Travelogue… with Bob Nicolaides

 

Take  in The Pearl of the Orient through Swan Hellenic

 



The Shwedagon Pagoda

Join Minerva in Singapore (Sri Lanka,) a dynamic modern city fusing Malay and Chinese cultures, before sailing to the island of Penang, the Pearl of the Orient, where the Chinese influence is particularly noticeable. Discover the highlights of Phuket. Thailand’s largest island with lush rainforests and exquisite beaches, before the captain navigates a scenic cruise among the tall limestone karsts of Krabi Bay, perhaps finding a beach on which to land.



 



Transit Yangon River to reach the old capital of Burma, (Myanmar) Yangon. An overnight in port allows plenty of time to discover this intriguing city, the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, Bago, ancient capital of the Mon Kingdom, and to view some of the best preserved British colonial architecture. From the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, drive through the beautiful scenery of the Hill Country to Kandy and the lakeside Temple of the Tooth or enjoy a visit to the Pinnawela Elephant Sanctuary.

 

There are plenty of speakers onboard the cruise, such as Dr. Alan Borg, Dr. Robert Bradnock and Rosalind White to lecture you on what you visit, plus  a featured guest Robert Powell, English actor of film and television.

 

 

 

‘Rock in Rio’ site planned for Las Vegas



 



LAS VEGAS — A group including casino company MGM Resorts announced plans Monday to build a 33-acre open-air music venue on the Las Vegas Strip to host a four-day Rock in Rio, the  USA festival beginning in May 2015. MGM Resorts International officials said the “City of Rock” development to be built between the Circus Circus resort and Sahara Avenue would serve as home to what they expect will be one of the largest concert festival events in the world.

Rio in Las Vegas

 Rock in Rio began in 1985 in Brazil, where 600,000 tickets for the event last September sold out in four hours, according to organizers. Headliners included Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Metallica and Bruce Springsteen. The organization also produces festivals in Portugal and Spain.



 Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina said he was excited to partner for the first Rock in Rio USA event in the heart of Las Vegas with casino giant MGM Resorts, multiple Las Vegas show producer Cirque du Soleil and developer Ron Burkle of the California-based Yucaipa Companies LLC.



 Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts International, noted dramatic changes in the entertainment industry in recent years and said he believed the four-day music festival in Las Vegas would draw more than 300,000 people. The layout is expected to include five stages, themed streets featuring sights, sounds and foods of Brazil, the U.S. and the United Kingdom, plus thrill rides and shopping. ost figures and site plans for the City of Rock development weren’t made public and will need approval from Clark County lawmakers. Tickets are expected to go on sale in January.

The event will be separate from the three-night Electric Daisy Carnival electronic music festival, held in June at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It attracts more than 100,000 people, according to its parent company, Insomniac

 

The world's most well-travelled nations revealed

 

Scandinavian tourists

 

Scandinavia is the world's most well-travelled region, according to a new study, with Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway all in the top five countries. The average Finn takes 7.5 trips a year, topping the list compiled by Trimetic. The United States, coming in second, is the only non-Nordic country in the top five, with Americans travelling an average of 6.7 times per year.

Finland and the US are followed by Sweden (average six trips per year), Denmark (5.3), and Norway (5.2). The United Kingdom ranks behind Australia, Canada, France and Germany, coming 13th on the list. The average Briton takes 0.9 international trips and two domestic trips per year.  

The reasons for the Scandinavian enthusiasm for travel is due to a wealthier population and a wish to escape the harsh winter, according to Trimetic.

 

These are the most unusual honeymoons

 



If you fancy something different to relaxing at a beach resort, these could be just right for you. Explore the beautiful Irish countryside on a horse-drawn gypsy caravan. Or give something back by 'honeyteering' in Nepal to help out the less fortunate. See the stunning Northern Lights on a dog sledding adventure in Swedish Lapland. After months of planning your wedding, it's time to really have some fun. So, why not let loose and opt for a honeymoon that's a bit more adventurous than your standard all-inclusive beach resort getaway?

Honeymoon hideaways

 Whether you'd prefer to be treated like a queen in a luxury suite in a real French castle or give something back by volunteering with school children in Nepal, we've got you and your new significant other covered. For a truly unique means of travel, explore the Irish countryside in a horse-drawn gypsy caravan. Several companies offer week-long packages, like Mayo horse-drawn Caravan Holidays, which start at €720 (about £577) for seven days, and will take you around some of the most lush greenery in the world. There are options to fly into Shannon or Dublin, as airport transfers are also available. Ryanair flies regularly to both airports from London, starting at £45.99 one way.

Alternatively, rent a car and head south along the Pacific Coast Highway in California for breath-taking Big Sur views. Start your drive in Monterey (near San Francisco) and head south to Los Angeles to truly experience one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the country. Don't miss the many state reserves and parks, the quaint town of Carmel-by-the-Sea or the stunning Hearst Castle, located in San Simeon.

For the couple that prefers something off the beaten path, spend a week in the rain forests of Costa Rica at an eco-friendly resort. The Pacuare Lodge is nestled overlooking the Pacuare River and offers thrill-seeking partners the chance to raft down the river as part of their stay. Best of all, it's located on a private reserve that protects more than 1.2 million acres of Central America's tropical wilderness.

