Sunday, 3 May 2015

Sydney City Tour Guide ~ !!

Sydney Opera House


The world famous "white sail" -like Sydney Opera House is the jewel of Sydney. Construction finished in 1973 and, built on the waterfront, the Opera House is easily accessible through Circular Quay by ferries, trains or buses. The Sydney Opera House hosts more than 2000 operas, dances and performances throughout the year.

Outside the Opera House, a market housing 40 stalls featuring Australian arts and crafts, ornaments and souvenirs operates every weekend.

Address:North of Circular Quay
Enquiry:61-2-9250-7111
Hours:The box office is open from 9.00am - 8.30pm on Monday to Saturday
Website:http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/
The Sydney Opera House is bounded by the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks, Circular Quay and the Royal Botanic Gardens; together they make Sydney Harbour one of the most beautiful in the world and an icon of Sydney and Australia.


Sydney Harbour Bridge

Built in 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world's largest steel arch bridge. The bridge connects the city to the North Shore. Every New Year's Eve, fireworks are set off from the bridge at 9 p.m. and midnight, making it one of the most spectacular New Year's celebrations in the world.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is accessible by car, train, bicycle, or on foot. The entrance to the bridge on foot is above The Rocks, or close to the Milsons Point train station at the other end of the bridge. One of the pylons, which is closest to the city, houses a museum about the bridge.Since its introduction in 1998, more than 1.5 million people have climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb. BridgeClimb is a small group adventure offering 3 1/2 hours of guided climbs to the summit of the city's most prominent icon: The Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Address:Pedestrian access from (North) Milsons Point train station or (South) The Rocks; Pedestrian access on the eastern side of the bridge (facing Sydney Opera House); Bicycle access on the western side of the bridge (facing inner harbour)
Fees:Free
Attraction:Pylon Lookout
The south east pylon (the pylon closest to the Sydney Opera House) is the Pylon Lookout where visitors can discover the history of the bridge and have a view of the harbour and the city.
Opens from 10.00am to 5.00pm daily, closed on Christmas Day
Admission fee is payable for Pylon Lookout


Sydney Tower / Centrepoint

The Sydney Tower stands 305 meters tall and is the second tallest building in Australia. The observation deck at the top features a 360-degree view of the entire City of Sydney. Guests can also enjoy a dining experience in the Sydney Tower Restaurants with 360-degree panoramic views of Sydney and a revolving floor.

The Skywalk platform is at Sydney's highest point and enjoys breathtaking 360-degree views of beautiful Sydney. Skywalk is a planned tour and lasts approximately 1 hour an 30 minutes. Tickets for the Sydney Tower also include OzTrek, a unique 180-degree 3D visual tour about Australian cultural, history and geography.

Address:Corner of Pitt Street and Market Street
Enquiry:61-2-9333-9222
Transportation:Right above Pitt Street Mall and easily accessible from Town Hall Station or George Street
Hours:9:00am to 10:30pm from Sunday to Friday, 9:00am to 11:30pm on Saturday
Website:http://www.sydneytoweroztrek.com.au/

Pitt Street Mall

Pitt Street Mall is the shopping mecca of Sydney; the area is full of people most of the time. Large departmental stores and shopping centres such as David Jones, Myer (Grace Brothers), The Strand Arcade, and Sky Garden are located here. Shops range from fashion boutiques, jewellery shops, and book shops to sports retailers and music shops.

Transportation:A short distance from Town Hall Station and Queen Victoria Building (QVB)
Attraction:The Strand Arcade

Queen Victoria Building (aka QVB)

The Queen Victoria Building is a must-see destination for Sydney visitors. The QVB was built in 1898 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. This elegant Victorian building is home to a wide range of fashion boutiques and jewellery shops.

Inside it houses a large clock called The Great Australian Clock that exhibits Australian history. A figure of Queen Victoria surrounded by royal jewelleries and costumes and a life-size Imperial Chinese Bridal Carriage made in jade, weighing over 2 tonnes, can also be found at the QVB.

Address:Corner of George Street and Market Street
Enquiry:61-2-9264-9209
Transportation:Easily accessible from Town Hall Station
Hours:9.00am to 6.00pm from Monday to Saturday; 9.00am to 9.00pm on Thursday; 11.00am to 5.00pm on Sunday and public holidays
Fees:Free
Website:http://www.qvb.com.au/

 
 

St Mary's Cathedral

St Mary's Cathedral with its Gothic design is a major church in Sydney as well as Australia. Its architecture is impressive in both interior and exterior design and attention to detail. The amazing mosaic paved on the floor of St Mary's Cathedral's crypt took sixteen years to complete and is a must-see during a visit to the cathedral.

