Spice Up Your Weekend No comments yet

Spicewood, Texas is a romantic getaway that includes magnificent lodging accommodations, dining, music, boat rentals, and golf. Spicewood’s streets and creeks are lined with cypress trees which is lovely while driving or walking.   Residence to over 20 wineries in Texas Hill Country, Spicewood is a fantastic retreat for those who fancy wine.

Vacation rentals in Spicewood include motels, hotels, hill country bed and breakfasts, vacation homes and log cabins.  Texas vacation rentals such as homes fronting Lake Travis are also available.   One recommendation is Chanticleer Log Cabin Bed and Breakfast.  Chanticleer has restored turn of the century log cabins into delightful, serene abodes resting on Lake Travis shoreline.  For more information about these impressive cabin escapes packed with down home comforts, visit their web site. 

The TreeHouse at Cozy Cove is another romantic lodge great for an anniversary.  Also situated on the shore of Lake Travis, The TreeHouse has great views of the lake, is fantastically adorned,  private and quiet. There are many gorgeous vacation homes set on cliffs overlooking the lake.  Its near to great dining and wineries, so along with the lake interests, there is plenty to do or nothing to do at all. 

For eating, Lee’s Almost by the Lake is suggested for a delicious meal.  You can request their Leeburger for $5.00, a huge double meat double cheese hamburger stuffed with fresh jalapenos.  Their Philly Cheesesteak is loaded with beef and is spectacular.  Located at 801 Pace Bend Road, they are open from Tuesday to Saturday.

Moon River is another suggested restaurant for some down home Fried Catfish , Chicken Fried Chicken or excellent burgers and fries. 

Spicewood Vineyards is a lovely vineyard to visit for the afternoon.  With beautiful fields and award winning wines, this is a remarkable place to expend some time.  Spicewood Vinyards also has a great activity center that can accommodate up to 200 guests  for wedding parties, family reunions, or the like.  For more information about Spicewood Vinyards, visit their website. 

Stone House Vineyard is based on a lofty bluff overlooking Lake Travis.  This vineyard has outstanding views,  great wines for tasting and purchasing, and a great ambiance for dining with amazing food.  The Tasting Room and Winery are open Thursday through Sunday from noon to five by appointment only.  For additional information or to make an appointment, go to their web site.   
 
For an afternoon of golf, Pedernales Golf Course, a nine hole open course, is located on Rt1, Briarcliff 2 in Spicewood.  Owned by Willie Nelson and operated by PGA Professional, Chris Woolery, this is a beautiful nine hole course spanning the hill tops near the Pedernales River.  To book your tee time, call them at 1-512-264-1489. 

Spicewood, Texas has a lot to offer for a romantic getaway.  The people operating the splendid Texas vacation rentals, bistros, wineries, lake activities and golf courses, are more than happy that you have come to visit their lovely town and go out of their way to receive you.  

Why Serviced Apartments Might Be The Better Option No comments yet

When living away from home for short or long term periods, serviced apartments may be a cost effective alternative to renting a flat or booking a hotel.

To give you more flexibility than staying in a hotel, you have a kitchen, which is normally equipped with a fairly extensive range of crockery, glasses, kitchen utensils, and equipment like dishwasher, washer drier and an iron. internet connection, a TV and stereo are standard and are nearly always of really good quality.

Typically, serviced apartments in the UK come with one or two bedrooms, although larger serviced apartments, that are more suitable for families, can be found. If you have a more modest requirement, then there are, of course, one bedroom studio apartments available.

Some serviced accommodation providers offer a laundry service and a weekly maid service within the price or sometimes for an additional charge.

With security high on the list of priorities, you’ll be please to hear that there are generally 24 hours receptions or porters. If this is important to you, check the security arrangements before you book. Concierge services may be available, you can generally get access to services for your business, like couriers, computers, fax machines etc, can normally be organised.

