Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Cuba, Travel Guide

- To get into the tropical atmosphere of Cuba at its fiftieth. Among the American automobiles, the smoky bars of Havana, the effect is assured.

- For its fantastic sea. Cuba offers about six thousand kilometers of splendid Caribbean coast, with beaches and cliffs for all likes.

- For the people’s hospitality, not always interested as it is wanted to make you believe. The Cubans are people full of happiness and eager to leave, people who love to find the foreigner, just to exchange ideas.

- To smoke the best tobaccos in the world, made by hand with the leaves of Vuelta Abajo. You can also attend to the making of the tobacco in a factory or maybe inside of a big hotel, where there are exhibited in parties, authenticate preparations for the tobacco’s artists.

- To travel through out the town of Hemingway, a North American writer that lived in the island from the 1939 to the 1961 and where he wrote some of his romances.

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

Located in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba, with a longitude of about 1.200 kms and a surface of 110.860 Km., is the biggest island in the biggest Antilla. It is at about 200 Km. from the island of Keys and it is close to The Mexican peninsula of Yucatan in and the island of Hispaniola. More than the main island, The Cuban Republic gathers all the isles and islands that surround it. Great part of the Cuban coast is low and sandy, with numerous bays and areas of lagoons and paludose. Its interior is of plains, interrupted by the Sierra de los Organos to the west, the Sierra del Escambray to the center and the Sierra Maestra to the east. Its population is of about 11 million inhabitants.

Time Zone: -6.0 (summer); -6.0 (winter)

Duration of the days 13.5 hours (June); minimum 11.0 hours (December)

WHEN TO GO

Period better: February, March

Good period: January, April, December

Worse Period: September, October

WEATHER

The dry station which is naturally the best period to go, begins at the end of October and finishes in April. The rains station is from April to October, but in these months precipitations, although are abundant always occurs in the half-day and for a short period.

What to take

Without doubts the bathing suit. And then summer clothes, shirts and cotton pullouvers, short and long pants. And do not forget besides, the shoes for walking in the afternoons, to take also a pair of sandals.

CULTURE/MUSEUMS

City Museum

Address: Plaza de Armas, Havana

Schedule: 9.30-18.30

Entrance is paid

One of the main museums of histoty and culture of the isle. It offers a rich exposition ofartistic testimonies bengining from the colonial period up to firts years of the republic.

Revolution Museum

Address: Palacio Presidencial, Calle Refugio, Havana

Schedule: 10-17; Saturday up to 18

Entrance is paid

All that is wanted to know about the myth of the Cuban revolution is exposed in this place, in the ex-presidential building that housed as last tenant, the dictator Batista up to 1959,documents, registrations and movies on the revolutionary epic poem.

National Museum

Address: Calle Trocadero, Havana

Schedule: 10-17; closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Entrance is paid

The exhibition is divided in several sections. The pinacoteca, with linens from Spanish, Englishmen, Danish teachers, among them stand out Velásquez, Murillo, Goya and Turner; the Egyptian old art collection, grecian and Roman, considered the most important in Latin America, the gallery dedicated to the Cuban painting from the XVII century to our days, the ceramic collection, and a space for the contemporary exhibitions.

Hemingway Museum

Address: San Francisco de Paula, San Miguel del Padrón, 12 km from Havana

Schedule: 9-16; Sundays 9-12.30

Entrance is paid

Dedicated to the enthusiasts of North American writer who lived in this building from 1939 to 1961. It was here where Hemingway wrote “Whom sound the bells for” and the “Old man and the sea”.

Music National Museum

Address: Calle Cárcel, Havana

Schedule: 9-17; Sundays 8-12; Closed on Mondays

Entrance is paid

There are exposed numerous Afro-Cuban musical instruments, besides the Fernando Ortiz anthropologist’s private collection. Disks, scores and instruments are sold, also some concerts are presented in the museum saloon.

