever,” Rastovich added.

Rastovich asked that anyone who cared about the whaling issue to send a message to their local council or addressed direct to Peter Garrett and Kevin Rudd, to prompt the government into action.

Left to Right the Transparentsea campaigners included photographer Hilton Dawe, musician Will Conner, surfer Dave Rastovich, surfer Chris Del Moro, activist Howie Cooke. Image credit Skennar/Transparentsea

The original topic : Travel&tourism

World’s Best Sushi

2010-07-11T04:07:00.000-07:00

Travel to Sochi, the best restaurant in the world

World’s Best Sushi

The world’s best sushi restaurant is no doubt at the Tsukiji Fish Market.

At the very least, it is my best experience with sushi so far.

Tonnes of customers along the street with the sushi restaurants.

This translates to a supremely long wait, an hour or so.

Hello signboard, we choose you for our world’s best sushi experience.

We wait and wait.

peeping through the window when we finally get near enough.

I was staring GREEDILY inwards, amazed at the process of sushi making.

The chefs smile and wave at me when they see me doing that.

World’s best sushi chef! He is cheerful and friendly,

always ready to explain what he is making for us.

He asks where we are from and speaks to us in Mandarin when he hears Singapore.

He knows the name of all his sushi dishes in Mandarin & English.

He tells us which to eat with soya sauce & which not to, for the best taste.

I love him!

Our utensils & tools to conquer the world’s best sushi.

Tamago (egg) thing, similar to steamed egg dish in Singapore/China.

This dish is however richer and taste slightly sweeter.

Hello fatty tuna sushi, pleased to meet you and

hope you enjoy tour of my stomach soon.

these two are friends, they want to be together.

i cannot for the life of me remember what sushi this is.

photographing the signboard because I forgot to photograph some sushi

I ate it first

and I want to remember what I ate.

Hello! I think you are sea urchin sushi? Not sure.

This is my favourite sushi shot. It is octopus and you know what

it is so fresh, it is still moving as it is placed on my plate.

hello semi-fatty tuna sushi!

Hello salmon sushi (i think)

hello tiny shrimp sushi, you are transparent and beautiful

hello salmon roe sushi (:

For the last sushi you can choose anything from the sushi menu.

I chose scallop, it is funny tasting but nice.

If you visit Tsukiji Fish Market, hunt down sushi restaurant.

You cannot miss it.

It costs around SGD60 for 12 sushi dishes, but so damn worth it.

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Hot Air Balloon Rides

2010-07-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

Hot Air Balloon Rides

Cancellation Policy: There are no refunds. All sales are final.

Change Fee Policy: If changes are allowed on a tour or activity, a $20.00 per reservation change fee will be applied for any change to a reservation. Please note that some tours and activities do not allow any changes. Date changes can be made only if we can confirm availability on the new date. While we cannot guarantee any changes can be made, all change requests must be submitted a minimum of 24 hours prior to the tour departure and must be handled on an individual basis through our Reservations Center.

Next, we will board our vehicles and head off to one of our 25 launch sites (depending on the wind direction).

All passengers are invited to join in the inflation process as your balloon comes to life. We will fly for approximately one hour. Your Pilot will point out all the spectacular sites of our area.

After your flight, we will celebrate with a traditional champagne toast and head back for an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. At breakfast, each passenger will be awarded a first flight certificate.

Reserve your flight today!

This tour includes a hotel pick-up from Disney World area hotels (Lake Buena Vista or Kissimmee) only. Prices include sales tax. Each child age 10 or under rides free per each full paying adult. Please order online, or call us toll-free at 800-983-7375.

Orlando Hot Air Balloon Ride

Orlando Hot Air Balloon Ride Sunrise

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Top 10 Best Beaches in the World

2010-07-11T04:02:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Best Beaches in the World

If you think about it, the beach is probably the most relaxing place you can go to here on planet Earth.

Beaches all over the world never fail to attract large numbers of tourists every time. But more than just tourist destinations, beaches are great getaways-they offer the “great escape” from all the hustle and bustle, exactly what every city-dweller needs.

Let us countdown some of the best beaches you should visit, rightful in their respective categories.

Clifton Beach, Capetown, South Africa

“Best Big City Beach”

When you’re spending your vacation in this paradise, it’s kinda hard to imagine you’re “just minutes away from the center of a major cosmopolitan city.” During the day, it’s hard not to miss the friendly locals and the large flock of tourists who have come to relax and enjoy the crystal waters of Clifton. The nightlife the beach offers is a blast and should not be missed! There are several bars and restaurants to choose from, as well as accommodations ranging from backpacker-friendly to jet set havens. Yes, Clifton is definitely a haven for the glamorous tourists who flew in from around the globe.

For accommodations visit Cape Venues
Pink Sands Beach, Harbor Island, the Bahamas

“Best Escape Beach”

Pink Sands is a popular destination for tourists who want to spend their holidays in a more private and intimate manner, nothing like the cosmopolitan package Clifton offers. This beach is famous for the wide-mile stretch of, yes, pink sands. Anyone who comes to this part of the Island is stunned by how miraculously nature can create such fine, almost like baby powder-like sands. You will never forget the almost-endless crystal blue horizon while lying on your back outside or in the veranda of one of the few (almost fully-booked every time) hotels. It’s a perfect getaway for your two-week office work leave.

For the best hotel accommodation visit Pink Sand Resort
Larvotto Beach, Monte Carlo, Monaco

“Best Rich and Famous Beach”

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The beaches (or whatever destination) in Monaco are pricey. You have to plan your vacay in this place well, bring with you lots of cash and make sure your credit cards are within reach because the whole adventure will cost you. However, you’ll feel like the luckiest person in the world when you spend great times in Monte Carlo’s prime beach, Larvotto. The tycoons and moguls, and some blue-blooded people who live in this planet with us, actually come to this place. It’s as if the whole place is a by-invitation-only getaway. But never lose heart, anyone can go to Monte Carlo and spend his/her own R&R (don’t be stressed by the prices!) on Larvotto!

Here’s what the Travel Channel even said in one of its article about Larvotto:

“Perhaps the single most decadently glamorous beach in the world is Monte Carlo’s Larvotto Beach, where women may go without their bikini tops, but wouldn’t dare to be seen without their jewels. In fact, Larvotto’s diamond-studded visitors are about the only thing that can compete with the sparkling Mediterranean water lapping along the sandy shore.”

Now who doesn’t want to bask under the sun (who cares if it may cause us cancer) with these blessed ones?

For more information about Larvotto beach visit the Travel Channel .
For the yacht experience visit Monaco Eye
Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

“Best Family Beach”

It’s always the best time when you’re spending the holidays with your family. Especially for married couples with kids, Poipu beach offers fun, kid-friendly activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family. In Poipu, the whole family can take their vacation to a higher, more exciting level by engaging in different activities such as camping, ATV (all terrain vehicles) riding, bicycling downhill, surfing, hiking, scuba diving, and other kid-friendly activities. But the best that Poipu can offer will have to be the helicopter rides the whole family can take! Yup, kids are allowed to experience the view of Poipu from the top, as long as their parents or guardians will accompany them during the trip. This is probably the most extraordinary way to enjoy your whole stay in Poipu!

For a unique experience and the best way to view Poipu (and the rest of the Island) visit Helicopters-Kauai

For activities and accommodation in Poipu visit Poipu Beach
South Beach, Miami, Florida

“Best Body Beach”

This is one of the most famous beaches for tourists in America, and it has been a favorite playground for Miami locals and foreign nationals alike. The party in South Beach is a year-round event, because everywhere you look everyone just seems to be having so much fun! Whether you’re hanging out with your friend in the beach or checking out the different cultural exhibits along the streets near South Beach, the fun just never stops it’s almost like crazy. So if you’re looking for a worldwide-like convention of all the different cultures flocking Miami every time, this is the place to go. It’s great for meeting different nationalities, checking out the local art scene, and partying all-night long!

For the relaxing hotel experience, right in the heart of the Art Deco District, visit Hotel Dorchester
Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece

“Best Party Beach”

Being the most popular among young people, Paradise Beach in Mykonos offers a nude-tolerant atmosphere. Tourists who come here come for the enjoyment of being around similarly adventurous and fun-loving people. It has been named by different travel shows in Europe and the US as one of the world’s best party beaches. Probably the reason why this is so is because of the numerous beach bars around Mykonos. In Paradise beach, the cafes are organized and very tourist-friendly that you will never have to worry if someone will attend to your needs. You can sit back and enjoy the view of the beach while drinking with the friendly locals or with one or more of the intrepid travelers around like you.

For more information on what to do and where to go in Mykonos, go to Mykonos Web
Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“Best Bikini Beach”

The beauty of Ipanema magnets travelers from all over. Yearly, the beach welcomes tens of thousands of tourists who hail from different nations. And when you say Ipanema, it’s synonymous with ‘summer’ in Rio because this is where the beautiful locals and tourists too, come to spend their summer days. Now you must know that when you come to Ipanema, it’s a must to wear as little clothing as possible. Brazilians believe that when you go to the beach, you must show skin and bake yourself under the glorious sun of Rio.

So pack lightly when you’re planning to come to Ipanema, because you won’t be needing those clothes really. Ipanema
Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia

“Best Activity Beach”

This beach near the commercial center along Gold Coast is a haven for surfers from Australia and even from other countries. But aside from surfing, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy. The beach area offers a wide range of water sports like jetski, as well as beach volleyball. You can also enjoy the water but never get wet by joining one of their fishing charters or whale watching cruises. If you’d rather stay dry on land, maybe some bungee jumping or golfing will do for you. Clearly the list of activities to do in the beach is endless, and if you’re the one who’d spend your holidays relaxing but wouldn’t want to get out of shape, this is the place to go.

Australian Explorer
Maroma Beach, Yucatan, Mexico

“Best Romantic Beach”

This beautiful paradise located in the Yucatan jungle is a prime destination for honeymooners and simple tourists alike. The sight of the crystal waters will stick with you like an unforgettable kiss forever, and you’ll find yourself coming back for more. The tropical climate gives tourists cool nights and wonderfully sunny days, while enjoying the solitude the beach offers. It’s perfect for couples who want to privately spend their vacation, where intimacy will never come hardly as the harmony of the beach and the natural wonders around will surely inspire you.

Aside from its natural beauty, this hideaway is preserving the wonders of natural wildlife in its own “ecological park-like theme”, which means it’s not just any resort, it’s a natural preservation area.

Although near the spring break capital of Cancun, you can be sure that you will not be disturbed by all the partying neighbors.

For honeymooners, visit Secret Resorts

For the best Mexican getaway visit Maroma Hotel
Anse Source D’Argent, La Digue, Seychelles

“The Best Beach”

This eternal paradise has been voted as the “best beach in the world” by different travel shows around the globe. It is also probably the most photographed because of the stunning beauty it has. No one can resist the charm of this natural wonder and everyone who has seen pictures of the beach come to Seychelles to experience the best in the world for themselves.

This is absolutely a place you must not hesitate to spend your holidays in. Once you’ve been to this place, life amazingly becomes more worthwhile.

Even in photos the beach is just magnefique!

The original topic : Travel&tourism

The Most Beautiful Hotel in the World

2010-07-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

The Most Beautiful Hotel in the World

Some Facts about this Hotel :

The Burj al-Arab (Arabic: Ø¨Ø±Ø¬ Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ø±Ø¨, “Tower of the Arabs”) is a luxury hotel in Dubai, the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates, and was briefly marketed as “the world’s first seven-star hotel”. It was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. It stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai’s urban transformation and to mimic the shape of an Arab dhow

The marketing technique of self-declaring the 7 star title has worked very well. Burj al-Arab became one of the most wanted destinations, and not only in the United Arab Emirates. To keep objectivity, the hotel is officially 5 star deluxe. The service and the unseen luxury definitely makes it stand out of the other 5 star hotels. The service includes private chauffeur with Rolls Royce or BMW 7, private reception desk every floor, helicopter pad (helicopter trips to the center of Dubai or to the Dubai International Airport), restaurant located 200m above the sea level, with amezing view on the city. The hotel offers free entry to the Wild-Wadi Water Park as well

Burj al-Arab has the most luxurious interior imaginable. Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International was responsible for the interior design. The most expensive materials were used throughout the building. There is no exact data about the cost of the hotel, but rumours say that the return of investment could be 100 years, although the nights at Burj al-Arab start at $1000. The Royal Suite costs $28000 per night.

There are 202 duplex suites in the hotel, the smallest suite starts at 169 mÂ², and the largest is 780 mÂ². Each suite has floor to the ceiling windows with spectacular views on the Persian Gulf. Every suite has sumptuous living and dining area, and office facilities. They are equipped with 42 inch Plasma screen TV, and everything is automated and can be controlled via remote. The list goes on, like 13 pillows to choose from and similar thoughtful care for the guests.

