Asian top destinations

Boutique Shops to Explore on a weekend in Covent Garden

Vili Filipova — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:02:39 +0000

There are few better weekend past times than shopping and in the UK, Covent Garden in London is the place to be. Bordered by the dazzling theatres of the West End and many of London’s most famous cultural attractions, Covent Garden is right smack dab in the middle of all the action. At first glance, a weekend trip to central London might seem pricey, but visitors can easily find cheap hotels in Covent Garden with Travelodge.
Once the travel arrangements and hotel are sorted, it’s time for the real fun to begin. Along with all the usual high street offerings, there are a ton of boutique shops to explore on a weekend in Covent Garden. If you’re in search of something unique for yourself, or for a gift, look no further than here. Antiques make perfect presents, adding character to any home. Here in Covent Garden, the Apple Market inside Covent Garden Market specialises in high quality antique goods. Try Malcolm’s Melodic Memorabilia for antique jewellery and ancient coins. Nearby Goldsmith and Perris has a fine selection of silver plates, coffee pots and other items that are sure to be conversation starters back home.
Outside the market there are a number of other private and boutique stores selling everything from bespoke jewellery to handmade cosmetics. Homesick Aussies will want to pop into the Australia Shop which sells goods local to Australia that are not typically found in the UK. Fashionistas can try Pop Boutique and Crazy Pig Designs. These shops offer the best in vintage clothing and custom handmade jewellery respectively. If you’re shopping for a child, or even someone who’s a kid at heart, look no further than Erik Snook. This lovely store offers beautifully crafted traditional and wooden toys sure to become family heirlooms one day.
On Saturdays, visitors to Covent Garden can enjoy the wonderful smell and sounds of the outdoor farmers market – a great compliment to the shopping. Snack on local, farm fresh foods while searching for the perfect outfit or gift. A weekend in Covent Garden makes for great shopping, but it’s much more than that. The area is also home to delightful restaurants, pubs, cafes which means everything you need is within walking distance. So the next time you get a free weekend, head over to London and go shopping in Covent Garden.

Yapahuva

Vili Filipova — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:43:22 +0000

Only 45 km north of Kurunegala, there is another ancient city – Yapahuva. In the 13th century Yapahuve, for 12 years, was the ancient capital of the Sri Lanka state. In consequence of this short, filled with dramatic stories, and its ruins Yapahuva is of considerable historical interest. King, who founded here the capital, was killed in an internecine war. The capital then moved, and the city Yapahuva fell into neglect. To date, the ancient city were a few buildings, reminiscent of better times. One of them – the main Buddhist temple – a construction built eight centuries ago. A stone sculpture of a lion in Yapahuva depicted on the banknote at 10 rupees. The city grew up around Yapahuva once impregnable, but almost never survived to the present day castle. But even so were many traces of the ancient defenses. The best example – a decorative staircase. The steps of this ladder is very narrow and it is possible to climb the only side that is a form of protection, because the steps can not easily climb or descend. So it gives some time for those who were at the top arms against an enemy attack. At the top of the cave temple was built for the monks. There are also remains of various buildings. Sacred Tooth was brought from Dambadeniya and maintained in a special room. It was built in the hundred meter high cliff by the decree of the king Bhaveynkabahu I. He once turned to the capital Yapahuvu Sinhala state. After that, here and brought home Lankan relic – the Buddha’s tooth.
Short period of stay in the Holy Tooth Yapahuve ended shortly after the death Bhaveynkabahu in 1284. Pandyans – South Indian troops once again invaded the island and took a sacred relic. This catastrophe has plunged into despair Sinhalese and quickly spread throughout the Buddhist world. When Parakramabahu III became king, knowing that his legitimacy in government can be questioned, as it does not have the precious relic, he personally went to the Pandyan and held talks on the return of the relics. What he predicted and how much to pay Pandyans – remains a mystery, but Parakramabahu, to the great joy, returned to the Tooth in Sri Lanka. Further tooth was stored in a specially built temple in new capital – Kurunegala.

Family Holidays in Corfu: The Best of Greece

Vili Filipova — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:27:59 +0000

Taking the family away on holiday is an exciting and rewarding time – but if you think it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg, think again. There are a fantastic range of destinations to choose from and plenty of choice available when it comes to style of accommodation, location and facilities.
For example, you can book cheap Greece holidays and take advantage of money-saving offers such as free kids’ places and discounted deals for large families. Most family hotels will offer top-notch facilities such as small pools for babies and toddlers, water slides for the big kids, and children’s clubs catering for all ages. Many will also offer excellent crèche facilities with qualified supervisors, meaning you can sneak off for a few hours while the kids play happily and safely.
Family holidays in Corfu are an excellent example of how it’s done. This beautiful part of the world is simply teeming with lush beaches, azure waters and delicious local fare served up in friendly, traditional tavernas, making it the perfect stop-off for some much-needed rest and relaxation. For families, it’s got pretty much everything you could hope for.
Choose any one of dozens of resorts along Corfu’s coastline and you’ll find shallow child-friendly shores, soft sandy bays and plenty of local amenities ranging from shops and supermarkets to cafes and family restaurants.
Corfu is also home to more than its fair share of children’s activity parks, such as bustling Aqualand – a watery adventure playground with more than enough slides, rapids, black holes and pools to keep your youngsters entertained for a week.
Each resort has its own take on how to do family holidays, and many are just a few miles apart – meaning you can sample as many as you like to enjoy the full spectrum of family holidays in Corfu.

