World Traveler Guide

Winter resort: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

2008-03-03T04:44:00.005+08:00

Whistler, what and where it is

Whistler is a popular winter in British Columbia, Canada. It is located about 125 km north of Vancouver in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains. It seems the resort was named after the hoary marmots which live in the area. Hoary marmots are squirrels and is one of the largest squirrel. Its nickname "the whistler" originated from its habit of issuing high-pitched warning to alert other hoary marmots of danger.

Whistler as a ski resort

According to Wikipedia, Whistler has been voted among the top destinations in North America by major ski magazines for the past 15 years and its pedestrian village has won numerous design awards. Whistler will host the 2010 Winter Olympics. If you plan to go for the 2010 Winter Olympics, my opinion is that you book your Whistler accommodation as booking is expected to be heavy and if you wait till the last minute, you will probably not be able to find the accommodation you want.

Whistler attractions

However, you don't need to wait for the 2010 Winter Olympics to enjoy Whistler winter resort and you don't even need to wait for winter. In summer, you can go hiking in mountain paths (guided), fishing in various attractive fishing locations, go boating, mountain biking, whitewater river rafting, practice your golfing skills, perhaps even try horseback riding.

However, the major attractions of Whistler is during winter when you can go for skiing or snowboarding, tubing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling (as an environmentalist, I hope you wouldn't go for that), fishing, horse-drawn sleigh riding and cross-country skiing if you have the stamina and the patience.

Whistler accommodations

Among various kinds of Whistler lodging are condos, slope side luxury homes, town homes and ski chalets. Many of them are ski-in, ski-out accommodations located right at the edge of the snow covered slopes from which you can just step right out of the door and be a few steps from your skiing pleasures. An example is the Benchlands Marquise which also offers common hot tub and pool. However, description of this accommodation says it has "ski-in/ski-out access just across the street, so it is not exactly ski slope right at the door steps. However, search hard enough or make some enquiries, I am sure you will find something.

London, a world City?

2008-03-01T04:50:00.004+08:00

There are cities and there are cities. What I mean is, most cities are run-of-the-mill cities but others are international cities which are center of commerce, finance, education and great tourist attractions. These are what I would call world cities much visited by businessmen, government and other officials, diplomats, and of course, tourists.

London, once capital city of the world

There was a time when London was the center of an empire on which the sun never set, and my country was a part (colony) of that empire. When my country did not have a Patent office, I had to file (and successfully obtained) for a patent from the London Patent office via a London patent agent. My country still has plenty of ties with London. Many of our important personalities and leaders obtained their tertiary education form London, including many of the royalties and former Prime Minister. Many parents from my country send their children to London for their education. When it comes to graduation time, expect them to make a bee line to attend their children's graduation ceremony (convocation).

For them, I would suggest that they book their accommodation in advance, preferably online via websites like London Hotels. I am giving this advice from personal experiences from travel around Europe during the time when the word Internet or World Wide Web hadn't even been coined yet.

One hotel I may consider would be Covent Garden Hotel London. From this site, the hotel had been described the City’s business center, Soho and the Royal Opera House being within walking distance. Plus it seemed to be furnished with lots of modern gadgets like CD system, cellular telephone, voicemail, etc. as well as having spacious rooms and luxurious bathrooms, etc. However, that is a 5 star hotel, and I doubt I can afford or be willing to pay its room rates although those with deeper pockets and/or willing to pay for what they want may have different perception.

Maybe I would go for 1 star hotels like Ascot Hyde Park Hotel London. It is near the famous Hyde Park and not very far from Oxford Street.

Vacation in the sun on the beaches in Turkey

2008-02-23T21:09:00.004+08:00

Childhood memories are sweet memories. Vivid pleasant memories of childhood times when I and me fellow Boy Scouts camped by the seaside. I also remembered the time when I and my childhood friend cycled 20 plus miles to be by the seaside. For we folks who don't live by the seaside, sight of the sea and the beaches are a fascinating change from the monotonous sight of concrete buildings.

Now still city bound, you will no doubt understand why city bound folks will like to experience a beach holiday from a rental beach villa. I don't think they, after getting used to the comforts of their urban "palaces" will want to enjoy the fun we had camping by the sea shore while young, budget constrained and hardy.

Vacation on the beaches in Muslim majority countries

I live in a Muslim majority country and can understand why they would prefer to travel to Muslim majority countries for their vacations. I think the major reason will be it will be much easier for them to get halal (kosher) food, food suitable for Muslims. What the possible Muslim majority countries they can go to for a vacation on the beaches?

Now while we may be discussing vacations in Muslim majority countries, I am sure many world citizens do not uses religion as a criteria as to where they want to go for their vacations, so the countries listed below are not exclusively for Muslims.

Vacation on the beaches in Muslim majority Turkey

Turkey, or more accurately, the Republic of Turkey is located in the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. According to Wikipedia, 99.8% of the Turkish population is Muslim, of whom over 75% belong to the Sunni branch of Islam.

Now where can you enjoy Vacation in the sun on the beaches in Muslim majority Turkey? Well, the Turkish Aegean Coast is one possibility. In fact, tourism industry is increasingly an important industry for Turkey and other than the variety of archaeological and historical sites, the seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts are its principal attractions for tourists. Among many possibilities, one of the possibility is to bask on a sunny beach from a villa on the Turkish Aegean Coast. If you prefer the Mediterranean coasts, you can easily book a beach front villa for a Turkish Mediterranean holiday and enjoy the Turkish Mediterranean cuisine at the same time.

My Europe tour in the 70's

2008-02-03T12:21:00.000+08:00

I had the good fortune of getting a Belgium government scholarship to do my post-graduate studies at the University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, in the 70's. I was married then with a child. My family accompanied me for the whole duration of my studies. The Belgium government and the University were generous. Not only was my fees paid for, I was given ample allowance plus married students accommodation at a married students apartment plus meal vouchers to eat for free at the nearby University canteen. I enjoyed the food there.

Not only that, I was able to take my family on tour to various European cities, including London and Rome.

Tour to London

For the tour to London, we went to Ostend on the Belgium coast, took the Hovercraft over the English Channel to Dover, then a train ride to London. There was no such thing as Internet then, so I had to waste precious tourist time hunting for accommodation upon arrival. Had Internet been invented before then, I would probably have used an online accommodation booking site like Easy to Book London Hotels. I was a student then traveling on a budget, so had to stay at budget Bed and Breakfast accommodation then. Had I the funds, I might have stayed in luxury 5 star hotels like Connaught Hotel London located in the fashionable Mayfair district with many antique shops, churches and public garden. On the other hand, I wondered if I would really have as I hate waste and even if I am a millionaire, my not pay top dollars for such luxury which will be seldom used as most of the time, I probably be out visiting places of interest instead.

Tour of Rome

I and my family visited Rome with a stop-over at Switzerland. If I remembered correctly, we traveled on a train using the Eurorail pass and stayed at what they called pension. Can't remember exactly what that means except probably cheap. I can also recall the time wasted hunting for suitable accommodation upon arrival then. If I ever get to visit Rome again, I will probably use Easy to Book Rome Hotels to book my accommodation online.

What else do I remember of our Rome tour. The most vivid memories are those of food - Italian food. I remember eating at the roadside, watching my meal come out direct from the oven. I remembered calzone, the fold-over pizza that looks like a giant version of my country's bit size curry puffs. I remember the delicious lasagne, alternate layers of white pastry and fillings baked in the oven. The white pastry looks pretty much like our "chee cheong fun". Other places I remember visiting are the catacombs, the run-down Colloseum, Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Trevi fountain. Don't think I threw any coins into the Trevi fountain though, so if the legend that says you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the Trevi fountain is true, then the chances of me returning to Rome is not too good. We didn't miss the Vatican City, but that is supposed to be another country, not a part of Rome although it is situated right in the middle of Rome.

Driving in Scandinavia: Tips and Tricks

2008-01-28T16:38:00.000+08:00

Scandinavian Countries

Scandinavia ia located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in the northern part of Europe. The countries which make up Scandinavia include Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The "borderline" Nordic countries are Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands which have close historic and cultural relations to Denmark, Norway and Sweden and thus some considered as part of Scandinavia.

Driving in Scandinavia

The first time I got tangled with a Scandinavian country is I think Sweden found that by getting all cars to have their headlights on even during daytime, the number of accidents were reduced. My country followed partly by requiring motorcyclist, which bear the highest risk of fatal accidents, to also keep headlights on at all time, including daylight. Now I found out that this rule of keeping headlights on 24 hours don't only apply to Sweden, but throughout Scandinavia. However, headlights must be dipped, meaning no highlights. In my country, only the front driver and passengers are required to belt up. In Scandinavia, passengers in the back seats are also required to use seat belts. Driving in my country follows United Kingdom, on the left. In Scandinavia, vehicles have to drive on the right. I have had a taste of it in Belgium when I had to hire a car to fetch my family from the airport in Brussels. They too drive on the right. It felt pretty strange and one have to try hard not to end up on the wrong side of the road. Plus in crossing the street, one have to be extra attentive as pedestrian crossing a road have to pay extra attention to different direction of the road. Requirements for motorcyclists are the same. All must wear safety helmets, although many in the rural and less accessible areas in my country ignore this rule.

As in many countries, driving under of influence of alcohol, drugs, euphoriants, plus using a hand phone while driving, all are an offence. Difference is, if you are caught in Scandinavia, the penalty is very heavy.

Speed limits on highways differs from country to country. It is 130km/hr in Denmark, 90km/hr to 100km/hr in Norway, 110km/hr in Sweden. Where traffic are heavy, roads near cities or for treacherous roads, lower speed limit will apply. Speed limit On smaller roads throughout Scandinavia is between 70 to 80 km/hr. It is 30 to 50 km/hr within residential areas.

Why drive in Scandinavia

Yes, why bother to drive around Scandinavian countries. Very simple answer. They have excellent roads with easy to understand traffic signs.The scenery is beautiful and makes for a very memorable experience. See example in the photo below:

Photo of Scandinavia countryside is property of Johnny Knoxville

Nearly all highways in Denmark and Sweden are free. Motorists only pay toll for using the Great Belt Bridge between Sealand and Funen in Denmark, and the Öresund Bridge between Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Photo of Oresund Bridge is property of Emil Erlandsson

The Oresund Bridge carries a two-track rail plus a four-lane road across the Oresund strait joining the Danish capital of Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmö. How much you pay to use the Oresund Bridge depends on the type of vehicle.

Toll collected from tolled highways in Norway, however, is used for maintaining the quality of the roads and tunnels. As of 2007, there are 45 road tolls in Norway.

Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe bordering Norway in the west and Finland in the northeast. Sweden is a member of the European Union. If I were to visit Sweden, I would not repeat the mistake of the past and only start hunting for accommodation upon arrival. I would book accommodation ahead of arrival from websites like Sweden Hotels.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, the seat of the national Swedish government and the Swedish Parliament. The official residence of the Swedish monarch is also in Stockholm. Here is an interesting part of Stockholm: Skeppsbron. Skeppsbron is as street and a quay in Gamla Stan, the oldest part of Stockholm. Skeppsbron starts from the bridge Strömbron in front of the Royal Palace and stretch southward to Slussen.

Photo of Skeppsbron, Stockholm, is property of Etienne Cazin

Online booking of accommodation is available from Stockholm Hotels.

Norway

The Kingdom of Norway, a constitutional monarchy in the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula of Northern Europe is neighbor of Sweden, Finland, and Russia. It is a long and narrow country. Norway has a long coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean its famous fjords.

Photo of Sunrise Oslo Fjord is property of Jim G

Online booking of accommodation in Norway is available from Norway Hotels

Oslo is the capital city of Norway and the third-largest Scandinavian city after Stockholm and Helsinki. The City Hall of Oslo is where the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held, and is a world event. The Holmenkollen ski jump is the venue for the Holmenkollen ski festival and was where the 1952 Winter Olympics was held. At Bygdøy, a peninsula on the western side of Oslo, is the Fram Museum where the ship Fram is housed. Fram was probably the strongest wooden ship ever built and was used in expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912. Fram It was designed by the Norwegian shipwright Colin Archer for Fridtjof Nansen's 1893 Arctic expedition. At Bygdøy you can also find the Viking Ship Museum with ships from Gokstad, Oseberg and Tune.

Among the other attractions of Oslo are Akershus Castle and Fortress, Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy, The Armed Forces Museum, The Historical Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The Holmenkollen Ski Museum, Holmenkollen, The Kon-Tiki Museum, Bygdøy, The Munch Museum, Tøyen, The river Akerselva, The National Gallery, The Norwegian Maritime Museum, The Oslo City Museum, The Royal Palace, The Henie-Onstad Art Centre, Oslo Cathedral, Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology, The Storting, parliament building, The Vigeland Park in the Frogner park (Frognerparken), Tryvannstårnet, Hovedøya and Ullevål Hageby.

Online booking of accommodation is available at Oslo Hotels.

Cheapskate guide to cheap flight tickets

2008-01-27T14:46:00.000+08:00

I am shouting to the world, I am a cheapskate. I hate waste and have no use for expensive air tickets for luxurious air travel. Actually I am no stranger to air travel on full service (and obviously not so cheap ticket) airlines. One was to Los Angeles, but that was a sponsored ticket for which I paid $0.00. Another one was to London, but that was a necessary trip to the United Kingdom Patent Office to conduct patent search. Online patent search plus budget airlines were non-existent then. Now both are available, and that is good news for cheapskate like me.

Budget air tickets for Australian residents

I don't reside in Australia, but I have some relatives in Melbourne and Sydney plus my sister and family often travel to our "home" country recently for our niece wedding plus of course, to see their grandchildren. They looks like they are well-to-do enough to visit other countries for holidays not too infrequently. Further, I have a brother-in-law plus sister-in-law who frequently travel to Sydney to visit their children in Sydney and their children often come back to our "home" country for holidays, etc. I don't know if they are a cheapskate like me who is on the lookout for cheapskate air tickets, but I would definitely draw their attention to this Australian website which claims they have recently massively overhauled the flights section making it easy to find cheap flights from Australia without having to click through too many painful search fields.

Cheap flights to Los Angeles

Los Angeles (L.A.) is the largest city in the state of California and the second-largest in the United States of America. That is where I went on a sponsored ticket (nothing can be cheaper to a cheapskate like me $0.00). According to Wikipedia, the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan area is home to nearly 13 million people who hail from all over the globe and speak more than a hundred different languages!!! 100 languages. I think that beats even India. Like a little boy, I wandered over to Anaheim Disneyland to enjoy the wonders meant for children. I would love to visit the Crystal Cathedral started by Reverend Dr. Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, practically from scratch. Dr. Schuller is not only a Christian pastor, but a great motivator as well. I missed that as at the time I visited Los Angeles, I did not know about the Crystal Cathedral, or more likely, it wasn't built yet. It has an appealing mission statement: "Find a need and fill it; find a hurt and heal it" and I believe Crystal Cathedral is doing exactly that.

Photo of Crystal Cathedral is property of Ilpo's Sojourn

If you are an Australian, Cheap flights to LA says they can help you quickly find cheap air flight tickets to get there.

Cheap flights to London, United Kingdom

London too is no stranger to me, and I visited London in an almost cheapskate way too. I had a Belgium government scholarship to do my post-graduate studies in Ghent, Belgium. So my plane tickets are fully paid, accommodation plus food and allowances, fees, are provided for by the Belgium government. I just need to add a little for a trip to Ostend, took a Hovercraft to Dover and a train to London. Allowance paid for that, so it is cheapskate enough. However, if you are an Australian and you don't have a Belgium government scholarship, I am afraid you will have to depend on Cheap flights to London.

Cheap flights to Fiji

Fiji (Republic of the Fiji Islands), is an an archipelago of about 322 islands west of Tonga, east of Vanuatu, and south of Tuvalu, and not too far from Australia. With prediction of rising ocean caused the the environmental problem of the century - global warming, if you want to visit Fiji, you may have to be fast before it is partially of fully submerged. Again, if you are an Australian in a hurry, Cheap flights to Fiji. May I wish you all the best. From a confirmed cheapskate and hoping you don't get offended by this frequent reference to "cheapskate" as I see nothing wrong in being a cheapskate. In fact, I hate those who waste our Earth limited natural resources or squander money unnecessarily.

Portugal, a country I missed during my European tour

2008-01-24T09:11:00.000+08:00

Why I would like to visit Portugal if I get the chance

One thing forever etched in my mind about Portugal is the Portuguese professor whom I met at a student hostel in Ghent, Belgium. He asked me: "Do you know what is the Portuguese term for tea. When I plea ignorance, he gave me the answer - cha. Hey, that is exactly the Chinese word for tea!!! Further, he offered to share his piece of Camembert cheese with me (anyway, I believe it is Camembert cheese, those that have a white coating over the cheese). He cut a piece of it and offered it to me. I ate the whole piece. No, he said. You are not supposed to eat the white coating! Alarmed, I ask him if I will remain alive. No worry, I should be OK. He was right. Here I am preparing this post about Portugal for publishing.

Anyway, it aroused in me an interest in Portugal and things Portuguese. Here are some of the things I know. Portugal is of course right next to Spain in the Iberian Peninsular. Portugal has what they call Oceanic climate in the north and Mediterranean climate in the south and one of the warmest European countries. Just nice for people like me who hates to wear winter clothing to go outdoor. The islands of the Azores in the Mid-Atlantic and the Madeira archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean are also part of Portugal.

Portugal is a popular tourist destination for European countries and have been attracting more than 12 million tourists annually. Lisbon, the Algarve and Madeira are the major tourist draw, but new areas like the Douro Valley, Costa do Sol, Porto Santo Island, Douro Sul, Alentejo, Templários, Dão-Lafões, Costa Azul and Planície Dourada are being developed, although still relatively unknown.

I wished I had visited Portugal when I was in Portugal, but being a poor student, have to limit my travel. After experiencing the hassle and time wasting task of hunting for suitable accommodation, especially those that suit my limited budget, I will always depend on online accommodation booking sites like Portugal Hotels to reserve where to lay my sleepy head when it is time to sleep before I even step out of the front door.

