Good Tourism

The United States and Canada are both full of natural beauty and things to do. Like a fine wine, these visual treasures are meant to be savoured – there is no better way to thoroughly enjoy their splendour than to take a journey along their historical highways.

The rugged beauty of Canada

Lauded as one of the most beautiful highways in the world, the Icefields Parkway consists of 230 kilometres of exquisite Canadian landscape. Known as Alberta Highway 93, this route runs parallel to the Continental Divide and offers a chance to hike on the Columbia Icefield, see the Athabasca Glacier, and drink pure, icy cold water right from the source at Athabasca Falls.

While the Icefields Parkway can be driven in its entirety in less than four hours, there is too much to do and see along the way. Canada vacations are not complete without a camping experience along this route. The route is only a short trip from both Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta province.

Visitors to Alberta should make plans to camp and hike in the Banff National Forest and then to visit the Aquatics Entertainment Stage & Sea Life Caverns. The national park encompasses much of the Icefields Parkway and features the Banff Sulphur Mountain Gondola, where visitors can ride high above the landscape in glass gondolas for unparalleled views. Located in Edmonton, the Aquatics Entertainment Stage & Sea Life Caverns offer the chance to see a vast array of species of colourful fish, sharks, penguins, reptiles and even a Pacific octopus. There is also a touch pool for visitors to get a closer look at the aquatic life.

Enjoying a slice of Americana

No other route in the United States is better known than the legendary Route 66 . Officially a US highway from 1926 to 1985, this 3,940-kilometre journey back through US history winds from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, on a trip that leads through eight different states. So famous was the route that it has been memorialised both in song (one once recorded by the Rolling Stones) and a television show. A direct route from Chicago to Los Angeles, the ‘Mother Road’, as it was called, became the ultimate road trip America had to offer.

Although the country’s inter-state system reduced the significance of the route in the 1980s, many parts of Route 66 live on, now known as the ‘Historic Route 66’. Today’s travellers can still trace most of the highway’s path, giving them a great opportunity to experience a broad variety of American life and nature on the route also known as ‘The Main Street of America’. For travellers who start in Chicago, a great attraction to visit on the first day is Lincoln’s tomb. Located in Springfield, Illinois, the stunning monument recognises the famous 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

On the western end of Route 66, visitors to Tucumcari, New Mexico, can go back in time by visiting the Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum. Situated approximately half way between Amarillo, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, the museum has 10,000 square feet of exhibits dedicated to an impressive fossil collection. It also houses the world’s largest collection of bronze skeletons, fossils, and replicas of pre-historic creatures. Located along the old Route 66, this is a great chance to see one of America’s great contributions to pre-historic archaeology.

Experiencing North America by car

For those who want to know Canada or the US better, these journeys represent the perfect opportunity. Whether exploring a glacier along the Icefields Parkway or trying to ‘get your kicks on Route 66’, as the old song says, travellers can use either of these adventures to savour a sublime journey from the comfort of their cars or sally forth for an adventure on foot.

After the USSR disintegration in the early 90-ies it has become possible to visit all the former Soviet Republics, like Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other. At the same time a new layer in the political life has been set for all the people living there as well as for those who dreamt of visiting these countries. It has become possible though not as easy as, for instance, visiting Mexico to an American. You must get a special visa and Russia visa requirements are really tough. At the same time there are a lot of travel agencies that can help you out and you do not have to trouble about this. The mysterious and at the same time the most glorious country on the European continent Russia has always welcomed visitors from all over the world. During the Soviet time a lot of students from other countries came to Russia to study there as it had the most sophisticated and profound level of higher education. Nowadays the country is a titbit for the travelers. The majority of those who want to visit Russia because of its infinite monuments of architecture, nature and special atmosphere always chose Russia river cruises as this is the best way to enjoy the view and to have an experience of coasting. So what are you waiting for? Just order tickets to Russia and be ready for an unforgettable journey!

The winter this year is severe and practically the whole country is covered with snow. For sure, this is the time when the majority of people prefer cars to their bikes or even the public transport. Unfortunately, this is the end of the cycling season and those who can’t imagine their life without their cruiser bike are now in a deep depression. But the great thing is that soon there will be the opening of a new season and new models of bikes will be introduced to the public. Another great thing is that the price for older models will definitely go down. More opportunities will be opened to those who are called newbies, those who have just realised that bikes are really better than cars: they do not need gas, they do not need any serious maintenance and there are no problems with parking.

Bikes are really great and no one would ever deny it but the majority of us have already got used to the comfort modern cars are able to provide. But if you care about your health and about your money - you will definitely choose a lowrider bike.

Of all the luxury hotels in Paris, the Hôtel de Crillon is the richest in history and culture and the most intimate. Legendary and enchanting, the hotel whose design was commissioned by Louis XV, shares its incomparable history with the glorious Place de la Concorde. Its prestigious suites boast 180 degrees view over historical Paris. Offering a unique proximity to fashionable rue du Faubourg St Honoré, the palace hotel is within walking distance to the Champs-Elysées, the Louvre Museum, the Madeleine area and the Opéra.

Dining In

“Les Ambassadeurs”, awarded fine dining restaurant, invites you to discover its unique atmosphere run by Jean-François Piège, one of the best interpreter of French gastronomy. “L’Obélisque”, offers a traditional regional cuisine, also under Piège’s supervision. “Le Jardin d’Hiver”, a lounge opening onto a magnificent patio, serves afternoon tea, drinks, light lunch and snacks all day. “Le Bar Crillon” designed by the sculptor César and decorated by Sonia Rykiel opens from lunch time to late evening, serving drinks and light lunch. In-Room dining available 24 hours a day.