Children – Specify if you require equipment for children – for example, a cot, additional beds, or a high chair. Of course, your accommodation would normally be an apartment, so there may be no access to a garden. Check beforehand if this would be an issue.

Payments – For short stays, you will pay in advance. Negotiate weekly or monthly rates according to length of stay. For longer stays, a deposit will be required and you would have to sign a contract. Of course, it may be you company that is paying for your accommodation. If this is the case, then make sure you check out authorisation and contract requirement.

Parking would normally be provided, but if the apartments do not have facilities, there are often arrangements with local car parks.

Find out the checking in procedure, particularly if you are arriving outside of normal office hours, or maybe at the weekend. You should also bear this in mind for your departure!.

Most serviced accommodation providers have the wellbeing of their guests at the forefront of their minds. So they should make life as convenient as possible.

Things To See In Darthmouth, Devon No comments yet

In Dartmouth there’s lots to see:

• Browns Hill – this was once the main road into Dartmouth. Today it is typical of the many small streets ablaze with colour during the summer months and well worth exploring.
• Dartmouth Castle Strictly speaking, two castles. The Medieval fortress dates back 600 years while the more recent building was still in use during the Second World War. It is under the care of English Heritage here in Dartmouth.
• St Petrox Church has some of the most stunning views in the country! Probably a monks cell when first recorded in 1192 (it has been rebuilt – in the 17th century.) This church has a interesting collection of brasses and family memorials. Well worth a visit – perhaps by river taxi.
• Bayards Cove The Pilgrim Fathers set sail from here in 1620 in the Mayflower and Speedwell (but hit problems and had to goto Plymouth -England until they could continue their journey). Bayards Cove Fort was the last line of defence against any foreign intruders. During the 1970’s this area found fame as a setting for TV’s “The Onedin Line”.
• Woodlands Park - 3 Watercoasters, Toboggan Run, Arctic Gliders, Boats, 15 playzones for all ages. Biggest indoor venture zone in the U.K. with five floors of play and rides. Falconry & Animals. Open daily March to Nov. 9.30 am. Winter weekends & school holidays. with probably the most annoying flash website currently in existence
• Dartmouth Museum occupying the first floor of an old merchant’s house. The collection includes many ship models, pictures and artefacts of this ancient town together with much local and maritime information.
  Dartmouth Golf & Country Club about 4 miles outside Dartmouth with an 18 hole Championship golf course (voted one of the top 80 courses in Great Britain & Ireland), a 9 hole pay and play course , driving range plus a superb leisure suite, complete with swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spa, health & beauty treatments, sunbed , gymnasium and physiotherapy clinic. Open daily to non members, handicap certificates not required.

To see these sights and more, visit British Breaks in Dartmouth – Devon to find accommodation of all types.

Discover the Valley of the Kings on Luxor, Egypt Tours No comments yet

Luxor Travel, Tours & Nile Cruises – Ancient Monuments Overload

The Valley of the Kings is a celebrated attraction of ancient Egypt. It is a valley located in Luxor, Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom. The location was the political and religious capital of the New Kingdom, and was first used as a royal necropolis by Thutmosis I, although it was his predecessor, Amenhotep I, who was considered the patron-god of the valley by the actual builders of the tombs.

Two Main Branches

The Kings Valley has two main branches: the East Valley, where most of the royal tombs are situated, and the West Valley, which contains only the tombs of Amenhotep III and Ay, and some pits.

Tombs of the New Kingdom

The tombs of most of the New Kingdom kings have been discovered over the years; some were already open to public during the Greek-Roman era, others have only recently been unearthed.

The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity, but they still give an idea of the opulence and power of the rulers of this time.

Preservation of the Royal Mummies

In an effort to save the royal mummies of these attractions from destruction, and to salvage the left(p) treasures of the royal tombs, the priests of the end of the 20th and the 21st Dynasty opened the tombs, collected the mummies and buried them in two or more “caches”.