Bintan

Vili Filipova — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:40:16 +0000

The Bintan island is gorgeous tropical paradise in the territory of Indonesia. Its unique location near Singapore is a great opportunity to combine the dynamic stay in the Asian metropolis with a relaxing vacation in the exotic magic and tranquility. Island bandage is ready to welcome you with nice weather all year round. The climate is equatorial, as prevails year round hot and sunny, with a marked high humidity. The annual average temperature is around 28-30 ° C and precipitation is often short lasting 5-10 minutes. When you encounter the island will be enchanted by the diverse natural heritage. Numerous tall coconut palms, beautiful white beaches, clear green water and dense tropical jungle will bring you into a world filled with peace and beauty. Well-developed tourist infrastructure on the island, and comfortable hotels and resorts offering all necessary amenities, your stay will be sweetness. The island has an area of Bintan entrepot trade. Close location to Singapore has a positive impact on the island – starting from the level of cleanliness and orderliness to the impeccable and friendly service.

Bali

Vili Filipova — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:33:44 +0000

Traveling to Asia is filled with emotions, because here you can enjoy the good weather, see impressive nature and of course watch the industrialism of the people. Indonesia is one of these places, where the weather is usually hot, so here are situated some of the most beautiful resorts, such as Bali. The island is truly a tropical paradise located in the heart of the largest archipelago in the world – Indonesian archipelago. Bali is famous for its magnificent scenery, mysterious cults and rich ancient traditions. Regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the world, Bali is often called with the name “Island of Thousand Temple” because of its rich heritage of many temples and pagodas, which we carried away in ancient history and culture of the island. Nature here is impressive – the exotic beaches and crystal green sea alternated with dense tropical jungles, spacious terraced rice plantations and quiet volcanoes, towering high in the sky. The local population is so nice and polite, always provides us with sunny smiles and warm hearts. Today this tourist haven is one of the most attractive exotic destinations in the world. The island offers the dream combination of modern resorts and hotels, opportunities for pleasant walks and excursions, delicious food and lots of fun.
Besides the capital Denpasar, the most interesting places in Bali tourist resort of Kuta. It is becoming more popular among younger travelers for great conditions for surfing and wild nightlife. Other popular places are Seminyak and Sanur and Nusa Dua resort, famous for its clean white beaches and luxury hotels. Great interest to tourists are Ubud – the center of Balinese art, Lake Batur and the title active volcano and Besakih temple complex located in the eastern part of Bali.

Why Cheap Flights South Africa is the only Choice to go to Africa

Vili Filipova — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:18:28 +0000

Visiting South Africa might be a dream for many people. But you can make your dream come true if you plan properly and execute it well. Money would be the primary concern while planning an overseas travel. To cut down expense you can follow various methods such as booking cheap flights, accommodation, etc.
Finding cheap flights South Africa is not complicated as it seems. Since there are many airlines operating in South Africa, you can find many travel options. However, planning in advance is very important as airlines announce their flight specials months before the actual date to attract more passengers. There are many websites which provide search engines to compare flight tickets and other discounts. By making use of these comparison websites, you can find all the airlines providing service to South Africa on the date mentioned. If you are not satisfied with the options listed by the search website, you can change the travel date and time to find better deals. For this you need to be flexible with your travel dates. Browse the website of travel consolidators also because sometimes they might offer cheap flights to Cape Town and cheap flights to Johannesburg. Though SA flights connect to the major cities of the country, Johannesburg and Cape Town are the most preferred landing airports by tourists. Hence finding cheapest flights to Cape Town and Johannesburg will be tricky. When your preferred destination is Johannesburg or Cape Town only, then in addition to searching in advance, you need to plan during off season. Or book flights to any available airport and make use of cheap domestic flights South Africa to reach your preferred destination. Subscribing to email alerts about flights South Africa and discounts will also be very helpful. Taking some extra care while planning your trip can help you enjoy a wonderful vacation at an affordable budget.

