Ireland (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (Paperback)

Amazon.com Review
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive, engrossing and just plain fun-to-read guidebook than the Eyewitness Travel Guide: Ireland. Spilling over with all sorts of useful information for the traveler, you’ll find three-dimensional drawings, floor plans, detailed neighborhood maps with a street-finder index, and even historical timelines. Broken into several sections (including “Introducing Ireland,” “Region by Region,” “Traveler’s Needs,” and “Survival Guide”), the guide paints a complete picture of the country. Readers will especially love the hundreds of color photos of everything from the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare to the Connemara landscape of County Galway to out-of-the-way pubs and street-by-street illustrated city walks (Dublin’s Southeast walk takes in famed landmarks such as Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green and the Shelbourne Hotel). You’ll also find listings for Aran sweaters, Waterford crystal, and Celtic recordings. –Jill Fergus
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This compact, handsomely illustrated guide to Ireland opens with a general overview of the island’s history and culture. The tour of the country begins in Dublin, then circles south and west, ending up in Belfast. At the back of the book are sections on lodging, food, shopping, and other practical information. It is similar in style, content, and price to Knopf Guides: Ireland, published in July 1995. Eyewitness Travel Guides claim to be “the guides that show what others only tell you.” This volume does seem to have slightly more illustrations than the Knopf guide (as well as more hotel and restaurant listings), but its paper cover will not be as durable as Knopf’s vinyl cover, and it is a bit heavier to carry. Still, this is a thorough guide that travelers, especially those off-the-beaten track, will find most useful. Recommended for public libraries.Mary C. Kalfatovic, Telesec Lib. Svcs., Washington, D.C.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Skiing at the Big White Resort

The world famous Big White resort in Canada is home to some of the nation’s greatest skiing.  Renowned for its high quality snow, and simply breathtaking scenery, Big White is an ideal resort for skiers of any age or ability.  In the shadow of the Monashee Mountains, the Big White is a world class ski resort, with a reputation to back it up.  With over 20 feet of fresh snowfall every year, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Big White was unpleasant climate wise – more often than not, the sun is shining, the ski is fresh, and everyone can have a great time.And what’s more, staying at the Big White resort couldn’t be more comfortable.  With so many different types of accommodation, you can find a place that’s ideal, right on the doorstep of the fantastic slopes.  British Columbia is recognized as one of the world’s greatest skiing regions, and if Big White is anything to go by, that really isn’t a surprise.With 16 ski lifts, and a total capacity of over 28,000 skiers every single hour, Big White has the feeling of a small resort whilst still catering for a diverse range of visitors.  This means you’re sure to meet new friends on your stay, but you can also find some privacy if that’s what you’d prefer.  The Big White has it all when it comes to keeping you happy, and that is why its visitors just keep coming back for more, year on year.The Big White resort guarantees quality skiing for all visitors.  With its innovative ski lifts, and its simple dedication towards standards, you’ll feel like Royalty on their pristine slopes.  The fine, powdery snow is amazing for anyone to try out, and it can be a real novelty for those inexperienced skiers and experts alike.  But if there is one thing overall that you’ll take away from your visit, it is the simple attraction of the place.  A winter scene that could so easily be the product of fiction, the Big White resort is a stunning location for any vacation, and a resort that consistently earns its place within the top 100 resorts in the world. And if you have a family, relax!  Big White is fully equipped to handle the needs of family skiing vacations, and the friendly staff make for a completely relaxed atmosphere.  At Big White, you’ll feel right at home in any of their comfortable gourmet restaurants, or indeed any of their high quality family themed diners.Big White also offers expert tuition for those who are just beginning to ski, or indeed for the cubs!  Not only is this a great way to get the kids out of your hair for a few hours, but you can also help them maximise their enjoyment of the vacation, by improving their abilities on the slope.  Whatever you choose to do at Big White, and wherever you choose to stay, you can rest assured that you will love every single minute, and you’ll surely recommend it to your friends and family.  So why not consider the Big White for your next skiing vacation, and visit one of the world’s most acclaimed ski resorts?  With such top notch facilities, and a growing reputation, the Big White can only go from strength to strength, and is something definitely not to be missed.