CUBAN CUISINE

The traditional cuisine in Cuba is excellente and it would be a sin to get lost looking for other inetrnational plates, proposed in other local. The Cuban culinary art is born from the encounter of the precolumbian cuisine with the African, French, Spanish, English, and the Hindu and indonesa. The result of this is a miracle of the balance. There are fruits very often so as (mango, papaya, avocado,) mainly to accompany salted plates and to form part of the base of cocktails and drinks.It is used a lot the pig meat, lots of chicken, mainly in the inside of the country, while in the coastal restaurants are intend exquisite sea plates: fish, crustaceans cooked in several ways. The national plate is the “ajiaco” a soup with the help of potato, banana, corn, calf meat, Chicken, and dry meat. Another typical food is the “congri”, made with black beans and rice cooked all together , accompanied by “pig pork cracklings”. The “fufú” is on the other hand a banana puree seasoned with “mojo”, a fried lightly of oil garlic and cumin. Do not loose teh oportunity to taste the “Creole lobster” that is nothing else but a fried lobster with tomato, onions, peppers, spicy pepper and sour orange juice. Among the candies the “boniatillo”, made of sweet potato and sugar and the “coquito acaramelado” also “la mala rabia” also made of sweet potato sugra cane sirope, cinnamon and sweet orange shell. The diffused drink is the coffee, served to the American way, that is to say not few, and the rum is pure that serve as base to any prepared swig or the numerous cocktails so as Cuba Libre, the Rum punk or Piña Colada. Cuba also produces an excellent beer. The diffused national marks are the Mayabe and The Lagarto.

FUN/SHOPPING

Who doesn’t know the Cuban rum and tobacco, known for everyone as best in the world? In the island there are lots of opportunities to return home with some good music, revolutionary souvenir and why not an automobile of the fifty years.

Tobaccos

The tobaccos or cigarettes are of different sizes, they are sold loose or in elegant wooden boxes. Just to see them makes yoy buy them although you are not a smoker, maybe for a beautiful gift. The prices are almost half of the prices in Italy. For example a box with three Montecristo Sigars N.4 costs at about 10 American dollars. They can be bought in the stores. At Havana in the House of 5a and 16 (5a Ave y 16). In Santiago in Casa del Tabaco (Ave. Jesus Menéndez 730). Pay attention to the conservation of the tobacco. An adequate humidity is needed for them.

Craft

Cuban craft reflex the influence of diverse cultures, mainly the African. Many objects are related with the santería, the Afro-Cuban religion diffused per excellency in the island. There can be dolls of pieces and ceramic, masks made of paper maché and wooden sculptures. Puppets of tamarind seeds are also made. Pretty hats palm feathers fibers or of knitted coconut. Baskets and bags are also made. In old Havana there is the Craft Palace (Calle Cuba 64). In Santiago in the Craft House (Cathedral Plaza).

Foods

The rum is bought obligatorily and the most famous mark is The Havana Club in several versions: Liquor, the most economic; Carta Blanca 3 years and particularly used for the cocktails. Carta Oro, 5 years, and the most refined matured during 7 years. The precise goes from 4 to 7 American dollars each bottle. For adventurers the most valuable rum in Cuba is the retained Matusalem, product from Santiago de Cuba matured during 25 years, it can be around the 15 dollars the bottle in Casa del Ron de Obispo y Bernaza in Old Havana.

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Travel Information on Santa Ponsa, Spain

Santa Ponsa is famous as a sun-soaked Spanish resort on the beautiful island of Majorca. Santa Ponsa has been a center of attraction for a number of tourists from all over the world. The town is beautiful mix of cultural facilities, beaches and outdoor sporting events. There is a lot in Santa Ponsa that makes it an ideal place for summer getaway.

Geography

Located towards the Majorcan southwest coast, Santa Ponsa lies in the middle of Mediterranean Sea and belongs to the Majorcan municipality of Calvia. In fact, Santa Ponsa is just 12 miles towards the west of Palma.

History

Santa Ponsa used to be the landing site for King James I of Spain in 1229. King James I had landed on Santa Ponsa in order to conquer it for the Moorish authorities. After he had become successful in seizing the land, Santa Ponsa became the division of the kingdom of Aragon but later when Moorish left their control, it again became a part of the kingdom of Spain. This historical claim makes the small town famous and draws tourists towards itself.