Borneo

Vili Filipova — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:28:07 +0000

Malaysia is one of the most impressive and beautiful places for traveling in Asia. Definitely the journey in this part of the world will impress you with the beautiful nature, large mega structures, incredible buildings and modern lifestyle. Situated in an area of 743,330 square kilometers in the waters of South China Sea, Borneo is the third largest island on the planet. To the west it is surrounded by the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, south of Java Island and the east and northeast of Sulawesi and the Philippines. Borneo is the only island in the world whose territory belongs to three different countries – Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. In Indonesia, locals call the island Kalimantan and Malaysia – East Malaysia. Borneo boasts uniquely beautiful and diverse flora and fauna, making it the richest on the planet. On the island, and today there untouchable places still remain unexplored. In recent years various expeditions to explore the area discovered numerous novel types of science, including more than 52 plant species and 30 previously unknown species. Definitely the pure nature and the beautiful weather are highly attractive for the travelers from all over the world, who want to see the wild beaches and the tender sand of Borneo.

Matara

Vili Filipova — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:25:09 +0000

Matara city is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km. from Colombo and is one of the largest settlements of the island. Matara today – a modern city with tall buildings and business offices, banks, government agencies, shopping centers, hotels, internet cafes, connected by roads and rail routes with other cities of the island. From Colombo, Matara can get to by train or bus, which depart from the station to the city every half hour. Travel time – 4 hours. Matara offers excellent opportunities to shop for every taste and at the lowest prices. Employees of retail and service excellent command of English. The city has many craft centers and workshops for the manufacture of jewelry. In the area of cultivated coconut, spices are grown, are mined precious stones (ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, etc.)
The city has a solid history and survived the reign of Portuguese, Dutch and British authorities. Since then, numerous historical monuments. In Matara should visit the following sites. Matara Fort – Building the Dutch in 1640, as a reinforcement for the garrison stationed there. Fort resembles a star shape and represents an exciting spectacle leaves no one indifferent of travelers who visited him. The length of the fort about 50 m height from the bottom 9 m of land with shaft, overgrown with grass, excellent view over the city. Fort quietly restored and impeccably renovated recently moat and drawbridge. In the central part of the shaft, retained a 12-meter high Clock Tower, built by the Dutch in 1765. The tower has always and consistently maintained administration of all ages and today stands as a monument to the glory of the ancient Dutch governors. Although the mechanism constantly restores the tower clock, the architecture of the tower also remained unchanged. Another interesting building built in 1775 – Old Dutch Church – a superb architectural monument of the rural churches of the time, which in large quantities have been scattered in different parts of the Dutch dominions, and a small part of which survives to this day. Old Market – another reminder of the Dutch era. It was built by the Dutch in 1775. This is the first building of the spectacular views that can be seen moving along the road from Colombo. The architecture of the building is maintained unchanged, although it is currently used as a cultural center for music and traditional Sri Lankan dancing.

Hua Hin

Vili Filipova — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:12:44 +0000

Hua Hin is the oldest and traditional resort in Thailand. Compared to most other holiday destinations in the country that attract mostly foreigners, Hua Hin is a resort that is home to the joy and Thai tourists. While the islands of Phuket and Samui were much later rediscovered by Tourism Hua Hin is a favorite resort in Thailand for over 70 years. The resort was opened in early 1920 by King Rama VII, as an ideal place to escape from the enormous metropolis bustling Bangkok. This peaceful fishing village had the honor of becoming the Royal resort and consequently gained popularity among Thai highest class. Construction of railway line from Bangkok to facilitate access to the resort and makes it even more popular among the Thai public. But the fact that it has received royal assent gives it a really special character. In 1928, King Rama VII built a palace Klai Kangwon (translated means “Far from worries”), which to this day remains an official royal residence. It is still often used by members of the royal family and is open to outsiders.
Hua Hin continued his development as an aristocratic resort with a new attraction – golf fields. Many wealthy and famous residents of Bangkok built their own summer houses on the beach and relaxing family holiday resort with a unique identity. Today’s visitor to Hua Hin can feel the magic and charm of this special atmosphere while to find so many entertainment options. Immense clean beaches, abundant water sports, walking through beautiful parks, caves and waterfalls – these are just some of the adventures that await you during the day. Golf is also one of the main attractions at the resort – although Thailand has not yet been rediscovered as a golf destination, 5 miles long beach has built the largest golf course in Thailand. In the evening we recommend a walk along the colorful array of local stalls and shops, then enjoy a delicious Thai cuisine restaurant in a pile above water.

Colombo

Vili Filipova — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:09:56 +0000

Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka and former administrative capital of the island. Situated on the west coast of the island, near the present administrative capital of Sri Lanka Kitten. Due to its strategic location at the crossroads of important sea trade routes coming from the east and west, 2000 years ago Colombo port is famous among the ancient traders. The city acquired the status of capital in 1815 when the island was colonized by the British Empire. Colombo retains its status and independence of the nation in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Lanka Cote, Colombo was declared commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
Today it is a busy and vibrant city, offering a unique combination of modern life and colonial atmosphere, symbolizing the rich history of the country. Tourists remain fascinated by the colonial heritage of the city and the wonderful attractions and entertainment and shopping.