Travelling Tips During The Holidays

Christmas day is near, isn’t it nice to travel somewhere else to celebrate Christmas? If you are planning to go on a vacation and go somewhere else to spend the holidays in. maybe you can read these travelling tips for you to have a hassle free trip during the holidays.
First, decide your destination. Where do you want to spend Christmas in? Do you like some tropical place? Or do you like somewhere else that has snow all over the place. Having decided where to go, the next thing for you to do is to plan the things that you are to bring in your travel. I suggest you only bring the things that are prime commodities. I mean bring only few luggages, because for sure before you get home, you will be going shopping in that place. So it will only increase the weight of your luggage. Remember, limit your luggage.
Also, remember to take some medicines with you, especially when you have allergies and is not used to changing climates. In line with this, maybe it will be better if you bring with a map of the place that you are to spend your vacation in. you need this to avoid being lost in that place.
Now, while staying, try to move and act comfortable. Do not act like a total stranger, this may attract people with bad intention to foreigners. Try to look more confident as to not get some bad impression to the natives of the place that you are staying in.
Never ever wear flashy things; you only may get yourself in some trouble. You have to be vigilant. You should be careful while walking along the streets and alleys. Maybe it will be better to stay on the main roads. You also should be aware of the rules and regulations that that place implements. You never when you already are breaking certain laws in that place. You do not want to get yourself behind bars in a foreign place, don’t you?
You also should be careful in choosing the hotels that you spend your stay in. Avoid traveling alone. Be careful about sharing your traveling plans with strangers. Always be aware of what is going on around you. Before you leave the hotel make sure to double check your luggage. Make sure you never miss or left anything.
I hope that you find these things helpful in your travel. Be aware of your safety. Also, your vacation should most importantly be fun no matter what. You always should enjoy the feeling of being with the people that you love in a place away from the usual routine that you used to have. Try to make your travel to memorable. Have some souvenirs and don’t forget to capture great view.Take time to appreciate the beauty of the place that you are in. take a lot of memories back at home with you. You also got to remember to be a responsible tourist. With these tips, may you find your vacation during the holidays worthwhile.

Costa Rica Spas And Retreats: Do They Costa Fortune?

Costa Rica Spas and Retreats:  Do They Costa Fortune?

The small Central American country of Costa Rica, thanks in large part to its two coastlines, rain forest, and interior jungle rivers, has become one of the Western Hemisphere’s tourist magnets, with vacationers now numbering more than one million each year.  It’s a haven all sorts of visitors, including for ecotourists, adventure-seekers, golfers, and those who want the pampering available from high-end luxury resorts.

Does your idea of the perfect Latin American vacation look nothing like the wild excitement of Carnival in Rio?  Would you like to experience a relaxing, tobacco and alcohol-free environment in which you can become physically, emotionally, and spiritually restored?  If your answer to both those questions is “YES!” you’re a prime candidate for a vacation at one of Costa Rica’s outstanding spas or retreats. 

Costa Rica has five active volcanoes among its coastal mountains, and Costa Rican spas use their volcanic ash in body wraps of marvelously detoxifying clays.  They also use the sap of fresh aloe leaves in wraps to soothe and feed dry, undernourished skin.  Treatments at Costa Rican spas and retreats, however, go well beyond massages, facials and wraps, and manicures and pedicures.

See yourself in a mountain garden, relaxing in a hot tub surrounded by hibiscus, bougainvillea, and masses of other tropical blooms, with picturesque coffee plantations and distant mountains spreading out before you.  That’s the peaceful scene awaiting you at Pura Vida, a Costa Rican spa and retreat located on a hill above the city of Alajuela.  You’ll be within fifteen minutes of the San Jose airport, yet worlds away!

Pura Vida is just one of Costa Rica’s breathtakingly situated extended-stay spas and retreats, where you can become wholly immersed in restorative activities like yoga, meditation, and wellness disciplines.  You’ll be guided by experienced yoga and meditation instructors, who can customize your program according to your level of mastery.  Your classes will be held in yoga studios designed to take advantage of their natural surroundings, and to provide a sense of serenity far different from what you can achieve at the typical urban Yoga class!