The first “cache” was a rock tomb high up in the mountains of Deir el-Bahri that was probably intended as the family tomb of the 21st Dynasty king-priests. The second “cache” was the tomb of 18th Dynasty king Amenhotep II.

An Unidentified Cache?

Not every royal mummy of the New Kingdom has been found, so there is room for the possibility that there may have been a third “cache” which has not yet been identified as such or which has not yet been discovered.

The only royal mummies to have been found in their own tombs were those of Amenhotep II, who was re-buried in his own tomb by the 21st Dynasty priests, and Tutankhamun, whose tomb lay undisturbed from the middle of the 20th Dynasty.

The Valley of the Kings is an crucial ancient attraction and therefore included in all Luxor Tours.

Cairo Luxor Tour

The Classical Cairo Luxor Tour is a short and sweet five day experience that introduces visitors to some of the most famous historic sites in Cairo and Luxor. It is flexible private tour of Cairo and Luxor and can be customized to your exact likings…

Casa Mexilio In Merida Mexico Is A Treasure Of A Hotel No comments yet

Merida’s Full History is Worth the Trip

Merida is an ancient colonial city and the capital of the Yucatan state proudly located to the west of Quintana Roo, abundant with historical churches, architecturally distinctive buildings, delectable flavors, music, night life, shopping and more.  Each night, the Historic Center hosts traditional folk dancers, right in front of City Hall, dancing to live music, in traditional dress.  On Sunday nights, salsa and cumbia dance liven up the streets.  Restaurants and street vendors are abundant, as is the shopping.  Staying near the Main Square is recommended.

My wife and I had the joy of staying at Casa Mexilio, in Merida, over the first weekend in August, 2009 and it was one of the most unique places we have ever stayed.  Located near the town center, about 4 blocks from the main square, you’ll discover Casa Mexilio squeezed in amid residences and merchants along one of the normally urban sections of Merida.  All of the buildings in this section of town have no spaces between them and the only method to quickly discern where one ends and the next one begins is the variation in paint.  Each block is consequently full in distinctive colors and personal distinguishable window boxes, signs, benches, and the like. 

The main entry to Casa Mexilio, a Merida hotel, is somewhat non-descript, with a few iron gates fronting wood doors right on the street.  Don’t be fooled by the lack of ordainment outside this exceptional small lodge.  When inside, the hotel is more museum than hotel with vintage furniture, artifacts, books and pictures throughout.  It really is akin to stepping back in time.  The lodge is a transformed home dating back to the late 19th century and is detailed of its own intriguing history as are the buildings and city of Merida that encompass it.

The main courtyard of the hotel is positioned directly behind the front desk and service locale where you will find a luxuriant garden and “grotto” like pool with a Jacuzzi.  It always stays nice and cool due to the shade of the gardens and protected location, a great place to cool off anytime and very romantic.  We went for a swim to cool off before bed one night and the burning smell of copal was a nice touch (this is a regional herb and incense noted for its purification properties).  This section with the trees and plants almost reminds you of being in a jungle cenote except there are stairs and balconies just about everywhere you gaze.  There is even an elevated footbridge that connects one of the top sections of the lodge.  In attendance are patios, landings and obscure garden nooks everywhere; the place begs to be explored.

Our room was astonishing with very high ceilings and reasonably clean with a comfortable king sized bed, extra pillows, ceiling fan and AC, although we only used the AC for a few hours at night, the ceiling fan was wonderful for air circulation.  The furniture, like everything else we saw while we were there were classic, antique couches, chairs, dressers, bed and wardrobes, really nice touches. Our room also had eclectic tiled floors.  I truthfully don’t know the actual name of our room, but each one has its own unique charm with similar furnishings from what we could see, one of the nicest Merida hotels available.