Lisbon, capital city of Portugal

Lisbon is the capital city, and like any capital city, is also the largest city of Portugal. If mild climate is what you like, Lisbon has one of the mildest climate of all European capitals. If you are interested in heritage, visit Baixa (Downtown or city center) which is currently being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You may see old hands still practicing their crafts like the Baixa shoemaker you see in the photo below:

Photo of Baixa shoemaker is property of Andy Weisner

Among Lisbon attractions are the historic neighborhood of Belém with its grand Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Bairro Alto, a residential, shopping and entertainment district with its nightlife, Punk, Gay, Metal, Goth, Hip Hop and Reggae scenes and thus the center of Lisbon's youth, Gare do Oriente, the main transportation hubs of Lisbon for metro, trains, buses and taxis and the distinct 1930s Lisbon Trams and Funiculars, the Elevador da Glória, Elevador da Bica, and Elevador da Lavra.

A website to book cheap hotels is Lisbon Hotels.

Algarve region of Portugal

The Algarve region is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal in which is located the towns of Albufeira, Faro, Olhão, Lagoa, Lagos, Quarteira, Loulé, Portimão, Silves, Tavira, and Vila Real de Santo António. Its main industry is the tourism industry, followed by fruit production, which includes oranges, carob beans, figs and almonds, plus fishing. Nature lovers will love the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve and a stopping place for hundreds of various birds. It is also popular with tourists because of its beaches, safety, Mediterranean climate and relatively low costs. Women football fans will love Algarve because it host the annual Algarve Cup invitational tournament for national women's football teams.

Photo of Algarve cliffs is property of YXO

Booking of accommodation can be done online at Algarve Hotels.

Madeira archipelago

The Madeira archipelago is located in the north Atlantic Ocean and one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal. Of all its islands, only Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island are inhabited. Because of its climate, it is a popular year-round resort. Madeira is well known for its New Year's Eve celebrations accompanied by a spectacular fireworks show. Its fireworks show has entered the Guinness World Records as the largest in the world. Madeira is noted for its wine, flowers, and embroidery artisans.

Photo of Madeira beach is property of Don Amaro

Being a relatively isolated region, it is advisable to book accommodation ahead of arrival via online accommodation websites like Madeira Hotels.

Spain, Madrid, Barcelona and La Rambla

2008-01-24T04:39:00.000+08:00

Spain

The Kingdom of Spain is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, next to Portugal and also include the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands plus two autonomous cities in North Africa next to Morocco. The King of Spain is King Juan Carlos who recently made headlines when he told Hugo Chavez to "shut up" at a summit in Chile last week after the Chilean President said Spain's ex-PM Jose Maria Aznar was a "fascist". Apparently, this outburst helped someone make 1.5m euros ($2m) from selling ringtone "Why don't you shut up?" which was so popular it was downloaded by an estimated 500,000 people.

Let us forget about politics and focus on traveling to Spain. Why should one take the trouble to visit Spain? For one, Spain has an interesting history. Nearly all of the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain was conquered by mainly Berber Muslims in the 8th century as part of the expansion of the Umayyad Islamic Empire. Islamic influences are evident in Spain. Spain was conquered by Christians during the Reconquista ("Reconquest"), leading to the creation of the Christian Kingdom of Asturias. Spain is now largely a Christian country, but buildings shows influences of both the great religion.

Food lovers will love the Spanish cuisine which has a great variety of dishes incluenced by differences in geography, culture and climate which has led to a unique cuisine. Seafood is common because of availability of sea catches from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep Mediterranean roots.

Depending on which part of Spain you happened to be, you will enjoy the moderate Continental climate in the inland areas of the Peninsula where it largest city, Madrid, is located. Then there is the mild Mediterranean climate which is the climate of the region extending from the Andalusian plain along the southern and eastern coasts up to the Pyrenees, on the seaward side of the mountain ranges that run near the coast, in which the second largest city of Spain, Barcelona, is located. The third is the Oceanic climate in Galicia and the coastal strip by the Bay of Biscay, often referred to as Green Spain. You will not freeze to death in Spain.

Madrid, capital city of Spain

Madrid, being the capital city of Spain, is also its financial center plus its cultural and political center. The famous Plaza de Toros is the largest bullring of Spain and considered the world center of bullfighting.

Photo of Bullfight at Plaza de Toros, Madrid, is property of Ruth Lozano

Barcelona, capital city of Catalonia

Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain, after Madrid and is a very popular tourist destination. It is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and boasts of lovely beaches. Of its seven beaches, Sant Sebastià and Barceloneta beaches are the largest, oldest and the most frequented beaches in Barcelona.

Photo of Barcelona beach is property of Thomas

Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers and thus ideal for those that want to escape the harsh winter of whatever region potential tourists comes from.

Photo of Mosaico Trabajos Hércules is property of Luis García

An old legend credit the founding of the city to Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome, so don't be surprised to see Mosaic like the one above depicting Hercules.

As for accommodation, I will go for advanced online booking at websites like Barcelona Hoteles after my bad experience of traveling around Europe when Internet was non-existent and arriving at a strange place and immediately having to hunt for suitable accommodation. Only problem is, the above website is in the Spanish language. I know a bit of German because of some knowledge of Dutch which has many similarities to the German language, so might be able to manage with Barcelona Hotels, but I think I would be most comfortable with the English version at Barcelona Hotels.

La Rambla, Barcelona

La Ramblam, a 1.2 kilometer-long tree-lined pedestrian mall and the hub of Barcelona, is also referred to as 'Les Rambles' (Catalan) and 'Las Ramblas' (Spanish) because it is actually a series of shorter streets. The mall is full of street theatre, cafés and market stalls. It is both popular with tourists as well as locals.

Photo of La Rambla is property of Son of Groucho

For accommodation in this scenic mall, surf over to Ramblas Hotels.

For budget travelers to Australia

2008-01-22T13:28:00.000+08:00

We have all kinds of travelers. People travel for business, pleasure, catching up with friends and relatives, recently we had relatives traveling from Australia and United States of America to attend a wedding, on government or organizations' duties, etc. Some are fortunate to have their fare and expenses paid for and so do not have to worry about finance. Some are rich and wish to travel or stay in hotels in style and comfort. Some are on a limited budget. Let us hope this post can be useful for the last category - budget travelers.

Where can one find websites which offers budget fares or budget hotels? You can try googling for them. This website lastminute.com.au says they have revamped the site and have added directory section section which makes it far easier to drill down and search for heavily discounted last minute accommodation in Australia. You should try for yourself and see how it works, but here are some results:

Burleigh Heads Hotels

Coolangatta Hotels

Manly Hotels

Byron Bay Hotels

My sister and family is in Melbourne and I do not yet have intention to visit those places, but if you happened to try out the above sites, I hope for some feedback. I hope you let us know your experience by leaving a comment or comments. I am going to set the comment settings to let anybody comment, but will also set it for comment moderation to avoid spam comments.

Malta, Cyprus, Crete and the Mediterranean Sea

2008-01-14T19:39:00.000+08:00

I have traveled around Europe and my favorite is Switzerland. My daughter and son-in-law not too long ago had their honeymoon in Greece. I have never been to any of the Mediterranean islands, including Malta or Cyprus but would jump at the chance if presented with such an opportunity. Malta has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. I would expect it to be the same for the other Mediterranean islands as well. Such pleasant makes Mediterranean islands great destination for vacations, especially for those in countries with harsher climate.

Malta, a country of Southern Europe

The photo of Malta is property of Kristine Riskær

Malta is an archipelago comprising 7 islands which are all located in the Mediterranean Sea about 93 kilometre south of the Italian island of Sicily. Of the seven, only the three largest islands - Malta Island (Malta), Comino (Kemmuna) and Gozo (Għawdex) are inhabited. The other smaller uninhabited islands including the islands of Cominotto, Filfla and St.Paul.

Malta may be a small nation, but it is densely populated (as far as the 3 populated islands are concerned anyway). Like Belgium where I was a student before and which have 3 official languages, Malta has two - Maltese and English. Malta is both the smallest European Union country both with respect to population and to area.

Malta attractions

Other than the pleasant Mediterranean climate including the sunshine, Malta has a history of six thousand years to boast of and have temples, monuments and archaeological sites to prove it. Some of them are older than the pyramids of Egypt. A visit to Malta can be like time travel to the past as you can witness regular military and historical parades for visitors to be reminded of Malta's history. There are also multi-vision shows to portray Maltese history from its very beginnings to modern day.

Malta accommodations

Accommodation of various type to suit various preferences and budget, but for a thrifty person like me, I would probably go for Cheap Hotels in Malta. After all, one is going there to roam around Malta, not to hide in a hotel room, so how much of time does one spend in a hotel room when one go on a vacation that one would need an expensive hotel room?

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus

Photo of Golden Cyprus Beach is property of GOZDE

Cyprus is an island which is also a country with a mainly Eurasian population. It is situated in the eastern Mediterranean north of Egypt, south of Turkey, and east-southeast of Greece.

Food (Cuisine) of Cyprus

If you are like me who like to sample food from all over the world, perhaps you might be interested in tasting Halloumi that originates from Cyprus which is a cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk and is usually served sliced and grilled as an appetizer. Others include calamari (squid), octopus in red wine, (red mullet), and sea bass which are all seafood dishes of Cyprus. Cyprus cuisine commonly include cucumber, tomato, pickled cauliflower, potatoes in olive oil, kolokasi (taro), parsley, asparagus and beets. If you are a meat lover, you may go for meat dishes marinated in dried coriander seeds and wine, then dried and smoked. These include charcoal grilled lamb (souvla), lounza and sheftalia (minced meat wrapped in mesentery).

Cyprus Attractions

Cyprus is the third-largest Mediterranean island after Sicily and Sardinia and is a very popular tourist destination. Malaysia with 3 major races of Asia represented plus many other racial groups have a tag line Malaysia, truly Asia. In Cyprus, you can find elements of both East and West, and if I coin a tag line for Cyprus - "Cyprus, East and West", I wonder if this will earn me a free trip to Cyprus Tourism Ministry or Department. Not only can you get to enjoy the lovely beaches and track the rugged mountains, you can enjoy great modern healthy spas as well as visit traditional villages, medieval castles and ancient, historical sites Crusader castles to the tomb of Prophet Mohammed's aunt.

Cyprus accommodations

I don't know what you want, but I know what I want. I want: Cheap Hotels in Cyprus for the same reasons as stated above.

Greece, officially name: Hellenic Republic

Greece is the birthplace of many things including democracy, the Olympic Games, philosophy, Western literature, political science, plus many major scientific and mathematical principles. Greek mythology have influenced Western culture, arts literature and languages.

Greece is one of the most mountainous country in Europe as 4/5 of Greece is mountains or hills.

Greece can be divided into 3 regions based on its climate influenced strongly by the Pindus mountain range. They are the Mediterranean, Alpine and temperate climates. The Mediterranean climate has mild and wet winter and hot and dry summer and temperatures are rarely extreme. The Mediterranean climate are the climate of the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete, Eastern Peloponessus and parts of the Sterea Ellada region. The mountainous region above the tree line of norther Greece would experience the Alpine climate where temperature are coldest. The Temperate climate has cold, damp winter and hot, dry summer and this climate is experienced by the Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace.

Greece has many islands in the Mediterranean Sea, including

Crete

Photo of Sunset in Hania, Crete is property of Miroslav Zadrepko

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. Crete has a very significant ancient history and also a popular tourist destination. Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilization, the oldest form of Greek and hence European civilization, at around 2600 to 1400 BC). Among Crete's attractions are the beaches for the beach lovers, historical sites like the classical site of Gortys, the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos, the Samaria Gorge, the Venetian castle at Rethymno as well as many other monuments.

Crete Accommodations

For a person who hates waste, I would say go for Cheap Hotels in Cyprus.

Germany and Austria, Two Germanic country

2008-01-11T21:29:00.000+08:00

Germanic people and language

Germanic people are those who speak the Germanic language spread out in various countries in Europe which include Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, even Netherlands and England. The Dutch language has great similarity to the German language. Germanic language defined widely include a lot of languages, but I would consider German as the major Germanic language. And the bulk of the German speaking people reside in Germany and Austria while they form a minority in the other countries.

Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is located in west-central Europe and is right next to Belgium where I was a student for 2 over years in the 70s. Germany is a parliamentary republic of sixteen states with its capital city in Berlin, and is a member of the European Union. As an economic power, it is rated third after the United States and Japan. The sixteen states are Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen),
Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), Saarland, Saxony (Sachsen), Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia (Thüringen). It is a highly technically and scientific competent country with a high standard of living. The products of some of its corporations like Daimler, Volkswagen, Siemens, BASF, Robert Bosch, Mercedes Benz, SAP (Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung), BMW, Audi and Porsche are highly sought after all over the world.

You can have both new, modern and efficient facilities in Germany like efficient dynamic big cities like Berlin , Munich and Frankfurt, Vienna or quaint old towns and villages like the famous Black Forest, fairy-tale castles, etc. Your choice.

As an environmentally conscious blogger and one who hate waste, especially wasting precious and expensive tourist time, booking accommodation ahead of arrival online at websites like Germany Hotels is my preferred method of booking accommodation.

Berlin

The name "Berlin" is applied to both the capital city of Germany as well as one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany located in northeastern Germany. Berlin is a major center in European politics, culture, media, and science as well as a continental hub for air and rail transport (Frankfurt Airport is the major hub for airlines for both Germany, Europe and the workd). Berlin is not rated as the third most-visited tourist destination in the European Union for nothing. If you are looking for world-renowned universities, research institutes, Berlin has it. You want to witness sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities, you can get that in Berlin as well. Berlin's is also a popular setting for international film productions world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities. Berlin's urban landscape and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions. You want festivals, contemporary architecture, nightlife and avant-garde arts, Berlin has them all. Berlin attracts individuals who go for liberal lifestyle, modern zeitgeist "the spirit of the age" and low cost of living (this actually depend on which part of the world you are coming from). And of course there is this remnants of the dismantled Berlin Wall and the Brandenburg Gate.

Accommodation in Berlin can be booked online via Berlin Hotels if you can handle the German language or Berlin Hotels if you are more comfortable with the de facto International language - English.

Austria

The Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich or Republik Österreich) is a landlocked country next to Germany. Austria one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality and one of the few countries that incorporated the concept of everlasting neutrality in its country's Constitution. It comprises 9 states, namely Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), Salzburg, Styria (Steiermark), Tyrol (Tirol), Vorarlberg and Vienna. Austria is one of the 10 richest countries in the world in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Products) per capita with a very high standard of living.

What I like to see in Austria are the Austrian folk dancing like Schuhplattler, Ländler, Polka, Waltz, Zwiefacher, Kontratänze and Sprachinseltänze, often seen during Austrian festivals. And being one who like to taste everything on earth, I would like to sample the Austrian cuisine of Austria like the Goulash and its pastries and sweets. For someone who lives in a country which do not experience snow fall, I would like to visit Austrian skiing, hiking and mountaineering resorts in the Alps. Those interested in Media Art may go for the Ars Electronica Center in Linz and attend the Ars Electronica Festival.

Vienna

Vienna (Wien) is the capital city of Austria and is the largest city in Austria and its cultural, economical and political center. Vienna has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site[3] and an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it first for the quality of life, sharing this honor with Vancouver. And everyone must have heard of the Vienna Boy's Choir.

For accommodation in Vienna, try Wien Hotels.

Oceania, paradise for sea sports, beach lovers

2008-01-07T13:44:00.000+08:00

What is Oceania

Oceania is a term that covers a very large geographical area that comprises many islands in the Pacific Ocean, including the island continent - Australia. Some divide Oceania into 4 sub-regions - Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Many of the islands have beautiful beaches and many would consider the region a beach lover paradise. It is thus no coincidence that the major economic activities of many of these islands is tourism.

Australasia

Included in this sub-region are Australia, Christmas Island (Australia), Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia), New Zealand and Norfolk Island (Australia).

Australia

Australia is a vast land mass, an island continent with regions having climate from tropical to desert. Tasmania, the southmost island of Australia have an extremely variable climate with high fluctuations in temperature and wind speed all within an average week. As far as Australian beaches are concerned, the most popular state is Queensland which boast of the longest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef.

Whitsunday Islands

Photo of the Whitsundays
by Craig Anderson

Whitsunday Islands are a collective of continental islands of various sizes off the coast of Queensland. Tropical Queensland offers warm waters and the stunning Great Barrier Reef, great place for scuba diving. Some call the Great Barrier Reef a divers Mecca (Mecca is a must go place for Muslime to perform the Haj or pilgrimage). The Whitsundays has companies offer dive courses for every skill level from novice dives to a full 5 day diving courses. Not only that, the beautiful coral and abundant marine life are not far from the coasts. You can get stunning snorkelling spots right on your doorstep as fringing reefs surround many of the islands.

It is also paradise for sailing in the sheltered, warm waters of the Whitsundays and it is considered as one of the worlds premier sailing destinations. You can hire a wide range of vessels ranging from multi-hulls to cruisers to luxury yachts. If you don't want to skipper the yatches yourself, you can hire a diverse fleet of crewed and skippered sailing craft from Whitsundays either as individuals or in groups for trips around the coast and islands for periods of 3 to 6 days. You may also get to enjoy views of the magnificent humpback whales frolic in the calm waters between July and September. The sand on the beach are 99% pure white sand and fine. It is said that the NASA used sand from the beaches of Whitsunday Islands to make lenses for their telescopes. However, don't try to take some home or you ma be fined $5000 or more.

Whitsunday Islands are grouped into collections of islands such as:

The Whitsunday Group

Islands included in the Whitsunday Group are Bird Island, Black Island, Border Island, Cid Island, Cowrie Island, Deloraine Island, Dent Island, Dumbell Island, Dungarra Island, Esk Island, Fitzalan Island, Hamilton Island, Harold Island, Haslewood Island, Hayman Island, Henning Island, Hook Island, Ireby Island, Langford Island, Long Island, Lupton Island, Nicolson Island, Perseverance Island, Plum Pudding Island, Teague Island, Titan Island, Whitsunday Island, Wirrainbela Island and Workington Island.

