Ultimate Travel Experience

Whenever the word Tahiti is mentioned, i can imagine nice beaches with white sand with sparkling clear water rushing to the shore. Holiday villas standing on stilts over the clear sparkling water. Loving couples holding hands strolling down the white beach as the sun began to set in the horizon.

Tahiti is located in the South Pacific consisting of 118 islands spreading across 5 archipelagos. Of the 5 archipelagoes,  three archipelagos that are most sought by visitors are the Society Islands, comprised of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea and Taha’a; The Tuamotu Atolls or “Tahiti’s Strand of Pearls”, include the atolls of Rangiroa, Manihi, Tikehau, and Fakarava; and the Marquesas, or “The Mysterious Islands.”

The two other archipelagos namely Austral Islands and Gambier Islands which lie to the south and the southeast, respectively, of the Society Islands. Due to its remoteness, there are very few travelers who venture to these remote islands but if you decide to vist these islands, you will not disappointed by the pristine environment.

One of my favorite islands among the 118 is Bora Bora. Bora Bora island is made famous in the movie ‘Bora Bora‘ release in 1970. Interestingly, this movie has the tagline “A world where love has no inhibition’. This really tells a lot of what Bora Bora or Tahiti islands can offer. Let’s boked into a beautiful Bora Bora resort to explore the romance this place can offer.

Eventhough Tahiti islands may be located far away from , there are many airlines flying there. One can fly from Sydney, Auckland, Paris, Tokyo, New York or Los Angeles with Air Tahiti Nui.

For more information on Tahiti Islands, you can refer to Tahiti Tourism website.

Tags: Uncategorized

Florence, or known as Firenze in Italian, is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. It is located in the romantic Tuscany region. Florence has so many interesting things to do. I prepared my list of places to visit prior to arriving at Florence. I have the Duomo and other churches, Uffizi Museum, Statue of David, Piazza Michelangelo and 14th century bridge Ponte Vecchio in my list.

The best of all is that all these places are within walking distance. There is no need to take rely on public transport or cars to move around. I joined the thousand of tourists strolling along the tiny cobblestone streets that crisscrosses Florence to visit the many churches around the Duomo like Santa Maria Novella, San Lorenzo, Santo Spirito, Santa Croche.

In one of the cobblestone street leading to Duomo was Via Ricasoli 60. On this street, there was Galleria dell’Accademia where Michelangelo’s masterpiece sculpture, David, was on display. I joined the thousands of visitors crowding around the sculpture to admire and also, to take pictures with David. This was the life time opportunity to see this masterpiece.

For lunch, I bought a piece of pizza from one of the local Italian pizza shops around Piazza Del Duomo. To save time, I ate my pizza by the road side just like one of the backpackers in Florence.

From the Duomo, I walked along the cobblestone street to Uffizi Museum. Uffizi Museum has one of the best art collection in the world. UNESCO estimate that 60% of world art collection is in Italy. 50% of it is in Florence.

From Uffizi Museum, I moved on to visit the 14th century Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio is one of the most famous landmarks in Florence. Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge crossing Arno River that runs through Florence.

In the evening before the sunset, I made my way to Piazza Michelangelo, where there was a giant replica of Michelangelo’s masterpiece David awaits us, to see the sun set over the city of Florence. This was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. To those who plan to visit Florence, don’t miss the sunset view from Piazza Michelangelo.

After the sunset, I made my way back to my hotel. Florence accommodation is easy to book via internet. Accommodation in Florence caters for all type of travelers depending on their budget. Luxurious or cheap accommodation is readily available in Florence.

After freshening up in the hotel, I was out to the cobblestone street of Florence again. This time was to savor the nightlife in this old renaissance city.

Tags: Accomodations · Europe · Historical · Uncategorized

On my way back from Phoenix, I decided to stop over to visit Los Angeles. Everyone has heard so much of this city but not many have the opportunity to visit Los Angeles. So, I decided I should not waste the opportunity.