Our only disappointment was missing a great breakfast!  We got up very early…too early for breakfast seemingly as we looked around and didn’t catch a glimpse of anybody (this was roughly 7am) so we walked a few blocks to one of the local cafes.  Upon our return to the inn one of the waiters stopped by our room asking if we wanted breakfast.  We’ll without doubt seize that on our next visit!  We will be back to Merida in quest of further interesting sites, sounds and flavors and recommend this hotel to anyone, as it is genuinely a magical place.

mai chau in vietnam 2 comments

Places To Visit On Arran No comments yet

Located at the Firth of Clyde’s mouth the Isle of Arran is frequently called “Scotland in miniature”.  Similar to the country of Scotland the island of Arran has and incredibly varied scenery and a richly diverse range of flora and fauna, the island has lochs, sandy beaches, glens, moors, rocky coves and even features a lowlands and highlands region. Increasing the likeness the Isle of Arran also features standing stones, a brewery, castles, a distillery, museums and superb local produce and crafts. The Isle of Arran is a magnificent destination for a vacation, especially for visitors who enjoy hill-walking or similar. In the following article I introduce Isle of Arran attractions and a quick look at hotel accommodation on Arran.

Brodick Castle

Brodick Castle is an imposing structure of red sandstone which at one time belonged to the dukes of Hamilton. Found a distance from the port of Brodick, encompassed by beautiful gardens and parks Brodick Castle was constructed upon the site of an old Viking fortress. Visiting Brodick Castle is a superb family day out children will have a great time in the adventure playground while older members of the family will be pleased by the castle’s superb collection of fine art, silver and porcelain. For a quick visit allow for about two hours.

Arran Heritage Museum

Arran Heritage Museum is located, on the site of a small school, in Brodick and open during the months of April-October from ten thirty in the morning to four thirty in the evening. Consisting of a collection buildings; a farmhouse, smiddy, croft (small farmstead) and cottage as well as milk house, stable, laundry, coach house and harness room and more. Exhibits reflect the social history, archaeology and geology of the island.

Isle of Arran Distillery

Wherever you visit  in Scotland it seems that are rarely far from something associated with the whisky industry such as a distillery. The Isle of Arran Distillery uses traditional techniques in the newest distillery in Scotland. The distillery is open to the public from April to October and it features a visitor centre and restaurant.

Isle of Arran Brewery

The Isle of Arran Brewery is found at the main entrance to Brodick Country Park.  Tourists can watch the process of brewing via viewing gallery and observation windows as well as getting a sample of the end product. The micro-brewery uses high-tech equipment to produce an ale using natural ingredients without using artificial additives.

Lochranza Castle

The last Isle of Arran attraction I want to talk about is Lochranza Castle situated on the North Coast. On first looks all you see is ruins 16th century tower house but you can get to the interior using keys from the local shop/Post Office. Once inside the L-plan tower you begin to see hints of a grand structure.

Accommodation On Arran

Finding the most suitable Arran accommodation should not be too difficult as hotel accommodation on the Isle of Arran can be found in most of the largest villages and towns (Blackwaterfoot, Lamlash and Brodick all have the minimum of one hotel as well as guest house accommodation). Establishments to look out for include the Glenisle Hotel and the Lamlash Bay Hotel (in Lamlash), the Auchrannie Spa Resort (in Brodrick,) and the Best Western Kinloch Hotel (in Blackwaterfoot) all of which have an excellent reputation.

More Fun Travel – Morning Exercises in Hanoi, Vietnam No comments yet

Busy Tenerife No comments yet

Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary islands . Tenerife is a Spanish island located just off the coast of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. Over five million visitors , Tenerife must have something truly special to keep so many coming !

Tenerife is a volcanic island and thus the surface is naturally gravelly. Spending time on Tenerife is truly being surrounded by natural beauty , from La Orotava Valley views to the Teno Massif cliffs ; it doesn’t get much more beautiful. Tenerife is full of organic plants , including the arrestingTenerife Dragon Tree.