Lindeman Group

The Lindeman Islands comprisses a group of islands off the coast of Queensland situated within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The islands in the Lindeman Group include Baynham Island, Cornston Island, Gaibirra Island, Triangle Island, Keyser Island, Lindeman Island, Little Lindeman Island, Maher Island, Mansell Island, Pentecost Island, Seaforth Island, Thomas Island and Volskow Island.

The Molles

Islands in the Molles group include Daydream Island which was formerly referred to as West Molle Island, Denman Island, Goat Island, Mid Molle Island, North Molle Island, Planton Island and South Molle Island.

Northern Group

Islands in the Northern Group include Armit Island, Double Cone Island, Eshelby Island, Gloucester Island, Grassy Island, Gumbrell Island, Olden Island, Rattray Island and Saddleback Island.

If you plan to have your vacation on the Whitsundays Islands, it would be wise to book your accommodation before departure at online accommodation booking websites such as Whitsundays

Melanesia

Included in Melanesia are East Timor, Fiji, Indonesia (Oceanian part only), New Caledonia (France), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Fuji

Fiji (Republic of the Fiji Islands), is an archipelago of about 322 islands. Only 106 have permanent residents and there are 522 islets. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are its two major islands, accounting for 87% of Fiji's population. The capital city of Fiji is Suva in which almost 75% of its population live. The international airport is located in the town of Nadi and Lautoka hosts the sea-port. Fiji has been blessed with much resources like forest, mineral, and fish resources, and thus is one of the more developed of the Pacific island . However, a significant portion of its population still live at subsistence level. Fiji is highly dependent on the tourism industries as sugar processing contributes only about 33% of its industrial activity.

Fiji attractions

Fishing at Fiji
by Tony

There are lots to do here in Fiji, especially if it has anything to do with the sea. You can go parasailing, jet skies, enjoy banana boat rides and speedboats. Or hop on a schooner to go to Tivua Island, a beautiful uninhabited coral island with good snorkeling. Another small island to visit is Malamala Island, another small and beautiful uninhabited coral island where you can get glass bottom boat and enjoy beach barbeques by the crystal clear sea water. Or go fishing with a boat like the one you see in the photo.

Accommodations in Fiji

With such an isolated place like Fiji, if you plan to visit Fiji, I and I am sure you are not going to board the airplane minus booking ahead your accommodation before arrival. Previously it was almost impossible. Now with the Internet and online accommodation booking websites like Fiji Hotels, it will be a breeze, and you will get lots and lots of breezes when you arrival in Fiji.

Vanuatu

The Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation, an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean near Australia and Fiji. So if you visit either Australia or Fiji, you might as well drop by Vanuatu. Vanuatu, the archipelago was previously a colony of the United Kingdom and France jointly. It achieved independence in 1980 and became the Republic of Vanuatu, a vary young nation.

Vanuatu attractions

Photo of Vanuatu
by Phillip Capper

In Vanuatu, you can just relax and laze around on the beach or you can be very active. You can visit places like Hideaway Island, Mele Cascades or Mele. Want to do something very unique which very few people have a chance to do? Go send a postcard or postcards to those you left behind from the world's only underground post office in Hideaway Island. Or you can go snorkeling, kayaking, or just plain swim in the crystal clear water. Don't like water? Picnic on the beautiful beach. Or go get lots of healthy and invigorating negative ions in the waterfalls.

Accommodation in Vanuatu

Just like any places in the world, Vanuatu have hotels. But if you don't want to sleep on the beach, get your accommodation via online accommodation booking websites like Vanuatu Hotels before you even go out of your front door.

Polynesia

Polynesia is generally considered as including Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and French Polynesia. French Polynesia itself include many sub-groups such as the French territory of New Caledonia. And with New Caledonia is Noumea.

Noumea

Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia on Grande Terre island. It has a highly multi-racial population consisting of Polynesian which can be further divided into Wallisians, Futunians and Tahitians, European, Melanesian Ni-Vanuatu and Kanaks, Indonesian and Vietnamese, etc. Nouméa city has an international airport, the La Tontouta International Airport at Tontouta, about 50 kilometres from the Noumea city. Nouméa has a very pleasant climate with plenty of sunshine days plus some exquisite beaches near the city center.

Noumea attractions

Windsurfing at Noumea
by Thomas CUELHO

See the photo? Wind surfing in Noumea. How about it? Don't like to wind surf or don't know how to, no worries. You can take a short boat trip Phare Amedee Island which small but pristine island which will take you only about half an hour to walk all over it. But don't miss the delicious local cuisine and make sure you go watch the Polynesian dancers perform while you enjoy your meals. It is also great for snorkeling, go sun bathing or just sit under the coconut trees and relax on this beautiful island. Active type? Go climb up to the top of the lighthouse for a sceanic view of the lagoon encircling Noumea. Nothing can beat that.

Noumea accommodation

Just like above, it is possible to book online your accommodation on Noumea at such websites as Noumea Hotels for Noumea is a pretty modern place. No need to waste you precious and expensive time hunting for suitable accommodation when you arrive instead of enjoying yourself under the coconut tree and getting caressed by the sea breeze. Be wise.

London Airport Hotels

2008-01-01T20:35:00.000+08:00

London, once center of an empire on which the sun never set (once upon a time), is still somewhat the center to the world. Lots of people flock to London for all kinds of reasons. To cater to this stampede, London need lots of airports. Some of London's airports are Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, London City Airport, Luton Airport Stansted Airport, London Biggin Hill Airport, London Ashford Airport, and London-Corbin Airport. Let us look at some major ones:

Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow Airport is the major entry point for London as well as the rest of England. It is in fact United Kingdom's biggest airport. Over 90 airlines operating from Heathrow Airports which currently uses four terminals serving visitors from 180 destinations in over 90 countries. Heathrow Airport is also Europe's busiest airport for passenger traffic, and the primary hub of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways and a major hub for bmi airline which operates cheap air flights from the United Kingdom to Europe, Middle East and the United States of America.

Heathrow Airport is 15 miles (24 km) west of Central London with two parallel main runways running east-west and four terminals. There is one more terminal under construction - Terminal 5 scheduled to open in March 2008. Heathrow Airport plans to add extra runways.

Transportation between Heathrow Airport and London

As the major airport of London, Heathrow Airport have many transportation possibilities to London City. Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station is the fastest and most frequent, just 15 minutes and at 15 min intervals. The fare is £15.50 (USD 30.80). If you are looking for the cheapest, then Piccadilly Line to central London (London Underground) will be your choice, but will take longer at 50 minutes. Get the 'Oyster Card' for to get cheaper fare. Single journeys are around £3.50 with Oyster card. You will be required to place a deposit of £3, refundable on return. Other ways, paper ticket, but it will cost you £4, no deposit, but 50 pence more.

If you want convenience, take a combination of Heathrow Express to Paddington, then take a taxi to your final destination. You can also hire a taxi to take you from Heathrow to Central London, and if you don't run into traffic jams, it will take around one hour. Fare will be between £45 to £60. There is also a shuttle service operated by the National Express Dot2Dot between Heathrow airport and central London.

More choices: Heathrow Connect rail service, a slower version of Heathrow Express taking the same route. This one stops at intermediate stations.

For those wanting to go to Clapham or London Waterloo, South London, take the 285 bus to Feltham station or the SouthWest Trains to Clapham Junction or Waterloo. Journey time will be around 20 minutes, depending on circumstances.

Heathrow Airport Hotels

There some some travelers who prefer to stay in hotels in the vicinity of the airport rather than in hotels in the City center, some because of convenience, some because of cost. In the first place, everyone knows how expensive car parking in city centers are, but many airport hotels offer free or discounted rates car parking. Whatever it is, you can have your choice of London Heathrow Hotels where the choices can range from budget rates from as low as GBP 40 at Shepiston Lodge located at 31 Shepiston Lane, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 1LJ, to 5 star luxury accommodation in London available from GBP 98 at Radisson Edwardian Heathrow Hotel, 140 Bath Road Hayes Middlesex UB3 5AW.

Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport is London's second largest airport and the second busiest airport after Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. It only has one runway, but is the busiest single runway airport in the world. In terms of passengers per year, it is the world's 22nd busiest airport, and in terms of international passengers per year it is in 7th place. Located in Crawley, West Sussex, it is only 5 kilometre or 3 miles north of Crawley town center, 46 kilometre or 28 miles south of London and 40 kilometre or 25 miles north of Brighton.

Airlines operating from Gatwick Airport fly to 200 destinations. Gatwick Airport itself handled over 34 million passengers in 2006. Since charter airlines generally do not operate from Heathrow, chartered airlines therefore use Gatwick as their main base for London and the Southeast. Many airlines operate between Gatwick and the United States of America because of the restrictions on access to Heathrow Airports imposed by the Bermuda 2 bilateral air services agreement between United Kingdom and United States of America. Gatwick Airport serves a major operational base for British Airways, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic.

Transportation between Gatwick Airport and London

If you are in a hurry, take the Gatwick Express which is a high-speed rail link between the airport and London Victoria Station. Frequency is every 15 minutes and journey time is about 30 to 35 minutes. Fare depend on what class you choose. For Express class, fare is £14 (one way) and £26.80 (return). If you insist on First Class and want priority security procedures, fare is higher at £20 one way and £38 return. You may use Day Return, Railcards or Carnet, but you can't use Travelcards.

Those who don't mind longer journey time and prefer lower fare, try Southern Rail which is a train service to Victoria via Clapham Junction. Frequency is also about every 15 minutes. Journey time is about 35 to 40 minutes. Fare is £9 one way to Victoria. You also cannot use Travelcards. If you can travel in a group of 3 people or more, you get a group discount for a day travel card which you can also use for all London Underground and TFL buses for one whole day, and for all these, you pay only £6.10 per person for after peak hours.

Other possibilities include First Capital Connect (Thameslink) which serve the route between Gatwick station and London Bridge, City Thameslink, Farringdon, Kings Cross, through north London to Luton Airport and beyond. Sounds very flexible.

Gatwick Airport Hotels

For cheap hotels, look for them at London Gatwick Hotels many of which offers free extras such as free parking, free breakfasts and meals, free Internet access, even free meals at the hotel restaurants in London. You can get budget rates at Gatwick Airport hotels from as low as GBP 39 at Chestnuts Luxury Guest House, Gatwick to 3 star Chestnuts Luxury Guest House Gatwick with rates from only GBP 39. It is only 8 Minutes to Gatwick Airport with luxury Bread and Breakfast at reasonable prices and offers holiday parking facilities.

Stansted Airport

London Stansted Airport is the third largest London airport with a single runway located in the Uttlesford District of the county of Essex. Stansted Airport is roughly about 30 miles (48 km) north-east of London, 2 miles (3 km) from Bishop's Stortford and 6 miles (10 km) from Harlow. Some major European low-cost airlines uses Stansted Airport as a hub for their operations. Stansted Airport has only one terminal with three boarding piers. 22 million passengers passed through Stansted Airport in 2005.

Transportation between Stansted Airport and London

For land transportation, there is a railway station below the terminal building of Stansted Airport trains operated by CrossCountry serving Cambridge, Leicester and the Midlands. Trains are scheduled every 60 minutes. Another train service, the Stansted Express, a non-stop rail link going to Liverpool Street station, London with departure. Frequency is between 15 to 30 minutes. The journey time is 45 to 60 minutes. This is the most expensive way to get to London, but it is also the fastest and most convenient way. Fare is £15 one way and £25 return. You cannot use Travelcards for Stansted Express. Stansted Express goes beyond Liverpool Street station to Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street, but takes 15 minutes for such a short journey. You cannot carry bicycle aboard Stansted Express, but folding bicycle is acceptable.

You can also use the London Underground. To get to West End, West or South London, take the Stansted Express up to Tottenham Hale, change to the Victoria Line and that will take you to Oxford Circus and Victoria. It will cost £14.50 one way to Tottenham Hale. It is £2.50 with the Oyster card to Oxford Circus: £2.50.

If you want express bus, there is Terravision which service the route between Stansted Airport and Bishopsgate (Liverpool Street station) and Victoria Coach terminal. Frequency is hourly and journey time is about 75 minutes. Fare is £8 one way and £14 return) to Victoria, £6.70 one way and £11.80 return) to Liverpool Street. You cannot use Travelcards for Terravision express bus.

If you want to go to London Victoria via Golders Green, take the National Express Bus. Frequency is every half hours or more. Fare for one way is £10 and for return is £16. To get to Stratford, fare is £8 one way and £14 return. Bicycles, except folding bicycles, is not allowed to be carried onto National Express Bus. Expect delays as you will be held up by traffic jams, especially on the Victoria Service.

You can book online in advance for journey on easyBus services to Baker Street. This can you as low as £2, but if you purchase tickets on the bus, it will cost you £8.

For travel by road, there are express bus or coach services from Stratford Airport to Victoria Coach Station, Liverpool Street Station and Golders Green. The fare is half that of the train but journey time is longer and takes about 80 to 130 minutes. Another bus service, the easyBus provide road transport between the Stansted Airport and Baker Street in Central London.

Stansted Airport Hotels

BudgetStansted Airport hotels like the Saracen's Head Hotel Great Dunmow situated at the High Street, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1AG, go for as cheap as GBP 58 and can be found at London Stansted Hotels.

Luton Airport

The London Luton Airport or what was previously called Luton International Airport is an international airport at the edge of the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England about 30 miles (48 km) north of London 2 miles (3 km) from junction 10a of the M1 motorway. Luton Airport is the fourth largest airport after Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Luton Airport is one of London's five international airports, the fifth one being London City Airport.

Total passengers at London Luton is 9.41 million in 2006 and is ranked the seventh busiest United Kingdom airports. Monarch Airlines, Ryanair, easyJet, Thomsonfly, Wizz Air and Silverjet uses Luton Airport as its hub.

Luton Airport has plan to further expand the airport to include a full length runway plus a new terminal, but this was opposed by the residents and the plans were eventually abandoned.

Transportation between Luton Airport and London

At the Luton Airport Parkway railway station, First Capital Connect operate services to Bedford, St Albans, London, Wimbledon, Sutton, London Gatwick Airport and Brighton. You can also take the East Midlands Trains services which travels at hourly frequency and go to London Saint Pancras, and also to Leicester, Nottingham and Leeds. From the Luton Airport, you can take the free shuttle bus to get to the station and vice-versa. The journey is only just over a mile.

Green Line Coaches and easyBus operat direct bus services to London. For other towns in the midlands and north of England, take the National Express coaches.

For those with cars, Luton Airport is just a few miles from the M1 motorway. The M1 highway goes to London, and also connects to Leeds. For parking, there is a short stay car park next to the terminal. For medium and long term parking, there are Airport car parks to the west and east of the terminal which are linked to the terminal by shuttle buses. There are also many off airport private car par operators which you can pre-booked.

Luton Airport Hotels

Luton Airport Hotels offers a range of hotels such as budget 3 star Regent Lodge Hotel in the London Luton airport vicinity with rates from only GBP 25.

Paris, most popular tourist destination in the world, etc

2008-01-01T08:52:00.000+08:00

Paris for Tourists

I visited Paris in the 70s, but it was just a one day visit. Amazingly, we managed to crammed quite a lot into that one day including entrance to the famous Moulin Rouge. I can see why Paris is the most popular tourist destination in the world. It has not been dubbed "The Romance Capital of the World" and the "City of Light" for nothing. There are lots for tourists to enjoy, and more had been added since my last visit.

Paris for commerce, finance and others

However, Paris is just not for tourists. It is also a major city for commerce and various important world center like the headquarter of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are located in Paris. The Paris Club, while not a permanent body like UNESCO or OECD, is an important informal grouping of 19 of the world's richest countries formed to debate matters related to debt restructuring, debt relief, and debt cancellation of impoverished countries often working together with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The members of the Paris Club meets every six weeks at the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance, and Industry in Paris.

The Paris Region (Île-de-France or Région Parisienne) is an important commercial area and considered one of the richest regions in the world. Within it is located other business districts including the well known La Défense. Paris is also thus frequented by government officials and businessmen.

But let us talk about Paris for tourists:

Eiffel Tower and double Decker bus

Photo of Eiffel Tower and double Decker bus
by David aka "bratan"

bratan says: "welcome to Paris dear happy tourists"

Who doesn't know Eiffel Tower, the most recognizable structure in the world and the icon of Paris? You can see it in the background in the above photo behind the open deck red double Decker bus. Looks like London don't have a monopoly over red double Decker buses. A visit to Eiffel Tower is highly recommended, as I myself have taken the lift up to the top deck. You can get a spectacular view of Paris skyline from there. I don't know about the double Decker red bus because I never saw it during my visit, but it should be a fun ride, especially if you dump yourself in the open top deck.

La Géode in Parc de la Villette

Photo of La Géode
by Etienne Cazin

This is something I missed in my day visit to Paris, the La Géode, an Omnimax dome theatre located in the Parc de la Villette is the largest park in Paris. It has facilities for science and music, including the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, the biggest science museum in Europe.

An OMNIMAX now called theIMAX Dome is designed for projection of large movies on tilted dome screens and I have never experienced one before. That is one big reason for me to visit Paris again, but this time, a day visit will not do. For such a thing to happen, I am going to need accommodation which I will likely book online using my ADSL broadband 24 hours connection to the Internet via Paris Hôtels. Darn. This website is in French. While I know a bit of French like bonjour, excusez-moi and merci beaucoup, this smattering of French is not going to help me navigate this French website.

But Spain is France neighbor, and it will be easy for them to visit Paris as it is just a short hop from their country and for them, the Spanish online booking site, París Hoteles will but for them, but not for me despite know some Spanish like buenos días, excúseme and gracias mucho.

