Greece travel guide - Greece travel tips & safety advice

Is it the history that draws us to Greece? The land that has given us the Acropolis and Delphi and Olympia has been attracting tourists for 200 years since the days of Lord Elgin. Could it be the Greek islands? Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Paros, Naxos and Rhodes with their beautiful beaches, restaurants, nightlife and archaeological sites have been popular for decades.

Or lesser known islands like Sifnos, Lesvos, Kea that have always been attractive to those looking for a more quiet escape. Maybe it is the allure of the Peloponessos with its high mountains and beautiful coast, its rich history and the seaports of Gythion and Napflion which have sent sailors all over the world for centuries. Could it be the Greek food? Maybe the weather in Greece where they say there are 300 days of sunshine, most of it between May and November. Maybe it is the spiritual quality of places like Meteora where centuries old monasteries crown giant rocks.

I think the reason Greece is popular is because it is somehow familiar while at the same time exotic. Whether this familiarity comes from studying the ancient Greeks in school or something deeper or more spiritual I don't know. I can't begin to count all the e-mails from people who have written that they have always had an attraction to Greece and once they had visited felt they somehow belonged there.

Places were as familiar as if they had once been home. It is not chance that the slogan for the Athens 2004 Olympics was 'Welcome Home'. It was not just a homecoming for the Olympics themselves but for all those visiting the place that has much to do with who we are today. And maybe some of us once walked the streets of ancient Athens with Socrates and Plato.

For me writing about Greece is not a job. It is like a higher calling. If one's duty on earth is to awaken those around him and so awaken himself what better tool is there than Greece? For those of us who spend long hours a day working or involved in the routine of modern life Greece is an awakening. It reminds us that we are alive. I hope that my Greece Travel Guides awaken something in you that brings you back to Greece.

Dubai travel guide - Dubai travel tips & safety advice

Giorgio Armani's first hotel opened in 2010 in the world's tallest tower, Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa, amid much fanfare. Built on the first 39 floors of the dart-shaped skyscraper, the resort is part-residences, part-hotel - although the same brooding style underpins everything.

Sharp lines, neutral tones, stone and mahogany predominate: you can almost smell the masculinity. The best rooms have vast balconies overlooking the Dubai Fountain, another record-breaker with water that  shoots as high as 150 metres into the air.

Burj Al Arab is famous for so many reasons, the most notorious among them its disputed rating of seven stars. Given the exclusivity of the hotel, it is no wonder that I could get no closer than the turnoff for the road connecting it to the mainland in order to take my pictures.

It is the fourth tallest building in the world, and functions exclusively as a private hotel. It was built on an artificial island created out of welded oil tankers, and sits off of Jumeirah Beach. If you can afford to stay here, you don't need to be using free travel advice; if you can't, you might as well stop gawking and head back to somewhere air conditioned.

In the finance district, the Fairmont Dubai has 34 floors, 394 rooms and leisure amenities including the Willow Stream Spa, with Turkish hammam-inspired steam rooms and eight private treatment rooms; a state-of-the-art gym; and two rooftop swimming pools overlooking the city. Restaurants include Cavalli Club, serving Italian cuisine; Café Sushi; and award-winning steakhouse The Exchange Grill, where the steak is dubbed the best in Dubai - which is quite a claim in this city.

Dubai is all about entertaining: camel riding and racing, scuba diving, skiing, shopping, cruising, fishing - to name but a few - can be arranged by the hotel. Directly connected to the Dubai International Convention Centre, the hotel also has its own boardroom and conference room, and is well set up for business travellers.

Forty five minutes from Dubai, the exclusive Al Maha resort is a desert haven set within a conservation reserve. Each of the Bedouin-style suites, grouped into Emirates, Royal and Bedouin Suites, has its own private swimming pool and activities include falconry, wildlife tours and horse-riding.