Attractions

With thousands of visitors making it every year to the small town that is filled with scenic beauty and cultural activities, Santa Ponsa becomes a popular tourist destination. The town has some pristine beaches and hiking trails. A lot of people make it to the town in order to experience the hiking trail of Castell d’Alaro. The ruins of medieval castle that are present in the town of Alaro are from where the trail begins and the area itself attracts many eyes. A lot of tourists are also attracted to the town of Santa Ponsa during the commemoration of 10 daylong fiesta that is held in the month of September.

Getting There

People generally reach this island town through Son Sant Joan International Airport situated in Palma. Only a 20 minute taxi drive can transport one to Santa Ponsa from the airport. It does not cost more than 30 – 40 Euros to reach here by taxi ride.

Considerations

Since the town is a summer resort, most of its bars, restaurants and accommodation are closed from mid-October to mid-May. The weather is ideal during summer, spring and also during the early fall months. The area receives plenty of sunshine along with the rare rainfall. The only drawback is the fact that no measures have been taken make tourism feasible during the winter months in this town.

Travel Hong Kong: 12 Must See Places

Hong Kong features a diverse mixture of characters as a result of long British occupation and a great Chinese influence. As a state of China, Hong Kong provides a good introduction to who ever wants to know more about China without entering the mainland plus a venue for more attractions with western culture and Asian spirit.

1. Hong Kong Museum of Art – Located at 10 Salisbury Rd Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, the Hong Kong Museum of Art is open to anyone who wants to take a glimpse of Hong Kong’s culture and history through its large collection of over 14,000 items ranging from calligraphy, paintings, Hong Kong treasure, art objects, antiques, and lithographs. The museum is open from 10:00am-6:00pm daily except Thursday (public holidays not included).

2. Hong Kong Disneyland – The newly open and the first ever Disneyland in Asia offers total fun and excitement for the whole family. The park is divided into four major attractions: Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Main Street, USA.

3. Victoria Peak – Soaring 1810 feet above sea level, the Victoria Peak is premier destination for tourists who want to take a birds eye view of downtown Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Victoria Harbour. Go another step higher and take a 10-minute hike to the actual Victoria Peak.

4. Lantau Island – Travel Hong Kong and take a cruise around the waters of Lantau Island and watch pink dolphins that only live in this waters.

5. Ocean Park – Travel Hong Kong and visit Ocean Park. This is one Hong Kong attractions where you and your kids will have a great fun. The park is one big oceanarium containing Lowlands Gardens where pandas live, goldfish pagoda and butterfly house are located, Marine Land where atoll reef and shark aquariums are found, and Headlands amusement park where you can go and take a ride with cable cars and roller coasters.

6. Water World – Travel Hong Kong with kids would never be so much fun without taking a plunge on Water World. Enjoy wave pools, play area, and water slides.

7. Middle Kingdom – A miniature China that houses Chinese shrines, street scenes, temples, and palaces only at Middle Kingdom.

8. The Central district – If you travel to Hong Kong because you love to shop, you better go to the central Hong Kong district where big shopping malls and several Western designer and signature boutiques are located.

9. Lamma Island – If you want to see a different Hong Kong, try Lamma Island. It hosts several outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking. And if you love to taste fresh Hong Kong seafood in great dining ambiance, Lamma Island is still the preferred place to go.

10. Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (Sha Tin) – Located at New Territories, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery features Buddha in different poses and colors.

11. Hong Kong Space Museum – See what’s in store for you in the future at Hong Kong Space Museum. The complex offers hundreds of displays ranging from telecommunications, robotics, energy, computers, and physics with hands on experience that will keep you interested.

12. Wet Market – In Hong Kong, everything is fresh. And when they say fresh, they mean it. If you happen to travel Hong Kong to visit a friend or someone you know, come along when they go to wet market where the freshest among freshest seafood are for sale.

Comprehensive Queensland Travel Guide

If you are looking for a getaway that offers you unmatched pleasure and tranquility then Queensland is the place to go. It has a plenty of golden sandy beaches, escape islands, pristine rain forests and an opportunity to engage in numerous adventurous sports.

Below we offer you a basic Queensland travel guide giving you in on some of the best places to visit and activities in Queensland.

