Online World Travel Guides - The Top 4
Posted On Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at by Faizal Ehsan
Online, world travel guides are coming into their own. While they may never beat a solid guidebook that you can dog ear and mark up as you travel the world, they are becoming more valuable for research pre-departure. Thanks to the minimal resources required to create a travel guide online (no publishers, distributors, materials, etc.) we will continue to see more pop up as the world gets smaller. However, as the quantity of world travel guides increases, the need for quality, dependable information becomes more scarce. Here are the most authoritative spots online to help you prepare your next big adventure:Travelfish.org. If you are looking for intelligence on Southeast Asia, look no further than Travelfish (even Lonely Planet, creator of the classic "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" acknowledges their hard hitting advice). They provide detailed information about all of Southeast Asia, with a focus on Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, with additional sections on Singapore and the Phillipines. Their FAQ for each country is an exercise in mind reading: they answer questions you didn't realize you had such as "What kind of lock works best in a bungalow?" They also break down electrical requirements and other technical advice pertaining to cameras, laptops and mobile devices.
Gridskipper. Let me put it this way: Gridskipper is the premier website for big city types. They offer the best information on major cities in the world (San Francisco, London, Paris, Berlin and Tokyo seem to get the most coverage) including restaurant reviews and advice on the best clubs. If you want to explore the rice fields of Vietnam, you are in the wrong place! A word to the wise: this isn't a site for the faint hearted, and you probably don't want to check this out at work.
Virtualtourist. The biggest world travel guide online, loaded with information about travel hotspots around the world.
Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum. Here you can seek advice from people close to the ground. Visa requirements change, roads get blocked, storms may hit... save yourself the trouble and run it up the thorn tree.
In conclusion, you can learn more about online travel guides at http://www.travel-smarts.com
Adam Costa began his travel adventures at the age of 19 with a round the world trip across thirteen countries. He has worked as a North American tour guide, running tours in Canada, Mexico and all over the United States, from San Francisco to Boston to Key West, Florida. Currently, he works as a travel agent, and continues to dream of hitting the road.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Costa
Cheap Branson Hotels
Posted On Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at by Faizal EhsanBranson in Missouri is an ideal place to spend a vacation with the whole family. It holds many attractions that will allure you with the natural beauty of the place.
You can try the more affordable hotels during your stay. They are likewise committed in providing excellent service and amenities for the pleasure of its guests.
Days Inn Branson
The Days Inn Branson is among the cheap hotels situated near the Theater District of Branson. Guests can just walk around to witness some of the attractions near the area like the Celebration City theme park, Roy Rogers Dale Evans Museum and the renowned White Water Park. There are also plenty of restaurants, entertainment centers and museums near the hotel.
The Days Inn Hotel is a four story building with 423 guestrooms. Amenities include two queen beds, cable TV, coffeemaker, clock radio, free local calls, hair dryer, iron and ironing board and table with chairs.
A complimentary continental breakfast is available daily. The in-house Mexican restaurant serves great cuisines from breakfast to dinner. Enjoy mouth watering dishes from the restaurant.
For fun and adventure, enjoy with the whole family a fun ride with the recreational vehicles. Children can enjoy playing all day with their friends at the children's pool or the playground.
A large pool is also available to enjoy a refreshing dive in the water. A spa tub is also available to remove stress after a busy day of sightseeing.
Gazebo Inn
For a quiet retreat from the city life, the Gazebo Inn is an ideal place. This hotel is nearby the Ozark Mountain which is just next to the Moon River Theater.
Guests will experience a quiet ambience with the natural beauty surrounding the hotel. A seasonal outdoor pool provides a relaxing moment for guests. Along with the excellent service, guests are served with a complimentary breakfast combined with best coffee served daily.
Business traveler can take advantage of the complimentary high speed wireless internet access located at the business center. It also provides services such as fax services and courier services.
The Gazebo Inn consists of 73 guestrooms housed in a three storey building. All guestrooms come with amenities such as Cable TV, refrigerator, microwave oven, desks and chairs, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, and daily housekeeping.
