Monday, October 25, 2010
Island Vacation
Author : Ryan HendricksWhich island i have to visit to make my vacation be an unforgettable vacation? That is may the big question in your mind while you decide to take an island vacation The important thing to choose an island destination is you have to choose a tropical one Tropical island only has two seasons, rainy and dry seasons And whatever season you come, you still can enjoy basking under the sunshine Here I make a list with some information and advantage site to know more about the island you should visit Indonesia As an islands country, Indonesia have thousands island with wonderful views and beaches There are Bali, Lombok, Mentawai, Komodo Island etc Hawaii, everybody must be ever heard how wonderful Hawaii is Oahu with Waikiki beach, Maui, Moloka'i etc So why just want to hear people stories Find out how great the beach, the waves, or others Come and enjoy yourself Australia, home of islands Some of the island will put you in the middle of Great Barrier Reef The Caribbean Islands, Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, US Virgin, British Virgin, Anguilla and St Barts, just to name a few And all of the islands present you a wonderful island vacation experience Choosing a tropical island vacation is may be an expensive vacation But it would be comparable to what you get You can get all the most soothing to complete your vacation experience The natural beauty, fun beach activities and greatest spa and message center is located on the tropical island Plan your island vacation wisely, listen to good suggestions, do some research to get detail information Then your island vacation will be an unforgettable vacationAlso be sure to check out other article topics such as cooking recipes and bose 601 speakers.
Geneva - the most expensive city in the world!
The top five cheapest and most expensive travel destinations have been revealed in the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index - giving holiday-makers all the price information they need to know before booking their travel this year.Budget and blow the budgetGeneva became the world?s most expensive city destination for UK travellers in the second quarter of 2010 with average hotel prices topping �155 per night, according to leading accommodation site Hotels.com. The Hotel Price Index (HPI�) showed that Monte Carlo, the most expensive destination in 2009, had fallen to second place at �152 per night. Perennial favourite New York City, Moscow and World Cup hosting Johannesburg came in third, fourth and fifth place respectively. The top five most expensive cities At the other end of the scale, Riga remained the world?s least expensive city according to the HPI with average hotel prices dropping by 7% to �52 per night. Stag-do favourite Tallinn looked great value for money in second place, while Bangkok, Warsaw and Budapest formed the remainder of the top five cheapest global travel destinations.The top five cheapest cities �*Average price per room per night July-Sept �here was no doubt which city is 2010?s star striker when it comes to scoring an increase in the price of hotel rooms. Cape Town, a key World Cup hosting venue in South Africa, experienced a hike of 54% between Q2 2009 and the same time in 2010. Average hotel prices in the new economic powerhouse Shanghai also recovered with a rise of 32%. Long haul destinations of Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro and Las Vegas also saw similar average price increases of 31%, 28% and 27% respectively.The world?s biggest loser was undoubtedly the Emirate state of Abu Dhabi. The region?s previous high-flyer saw prices plunge by 35% during this period to an average price per room of �113 per night.� Iceland?s Reykjavik saw prices hit by the volcanic ash cloud. As a result of the ensuing travel chaos, prices fell 14% whereby a room would only cost you on average �77 per night. Bargain basement Tallinn saw prices continue to drop (down 12%), as did St. Petersburg (down 11%) and New Delhi (down 10%).� �
8 October 2010
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8 October 2010
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Sunday, October 24, 2010
Where to eat Beijing's best roast duck
Zhang Liqun, owner of Liqun Roast Duck in Beijing, explains the secret to cooking this ancient local dish to perfection
Skiinfo.co: Still Snowing!