Guests can dine in the relaxed Al Diwaan restaurant, or on the private decks of the guest suites. With three staff assigned to every guest, the highly personalised service is as fantastic as the facilities. The Al Maha resort was voted best overseas leisure hotel in Africa and the Middle East in The Readers' Travel Awards 2002 and was on the Gold List 2009.

Teatro San Carlo travel guide - Teatro San Carlo travel tips & safety advice

Lonely Planet review for Teatro San Carlo Adjoining the square, Piazza Trieste e Trento, fronted on the northeastern side by Italy’s largest opera house, the sumptuous Teatro San Carlo.It is famed for its perfect acoustics. Locals will proudly boast that it was built in 1737, predating its northern rival, Milan’s La Scala, by 41 years. Inaugurated on 4 December 1737 by Charles VII, it was severely damaged by a fire in 1816 and rebuilt by Antonio Niccolini, the same architect who a few years before had added the facade.

At the time of research, the future of the 40-minute tours of the theatre was unclear. Contact the theatre or tourist office for updates. Carlo III Bourbon dynasty king of Naples, Naples, Teatro San Bartolomeo instead of the TA 1621 and inflexible made larger to make the new theater and the opera house has commissioned the architects Giovanni Antonio Medrano and Angelo's Carasale.

This is the name given to the new building in San Carlo Theatre, the theater building 4 November 1737 (the day of the king's name) libretto "Pietro Metastasio" 's compositions "Domenico Sarro"' s report "Achille in Sciro", a new opera opened.

Classical architecture of the new building in San Carlo Theatre, golden and blue velvet interior dekarasyonu beğenilmişti with sitting chairs and a series of theater building renovation and rastorasyondan geçirilmekle maintained with the outline of the architecture. 1787 and 1778 made repairs, renovation, interior decoration, 1797, and 1809 amended plans were prepared to change the main front façade of the neo-classical style. 12 February 1617 Teatro San Carlo was destroyed by a fire great.

Toskanyalı by the architect Antonio Niccolini and rebuilt within 10 months of a 6-storey lodges, a very large kingdom box, one yellow-blue color 1444-seat horseshoe-shaped main hall, 33.3 meters wide, 20 meters deep and 30 meters high, with a scene very likely. The next renovation, modernization and 1845, 1854, 1972 and 1890 were made. American artillery and air bombardment during

World War II in 1943, but within 10 months of the damaged repaired and re-opened on December 16, 1943. The front of the building architecture, building renovation in 1969 which had been prepared by Niccolini "Partenope" group sculptures are ruined due to the rain and bad weather reduced the front, and in 2007 "Partenope Three" re-made statues located in front of the building.

Teatro San Carlo opera productions of works on various genres of opera buffa and opera seria with a very recognized. Feo among them, Porpora, Traetta, Piccinni, Vinci, anfossi, Durante, Jommelli, Cimarosa, Paisiello, Zingarelli and Gazzaniga opera composers in the school of Naples has been the main operaevi. Hasse, Haydn, Johann Christian Bach and Gluck opera composers as well as works of non-Italian summit in San Carlo arts productions were counted.

The period of 1815-1822 was the director of music and composer Gioacchino Rossini San Carlo opera eserinon 10 premiere was staged in this theater. That followed him as music director Gaetano Donizetti opera 16, and their work prepared for the premiere of the opera house was the San Carlo Theatre.

Sicilian-born Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi's early works and the famous sahnelenmişlerdir it for the first time at the opera house. XIX. the late XX century. century Italy, "Verismo" style that works opera Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Giordano, and Cilea made this theater premieres.

Bourbon Street travel guide - Bourbon Street travel tips & safety advice

The French claimed Louisiana as a colony in the 1690s. Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville was appointed as Director General in charge of developing a colony in the territory. He founded New Orleans in 1718. In 1721, the royal engineer, Adrien de Pauger designed the city's street layout.

He named the streets after French royal houses and Catholic saints. Bourbon Street paid homage to France's ruling family, the House of Bourbon.Lonely Planet review for Bourbon Street A red-brick slice of New Orleans in Napoli.