Germany too is France next door neighbor, and it is no surprise to learn that Paris is a favorite of German tourist too. I know some German language too because I have learned Dutch and German and Dutch language are closely related, but still will not be able to handle Paris Hotels which is a German language site. I will have to leave this German website for German tourists.

When I visited England in the 70's, I had to use the hovercraft. There used to be hovercrafts carrying passengers from Dover, England to Calais, France, but I think that has stopped as it is no competition to the high speed 186 mph Eurostar train via the Chunnel under the English Channel. For them and for me, we will have to resort to Paris Hotels which is English language.

Ireland, Dublin, Cork City and Belfast

2007-12-31T19:28:00.000+08:00

Ireland

When I was in Europe in the 70's in Belgium, I did take the hovercraft over to United Kingdom. Only problem was, my visit was confined to London. I regretted not venturing further, for the Republic of Ireland, the third largest island in Europe,[1] and the twentieth largest island in the world, is just next door. I missed visiting Dublin, its capital city.

I had faced lots of difficulties and wasted much precious finding accommodation when I was traveling around Europe in the 70s which could have been better spent enjoying the sights and sound of the places I visit. Now with the convenient Internet, I can just book online my accommodation at online booking websites like Ireland Hotels

Dublin

Dublin is not only the vibrant capital city of Ireland, it is also its economic, administrative and cultural center and largest city. It boasts of interesting nightlife full of pubs and tourist attractions. My colleague talks proudly of pub crawling as a student in Australia. If you like that, you can do exactly the same thing in Dublin. If you have interest to see an intricately decorated New Testament text dating back to 800 AD named Book of Kells, go to Trinity College, Ireland's oldest and most prestigious college.

Photo of St. Patrick's Day Parade
by William Murphy

A good day for you to plan your visit to Dublin will be on St. Patrick's Day on 17th March when a big parade will march through the city. It is part of a part of a five-day festival, a celebration of Irish culture as well as a Christian festival. See those attractive ladies in the photo above. Wouldn't you like to be there to watch? Online accommodations booking is available at Dublin Hotels

Cork City

Photo of Cork City sidestreet
by Connor Turner

Cork City, the administrative capital center of County Cork, Province of Munster is Ireland's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast. You can find interesting sidestreets like the one in the photo above with sidewalk cafe.

It hosts many festivals, including

Midsummer Festival from mid June to mid July

Film Festival from the beginning of October

Jazz Festival on the last weekend of October

The Midsummer Festival is a month long festival when lovers of theatre, music, art, poetry plus others can enjoy them throughout the city during this period. During the Cork City Film Festival, film lovers get to watch not only Irish, but also international films. Cork City host one of Europe's largest jazz festival which from year to year brings together great jazz musicians from around the world. All these has helped Cork City earned the honor of being called a festival city.

Visitors to Cork City can book their accommodation at Cork Hotels

Belfast City

Photo of Belfast
by Lyn Gateley

Belfast is the capital of the Province of Ulster of Northern Ireland which is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, . It is the second largest city of Ireland. If you are put off by the more expensive Dublin, you can enjoy a nice and cheaper vacation in Belfast. Belfast is sprouting new hotels, bars, restaurants, clubs and shops every day and is becoming a great vacation city. You will also enjoy the sight of beautiful gardens and great Victorian and Edwardian architecture like what you see in the photo above.

Instead of strive and killing that has wrecked Belfast in the past, you will find peace and prosperity. If you visit Belfast, it is likely you will be greeted warmly by its inhabitants, and if you patronise the numerous pubs and bars, its local patrons will be curious as to what brought you to Belfast and probably eagerly share a little bit of the history of Belfast with you. It will be a great change from that tourist trap, London.

Online accommodation booking is available from Belfast Hotels .

Australia's serviced apartments: Home away from home

2007-12-21T21:19:00.000+08:00

Australia, the lucky country

Thia nickname "The Lucky Country" originated from a book with the same title published in 1964 by Donald Horne. Australia has vast resources, freedom from many plants and other diseases that plague other less fortunate countries, a huge land mass and a low population density.

Why visit Australia, the lucky country

There is the Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef, the wonder architecture of Sydney's Opera House which I understand took them a fortune to construct, the very unique Flora, fauna and animals found no where else in the world, Uluru (Ayers rock), parents attending their children's graduation ceremony and much more. Especially if it is the later, you are likely to bring an entourage of your family. And for this, hotels are not the best accommodations you should seek, for they are not meant for large groups. Serviced apartments are more suitable.

What are serviced apartments

Serviced apartments are much similar to normal apartments. With normal apartment, you will have to sign a long term contact and cannot check out at your whims and fancies. Serviced apartments do not need fixed contracts and renters can check-out anytime they want. You can stay for a few days to a few months depending on your plans.

Advantages and serviced apartments

What are the advantages of serviced apartments over hotels especially for large groups? Serviced apartment compared to hotels are generally cheaper, have more room and are good for families or for staying for longer periods with a degree of independence, including the freedom to cook your own meals if you are up to it. That freedom can save you a lot of money compared with having to eat out. It is very much like a home away from home.

Serviced apartments in Australia

There are many serviced apartments for visitors to Australia spread all over the vast country. Among them are:

Brisbane, Queensland

Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and is located beside the Pacific Ocean. It is the third largest city in Australia.

Serviced apartments in Brisbane

You can book serviced apartments online at Brisbane Accommodation

Among the hotels in Brisbane, you will find that the Astor Apartments are strategically located very close to Brisbane's busy CBD (Central Business District) being a short 200 metres from the Central Railway Station. There are plenty of Cafes and Restaurants, entertainment, leading businesses and the city's premier shopping district, the Queen Street Mall which are just a short walk away.

There are many room types, but all are smartly furnished with modern facilities with convenience of home facilities, separate bedrooms and private balconies and if you like to look apartments with city views, they have that. You get spacious layouts with the comforts of home. Get the bigger sized one with two bedroom and they will have space and comfort for the daily, weekly or long term guest for business or holiday.

Even one bedroom apartments have separate master bedroom and bathroom. Two bedroom apartments will get you a master bedroom with en suite plus two single beds in the second bedroom with a separate bathroom. You get complimentary safe covered car parking. You can relax by the pool, have a spa and sauna, organize a barbecue on the pool deck at Astor Apartments.

Adelaide, South Australia (City of Festivals)

Adelaide is the capital city of of South Australia situated on eastern side of Gulf Saint Vincent on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and west of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It has been nicknamed "The City of Churches" because in its early history, it has great religious freedom. Modern Adelaide is now famous for its many festivals, wine, arts and sports. If I remember correctly, it is also referred to as a City of Festivals hosting numerous festivals like the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Fringe Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Festival of Ideas, Adelaide Writers' Week, the Feast Festival and WOMADelaide, Australia's premier world music event.

Serviced apartments in Adelaide

Online booking are available at Adelaide Accommodation. One of the apartments in Adelaide you can book via them is Vines Apartments which is rated 4 stars out of a possible maximum 5 by that site. You can book a Vines Apartment at last minute prices from AUD 84, but this will vary from time to time. For group bookings services for conference, Cheaperthanhotels have a partnership with The Vines Apartments Adelaide to provide for conference, weddings or tour groups.

Vines Apartments have luxury fully furnished, self contained studio style apartments right in the middle of Melbourne Street, North Adelaide nested amongst restaurants and cafes. It is only a short walk from the well known River Torrens, the city center, various hospitals, universities and park lands. Include in the package is a weekly clean.

Its address is

81-91 Melbourne Street
North Adelaide, S
Adelaide
Australia

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital city of Western Australia, and among the fastest growing Australian city located in south west Australia next to the Indian Ocean. The scenic Swan River flows through the central business district and suburbs of Perth. It is one of the most isolated city in the world and is closer to East Timor and Jakarta than any major Australian city. The nearest Australian city is Adelaide, 2,104 kilometres away.

Serviced apartments in Perth

A good place to look for apartments is Perth Accommodation. Among others, Cheaperthanhotels have a special arrangement with Duke's Apartments for group booking for conferences, weddings or tour groups. It is rated 3 stars if star rating is important to you.

You can get luxury self-contained 2 and 3 bedroom apartments in Duke's Apartments, central Perth. It is designed like a resort with pool, spa, sauna and gym. You can sleep 5 – 8 people for the just the price of a hotel room.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne located at the Port Phillip Bay, South-east Australia's, is the state capital of Victoria. It is a major commerce industrial center plus numerous cultural activity. Melbourne has been called Australia's "sporting and cultural capital" and is host to many of Australia's significant cultural and sporting events and institutions. You can find a mix of Victorian and contemporary architecture in Melbourne. A distinctive feature of Melbourne is its extensive tram network. It also boasts of many Victorian parks and gardens. Melbourne is a diverse and multicultural city. It had the distinction of playing host to the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Melbourne was the capital city of Australia when the nation was first formed in 1901. However, it has now been replaced by the new, purpose-built capital, Canberra, in 1927. The Federal Parliament of Australia is now located in Canberra.

Serviced apartments in Melbourne

My daughters graduated in Melbourne universities. Had I gone with an entourage of my family for their graduation ceremonies, I would have booked via Melbourne Accomodation a serviced apartment like Park Squire Motor Inn And Serviced Apartments. It will not be cheap to feed a family via eating out in restaurants, especially at the unfavorable currency exchange rates, plus the fact that my bank account had been depleted by my daughters' living expenses and tuition fees during their studies. It would have reduced my expenses a great deal.

And just like the apartments mentioned above, Cheaperthanhotels have a partnership agreement with Park Squire Motor Inn And Serviced Apartments to provide group bookings services for conference, weddings or tour groups. Good thing my daughters did not get married there for even though we may get special rates, hosting wedding receptions there will definitely be more than what it will cost us in our home country.

New Zealand, a unique place in the world

2007-12-17T23:55:00.000+08:00

New Zealand, a very unique island country in the world

New Zealand is a very unique country comprising 2 large main Islands and several other small islands. It was for a long time unpopulated by human was about probably the last country to be populate sometime between around AD 800 and 1300. It boast of many unique flora and fauna seen nowhere else in the world because of its isolation. Before the arrival of humans, New Zealand only have animals that can swim or fly such as seals, sea lions, whales and bats. There were only insects and birds, some flightless ones like the Kiwi, the Moa and the Kakapo, and there were no predators to hunt them down. The Polynesians who first landed on the islands brought with them the Polynesian Rat (Kiore) and domesticated dogs. Europeans that arrived later brought cattle, sheeps, pigs, etc. Many of the imported animals drove the indigenous species to extinction, but there are still many unique to New Zealand you can see nowhere else in the world. And I am sure travelers to New Zealand will be glad to know that there are no man eating animals or snakes there.

You will get to see active volcanoes, ancient native forests, prehistoric glaciers and isolated island sanctuaries that will give you a unique experience. New Zealand is also bless with many world heritage sites (sites that have been recognised by UNESCO as having outstanding natural or cultural value. These include Tongariro National Park, Te Wahipounamu and the Subantarctic Islands.

Tonggariro National Park by Gemma Longman

Dent Island, one of New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands by Twiddleblat

Te Wahipounamu UNESCO world heritage site by Manuel

New Zealand is really a unique place in the world and worthwhile visiting. For accommodation, the environmentally way is to book online using the environmentally friendly Internet and one which I would have used when I was traveling around Europe in the 70s had it been available. Would have saved me a lot of headache, a lot of precious time, and I believe probably a lot of money too.

New Zealand hotels

Now there are online accommodation booking websites like New Zealand Hotels.

Auckland and Auckland hotels

Auckland is located in the North Island of New Zealand and is the largest city and most populous of the New Zealand. It also has the distinction of having the largest Polynesian population of the world. Auckland is blessed with a warm-temperate climate. In summer, it is warm and humid summers while in winter it is mild and damp. For booking accommodation online, try Auckland Hotels.

Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand

Wellington is the capital city of the New Zealand located at the southern tip of the North Island. You will find an active art center and nightlife in Wellington and café going is a way of life. The Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand) is located in Wellington. For culture, you have the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The International Festival of the Arts is held on a biennial basis in Wellington.

For booking accommodation online, try Wellington Hotels

Christchurch

The regional capital of Canterbury is Christchurch and it is the largest city in the South Island. The scenic Avon river flows through the center of the city. The Cathedral Square located in the center of Christchurch houses Christ Church, an Anglican cathedral. It is a popular tourist attraction, particularly the speakers' corner popularized by Ian Brackenbury Channell, the Wizard of New Zealand.

Other attractions include Cashel Street, Christchurch's urban mall which is closed to traffic and open to pedestrian only. At one end of the mall is the Bridge Of Remembrance and at the other end is Hack Circle, an amphitheatre.

You may also be interested in parks like the Botanical Gardens, Hagley Park, Mona Vale, Riccarton House and Bush. Other places of interest include the Canterbury Museum, Ferrymead Heritage Park, Orana Wildlife Park, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Air Force Museum, Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House, International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch Art Gallery, the Christchurch Arts Centre, the Timeball Station in Lyttelton, the New Brighton pier, Heathcote Gondola, punting on the river Avon (see photo below)

Punting on a river by Zakgollop

For booking accommodation online, go to Christchurch Hotels.

eBay of vacation cruises: Cheap way to go on vacation curise

2007-12-12T16:40:00.000+08:00

By now, I believe all visitor to this website would have heard of eBay where you can get bargains of all kind of things. I have purchased stuff like stepper motors, servo motors, etc. on eBay.com. Even put up for sale myself on my country's local eBay which charge no listing fees. Hard to sell because I was not prepared to deliver, which means I limit my market to a very small area. But did sell off a set of stuff I wanted to get rid of at huge discount to the price I bought for it. But because of the low reserve price, someone was prepared to travel great distance to take delivery of it. Just shows you can often get real bargains, for what I sold through the auction was more than a bargain. It was practically a giveaway. You can see what I sacrificed for a paltry sum at Sherline lathe with stepper motors and drivers.

Now introducing the eBay of vacation cruises - cheap vacation cruises!!!! Skyauction.com have auctions that begin with a $1 open and no reserve prices. With luck, you can get a vacation cruise bargain as good as that guy who got a whole set of useful stuff from me, and probably even better! And just like eBay, there often is a "Buy it now" option so you need not wait for the auction to end and book your bargain vacation cruise on the spot.

There are lots of choices like Carnival Cruise or Norwegian Cruise.

So wish you good luck, happy bidding and hope you get your dream vacation cruise at less than bargain price.

San Diego, lovely weather, lovely beaches

2007-12-08T11:13:00.000+08:00

I traveled to San Diego, South California, United States of America in the 1980s. San Diego is a nice city to visit, with pleasant weather and many lovely beaches. I am not the only person who like to visit San Diego, as many others from the neighbouring states of Arizona and Nevada flock in droves to San Diego in summer to escape the searing heat. My sister-in-law lives in Yuma, Arizona, and she is one of those temporary migrants.

San Diego is also very near to the Mexican border with the border town, Tijuana, just 16 miles away. Many who visit San Diego as well as San Diego's own residents go to Tijuana to buy fake brand-name clothing and accessories, prescription drugs plus for cheap entertainment. There are many night clubs at Tijuana. I went there, but didn't buy anything nor did I go to any night clubs.

But the lovely beaches in San Diego is attractive enough and you don't really need to travel to Tijuana to enjoy yourself. One of the more popular beach is Mission Beach, but is not the only one, there are many. If you are only a visitor like me, and not a resident of San Diego, obviously you will need to rent accommodation. One of the places you can book online is San Diego beach rentals. They offer say they everything from basic vacation rentals to luxury vacation rentals and San Diego beach house. If you are more interested in Mission Beach, you can browse through their selection of Mission Beach rentals.

If you do go to San Diego and took some nice digital photographs, I hope you will upload them to Flickr or similar photo web host, and leave a comment with the URL of your album of lovely places in San Diego for all of us to enjoy. They say "sharing is caring" and I hope you care enough to share your experiences in San Diego with others who are not so fortunate. I would had digital cameras being in existence when I visited San Diego 20 years ago.

World Wide Vacation Rental Directory

2007-12-06T23:23:00.000+08:00

Introducing a world wide vacation rental directory - vacation rental by owner. Would you happen to be a vacation rental property owner or manager in any part of the world? That directory is where you can list your property or properties for prospective renters. All you need to do is to create a Goin2Travel account, select a listing option, submit your property listing information and photos. Your listing will be on the web within minutes and you can start getting inquiries and accepting reservations.

With a Goin2Travel account, you will get a detailed web page where you can tell visitors about the good things about your vacation rental property, add in photos, include details of rates and provide your contact information. You can put in unlimited text, you will get your very own Goin2Travel web page with a link to your personal website and you can login to edit your page on a 24 hours day, 7 days a week basis.

Would you happen to own vacation rental property or properties in Myrtle Beach, a resort town along South Carolina's coast which gets more than ten million visitors each annual holiday season? Or if you are just a traveler looking for vacation rentals in Myrtle Beach? Whichever, do check out Myrtle Beach vacation rentals.

Or perhaps you have interest in something further down the United States of America's Eastern coast - Miami Beach? This World Wide Vacation Rental Directory have a site Miami Beach vacation rentals for that popular place too.

In fact from what I see, they have covered pretty much the whole globe, except for a few blank spot. But don't be surprised if you check later after this post is published, that those blank spots have been filled up too, for it don't look like the people running the directory is just sitting down idly but going all out to promote the site so all you vacation rental property or properties owners or managers will get your money worth when you list your vacation rental property or properties with them.

Advantages of online accommodation booking

2007-11-29T05:07:00.000+08:00

Disadvantages of not booking accommodation ahead of arrival when traveling

I had traveled extensively around Europe in the 70's when there was no such thing as Internet. I had to hunt for accommodation only on arrival, which is not something pleasant. I had to waste time and energy going from hotel to hotel to find something to suit what I want and/or within my budget. Those time could have been spent doing sight seeing or other activities which were the reasons for me to travel there. Particularly, if you travel during the peak seasons, you may not be able to find the accommodation you need at all, in which case your other choice will be in the railway station or the airport. And if you happened to be traveling during autumn or winter when it is cold, it is going to be a very unpleasant experience.