There is huge variety of brilliant, elegant restaurants that offer much more than the average. Al Mahara (The Oyster) let you enjoy your meal next to a large circle aquarium. The Skyview Bar leaves you with an unforgettable experience drinking coctails -made by Rikard Lindqvist (mixologist) from Sweden- 200 m above the sea-level. If that is not enough, there are 8 more restaurants to choose from.

Trick to get in for free: There is an entry fee to the hotel if you just want to see it from the inside, which is about ~50 euros. Although there is a trick that might help you get in without payment. Make a reservation on the phone for any restaurant in Burj al-Arab, you will get a reservation number which you have to show at the front gate. When you get inside to the hotel, just avoid the restaurant. Make sure you dont give your real phone number to them.

The Tower of the Arabs from an exact angle (sailing into the city of Dubai) can be viewed as a Christian symbol, the cross. It is still widely disputed, wether the British architects made it intentionally, or this is only a harmless coincidence. As United Arab Emirates is an Islamic country, such symbol would not make the locals happy, as Burj al-Arab is the iconic tower of their country, that represents their dream of the modern Dubai.

Burj al-Arab was the first hotel to self-declare the 7-star title, but soon another hotel appeared in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. While Burj al-Arab lies on a small artificial island, Emirates Palace is surrounded by a spectacular garden with multiple swimming pools and amezing fountains. The hotel kept the traditional arabic architectural style.

The tower that resembles the sail of dhow, became the world’s tallest hotel with the height of 321m in 1999, and the iconic tower of Dubai. The construction took 6 years (1994-1999).

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Trip to Lake Como

2010-07-11T03:52:00.000-07:00

Trip to Lake Como

THE PROVINCE OF COMO The Como Province lies on the western shore of Lake Como for all its length covering a surface of about 1288 square km. So far it may be considered a "small Province". But the small extension must not deceive, because in very few other Italian places the visitor may find a so surprising and rich choice of different environments, landscapes and settlements. In few miles you may find the mountains and the lake, the wild Alps valleys and the industrial area of Brianza, the urban area of Como and villages of few houses, the fauna oasis in the north and the ski areas in the south.
Here the visitor may lie down under one of the olive trees of the Tremezzina area – in the central part of the Lake – to admire the Grigna perpetual snow. The longest way within the Province doesn’t exceed 100 kilometres, so it is possible to pass from the centre of the city to the wild areas, or from the winter to the summer in less than one hour by car. We may say the Como Province is a concentrate of all the main characteristics of Northern Italy. If we observe the territory from the satellite we may notice that the human presence follows the imaginary line from North to South, with the maximum concentration in Brianza. All around the mountain part, moreover in the Alto Lario (the northest area of the lake), the visitor may find whole areas without any human mark, that are as good as the most celebrated national parks.

Here the wild fauna is rich, various and prosperous. Stags, chamoises, roe-deers are increasing; ibexes had been reintroduced, some close to extinction species of birds are expanding again, all the predators are increasing, including the royal eagle.
Also the water fauna is widely developed in the 6.000 miles of rivers and torrents, and for what the lake surface is concern, the Province of Como holds the supremacy. It is the richest in Italy, with a great protagonist: lake Como (also known as "Lario"), that is the deepest in Italy, 410 meters, and one of the deepest in Europe. With its big water mass it has a strong influence on the climate, gifting to the centre of the lake area a weather similar to the Liguria Coast region. Laurels and olive trees grow well, and the numerous gardens host palms and tropical trees. In this area the greenhouses are numerous.
Como province adds to all this an original and fascinating artistic asset in which three main trends may easily outlined. The first one, more garish, is formed by the Lake Como Villas, unique in the world both for their architectural and landscape value and the numerous treasures that they contain. The second, more hidden and cultured, is formed by the incredible concentration in this territory of Romanesque churches, that testify a brilliant and flourishing Middle–Age.
The third asset, more evocative and intriguing, is formed by the many military fortresses of different ages, with their own asset of anecdotes and legends, that testify a turbulent and adventurous past.
Three artistic assets that propose this land for an artistic discover absolutely not banal at all, but stimulating, easily accessible and of significant cultural thickness.
In all seasons the "small" Como Province unveils itself as a rich treasure chest… full of surprises and unexpected experiences as well as unique and evocative landscapes… but also full of hidden beautiful things that deserve a calm visit, with your soul prepared to the wonder and to the aesthetic enjoyment

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Recreation travel and tourism in Rome

2010-07-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Recreation travel and tourism in Rome

The Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind : The Colosseum Rome Italy

The Colosseum Rome Italy In Night

The Colosseum Rome Italy In side

The Colosseum Rome Italy at Early Morning

The Colosseum Rome Italy

The Colosseum Rome Italy

Colosseum is one of the greatest architecture ever built in the history of Rome. The Colosseum was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre and is the largest amphitheater to have ever been built in the Roman Empire. It is a circular structure that occupies a site east of the Roman Forum. This Amphitheater was built to organize gladiator contests, dramas and games like hunting animals, constructing mock sea battle and the public could also view it in the open, and cheer their favorites.

Built in the center of Rome itself, its construction began sometime between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD when Titus was the ruling emperor. It has a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators. The Colosseum over the years has been broken by natural disasters like earthquake; even then, it is one of the hot spot of tourist visits in Rome. Very near to the Colosseum is the training school for the gladiators and it is worth the look. As compared to the oval shape of the Colosseum, it is triangular in shape. Other areas of attraction are places where the armor was built, then where the wounded gladiators were cured and not to forget the burial ground where the dead gladiators rested in peace.

Today, the Colosseum is used for religious purposes. The Pope leads a procession on good Fridays called the station of the cross. Currently, the Amphitheater is very rich in Flora. There are more then hundreds of different kinds of Flora present on the ancient walls of the Colosseum. The Colosseum of Rome has been given great importance by the media and that is the reason why a lot of Hollywood movies have been shot in this amphitheater. The famous movie “Gladiator” is highly influenced by the Roman culture and the gladiator contests.

Traveling to the Colosseum :

The fascinating history that involves bloodbaths and battles associated with the structure is what draws visitors to this historical site. Getting to the Colosseum by taxi or bus from the airport is easy enough, but the line to get into the site itself can be excruciatingly long, especially during the very busy summer season. Aside from going there at any other time, there are other ways to get around these long lines. You can buy your ticket either at the Roman Forum or the Via de San Gregorio (these ticket counters are usually line-free), or you can even get them online. You can also buy a combo ticket that covers several of Rome’s main attractions, or call the office to reserve your ticket in advance. Another good way to avoid long lines at the Colosseum entrance is by joining a tour group.

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Tourism and travel to Lake Baikal

2010-07-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

Tourism and travel to Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal In Russia Pictures, Photos, Tourist Map

The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World : Russia says "Sacred lake" is 25 million years old-the oldest lake on the planet.

Lake Baikal in Russia Picture

Lake Baikal in Russia Photo

Beautiful Lake Baikal Picture

Lake Baikal in Russia Photo

In early March, snow still blankets lake Baikal, its deep waters sealed beneath three-foot-thick ice. Over the next two months, under bright springtime sun, the ice will slowly thaw in a process punctuated by cracking sounds not unlike the sharp report of guns. As long as the ice remains in place, though, scientists can set up camp right in middle of this 400-mile-long, 5,000-foot-deep lake.

Russia says "Sacred lake" is 25 million years old-the oldest lake on the planet. It is also the deepest lake, holding more water than all of North America's Great Lakes combined. It's aquatic life comprises more than 1,500 animal species and 1,000 plant species, two-thirds of which are endemic. According to marine scientist Andy Rechnitzer, Baikal is more biologically diverse than other lakes because oxygen-rich water circulates from its surface to its deepest depths, a process likely related to geothermal vents.

One of the most interesting animals in the lake is the Baikal seal, or nurpa, the world's only fresh water seal. Nurpas use their sharp claws to carve dens for their families while ice is still forming. Finding their dens is relatively easy: look for air bubbles trapped in the ice after being exhaled by nurpas. You can also look for small breathing holes poked into snowdrifts by the seals.

For a diver to get into a den is another story. First, a diving crew member must use a small metal saw to cut a small hole in the ice. Then a circular, manhole-size opening is cut with a chain saw, and long poles are used to push the round slab under the ice. To keep the hole from freezing over, it must be constantly raked. A team effort, indeed. Under the ice, the water is warmer than the air [36 degrees F], but it is still very cold for scuba diving. Every 30 seconds or so, divers must tug on safety lines attached to their wrists to let the crew above know that they are all right.

Seen from an underwater perspective, the seal's den is an intricate ice carving, complete with tunnels and an igloo-like canopy that functions as an air pocket. Nurpas are shy, and pups resting on a bunk bed of ice quickly dive into the water when startled by a visitor.

In June, conditions at Lake Baikal are much different. Although the water temperature is about the same as it is in spring, the air temperature is usually in the 60s. Visibility underwater is perhaps 200 feet, many times greater than that in most lakes. The "Great vis" at that time of year is caused by the water's relative lack of minerals and by countless small crustaceans eating the algae, plankton, and bacteria that can cloud fresh water and salt water alike. Clarity does not last long, however. By mid July, an algae bloom produces pea-soup conditions.

Except for the numbing cold that pains their ears, face, and fingers within minutes of entering the water, divers exploring the shallows of Baikal might feel as if they are hovering over a meadow on a sunny day. Looking up from a depth of 50 feet, they can see clouds in the sky. Looking down, they sea fields of fluffy green algae.

The greens spires of three-foot-tall candelabra sponges poke through the algae. Such large sponges, which get their color from algae living symbiotically in their tissues, are not rare in saltwater, but in other freshwater lakes they have no parallel. The sponges are homes for amphipods, alien-looking shrimplike creatures that are as small as specks or as large as human thumbs. And the waters of Lake Baikal hold 240 species of them.

Hiding among the sponges and algae are sculpins, bottom-dwelling fish that are masters of camouflage, their patterned bodies blending in with their surroundings. These ancient fish, like most cold-water species, don't move fast; it's just too cold here to make quick moves. So, the lake's 40 species of sculpins, comprising 80 percent of Baikal's fish biomass, rely on camouflage for protection against larger fish. Pear

Near the lakes northern and, at a depth of approximately 1,350 feet, a geothermal vent provides warmth for the community of sponges, snails, worms, and fish living in the pitch-dark environment. The existence of this vent confirms that Baikal is a place where continental masses are being pulled apart. Photographer Emory Kristof, who has visited the site for the National Geographic Society, explains: "The communities of life resemble organisms normally found in an ocean, which gives weight to the theory that Baikal is an ocean in the making."

One rarely seen creature is the omul, a delicious fish endemic to the lake. Its scarcity indicates Baikal is ecologically out of balance, a result of the destructive effects of industrial development and logging nearby. Vadim Fialkov, of the lake Baikal Limnological Institute, reports that "local environmental groups have put pressure on the government to reduce the amount of effluents that are dumped into the lake. With some luck, we'll get Baikal back to its pristine state and keep it that way. "To help the effort, UNESCO has recommended that the lake and its watershed be designated a World Heritage Site." Courtesy By : Wonderclub.com

Lake Baikal In Russia Tourist Map :

Baikal Amur Railway

Map of Lake Baikal courtsey: baikaler.com

Map of Lake Baikal - World's Largest Freshwater Lakeby volume- Image by CIA

Lake Baikal Ring

Often called the Pearl of Siberia, Lake Baikal is a natural wonder that almost defies description. Its 1600 meter (almost 1 mile) depth holds 20% of all the freshwater (melted condition) on the planet. It is fed by 336 rivers and streams that flow from the surrounding mountains and all parts of Siberia and it is estimated that it took over 400 years for these rivers and streams to fill the lake up originally. It is considered the oldest lake in the world.

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Travel and Tourism to Germany

2010-07-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

Travel and Tourism to Germany

According to the German Tourism Association these eight buildings are the most visited landmark tourist attractions in Germany.The list is for landmark buildings only and does not include places like the Black Forest or the city of Berlin or Europa-Park which in total probably see more tourists than these landmark buildings. All of these beautiful buildings are popular tourist attractions in Germany today and all have fascinating rich histories and are well worth seeing by anyone traveling to Germany. Indeed a trip to Germany will not be complete for tourists without seeing these beautiful landmark tourist attractions.

