480 blog posts found
|
We are proud to announce the winners of our Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2009! Posted 18 Nov 2009 by Alex Lyons |
 Whale Watch Kaikoura, New Zealand has won this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards!At a ceremony hosted at World Travel Market (WTM), Docklands, London, on Wednesday 11 November, the Awards were handed out by Justin Francis, managing director of responsibletravel.com, organisers and founders of the Awards, and Amanda Wills, managing director of Virgin Holidays, headline sponsor of the Awards. The panel of judges declared Whale Watch Kaikoura the overall winner for developing a tourism initiative from the ground up. The judges said: "Rarely do we see a tourism initiative developed from the ground up by a local community to such a successful and grand scale – growing from modest beginnings to securing in a joint venture with Sea World on the Gold Coast of Australia to provide their whale watching. Whale Watch Kaikoura provides consistently responsible whale watching tours with minimal impacts. The founding of the enterprise by four Maori families has demonstrated that the local Maori community can not only grow a considerable tourism business, but, more significantly, use that business to buy back their ancestral land for the benefit of the indigenous people and their cultural identity." An additional 13 awards were presented in a range of categories which included Best for poverty reduction, Best volunteering organisation, Best personal contribution and Best large hotel/accommodation. For more on all our Award winners, and to watch a video an amazing whale watching video from Whale Watch Kaikoura, please visit http://www.responsibletourismawards.com/pastwinners.htm |
|
Parp your own Trumpet in Brussels Museum Posted 18 Nov 2009 by Emma Jamieson |
 Music nuts will appreciate the curious Musical instrument Museum just outside Les Sablons area of brussels. Housed inside one of the last remaining art deco houses, a glorious decadent architectural gem from a bygone era of jazz and speakeasies, this museum boasts a rich and varied collection of instruments from the traditional orchestra biggies to bizarre contraptions from Chinese stone chimes to what I believe was a Bolivian nose flute. Music boxes, rare violins and flutes, pianolas and a replica violin-maker's workshop are intriguing and well displayed. At the top of the building, reached by a slightly creaky, but original 1920s elevator, is a rooftop cafe with splendid views across the city and traditionally surly Belgian waiters. Be prepared to wait for a drink, they prefer to "not notice" you until you're practically gnawing at the table leg and even then you might have pay extra for the hint of a smile. but that's Belgian waiters for you, all part of the cultural experience. You can simply skip the museum for a trip up to the rooftop, just ask for a "ticket for the cafe" when you go into the building, you will be given a token that is free for an elevator ride up and down without having to pay the museum entrance fee. Rue Montagne de la Cour 2 on the Mont des Arts, the museum sits next to Place Royale and in front of the Magritte Museum. |
|
What's the beef with Brussels? Posted 18 Nov 2009 by Emma Jamieson |
 Just returned from a jolly jaunt in Brussels, catching up with a good friend of mine and her boyfriend in their gorgeous "apartement Bruxellois" in the quaint frenchified Place du Chatelain. I quickly made it abundantly clear that in a city such as this, it wasn't the art galleries I was wanting to explore, but rather the endless opportunities for absolute food sin. Much like french cuisine, the Belgians rarely shirk from copious amounts of butter, cheese, meat and cream. Add to that some excellent seafood and indulgent chocolatiers on every street corner and you have yourself a neat slice of foodie pie. I enjoyed my first steak tartare, which bizarrely is called "filet american" over here, although I fail to imagine many Americans raving about a huge portion of raw beef sitting on a plate. The beef is hashed finely with spices and onions, giving it a slightly sweet flavour, then topped with salty capers and, blissfully, homemade creamy bearnaise sauce. Eat with a generous serving of hot, crispy Belgian frites and you'll soon be weeping tears of joy into your frothy Duvel beer. I ate this at Les Brassins, a quaint, backstreet, authentic eatery with a small, typical menu, rude waitresses and a crammed bar with excellent choice of ales. Sublime!Keienveldstraat 36 1050 Elsene, Elsene, Belgium +32 2 512 69 99 http://www.lesbrassins.com/en/presentation |
|
Attractive Istanbul Posted 18 Nov 2009 by Peter |
 Hi, I wanna talk about my holiday in Istanbul with several pictures I've made there. Generally I can restrict myself to some pictures but... Probably Istanbul is the best city where I can take pictures over and above. One of the most impressive things in Istanbul is not Hagia Sophia or the Bosphorus as you might think. No, we won't follow the normal path:) I was struck by an incredibly large number of foreign tourists with professional cameras on the bridge over the Golden Horn and the Galata wharf. Almost everybody is with tripods and cameras and are probably not ashamed to shoot "Formula 1". My device won't make such snapshots of course. So I just have to add a verbal description of the ineffable visual delight that I've experienced in Istanbul. The first thing I was struck proved to be Istanbul itself from the window of my airplane. We landed in the evening, it was not dark yet but still not light, and I was fascinated of the vast city, greenish-blue sea and the lights-lights-lights from a height of several kilometers. I followed strict instructions of the stewards as they told me not to take pictures. It's obvious why you can't take picts inside the plane of course. Safety. Why you can't shoot from the plane – escaped from me. Well, all right! I was met at the airport because I do not speak English as well as Turkish, and took a small bus. It was free and was in a reservation which I took on the internet. If anyone is interested – the system is called TurkeyTps.com and I honestly do not understand if the transfer is always pre-arranged by the company or only in some cases. It seems in any case, but it is better to be clarified. In any case, thanks to the company, everything was just super. The hotel was the "Saint Sophia" in Sultanahmet. Not in the heart, of course, but when it comes to the Sultanahmet district, the word "center" sounds like a joke. The whole area is a center itself. I had to go five or six minutes from the "Sofia" to its namesake Hagia Soph...more... |