Los Angeles is so well know around the world for its many offerings. The English entertainment world is center in Hollywood. Every one who watches movies knows about Hollywood and its blockbusters, movie stars and their glamorous lives at Beverly Hills. A tour of Hollywood and Universal Studio are a must to witness how movies are made.

There is Disneyland at Anaheim to bring out the kids in you. I have always wanted to be at the ‘Happiest Place On Earth’ since I was a kid. I spent the whole day trying out every ride. I didn’t mind queuing up as long as I can get to try out the rides which I have seen on television shows. The kid in me keeps me going in Disneyland. There was the Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams showcasing all the characters that we are so familiar with. In the evening, I watch the “Remember…. Dreams Come True” fireworks show. It was the most appropriate event to end the day in Disneyland.

Other places that I visited are Santa Monica beach to see the muscle builders flexing their muscles by the beach, checking out Sunset Boulevard to see if it’s the same as the musical and off course, shopping at Citadel Factory Outlet. Actually, I did not manage to spend more time shopping. There are plenty more shopping centers that I wanted to visit.

There are still so many things to do in Los Angeles and I have to come back again to see the rest.

Tags: America · Sightseeing · Uncategorized

Whistler, a town 120km north of Vancouver in British Columbia, is famous for its ski resorts. Eventhough Whistler maybe a small town compared to its southern cousin, Vancouver, she stands out on its own with its own attractions. Together they act as the eastern gateway that draws in millions of tourists into Canada.

There are many activities visitors visiting Whistler during winter seasons such as snowmobile, heli-skiing, heli-boarding, snowshoeing, sleigh riding, dog sledging, cross country skiing or even, fishing on the rivers in Whistler. All these activities can keep visitors’ adrenaline pumping as long as they stay in Whistler. These activities can cater for various level of expertise. The event organizer can provide training for beginners. The experts can go for more grueling course. The facilities for these activities are world class standard. In fact, some events for the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Whistler. Many more are being build for the Olympics and things can only get better in Whistler.

Accommodation in Whistler is easily available. There are more than 3,000 hotel rooms and 5,000 other types of accommodations available. Visitors can easily find a place to stay. They can even book their accommodation online. Whistler condos are nice and there are even some luxurious ones available to visitors. Some of these condos have heated hot tubs for the comfort of their guests. Rentals are flexible and be custom-built according to your travel itinerary and plans.

Tags: Accomodations · America · Uncategorized

Hong Kong, the Hollywood of Asia, is famous for its Cantonese movies plus movie stars like Jacky Chan, Chow Yuen Fatt, Maggie Cheung and Bond girl, Michelle Yeoh. Besides movies, Hong Kong is famous for its Chinese cuisine like tim-sum and shopping haven for tourists. For business people, Hong Kong is one of the top financial centers in Asia together with Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai.

For me, I was a simple tourist traveling to Hong Kong to enjoy the Chinese delicacy, do plenty of shopping and sightseeing. I made my hotel reservations via internet in one of the hotels in Hong Kong. With exception to Japan, Hong Kong hotel rooms are smaller than other Asia hotels due to cost reasons. For me, I was fine as long as the room was comfortable.

My favorite shopping areas in Hong Kong were Causeway Place at Time Square and Sogo, Kowloon, Central at Landmark and Chater House, Shim Tsa Chui and Mongkok. Hong Kong had exciting night markets and shopping there was fun. Among the famous night markets were Temple Street, Jordan Street and Ladies’ Market.

For sightseeing, my all time favorite was to taking the Star Ferry from Wancbai to Kowloon to see the city scape of Hong Kong in the evening. The following evening, we took take the funicular train up to The Peak and have dinner there.

After completing shopping in Hong Kong, we proceeded to visit the Hong Kong Disneyland at Lantau island. Hong Kong Disneyland is smaller than that in Anaheim, California.