..... Andermatt, Switzerland (Ski Press)-Skiinfo.co.uk reports that new snow over the Easter holidays has given a great powder base for many of the resorts still open in the Alps, while across the Atlantic the latest round of huge snowfalls on the west of the North American continent has left more resorts extending their seasons with waist-deep April powder.Conditions remain good in Scotland and Scandinavia too. There were heavy snowfalls in the German speaking areas of the Alps over Easter with Andermatt seeing over a foot (35cm) of new snow.� This was part of a total one meter (40 inch) fall in the past seven days, the largest in Switzerland. The Andermatt-Gotthard region also reports the biggest snow depth in the country at present with 3.5m (nearly 12 feet) on upper slopes. St. Moritz also reported 15cm (six inches) of fresh snow on Sunday. Martin Berthod, the resort's sports and events manager, said, "The snow conditions are still excellent all over the Engadin." The 4 Valleys has also reported good snowfall in the past week, with 75cm (2.5 feet) of new snow and Laax has had yet another 60cm (two feet) taking its snow depth to 220cm (7.3 feet). Glacier ski areas currently have some of Switerland?s deepest snow with Engelberg reporting three meters (ten feet) and Saas Fee a few centimeters/inches less with 289cm.��������� The snow depth in the French Alps is very good for the end of season with 183.6cm (6.2 feet) average on the top of the slopes in the Northern Alps and 229.6cm (7.6 feet) average for the Southern Alps. It has snowed a lot the last week in the French Alps with Skiinfo posting 24 Powderalarms for snowfalls in excess of 20cm (8 inches) in 24 hours in Sunday. Serre Chevalier reported 65cm (2.2 feet) of fresh snow and Puy St Vincent 40cm (16 inches) just on the one day. In Austria sunny weather is forecast for the next few days and on many Austrian slopes there is still lots of snow - so conditions for spring skiing are fine. S�lden, for example, got fresh snow again and issued a powder alarm for more than 20cm (8 inches) of new snow on Monday.� 31 of the ski resort's lifts are still running and the sky there is cloudless. It received 40cm (16 inches) in total through the last week and currently has a snow depth of 251cm (8.3 feet). Lech Z�rs am Arlberg has had 35cm (14 inches) of new snow in the past week. There are a dozen Austrian resorts with two meters or more of snow on their slopes.� The M�lltal glacier has the biggest snow depth of 390cm (13 feet), Hintertux has more than three meters (10 feet), too. In Germany to the north the Zugspitze got lots of fresh snow again with 20cm (8 inches) more on Monday and 35cm (14 inches) on Good Friday.� Feldberg in the Black Forest also received another 20cm (eight inch) fall in the past week. Many French ski resorts are still open during April and six will remain open into May. Chamonix currently has the top snow depth with 405cm (13.5 feet), La Clusaz has 310cm (10.3 feet) and Alpe d'Huez and La Grave 300cm (10 feet).�Serre Chevalier is just behind on 290cm (9.6 feet). Italy has topped the table in Europe for the most snow in the past seven days with Madesimo reporting 1.2m (four feet) of new Spring powder. Arabba and the Marmolada Glacier was second on the continent withy another meter (3.3) feet and there was about 60cm (two feet) more in Val Gardena in the Dolomites and Monterosa in the alps. North America and particularly California and Utah in Western USA have seen the biggest snowfalls of the past week, with particularly huge accumulations reported at Brighton in Utah with 228cm (7.6 feet) in seven days.� Snowbird, Alta and Solitude have also reported more than two meter (6.7 feet) accumulations. To the north Whistler Blackcomb has announced the decision to extend skiing and riding on Whistler Mountain by one week. Whistler Mountain?s last day of operations will be Sunday, April 25 while Blackcomb Mountain?s last day of operations will be Monday, May 24.
The Maldives: best long-haul country
The Maldives was voted your top country outside Europe. Independent travel was only recently made legal here, and we have top tips from a resident on how to do itMuch of the Maldives as experienced by Maldivians lies undiscovered by travellers. But the country has so much more to offer than luxury resorts: the world's best beaches, spectacular reefs, ancient ruins (Islamic and otherwise), and the candy-coloured capital, Mal�, best viewed from a rooftop (or the Holiday Inn pool) as the minarets echo across the city.Mal� is a densely concreted warren where the all the world's problems ? political, social, religious and environmental ? are played out in microcosm, but beyond it lie 200 inhabited islands where people have been scratching a living in much the same way for thousands of years.If Mal�'s maze of alleys and careening mopeds seems insular and impenetrable ? you're unlikely to run into the burgeoning death metal scene, for instance ? the inhabited islands are the opposite. Islanders are famous for their hospitality and friendliness, and the novelty of foreign visitors ensures a warm welcome. Small guesthouses are springing up all over the country, and a room and local fare can usually be arranged ? simply ask at the island office. But don't expect to sunbathe without sparking a scandal that will be talked about for years to come.Getting around on a budget in a country designed for yacht charter remains a challenge. The timetable for the government's new ferry service ? currently being rolled out across the country ? remains arcane, while private inter-atoll ferries are mostly unscheduled, unregulated and rely on you asking the captain where he feels like going that particular day. The locals do it, and there's nothing stopping you either. For a leisurely island-hop down to the former British airbase on the southern island of Gan, simply walk along the jetty next in front of Mal�'s vegetable market and ask anyone loitering on the pier about the ferry to Addu Atoll/Gan.Once the incredulity wears off, someone will ring the captain for you and let you know the time and cost ? usually around �25. Scams are unheard of and your intrepidness will be rewarded with a two-day ferry trip through spectacular tropical scenery, stopping at three inhabited islands for a rare taste of the real Maldives.Another option is to make a friend or "coffee contact" in Mal� before you arrive, be it