Advantages of not booking accommodation ahead of arrival when traveling

Thanks largely to Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, the World Wide Web arrived on the scene, and not only that, through his insistence and efforts, it remained largely free for the public to use. With that came along sites that help travelers book accommodation easily ahead of arrival, and not only that, do it conveniently from the comfort of their home and also possibly instantly. No waiting. You can also do comparison shopping easily before making your decision without having to, put it crudely, lift your butt off the comfort of your seat.

One of those online accommodation sites is Whistler accommodation, a vacation rental company based in Whistler, British Colombia, Canada, offering a wide variety of properties for rent all year round. They specializes in ski resorts, many of them ski-in, ski-out with wood-burning fireplaces and private hot tubs. According to their site, they can organise a fully-catered holiday which may include particular request such as the services of a masseuse in your chalet every evening or a cosy condo with a log fire a stone’s throw from the village. And all this with a simple email. What can be more convenient than that and how I wished Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee was born earlier. My travel around Europe in the 70s would have been much more pleasant then.

Depending on your preferences, you may go for Whistler condo rental which would be more suitable for those traveling as a big family or in a large group, and you want such facilities as a kitchen or kitchenette so you can cook your own meals and not have to spend more money eating out in expensive restaurants.

Holiday Whistler Accommodations seem to have a lot of choices for you to pick from such as this gem - Cedar Ridge 17 located in Benchlands, Alberta. You can see a photo of its interior below:

According to its descriptions, Cedar Ridge 17 is a ski-in, ski-out townhome on the lower slopes of Blackcomb Mountain within a 30-second or less walk to the slopes. It says it has a spacious hallway, powder room, storage area, sunken living room, spacious dining plus entertainment area with cedar-lined vaulted ceiling with wood-burning fireplace, a and spacious dining area. fully-equipped kitchen, a large deck with sunken private hot tub overlooking the valley plus 3 bedrooms; one with a queen-size bed plus twin beds and one with 2 bunk beds plus separate twin beds, all downstairs.

Upstairs is a very spacious master bedroom with ensuite bathroom and a private deck looking up the hill.

They claim to have 2 parking places for cars, one a private garage and another one on the private driveway. However, there will be no more parking visitors' cars.

Daytona and Myrtle Beach and the rest of the world

2007-08-31T18:12:00.000+08:00

The United States of America is a huge country with an area of 3.7 million square miles (9.6 million km²) and over 300 million people with a very wide range of weather, geographical features, people, etc. There is a wide choice of places to visit for resident and well as non-US resident. It is not unusual for US residents of the north to travel south to escape the harsh cold winter.

Among the places they may go to for warmer weather is Daytona in Florida. One often associate the name Daytona with speed because of the world famous NASCAR track that hosts the annual Daytona 500 as well as other racing related events. There is also Daytona USA which is an interactive motor sports theme park with an antique car museum. There are also the Daytona Bike week normally held in February and Biketoberfest in October which attracts thousands of visitors from around the world.

Spring Break Daytona Beach has a long tradition that takes place on miles of sandy beaches with Spring Break activity, pool deck parties, hot Daytona Beach Clubs like the Ocean Deck, Razzles, and 600 North.

With all these, Daytona sound like a great place to visit. Unless you are a Daytona resident, you will of course need accommodation which you can easily chose and book online via Daytona vacation rentals.

Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is also a warm and popular destination for vacationers from around the States, Canada and abroad. The Grand Strand is a 60-mile crescent of beach with clean, wide beaches and a great variety of recreation, entertainment, dining and shopping. If Myrtle Beach sounds like a place you like to visit, you can chose and book your accommodation online via Myrtle vacation rentals.

If neither of these places interest you, there are still lots of places around the world you can go for your vacations and you will find a great variety of accommodations available from vacation rentals.

Take TGV trains rather than fly when in France

2007-08-02T20:21:00.000+08:00

There are various ways of travelling - road, rail (trains), fly, etc. In France, the is an extensive network of TGV trains connecting major cities travelling at very high speed. Actually, TGV trains connect not only French cities, but also some cities in Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom via the Channel (tunnel under the English Channel connecting Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom to Coquelles near Calais in northern France. Let us compare travelling via air flights and travelling via high speed TGV trains.

Flying

Flying involve very expensive airplanes flying at high altitudes. Much precious and depleting fossil fuel need to be used to get the planes up to the high altitudes. There is the noise pollution on take off and landing which residents near airports have to put up with. The burning of fuel, a precious, increasingly expensive and depleting fossil fuel, releases greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. The contrails (vapor trails or condensation trails and artificial cirrus clouds caused by the exhaust of aircraft engines) left at 30,000ft act to further magnify a plane's climate change impact. Further, the planes are spewing air pollutants such as nitrates, ash and sulfates at high altitudes, some of which deplete ozone in the atmosphere, a protective layer crucial for protecting life on Earth from the Sun's harmful rays. The Royal British Commission on Environmental Pollution estimated in 2002 that commercial airline emissions are a major contributor to global warming, and urged governments to draft policies to encourage train travel instead where feasible. It seems the Lonely Planet guide to Paris recommend taking the train too.

In addition to all the above, airports are usually located far away from the city centers which is the normal initial departure and destination points of air travellers. The travelling time plus the check-in time, time needed to go through custom and immigration procedure plus the security checks after 9/11 contribute to the total travelling time, and for short travel, it is not unusual for train travel to be faster and more convenient as train stations are located very close, if not within city centers.

TGV trains

TGV ("train à grande vitesse" translated from French to English "high-speed train") is France's high-speed rail service first developed by GEC-Alsthom (now Alstom) and SNCF, the French national rail operator. TGV train has expanded from connecting major cities in France to connecting cities in adjacent countries like Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It also connects to the United Kingdom via the Chunnel (underground tunnel beneath the English Channel between France and United Kingdom). While it has been recorded to travel at 574.8 km/h (357 mph), in commercial use, it can travel at speed up to 320 km/h (200 mph). In addition to its high speed which can rival air travel, it also have the advantage of having the railway stations located near or even within city centers. Thus for short journeys, especially for travel within France, you can probably reach your final destination in shorter time compared with air travel.

Travelling with TGV trains are also safe according to Wikipedia. The TGV trains has not recorded a single fatality due to accident while running at high speed although there had been fatalities while travelling on lignes classiques (traditional lines, that is, collisions at low speed at railway crossings, etc.). Travelling in the more spacious TGV trains is probably more comfortable than in the cramped space in an airplane.

The most extensive network of TGV trains is in France, and in my opinion, it is a much better idea to use the TGV trains than fly when travelling within France. Travelling is one thing. The other thing you will need is accommodation. You can book that online at Hotels in France. Most visitors will be staying in Paris, the capital, and for that, book your accommodation at Hotels in Paris. They have a Lowest Rate Guarantee. If you can get a rate lower than the best available Internet rate on another web site for the same hotel/accommodation, on the same dates, just inform them within 24 hours of booking your room(s) with them, and they will honour that rate for the night(s) for which the lower rate was found and refund you the difference.

If you read Spanish, you can look for accommodation in Francia Hoteles

Travel Insurance for Australians

2007-07-16T19:22:00.000+08:00

People of all nationalities, age groups, health conditions, etc. travel within outside of their country for various reasons. Some travel for business reasons. Some take vacations. Some to visit friends or relatives. Some because they became a volunteer and have to go to another place to do their voluntary work. Some travel because they like to see new places, experience different culture, trying out the different kind of food available in different places.

Australians, like other nationalities, also travel. Australia is a huge country. In fact it is a continent. There are plenty of places to go. It has a magnificent reef, the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system. There is a very interesting huge monolithic rock, Ayers Rock, also known as Uluṟu. Adelaide is known for its cultural events, particularly the Adelaide Festival of Arts, a popular biannual event with local and international participants. It has unique wild life which no other country have, like the kangaroo, the Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) often mistakenly called koala bear, and many more.

But Australian don't just do intra-travel. They are also international traveller. Some are international businessmen. Many are backpackers who may travel for months. Some somehow manage to do it for years. Many Australians are migrants who have relatives overseas they would like to visit.

Irrespective of whether you are doing intra- or international travel you will need travel insurance to protect yourself for the unexpected. It might be an accident, a medical emergency, extra expenses because of delayed, postponed or cancelled flights, etc. Some are young travellers. There are even those who are in their eighties. Some are healthy. Some may have medical conditions.

Different Insurance offers different kind of insurance with different conditions for people of different circumstances and needs. It would be tough to walk or drive from one insurance company to another to get the insurance policy that suit your needs and circumstances. It would be great to be able to have online travel insurance so you can get information on the kind of travel insurance policies, their conditions and the premium you have to pay for the travel insurance policy you need, suit your circumstances and budget, all conveniently from the computer in your home. Travel Insurance Direct even provide travel insurance policies for people with some pre-existing medical conditions or are of elderly age - up to the age of 86 years of age. And their website says they are underwritten by Allianz which is one of the world’s largest financial services providers, including insurance. They claim they can provide cheap travel insurance which is great news for those who are price conscious or have to keep to a budget.

Johannesburg, Cradle of Humankind and now Host to 2010 FIFA World Cup

2007-07-07T13:17:00.000+08:00

Johannesburg has been called the cradle of humankind, and rightly so. Forty percent of all human ancestor fossil finds have been made here. The Cradle of Humankind is about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg contains a complex of limestone caves which include the Sterkfontein Caves where the 2.3-million year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus which is estimated to be 2.5-million years old (nicknamed "Mrs Ples") and an almost complete ape-man skeleton estimated to be 3 to 3.5-million years old nickname Little Foot. Many excavation sites have yielded hominid remains and these cave sites have yielded over 850 hominid fossil remains and thus represent one of the world's richest concentrations of fossil hominid bearing sites. The Cradle of Humankind was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

That was ancient history. Now Johannesburg has developed so much that it has won the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup sometime in July which is expected to attract a lot of football fans here. In fact the organisers are anticipating so many fans to come that they expect many to be without tickets and for them they have planned a soccer fan park at Mary Fitzgerald Square they can watch all the live action on a large screen at the square.

If you are planning to visit Johannesburg either to see the origin of humankind or to see the FIFA World Cup, book your accommodation ahead of your arrival. One place you can do so online is Johannesburg Hotels where you have a great choice of cheap hotel if you are on a budget. They have a Lowest Rate Guarantee, so you can be assured of a good deal.

Johannesburg has many airports, including the Tambo International Airport which was formerly named Johannesburg International. It is the busiest airport on the African continent and is the air transport hub of Southern Africa. If you are planning on a transit via Johannesburg and planned to stay a short stay to enjoy the sights and attractions of Johannesburg, you can stay at Hotels near Johannesburg Airport.

Ecotourism and Hawaii

2007-05-30T10:57:00.000+08:00

Web definition of ecotourism: "travel undertaken to witness sites or regions of unique natural or ecologic quality, or the provision of services to facilitate such travel". Hawaii is nature. You have nice beaches, reefs, beautiful tropical sea inhabitants, tropical forests, active and dormant volcanoes, visits from spouting humpback whales, etc. It is nature at its best. Travel to Hawaii can be considered as ecotourism according to the definition above.

However, any travel comes with an environmental price. Depleting fossil fuel is burnt. CO2 emission contribute to global warming. Fortunately there is a way to offset them. At Carbon emission offset directory you can find sites that offers you ways to offset the CO2 emission resulting from your travel.

The trend now for savvy vacationers to stay in villas and condominiums rather than hotels as most hotels are located in mainstream areas whereas villas and condominiums are more secluded and offer more flexibility. For example, you can have a whole family staying in the same place and you can buy food to cook yourself which you can't do in a hotel. You can book Hawaiian beachfront cottages or Hawaiian condominiums conveniently online through Hawaiian Beach Rentals.

However, if you still prefer hotels, you can still chose and book hotels through Hawaiian Hotels.

Toothache In A Foreign Land

2007-05-26T09:57:00.000+08:00

Toothache In A Foreign Land
by: Steve Gillman

Getting a toothache while traveling overseas can be more than just annoying and inconvenient. It can ruin a good vacation. Here are some tips for preventing a toothache before you get on that plane, and for treating it if you get one anyhow.

Traveler's Dental Care

First of all, don't ever go on a long trip if you have an unresolved tooth problem, or even the hint of a toothache starting. Get it taken care of by a dentist, and if there is lingering pain, get a prescription pain reliever to take with you.

Have dental work done far enough in advance of your trip to be sure that all the pain is gone. It is common for a high spot on a new filling to cause severe pain days after it is put in. Any dentist can easily solve this by grinding it down - but wouldn't you rather have it done by the dentist you know and trust?

Avoid doing anything that can cause toothaches or other dental problems while traveling. Avoid eating popcorn, for example. It may be one of the worst foods for damaging teeth.

A toothbrush AND floss are a good idea on any trip, of course. Toothpaste may no longer be allowed on the plane, however. If you travel with only carry-on, this means you will have to remember to buy toothpaste as soon as you arrive at your destination. You can carry a bit of baking soda as an alternative as well - this will be allowed on the plane. Toothbrushes and floss are about dental problem prevention, of course, but what if your toothache starts while you're overseas?

Toothache Treatment

Try aspirin. Tylenol #3 is even better for a severe toothache. Antiseptics that contain benzocaine, applied directly to the irritated tooth and gum will temporarily relieve pain. Oil of cloves (eugenol) will also may help when applied to teeth and gums. Never put aspirin or other painkillers directly to gums, as they may burn your gum tissue.

Sometimes tooth pain does not originate in the teeth or gums, but in the sinus cavities. It may be a sinus infection putting pressure on the gums from above. In these cases, you might have to eliminate the infection with antibiotics to get relief. Some temporary relief is possible if you can clear the sinuses by steaming (carefully) your face, or eating hot sauce.

When teeth are temperature sensitive, you should obviously avoid hot and cold drinks. If it is cold outside, it will also help to breath through your nose. Breathing through the mouth brings cold air flowing over your teeth and can cause a lot of pain.

I have a toothache - the inspiration for this article. Two days ago I noticed that each time we drove over a mountain pass here in Colorado, the pain intensified. Descending below 8,000 feet seemed to take the pain away. If you notice this problem, be ready when flying - not all planes are fully pressurized.

Should you visit a dentist in another country? Certainly you'll have to if it is an emergency. Some toothaches are too severe to wait. You may prefer to just treat the pain until you get home otherwise. On the other hand, if the problem is simple, like a lost filling, some countries provide an opportunity for cheap dental care. Ask first, to see that the dentists are using gloves and the latest tools.

About The Author
Copyright Steve Gillman. For travel stories, tips and a free Travel Secrets e-book, visit:

Everything about travel

Visit Extreme Rugged Remote Parashant Canyon National Monument

2007-05-25T10:02:00.000+08:00

Visit Extreme Rugged Remote Parashant Canyon National Monument
by: Bob Therrien

Grand Canyon Parashant Canyon National Monument is not as well known as it’s bigger sister next door. On January 11, 2000, President Bill Clinton established the 1.1-million-acre Monument. This vast monument protects much of the Shivwits Plateau. The Shivwits is ecologically unique because it's where the Sonoran, Great Basin, and Mojave Deserts intersect. This region is a wildlife habitat for several endangered or threatened species. California condors, desert tortoises, willow flycatchers, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope call this area home.

This is a very remote and undeveloped Monument. Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument is located in northwest Arizona, bordered by the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon National Park to the south and east, Nevada and Lake Mead to the west. Many people fly into Las Vegas as a Hub, and plan their visit from there.

The Monument information center is located in the lobby of the BLM Office in St. George, Utah. The address is 345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah, 84790. There you will find maps, field guides, books, and other items. Staff members are available to answer questions and provide safety information.

If you decide to add this to your adventure tours, here is the mileage from closest major cities: To Saint George from Las Vegas 118 miles, 190 km, From Phoenix 435 miles, 700 km, From Denver 631 miles, 1015 km.

There are only two semi-maintained trails in the Monument – Mt. Trumbull and Mt. Dellenbaugh. All other hiking is on unmarked routes or requires bushwhacking through dense brush or rugged terrain. Grand Canyon Parashant provides a sense of solitude to those who trek into its isolated areas. Located on the edge of the Grand Canyon, the Monument's expansive landscape showcases both natural and cultural history.

Of the points of interest in the Monument, here are the ones that the Bureau of Land Management point out:

• Virgin River Gorge Campground
• Condor Release Viewing Site
• Pakoon Springs
• Mt Trumbull Schoolhouse
• Sawmill Historic Site
• Witch’s Point
• Uinkaret Pueblo
• Nampaweap Petroglyph Site
• Tuweep Ranger Station
• Toroweap Campground
• Toroweap Overlook
• Tassi Spring
• Pearce Ferry Campground
• Pearce Ferry

To travel here, you must use caution, as it is off the beaten track. You must have the appropriate maps to find your way to and around the Monument. There are entry roads from Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Plan your entrance point by your travel route. There are no paved roads or visitor services within the Monument's million-plus acres, so visitors need to be prepared by traveling with an appropriate high-clearance vehicle equipped with two full-sized spare tires. Some content provided by The National Park Service and AZ BLM.

About The Author
Bob Therrien is a travel writer and has traveled all over North America. He currently operates the website at parashantcanyon.com.

Isle of Wight Tourism

2007-05-24T10:09:00.000+08:00

Isle of Wight Tourism
by: Martin Ager

The term Isle of Wight Tourism conjures up images of sunny beaches, dramatic coastlines and glorious countryside. Isle of Wight tourism brings in an estimated £350 million plus per year, which is vital to the Island’s economy. With more people visiting each year, that figure can only rise. The Isle of Wight is the perfect place for a holiday as there are so many things to see and do. Whatever your interests, you will be spoiled for choice and will find that one visit to this special place is never enough. Most people that visit this wonderful island find themselves coming back time and time again which is great for Isle of Wight tourism.