Recreation and Health

The Fitness Center features modern equipment such as treadmills, virtual stair climbers, and rowing machines. A personal trainer is available for classes. Our Guest Relations Department offers a special welcome to kids and also to women traveling alone.

Miami is one of the world’s hottest beach destinations.   Ranked as the United State’s number one Healthiest City by Natural Health Magazine in 2002, Miami is the place where you can experience the serenity of the sunset and the excitement of extreme water sports.   If you are looking for a romantic place, the beaches of Miami are definitely the places to go.  Nothing can be romantic than a candlelit dinner by the shore - the sea breeze caressing you, and the sound of the waves serenading you.   Then after dinner, you and your partner can walk along the powdery sand of the beach that leads to the Atlantic Ocean.

Located on the sun drenched Hawaiian Island of Oahu, Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the entire world, with luxurious hotels and beach clubs set right on the beach. The famous Kalakaua Avenue, which runs parallel to the beach, offers you a shoppers paradise with fine restaurants and nightly entertainment.

Waikiki Beach is also known for its gentle waves which are ideal for beginning surfers. You can rent surfboards and gear on the beach, and even take lessons if you have never surfed before.

Catamaran rides to and from Diamond Head are also offered by several different companies as well, with departure times varying. Other activities on your vacation include kayaking, swimming, and outrigger canoeing.

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The Bâb Saîda development is in the superb Marina Beach resort, right next door to Marina Marbella Maroc. The Marina Beach Resort is rightfully famous for its beautiful beaches of golden sand and its crystal clear water, and represents a paradise for sun and sea lovers.

The development has wonderful gardens which frame inviting swimming pools, and the views out to sea are absolutely stunning.

The blocks are sympathetically spaced and no higher than four floors, lending a feeling of relaxed calm to the whole environment. They vary in size from a decent 55 sq metres up to a very spacious 130 sq metres. The bathrooms have a steam room as well as a shower, contributing to the feeling of luxury. While built to the best of modern standards, these properties are also charming, and boast generous terracing from which to enjoy the warm days and evenings.

The development is in a privileged position, being only 200 metres from the marina and right at the entry to the Golden Mile. A theme park and water park are only five minutes away. Southern Spain is only half an hour away via the ferry at Ceuta, and Tangier airport is less than two hours’ drive. Continued investment means that the amenities and facilities of this up-and-coming tourist area are improving all the time.

The beauty of Les Borjs de la Kasbah is that it is completely unexpected, slap in the middle of one of the busiest and dirtiest bits of Marrakesh. To get to this boutique hotel involves a short drive from the airport, in all likelihood in a taxi with no seatbelts, along roads that bear a closer resemblance to alleyways than thoroughfares, even if they do seem to hold the same amount of traffic as the average high street back home.

Eventually, you pitch up at the door and think ‘This can’t be it’, because it’s far too unprepossessing, looking as if it might be a hostel of some sort, not the environment-friendly spa-hotel you think you’ve booked. However, once you’re inside, Les Borjs is chic and entirely peaceful - you can just about hear the call to prayer, but that’s it.

As my sister, Katy, and I arrived on a Saturday morning after just six hours’ travelling door-to-door, we met Françoise Bruce-Mitford, one of the owners, who designed and built Les Borjs with her British husband to prevent them becoming bored when they retired from running their holiday company, VFB Holidays.

Though based in Wales, she comes over at least once a month for a few days, which in itself goes to show how easy it is to get to Marrakesh for a long weekend, as we were doing. It seemed incredible that we had been in freezing Britain that morning and here we were drinking freshly squeezed fruit juices and peeling off layers in the 24C sunshine.

Les Borjs is now a year old, and when setting it up the Bruce-Mitfords were concerned to use as many environment-friendly, energy-efficient and all-round ethical ploys as they could in both the spa and the main hotel. Much of the electricity comes from solar panels, and rubbish is disposed of in as eco-conscious a manner as possible. Even the lowliest potwasher in the kitchen is paid nearly double the statutory minimum wage, and the couple are involved in several local charities.

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Morocco, first discovered by the Arabs in the 7th Century was called “bilad al Maghreb” by them, the “Western Extreme”. A land of horizons, where sea, sand dunes, skies and mountains extend endlessly till where your eyes can follow them. The beautiful atmosphere with the dry winds blowing into your face is one of the most pleasant experiences you can ever have. Morocco is truly the land of contrasts, it has everything: from snow capped mountain peaks to dry hot desserts, fertile valleys and bare rock formations, it has just everything. The diversity in morocco is caused by it’s positioning on the globe: the area where two completely different worlds meet: Africa and Europe, Islam and Christianity, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Morocco is made from the fusion of two completely different words with separate cultures, separate food habits, separate traditions and clothing styles, separate languages and so much so that: separate skin colors. However, just looking at it’s geographical position is not enough to tell everything about Morocco. There is more to it, a lot more. The people form a vital part of the enchantment too. The ancient traditions of a rich culture still thrive in Morocco. This can be indistinctly noted from their food habits and dressing styles, their customs and their festivities and most importantly the way they receive guests. Moroccans are some of the most hospitable people. Famous all over the world for their hospitality and friendly nature, the Moroccans till date welcome strangers in accordance to the age old code of ceremony. A land of god, this place will definitely leave a deep impression on you that will never let you forget the sweet memories.

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