The cost of a visit to a Costa Rican day spa or retreat will depend on the length of the stay, the services provided, and the facilities.  But some of the more affordable spas and retreats include:

Luna Lodge located on southern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.  Accommodations at Luna Lodge range from one-room platform tents (a single runs $100 per day during tourist season) to 2 and 3-person hacienda rooms (a single is $165 per day) and private bungalows ($240 per day for a single).  Off-season rates, during the summer, are considerably less, but the temperatures and humidity are considerably higher.

The daily fees include three daily gourmet meals and complementary happy hour appetizers.  Luna Lodge has a Spa for those who wish to receive a variety of services including deep tissue, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, and full body wraps.  The Retreat Center offers a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean, and can accommodate organized retreats for up to 32 people who wish to explore the disciplines of Yoga and Tai Chi.

For a once in a lifetime vacation adventure, you’re not likely to do better that treating yourself to a stay at Tree Houses Hotels, located in the province of Alajuela and within a short distance of the live Arenal Volcano. The Tree Houses Hotel is an ecotourist’s delight, set on seventy acres of a wildlife refuge in which you’ll share your days and nights with wildcats, monkeys, sloths, toucans and other brilliantly plumaged tropical birds, and a kaleidoscopic display of butterflies and humming birds.  Explore the refuge to your hart’s content, hiking, cooling off in its waterfall-fed ponds, or paddling along its private stretch of river.

Take one or more of the Tree Houses Hotel’s wonderful ecotours to Arenal Volcano, the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge, or the rainforest canopy.  Tree Houses Hotel charges $95 per night based on two persons per thee house, with each extra person costing $10.00.  The fee includes breakfast, and you’ll also be charged Costa Rica’s 16% hotel tax. A stay of at least two nights is recommended if you want to fully experiences all the Tree House Hotel vacation has to offer!

Remember to book your vacation at http://www.myroadtotravel.com

Brunton Analog Map Measurer

Product Description
Perfect for those who just need to measure the distance from point “A” to point “B” on a map. Scales in miles, feet and inches allowing you to measure with precision. Contact us for Customer Service, Technical and any other question at 1-800-443-4871 (or) support@brunton.com

Product Description
Perfect for those who just need to measure the distance from point A to point B on a map. Scales in miles, feet and inches allow you to measure with precision.

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Buddha Tour in India

Buddha is considered to be the messenger of peace from heaven to this mundane world. India apart from its Hindu temples and shrines embraces many Buddhist temples and monasteries over the country. The Buddhists from over the world rush to India for having the taste of real Buddha temple tour. Sometimes Buddhist pilgrims come to trip Indian temples in quest of mental peace. In this era of unrest and terrorism mankind is searching for peace in their lives. Buddha pilgrimage tour will give you that mental peace.

Not only that many non-Buddhist rush to India to avail of Buddhist holiday pilgrimage tour during their holidays. In that case they can take pleasure from the tour, learning the religious mingle and cultural heritage of India.

In Old Delhi you visit the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Memorials to Nehru and Gandhi, Qutab Minar, Humayuns Tomb, Parliament House, Birla Mandir etc.

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Morning early depart for a boat ride on the Holy River Ganges viewing the cracking of dawn and the religions rites being performed on the River bank. Afternoon you go out for excursion to Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first lecture. This is the place that makes you feel why one should come to India for Buddha tour.

Morning leave by surface for Bodhgaya the place where Buddha attained enlightenment. Next morning depart by surface for Rajgir. On arrival sightseeing and lunch continuing on to Patna en route visiting Nalanda, the ancient Buddhist centres for leaning.

Now you depart by air for Calcutta- the city of joy and liveliness. Afternoon you go out for sightseeing of Calcutta city. In Calcutta also there are Buddha temples for touring.