For those with winter weddings, your romantic getaway can be made even more memorable by checking into Canada's only ice hotel. Located only 20 minutes from Quebec City, Hotel de Glace is a must-see attraction each winter - open from January 5 until March 22, 2015.

The hotel's Romantic Getaway package is priced from $999 (about £550) depending on the month. More adventurous couples may prefer to travel to the Gobi desert to stay in a traditional Mongolian yurt. Three Camel Lodge offers twenty deluxe yurts, known as gers, which each include a private bathroom, a king size bed and even toiletries made from camel milk. The gers offer unobstructed views of the Gobi-Altai Mountains and there are also plenty of opportunities for eco-friendly relaxation with an on-site bar, restaurant and spa.

 With trips to suit all tastes, these are the most unconventional honeymoon options out there.

UNWTO commends Greece on strong tourism results   The number of international tourists visiting Greece in the first half of 2014 grew by 17%, driven by the strong demand from key European outbound markets such as Germany and the United Kingdom. A growing number of tourists for Greece Such results, which are well above the growth registered in Southern European destinations (+7%), consolidate the very positive performance of 2013 and confirm the importance of the tourism sector as a stronghold of Greece´s economy. In 2013, i nternational tourists in Greece reached 18 million (+16%) generating US$ 16 billion (+13%). Meeting with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras during his official visit to Greece, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai commended the excellent results of Greece´s tourism sector, indicating that 2014 will come to an exceptional close. According to UNWTO the strength of the tourism sector in Greece is the result of a robust tourism policy, of the implementation of fundamental competitiveness measures and of the immense capacity of the private sector to adjust to a fast changing market. Prime Minister Samaras has expressed solid support to tourism recalling that Greece´s tourism sector is “the first locomotive that started and began to pull our economy out of a painful six-year recession.” During the meeting, also attended by the Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, Mr. Rifai commended Prime Minister Samaras on taking key steps to support the tourism sector, including simplifying visa procedures to encourage travel to Greece, reducing the Value Added Tax (VAT) on hotels and tourism services, and supporting the cruise industry. “These measures enhance the competitiveness of Greece’s tourism while sending a very strong political message of support to the sector” said Mr. Rifai. On behalf of UNWTO, Mr Rifai underscored the importance of giving continuity to the current tourism policy as a means to ensure the sector continues to play a key role in the country’s economic growth and stability and committed to continue supporting Greece in advancing its tourism sector.

Hohenschwangau: Neuschwanstein Castle, true to Fairy tales.

Neuschwanstein Castle

 

You do not need get an excursion to Neuschwanstein castle as your time at the castle is limited.  Instead take yourself or get a bus or taxi.  You can get ticket reservations months ahead online at www.hohenschwangau.de to get the entrance times you want and so you won’t have to wait in line at the ticket center.   The only way to see the castle's interior is by guided tours in groups of 60.  Your ticket lists an entrance time and a tour group number which is posted when your tour is ready to begin.   Allow yourself lots of extra time before your tour time begins to get yourself up to the castle and enjoy the surrounding views. If you miss your allocated time then you will not get on another tour due to the pressure of numbers. Before your tour starts you have to get through a turnstyle gate which is actioned by the bar code on your ticket. You need to look for the number on your ticket to appear on a screen before you can go through.

The walk up to the castle takes around 30 minutes uphill. Getting a horse and buggy to take you to the summit for 5 Euros is a risk as they will not set off until the buggy is full. So if you are using this option allow plenty of time. There is still a 10 minute uphill walk up to the castle from  where the buggy drops you off.  There is also a bus that leaves not far from the buggy area and is the most reliable way to get to the castle especially if time is short but be prepared to queue especially if the whether is wet. The fare is 1.9 Euros eachway. The bus goes up past the castle to the Marienbrucke (bridge) above the castle.  This is the recommended route to get to the castle. There you can enjoy the most fabulous view of the castle, then have a downhill walk to the castle. After, you can walk the short distance down to the buggy area and take the horse and buggy down.  Or you can have a long but beautiful and peaceful walk down.

Be warned: tourists are herded through the rooms, to allow for tours following behind, and some of the rooms and lovely balcony view are not accessible.  The quality of guiding can be variable dependant on how confident the guide is in your chosen language. Also, you are not allowed to take photos, but you can buy a photo cd or postcards.  Also watch out for pickpockets near the bridge, as it can be very crowded.

Even though it looks medieval, Neuschwanstein was built between 1869 and 1886. Inspired by Wagner’s operas, only a third of the castle’s interior was finished by the time of Ludwig’s death in 1886 at the age of 41. Within weeks of his death, tourists were already paying to see this lavish castle and its furnishings.

 Tourist attraction Bras removal cause public anger     Bras lined-up in new Zealand     Activists vow to replenish Cardrona bra fence after officials remove garments. A Famous New Zealand bra fence has done another striptease, with hundreds of the undergarments once again removed. Snippers struck for the third time this year, cutting the bras from the roadside farm fence this week. This time they struck during daylight and locals vented their fury at a couple of women — who were supposedly caught on camera — on the Cardrona bra fence’s dedicated Facebook page. As in past instances, people promised to place more bras on the fence. The fence, in Central Otago’s Cardrona Valley, started attracting bras in about 1999. The council removed them in 2006 but people still put them up. There are fears tourists stopping to photograph the fence will cause an accident.