Image Source

The beautiful Cologne Cathedral is visited by over 7 million tourists a year. That works out to an astonishing 20,000 visitors per day. Cologne Cathedral was built from 1248 to 1880 and has the 2nd tallest church spires in the world. Located in Cologne, Germany this Roman Catholic church is the 15th largest church in the world today.

The Reichstag

Image Source (Reichstag building circa 1970)

The Reichstag building is located in Berlin and was built from 1884 to 1894 for the purpose of housing the parliament of Germany called the Reichstag. A purpose the building filled until 1933 when a fire in the building was used as an excuse by the Nazis to essentially ignore and override the Reichstag or Parliament of Germany. After the fire the Reichstag building became a ruin until it was repaired in 1961-1964 and then renovated to its present glorious form in 1992. When the Berlin Wall fell and the the country of Germany was unified in 1990 the unification ceremony was held at the Reichstag building which is located close to the wall in what was West Berlin. Today the magnificent Reichstag building is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Berlin.

Image Source (Reichstag building in Berlin today)

Hofbrauhaus in Munich

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Hofbrauhaus is a large brewery or beer hall in Munich owned by the state government that receives some 1.8 million visitors per year most of whom come to the brewery building beer hall in the fall for the Oktoberfest. The original brewery building or Hofbrauhaus am Platzl dates dates back to 1607. The beer hall building was completely remodeled in 1897 and then again in 1958 and only serves its own brewed beer and is located right in the heart of Munich not far from most hotels so tourists celebrating Oktoberfest do not have to travel far while loaded up with beer.

Heidelberg Castle

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Heidelberg Castle is a massive ruin of a medieval castle sitting on a hillside overlooking the city of Heidelberg in southwestern Germany. The original castle dates back to before 1200 and from that time until the 1700’s Heidelberg Castle was home to a number of kings and royalty and was often being rebuilt or destroyed depending upon who was in power and how good they were at holding off their enemies. Heidelberg Castle has been a tourist attraction for a long time at least since the 1800’s when French writer Victor Hugo fell in love with the place and wrote about its history. Today renovations are ongoing at the castle which is visited by some 3 million tourists per year. The castle is also a popular wedding spot and a magnificent architectural structure to behold.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria

Image Source

Neuschwanstein Castle is a spectacular Romanesque Revival building located atop a rugged hilltop in southwestern Bavaria, Germany. The castle was built beginning in 1869 by King Ludwig II as a temple of friendship to his friend the German composer and conductor Richard Wagner whose music the king loved. King Ludwig died in 1886 having lived in the castle for only 174 days and Wagner who died in 1883 never even stepped foot in Neuschwanstein Castle. As soon as the king died the castle was opened up to tourists and at least 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. Today some 1.3 million people visit Neuschwanstein Castle which was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castles at Disney theme parks.

Zwinger Palace in Dresden

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Zwinger Palace is a magnificent German Baroque building located in the city of Dresden in eastern Germany. Zwinger Palace was built beginning in 1710 for Frederick Augustus also known as Frederick the Strong who had visited Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles and wanted a similar palace for himself. Zwinger Palace suffered great damage during WW II but has since been rebuilt and today is a beautiful tourist attraction in Germany that draws well over 1 million visitors per year.

Fernsehturm Tower in Berlin

Image Source

The Fernsehturm Tower is a 1,207 foot high observation tower that is a very popular tourist attraction located in the center of the city of Berlin, Germany. The tower was built from 1965-1969 by the East German Communist Government as a symbol of East Berlin and a television tower. Ironically the Fernsehturm Tower became something of an embarrassment to the Communists who did not believe in religion because when the sun shines on the stainless steel dome of the tower the reflection forms a very visible cross.

Image Source (Fernsehturm Tower behind the Reichstag building. Note the cross reflection from sun on dome)

Today over 1 million people a year visit the Fernsehturm Tower which has two elevators to lift the tourists up to the observation deck for fantastic views of Berlin and as far away as 26 miles on a clear day. There is also a rotating restaurant where visitors can eat with a fabulous view.

Aachen Cathedral or the Imperial Cathedral

Image Source

The Aachen Cathedral which is also called the Imperial Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in western Germany in the city of Aachen. Built beginning in 792 by the Emperor Charlemagne the Aachen Cathedral was renovated around 1100 and restored in 1881. When Charlemagne died in 814 his remains were placed in a vault in Aachen Cathedral with Charlemagne’s body placed sitting on a throne with a golden crown on his head and holding a scepter in his gloved hand. His remains were placed in a casket in the vault in 1215. Aachen Cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 kings and 12 queens which earned it the name of Imperial Cathedral. Today the Aachen Cathedral is a very popular tourist attraction in Germany that sees over 1 million visitors per year.

The original topic : Travel&tourism

Travel and tourism to South Africa

2010-07-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Travel and tourism to South Africa

Where else in the world can you see such beautiful scenery, travelling from Oceans and Mountains, through beautiful vineyards and into arid desert, from open bushveld, to tropical forest or to our fantastic beaches.

Where else can you find such a diversity of people that eleven official languages are required. Telling you why our country comes close to paradise for tourists and holiday makers.Helping you turn your visit to our country into an unforgettable experience and making you share our love and passion for our country.

That, dear visitor, is what this site is all about....Enjoy it !

Beacon isle resort hotel at plettenberg bay on the Garden Route coast,...
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © South African tourism

It’s all about a truly beautiful country at the southern tip of dark and mysterious Africa, one of the most diverse and captivating countries in the world. A country with exotic combinations of landscapes, people, history, culture and wildlife, offering you experiences beyond your wildest dreams.

To find out more, watch the video at the bottom of this page

The beaches,...

A coastline of 3000 kilometres, with thousands of spectacular beaches for you to enjoy, what more do you want. More then twenty of the top beaches have been awarded international Blue Flag status for excellence in safety, cleanliness, the provision of amenities and setting and maintaining environmental standards.

Sun, sand, sea, skimpy swimsuits and the smell of coconut scented sun tan lotion. Just imagine yourself lying on one of our beautiful and exotic beaches, getting a nice tan under the lovely South African sun, taking a dip in the sparkling and clear blue ocean, enjoying an ice cold glass of our famous beer or maybe a glass of one of our great fruit juices... Total bliss.

Margate beach on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © South African tourism

Wilderness beach near George
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © South-Africa-tours-and-travel.com

The wildlife,...

From joy and happiness on the beach, to excitement and adventure in the interior... We are on Safari, tracking the big 5. Just imagine yourself sitting in the back of the 4 wheel drive safari vehicle, the game ranger behind the steering wheel, the tracker on his special seat up front above the bulbar. Everybody looking searchingly into the bush, across open patches, senses very tight.

All of a sudden the tracker up front hisses, ssssht !! and points ahead.

Elephant encounter in the Sabi Sabi private game reserve
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © Sabi Sabi private game reserve
And then you see him, appearing from behind a cluster of bushes. A massive elephant bull, ears slowly flapping, its large tusks almost touching the ground. Slowly it crosses the road and with a shake of its massive head it disappears in the bush again. The ranger had quietly shifted into first gear, just in case! A little shaky ?... Don't worry, the game ranger was prepared and had the situation in hand.

Want to know what happened......watch the video at the bottom of this page

The vehicle moves on slowly, everybody on the lookout again. All of a sudden the tracker up front points to the left. Is he seeing something ? Tension is rising and then,...yes,...the king of animals lying on his side, resting. A gloriously powerful male lion, its wild bunch of mane-hair stretching down his back.

Game drive lion encounter
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © South African tourism

Not far from him the pride of lionesses are lying in the shade under a camel thorn tree. A mother lioness is playing with her two cubs. Then she suddenly turns away form the cubs, her eyes fixed on a small herd of wildebeest (gnu's).

She is hungry and her cubs have not eaten for quite a while. She has selected her pray and slowly she starts moving, all her senses totally focused. In the game drive vehicle the adrenaline starts flowing...

To find out what happened next, watch the video at the bottom of the page

The scenery,...

The scenery ?...Yes the scenery. It’s awesome. It’s so sensational. It is almost impossible to single out a particular place or region. The whole country is so beautiful. But if we have to start somewhere, so let’s first go and see The Cape.

We start with Cape Town... Excellent choice! Imagine yourself sitting in the Cape Explorer roofless double-decker bus, taking you to all the hot spots of the city, while you enjoy the warm sunshine and take in the street-scenes around you.

The bus is taking you up Buitengracht street en Kloofnek road, turning left into Table Mountain road. At the lower cableway station you get off the bus, the cable car waiting to take you up 1067 mtrs. to the top of Table Mountain.

Cable car moving up Table Mountain
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © South African tourism
Once inside, the cable car starts to move and you see Cape Town slowly sink away beneath your feet. Suddenly the platform you are standing on inside the round cable car, starts to rotate, taking you through a 360 degree circle. Your view changes from looking across Cape Town, Table bay harbour and Robben Island, to looking straight up the mountain side, some baboons on a small ledge staring back at you.

Cape Town view from the top of Table Mountain
South Africa Tours, Travel and Tourism Guide
copyright © South Africa tours and travel.com
After a few minutes you arrive at the top, a 3 km wide and flat sandstone plateau. Full of excitement you start walking along the pathways, taking in the spectacular views at the 11 different viewpoints. At the end, tired and satisfied, you end up in the restaurant on the plateau, to enjoy our great South African food and wine and to reflect upon your new experiences.

Want to see for yourself......,watch the last of the videos below

Double click the arrow button of the video below and find out more about our World in one Nation

Want to know what happened when the big Elephant bull appeared......,double click on the arrow button of the video below

To find out what happened next when the Lioness got into action, double click the arrow button and watch the video below

Double click on the arrow button below and watch a brief video tour of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

Us locals have long known it, ours is the most beautiful country on earth and now 12 million tourists seem to agree. The 2006 UK Readers Travel awards gave South African scenery a score of 97.8% which is the highest in the world. It was also voted the worlds 5th best tourist destination, while it has ranked in the top 20 destinations for the last 6 years.

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Travel and Tourism to Brazil

2010-07-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Travel and Tourism to Brazil

Vacation in Brazil
Your Gateway to Travel and Adventure

Congratulations and welcome to the exciting and enchanting country of Brazil. Whether you’re a first time visitor or a devoted returnee you’re about to unveil a country richly sainted in history, topography, climate, diversity and yes, adventure. A country of such majestic size, resources and natural bewilderment that you will hardly know where to begin your travel journey. From thousands of miles of deserted, pristine, sun-kissed beaches to the amazing Amazon Jungle, waterfalls rivaling and often exceeding those found anywhere in the world, a geographical divergence unmatched not only in its size but its unique and magnanimous splendor, Brazil encompasses countless possibilities each rewarding you with lifelong memories.

Water Recreation in Brazil.
Incredibly this South American country’s coastline begins above the equator and extends itself almost to the Antarctica Circle! Fish the emerald sea or kayak the calm waters, surf the thundering waves, explore the secret coves, windsurf on the wings of an Atlantic breeze, snorkel or scuba dive the shimmering blue waters reveling amongst the brightly colored tropical fish. Or simply relax with a leisurely stroll occasionally digging your toes in the black sands, marveling the kaleidoscope of changing shapes of sunlight, or admiring natures ability to reveal formations of rain bowed coral and craggy rock compositions only to have them suddenly disappear as your feet are cooled by the tepid tides and natures wonderments are once again sent into seclusion .

But the beaches in Brazil are not the only attraction for the water enthusiast. Brazil is endowed with hundreds of rivers and waterfalls each adorned with tropical fauna. Whether it’s tubing down a gentle tributary, the exhilaration of a raft as it meets the churning of white water, cave-diving into underground caverns rarely visited by human contact, or even fishing along the banks of the Amazon for the adrenalizing Piranha. If water adventure is within your travel itinerary, Brazil is the place to go.

Land and Air Recreation.
Up to the task? Brazil answers the challenge. How about an off-road safari, with or without a driver thru narrow roads of rain forest fully encompassed by fields of orchids, eventually leading to a foot path where you board an inflatable boat to an island to view magnificent falls in their eye-popping grandeur. The embodiment of the cyclists is also captured throughout the countryside, along the beaches and in the cities weaving along a latticework of trails and paths. Rock climbers and hikers too will find a haven from the most casual of strollers, to those wishing to test nature’s most severe vertical -challenges. Or if reaching for the sky is your high, hop aboard a hot air balloon, strap on a parachute, buckle-up a paraglider or simply sit back in a helicopter and soak up the panoramic vistas of Brazil.