Then you will go to Kalimpong. Morning you leave for Gangtok. Leave for full day trip of the Rumtek Monastery and the city. Morning depart by surface for Bagdogra abiding on to the airport for departure by air for Delhi. With all these your Buddha tour India comes to an end but once you get the taste this will pull you back to visit India for Buddha pilgrimage India tour.

Luxury Venice Vacations Offering A Taste Of Northern Italy

Venice vacations make you think of canals, art galleries and palaces, and that is exactly what you get. However, you can also have entertainment and fun, and don’t forget the delicious Italian cuisine, including their famous wines. Many people vacation in Venice for while, and then move base to visit other parts of Northern Italy that we shall come to shortly. A vacation in Venice is best enjoyed if you receive personal attention, with your own private car and boat – not shared between you and 50 others all with their own agendas. There is nothing as good as a private boat tour round the canals of Venice and a luxury hotel set right on the Grand Canal itself – the main thoroughfare of this wonderfully romantic city. Venice consists of 118 islands in a large lagoon and around 150 canals. Although it is believed to be slowly sinking, it will not do so while you are there! Venice is famous for its explorers (Venezuela was named after it – Little Venice), artists and musicians, boasting such famous names as Marco Polo, Cabot, Titian, Bellini, Vivaldi and, of course, Casanova! No wonder, then, that Venice offers so many museums, art galleries and other centers of culture. The center, if there is one, is St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace that was decorated by some of the best known renaissance artists. Not far away is the famous Bridge of Sighs, allegedly so called after the sighs of the prisoners crossing it to Venice’s prison. The gallery of St. Marks’ church contains the bronze horses of Constantinople, brought to Venice during the Second Crusade of 1147 – 1149 among other artistic treasures. The lagoon is home, not only to Venice, but also to some major islands including Murano, famous for its glass. If you want to make the most of your Venice vacation, don’t fail to visit the magnificent glass museum with some unbelievable works made from blown glass, or check out the Byzantine mosaics in the church of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello. Another of the lesser known areas to tourists is the Squero de San Trovaso where you can see gondolas being built and repaired at the boatyard, one of the very few left in Venice, a major city that used to be one of the greatest maritime cities in Europe. Venice is famous for its palaces, although most have been converted to hotels, and if you can, try to get a room in one of these. The architecture is breathtaking and most of the rooms are huge, although many have been reduced in size to accommodate more guests. Another thing you must do when in Venice is to visit the surrounding area of Veneto – Venice is the capital city of this Italian region. You might not have time to visit Verona, of Romeo and Juliet fame, but you should visit Vicenza.No Venice vacations should miss Vicenza, the birthplace of Palladio, arguably the most influential architect of all time. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and The Rotunda in the town is typically Palladio. The Teatro Olimpico is Europe’s oldest indoor theatre, and there are many more Palladio buildings in this picturesque town. If you do have time to visit Verona, apart from the Shakespeare connection (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, as well as Romeo and Juliet) you will a find a well preserved Roman amphitheatre here – the Arena. This is currently used for outdoor concerts. If you like Roman remains, Padua is another old Roman city close by. I suppose Roman cities in Italy should not be surprising!Most people on Venice vacations like to try some of the great Italian wines grown in the region, such as Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella. In fact, it is best to leave Venice once you have visited what you want to see, and change base to visit other parts of northern Italy. The vineyards and wineries around here welcome visitors to come in and have a taste. Milan too is a must, particularly if you are fashion conscious, and if you get the chance to visit Lake Como, then take it. This Y shaped lake is the third largest lake in Italy and one of the deepest in Europe with the bottom about 656 feet below sea level. There are a lot of good hotels around here, particularly around Lake Maggiore that has some great little islands you can explore, and you don’t have to remain in Venice if you want to enjoy the north of Italy in general. Venice vacations have a great deal to offer those interested in culture, particular architecture and other forms of physical art, but try to enjoy Venice in style. Personal attention is well worth getting, particularly after traveling all this way, and you can’t beat your own personal guide, boat, car and business class flights to really make a holiday the luxury and pampered experience it should be. Make sure that you visit Northern Italy, and lake Como and Maggiore because they offer the simpler luxuries that can sometimes be overlooked during your Venice vacation.