Great Barrier Reef

Credited as being the largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef measures a staggering 2011 km in length with a width spanning over 72 km. The reef presents a fascinating array of color and beauty and is composed of three thousand individual reefs as well as coral islands. It stretches for more than 1500 miles across the coast of Queensland. The scene is just as beautiful under the surface of the sea as it is above and tourists have the opportunity to go scuba diving and snorkeling.

Beaches

The great multitude of beaches offer distinct experiences to the tourists. The beaches are sun drenched and filled with warm golden sand attracting people from all across the globe. In order to accommodate the influx of tourists a variety of Queensland resorts have been erected on the coastal fronts. The must visit beaches of Queensland include the surfers paradise Gold Coast and the famous Sunshine Coast that offer an unparalleled surfing experience on crystal clear waters. The Tropical North Queensland also has a range of exotic beaches along with Whitesundays. Tourists also have the opportunity to watch wild dolphins and whales across the Moreton Bay and Fraser Island.

Rainforests

Nature lovers will relish the opportunity to visit the amazing rainforests of Queensland during their holiday. The rainforests with their hair-raising natural landscapes, dense forests and beautiful streams running through offer an excellent break from the tedious everyday life. Here you will have the opportunity to watch beautiful sunset scenes, watch amazing wildlife such as kangaroos. The Daintree Rainforest in particular is regarded as being one of the hottest tourist destinations in the region. The south of the region is adorned with a backdrop of magnificent mountains that are rich with diverse flora and fauna.

Islands

Queensland islands offer the perfect escape destinations with their scenic beauty. The best islands are located on the outskirts of the Gold Coast, Tropical North Queensland, Townsville, Fraser Coast, Mackey, Bundaberg, Brisbane and Central Queensland. Visitors to these islands will have the opportunity to reside in some of the most magnificent Queensland hotels and resorts that have been developed on these islands.

Adventurous Sports

For those looking to partake in action and adventure during their trip to Queensland there is plenty of opportunity to engage in full fledged adventure sports with the adventurous people of Australia. Thrill yourself by renting out water skis or go water rafting on the beautiful lakes and beaches. You can go scuba diving along the coral reef or enjoy horse riding across the varying landscape of Queensland. Cruise travelling is another great adventure to embark on during your Queensland travel.

Travel To Thailand

If you are perhaps wondering where to travel to on your next big vacation and are just fresh out of ideas then we have a suggestion for you. After traveling through Thailand with a friend several years ago, I just fell in love with the place. Prior to that most of my trips had been to the States, Caribbean and Europe and I thought that after listening to my friend talk about Thailand and seeing his videos and pictured that maybe I should check it out for myself. He was planning a trip there and asked if I wanted to tag along with him and his wife and best friend. I thought this would be a good opportunity to go somewhere different and go with someone who had travelled there many times before so would be a great way to know where to go, where to avoid, etc etc. So we went and I just couldn’t get enough of the wonderful country. There really is a suitable type of holiday for absolutely everyone, singles, couples, families, newly-weds, gay and lesbian couples you name it Thailand caters for all needs and they have one of the best tourist infrastructures in the world as far as giving the customer what they want and looking out for their wellbeing. How many other countries in the world do you know that has an army of “tourist police” in all the major towns and cities to take care of tourists and visitors? I truly believe that you haven’t experienced REAL customer service anywhere unless you have experienced the customer service in hotels, restaurants etc in Thailand.