Ozark Mountain Inn
Ozark Mountain Inn is another affordable hotel at Branson. It is accessible to the numerous musical theaters of different genre of music as well as magical and comedy shows. It is also near amusement parks like the White Water and Celebration City and the Silver Dollar City.
Ozark Mountain Inn has 127 spacious guestrooms. All guestrooms are made comfortable which featured amenities of a coffee maker, iron and ironing board, desks with chairs, hair dryer, cable TV, high speed wireless internet access and telephone with free local calls.
Guests are treated with a complimentary continental breakfast every morning with matching newspaper. While in the hotel, enjoy the indoor pool or have a revitalizing treatment at the spa tub.
For more information on Branson Missouri Accommodation and Silver Dollar City Hotels please visit our website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Urmann
Underwater world in city
Posted On Friday, December 5, 2008 at by Faizal Ehsanhttp://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/TravelTimes/article/TravelNews/20081201154904/Article/index_html
For a feel of life under the sea, just walk into the Piccolo Hotel. SHANTI GUNARATNAM is spellbound by Dr Kurt Svrcula’s stunning pictures of marine life
| |
Everything at the 168-room Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur is about addressing passion – the passion of two people in love with our rich marine life.
For businesswoman Suzianna Wong-Svrcula and her husband Dr Kurt Svrcula, underwater photographer, diver and author, showcasing Malaysia’s underwater beauty at the hotel was as important as getting it opened for business in May this year. And this is brought to life through the many pictures that hang in the lobby, the rooms and corridors.
“This is our dream. We have not only thought about it for a long time but also worked very hard to get to where we are today,” says Suzianna.
One difficult task was selecting the pictures as there was a huge collection of 40,000-50,000 images to pick from. “Believe me when I tell you that we had many fights and just as many sleepless nights before coming to an agreement,” she adds.
“Opening a hotel is no joke. The stress is tremendous and getting the furnishings and bedding to suit our concept was another uphill task”
Since its opening, the hotel has enjoyed good occupancy rates, considering that it is a boutique hotel that does not have a swimming pool or provide some facilities offered by bigger hotels, such as a round-the-clock cafe or room service.
New Landmark
Piccolo Hotel is situated at the former Wisma Peladang and has become the newest hip landmark in Jalan Bukit Bintang, standing alongside classy neighbours like Lot 10, Starhill Gallery and The Pavilion mall.
Diners at the swanky Ristorante L’Opera on the ground floor can watch the world go by at Bintang Walk.
The hotel is also surrounded by many eateries offering a wide variety of cuisine – from Middle-Eastern and French to Italian and Chinese.
Suzianna says they first opened an eatery in Wisma Peladang in 1998. Three years later, they were offered the lease to take over the entire building.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to run a business in such a prime location, they took up the offer. Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur is owned and run by Absolute Prestige.
Underwater Treasures
The images on display are so outstanding that guests often enquire about buying them. “The younger set, in particular, are always asking where they can buy the images and now, we are thinking about selling the many pictures we have in our collection,” says Kurt.
He had taken pictures on his many diving expeditions in places like Pulau Tenggol (Terengganu), Layang-Layang and Sipadan (Sabah). The marine life at these dive sites are truly outstanding as can be seen from his pictures. Kurt says Malaysia is considered one of the top five dive destinations in the world.
The Svrculas plan to build a similar hotel in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah as there are many internationally renowned dive sites there. Every year, thousands of divers descend on Sabah to explore Sipadan and Layang-Layang as the waters there have a diverse marine life, with many species not found anywhere else in the world.
Room Facilities
The hotel offers, among others, free wi-fi, telephone and voice mail facility, separate living and dining area in studio and suites, satellite broadcast, non-smoking rooms, catering and limousine service, laundry and dry cleaning and foreign currency exchange.
Its Ristorante L’Opera serves Italian cuisine and the Clique Bar offers drinks and snacks.
Deluxe rooms (RM250++), premier deluxe (RM280++), and studio (RM330++). For details and reservations, call 03-2303 8000. Fax: 03-2303 8008. Email: reservation@the piccolohotel.com or go to www.thepiccolohotel.com