Address:St Mary's Cathedral House, St Mary's Road
Enquiry:61-2-9220-0400
Transportation:Walk across Hyde Park from Museum Station
Hours:9.00am to 5.00pm on Monday to Friday
Website:http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/Cathedral/



 

 

Sunday, 19 April 2015

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Great Family Trips: Mexico’s d

The family vacation, like the concept of family itself, has evolved. Kids are traveling with grandma or a single parent or an indulgent uncle (or all three). However you define your kin, this Yucatán itinerary is all relative. 
> Why Go: 
Let the high schoolers channel Indiana Jones in Mexico’s Maya temple-strewn Yucatán Peninsula, where they can scale mysterious pyramids, bushwhack through jungles, and cool off in freshwater cenote pools the way the ancients did. A week-long road trip connects the Maya dots from the Caribbean to Gulf coasts.
> The Plan:
From the region’s main airport at Cancún, drive inland for two hours to the great ceremonial city of Chichén Itzá. Stay at the adjacent Lodge at Chichen Itza to stage an early morning visit, when the popular site is most mystically quiet.
Izamal is known as the Yellow City owing to the color of many of its buildings. (Photograph by chuy244, Flickr)
Izamal is known as the Yellow City owing to the color of many of its buildings. (Photograph by chuy244, Flickr)
Get a living lesson in sophisticated Maya astronomy by counting the 365 steps ascending the nearly ten-story-tall El Castillo. Imagine real-lifeHunger Games at the elaborately carved ball court, where competitions ended in human sacrifice.
En route to Mérida, another 80 miles west, detour to Izamal, where the Spanish colonial buildings are painted egg-yolk yellow. Race to the top of the town’s Kinich Kakmo pyramid.
Comb the lost city of Dzibil­chaltún,about ten miles north of Mérida, an archaeological site dating to 300 B.C. that features a central plaza, amphitheater, temple, and—swimsuit alert—the freshwater Cenote Xlakah.
Safari-break some 60 miles west at coastal Celestún to spy rosy flocks of mating flamingos. Time your next Maya conquest, eighth-century Uxmal, 50 miles south of Mérida, to arrive after dark for the dramatic sound-and-light show. After a night at Hacienda Uxmal, return to the site to Instagram the elaborately carved gods, including mighty Chaac, god of rain, wearing a serpent’s mask, and a throne featuring a two-headed jaguar.
Swing back east to Cobá, sight of Yucatán’s tallest temple, 138-foot Nohoch Mul, providing a high-priest’s view over the jungle canopy.


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When you’re celebrating your tenth wedding anniversary, not every destination will do.
Nat Geo’s director of digital marketing, Jennifer Wallace, and her husband were looking for “a truly amazing spring skiing destination.” They found it in Zermatt, Switzerland—coincidentally, one of National Geographic Traveler’s picks for Best Trips of 2015!

Here are a few highlights from her trip, in her own words:

Biggest selling point: A 3.5-hour train ride whisked us from the airport in Zurich to Zermatt. Of all the countries we’ve visited, Switzerland may be the most accessible—even with ski bags in tow.
Swiss trains are clean, relatively spacious, and punctual (to the minute!)—but it’s what’s on the other side of the window that stands out as their biggest asset. The Glacier Express, which we boarded for the final leg into Zermatt, seemed to climb ever higher as it glided through the majestic Alps.
Accessible all year round, Gornergrat summit has been one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist destinations since the railway opened in 1898. (Photograph by tobrouk, Flickr)
Accessible all year round, Gornergrat summit has been one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist destinations since the railway opened in 1898. (Photograph by tobrouk, Flickr)
The scenic beauty didn’t end there. Once we got strapped into our ski boots, we hopped on the highest open-air railway in Europe and were treated to unbelievable views of theMatterhorn on the 25-minute ride to Gornergrat summit.
Standout culinary experience: Follow our lead and take advantage of the special gondola that departs Zermatt on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for a handful of mid-mountain eateries near the Furi station. We dined at Bergrestaurant Simi, diving into cheese fondue and lamb chops.
After dinner, many restaurants are happy to lend patrons a toboggan for the return trip to the village. You can also opt to work off your meal on the hour-long walk back down the mountain, which is exhilarating on a cold starry night. Regardless, bring a headlamp; it’s incredibly dark out there, even with the stars.
Favorite local quirk: There are no cars in Zermatt, which keeps its charming central village clean and quiet. Most people walk everywhere and many of the locals ride bicycles to get to and from work, school, and, of course, the slopes (bikes equipped with ski racks are a common sight).