Why Brazil?
If adventure alone is not compelling enough to visit Brazil consider the fact that the people of Brazil are among the friendliest and most hospitable in the world. The delectable cuisine of beef, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables scrumptiously prepared using indigenous spices. And golf is rapidly becoming popular with a growing number of world-class destinations. Accommodations too are plentiful, appealing to a broad spectrum of budgets, styles and tastes. Opting for an all-inclusive resort, an international hotel chain, an intimate bungalow or a secluded eco-lodge allows you the freedom to gain the maximum value for your travel dollar. Using hotels or resorts as your vacation base, tour Brazil at your leisure. Our travel vacation sponsors will accommodate your every need and desire.

_____________________________________

Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel

Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Corcovado Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Celebrate a New World...

Our Brazil Discovery Collection comprises a selection of ecological and cultural explorations in South America's largest country. Comparable in size to the continental United States or Europe, Brazil is a land of diverse landscapes and climates. From tropical beaches to cool mountains, from virgin forest to arid backlands, from peaceful countryside to bustling metropolis, the country is full of great contrasts.

The diversity of Brazil is echoed by her inhabitants -- descendants of the world's greatest melting pot. Amerindian, European, African and Oriental peoples have created an amazing wealth of cultural traditions, folklore and cuisine. Brazil is a country that intensifies the enjoyment of life, whether through its beautiful landscapes, the exuberance of Carnival or the famous warmth of its people. In each of the regions of Brazil, there are marvels to be discovered -- great cities, a turbulent but rich past, vibrant cultural displays and immense natural beauty. We invite you to explore them on one of our classic Brazilian journeys. Throughout your private journey, enjoy all the expertise of Inka's Empire Tours, one of South America's premier tour companies.

Inka's returns guests to the "gracious, golden age of travel" with five-star accommodations aptly described as "regal". Our ultraluxurious De Luxe category features Orient-Express hotels: the Copacabana Palace, on Rio's Copacabana Beach, and Hotel das Cataratas, overlooking Iguazu Falls. Where Orient-Express hotels do not exist, we have chosen other unique properties, such as the Convento do Carmo, a 16th century convent in the colonial quarter of Salvador da Bahia, a World Heritage Site.

Iguassu Falls, Southern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Brazil in a Nutshell

Rio - Iguassu Falls - Salvador

Land Price (8 days/7 nights)

De Luxe US$ 3,965 per person

Corcovado Mountain (left) and Sugarloaf (right), Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Brazil Classic

Rio - Ouro Preto - Iguassu Falls - Manaus - Amazon - Recife - Porto de Galinhas

Land Price (18 days/17 nights)

De Luxe US$ 7,175 per person

Red-and-Green Macaws, Manaus, Northern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Brazilian Highlights

Rio - Iguassu Falls - Manaus - Amazon - Salvador

Land Price 14 days/13 nights)

De Luxe US$ 6,210 per person

Salvador de Bahia, Northeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Culture & History

Rio - Paraty - Paraty - Ouro Preto - Recife - Salvador

Land Price (14 days/13 nights)

De Luxe US$ 8,020 per person

Horse riding in the Pantanal, Central Western Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Nature Highlights (Two Weeks)

Rio - Iguassu Falls - Manaus - Amazon - Cuiabá - Pantanal

Land Price (14 days/13 nights)

De Luxe US$ 6,280 per person

Chapada Diamantina, Northeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Nature Highights (Three Weeks)

Salvador - Chapada Diamantina - Manaus - Amazon - Campo Grande - Pantanal - Iguassu Falls - Rio

Land Price (21 days/20 nights)

De Luxe US$ 8,950 per person

Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Northeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Northeast Paradises

Salvador - Chapada Diamantina - São Luís - Lençois Maranhenses - Natal - Pipa Beach - Fernando de Noronha

Land Price (18 days/17 nights)

De Luxe US$ 6,045 per person

Train in the Serra do Mar mountain range, Southeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Southern Highlights

Iguassu Falls - Porto Alegre - Curitiba - Paraty - Rio

Land Price (14 days/13 nights)

De Luxe US$ 7,175 per person

Beach near Paraty, Southeastern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Coastal Treasures

Rio - Paraty - Salvador - Praia do Forte - Recife - Fernando de Noronha

Land Price (14 days/13 nights)

De Luxe US$ 7,475 per person

Jabiru mycteria and Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Pantanal, Central Western Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Bird Watching

Rio - Itatiaia - Cuiabá - Pantanal - Alta Floresta

Land Price (21 days/20 nights)

De Luxe US$ 8,870 per person

Amazon Clipper, Manaus, Northern Brazil.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.

Essence of the Amazon

Belém - Ilha do Marajó - Amazon - Manaus

Land Price (10 days/9 nights)

De Luxe US$ 4,965 per person

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Travel and tourism to the best places in the world

2010-07-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Travel and tourism to the best places in the world

I love going in different places but I don’t have any money to spend… I’m still lucky because I have a connection in the internet, I can do it by just surfing the net where I can go any where I want…

1. Paris

France, the capital, Paris or the City of Lights, is situated by the river Seine lies in the northern part of France and a big city and it is a vibrant and attractive as well as the home of more than two million Parisians. Paris in a few places in the twelfth century, including the famous Cathedral of Notre de Paris and of course, the nineteenth century the world famous Eiffel Tower. Paris is known for the good sport that one can savor, including operas, which are Garnier opera house’s largest opera as well as more modern Bastille Opera.

2. Spain

Spain is a wonderful country that attracts many tourists thanks to its sun holidays and cheaper climes and is also a lot to see and do in Spain. Spain’s most famous and popular holiday destinations in Europe. To name a few places to see included in Spain Estepona, Granada, Costa Calida, Valencia, Costa Blanca, and of course, Madrid “, the capital city!

3. United States of America

United States, or in the United States of America is one of the world’s great tourist destinations, located in North America. U.S. claims that a large number of tourist attraction and one is that the years to explore all of them! Some are to mention the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, the spot of the former World Trade Center in New York, Disneyland, Lincoln Park, and Las Vegas – the entertainment capital of the world.

4. China

The third largest country in the world, “China is an important places in Asia, with great ethnic as well as cultural diversities. Apart from being home to one of the world’s seven wonders of the Great Wall, which also can be seen on the From space, China has many attractive tourist attractions from the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province’s Hangzhou to Hong Kong’s gardens.

5. Rome

Rome, a city with a certain air of timelessness about it, and the capital of Italy’s most populous country in the commune. Easter in Rome in the tourist season begins and continue until October, spring and autumn is the peak period when the tourists poured in from different parts of the world. In some places, must be included in Rome to see the Roman Forum, concrete Roman Colosseum, pantheon, St. Peterâ Square – Colonnades.

6. Greece

Greece is a wonderful country that has a very rich history of the culture and values as well as home to the earliest civilizations and the birthplace of the Olympics. Greece is a popular tourist destination that sees more than fifteen million tourists visited the country to Greece every year for himself to address. Greece’s a lot to offer, including the Acropolis, Peloponnese, the ancient temple of Hephaestus: AgoraÂ, Athens, National Archaeological MuseumÂ: Andros Island, and many interesting festivals, such as Rockwave Festival.

7. Goa

Goa, with its attractive beaches, exciting night, foreign cuisine, and historical edifices, and a unique mix of Konkani and Portuguese, is a summer vacation at any time after a lot of demand for places in India. Another aspect of you may note Goa carnival atmosphere is wear it all the time. This is an event you can not really think much of India. Vacation for a difference, it is the place you should visit.

8. Mexico

Mexico, or the United Mexican States as it is known officially, it is a wonderful country located in South Texas and North America is a part of. Mexico is the seventeenth largest country in the world with more than two thousand and ten to twelve per cent of the various species of the world’s biodiversity.

9. Egypt

Popularly known as the land of the Pharaohs and the pyramids – Egypt’s most popular tourist destinations in North East Africa. From the sea of red attractions in the Sinai desert to Abu Simbel and Cairo, Egypt, a destination that you need a magical journey at least once in their lifetime!

10. Thailand

Thailand is known that at one of the kingdom of Thailand lies in the South East Asia and is home to several indigenous culture. Thai culture, the impact of China and India are key, along with some other cultures of this beautiful country from neighbouring countries. Special interests are tourist island of Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Liberia Samui, and of course the capital of Bangkok.

That’s it for now hope you like my post…

Have a nice day!!!

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Peter Island Resort Review

2010-07-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Peter Island Resort Review

Peter Island Resort Review Diving with Paradise Watersports

What makes Peter Island unique?

A privately owned island and resort, Peter Island offers the seclusion and privacy of a small resort -- you can contentedly spend days virtually alone with your partner -- and yet is big enough that you can socialize with other guests if you choose to. You will also find lots of activities to enjoy.

The friendly service at Peter Island begins the moment you get off the plane at Tortola, Beef Island, where you are met by smiling Peter Island representatives who whisk you and your bags into a Taxi to one of two boat docks. After a short boat ride to Peter Island, you are met at the dock by a friendly bellhop in a golf cart who transports you and your luggage straight to your room. For those guests arriving after dinner, you can call ahead and ask for a late night snack to be waiting in your room for you.

At Peter Island, your biggest worry is what to have for dinner, and what activities to choose to do for the day.

If you are wondering how you might possibly fill your time at a secluded island, Max and I invite you to read about three of our days on Peter Island during the first week of July. Of course, you can choose to relax for a day or two by the pool or Deadman's beach with a tropical drink in your hand, but there are plenty of adventures and activities to keep you busy as well. How you can choose to fill a day or a week on Peter Island is entirely up to you!

Friday on Peter Island
Morning
5:00 am
Corinne
A big storm blew through last night, and I awoke to close the two big glass doors against the rain and salt spray. The slats on the rest of the windows seemed to protect against the downpour, and so Max and I lay in bed feeling the cool summer storm gusts and listening to the rain pattering the tiles and the palm trees outside our patio. By morning, the storm had passed, and the azure sky and calm aquamarine waters lapping softly at the beach below our window promised another wonderful day in paradise.

Max:
All of the rooms at Peter Island are air conditioned, but the windows open and there are ceiling fans. Rooms on the beachfront face the trade winds so that there is always a steady breeze coming into the room. On some of the more calm or remote portions of the island there are a few bugs, but each room has its own supply of insect repellent.

White Bay Beach
10:00 am
Corinne:
After a full breakfast of mushroom and cheddar omelets and pancakes with mango butter and syrup, we loaded our snorkel gear, a few good books, and an ice chest full of water and sodas into the van bound for White Bay -- a secluded crescent beach on the southern side of Peter Island.

We introduced ourselves to a couple from Oregon, and swapped snorkel and resort stories as we ascended a narrow ridge road overlooking spectacular views of nearby islands and coves: Dead Chest off to the southeast, Norman Island (said to be Stevenson's Treasure Island) to the north, and Tortola off to the west. After a few hairpin turns, we descended to the drop-off point near a small thatched hut. The beach had several of these shady retreats, and Max and I bade our Oregon companions a good day as we headed off for a hut far down the beach. As we approached our spot, we startled a two foot long iguana that must have been sunning itself in the sand. He shimmied through some sea grapes and leaped up to a set of granite rocks behind our lounge chairs where, for the rest of the morning, he surveyed our activities.

11:00 am
Corinne:
Just returned from a leisurely snorkel out around the rocks on the western side of the bay. We saw a pod of fifteen or so squid hanging out near the reef ledge -- each buff colored and brown polka dotted with a blue strip down the middle of its mantle. Max approached one with his flipper, and it flicked a shocking white before darting back into the middle of the pod. Overall, the squid were just as curious about the people on the beach as people were curious about them. A stingray fed in an eel grass pasture just past a large rock adorned with soft and hard corals. While the snorkeling at White Bay does not approach the Great Barrier reef, it transitions from a sandy bottom to a reef gradually.

12:00 pm
Corinne:
Sipping an ice cold glass of water,
I turn the page of my novel
As I occasionally look out at
Norman Island directly across from our cove.
Max is out building a sandcastle.

Max:
During the day a van leaves from the resort lobby to White Bay every hour on the hour. The same van leaves from White Bay about ten minutes pass the hour. In case of emergencies, there is a phone that connects White Bay to the front desk.

Lunch
1:00 pm
Corinne:
The van returns to take us back to Deadman's bay, and brings a picnic lunch for the Oregon couple, who are staying at White Bay for the afternoon. The picnic lunches include silverware in a basket and food in a cooler. Arrangements for picnic lunches need to be made by 8 PM the night before.

Staff members Jean and Jennifer offer us a hearty welcome to the beachfront restaurant, and we enjoy a tart salmon salad and a savory Cuban sandwich while we slowly sip our iced teas.

Max:
Food is a common theme during your stay at Peter Island. Be forewarned that you will get plenty of incredibly tempting and delicious meals at Peter Island . Within a few days you will be trying find activities to work off all the enjoyable meals on the island. Fortunately there are plenty of options available to guests wishing to be more active. These include a gym, tennis courts, basketball courts, mountain bikes, and of course, water sports.