The Isle of Wight is the smallest of England’s counties, with the resident population being around 130,000. To the north lies the Solent and to the south is the English Channel. Known as "The Garden Isle", this jewel of England indeed resembles a diamond in shape, measuring 23 miles west to east and 13 miles north to south, an area or 147 square miles. The Island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the UK, with around one million visitors each year. There is over 60 miles of coastline which ranges from award winning beaches to spectacular chalk cliffs. The Island, which is divided into two boroughs - Medina & South Wight, was known as “Vectis” by the Romans. Newport is the county town, although Ryde is the largest town. The exact centre of the Island is at Shide Corner, on the outskirts of Newport and the highest point is St. Boniface Down at Ventnor.

Walking on the Isle of Wight is a popular past-time and there are over 500 miles of public footpaths including dramatic coastal paths. The climate here is almost sub-tropical and Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor are regularly at the top of the UK sunshine table. Over 50% of the Island has been designated an “Area of Outstanding Beauty” with about half of the coastline named as “Heritage Coast” - an honour only awarded to the finest stretches of coastline in the country. Red squirrels have a particular penchant for the surroundings (due to the lack of grey squirrels) and are widely prevalent on the Island - almost the final stronghold in the south of the country.

The most famous landmark here on the Isle of Wight is “The Needles” - three jagged chalk projections running out to sea at the extreme west of the island at Alum Bay, which is also renowned for its multi-coloured sand cliffs, which are caused by a mixture of minerals in the sand. There is a lighthouse here too, clinging to the base of the most westerly rock of the Needles group. It originally became popular here with tourists over 200 years ago when they used to visit by paddle steamer from the mainland. Another popular landmark is the Bembridge Windmill, the only existing windmill on the Island. It is located at the opposite end of the Island, was built around 1700 and still has its original machinery intact.

Isle of Wight Tourist Guide

About The Author
Martin Ager
Isle of Wight tourist guide caters for all the tourist needs on the Isle of Wight. It is an extensive guide for all tourism and leisure activities. Martin Ager is the author, please see Isle of Wight Tourist Guide. Email info@isleofwighttouristguide.com

Mont Tremblant Lodging – Which Of Mont Tremblant’s 3 Regions Is Right For You?

2007-05-23T10:13:00.000+08:00

Mont Tremblant Lodging – Which Of Mont Tremblant’s 3 Regions Is Right For You?
by: Devon O'Malley

Nestled deep in the wilderness of Quebec, Mont Tremblant has been dubbed #1 Ski Resort in Eastern North America for 8 consecutive years. Once you learn more about the resort, it's easy to see why.

The ski resort offers over 600 acres of ski and snowboarding trails in 4 unique areas: North Side (Versant Nord), South Side (Versant Sud), Sunny Side (Versant Soleil) and The Edge (Versant Edge). As well, you can savour 94 marked downhill trails and 13 ski lifts to send you soaring up the slopes. You’re practically guaranteed the opportunity to ski or snowboard until you’ve had your fill of snow-brimmed euphoria.

With all the outdoor space to play in, you're going to need quality Mont Tremblant lodging to act as your home base.

Forget guessing.

Instead, enlighten yourself to the various Mont Tremblant lodging regions with this handy guide.

Region 1: Pedestrian Village

The hub of Mont Tremblant resort, the Pedestrian Village is situated at the base of the mountain. The village offers all the features you'd expect from a world-class ski resort, including all the usual suspects: a myriad of shopping outlets, a bustling nightlife scene, apres-ski venues, and plenty of slopeside Mont Tremblant accommodation.

One of the best perks about staying here is you can park your car and walk everywhere you need to go. As well, you’re right in the middle of the action for all the events happening around the resort, perfect for those interested in a high-activity vacation.

Region 2: Domaine du Geant

This Mont Tremblant lodging region is located to the south-east of the Pedestrian Village. Along with Club Intrawest, a variety of lodging developments are interspersed with the Mont Tremblant golf course (hence the name 'Domaine du Geant').

While this region may feel a little far from the action, a handy shuttle bus service provides guests with convenient transportation to the main village. Choose your Mont Tremblant accommodation here if you crave a peaceful setting and the space to spend quality time with your family.

Region 3: Domaine de la Foret

Located to the east of the Pedestrian Village, this Mont Tremblant lodging region is the closest you'll get to nature without living in a tree house. Set against a majestic forest backdrop against the mountainside, these Mont Tremblant lodging options offer tranquility, along with sweeping views of the Pedestrian Village and Lac Tremblant.

Plus, you’re only a short drive to actually get to the village, or catch the handy shuttle. With the Domaine de la Foret, you have many of the conveniences of the Pedestrian Village and priority access to the ski trails. For avid skiers, this region is a great choice.

Armed with this newfound knowledge, you’ll be able to go forth and choose the Mont Tremblant accommodation that’s right for your vacation. Just remember, no matter where you end up staying, Mont Tremblant is sure to offer a variety of experiences you won’t soon forget.

About The Author
Devon O’ Malley is a staff writer for Allura Direct, a vacation rental website offering powerful search and instant booking features for owners and guests alike. On your next Mont Tremblant vacation, check out their Mont Tremblant lodging directory and save money by booking your lodging in Mont Tremblant directly with homeowners.

Tips On Barcelona Sightseeing

2007-05-21T10:17:00.000+08:00

Tips On Barcelona Sightseeing
by: Clinton Maxwell

Barcelona has a lot to be proud of. A city literally stuffed with spectacular architecture, historical and cultural places of interest, fantastic food and a vibrant nightlife, it is no wonder tourists flock to the area. There is more to Catalunya than Barcelona sightseeing however, including a glorious coastline, beautiful mountains and a fierce independent spirit that will be felt by even the least informed visitor.

Make sure you have a map detailing the places of interest when you arrive in Barcelona; it is surprisingly easy to get lost in Barcelona’s bustling streets. A good place to start your tour is Gaudi’s Park Guell, an open space filled with pieces of Gaudi’s work including benches, archways, walls and balconies. It is a place where Gaudi’s imagination really ad free reign, and you feel almost that the works of art are more natural than the plants and trees.

From here you can move easily on to Gaudi’s iconic work, the Sagrada Familia. This church was started in 1882 but was not finished when Gaudi died in 1926. Various attempts have been made to complete the work to Gaudi’s designs but the church is still not entirely finished and probably never will be. If you don’t think you can capture the spirit of the church in your own photographs, you might want to check out the stunning images available in postcard stands that surround the building.

The Barcelona zoo was founded in 1892 and is located in the Ciutadella Park, next to the old town or Ciutat Vella. This is a great place to visit especially of you have children that are likely to lose interest in architecture and history. Some of the seven and a half thousand animals on display include pelicans, American buffalos and red kangaroo, as well as a specialist primate collection which the zoo is famous for.

There is an aquatic park within the zoo that provides a home to bottlenose dolphins among others. Dolphin shows can be seen throughout the warm summer months, and this can make a refreshing escape from the heat of the city. An acclaimed research program at Barcelona zoo is well known for sympathetic breeding of animals in captivity and protection of endangered species, which would otherwise become extinct.

The main avenue in Barcelona, La Rambla is a riot of color and bustle with flower stalls and street performers at regular intervals along the promenade. The main hotels and restaurants center around La Rambla, but you may get a better deal and more authentic dishes if you explore a little further out. One place not be missed is the Boqueria, a fantastic food market to one side of La Rambla, with exotic delicacies you have never even imagined.

The port area received a face lift with the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992. The Olympic village was situated right on the coast and the area is marked by the dual towers of the Arts Hotel, Mapfre Towers and Nova Icaria Square. The main Olympic sites can be found on top of Montjuic, a hill overlooking the city, and can be reached by cable car.

About The Author
Clinton Maxwell writes mainly for Barcelona Information , an online site on the topic of travelling in Spain and Costa Brava. You can find his publications over at Barcelona Information and various other sources for Barcelona Spain knowledge.

Sample The Delights Of Paella In Spain

2007-05-18T10:21:00.000+08:00

Sample The Delights Of Paella In Spain
by: Peter Wilson

Spain is a wonderful European destination, where visitors can look forward to a wonderful vacation experience, with a choice of fabulous areas to visit. When you come to this destination you will find everything you could want for an exciting and diverse vacation experience, from colourful Spanish culture and rich history to wonderful cuisine such as the local specialty dish known as paella. This is a country that is very popular amongst tourists from other parts of Europe, and you will enjoy unique charm and distinct character no matter which part of the country you visit. Some of the wonderful places that you can select from when travelling here include Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Benidorm, Murcia, and many other wonderful destination that offer a unique blend of beauty, recreation, adventure, excitement, fun, history, culture, and more. There are so many wonderful areas to select from in this country that you will never be short of choice, and you will find it east to find the perfect destination to suit you.

Experience unique experiences with a Spanish vacation

When you come to this destination in order to enjoy some quality down time, you will enjoy some wonderful experiences. You will find a long and fascinating history to explore throughout this country, and plenty of opportunity to enjoy delving into the past and learning more about the roots and origins of the area. You can look forward to exploring a range of historical sites and attractions, and you will find a great choice of museums that will help you to learn more about Spanish heritage and history. You will also find bags of culture in this country, and no matter which part you visit you can look forward to a host of local festivities and events that will help you to learn more about the local culture and way of life. In addition to this, you can look forward to great family attractions, excellent recreational facilities, great shopping opportunities, a vibrant nightlife, and an array of natural beauty amidst which to kick back and relax. You can look forward to sampling wonderful cuisine, from local paella to tapas, and even international cuisine.

Affordable and exciting – make the most of your Spanish holiday

If you want to make the most of your time in this country, you can enjoy extra cash to spend simply by looking for great deals on flights and accommodations, which could net you huge savings on the overall cost of your trip. The Internet is a great place in which to find these low cost deals, and you can easily compare the prices and deals from the comfort of your own home. Once you have found the right flight and hotel for your needs you can make your booking quickly and easily online, saving yourself a great deal of time as well as money, and you can enjoy the benefits if making great savings without having to compromise on the quality of your flights or accommodation. You can even arrange and book your travel insurance online, making it easier to book your whole trip under one virtual roof.

About The Author
Peter J. Wilson often creates detailed papers on areas relating with Spain and spanish culture. Working on his detailed writings like Paella, the columnist showed his know-how on areas similar to paella.

Take a tour of Scandinavia's capital cities

2007-05-16T05:29:00.000+08:00

Take a tour of Scandinavia's capital cities
by: Andrew Regan

Scandinavian exports to the world have varied in type over the last century; from Abba to Brigitte Neilson, IKEA to Nokia mobile phones, Scandinavian goods and personalities have continued to spread throughout our everyday culture. Despite this, tourism to Scandinavia has only taken off recently, with more and more people in Europe and beyond braving its weather conditions to enjoy its many beautiful cities and landscapes. An ideal holiday idea for the first-time traveller to Scandinavia would be a tour of all the capital cities - Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki - as a way of fully enjoying the delights of the region.

Denmark, for example, may have been in the news recently for more controversial reasons, but its capital, Copenhagen, is popularly ranked as one of the world's best cities to live in, despite its high cost of living. Established annual events include the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (http://festival.jazz.dk/start.asp?l=2 ), which supports the flourishing jazz scene that has existed in the city for many years; the city is also very popular with homosexual travellers due to its active gay community. It annually hosts a gay pride festival, as well as the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Copenhagen, held in late October.

Stockholm, Sweden's capital, is often referred to as "the Venice of Scandinavia" due to the numerous water channels running through the city. Stockholm also has a rich cultural past that makes it very attractive to foreign visitors; the "Gamla Stan", or Old Town, is an impressive vestige of the medieval architecture, which includes the Riddarholmskyrkan (the city's oldest building), Stockholm Palace and Storkyrkan Cathedral. Stockholm also has over 70 museums, including the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts, which possesses an extensive collection of fantastic pieces, including works by Rembrandt and Antoine Watteau, as well as many important Swedish artists.

Oslo and Helsinki may not be quite as popular with the majority of mainstream tourists; however they offer much of interest for the potential visitor. Oslo, for instance, is a popular centre for music in Norway, and Scandinavia at large. The world famous Lillehammer Bluesfestival, held every April, is a popular event, as is the Lillehammer Jazzfestival, and the Lillehammer Classic Rock Festival. The Oslo Concert Hall professes to cater to all musical tastes, and The Norwegian Opera is one of Europe's foremost centres of classical opera and ballet.

Finland may have reached the headlines with their Eurovision win this year, through the efforts of rock-shockers Lordi, but this image is at odds with its high brow cultural scene. Helsinki's numerous theatres are widely acclaimed and the capital is also home to various national museums and art galleries. Sometimes known as "the daughter of the Baltic", visitors to Helsinki can also enjoy the Suomenlinna naval fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the open-air museum of Seurasaari Island. Its persistent darkness during the winter months provides a great opportunity for interesting lighting, as in Aleksanterinkatu's famous Christmas street.

Visitors to Scandinavia's capitals will find a selection of affordable and conveniently located independent hotels, as well as the region's largest hotel chain, Scandic Hotels (http://www.scandic-hotels.com/ ). Make sure you book your tour of Scandinavia now, before the word gets out!

About The Author
Andrew Regan (Andrew Regan ) is a keen sportsman playing rugby during the winter and cricket during the summer.

About Murcia A Hidden Spanish Treasure

2007-05-14T05:39:00.000+08:00

About Murcia A Hidden Spanish Treasure
by: Jerry K. Blackburn

If you want to travel to an exciting and unique destination where you can enjoy everything from fabulous weather to fascinating sights – and without the noise of a high number of tourists – then Murcia could prove the ideal destination for you. This is an area that boasts everything you could want for an exciting, satisfying, and memorable vacation experience, and you will find plenty to see and do here, as well as plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind in the sun. With some great deals available on flights and hotel accommodations in Murcia, you won’t have to break the bank when you visit this destination. You can look forward to a full and diverse itinerary, with bags of history and culture to explore, as well as an array of entertainment, attractions, recreational facilities, and more, all within easy reach. Whether you are travelling alone, with a partner, or as part of a larger group or family, you will not be disappointed with your time in this area, and your can combine rest and relaxation with exploration, adventure, fun, and recreation.

Enjoy an array of sights and attractions

When you visit Murcia you can look forward to a wide choice of sights and attractions, so you can look forward to keeping busy and entertained throughout your time here. Enjoy a simple stroll around the city, and take in everything from the natural beauty to the historical architecture as you enjoy exploring the area on foot. If you enjoy delving into the past you will find some wonderful historical attractions to visit. Check out the array of museums in the area, which includes the Science Museum, the Cathedral Museum, the Religious Art Museum, and the Archaeological Museum. Enjoy visiting some wonderful historical buildings and churches, such as the fabulous cathedral, Santa Ana Church, and the Las Agustinas Monastery. Enjoy a trip to the Roman theatre, or enjoy spending time at the Murcian Market Garden. You will find some great shopping opportunities here too, so you can also satisfy the die hard shopper in you with a choice of facilities available.

Get some great deals on your holiday to this destination

Of course, we all love a bargain, and what better way to enjoy the delights of Murcia than through a wonderful vacation that doesn’t cost the earth. You can get some fabulous deals on flights and accommodations in this area, and the best way to find a really low cost deal is to utilize the power of the Internet. By going online to find your holiday bargains you can look forward to an excellent choice of deals, which increases your chances of finding just what you are looking for at a price that fits in with your budget. You can compare the different deals on offer with ease when you go online, and based upon your needs and your budget you can select the one that best suits you. What’s more, you can make your booking via the Internet as well, which means that you can save yourself time and hassle as well as money. With such huge savings available you can look forward to some extra spending money whilst you are in Murcia, as well as the convenience and ease of finding the perfect deal from the comfort of your own home.

About The Author
Focusing recent findings in Spain, Jerry Blackburn wrote for the most part for Alicante Spain. Recording his experience in reports like Murcia,he confirmed his deep knowledge on areas associated with Murcia.

Enjoying Nature In Denia

2007-05-06T05:50:00.000+08:00

Enjoying Nature In Denia
by: Jerry K. Blackburn

Denia is located just north of Javea. It is on the northern part of the Costa Blanca coast line, which runs from this city to Torrevieja in the southern part of the region. The weather in the area is similar to most of the Costa Blanca. The summers are hot and the winters are mild. There is little rain in the area. The city enjoys about 320 days of sunshine each year.

The city is located between two airports. Visitors can fly into either Alicante or Valencia airport. Each airport is about an hour and fifteen minute drive to the city. The best way to get around after arriving at the airport is with a car hire. This gives you the freedom to travel around the area. Car hire companies are available at both airports. Reserve your vehicle in advance, especially if you are travelling in the summer tourist season.

Things to do in Denia

Denia is a working town. While visiting here, you will be able to experience the authentic feeling of a Spanish town that you won’t get in the larger, more crowded tourist areas. If you want to spend some time enjoying the attractions in the larger cities, you can get around easily with a car hire.

Another benefit is the town doesn’t close down after the summer season. Many of the larger, tourist areas become like ghost towns at the end of the season. Stores, bars and restaurants close down. Here, you can enjoy shopping and restaurants all year long. This makes the city a good choice for off season vacations.

There is a lot to do for tourists as well in this city. There are two golf courses, Oliva Nova and La Sella for golf lovers. The weather in the area is nice enough for golf almost every day of the year. If you want a golf vacation, consider staying at the resort or close to it.

There are a few spas in the Denia area. A spa vacation is a great way to relax. You will leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Spas are located near the mountain and near to the beach areas.

Although the night life in this city isn’t as busy as the larger discos in Benidorm, there is some night life. There are bars, restaurants and entertainment available. Many places are located near the beach. The night life isn’t as wild as in larger tourist areas, but at least you won’t have to fight the crowds and will still be able to enjoy music and dancing.

The castle in Denia was built in the sixteenth century. The castle is a landmark in the area. Tours are available throughout the year. From inside the castle, you will enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding area.