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Though her travels have taken her around the globe—from South Korea to South Africa—Las Vegas is the only home Jen Lee has ever known.
After more than a decade of welcoming visitors to Sin City as a convention planner, you might think she would tire of talking up her town. But for Jen, Las Vegas never grows old. “There are always sights and experiences to explore and rediscover,” she says. Here are a few of her favorite things about Nevada’s city that never sleeps.

Las Vegas Is My City

When someone comes to visit me, the first place I take them to is Frankie’s Tiki Room to experience the rockabilly surf crowd and ambiance that the place describes on its website as “a unique combination of South Seas exotica and modern primitivism, with just a hint of Las Vegas kitsch.”
Early fall (late September through October) is the best time to visit my city because the weather is mild, traffic is less troublesome, and there are a number of festive activities to choose from. Music fans can opt for Life Is BeautifulRockabilly Rockout, or Route 91 Harvest, a country music festival on the Strip. Other don’t-miss autumn events: Oktoberfest at Hofbrauhaus and Halloween haunts at the Bonnie Springs Ranch (once a stopover for pioneers heading west on the wagon trail), which transforms into Bonnie Screams to celebrate the holiday.
You can see my city best from the Calico Tanks Trail in Red Rock National Conservation Area, which is located a little more than 15 miles west of Las Vegas. Hike there at sunset for a great view of the Strip.
Locals know to skip celebrity-chef restaurants and fusion cuisine and check out equally world-class off-Strip dining options instead. A few of my favorites: Dong Ting Chun for Chinese,Forte Tapas BarDue Forni for pizza, and Lotus of Siam for Thai.
See ghosts from Las Vegas's past at the open-air Neon Museum. (Photograph by gorbould, Flickr)
See ghosts from Las Vegas’s past at the open-air Neon Museum. (Photograph by gorbould, Flickr)
Las Vegas Distillery is the place to buy authentic, local souvenirs. Their best-selling spirit, Grandma’s Apple Pie Moonshine, has charmed friends of mine from New Orleans all the way to Ireland.
In the past, notable people likemobster Bugsy Siegel (whoseFlamingo Las Vegas hotelstill stands on the Strip), entertainerLiberace, and Zappos owner and CEO Tony Hsieh (who spearheaded the entrepreneurial revolution currently transforming downtown Las Vegas) have called my city home.
My city’s best museum is the Neon Museum because it encapsulates the unapologetic ease with which iconic establishments are uprooted to make room for new stars in the Las Vegas skyline.
If there’s one thing you should know about getting around my city, it’s to avoid the long taxi lines on the Strip’s glitzy south end, where large conventions and special events can cause congestion. The best memories are made while walking down the Strip. The Las Vegas Monorail can be a good option, depending on where you’re going, and provides some respite from the heat.
The best place to spend time outdoors in my city is on Mount Charleston for a scenic drive that starts with Joshua trees and gives way to pine trees. The mountains, where temperatures can be 20 degrees cooler, are the perfect place to beat the extreme summer heat. In the winter, there is snow to play in.
A view of Mount Charleston from the Cathedral Rock Trail (Photograph by MightyMaxLV, Flickr)
A view of Mount Charleston from the Cathedral Rock Trail (Photograph by MightyMaxLV, Flickr)
My city really knows how to celebrate New Year’s Eve because there are amazing entertainers performing all over Las Vegas and the city knows how to keep its visitors safe. Tip: Definitely plan your night way in advance.
You can tell if someone is from my city if they know which drugstores and restaurants are open 24 hours a day.
For a fancy night out, I relax with a view at the Mandarin Bar.
Just outside my city, you can visit the Valley Of Fire.
My city is known for being gaudy and derivative, but it’s really a blank canvas that continually defies expectations.
The best outdoor market in my city is Gilcrease Orchard, since the desert does not offer much in the form of farmers markets.
Eat is my favorite place to grab breakfast (try the chilaquiles or the shrimp and grits with a cup of locally roasted fair-trade coffee) and Pho So 1 is the spot for late-night eats. 
To find out what’s going on at night and on the weekends, read Las Vegas Weekly.
When I’m feeling cash-strapped, I hang out downtown. Don’t Tell Mama piano bar has awesome singing bartenders, and I often end up staying until they close.

