Traveling USA

Travel Guides, Maps, Directions!

Archive for July, 2007


Tales From the Road - Congo, Iraq, Mongolia, El Salvador

Tales From the Road - Congo, Iraq, Mongolia, El Salvador

Travel, and travel writing, are born of curiosity. Some travelers hit the road to answer a specific question.

An example: Are Bonobos really the grooviest, most sexually liberated primate? In this edition of Tales From the Road, Ian Parker travels to the depths of the Congo to answer exactly that question.

Some travelers don’t embark with specific questions and are spurred to explore foreign lands by a vague sense of curiosity and wanderlust.

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What a Small World After All !!!!

What a Small World After All  !!!!

After traveling for years by the traditional “plane” method, it is wonderful?  to experience? the web 2.0 “cyber” version of travel.?  I changed my antiquated, and somewhat static, website to the blog format just about one month ago and have never looked back.?  In addition to the challenge and excitement of launching a new site, I have been joyed and overwelmed by the encouragement and support of my new friends and fellow bloggers accross the web; especially? my fellow bloggers at Blogcatalog.? 

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The Jumeirah Hotel at Beetham Tower - in time for 2012 Olympics

Jumeirah has been granted planning approval for a luxury tower hotel in London’s Southbank area. The Jumeirah Hotel at Beetham Tower will? have 261 rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, a ballroom, meeting spaces? and a spa, health and leisure facility, and will open in 2011 - crucially in time for the London 2012 Olympics.

Possibly related posts: Another Jumeirah hotel in LondonBeetham Tower in Manchester, UK, completedHilton Manchester Deansgate, north-west England

aluxurytravelblog.com

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6 Must-Have Playlists For Common Travel Situations

6 Must-Have Playlists For Common Travel Situations

Remember back in the old days, when music was actually stored on circular pieces of plastic?

This archaic technology was called a “compact disc” and seems quaint now in the time of gigabytes and iPods.

Now you can take your entire music collection (along with your neighbour’s) with you on the road. Which means there’s no excuse for not having a playlist ready for any travel situation you find yourself in.

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Suite of the week: Royal Residence at Mandain Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai

Suite name: Royal Residence
Hotel:Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
Size of accommodation:? 6,890 sq ft
Cost per night: 230,000 Baht, plus taxes and service charge
Who’s stayed there? Prime Minister, Head of State and several VIPs
What makes it special? Unique design which inspired by a mix of northern Thai palace and Royal Lanna architecture with six private pavilions featuring three king size beds and three twin bedrooms, three swimming pools, as well as a number of sitting and dining rooms, open-air salas (Thai Pavilion) and even a lounge with a grand piano and bar.

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Summer packages from Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld

Summer packages from Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld

Savour the summer with an escape to sunny Florida and experience the newly renovated Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld, in the heart of Orlando and right across the street from the famous namesake amusement park. The hotel’s vacation packages are the perfect way to save and play at the same time. Enjoy deals for golf, family, romance and more with rate specials now through the end of the year. Their Escape Your Way! package starts from $169 per night (based on a three-night stay), includes deluxe accommodation and a $100 resort credit that can be applied to restaurant, room service and parking.

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Planning Your Next Family Vacation Getaway!

Planning Your Next Family Vacation Getaway!

When planning a family vacation getaway, the choices can be overwhelming. What should you do? Where should you go? To make life easier, these questions should be answered before you start planning. Let’s take a few minutes and help you answer these questions before you get started with the planning.

What Should You Do?
How does skiing fresh powder of Vail’s Blue Sky Basin, or relaxing in the white sand of Hawaii’s beaches and hitting a hole in one at one of Myrtle Beach’s many golf courses sound to you? Ski, beach and golf vacations are great choices for families.?  Keep in mind, no matter what type of vacation you choose - there are many Vail Resort Lodging and Myrtle Beach Golf Vacation packages to choose from.

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5 Travel Must-Dos for a Stellar Summer Family Vacation

Traveling with the family can afford some of the most memorable vacations for years to come. With proper planning and research, you can ensure that your family vacation pleases even the pickiest member of the family. But with so many choices available, how does one choose the perfect destination? Budget, location, activities and amenities are all factors that help determine a location the whole family will enjoy. The following five travel tips will get even the most inexperienced travelers on the road to their ideal summer vacation in 2006.

Plan ahead. Accommodations can be sold out or unavailable by early summer. The Travel Industry Association of America, who conducted an online survey of 1,519 U.S. adults aged 18 and over in January 2006, reports that 21 percent of Americans who are planning to travel this summer had already arranged lodging at their destination. The rest were either exploring their options for where to stay (28 percent) or had not yet selected the specific destination for their trip (32 percent). The age of the internet makes research and booking easy and fairly painless. Chamber of Commerce websites make finding destination activities and outings simple. Getting the whole family excited about your trip can be as easy as spending 20 minutes around the computer looking at websites that bring the destination right into your home.

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Mont Tremblant - A Resort for All Seasons

Imagine a forested valley surrounded by awesome mountain scenery. Add some sparkling lakes, clear streams teaming with fish, a variety of unique golf courses and a world class ski mountain and you have Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada.

This Laurentian Mountain resort is one of those rare places where all four seasons allow visitors to realize their vacation dreams. In the winter, it offers not just alpine skiing, but ice skating, sledding, ski touring, snowshowing and comaraderie around blazing bonfires - all in the fairytale setting of a winter wonderland.

While the other three seasons can surprise you with just about any kind of weather, you will not be at a loss for things to do. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing and golf are some of the most popular activities in the Spring and Fall.

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Destination: Colorado - Ski Vacation Guide

The Rocky Mountains of Colorado offer many good resorts to choose from. Some favorites include

Destination: Colorado - Ski Vacation Guide

Telluride, Vail and Breckenridge. Telluride Ski Resort was built in the 1970’s and along with it came cultural events, festivals, music and more. People come to this town year after year for the wonderful skiing and other fun activities.
If skiing is what you are all about, Vail is the place to go! It has just been named number 1 for the 14th time in 19 years in Ski Magazine’s “Top 50 Resort Guide”. Vail offers world class skiing, fabulous nightlife and many fine dining options.
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