Enjoying Nature in Denia

The towns of Denia and Javea are separated by Montgo mountain. This mountain has many walking routes. You can explore them on your own or go with a group on a walking tour. This is a great place to experience nature while on vacation. There are many great views of the water and town from this mountain.

Denia has 20 kilometres of beaches on the coastline. The beaches here are sandy and clean. They have received the Blue Flag award for good water quality and sand quality. You will enjoy relaxing on the beach and soaking in the sun.

A variety of water sports, including diving, snorkelling and wind surfing are available as well. There are some great areas for diving and snorkelling in the southern beach areas. Once is Les Rotes, a rocky area that is known for great snorkelling and diving. You will be able to view life under the water here.

About The Author
Jerry Blackburn writes essentially for Alicante Spain, a web publication about Spain and Alicante. His writings on Denia are found on Denia and also other online publications.

Things To See In Florence Italy

2007-05-02T05:52:00.000+08:00

Things To See In Florence Italy
by: Johnathan Bakers

Florence Italy is in the Tuscany region about midway between Milan to the north and Rome to the South. During the Renaissance, Florence was the center of art, politics and intellectual thought. The city is the biggest tourist attraction in the region with plenty to see and do. The city is small enough to walk to most places, but offers many attractions to keep you interested for weeks.

A large airport and train station in town make travelling within the region or out of the country easy. With public transportation and most attractions in easy walking distance, a Florence car rental may not be necessary.

Everyone in the region speaks Italian, but many people also speak some English. It’s a good idea to have some knowledge of Italian when visiting the area. If you don’t speak Italian, consider purchasing a phrase book with common phrases in Italian to help you communicate while staying in the area.

Early Autumn and Spring are the best times to visit Florence. This is still considered to be tourist season, but is not too overcrowded. Summer is the busiest season and you should expect crowds if you choose to travel at this time. The later Autumn tends to be chilly and can be rainy. It is still warm enough to visit and the crowds will have disappeared by this time.

Things to See in Florence Italy

o Casa di Dante is the home of the famous author of The Divine Comedy. The house is a tourist attraction and is located in the medieval section of the city.

o The Baptistry of John the Baptist is an ornate church that was built in the 11th century

o The Church of San Lorenzo is the oldest religious structure in Florence. It was built prior to the year 400.

The dining in Florence is amazing, with a wide variety of restaurants throughout the city. You will get the chance to sample Florence Italy recipes, which use the freshest ingredients. If you rent villas or apartments in Florence, you may want to try out a few of these in your own kitchen with fresh ingredients purchased at the local market.

Museums in Florence Italy

Florence is home to several well known museums:

o The Florence Archaeological Museum is a palace with Egyptian and Etruscan art collections.

o Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens: the palace consists of several museums with paintings by several celebrated Florentine artists. The Boboli Gardens are manicured Renaissance gardens that you can walk and enjoy.

o Uffizi Gallery was built in 1560 and contains numerous art works. The museum offers a beautiful view of the city in addition to spectacular works of art.

Places to Stay in Florence Italy

Visitors have several Florence accommodation options. There are a wide variety of hotels in Florence Italy, both in the center of town and on the outskirts. Prices vary according to the clientele and location. For longer stays apartments in Florence are a good choice. Most have small kitchens for a more home like atmosphere. If you prefer a more remote, country setting, a farmhouse holiday in Florence is a good choice. All of these can be booked on the internet or through a travel rental agency.

About The Author
Johnathan Bakers writes articles essentially for Florence Italy Guide, an online site on the topic of Florence hotel and Florence accommodation. Writing for works (for example Florence Italy Guide on Florence italy ) he confirmed his expertise in the field.

Rome Hotel: Why People Should Spend More Time in Rome

2007-04-27T05:34:00.000+08:00

Rome Hotel: Why People Should Spend More Time in Rome
by: Stefano Sandano

Every year the number of customers visiting Rome increases of 5% and there are always more historical sights to see. This year has we had the chance to attend the inauguration of the Ara Pacis which remained closed for restorations under the supervision of the architect Richard Meier.

Few people know that booking an hotel close to the spanish steps or to trevi Fountain they can see not only the Ara pacis itself but also the Tomb of the emperor Augustus which is located in Piazza Augusto imperatore.

The Ara Pacis of Rome was built in the area of the "Campo Marzio", close to the "via Flaminia", during the four years going from 13 to 9 BC, to celebrate the victories of Augustus in the western provinces of the roman Empire.

The same Augustus indicated on the work "Res gestae divi Augusti" ( Achievements of the divine Augustus )the rituals and the scopes that had led the Senate to build the commemorative altar, which during a large part of the antiquity, as a direct witness of the link between monument and personality, was known as "Ara Pacis Augustae":

"When I came back to Rome from Spain and Gaul ... once I had successfully closed the enterprises in these provinces,

the Senate decided that for my return the "ara della Pace Augusta" should be consecrated in the "Campo Marzio" and I agreed that in this place the law officers, the priests and the vestal virgins could celebrate an annual sacrifice".

The area of the "Ara Pacis" is limited by a rectangular fence in marble with several ornaments and a low relief with a width of approximately 33 feet and a length of just 3 feet.

The central altar, where were taking place the ritual sacrifices, can be reached through two gates located at the center of the shortest sides of the fence and is placed in an higher position with respect to the perimeter of the structure.

The main artistic interest of the "Ara Pacis" is given by the low relief organised in overlap borders and panels that entirely recover the internal and external surface of the enclosure and part of the central altar.

The celebrative scope of the work is directly testified by the presence of the emperor Augustus and of Agrippa,general of the roman navy and son in law of the first emperor, among the represented persons, but also, on the west side, by the scenes dedicated to Aeneas, considered the ancestor of the julio-claudian family to whom the same August was belonging to, and by those remembering the divine origin of Rome with the she-wolf nursing the twins Romulus and Remus under the eye of their father, the god Mars.

The decorations of the "Ara Pacis" are completed by ornaments of naturalistic character, with low relief of plants and small animals and the "Tellus" (the Earth), the divinity representing the personification of peace and prosperity that the empire of Rome was getting prepared to live thanks to the end of the civil wars.

According to the study of some documents, it is considered that the original orientation of the work had been chosen also in relation to the big sundial called "Horologium" that was already surging in the "Campo Marzio", and which gnomon, nowadays located in "piazza di Montecitorio" and known as the obelisk ofthe Pharao Psammetico II, was projecting the own shadow exactly at the centre of the altar every September 23rd, date of birth of the emperor Augustus.

About The Author
Stefano Sandano is an archaeologist and tour guide of Rome and if you want to know more about Rome you can visit Roman Guide.

Is Growing Saint George, Utah The New Palm Springs?

2007-04-17T05:36:00.000+08:00

Is Growing Saint George, Utah The New Palm Springs?
by: Bob Therrien

Saint George, Utah is a short ride up Interstate 15 from Las Vegas, NV. It is a wonderful base of operations for your Adventure into the American Southwest! It is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. It’s been called the new Palm Springs!

Just under two hours drive from Las Vegas, Nevada is another fast growing community. Saint George has an elevation of 2,880 feet above sea level. St. George has an average annual temperature of 59.9° F with summer temperatures well into the 100s. Palm trees and red rock cliffs are the norm in Saint George along with all the convenience of a city of 100 thousand.

Saint George is home to Red Cliffs Desert Preserve a 62,000-acre scenic wildlife reserve set aside to protect the desert tortoise and other rare and sensitive plants and animals Here is where three great ecosystems merge, the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau, Red Cliffs Reserve is biologically rich with an array of animals and plants rarely seen in one place. It contains the most northern populations of the desert tortoise, Gila monster, sidewinder rattlesnake, and chuckwalla - reptiles typically associated with hotter and more southerly deserts, like the Mojave.

Saint George is very close to Zion National Park. Biking at Gooseberry Mesa, ATV’s at Coral Pink Sand Dunes are close too, with Dixie National Forest, Snow Canyon, and Joshua tree forest, all in the area. Southern Utah and all it has to offer can be reached from here. If you love golf, you’ll find it here as well as shopping!

Saint George, Utah is located in Washington County. There is lots of controversy about the proposed public lands legislation in the United States Senate. The bill titled S.3636 considers a land swap of up to 24,000 acres. This wilderness area is part of the zionmojave outdoors.

This draft bill would designate more than 219,000 acres as wilderness, preserve utility corridors, create an off-road trail system, develop a new conservation area, protect 170 miles of the Virgin River, and sell to the highest bidder up to 25,000 acres of public land at fair market value. As with any change, many people are concerned about the wording of the bill and the future rights for people to use the outdoor lands that they have had access to for years. Saint George has been growing, fast for the past few years and there is a concern about the developers who would buy the land up for bid. Controlling urban sprawl in this area is a concern to many. So much of Southern Utah is an adventure outdoor wilderness area, not many people want to see changes take place that would restrict their access.

The bill also creates utility corridors and Southern Utah is awaiting the Lake Powell Pipeline. The pipeline legislation was signed into law in May of 2006. In order to meet the water demands of an ever-growing population in Southern Utah, Washington, Kane and Iron counties are pursuing a pipeline that would run from Lake Powell to Sand Hollow Reservoir. These 158 miles of pipeline would bring 70,000 acre feet of water to Washington County, 10,000 acre feet to Kane County and 20,000 acre feet to Iron County. The pipeline would most likely cost $494 million or more in current dollars.

The Lake Powell Pipeline would allow Utah to tap into its unused portion of the Upper Colorado River water, which was defined in the 1922 Colorado River Compact. The Compact divides the river basin into two areas: the Upper Colorado (comprising Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) and the Lower Basin (comprising Nevada, Arizona and California). Currently Utah is using 74 percent of its annual allocation of 1,369,000 acre feet.

There’s a lot going on here, and you’ll enjoy your Saint George tours.

About The Author
Bob Therrien is a travel writer and has traveled all over North America. He currently operates the website at Saint George Tours.

The Scottish Highlands, Land Of Ancient Peoples

2007-04-07T05:42:00.000+08:00

The Scottish Highlands, Land Of Ancient Peoples
by: John Winkler

Glencoe is in the heart of the Scottish highlands – in the old days it was renowned for being inaccessible. Yet people have been around here for up top 10,000 years, since the retreat of the last Ice Age. They’ve left their traces.

The traces of people who lived in this area 3,000 years ago have been found a short drive from here.

Mesolithic people moved from site to site based on fishing and hunting. River mouths and estuaries were good sites, they always needed fresh water and materials for building shelters. The weather was warmer then than it is to-day. In this area they also needed protection in the winter, so caves seem to be a good answer. Go North round the shoreline from Oban for a couple of miles to Ganavan sands and you’ll see where they lived.

On the right you’ll pass the old castle built on short cliffs with caves. That’s where the Mesolithic people lived – their rubbish tips have been found. The water level was 16 foot or so higher then. They have found human bones as well as bone and stone artefacts. Tourists can see the caves where they lived. They were all over Ardamurchan, opposite here, and on the Inner Islands. For how long did they live here? Oh, just for four thousand years or so, until settled farming developed.

This country belonged to a farming people, the Picts, during Roman times. They built the strange circular defensive “brochs”. It is a marvellous thing to visit, we’ve been there. Very strange. There is a broch on the island of Lismore nearby, easily found but hardly ever visited to-day.

But during the Roman times the Western Islands were raided and occupied by the Scotia from Northern Ireland. They established an early Kingdom called Dalriada and there are a multitude of remains of them and their burial sites around the Kilmartin area South of Oban, under 2 hours drive from here. After St. Columba established his base on Iona and travelled extensively around the Western Isles, he brought the Picts and the Scots together.

Vikings raided the West Coast from the late 8th century onwards and later settled mostly in the Hebrides. Loch Linnie was the furthest inland they came. One of the early raids was on Iona in 795, part of a series.

The early Scottish kings were buried on Iona just down the road, across the ferry to Mull then one more short ferry trip.

The Vikings came because they had clan wars in Norway taking their toll on the people, and the looting of the Christan Churches helped to fund their local wars back home. They took Scots people with them as slaves. Late in the Viking period there are records of a battle in Laroch, the older name for Ballachulish near Glencoe village and remains have been found there. There is a legend that a Viking ship foundered on a rock in the mouth of Loch Leven on the South Side near where the bridge is now, and a Viking Prince was drowned. If you look West at the lochside at low tide from close to the Bridge you will see such a rock as could do this damage at high tide.

The famous Viking, King Haakon died in Orkney after his ships were damaged in the storm at the Battle of Largs in 1263. This saw the end of the Viking rule in Scotland. His son, Magnus, gave up the Islands after that and a lasting treaty was signed three years later. By this time the Vikings had settled in the Island communities, had all intermarried, had converted to Christianity.

John Winkler
Bayview Kentallen

About The Author
John Winkler used to be the marketing correspondent for The Times in London. Now retired he and his wife have a pretty period cottage on the lochside at Glencoe in Scotland. They let it out for vacations.

How to Drive Safely in the Australian Summer

2007-03-20T09:31:00.000+08:00

How to Drive Safely in the Australian Summer
by: Barbara Thorp

A quick check-up can help prepare your car for the stress of high temperatures in the Australian summer and increase its reliability on road trips, whether they are long or short. To look at the range of new cars available at present log on to OzFreeOnline.com and browse the auto classifieds. Firstly, plan trips well to avoid unnecessary driving in extreme heat.

TYRES

To help prevent dangerous and inconvenient tyre failure, examine tyres for uneven or excessive tread wear. Make sure all tyres, including the spare, are properly inflated and in good condition.

BELT, HOSES, AND FLUIDS

With the engine off, look for worn or cracked belts and damaged blistered or soft hoses. Inspect the antifreeze/coolant level and condition, making sure the proper 50/50 mixture of water and coolant.

MOTOR OIL

Check motor oil level and condition. If driving under extreme conditions, such as very hot temperatures or towing a heavy trailer, switch to motor oil with higher viscosity. Check the owner's manual for specific oil recommendations.

AIR CONDITIONING

A properly working air conditioning system also helps motorists keep their cool in summer heat.

When you run your air conditioner, you get much worse petrol consumption. Use your air conditioner sparingly. If you have a lower setting, use it. Turn it on until the car gets cool, then turn it off, and let the fan circulate the cool air. Never run your air conditioner with your windows open.

If needed, have the air conditioning serviced by a qualified technician. Do not use non-approved substitute refrigerants.

EMERGENCY KIT

Because even properly maintained vehicles can break down, and you only want the best used car in Australia, check OzFreeOnline.com and you'll find free car listings that may help your search. In any Australian condition, RACV and the NRMA advise motorists to equip their vehicle with an emergency kit, containing at least the following items: A torch with extra batteries, warning devices such as flares or reflective triangles, jumper cables, a first-aid kit, extra water, and a mobile phone to get emergency assistance quickly.

You see, driving with precaution doesn't only keep you and your loved ones safe, it also lets you enjoy the scenery and enjoy the ride better!

____________________________________________

Want the Best Deals in Australian Used Cars?

Check out http://cars.OzFreeOnline.com , Australia's revved up free used cars classifieds. It's free to register here, free to post your used car for sale ads, and free to look around!

Save on gas! Let your finger do the walking at OzFreeOnline!

About The Author
Barbara Thorp is an article contributor for cars.ozfreeonline.com

The Shangri La Hotel in Sydney, Australia

2007-03-19T10:39:00.000+08:00

The Shangri La Hotel in Sydney, Australia
by: Mary Hanna

One of the finest hotels in downtown Sydney, Australia is the Shangri La. The hotel is positioned between the gorgeous Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. Guests can enjoy the Sydney experience in the Shangri La's sumptuous comfort and style in this five star property.

The Shangri La is located in the historic Rocks district which was the colonial birthplace of Sydney. The area offers a huge variety of restaurants, bars and pubs as well as great shopping.

The Central Business district is walking distance from the hotel as well as major shopping facilities and tourist attractions. The ferry and jet cat terminal, Circular Quay, the train and bus stations and the famous Opera House are all near.

The views in all the rooms are stunning. The entire double glazed floor to ceiling windows offers the best of Sydney's picturesque views. These beautiful windows let you watch the bustling of the city, the harbor activity and the iconic Sydney Opera House.

The rooms are equipped with broadband internet access with computer data ports. There are high end telephones with voice mail, an electronic safe, mini bar and coffee making facilities. Each room has a full size executive writing desk with a cable TV and in-house movie channels.

The Shangra La provides each guest with impeccable service and facilities to match. Their principle is that each and every one of their guests experience five star treatments throughout their stay. Their amenities match that goal. There is 24 hour room service, butler service in the suites and a delicatessen and pastry shop. The business traveler is afforded a full functional business center, postal service and conference rooms. You can take advantage of airport transfers, limousine service, and car rentals or city shuttles. For families there is child care services and non smoking rooms. If you need a haircut there is a beauty salon and if you need a bouquet for a special occasion pop into their florists.

Health and beauty are taken seriously at the Shangra La. Both the spa and beauty centers offer a wide arrangement of treatments to pamper and relax you. Their pool is complimentary for all guests. It is a roman style pool and spa that will help you unwind and refresh. The gym has state of the art equipment if you feel the need to work off some steam or just take a walk around the sundeck for a peaceful experience.

The bar at the top of the Shangra La has stunning views of all of Sydney. Take advantage of their close proximity to The Rocks and tour around, stop at a pub or dine in one of their fantastic restaurants. One of the best seafood restaurants in the Rocks is Doyle's on the Beach. They have been serving quality seafood since 1885. It is a family run business located right on Watson's Bay with great views of the water. The atmosphere is casual and the clientele varied. It is a bit expensive but the food and the view is worth it. It is best to make a reservation.

One of the finest hotels in downtown Sydney, Australia is the Shangri La. The hotel is positioned between the Gorgeous Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. Guests can enjoy the Sydney experience in the Shangri La's sumptuous comfort and style in this five star property.

The Shangri La is located in the historic Rocks district which was the colonial birthplace of Sydney. The area offers a huge variety of restaurants, bars and pubs as well as great shopping.