Water Sports
2:30 pm
Corinne:
We head down the beach to talk to Colin, the resident activities director, about taking out some of his toys. Max chooses a bright yellow kayak and heads out to explore Honeymoon beach, and I ask for a windsurfing lesson. I really didn’t expect to accomplish much more than flailing in the water and falling off the board, but Colin's optimism was catching. After practicing on the sand for a while, moving the mast forwards and backwards, and practicing a few simulated turns, Colin took the board out and asked me to tell him how to hold the mast, where to put his feet, and how to turn the sail. Colin was able to quickly recover from my (often wrong) instructions, and after a few minutes of my coaching and watching his responses, I had a good idea of the theory behind windsurfing. Colin playfully sailed back in to let me take the helm for a while. “Remember,” he said, “The wind is your friend, don't fight him.” After a few spills in the waist deep water, I was gingerly cruising back and forth between the beach and the boat buoys in the bay.

Max:
Watching the beach from the kayak is an interesting experience. There is little excitement across the beach at this time. Most people are either asleep or absorbed in some book while relaxing in their own little beach chair. The resort has thoughtfully interspersed huts with built-in tables throughout the beach at regular intervals separated by bushes or swaying palm trees. Each little hut is its own private oasis along this stretch of beach. Periodically, there are splashes from a few children at the resort. But Peter Island is primarily a playground for adults wanting to escape from responsibilities of the real world.

From my vantage point in the kayak, I can cruise up and down the bay, and the most strenuous part of my day is fighting the onshore breeze that is propelling Corinne's windsurfer. After a few moments, other more adventurous couples begin to make an exodus to learn how to windsurf and sail. Suddenly with three other boards and two Hobie cats in the water - there is lots of activity along the beach!

Rum Rest
4:00 pm
Corinne:
Exhausted from windsurfing and kayaking, we asked the Deadman's bartender, Natalie, to make Max and I two frozen fruity drinks, and we sit under the coconut palms watching Hobie Cats and Colin's continued windsurfing lessons in the bay. We wave hello to Roger, an accountant from Washington DC whom we met on our day trip to Virgin Gorda. He and his wife are on their way to play tennis on the Astroturf sand covered courts behind the spa hut. “You’ve got to try these courts -- they are amazing,” he tells us, “sort of like a clay court, but the sand makes the surface a bit slower and easier to play on. They make a novice like me feel like a pro!”

Sunset hors de oeuvres
5:30 pm
Corinne:
After a quick shower, we head off in a chauffeured van to a remote rocky cliff past White Beach on the other side of the island.

A secluded rocky cliff.
Two chairs and a table,
A bottle of wine, and a cheese plate.
A slow island sunset.
What a way to end a great day...

Max:
Arranging the sunset trip is merely a matter of informing the front desk that morning and filling out a form which includes a handy wine list to accompany your trip to see the sunset. The wine list is the same as the dinner wine list so that all you need to do is to provide them with the bin number of your selected wine.

Around 5:30 PM, you meet a driver at the lobby and are whisked to the bluff to watch the sunset. After arriving, you can arrange the pick-up time with the driver or any other couples who are also enjoying the sunset. On our trip, there was only one other couple. On another night, we were told that there were four couples enjoying the sunset. While this may sound like a disturbance to a romantic excursion, it actually works out well with having another couple on the trip, since they can take that incredible sunset picture of the two of you -- a memento of your trip to Peter Island to show your friends and family.

8:00 pm
Corinne
We head over to Tradewinds restaurant to share a fresh Caesar salad and a wonderful orange roasted duck on a bed of sweet potatoes. Our table overlooks the harbor, and from our window view, we watch the moon rise over the twinkling lights on Tortola. For dessert, we share a Caribbean Snowball - a white chocolate and coconut encrusted vanilla ice cream floating in a shallow pool of chocolate sauce. We join some other young couples at the bar for after dinner drinks and dancing.

Monday SCUBA diving with Paradise Watersports
Max:
A day in the life of a scuba adventure on Peter Island...

While scuba may not be a typical way to enjoy Peter Island, it nicely illustrates the wide variety of options that guests can chose from in their vacation quest to do nothing. SCUBA at Peter Island is by the dive operation of Paradise Waterports.

Peter Island has a full service dive shop and more importantly, a small dive boat dedicated solely to the guests of Peter Island. The level of service given to guests of the resort is unparalleled. For starters, the dive operation team at Peter Island is headed by Randy Keil, a longtime resident of Tortola who knows all the dive sites around the BVI, in addition to dive sites not known or visited as frequently. For most of our trip we were matched with another dive guide, Tony Millwater, a young and energetic diver who showed us some great wrecks and reefs.

Corinne:
Diving at Peter Island is as simple as donning a wet suit, mask, snorkel fins, and weight belt, and sitting at the back of the dive boat while the dive masters help you into your BC. The water entry is an easy giant stride into the ocean, you are always accompanied by an experienced and confident dive instructor, and the boat has a unique ladder that allows you to walk up into the boat with your fins on.

The events that transpired this one day should whet anyone's appetite to dive the BVI and through Peter Island.

Breakfast
9:15 am
Corinne:
As we left breakfast and walked towards the dive shop, clouds of white and orange butterflies billowed and pulsated from red blossomed bushes and taller, magenta and pink bougainvillea. My eyes followed the foliage up the shadow of the colorful hilltop, watching the fluttering wings rise and fall like a gauzy, living mist. A pelican circled overhead, and after pausing midair over the still harbor waters, it quickly reversed direction and plunged into the sea.

Closer into the harbor, docked sailboats quietly rocked, and past the sailboat docks, near the dive shop, I saw our SCUBA guide, Tony, loading our dive tanks onto Apache, the resident Peter Island dive boat. A past SCUBA instructor and counselor on a summer teen-windjammer adventure camp, Tony had the patience of a saint, and his laid back manner and knowledge of the BVI waters would calm even the most novice diver. His sense of humor and enthusiasm for diving was catching, and we often found ourselves chuckling as he wrote remarks on his slate (a schooling stream of blue fish in front of us, for example, was a "traffic jam"?). Like all of the other Paradise Watersports staff, he carried a confident expertise and professionalism.

10:00 am
Max:
We arrive at our morning dive site, located off Cooper Island near the mouth of the channel that connects the Caribbean with the Francis Drake Cannel. After tying into the mooring, we jumped into the water to descend to a depth of around 50 feet where the coral forms ridges along the sandy bottom. Following these sand inlets, we could see numerous soft corals and busy jettisons of tropical fish communities darting in and out with their bustling schedules.

We followed the soft corals for about 75 yards when we reached a small wall that dropped another thirty feet to the sandy bottom. Looking out towards the blue haze, a plush carpet stretched out along the sea floor, but looking more closely, the carpet turned out to be a neighborhood of garden eels hypnotically rising from their holes. Just as we approached their burrows, the eels would quickly disappear into the sandy bottom and sometimes as I glided over individual holes, I could see the annoyed glare of an irritated eel who had just been interrupted by me, a noisy, bubbling, lumbering two finned creature.

Further along the sandy bottom, we saw a stingray "print", a large circular outline with what must have been a long tail jutting out from the body, in the sand. However, before we could find the maker of this track, the wrecked carcasses of two tugboats loomed from the sand. Rather recent additions to the Caribbean bottom, the two boats lay side by side as part of an artificial reef program. In approaching the Marie L., the first of these two tugs, we noticed a southern stingray about the size of our trackmark resting along the bottom next to the hull of the ship. Cautiously, Tony and Corinne approached the stingray, and for a few moments, he/she suffered the indignity of being petted before whooshing off like a flying carpet to a more secluded spot along the sandy bottom. We moved back towards the dive boat, approaching a coral wall and back up the coral canyons.

At our fifteen foot safety stop, a host of moon jellies and ctenophores enveloped us. As we ascended to the boat, a cluster of moon jellies looked incredibly graceful in their undulating motions across the water column.

In a few of these jellies, small fry darted underneath the protective umbrella that forms the bell of the jellyfish. These small fish were either immune or oblivious to the nematocysts (stinging cells). Fortunately for us, the moon jelly has a very mild sting so that gently touching these beautiful organisms did not come with a substantial price. The ctenophores, or comb jellies, with their striated motions and psychedelic edge piping, were a delight to see waving slowly in the water. On the surface, Tony mentioned that within weeks, these waters would teem with moon jellies and wart jellies that carry a more lasting sting.

Vanishing Rock Dive Site
12:00 pm
Corinne:
While we rested between dives, allowing some nitrogen to dissipate from our bloodstream, Tony changed over our tanks and explained our second dive, several hundred feet into the channel from the wreck. We anticipated a reef dive around several coral pinnacles in the channel, but were especially on the lookout for sharks moving between the Caribbean waters and the Atlantic Ocean.

The coral formations formed a safe refuge for many creatures stranded in the middle of the channel; bassets and parrot fish darted in and out of the orange sponges and black and purple corals. Iridescent blue shrimp and spiny brittle stars hid between the folds of blue fan-like sponges.

Along the sandy bottom, overhangs harbored other kinds of creatures. Charging out of one such overhang was a two foot lobster that menacingly shook its antennae at us and then quickly retreated backwards under a new overhang that was too short for it to slip its large body underneath. The lobster tried a few more spots before it satisfactorily backed into a cave large enough to hide all but the tips of its antennae. Under another overhang, Tony spied a six foot gray nurse shark that uncomfortably fidgeted and stirred up clouds of sand as we peered into its protective shelter. After a few minutes, the shark settled down where we could see it more clearly. Along the edge of the coral heads, facing the open channel, a shy spotted eel gaped its mouth at me, and then hid along the inside of a small cave wall.

Afternoon dive
3:00 pm
Corinne:
After lunch at Deadman's bay, we headed back to the dive boat where a Scottish father and his son joined us for a dive at Coral Gardens, at the western corner of Dead Chest Island. The father-son pair had signed up for the afternoon SCUBA resort course, and after spending a few hours in the pool earlier in the day, they were going out with us for their first open water dive. Randy Keil, a veteran diver of 19 years in the BVI, took the pair out for some refresher practice clearing masks and checking buoyancy before swimming through the narrow canyons and crannies of the reef, while Max, Tony and I explored the coral gardens on our own.

Max:
Peter Island offers a resort dive course on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon. While the course does not replace a certified scuba diving class, it does offer non-divers the basic mechanics of diving. The times that we went out with the resort course divers, we saw a ratio of one dive instructor to two students. While we personally believe that anyone wishing to enjoy scuba diving should be certified prior to diving, the resort course is a nice "introduction to diving" opportunity.

Dinner
6:30 pm
Corinne:
We join the Peter Island management staff for drinks and hors de oeuvres at the Deadman's Beach Restaurant, and with our rum punches in hand, talk with some other Peter Island Guests. Rachel and her husband had arrived the day before on their honeymoon, and told us that their travel agent sent them to Peter Island to do a “whole lot of nothing” for a week before going to St. Vincent for a more active vacation. Rachel said after a day of mountain biking, sailing and snorkeling, and in thinking about their full week on the island, she thought there was so much of “nothing” to do, that she wasn’t sure she and her husband could work everything in.

7:45 pm
Monday night featured a West Indian buffet with platefuls of beans and rice, curried chicken, conch fritters, fried plantains, and johnnycakes that tasted like a cross between a French beignet and a thick pancake. Other choices included prime rib, grilled shrimp, and mahi mahi. This was by far our favorite meal of the week. For dessert we had a creamy key lime pie garnished with a kiwi coulis. During dinner, the vibrant sounds of steel drums on the beachfront filled the air with tunes ranging from “the yellow rose of Texas” to “Margaritaville.” After dessert, we strolled back to our room along the beach and gazed up at the milky way in a star filled sky.

Thursday Day Trip
Day Trip to Virgin Gorda
On Thursdays, you can catch a Peter Island yacht to Virgin Gorda for the day, and if you haven't made the pilgrimage to see the famous Baths, this is a "must do, must see" trip.

Like all day trips and off-island adventures, you can book in your reservation the day before with Benji at the off-island activities desk. The Virgin Gorda trip costs $35 per person. The day can get really busy and hot, so we suggest you order at least one picnic lunch the night before you go. As you get on the ferry, Benji will hand you a soft ice filled cooler with water, soda, and lunch. We shared one lunch, which was just enough to keep us going during the day, and packed extra water along. We were hoping to find time to search out some local conch fritters, but settled for dockside pina coladas at the end of the day instead. Fortunately, we checked in with the dive shop the day before to get snorkel masks and fins for the trip -- the dive shop is not open by the time the ferry leaves in the morning.