|
ANAKATO Posted 18 Nov 2009 by shymaa ghaleb |
 ANAKATO , RISING UP FROM THE TRANQUIL & SERENE NILE , ITS STANDS PROUD AS ANYTHING THAT IS TOUCHED BY THE WATERS OF THE OLDEST & LONGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD !!! GUARDED BY A MAGIC TREE WHOSE DOMINANT BRANCHES BEND OVER TO KISS THE NILE ! STORIES AND LEGEND BEING TOLD OF AGUARDAIN WHO LIVES UNDER IT WATCHING OVER ANAKATO FROM ALL THAT IS BAD OR EVIL a gateway into gharb sohil, the land of the nubains the walls of this unique house tell a wonderful story . astory of people unchanged by civilization whose culture ,language and history have been unaltered and remain a mystery to outsiders. this cultural house is willing to share the secrets of its ancient land and people not in the information you may read but through experiencing the ambiance . indulge yourself in a swim in the cool nile relax on it's littel sand beach , safari to fishing coricodile or just enjoy the bright sun of el noba over looking a spectacular view . visit us at night too to get a feel of the extraordinary rhythem and step of our nubian dance. which ever way you choose to explore your journey, you will leave with a piece af anakato forever agift from its people to the world it's really a whole new world to discover WWW.ANAKATO.COM |
|
HOME AWAY FROM HOME ADVENTUREHILLS Posted 14 Nov 2009 by Anil Raj Mehta |
|
Experience village tourism or popularly know as homestays tourism , when you stay in these remote fully furnished house which are easily accessible by road .Discovering Himachal tourism is an experience which is not only unique but the taste of the experience shall linger on for a while. Home stays includes charming & tolerant, Himachali for whom looking after guest is not just a trend but an obsession. God fearing with variety of rituals, traditional fairs and festivals, customs, craft and fascinating landscapes. For some, its a romantic hide away for some quite and peaceful ideal second honeymoon spot. To sum it Adventure Hills offers you a great escape and opportunity to reveal in your freedom. Stay in homely comfort and get to know hospitality even better. Enjoy the comforts of Homestays in off beaten destinations of Himachal Pradesh SIDZ FARM Fancy an out-of-the-ordinary honeymoon? If yes, then this getaway at Dianli in Himachal could be your private haven. Though the drive from Shimla is longer than what comfort dictates, the flashing scenes of steep hills covered with a jigsaw of soft moss and snow, and the leggy pines towering to the skies, are more than ample compensation. Clear glass framed in natural finish wood with views of the rolling hillside; green lawns dotted with patches of yellow-white lilies from which a fat bee sips busily; slate roofs, wooden floors and a glowing angeethi — that's Dianli in all its splendor A 40-year-old house, which has recently been renovated, is where the action is. Three bedrooms with attached baths, a sitting-cum-dining area and a kitchen is the accommodation on offer. |
|
Volunteer in Tanzania Posted 12 Nov 2009 by Give a Heart To Africa |
|
Give a Heart To Africa is a small NGO located in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Our aim is to empower primarily women via education who cannot otherwise afford one as education is very expensive in Tanzania. We teach them the basics of business, English and computers in hopes that they will some day be able to start their own business. We also conduct home visits every Friday, we visit 2 of our student's homes, meet their family, get to know them better and try to figure out how best to help them in the future. We have developed, easy to follow lesson plans so anybody without prior teaching experience or knowledge of the subject (with the Exception of English) can teach the course. Our students are very patient and appreciative of our efforts so come and join us. You will fall in love with Tanzania and its people. For more information, you can contact us at info@giveahearttoafrica.org, www.giveahearttoafrica.blogspot.com, www.giveahearttoafrica.org |
|
Dalat Land of Love Stories Posted 11 Nov 2009 by Chinhnguyen |
 With cool weather and park –like environment, from years to years, Dalat becomes the familiar honeymoon spot and most –wanted destination of couples. Come to Dalat, you will have a chance to visit Lac minority villages, impressive waterfalls, colorful flowers and sometimes, just simply strolling around this nice city. |
|
Great Views and not many trekkers Posted 11 Nov 2009 by Tina Amanda Ghale |
|
If you want to get off the beaten track and enjoy the Himalayas without crowds of others, then go to Khayer Lac! You get wonder views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurnas and Fishtail and avoid the busy trails of the commercial routes. Here is a site that offers a trip there and has some great photos to see: http://www.theresponsibletravellers.com/destinations/obt_kop.html |
|
Awful trend one: UGG Boots Posted 11 Nov 2009 by TylerWilliam |
| OK people. I told you last year that UGGs were awful and ugly and not to be worn with shorts and/or skirts. But did you listen? NO. For some reason, people are still wearing Ugg boots and strutting around like they're wearing Christian Louboutins. May I remind you that you aren't and you probably bought your Uggs not because they are comfy and easy to wear, but because everyone and their sorority sister has them. Let's try to be a little unique people. |
page 2 of 48