The easiest way to get to Tenerfie is to fly . Flights to Tenerife can be included as part of a package deal. Tenerife is the only Spanish  Island to have two airports.

There are two seaports which makes holiday visits   by boat,conceivable! Several  large  cruise lines pass by and dock on Tenerife . Private charter planes are available  that go to Tenerife daily. The cheapest way to visit Tenerife is probably by Air as it is most common.

Tenerife has a very good public transport system in its buses , often known as”Guaguas”. There are bus stops all over the island . The buses travel outside of the cities and towns to take tourists  just about everywhere . Aside from an extensive bus system, there is the Tenerife Metropolitan Tramway. Tenerife’s Tramway has 20 stops and connects to the two major cities to all the important stops  including both major hospitals.

Relaxing in Tenerife  offers a lot of possibility and there are loads of day trips . Recommendations for holidaymakers include spending the day on  the Eden Catamaran, which is a amply featured whale watching tour. Loro Parque is a beautiful Park and Natural History Museum both are well worth seeing .

Siam Park is a huge, mega water park which will keep the kids busy all day! There is no shortfall ofclassic towns and villages , scuba diving expeditions and even a submarine ride on the island . A summer holiday  to the island  offers something for everyone; Tenerife makes a great holiday filled with sunshine, bars and culture .

Only a short drive from Sydney experience the wonders of The Blue Mountains 1 comment

The Blue Mountains region is beautiful area with a unique set of attractions. The park is just two hours from Sydney but it feels like a world away. Excellent infrastructure means that the park is accessible to everyone but also has large areas of wilderness for the more adventurous. There is also a lot of Blue Mountains accommodation providing a variety of holiday experiences.

The area is popular with people who appreciate nature in all its forms. The variety of landscapes in just one park is incredible. There are areas of rainforest, tall forest and woodland areas with the largest variety of Eucalypts in Australia. There are also huge, ancient rocky outcrops which give the landscapes a dramatic edge. The park is cut through with rivers, canyons and many waterfalls. Many areas have well marked trails covering miles of land. If you want to go bushwalking there are lots of opportunities to hire local expert guides. A recently completed driving trail has opened up the wilderness to those who do not hike. There are many different sections taking in the range of natural habitats the area has to offer. All the roads have good surfaces and viewing areas and some even have detours into more remote places.

There is something to cater for all tastes in the area. For sightseers there are many picturesque small towns and villages with tea shops and interesting features. There is also a cable car which swoops over one of the best known valleys giving wonderful views through the glass bottomed carriages. The famous zig zag railway is a very popular attraction. If you like music there is a cave in which concerts are held. For historians there are lots of local museums, caves with aboriginal art and a special cinema which shows a film about the area. Throughout the area the arts scene is flourishing and there are a variety of galleries with crafts and art for sale.

For the adventurous the area is something of a playground. The list of possible activities includes; horse riding, climbing, canyoning, abseiling, mountain biking and adventure caving. There are a number of tour companies specializing in adventure pursuits who can cater to the beginner and the adrenalin junkie.

There are so many beautiful areas and attractions in this vast national park that choosing a place to stay is no easy task. Of course you can move around and stay in several places to cut down on daily travelling and widen your experience. There are a number of travel agencies operating in the area so you could book an all inclusive tour and have the benefit of a guide. They run adventure tours in 4×4s and bespoke tours with private transport. The park also has some bus services. They run all over the area and you can get on and off them anywhere.

If you like to dine out then the area has some top restaurants. There is plenty of different self catering accommodation in cabins, cottages and caravans. There are also a number of well appointed resorts with top class facilities. If you want a really peaceful place to stay but with modern conveniences there are country clubs and spa retreats. There is accommodation in all price ranges from five stars to budget.

All these types of accommodation can be reserved on the internet. There are several websites dedicated to the area with photographs, videos, maps and information.

Blue Mountains accommodation gives the traveler a great opportunity to spend time in a unique place. There are holidays to suit all tastes.