People there are genuinely pleased to help and it seems to have been passed down through the generations as it is now as if  second nature to the Thai people.  Great customer service aside what else does Thailand have to offer? I’ll tell you. It has tropical beaches on sun-kissed tropical islands where you can eat and drink and stay as cheaply or as elaborately as you wish from straw huts on the beach to multi million dollar villas available for rent, and where you decide the pace of your holiday. It also has vibrant, pulsating cities where you can shop (again as cheaply or as exorbitantly as you like)dance, eat, and visit beautiful landmarks and structures some of which are thousands of years old and stay in hotels that have set the mark for top hotel standards the world over, the original and best. Thailand has every conceivable type of landscape from tropical beaches to desert, flat plains and some of the most unspoiled rainforests in the world where you can glide through the canopies with the gibbons and feel at one with nature. Another great thing about traveling in Thailand is how easy it is to visit several of the above mentioned areas within a single trip. As no-where is more than a little over an hours (very cheap) flight away it is possible to take several trips in one vacation so you can do the city, do some extreme sports, visit rainforests and then hit a tropical beach all in a few weeks, hows that for breaking up the monotony and telling your friends what you did on your trip? As I mentioned before it really is up to you how much you want to spend on accommodation you can stay in a hut on a beach which is some peoples idea of heaven I know for as little as $10 or $15 US or stay in a perfectly good hotel for just a couple of bucks more. If you are getting married or just want to stay somewhere private, luxurious and away from the crowds then maybe renting a private villa could be for you. Prices for these villas are again quite flexible and you can get one for not much more than the price of a hotel room and even thousands of dollars a night if you want some kind of estate, but all are possible (think Miami but way way less in price).  All in all there is a reason that Thailand is such a top tourist destination. A combination of favorable prices, awesone service multitudes of activities spectacular scenery and much much more has secured Thailand as a top destination for a good time to come yet. They call Thailand the ‘land of smiles’ and you really should get over there and find out why for yourselves and you will see what I mean.  

If you are perhaps wondering where to travel to on your next big vacation and are just fresh out of ideas then we have a suggestion for you. After traveling through Thailand with a friend several years ago, I just fell in love with the place. Prior to that most of my trips had been to the States, Caribbean and Europe and I thought that after listening to my friend talk about Thailand and seeing his videos and pictured that maybe I should check it out for myself. He was planning a trip there and asked if I wanted to tag along with him and his wife and best friend. I thought this would be a good opportunity to go somewhere different and go with someone who had travelled there many times before so would be a great way to know where to go, where to avoid, etc etc. So we went and I just couldn’t get enough of the wonderful country.

There really is a suitable type of holiday for absolutely everyone, singles, couples, families, newly-weds, gay and lesbian couples you name it Thailand caters for all needs and they have one of the best tourist infrastructures in the world as far as giving the customer what they want and looking out for their wellbeing. How many other countries in the world do you know that has an army of “tourist police” in all the major towns and cities to take care of tourists and visitors? I truly believe that you haven’t experienced REAL customer service anywhere unless you have experienced the customer service in hotels, restaurants etc in Thailand. People there are genuinely pleased to help and it seems to have been passed down through the generations as it is now as if  second nature to the Thai people. 

Great customer service aside what else does Thailand have to offer? I’ll tell you. It has tropical beaches on sun-kissed tropical islands where you can eat and drink and stay as cheaply or as elaborately as you wish from straw huts on the beach to multi million dollar villas available for rent, and where you decide the pace of your holiday. It also has vibrant, pulsating cities where you can shop (again as cheaply or as exorbitantly as you like)dance, eat, and visit beautiful landmarks and structures some of which are thousands of years old and stay in hotels that have set the mark for top hotel standards the world over, the original and best. Thailand has every conceivable type of landscape from tropical beaches to desert, flat plains and some of the most unspoiled rainforests in the world where you can glide through the canopies with the gibbons and feel at one with nature.

Another great thing about traveling in Thailand is how easy it is to visit several of the above mentioned areas within a single trip. As no-where is more than a little over an hours (very cheap) flight away it is possible to take several trips in one vacation so you can do the city, do some extreme sports, visit rainforests and then hit a tropical beach all in a few weeks, hows that for breaking up the monotony and telling your friends what you did on your trip?

As I mentioned before it really is up to you how much you want to spend on accommodation you can stay in a hut on a beach which is some peoples idea of heaven I know for as little as $10 or $15 US or stay in a perfectly good hotel for just a couple of bucks more. If you are getting married or just want to stay somewhere private, luxurious and away from the crowds then maybe renting a private villa could be for you. Prices for these villas are again quite flexible and you can get one for not much more than the price of a hotel room and even thousands of dollars a night if you want some kind of estate, but all are possible (think Miami but way way less in price). 

All in all there is a reason that Thailand is such a top tourist destination. A combination of favorable prices, awesone service multitudes of activities spectacular scenery and much much more has secured Thailand as a top destination for a good time to come yet. They call Thailand the ‘land of smiles’ and you really should get over there and find out why for yourselves and you will see what I mean.

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