At 9:15, we took the Islander IV, a midsize air-conditioned yacht with several large cushy chairs, stools at a bar, and a long couch, over to Virgin Gorda where we were greeted by representatives from Speedy Taxi. Several couples opted to rent Speedy jeeps, but we followed the larger group to a set of two open air vans waiting to take us to the Baths. After later talking with the couples who rented jeeps, we decided that unless you have somewhere particular that you would like to go on Virgin Gorda that is not the baths or an island tour, you are better off relaxing on a tour bus, talking with a local driver about the sights and sounds of Virgin Gorda. Our driver, Simon, gave us the option of a $10 round trip island tour, or he said he could take us straight to the baths for $8.

Max and I opted for the tour, and so Simon dropped us off at Little Dix bay for a few minutes while he shuttled the Baths-only goers to the Baths. On our tour of the island, Simon pointed out other resorts like the Bitter End and Biras Creek in the North Sound, and we saw some spectacular vistas of Prickly Pear Island, Tortola, and Peter Island. Towards the end of the tour, we stopped by the ruins of an old copper mine built by Welsh people from Cornwall. A large smokestack and old building were built of large stones of various colors of red, gray, brown, and green (due to the copper in the rock), and perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. If you have ever been to Cornwall, U.K., you will see a resemblance in this Welsh-architectural cousin.

We made it over to the Baths where we ate our lunch - a sandwich, fruit and pasta salad, and a handful of homemade chocolate chip cookies. We snorkeled through shallow caves, inlets, and grottos formed by gigantic granite boulders at the water's edges.

We also hiked out to a second beach, which we liked better than the first beach, through a maze-like passage over and under the boulders, and through some of the shallower grottos. At some points, there were ladders and ropes to help us get over some of the steeper rocks. The sunlit tidal pools formed by the boulders were often breathtakingly eerie and beautiful.

Our tour guide, Simon, told us he would shuttle us back to the dock at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:00. We chose the 2:30 shuttle time, and spent our last forty minutes or so at a local bar drinking pina coladas sprinkled with island nutmeg. The ferry took us back to Peter Island at 3:30, giving us plenty of time to take a nap and wash up for dinner.

Notes from Max and Corinne:

Getting to and from Peter Island
Part of the seclusion of Peter Island lies in the ferry ride from Beef Island. The boat ride gives you a good sense of the small neighboring circle of islands around Peter Island: Tortola, Ginger, Cooper, Salt Island, and Dead Chest, and gives you time to watch the sailboats and yachts sailing in the protected BVI seas. If you want to maximize your time on Peter Island, however, you can charter a helicopter to and from Puerto Rico, which shortens your trip and layover time by a few hours each way. The resort boasts its own helicopter pad, and arrangements can be made through the resort.

What room should we stay in?
Between our two trips to Peter Island this year, we have stayed in the A-frame harborside rooms near the pool, the beachfront rooms, and the Hawk's Nest Villa. Each has its own ambiance and special character, but all provide wonderful garden and ocean views, and each has a private balcony.

The ocean view rooms and garden view rooms provide quick access to the pool, Tradewinds restaurant and bar, and harbor. These are about a 5 minute walk from Deadman's Beach. The garden view rooms are on the ground floor while the ocean view rooms are the second floor. Max often took a quick refreshing dip in the freshwater pool before getting ready for dinner. Some nights when we retired early, we would open our balcony doors to listen to the live dinner music - sometimes a romantic saxophone player, sometimes a three piece guitar and synthesizer band -- that played near the pool during dinner.

The beachfront rooms are a bit larger and provide close access to Deadman's bay. Many of the ground level beachfront rooms have a comfy hammock near their patios, and the upper level beach rooms have airy vaulted ceilings and private balconies. The beachfront rooms collected gustier sea breezes, and we loved waking up to the sounds of rustling palm leaves and the ocean lapping at the beach.

A hilltop villa, Hawk's Nest, offers a bit more privacy than the other rooms, and it has a spectacular view of Deadman's bay, particularly at sunrise. This villa has three bedrooms, each with its own bath. In addition, there is a kitchen, dining room and living room. We set our alarm for 6:00 am, and watched the sun rise each morning nestled in our bed before dozing back asleep before breakfast. Albert, one of the Island managers, told us some folks like to have coffee on the pool terrace while watching the sunrise, and although that seemed like a great idea, we preferred the comfort of our bedside view. There is also comfortable patio chairs, so it is possible to just lounge all day on the porch that overlooks the rest of the resort.

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Travel to Italy

2010-07-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Travel to Italy

Venice Tourist Attractions: Boat Tours - Campo San

Daily island tours of Burano, Murano and Torcello are run by the Cooperativa San Marco, from April to November. The tours are approximately 3.5 hours long and depart at 09:30 and also 14:30 from the Giardini Reali, nearby the Piazza San Marco. Tickets can be purchased at the Alilaguna kiosk.

Venice Tourist Attractions: Venice Walking Tours - Venice, Italy
One of the best ways to see the highly pedestrianised city of Venice is by foot, where most of the top attractions are easily within walking distance. By taking one of the many walking tours with licenced tour guides, you can be sure not to miss any important sights on the route, and at the same time, hear many fascinating insights and facts about Venice and its architecture. Rates are fixed and there

Italy attraction

With the coming of the World Wide Web, it’s smoother than ever to do research into those Italy tourist attractions that you’ve yearned to see. With the cost of traveling these days, it’s significant that you do as much research of Italy tourist attractions as doable so that you can carry as much into your vacation as possible.

Nonetheless, even though you want to see as much as possible on your Italy tourist attractions holiday, one of the main faults that the traveler makes is to attempt to do too much. You end up coming back home requiring a vacation from your vacation!

The easiest thing to do is make plans to see one or at most two Italy tourist attractions every day. Have a relief place you’d like to inspect in case something occurs to one of your first two selections.

Good, what’s to experience in Italy tourist attractions?

That all depends on your involvements. There is indeed a place to visit for everyone. These are some of the most lovely things that you should not overlook when you get in Italy:

All roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes, so let your voyage take you in that direction. There are so many museums, churches, art galleries, and other sites of interest in Rome that you could pass your whole vacation in the Rome Italy tourist attractions quite easily.

Visiting the Colosseum. By now, everyone recognizes the Colosseo. You can sign for a tour right outside.

Italy tourist attractions: Venice

You could go north east, up to Venice. Venice, the city of canals. Indeed, Venice is enclosed by water – the best way to get there is by boat or train. This peculiar city is well-known as the city of canals, it’s also the city of bridges. Venice actually covers 117 small islands, with 409 bridges traversing 150 canals. You have never seen any city like it.

Don’t let your fiscal sensibilities discourage you from delighting Venice’s canals, indeed Italy’s, top attraction: a sunset gondola tour. Riders starting their 45 minute tour are initially impressed by how effortlessly and silently they cross the streets on water of this romantic’s dream city.

Italy tourist attractions: Pompeii

Pompeii is a must see sight for any traveler to the Naples area. The entrance fee of 10 euros has to be the best value in Italy. You can spend a day here easily, and still depart not having picked up everything that is left afterward the town was burned in AD79. If you enjoy it, consider going to Herculaneum too, where there are better-preserved homes, and even remains of original furniture. For both sites, its easiest to go via the Circumvesuviana.

Italy tourist attractions: Capri

The attractive island of Capri has long been considered as southern Italy’s finest jewel where the peculiar beauty of the land and sea and the frequent presence of important visitors diffuse it with a magical atmosphere.

Italy tourist attractions: Tuscany.

Every time you travel to Tuscany Italy, your heart and your whole body for that matter feel a strong feeling of peace. This feeling comes from the loosened atmosphere that this part of Italy near Florence emits. You can find a complete balance of enjoying the attractive city of Florence and its cultural activities at the same time freshen up vitality by either doing a farm vacation or abiding in a luxury villa in the countryside of Tuscany.

Are you a wine enthusiast? If you are, you’ll want to see the area of Tuscany, famous for its winemaking. There are fourteen “wine roads” throughout the Tuscany. Each road discovers the type of grapevine grown in that area, and has marks pointing to the diverse vineyards and other businesses open to the visiting public. You might want to take up your tour in the city of Florence, as you’ll be able to get in a little culture as well, by visiting the famous Uffizi Gallery. are many different tours available, including:

Walking tours of the San Marco area, lasting approximately two hours - daily
Afternoon walking tour 'Magic and Enchantment of Venetian Life', complete with gondola ride - April to October
'Walks Inside Venice', with several themed tours around the city for small groups
'Private Guides' in San Marco, with more than 100 knowledgeable English-speaking guides, tours last about two hours
'Venicescapes' offer several themed itineraries and groups are fairly small. Tours last from three to seven hours and reservations may be necessary
Many other tours of the city and surrounding regions are available, providing excellent and informative excursions to places such as Padua, Veneto, Vicenza and the Dolomite Mountains

Venice Tourist Attractions: Canal Grande- Venice
The Grand Canal in Venice is a wonderful stretch of water and it is often referred to as 'the most beautiful street in the city'. Travelling along the historic canal is a great way to see some of the city's most spectacular and extravagant architecture. A trip at night is a particularly memorable experience, with the city's architecture reflecting in the water.

Venice Tourist Attractions: Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (Chiesa dei Frari) - Campo dei Frari, San Polo, Venice
Tel: +39 (0)41 522 2637
This church is simply enormous and the architecture is a combination of plain brickwork and fine detail. Known to many simply as the 'Frari', the first church was built between 1250 and 1338 and was subsequently replaced by a much larger building in the mid-15th century. The striking interior is vast and contains many pieces of high-quality artwork, including masterpieces by Titian and Giovanni Bellini. There is also a large statue created by Donatello and many other imposing monuments.

Venice Tourist Attractions: Scuola Grande di San Rocco (Confraternity of St. Roch) - Campo San Rocco, San Polo 3058, Venice
Tel: +39 (0)41 523 4864
With large, white marble columns on the facade, this building is quite splendid on the outside, and simply breathtaking on the inside. The interior has been richly decorated by famous artist Tintoretto, who spent over 23 years of his life decorating the school. There are more than 50 paintings by the master and the concentration of work is almost overwhelming. Hand mirrors are available to allow visitors to inspect the ceiling paintings more easily. There is also some interesting carved woodwork, which includes a false book collection.
Attraction open: April to October - 09:00 to 17:30
November to March - 10:00 to 16:00

Venice Tourist Attractions: Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo - Campo dei San Giovanni e Paolo, Venice
This square is full of many popular Venice attractions and used to be known as the Campo delle Maravege (marvels). It features an imposing sculpture - Monumento di Bartolomeo Colleoni - which stands in the square and was created by Verrocchio. Also nearby is the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, which was founded by the Dominicans in 1246. Construction of the present church actually began in 1333 and was finally completed almost 100 years later. It was restored in the 1920s and the large interior is home to many monuments.

Venice Tourist Attractions: Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Basilica of St. Mary of Salvation - Campo della Salute, Dorduro, Venice
Tel: +39 (0)41 423 7951
This famous Venetian landmark dominates the view of the Grand Canal from the lagoon and the water is reflected on its bright surface. The Ciesa di Santa Maria della Salute is a very individual and beautiful octagonal church, built partly of 'marmorino', a brick covered with marble dust. It was constructed between 1631 to 1681 in thanksgiving after Venice began to recover from the great plague of 1630 to 1631. It was designed by Longhena and has an enormous white dome and very grand baroque- style architecture.

Venice Tourist Attractions: Chiesa di San Sebastiano (Church of St. Sebastian) - Campo San Sebastiano, Dorsoduro, Venice
Tel: +39 (0)41 528 2487
Built in the 16th century, this parish church was decorated by artist Paolo Veronese, who filled the interior with wonderful frescoes and canvases, which cover much of the ceiling and walls, making it truly individual. Veronese produced many astounding works here throughout his career, and after his death, the church became his resting place. Titian also left his mark here, with his notable 'San Nicolò' painting near the entrance.

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Travel and tourism to the most beautiful places in Mexico

2010-07-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Travel and tourism to the most beautiful places in Mexico

Mexico; formerly known as Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican State) has 1500 mile long border with the US, and is situated in North America. The total area of Mexico country is 750,000 sq. miles. It is said that Mexico is the ‘Paradise for Tourists’.

Deserts, snow-capped volcanoes of Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl, crowded modernized cities, ostentatious resorts, lovely white-sand beaches and a marvelous collection of flora and fauna are the attractions for the tourists. Each year about 4-5 million tourists visit Mexico. A journey to Mexico might not be expensive, unlike other countries of the world. There are hotels, transportation and food available at variable rates. Mexico City, Acapulco, Cancun, Guadalajara, Playa Del Carmen, Merida are the cities, towns and villages of Mexico.