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10 Things To Do In Malaga, Spain

10 Things To Do In Malaga, Spain

10 Things To Do In Malaga, Spain

by Audrey on March 29, 2015
Often lost in the shuffle of more renowned tourist spots such as Barcelona, Madrid, and even Ibiza and the Canary Islands, the city of Malaga is truly one of Spain’s greatest destinations. Located in the south of the country, right on the Mediterranean Sea, it offers the tantalising combination of urban history and modern relaxation, all in one place.
Frankly, despite the allure of Spain’s more well-known destinations, I can’t recommend Malaga highly enough to international travellers. But to give you a clearer picture of the city and the area around it, here are 10 things to do on holiday there!

1. Check Out The Roman Theatre

The same is true of some other major Spanish cities, but there’s a gorgeous Roman Theatre right in the middle of the town. Built like a miniature coliseum, it quite naturally calls to mind gladiator battles of old, though bull-fighting and theatrical performances are more realistic nowadays!

2. Tour The Picasso Museum

Many who travel to Malaga are unaware until they arrive that the city was actually the birthplace of famous artist Pablo Picasso. The Picasso Museum, therefore, is effectively the best place in the world to view the artist’s work, with well over 200 original Picasso pieces on display.

3. Go To A Wine Bar

It wouldn’t be a Mediterranean paradise without great wine, and in this regard Malaga certainly doesn’t disappoint. The city is home to a number of picturesque wine bars with top-notch selections. El Pimpi is one such venue that is frequently mentioned among the city’s best attractions. Lengthy bar halls, wide arch doorways, climbing plants, and iron gates combine to make up a wonderful atmosphere, and naturally the wine is terrific.

4. Visit Costa del Sol

More or less the Spanish equivalent of the French Riviera, Costa del Sol refers to the Mediterranean coastal area in the south of Spain. As British Airways advises here in a set of tips for travellers headed to Malaga, it’s actually just a quick drive from where you’ll be staying. Their information on travel to Malaga recommends a car rental so as to enable a visitor to check out all of the wonderful beaches in short range of the city, and this is certainly one of the best perks of the whole area.
Alcazaba

5. Tour The Alcazaba

Officially a palatial fortress, the Alcazaba is one of the most fascinating structures in a city full of historic destinations. It was built in the 11th-century and still stands in remarkable quality, situated more or less above the rest of Malaga.

6. Get Some Great Seafood

Great seafood is expected in Spain, especially in a city right on the Mediterranean, and once again Malaga won’t disappoint. Sardines are particularly popular at area restaurants, but a busy and impressive culinary scene in town keeps fresh, incredible seafood of all kinds on popular restaurant tables.

7. Take The Bus Tour

To a lot of travellers, a city bus tour might not seem like the best way to spend time. Often, such tours are slow moving, packed with tourists, and not worth the price of a ticket. But in Malaga, the Hop-On Hop-Off Tour is well worth it. For starters, it ends whenever you decide to get off the bus. But the additional benefit is that Malaga is a very easy city to enjoy visually thanks to beach views and an impressive amount of ancient architecture.

8. Visit The Cathedral

The Cathedral, officially known as The Manquita, is actually an unfinished building. But it’s still among the most striking attractions in Malaga, and it’s certainly easy enough to take an hour or two for a close-up look.

9. See The Botanical Gardens

La Concepcion Botanical Gardens are among the most beautiful attractions in the Malaga area, though they’re technically located a short distance to the north of the city. A write-up in the Sunset Beach Club might say it best: “enjoy an exquisite collection of plants and flora from all over the world.”

10. Engage With The Locals

The Spanish population generally has a reputation as relaxed and somewhat fun-loving, and these traits can be amplified in the seaside location of Malaga. For some travellers, engaging with locals is one of the best parts of a vacation just about anywhere; and in Spain, it’s certainly worth it to make this a priority
 
(Text from: http://www.backpacking-travel-blog.com/destinations/10-things-to-do-in-malaga-spain/)
 
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<Extra Travel Information>
 
<Malaga, Spain Travel Guide - Must-See Attractions>
 
 
<Malaga Spain Vacations>
 
 
<The beautiful beach of Málaga, Spain>
 
 
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