Before we knew it, five days have passed so quickly. Hong Kong gave us the ultimate travel experience we were looking for and it was time to catch a flight home.

Tags: Accomodations · Asia · Shopping · Sightseeing · Uncategorized

Vacationing on a cruise ship is my dream holiday. It has always been on my list of must-do vacation but never get to do it due to cost reasons. Yet, I have friends who have been on cruise vacations and always return to tell me great stories about their cruise vacations.

Among places that I would love to go on Alaska cruises, Hawaii cruises or even European cruises, particularly the Mediterranean cruises. I love Alaska cruises for the glaciers, natural surroundings and snow capped mountain sceneries. Hawaii cruises offer the beautiful beaches, sun and sea where I can take part in water activities in various islands in Hawaii. For the Mediterranean cruise, I would love to visit the port cities in Santorini in Greece, Venice in Italy, Kusadasi in Turkey and Dubrovnik in Crotia. This remains a dream but not for long.

I found an interesting website named Direct Line Cruise where it offers various cruises to destinations around the world on Azmara Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Norweigien Cruise Line and Royal Carribean cruises. It offers good deals for passengers like onboard cruise booklet for discount purchases while on cruise ships. Travel insurance is also included at no extra cost.

With such attractive cruise package, for my next ultimate travel experience, I can start planning for my vacation on cruise ship.

Tags: America · Cruises · Europe · Travel Site Reviews · Uncategorized

Following the Tour de France, the world premier cycling road race, from stage to stage in France is one of the most interesting and yet tiring for enthusiasts like myself. The fans have to wake up early to position themselves at good strategic spots to catch the cycling idols cycle past them and taking the best shots.

Taking strategic positions happens during the start of the race, during the race and at the finish line of every stage. I particularly enjoy the race when it reaches the Alps. This is when cyclists slow down when they are riding up the Alps. This is the best time for fans of Tour de France to enjoy seeing their favorite cyclists riding past them slowly. This is the time when the cyclists will be spread out and not riding as a group. It’s the best time for taking pictures as you can take the best shots with the full facial expression of the cyclists as the conquer the Alps.

For the Tour de France 2008 edition, I plan to follow a few stages and book my accommodations in one of the last minute Alps hotels. One particular stage that I want to see the finishing is the Stage 17 from Embrun to L’Alpe-d’Huez on 23rd July 2008. This is the last stage for mountain race for the Tour de France 2008 edition.

Furthermore, L’Alpe-d’Huez is a nice holiday resorts area when I go hiking and biking in the Alps. There are many nice hiking and biking trails of various grades to challenge me. I plan to stay at Eurogroup Hotel Le Royal Ours Blanc when I am at L’Alpe-d’Huez.

From, L’Alpe-d’Huez, I will travel down to Paris to wait for the final lap around
Champs-Élysées on Sunday, July 27.

From now, I will keep myself busy finalizing my trip details as I would not want to miss Tour de France 2008.

Tags: Accomodations · Europe · Uncategorized

Backgammon is a board game dating back to 3000BC during the era of ancient Egyptian kingdom. Backgammon is a board game for two person in which they will try to remove their pieces from the board according to the roll of dice.

Playing backgammon requires lots of strategies and skills to win the game and eliminate the opponent. Backgammon rules are simple for everyone to enjoy the game. Each time when the dice is roll, the player needs to move his checkers on the board and at the same time have to think about countering potential moves by his opponents.

Backgammon is a good game to develop child’s thinking skills and use as a family game for bonding purposes. Besides, the conventional backgammon boardgame, there are also computer software and online version available. The Backgammon Masters software is now available in twelve languages including Chinese. Isn’t this exciting?

Backgammon is an excellent game for travelers to ‘kill’ time when they are traveling on the road like train, ship or bus. It is a small board game and easy to bring along.

Tags: Travel Accessories · Uncategorized

Some times, people will go vacationing just with their backpack. Some will be contented with budget travel. There are some travelers, especially the celebrities and very important people, will travel in the most luxurious manner.