The Central Business district is walking distance from the hotel as well as major shopping facilities and tourist attractions. The ferry and jet cat terminal, Circular Quay, the train and bus stations and the famous Opera House are all near.

The views in all the rooms in the Shangri La are stunning. The entire double glazed floor to ceiling windows offers the best of Sydney's picturesque views. These beautiful windows let you watch the bustling of the city, the harbor activity and the iconic Sydney Opera House.

The rooms are equipped with broadband internet access with computer data ports. There are high end telephones with voice mail, an electronic safe, mini bar and coffee making facilities Each room has a full size executive writing desk with a cable TV and in-house movie channels.

The Shangri La provides each guest with impeccable service and facilities to match. Their principle is that each and every one of their guests experience five star treatments throughout their stay. Their amenities match that goal. There is 24 hour room service, butler service in suites and a delicatessen and pastry shop.

The business traveler is afforded a full functional business center, postal service and conference rooms. You can take advantage of airport transfers, limousine service, and car rental or city shuttles. For families there is child care services and non smoking rooms. If you need a haircut there is a beauty salon and if you need a bouquet for a special occasion pop into their florists.

Health and beauty are taken seriously at the Shangri La. Both the spa and beauty centers offer a wide arrangement of treatments to pamper and relax you. Their pool is complimentary for all guests. It is a roman style pool and spa that will help you unwind and refresh. The gym has state of the art-of-the-art equipment if you feel the need to work off some steam or just take a walk around the sundeck for a peaceful experience.

The bar at the top of the Shangri La has stunning views of all of Sydney. Take advantage of their close proximity to The Rocks and tour around, stop at a pub or dine in one of their fantastic restaurants. One of the best seafood restaurants in the Rocks is Doyle's on the Beach. They have been serving quality seafood since 1885. It is a family run business located right on Watson's Bay with great views of the water. The atmosphere is casual and the clientele varied. It is a bit expensive but the food and the view is worth it. It is best to make a reservation.

If you are looking for a first class hotel while staying in Sydney, you won't do better than the Shangri La. The hotel is beautifully appointed, with an impeccable staff and a perfect location. Everything that will give you a G'day mate!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

About The Author
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Travel. Visit her websites at: Cruise Travel Directory and Cruise Gold. You can read more of her articles at Article Bazaar.

Travel in Greece: free guide of Santorini Island

2007-02-27T05:14:00.000+08:00

Travel in Greece: free guide of Santorini Island by Michele De Capitani

Santorini is a small, circular group of volcanic islands located in southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from Greece's mainland.

In general, Flashbooking guides have been written for giving the essential information about the most visited cities in the world and in particular for any traveller or first-time visitor.

It is also known as Thera. It is the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km², and in 2001 had an estimated population of 13,600.

For a short visit, a week-end, a city break, these free pocket guides are useful printable and downloadable tools available online.

Santorini is essentially what has been left from an enormous volcanic explosion which destroyed the settlements thereon and led to the creation of the current geological caldera.

Flashbooking's happy travellers can book their rooms and beds not only in cheap hotels or cheap hotel Santorini but also consider other budget accommodations in Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouses, Campsites, apartments, farm houses and much more.

Its spectacular natural beauty along with its eminent nightlife make the island one of Europe's top tourist hotspots.

With the monthly newsletter, Flashbooking puts at travellers, students, volunteers free disposal some useful pocket travel guides of major European cities: the Amsterdam City guide, the London City guide, the Prague City guide, the Paris City guide, the Rome City guide, the Florence City guide, and the freshly issued Santorini Island guide!! For the Santorini travel guide Flashbooking staff efforts concentrate on making it simple to read dividing the Santorini centre in different districts with their relevant amenities.

A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular and measuring about 12 km by 7 km, is surrounded by 300 m high, steep cliffs on three sides.

Flashbooking accommodation database is easily available online and comes completed with all relevant information about youth hostel and hotel location and map, description, services, hostel contacts, customer ratings, six pictures and updated prices inclusive of taxes and services together with instant real availability.

The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Mediterranean sea.

Having the reservation final price is also convenient as it does give the transparency our users pretend while booking. Having the final total amount of your booking means you do not have to worry about other extra surprises!

On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the Mediterranean by another much smaller island called Therasia. The lagoon merges with the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest.

Flashbooking policy tends to privilege small and family-run hotels in order to promote an alternative tourism respectful of cultures and different societies.

Last but not least, if you wish to help us, you can either give your personal ratings of some accommodations, lodgings, bed and breakfast Santorini, youth hostels and budget small hotels where you stayed, or enlarging the hostel offer by reporting some new hostel contacts!

This article was written by Michele De Capitani with support from Budget youth hostels. For any information, please visit bed and breakfast Santorini to download your free travel guide for Santorini Island (cheap hotel Santorini).

Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Ancient Egyptian Art -- Timeless and Beautiful Today

2007-02-20T05:26:00.000+08:00

Ancient Egyptian Art -- Timeless and Beautiful Today
by: Ann Hession

Ancient Egyptian Art is one of the most recognized, admired and collected art in the history of the world. From delicate gold jewelry to vivid paintings to massive statues dozens of feet tall, for over 5,000 years Egyptian art has fascinated, delighted and awed generation after generation with its beauty, style and mystery. While genuine ancient pieces of art are rare and extremely valuable, modern Egyptian artists make beautiful art and jewelry that is inspired by some of the greatest recovered works from ancient sites, and which adheres strictly to the styles used by ancient artists. Jewelry in gold and silver with inlaid stones are fashioned after pieces of jewelry recovered from ancient tombs. Papyrus Paintings are painted in vivid color on genuine papyrus, made using the same principles developed thousands of years ago on the banks of the Nile, where the papyrus plant grows to this day. Paintings are executed in the style of frontalism, one of the most striking characteristics of ancient Egypt.

Frontalism

Frontalism is the style in which every known piece of ancient Egyptian art was produced. In paintings, the style of frontalism means that the head of the character is drawn in profile, while the body is drawn from a front view. However, even though the face is in profile, the eye is drawn in full, as it would be seen from the front. The legs always face the same direction as the head, with one foot forward and one back.

Ancient Egyptian figures, especially of gods and pharaohs, are noticeable for their very formal, even rigid stance and posture, but their faces are always serene, regardless of the scene in which they are depicted. There were very strict rules about how a god or pharaoh could be represented, which even included a prohibition against anything being drawn in front of the face or body of the pharaoh, even when the scene depicted clearly required it for any kind of realism. Realism was simply not a goal of ancient Egyptian Art. It is these very formal and stylized rules that have made Egyptian Art one of the most widely recognized forms of art in the world. Over thousands of years Egyptian artists adhered to this one style, which is quite remarkable, especially as compared to the extreme differences in art expression that have occurred in the modern world in just the past 100 years or so. The only acknowledged variations are in the portrayals of animals and common people as compared to the more formal depictions of pharaohs and gods. As can be seen in many Egyptian paintings, animals and common people or slaves are represented in a more natural manner, though still within very strict and formulaic rules.

This frontalist style is the primary reason why ancient Egyptian art is so easily recognizable, and its appeal has lasted through many centuries to this day.

About The Author
Ann M. Hession is the founder of Egyptian Artisans. A graduate of Harvard University, Ms. Hession has been fascinated by ancient Egyptian art and culture since high school. Egyptian Artisans is dedicated to sharing the beauty and mystery of ancient Egypt through making available fine Egyptian art and jewelry.

An Introduction To Tuscany Italy

2007-01-27T05:15:00.000+08:00

An Introduction To Tuscany Italy
by: Rob Carlton

Tuscany, Italy is the place that movies are filmed and fantasies run wild. Perhaps it is the cities of Florence, Pisa, or Livorno that invoke feelings of culture, art, or arouse the senses to the smells and taste of the Chianti region. The fact is that Tuscany is home to some of the most famous tourist destinations in Italy. It is here that budding artists come to learn from the masters. It is here that the world of fashion takes it cues. And it is in Tuscany that romantics rekindle the flame and celebrate their love.

The Cities of Tuscany

Florence is perhaps one of the most famous cities in the area known as Tuscany. The Uffizi museum after all is home to such masterpieces as “The Birth of Venus.” Originally built to house the Tuscan administrative offices, the top floor now houses masterpieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio. Each visitor to Florence must also stop in and gaze at Michelangelo’s “David,” on display at the oldest art academy, the Galleria dell’Accademia. The Ponte Vecchio is a landmark that literally translated means “old bridge.” It was built in the 1300s and has withstood floods and wars in order to continue to hawk some of the world’s most wonderful 18 and 24k gold products and leather goods.

Chianti is known for its wines which are famous around the world. Tourists to Tuscany can enjoy the world’s finest wines while enjoying the picturesque countryside.

Siena, also located in the Chianti region houses a gothic cathedral and paintings by medieval masters, Duccio and Simone Martini. The Renaissance and Etruscan history are evident in each landmark of the region.

Piza is best known for the Leaning Tower whose construction began in the 12th century, but starting sinking into the ground after only 3 stories were completed. It stood this way for 90 years and was finally completed by the son of Andreo Pisano, Tommano Simone and Giovanni de Simone almost 200 years after it was started.

Hillsides and Waysides

Part of the beauty and mystique of Tuscany is its countryside. The rolling hills that slope down to the coast are dotted with vineyards and villas. There are working farms and vacation villas suitable for the most adventurous tourists or those who demand first class accommodations. Tuscany car rentals allow tourists to explore each tiny village at their own pace and on their own schedule.

The Heart of Commerce

Emerging as a real business centre, Tuscany is home to thriving businesses in the furniture, leather, fashion, and manufacturing industries. These businesses keep the region in the 21st century while the people and culture keep one foot in the past.

If romance, tradition and culture are your idea of an ideal vacation, then Tuscany is for you. On the other hand if shopping and the face pace of a thriving city are your style then you will also find it in the Tuscany region of Italy.

About The Author
Robert Carlton very often produces publications on news associated to tuscany tours and Tuscany car rental. You can come across his publications over at Tuscany Italy Guide and other sources for Tuscany italy news.

Romantic Destinations in Alaska

2007-01-25T05:24:00.000+08:00

Romantic Destinations in Alaska
by: Richard Rspad

If you are looking for romance while experiencing the beauty of the great white north, Alaska is the place. Here are a few romantic destinations in Alaska worth your attention.

Romantic Destinations in Alaska

The United States' most northern state, Alaska, may not seem to be your first choice for a romantic hot spot. Well, anyone who thinks that Alaska is not romantic should think again – because where it's cold and snowy, there is also room for warm cuddles by the fire and spending some quality time together. If you enjoy the thought of curling up with your loved one with a cup of hot chocolate, then choosing one of the romantic destinations in Alaska is something that is meant for you.

Alaska has become a lovers' destination in recent years, with more and more couples choosing the state for their honeymoons, as well as a place to take that special occasion trip. There are five different regions to Alaska, each of which hold different charms and activities for your Alaskan trip. Whether you prefer to spend time on the water, or would rather be skiing or hiking through the woods, Alaska has a region that will suit your needs. One area that is particularly popular for romantic destinations in Alaska is the northern region, near Anchorage.

A perfect place for your romantic stay here is Alaska's North Country Castle Bed and Breakfast, in Anchorage. This B & B offers couples a spot where they can spend some quality time alone, all while being close to the attractions of the Anchorage area. The many activities and attractions in this region include the Alaska Botanical Gardens, the Anchorage Zoo, and the Chugach National Forest. Of course, when you are planning to spend some time at a bed and breakfast, some of the biggest attractions are the amenities at the property itself. On site, Alaska's North Country Castle B & B offers hiking, cross-country skiing trails, fishing, canoeing, bird watching and swimming (in their pools).

The rooms available here are also a perfect choice for romantic destinations in Alaska. This bed and breakfast offers just three rooms, so you know you will be attended to with care. The Turnagain View Suite is the Alaska's North Country Castle's version of a honeymoon suite, and it is filled with teak furnishings and matching décor that will make your stay complete. A queen size bed, along with a double Jacuzzi and a double shower, as well as a fireplace make this suite complete. The breakfasts are also exquisite, with several courses including a fruit compote, appetizers and a main course – all accompanied by plenty of coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.

The north country of Alaska is a great place to head to for your next romantic weekend. Close to the city of Anchorage and all of its conveniences, but far enough away to feel like you are alone in the world, a trip to a bed and breakfast here truly is one of the most romantic destinations in Alaska.

About The Author
Richard Rspad is with Romantic Getaways - reviews and articles on romantic getaways.

What To Do On The Costa Brava

2006-12-27T05:20:00.000+08:00

What To Do On The Costa Brava
by: Rob Carlton

Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya, one of the richest and most fiercely independent regions in Spain. Catalan people speak their own language and many do not believe themselves to be Spanish. The golden age of Catalunya was around the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, when Barcelona was the centre of the great seafaring empire of Aragon. In addition to Barcelona, Catalunya is made up of the cities of Lleida, Girona and Tarragona, and the long Costa Brava, stretching from the French border to Valencia.

Barcelona has become a real tourist trap for the fantastic mixture of activities on offer there. Its coastal location attracts sun worshipers who enjoy the beach front resorts along the coast, as well as the vibrant nightlife of the city centre. The cultural and historical delights of the town appeal to the sightseer, visiting for a long weekend, and the more active will love hiking in the nearby mountains, where skiing can be found in winter.

The most famous symbol of Barcelona and one sight that all holidaymakers want to visit is Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Even those that have not visited the city will be familiar with the dripping wax image of the main façade. The famous architect began work on this church in 1882, however the task took a long time as the building work relied on donations, and it had not been completed in 1926 when Gaudi was struck by a train and died. Work has since recommenced on the church and much has been added since Gaudi’s death, but there is speculation as to whether the building will ever be completely finished, or in fact whether it really should be.

You can pay to go up inside one of the towers, of which there are now eight, each one over one hundred meters high. The initial design was meant to incorporate eighteen towers, one for each of the twelve apostles, four for the Evangelists, and one each for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

Other piece of Gaudi’s work can be seen all over the city. You will want to pull the Park Guell, La Pedrera and the Mila house into your itinerary if you possibly can.

You can get detailed information about the sights of Barcelona before you go from your travel agent, the internet, or the tourist information office in Barcelona’s main square once you get there. Make sure you pick up a map showing all the main sights as well as the major stores, restaurants and hotels. Also consider going on a bus tour of the city. It is a great way to get your bearings in a very busy and crowded city, and give you an idea of the distance between places of interest. Talk to your guide, they may be able to give you local information about great eating places and temporary exhibitions that will not be marked on your map. You will never get bored in Barcelona; your only concern will be how to fit in everything you want to see.

About The Author
Focusing on latest news in Barcelona, Robert Carlton writes articles most often for Barcelona Information. His work on Sagrada Familia are published on Sagrada Familia and also other websites.

A Toothache While Backpacking - What To Do

2006-11-27T05:46:00.000+08:00

A Toothache While Backpacking - What To Do
by: Steve Gillman

Getting a toothache while backpacking can be more than just annoying and inconvenient. It can end a good wilderness trip. Here are some tips for preventing a toothache before you head down that trail, and for treating it if you get one anyhow.

Wilderness Dental Care

First of all, don't ever go on a long backpacking trip if you have an unresolved tooth problem, or even the hint of a toothache starting. Go to your dentist and get it taken care of. If there is lingering pain, be sure to also get a prescription pain reliever to take with you.

Have dental work done far enough in advance of your trip to be sure that it is completely done. Sometimes a high spot on a new filling will start to cause severe pain days after it is put in. Your dentist can easily solve this by grinding it down, if you are not already in the middle of the wilderness.

Avoid doing anything that can cause toothaches or other dental problems while backpacking. I have almost cracked a tooth on a hard corn nut while backpacking. I opt for corn chips now instead. Popcorn, fortunately not a common backpacking food, may be one of the worst foods for damaging teeth.

A toothbrush and floss are a good idea on any backpacking trip (floss can also be used as fish line and to tie things together if need be). If you forget a toothbrush, you can chew the end of a dogwood twig until it is brush-like, and use that. This is about long-term care, of course. What if you have a toothache that starts when you are days away from your car?

Toothache Treatment

Hopefully you at least brought aspirin with you. Tylenol #3 is even better for a severe toothache. An antiseptic containing benzocaine, applied directly to the irritated tooth and gum will temporarily relieve pain. Oil of cloves (eugenol) will also may help. Don't apply aspirin or other painkillers directly to gums, as they may burn your gum tissue.

Some toothaches do not originate in the teeth or gums, but in the sinus cavities. If your tooth pain is hard to pin down to one spot and is felt deeply, it may be a sinus infection putting pressure on the gums from above. In these cases, you may need to eliminate the infection to get relief. Use antibiotics if you are sure this is the cause. You might get temporary relief if you can clear the sinuses a bit by steaming (carefully) your face, or eating hot sauce.

If your teeth are temperature sensitive, you should obviously avoid hot and cold drinks. Warm your water bottle under your jacket if you have to. It can also help to breath through your nose. Breathing through your mouth can send cold air flowing over your teeth and cause a lot of pain.

I have a tooth problem right now - the inspiration for this article. A few days ago, I noticed that each time we drove over a mountain pass here in Colorado, the pain intensified. Coming back down below 8,000 feet seemed to always take the pain away. Watch for this problem, and you might resolve some of the pain by hiking down to a lower elevation.

Out of pain relievers? Get out your plant identification guide. Try chewing on catnip leaves for relief. You can also make tea out of the willow twigs or poplars leaf buds. These both contain varying amounts of some compounds that are similar to aspirin.

If a toothache has begun, you probably shouldn't hike any further into the wilderness. If it has become painful enough to suck the fun out of your backpacking trip, you should head for the car. It is time to see a dentist.

About The Author
Copyright Steve Gillman. Visit his website for ultralight backpacking tips, photos, gear recommendations, a free book and a new wilderness survival section: The Ultralight Site.