through the growing community of couchsurfers (couchsurfing.org), an emerging domestic travel agency, such as Elysian Maldives (+960 773 8889, elysianmaldives.com) a blogger or simply on Facebook, to which all Maldivians over the age of eight seem to subscribe. This also gives you a lifeline if you need rescuing from a confused immigration official unconvinced by your lack of resort itinerary ? it has only recently become legal for foreigners to roam the country without a permission slip.Give yourself a day in Mal� and make a point of talking to people. English is widely spoken, but you'll have to initiate conversation. Meeting up for coffee (lavazza) is very informal, always welcomed, and usually followed by leisurely chewing of the popular national stimulant, areca nut. Take a day trip to the island of Villingili for superb snorkelling.An independent holiday in the Maldives needn't be liquor-free. Catch a free transfer from Mal� to the only watering hole in town, the soulless airport hotel bar, and commiserate with the expats during Thursday evening's weekly session. Or partake in the nearby Sheraton Full Moon's infamous weekly beach party, transfer �6 (6:30 & 8pm, jetty seven).You could then perhaps head north to Hanimaadhoo, a long thin island in Haa Dhaalu Atoll with a small landing strip, used as a transport interchange for several upmarket resorts nearby and the occasional intrepid traveller visiting the remote islands of the north. One-way flights with Maldivian (maldivian.aero) from Mal� cost about �80.Basic guesthouse accommodation near the terminal will cost about �22 a night, and you can eat cheap local food at the sleepy airport canteen. A 10-minute stroll will bring you to a warm welcome at the island's village, population 1,000, and you'll have all the sweeping beaches, scenery and serene isolation you'd pay 20 times the price for at the nearby Waldorf Astoria.The former president's Northern Palace is 10 minutes' walk away in the south of the island, which is in line for massive development given its airstrip.If you're based in Mal� and have the numbers, pool your resources and hire a dhoni (traditional sailing boat) to take you snorkelling on the spectacular coral reefs or surfing the world-class reef breaks, with lunch on an uninhabited "picnic island". Some obligingly have barbecue facilities, and nothing is stopping you from spending the night there under the stars.Guesthouses charge about �55 a head, but many, such as Cola's guesthouse on Thulusdhoo in Kaafu Atoll close to Mal� (book via Elysian Maldives, above) offer diving packages, island sightseeing and surfing trips.Or you could take a leisurely ferry trip, island-hopping to the former British airbase on the island of Gan. The old RAF barracks have been converted into Equator Village (+960 689 8721, equatorvillage.com) as close as the Maldives gets to a budget resort, but with spectacular diving off what feels like the edge of the world.There are regular flights to Gan from Gatwick, and connections back to Mal� with Maldivian (maldivian.aero).If you don't mind getting your feet wet, hiking the Maldives is also possible (dive shops in Mal� sell cheap booties). Last year a group of 150 Maldivians hiked 35km and 103 islands along the rim of Gaafu Dhaalu, one of the world's largest natural atolls, wading through water waist-deep at times.? BA (ba.com) flies to Mal� from Gatwick from �389 return. More information at: maldivesculture.com and maldivestraveller.com. For volunteering opportunities see friendsofmaldives.orgJJ Robinson is editor of independent website Minivan News (minivannews.com)MaldivesAdventure travelWater sports holidaysDivingFerry travelSailing holidaysguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Freestyle Champs Hit Squaw Valley
..... Squaw Valley, Calif. (Ski Press)-An event half a century in the making, Squaw Valley is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games with the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships as Olympic medalists and the sport's best compete for U.S. titles March 26-28.The action kicks off Friday with men's and women's moguls where Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), and Olympic bronze medalists Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) and World Champion Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) will ski the bumps looking for a win. For Bahrke, who plans to retire at the end of the 2010 season, the event at Squaw Valley represents special significance. "That's where I grew up, that's where I learned how to ski my first moguls course, so you know to finish it there, to start a career and finish it there is something that you know I think every athlete dreams of doing and I get to do it, so that's pretty cool," Bahrke said. "It's going to be so much fun. My whole family, my friends, you know my coaches that have been through everything with me are going to be there, so that's really going to be an awesome experience." Things keep rolling on Saturday when David Wise gets back in the halfpipe looking to mark the fifth consecutive U.S. title of his career. Adding to the action on Saturday will be men's and women's aerials, which feature an incredible lineup of athletes including Olympic silver medalist Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID), World Champion Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO), World Cup winner Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) and Olympians Lacy Schnoor (Draper, UT) and Scotty Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA). "I'm looking forward to competing at U.S. Champs, and to get to go out and spin one last time with my teammates before I take a little break," Peterson said. I'm just looking forward to having this one last competition and seeing how everything goes." Wrapping up the weekend will be the dual moguls event where Kearney, who just won back to back World Cups in both moguls and dual moguls, is looking to shine. "Squaw last year was gorgeous. It was kind of like spring vacation. To show up on an Olympic year and share with the freestyle community is always something I look forward to," Kearney said. The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships kick off March 26 and run through March 28. Fans can watch from the comfort of their own home on April 4 when the events air on Versus at 6 p.m. ET.
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