This group of travelers is not constraint by money. They are constraint by time, comfort and safety. They are prepared to fork out lots of money just to be able to reach their destination as and when they want in comfort and style with safety in mind.

A company such as Celebrity Jets provides the options for these travelers to travel in a safe, stress-free and productive environment. They provide door-to-door service for their customers. Picking them up in luxurious limousine and flying them in their quality aircraft. They provide a private jet charter service that is dependable, timely, cost-effective, luxurious, quality customer service and service that meets the highest safety standard.

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Aotearoa means “Land of the Long White Cloud” is the name given to New Zealand by the Maori. New Zealand is one of the most attractive places for vacation. New Zealand is known for its natural beauty with its numerous lakes, mountains and scenic landscapes for visitors to relax and enjoy them. The beauty of New Zealand is nicely portrayed in the Lord of The Ring film trilogy. With Lord of The Ring film trilogy, New Zealand is also known as the Home of Middle Earth. 

I had my honeymoon in New Zealand many years ago and the memories of the place are still fresh in my mind.

I flew to New Zealand via Singapore on Air New Zealand to Christchurch. Upon arrival, the hotel agent was already waiting for me at the airport. From there, we checked into one of the hotels in Christchurch.

We had only 1 day to spend in Christchurch. We decided on visiting the Botanical Garden, International Antarctic Center and Christchurch Art Gallery and Art Center of Christchurch. I liked Antarctic Center very much as it showcased the history of expeditions to Antarctica.

The next day we took a train to Kaikoura for whale watching. The journey passed through the beautiful New Zealand Alps. Kaikoura is famous for it’s sperm whale which can be seen very close to the shore the whole year round. After that, we are back to Christchurch.

The following day, we took a long bus journey to Queenstown, the adventure city of the world. The journey passed through many small quaint towns where the bus stopped for us to have tea. Along the way, we passed by Lake Tekapo and stopped over at the famous Church of The Good Shepherd for some photos. Then, we continued the journey to Mount Cook resort for lunch.

From Mount Cook, the journey took us passed Omarama, Lindis Pass and Cromwell before reaching Queenstown.

After checking into our hotel, it’s was time for adventure. I tried jet boat at Kuwarau River and white water rafting. But, not bungy jumping off the Kuwarau Bridge

From Queenstown, we headed for Te Anau and then, proceeded to Milford Sound for a day cruise to enjoy the scenic views at the sound. When I was in Te Anau, I learned about the famous Milford Walk which was supposedly to be one of the best hiking routes in the world. We spend a night at Te Anau,

The next day, we headed for Dunedin which was the most Edwardian and Victorian city in the southern hemisphere. Since we only had one afternoon in Dunedin, we decided to just visit the old historic Olveston house. We chose this house because we both like antique furniture and love to see nice houses. After that, it was just strolling around Dunedin visiting the Otago University and around the city center.

From Dunedin, we took a flight to Wellington. Upon arriving, we checked into one of the hotels in Wellington and we decided to take a stroll around the city center as it was a Sunday. The next day, we visited Te Papa National Museum and took the cable car up to the Botanical Garden. The cable car will pass the Kelburn Garden and Victoria University before reaching the peak where the Botanical Garden is.

The next day, we took a flight to Auckland, the City of Sail, where we planned to take an evening dinner cruise. We checked into one of the hotels in Auckland and proceeded to visit the Auckland Sky Tower which offered a breath taking view of Auckland and its surrounding areas. The Sky Tower is the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere.

In the evening, we joined a dinner cruise on a yacht that sailed in the Bay of Auckland.

The next day, it was time to say ‘Kia Ora’ to New Zealand. We flew off from Auckland airport in the afternoon and reached home the following day.

Eventhough this was a very short and rush honeymoon vacation, we are determined to return for the Milford Walk on day.

Tags: Australasia · Honeymoon · Uncategorized