Author Archive
A Visit To Hoi An In Vietnam.
June 21, 2010
If you are in the process of booking your Vietnam Holidays and are not completely sure about which places to visit then perhaps this article will help you. Vietnam is fairly large in terms of land area with a lot to offer when it comes to culture, architecture, cuisine and nature however knowing what to incorporate in your itinerary can be a daunting task.
Hoi An situated in Central Vietnam is most likely the most charming fishing village in the whole of the country. It is hard to find places which are not invaded herds by of tourists and then end up losing their local charm. Hoi An is one of those few towns that hasn’t faded after tourism reached Vietnam.
Hoi An is a very small fishing village with just few streets running alongside the river and some boardwalks on the tiny islands found in the river itself. These little promenades are full of markets which tend to be very busy since early hours of the morning. The old town is dominated by French colonial buildings often framed by beautiful flowers and lanterns.
As with much of Vietnam, the streets of Hoi An are congested with the traffic of motorbikes, but the old town is definitely less crowded than many places. Still you need to be aware of the traffic. You can spend the majority of our time just walking the streets and trying the various street foods that are unique to Hội An.
Interestingly and arguable is that 2 of the most well-known local dishes – White Rose dumplings and Cao Lao – are said to get their exclusive virtues to the water used that comes from a single well in Hoi An and the ash from a particular tree that grows only in Hoi An.
Additionally, the White Rose dumplings recipe is a secret, held by one family in Hoi An who supplies all the restaurants in town. White Rose dumplings do have a very light, soft rice paper that surrounds a shrimp filing and a garlic rice wine vinegar dipping sauce.
You could get up early one morning to experience the sun rise and one of the most hectic sceneries in Hoi An – The fish market. Small and slightly bigger ships with 6-7 fishermen are frantically unloading their catch. Even while the unloading is happening, others are yelling and bargaining for the best deals on the purchases before the fish can even get off the boat.
Last but not least are the beaches of Hoi An located only 2 to 3 miles from the town and reachable by taxi or bicycle. The beaches of Hoi An are not as busy as neighbour Da Nang and Nha Trang and are a perfect place to cool off the high temperatures.
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Pinar del Ro: A Jewel Of Nature In Cuba.
May 4, 2010
Only few landscapes in Cuba reveal as much natural splendor as Pinar del Rio province. Privileged by the nature, this area comprises 2 of the six World Reservations of the Biosphere in the Cuban archipelago and one of the best beaches in the world .
The charm of its flora and fauna constitutes the fundamental attractiveness of the county and of course is the land of the best tobacco in the world. Pinar del Rio constitutes a destination of excellent interest for those who find in the contact with the nature a good reason to travel.
Near to the city and in traffic to the Viales Valley, the Aguas Claras Villa stands out for its distinctive features and it is lifted in the lands of an old and beautiful property in the tropical countryside.
But not only is this area being blessed by nature it is also the cradle of so many Cuban artist. Famous poets, song writers and singers and painters have been born and raised in this territory. Among the most famous are XIX novelist Cirilo Villaverde and painter Pedro Plablo Oliva.
The most popular social gathering in the zone is the Guateque. It is a party where people recite poetry, sing songs and enjoy a good typical Cuban food while flavoring the best of the Cuban rums.
If you are thinking that while in your holidays in Cuba a visit to Pinar del Rio is a must, then you can take a bus or a taxi from Havana to this area. It is located at about 160 kms far from Havana and it only takes about 2 hours drive along the highway. It is not possible to fly directly to Pinar del Rio as there are no airports in this province. If you have a boat then you can arrive to the Marinas in Maria La Gorda and Cayo Levisa.
To know the land of the valleys and mogotes there is anything better than the trips and visits to its more famous scenery: the Valley of Viales declared Cultural Landscape of the Humanity (UNESCO); the tourist complex The Terraces, example of tourist community of sustainable development; Soroa, with its orquideario and its beautiful waterfall; and the ruins of French coffee plantations of the XIX century, among others.
As for city environment and nature, Pinar del Rio has comfortable lodgings. The specialized tourism, on the other hand, has suitable conditions for its realization that include all the stay facilities. Do not have a place to doubt, during your holidays in Cuba, you should spend some time in this incredible province, the land of the best tobacco in the world.
Jose Mauricio is a Travel Consultant specialist in organizing Cuba holidays. He is natural from Havana City and has a wealth of knowledge that will share with you. He can help you organize your tailor made holidays to Cuba and make it unique.
Some Things To Think About When You Travel To Havana
April 19, 2010
If you are planning your Cuba holidays there will be many different factors you will have to consider before you depart. Everything you do will combine to make the perfect holiday to you and your family or whoever else you are travelling with. Here are the top tips you to think about.