Mexico City
Mexico City is the world’s largest city, located at Tenochtitlan-The Capital City built by Aztecs. This international city has got sight-seeing places like parks, museums, huge colonial buildings, an Aztec pyramid, restaurants, resorts and lovely nights. If you do not like to enjoy these places, then you can roam about on the roads, face polluted air, traffic jams and a large Mexican population, 24 hours a day.

In Mexico City, there are many places to visit like, Zocalo Chapultepec Museum, Guadalupe Shrine, Tulancingo, Pyramid of Niches, you can also take a boat ride at Xochimilco.

ACAPULCO
Nahua Indians-The Predecessor of the Aztecs, discovered Acapulco. It’s a favorite place with wide-spread warm water beaches with a sun shine. Acapulco is an ideal sight for the beach lovers. If sun does not shine then it becomes as dark as night.

Cancun
Cancun is basically a costal city of Mexico, and is the hottest tourist preference. The city is situated along a beautiful coast. For beach lovers, it’s a perfect place for vacations. You can enjoy the white sand along with the contrast of blue waters. It is a great opportunity to enjoy the world under water. You can go deep in the water for a swim, or take sunbath. Cancun has got 150 luxurious hotels. These hotels are equipped with international standards and are expensive ones. But you can also find some low cost hotels also. At Cancun, you can have a chance to swim with dolphins, sharks and manatees.

Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen is located at Mexicana Caribbean coast, 60 km South from Cancun. It is also known as Xaman Ha (waters of the North) and is the exciting part of Maya World. Playa del Carmen is gifted with perfect white sand and crystal-clear Caribbean waters. It is a place where you can really get the natural beauty.

Guadalajara
Guadalajara is the second most populated city of Mexico, and is also the capital city of the State of Jalisco. This place has got an ideal climate. Days are hot and shiny, while nights are cool and clear. Guadalajara-The City of Roses contains parks, fountains, plazas, and wide tree-lined boulevards are sprinkled about the city.

Merida
Merida is also known as ‘White City’ because there are white limestone and white paints all over the city. Merida is the capital city of State of Yucatan. The people of Merida are warm-hearted and friendly. There is no concept of crimes and thefts. The biggest problem you will face is finding a hotel appropriate to your budget. Merida is a place to enjoy Mexican culture.

Mexico is a tremendous destination to explore either with family or along with friends. There exist blue waters, bars, restaurants, parks and museums where you can have fun filled days and nights. One hasn’t seen this wonderful place must come once and enjoy this sight-seeing place.

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Mexico Vacation Special At Azucar

Azucar is near the small community of Monte Gordo, Veracruz, on Mexico's Costa Esmeralda, bordering the Gulf of Mexico. As a choice for your luxury Mexico vacation, or Mexico Honeymoon, you would be pressed to choose a better destination than this intimate white walled and somewhat minimalistic hotel.

It is quite a long way from Veracruz airport to Azucar, but your vehicle will be airconditioned, and you'll find the unspoiled Mexican towns and scenery fascinating over the two and a half hour trip.

When you arrive you'll think Azucar is Paradise found, especially if you can book a villa right on top of the sea, with it's spacious all white room, and a hammock you can lie and enjoy a cool beer, whilst listening to the sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore.

Nowhere is far from the accommodation, so the aromas of the food will tempt you, and you won't be disappointed by the quality or quantity.

If you are like most people, then a vacation, whether it is a Mexican Vacation Special, and you are on a Mexico honeymoon vacation, or a luxury Mexico vacation, there are certain pleasures you expect. Great food, fantastic accommodation and ambience, unobtrusive, and very efficient and friendly staff, and peace and tranquillity where there aren't too many other people that you are aware of. In addition great weather!!

The Azucar supplies all of this, and of course it is far from being a cheap Mexico Vacation, in fact it is definitely at the luxury end of the market.

It is best to go in March where the Mexico weather in the Gulf of Mexico is warm and sunny, somewhat humid with early morning cloud. There will be a cooling breeze, and importantly few biting insects!! A deserted beach is a great attraction, although the waves restrict swimming, you will find it clean.

The Azucar has twenty villas, all almost identical scattered across the small property. They have thatched roof terraces, hammocks, and large pillows. This is a hideaway hotel in the middle of nowhere and absolutely perfect for a Mexico Honeymoon Vacation or any Mexico Travel holiday package if you love quality and solitude..

There is an upper and a lower terrace, and the extra touches such as flat screen TV, and toiletries are what you would expect on any luxury mexico vacation.

There is a small but lovely pool, and again large pillows to lounge about on, and certainly warm enough to swim.

The food at Azucar is superb, simple, beautifully cooked , relatively inexpensive, and open from breakfast through to dinner. If you want food in your room, then that is no problem at all. There is a Spa on a neighbouring property owned by the management of the Azucar. High quality, and not expensive..

The staff are very helpful and pleasant, so all in all the Azucar fulfils most of the requirements for a top class luxury Mexico holiday package.

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Mexico City

Hailed as the crown jewel of Latin America, Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is a traveler's paradise that never fails to enthrall visitors. The city was the seat of Aztec seat of power and has one of the oldest urban settlements in the Western Hemisphere. In terms of size Mexico City is ranked as the world's second largest city, just next to Tokyo.

To help you learn about Mexico City’s past, you will need to visit the Zocalo, Mexico City’s central plaza. Zocalo boasts the Templo Mayor, a monument of the Aztecs and a haunting reminder of the past. You will also need to visit the Historic Center, a four-square-mile area that includes the ruins of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, and remnants from the colonial era. UNESCO declared the Historic Center a World Heritage Site in 1988. Interesting places to visit in the Historic Center are the Zocalo and its vicinity, the metropolitan cathedral, the National Palace, the Templo Mayor, Mexico City Museum, San Ildefonso Museum, Alameda Park and Vicinity, Madero and Vicinity, Iturbide Palace, National Art Museum and San Carlos Museum, amongst several other interesting places.

Mexico City has mild weather. Winters are not chilly, while rains characterize the summer season. The top tourist attractions in the city are located in distinct areas, and exploring each area could take of about a day or more. This means that traveling to Mexico City can be done year-round. However, some seasons offer you a better deal in hotel prices, the details for which can be provided by your travel agent.

Mexico City offers a wide array of facilities for the traveler. Regardless of the time of the year you visit Mexico City, you can witness endless cultural activities. The nightlife also provides activities like ballet, opera, folkloric shows, rock concerts, and bars and nightclubs featuring live music. Live Cuban music and tropical salsa clubs appears to be a big favorite for most visitors. One of the best places to look for local activities in the city is the Friday or Saturday edition of local newspapers. While there are many cities across the world, Mexico City is a class apart. As they say, “You haven’t seen cities, if you haven’t visited Mexico City.”

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Mexico Highlights

Mexico is a huge country with interesting locales. Tourists to Mexico will not get bored as the country has a lot to offer in terms of tourism, which in fact is a very large industry. Major tourist attractions in Mexico range from the ancient Meso-American ruins to the attractive beach resorts. What attracts tourists to Mexico is its climate and unique culture.

Crowds flock to Mexico during mid-summer and December considered peak months for tourists. Sun bathers are frequent visitors to Mexico harbor coastlines where there are numerous stretches of beaches. The most popular beach destination is on the Yucatan peninsula. Located here is the resort town of Cancun, very famous amongst university students during spring recess. Be sure not to miss out the historic port of Tulum on a day tour of the south of Cancun. Apart from the beaches in Tulum, you can also visit the cliff-side Mayan ruins. Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox are beach islands which figure prominently on a Mexico tour.

Tourists will be impressed with the enthusiasm with which fetes and festivals are celebrated in Mexico. As a tourist you are in for a treat as each region in Mexico has a special dish of its own. Mexico hotels in major cities serve national specialties as well as international cuisines. Nightlife in Mexico is a visual treat for the eyes for its exciting vibrancy. Avenida Insurgentes, the longest avenue in Mexico City is one of the main nightspots. The Mexican nightlife will impress you with its top entertainers, international shows, jazz groups and Mexican music. Coffee aficionados can stop by at the Condessa district to sip some coffee at its nice coffee shops and restaurants. The best for youngsters is Acapulco known as the ‘the city that never sleeps’ filled with bars and discos.

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About Tijuana

Tijuana is many things: a sprawling city approaching two million in population, a vibrant and prosperous business center with many foreign-owned factories, the main entry to the entire Baja California peninsula, and much more.

Only 18 miles from San Diego, Tijuana is a shopper's paradise. It's in a duty-free zone, so you can buy not only Mexican arts and crafts but also imported goods from around the world. Mostly, visitors go for the day, shopping, having a meal, perhaps playing golf as well. It's not a place for historic buildings or much in the way of museums, but sporting events to watch include jai alai, bullfights, and horse racing. For children, Tijuana Wax Museum and Mundo Divertido (Fun World) are popular. Tijuana used to be known mainly for activities distinctly not for children, but while that aspect of life still exists, it is now just a part of the wide spectrum of what Tijuana is.

The shopping is centered on a street called Revolution Avenue. There are 10 or 12 blocks offering every product imaginable. Credit cards and dollars are widely accepted.

For a more total immersion, stay overnight -- there are some nice Tijuana hotels. Just a few miles south is Rosarito Beach, with resorts, condos, and hotels.

Travel to Tijuana

One of the most enjoyable ways to travel to Tijuana is to catch the inexpensive Tijuana Trolley at the San Diego Train Station. It runs frequently and takes you right to the border. Or you can drive to the border and leave your car in one of several large parking lots, for a few dollars a day. From there you can walk or take a shuttle bus to Revolution Avenue, about a 20 minute walk. Once you cross the border, there are also taxis available too.

You can drive into Tijuana, and may want to if you are planning some large purchases like furniture. One downside to this is that there can be longer lines for leaving Mexico in vehicles than if you are walking. Also, check on your car insurance before entering Mexico.

Tijuana has an international airport, with several flights a day going to other parts of Mexico. The main airlines using the airport are Aerocalifornia, Mexicana, and AeroMexico.

All in all, it's easy to get to Tijuana.

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Travel and tourism to the city of Luxor

2010-07-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Travel and tourism to the city of Luxor

Luxor Temple

Within the centre of Luxor is the temple once known as ‘Ipet-resyt’ or ‘the southern Opet’ which served as a focal point for the Opet festival. Once a year the divine image of Amun with his consort Mut and their son Khonsu would journey in their sacred barques from Karnak Temples to the temple at Luxor to celebrate the festival which was held during the inundation. Opet’s primary function was religious but the festival was also significant in maintaining the king’s divine role.

The earliest remains found at Luxor Temple date to Dynasty XIII and it is possible that there was a shrine or temple on this site during the Middle Kingdom, but it became more prominent in Dynasty XVIII. It would seem that Hatshepsut first began the overland processional way which linked Karnak and Luxor temples, with barque stations along the route. It was Amenhotep III who constructed the colonnade and court in the heart of the temple which was added to by other pharaohs. Reused blocks of Hatshepsut, Tuthmose III and Amenhotep II from earlier destroyed structures have been found.

Unusually, the temple does not face the river, but its main axis faces Karnak with the remains of an avenue of sphinxes pointing to the processional way. This remaining 200m avenue of human-headed sphinxes was erected by Necatnebo I to replace the original ram-headed sphinxes of Amenhotep III when Nectanebo built an enclosure wall around the precinct. A Roman shrine with a headless statue of Isis can be seen in the north-western corner of the forecourt.

The modern entrance to the temple is to the west and after descending the new stone steps the visitor faces the massive first pylon, 21m high, which was a later addition by Rameses II. Six statues of Rameses stood before the pylon, but only three remain today with one of an original pair of tall obelisks. The northwest obelisk now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The pylon is decorated on its outer face with scenes of the battles of Rameses II and the famous ‘battle poem’. This is best seen in the early morning sun. The inner face has a dedication text and records of the battle of Kadesh as well as festival scenes. On the south face of the east tower in the first courtyard is a relief showing the exterior of the temple when it was first built, with flags flying on the flagpoles.

Beyond the first pylon is the court of Rameses II which would have been the original forecourt of Amenhotep III’s building. On the north-western side is a triple barque shrine of Amun, Mut and Khonsu constructed in sandstone with features belonging to the earlier structure of Hatshepsut retained in the rebuilding. Rameses’ great court features a colonnade around each of its sides interspaced with colossal statues, many of which the king usurped from Amenhotep III.