Mexico As A Concept And Not As A Reality Part 1

Most, if not all, Americans who decide to move to Mexico to “get away from it all” seem to do so based on the merits of at least two books, a handful of websites, some seminars (in the Guadalajara area), and a host of chat rooms and forums whose themes are how wonderfully cheap, relaxing, easy, and convenient it will be living in Mexico. These sources also paint a picture of the Mexican people that is, for lack of better words, a picturesque, pastoral heaven-on-earth population of saints who have been sitting around all their lives just waiting for the opportunity to serve the first American who comes their way.
In addition, they move to Mexico based on an image or concept of Mexico of what it will be like for an American who expatriates to Mexico. The current available “expat guides,” websites, and chat forums present to the potential American wanting to move to Mexico, Mexico as a Concept and Not Mexico as a Reality.
The title of this article I found while reading a Blog called, The Gringa in San Miguel: Musings on U.S. Immigration Reform, immigrant communities in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, and my current research on international retirement migration to Mexico & Central America. In this very astute academic folklorist and ethnographer’s Blog, she came up with this statement which so perfectly describes what I’ve been trying to say during the past four years of articles, columns, and books I’ve written trying to describe what it is I’ve seen in the so-called Gringo Expat Communities, Enclaves, Sectors, Exclusive Gated Communities, and so on.
It is Mexico as a Concept, an Image, an Idea that attracts Americans here. It certainly would not be Mexico as a Reality that would bring them in droves. And, in droves they are coming. More than 300,000 Americans have been vacating the premises in America each year since 2004 with a great deal of them ending up in Mexico. Some mostly unreliable sources estimate more than a million Americans live in Mexico. The densest populations of Americans are probably Mexico City, Guadalajara, Chapala, Ajijic, and San Miguel de Allende.
San Miguel de Allende has an Gringo population of about 12,000 in a city least capable of assimilating this many people who, by the way, stress the infrastructure of that little city by playing the tax dodging game . This is but one of the foibles, the dark side, of expatriation to Mexico that you will never read in any of the expat guides floating around today’s book market.
They will tell you all the pluses with never any of the minuses. They will show you the light and somehow fail to tell you that any darkness exists. They will regale you with all the niceties in sugary prose peppered with generous second and third portions of anything you want to hear covered with sweet gooey promises and assurances. You would think that to expatriate to Mexico means there will be a city-sponsored parade waiting on you with humble but strong Mexican men ready to carry you on a pedestal to your new home; that Mexico is filled with nothing but goodness abounding; that you will have reached the promised land of milk and honey-heaven.
Mexico is not like that at all.
The two seemingly most popular books, which most Gringo expats I know have not only read but could quote chapter and verse, are, Choose Mexico for Retirement (Globe Pequot), by John Howells and Don Merwin. The second book is Living Abroad in Mexico (Avalon Travel Publishing), by Ken Luboff. Both of these books are fine books that should be read. They are a bit fluffy and well they should be. They tend to present only a part of the picture of expatriation and that is ok for someone who is trying to get a feel for the ABC’s of expatriating to Mexico. They are, in general, totally positive, easy to read, and present the expat picture in the most positive light. And, as I said, well they should. If someone is really considering moving to Mexico, for any reason at all, and will be staying for an extended period of time, they should read these books for a quick and lighthearted rendering of life in Mexico.
But, because of time, book length, and sheer commercial viability, these books do not cover the “other side of the coin.” They present life in Mexico as something fairly positive100% of the time. Really, only Luboff’s book goes into any substance regarding culture and I give him credit for that. In fact, in the chapter on Prime Living Locations, he has a “call out” in which he says,
“Because they have encountered generations of tourists and expatriates, these locales each have well- established infrastructures for foreign residents.” (Page 129)*
NEXT: Mexico As a Concept and Not As a Reality part 2
Footnote:
* Living Abroad in Mexico by Ken Luboff (Author) Avalon Travel Publishing; 1 edition (August 31, 2005) ISBN-13: 978-1566919227