One of the most important things that you need to do before you leave will be to make sure that you have both your passport in your possession and your Visa as well. Without both of these items you will be unable to enter into the country and therefore the entire trip will be put on hold.
The next thing that you really have to think about is what you are going to bring on the trip. Obviously you will take time packing your clothes and important belongings that you are going to need, however there are likely to be certain restrictions on what you can take and what you can’t. As such it is a good idea to get in touch with the relevant authorities who will be able to advise you on this matter.
You also need to consider the budget for the trip and how much money you are willing to spend both on the flights, accommodation, and all of the activities that you are going to do when you are there. Getting to Cuba can be quite expensive and therefore you need to set out a budget that will have some contingency money in it in case of any sort of emergency.
The last thing that you will need to consider will be your safety when you are there. This will come in many forms, with such things as vaccinations on the agenda as well is your safety on the streets of the city and in your hotel.
These are just some of the main things that you have to consider before you travel.
Please visit Twin centre Holidays to Cuba web site by J. M. Maurette for further information on Havana Hotels
Tips On How To Travel To Hanoi
March 31, 2010
Hanoi has been the capital city of Vietnam for near on 1000 years and is truly a great city to visit if you ever choose to head down that way into South East Asia and Indochina. The city has a wealth of culture and history on offer and offers great options for any holidayer or traveller to enjoy. Before you travel to Vietnam however, there are certain steps that you are going to have to take.
The first of these will be to check on your passport. Many people will often forget about this if they have not travelled over seas for a while and may not check to see whether their passport has expired or not. If it has then you need to make sure that you get it renewed. If you do not have one at all then it is important that you apply for one sooner rather than later.
Once you have a valid passport then you can go and get a visa in order to enter the country. Bear in mind that these can take a while to process, especially during busy season and so you need to make sure that you have this in good time before you go.
You can then actually begin to plan out the trip. This will include when you want to go, where in the city you are going to stay and what you want to see when you are there. In the city there are two tourist seasons in the year. One runs from July to August and the other from October to New Year. If you want to avoid these times then you may well get some cheaper hotel deals.
The final step will be in actually booking up the holiday. When you have done all the prep work you can complete it all by choosing the best package and booking it all up.
These are the basic steps to act upon before you travel to Hanoi.
Jose Mauricio is a specialist reservation consultant for Vietnam Holidays and Cuba Holidays
categories: Vietnam holidays,holidays to Vietnam,Vietnam and Cambodia,travel Tips,Vietnam,Cambodia,holidays,travel,tourism,Indochina
Havana Hotels.
December 11, 2009
At this stage you are probably looking for the best hotels in Havana to stay. I will highlight in this article few of the best hotels you can easily book online. If you are booking a holiday package most of these hotels will be offered by your travel agents.
Havana is divided into 14 quarters of which the most interesting and popular among tourists are the Old Town (Habana Vieja), Vedado and Miramar. Probably the best place to stay is the Old Town.
I would concentrate in this article in the Old Town area also known by the locals as Habana Vieja. There are over 20 hotels in the Old Town and if you check other reviews about hotels in Havana you will find these 3 to be the best options in terms of standard of accommodation: 5 * Saratoga Hotel, 5* Parque Central Hotel and 4*+ Santa Isabel Hotel.
There are other hotels in the Old Town that although are lower in star rating they are as charming and comfortable as the ones mention above. These 4 star hotels were built in the 18th Century to house the richest and most prominent families in Havana.
Florida Hotel, Raquel Hotel and O’Farril Hotel are among the most beautiful palaces. They have an average of 30 rooms each so the service is always going to be more personalized compared to those huge Havana hotels.
On the 3 star category then you can check Hostal Valencia, Comendador, Meson de la Flota and Beltran de Santa Cruz hotels. The only problem with this hotels is that you are not going to find availabilities if you don’t book well in advance as they are highly demanded for their price and comfort.
There are some 2 star hotels in the Old Town area but I will only recommend those to people on a very tight budget. Their prices are very cheap – somewhere around 15.00 CUC per person per night. I will advise to first read the reviews on Trip Advisor website before you decide to book one of this. Lido, Caribbean and Lincoln Hotels in the Old town are the best 2 star hotels.
In general Hotels in Habana Vieja are the best ones in terms of location and quality of the service. If you want to stay in a 5 star property you will be looking at around 85.00 CUC per person per night. A less expensive yet very decent would be the 4 star accommodation option with costs around 60.00 CUC per person per night.
For further information on Havana Hotels please visit Holidays to Cuba web site by J. M. Maurette