When entering the colonnade of Amenhotep III you may notice a slight change in the axis of the earlier part of the temple. This colonnade with its 14 tall papyrus columns was unfinished at Amenhotep’s death and its decoration only completed during the reign of Tutankhamun (and finally completed in the reign of Seti I). Here you can see superbly executed reliefs of the Opet procession to and from karnak on its west and east walls, but Tutankamun’s name has been altered throughout the texts to that of Horemheb. These are best viewed at night when the temple is floodlit, the lighting at the base of the walls throws the decoration into sharp relief.

The colonnade leads into the elegant columned court of Amenhotep III with barque shrines of Mut and Khonsu at its southern end. In 1989 during restoration work a spectacular cache of statues was found beneath the floor of the eastern side of the court and these can now be seen in the Luxor Museum. Beyond the portico on the south side of the court is a room which was transformed into a cult chapel of the Roman legion based at Luxor during the third century AD. The room was plastered over and this has served to preserve the painted reliefs of Amenhotep III. A niche-shaped shrine is now a modern entrance to a small offering hall or vestibule, with pharaonic scenes of sacrifices and offerings to the gods. Within the sanctuary or barque shrine beyond, a free-standing shrine was built by Alexander the Great in which the Greek king appears as Pharaoh.

A doorway to the east leads to the ‘birth-room’ with its scenes illustrating the myth of the divine birth of Amenhotep III on the west wall. After scenes of the union of Amun with the king’s mother Mutemwiya, the creator god Khnum can be seen fashioning the baby king Amenhotep III with his ka behind him. Mutemwiya is shown giving birth and the newborn king is presented to the gods. These interesting scenes which claim the legitimacy of the king and his divine right to rule are also best seen when lit up at night.

Behind the sanctuary is a private antechamber known as the ‘Opet (harem) suite’, a broad hall with 12 columns which opens into a number of smaller chambers behind. These chambers are said to have a special significance relating to the creation and solar mythologies of Amun and Re at Luxor. The central chamber at the back of the temple was the original holy of holies which still has the remains of the pedestal on which the image of the god rested. It would seem that it was in these rooms that the real mysteries of the temple were enacted.

The exterior walls are also worth a look. The western side depict the battles of Rameses II including the Syrian and Libyan wars, with details of named fortresses.

During the Roman occupation of Egypt, Luxor Temple was surrounded by a vast military encampment which may have housed as many as 1500 men. By this time the temple would have ceased to have a religious function and it is likely that many blocks from the outer temple buildings were used to supplement the mudbricks of the Roman barracks. Remains of stone pillars and avenues can still be seen all around the temple enclosure.

A Christian basilica was built in the north-eastern corner of the temple and later a mosque dedicated to the Muslim saint Abu’l Hagag was built over the site. This is now a monument in its own right and is a dominant feature of the eastern side of the Rameses court.

How to get there

Luxor Temple is on the Corniche in the central part of the town, opposite the ferry dock. Winter opening hours are 6.00am to 9.00pm and tickets cost EGP 50. In the evening the temple is floodlit and many of the reliefs which are indistinct during the day can be clearly seen.

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Travel and tourism to Sochi, the best restaurant in the world

2010-07-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Travel & tourism to Sochi, the best restaurant in the world

World’s Best Sushi

The world’s best sushi restaurant is no doubt at the Tsukiji Fish Market.

At the very least, it is my best experience with sushi so far.

Tonnes of customers along the street with the sushi restaurants.

This translates to a supremely long wait, an hour or so.

Hello signboard, we choose you for our world’s best sushi experience.

We wait and wait.

peeping through the window when we finally get near enough.

I was staring GREEDILY inwards, amazed at the process of sushi making.

The chefs smile and wave at me when they see me doing that.

World’s best sushi chef! He is cheerful and friendly,

always ready to explain what he is making for us.

He asks where we are from and speaks to us in Mandarin when he hears Singapore.

He knows the name of all his sushi dishes in Mandarin & English.

He tells us which to eat with soya sauce & which not to, for the best taste.

I love him!

Our utensils & tools to conquer the world’s best sushi.

Tamago (egg) thing, similar to steamed egg dish in Singapore/China.

This dish is however richer and taste slightly sweeter.

Hello fatty tuna sushi, pleased to meet you and

hope you enjoy tour of my stomach soon.

these two are friends, they want to be together.

i cannot for the life of me remember what sushi this is.

photographing the signboard because I forgot to photograph some sushi

I ate it first

and I want to remember what I ate.

Hello! I think you are sea urchin sushi? Not sure.

This is my favourite sushi shot. It is octopus and you know what

it is so fresh, it is still moving as it is placed on my plate.

hello semi-fatty tuna sushi!

Hello salmon sushi (i think)

hello tiny shrimp sushi, you are transparent and beautiful

hello salmon roe sushi (:

For the last sushi you can choose anything from the sushi menu.

I chose scallop, it is funny tasting but nice.

If you visit Tsukiji Fish Market, hunt down sushi restaurant.

You cannot miss it.

It costs around SGD60 for 12 sushi dishes, but so damn worth it.

The original topic : travel $ tourism

Traveled to the pyramids in Egypt

2010-07-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

1_Pyramids

The ancient Egyptians built their tombs on the west side of the Nile River and their temples on the east. This practice corresponded to the rise and setting of the sun which represented the cycle of life itself. The east signified rebirth and the west signified death. With the tombs on the west or left bank, the spirits of the dead would be ready to journey into the cycle of life. The

Egyptians believed strongly in the afterlife and made complete preparation for this journey.

The three pyramids are actually tombs of three pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. In its most common form, a pyramid is a massive stone or brick structure with a square base and four sloping triangular sides that meet in a point at the top. Pyramids have been built by different peoples at various times in history. Probably the best-known pyramids are those of ancient Egypt, which were built to protect the tombs of rulers or other important persons. Pyramids were also built as platforms for temples by pre-Columbian civilizations in Central and South America. Still other pyramids exist in Sudan, Southwest Asia, and Greece.

In the 26th century BC, as Egyptian civilization was reaching its height, three kings Khufu, his son Khafre, and his grandson Menkure ordered the construction of three huge pyramids that would serve as their tombs. The first of these, the Great Pyramid, is the largest ever built. It stands with the other two pyramids and the Great Sphinx in a cluster near the town of Giza.

The ancient Greeks named the pyramids one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and today they are the only one of those wonders that still exists.

King Khufu's pyramid rests on a base that covers 13 acres (5.3 hectares), and each side of the base is about 756 feet (230 meters) long. The Great Pyramid once rose to a height of 481 feet (147 meters), but the top has been stripped.Originally 471 feet (143 meters) high, Khafre's pyramid was only 10 feet (3 meters) lower than his father's tomb. Menkure's pyramid, much smaller, rose to 218 feet (66 meters). Three small pyramids built for Khufu's queens stand near his pyramid. Also nearby are several temples and rectangular tombs built for other relatives and courtiers.

The Egyptian rulers ordered the pyramids to be built because they feared their remains would be disturbed by grave robbers. They chose a site on the west side of the Nile River because they believed that the home of the dead was toward the setting sun. The burial chambers were placed under the exact centers of the pyramids. Passageways, which were built angling down from the sides and leading to the chambers, were later sealed with heavy stones. The pyramids did not achieve their purpose of protecting the ancient tombs, however. Over the centuries looters broke into most of them and stole the jewels and other treasures that had been buried in them.

The Greek historian Herodotus, writing 2,400 years ago, estimated that 100,000 men labored for 20 years to complete the Great Pyramid. It is also estimated that 2.3 million stone blocks were used to build the pyramid. It was once thought that the blocks weighing an average of 2 1/2 tons each were floated on rafts down the Nile from quarries hundreds of miles away. A more recent theory holds that the blocks were cut from limestone quarries that have been found near the pyramids. Another theory suggests that the blocks were formed in wooden molds at the site. Many authorities believe that the blocks of stone were moved up a circular ramp constructed around the pyramid as it was built up.

Other scholars have studied the relationship between the position of the pyramids and the apparent motion of the sun and other stars. They suggest that the pyramids' design may have been influenced by a religion based on sun worship.

The pyramids of Giza were not the first built in Egypt. Structures of this type appeared during the century preceding Khufu's reign. After burying their dead in sandpits, the early Egyptians placed a mastaba, a solid rectangular structure of brick or stone, over the grave to keep the sand from blowing away. This structure is considered the prototype of the true pyramid. Later King Djoser's architect, Imhotep, designed the step pyramid, which was simply a stack of six mastabas, each smaller than the one below. King Snefru, the father of Khufu, built a smooth-sided pyramid. It is called the bent pyramid because its lower half is steeper than its upper half. At least 80 royal pyramids have been found in Egypt, but none rival the three at Giza. Many of the lesser pyramids have been reduced to rubble. The great pyramids of Egypt still stand. They were built between 2650 and 2500 BC. Except for parts of the Mausoleum and of the temple of Artemis, they are the only one of the seven ancient wonders still standing.

One of its most spectacular features is the enormous sloping Grand Gallery. At the Gallery's top is a low corridor which leads into the King's Chamber, the walls of which are made of polished granite. A large granite sarcophagus is open and no burial goods have ever been found.

To the east of the pyramid, some of the smooth basalt paving of the mortuary temple remains and the causeway which led to the river temple is now buried with the valley temple being under modern buildings. Small pyramids for queens are adjacent to the Great Pyramid, as are boat pits.

In 1954, a large cedar boat was uncovered in one of the pits and then reassembled. It is now on display next to the pyramid. A second boat remains in pieces in another covered pit. The boats may have been provided for the deceased king to travel through the underworld.

The Giza Plateau also is home to two other large pyramids for the subsequent kings, Chephren and Menkaura. As with the Great Pyramid, both of these pyramids have valley temples and mortuary temples connected by causeways. However, next to Chephren's valley temple is the famous 73-metre long Sphinx and its associated temple.

Most Egyptologists believe that the Sphinx was carved from a rocky outcrop at the same time as Chephren's pyramid.

The resources for building enormous pyramids during the rest of the Old Kingdom could not be mustered and the pyramids were both smaller and less well built. The 5th Dynasty pyramid of Unas at Saqqara is famous for its Pyramid Texts - the first funerary texts carved into the walls of any pyramid. The pyramid is located just south of the walled enclosure of the pyramid of Djoser.

There are about 108 pyramids currently known in Egypt, many in a state of great disrepair and almost unrecognisable. Some were built as burial places for kings and others for queens. A pyramid also may have represented a stairway for the king to ascend to the heavens. Another possibility is that it was symbolic of the primeval mound on which the sun god/creator was born.

How the Egyptians managed the complex organisation of labour and the physical movement of large stone blocks is still a matter for debate. Pyramid construction may have involved ramps being erected around the pyramid. Blocks of stone would have been pulled up on sledges and the ramps dismantled later. It is believed that most of the labour for the construction of the pyramids would have come from farmers who were available during the inundation season when the Nile River flooded and farmland was underwater. It would also have been an ideal time for the transportation by boat of large stone blocks from their quarries to the pyramid sites.

The earliest pyramid was the Step Pyramid of king Djoser of the Old Kingdom's 3rd Dynasty over 4,600 years ago. The pyramid (at right) was the largest structure ever erected at Saqqara the necropolis that overlooked the ancient capital of Memphis. Its construction was initially in the form of a low mastaba tomb upon which extra levels were gradually added to give it a step-like appearance.

Underneath Djoser's pyramid was a complex system of corridors with a burial chamber lined with Aswan pink granite about 28 metres underground. The entrance was sealed with a three-tonne granite plug. The pyramid's outside would have been cased with fine limestone, but this was removed long ago. Nearby were the Mortuary Temple, a Great Court and various other structures.

The first true pyramid was developed for King Sneferu during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It is referred to as the Red Pyramid, because of its colour, or the North Pyramid because of its position at Dashur south of Cairo. It was about 105 metres high with its sides measuring 220 metres.

During theMiddle Kingdom, kings again built themselves pyramids, but being largely of mud-brick, they have not survived very well. Elaborate interior designs failed to stop ancient tomb robbers from breaking in and stealing the burial goods.

The time of large pyramids had passed, although small pyramids were used in some New Kingdom private burials as superstructures for funerary chapels. Restored examples exist at Deir el-Medina, the village of the workmen who constructed the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Pyramids were also built south of Egypt in ancient Nubia (the northern part of today's Sudan), where there are actually more than in Egypt. Although being influenced by the Egyptian pyramids, the pyramids in Nubia had their own style and were built on a smaller scale and with steeper sides. In the case of the Nubian pyramids, the tombs of owners were usually underground with the pyramid built on top. The last pyramid was built in Nubia in the 4th century AD.

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