Smooth American and Italian jazz musicians perform virtually every night to a mixed-age crowd of head-swaying jazz aficionados. There was a move in the 1960s under District Attorney Jim Garrison to clean up Bourbon Street.

In August 1962, two months after he was elected district attorney, Garrison began raids on adult establishments on Bourbon Street. His efforts mirrored his predecessors’, which had been largely unsuccessful.

He was much more successful than those who came before him, however. He forced closure on a dozen nightclubs guilty of prostitution and selling overpriced alcohol. Following his efforts, Bourbon Street was populated by peep shows and sidewalk beer stands.

Caffè Gambrinus 2018

Lonely Planet review for Caffè Gambrinus Grand, chandeliered Gambrinus is Naples' oldest and most venerable cafe. Oscar Wilde knocked back a few here and Mussolini had some of the rooms shut down to keep out left-wing intellectuals. Sure, the prices may be steeper, but the pre-dinner aperitivo nibbles are decent and sipping a spritz while soaking up elegant Piazza Triesto e Trento is a moment worth savouring.

Campania Italy Best in Travel 2018

Campania is home to Italy’s most sumptuous stretch of coastline (the Amalfi Coast), one of its most mind-blowing and ebullient cities (Naples), the menacing beauty of Mt Vesuvius, and the frozen-in-lava ancient Roman city of Pompeii. This year it is receiving an enormous injection of cash as part of its role in hosting the UN’s fourth Universal Forum of Cultures from April to July. Events will include art exhibitions from all five continents, music, cinema, dance, street artists and theatre, circus acts, food markets and workshops.Campania is home to Italy’s most sumptuous stretch of coastline (the Amalfi Coast), one of its most mind-blowing and ebullient cities (Naples), the menacing beauty of Mt Vesuvius, and the frozen-in-lava ancient Roman city of Pompeii. This year it is receiving an enormous injection of cash as part of its role in hosting the UN’s fourth Universal Forum of Cultures from April to July. Events will include art exhibitions from all five continents, music, cinema, dance, street artists and theatre, circus acts, food markets and workshops.Campania is home to Italy’s most sumptuous stretch of coastline (the Amalfi Coast), one of its most mind-blowing and ebullient cities (Naples), the menacing beauty of Mt Vesuvius, and the frozen-in-lava ancient Roman city of Pompeii. This year it is receiving an enormous injection of cash as part of its role in hosting the UN’s fourth Universal Forum of Cultures from April to July. Events will include art exhibitions from all five continents, music, cinema, dance, street artists and theatre, circus acts, food markets and workshops.

Inland Sea Japan Best in Travel 2018

Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji… the islands of the Seto Inland Sea? You’d be forgiven if the name of this vast stretch of water in Japan’s west doesn’t ring any bells. With the exception of Miyajima, with its oft-photographed vermillion ‘floating’ torii (shrine gate), most of the Inland Sea islands aren’t on the usual international-tourist hit list. Fair enough. They’re out of the way, and there’s just so much to do in Tokyo. But those who make the effort are rewarded. Many of the islands in this roughly 400km-long waterway offer the chance to experience a Japan without all the bells, whistles and bullet trains.Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji… the islands of the Seto Inland Sea? You’d be forgiven if the name of this vast stretch of water in Japan’s west doesn’t ring any bells. With the exception of Miyajima, with its oft-photographed vermillion ‘floating’ torii (shrine gate), most of the Inland Sea islands aren’t on the usual international-tourist hit list. Fair enough. They’re out of the way, and there’s just so much to do in Tokyo. But those who make the effort are rewarded. Many of the islands in this roughly 400km-long waterway offer the chance to experience a Japan without all the bells, whistles and bullet trains.Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji… the islands of the Seto Inland Sea? You’d be forgiven if the name of this vast stretch of water in Japan’s west doesn’t ring any bells. With the exception of Miyajima, with its oft-photographed vermillion ‘floating’ torii (shrine gate), most of the Inland Sea islands aren’t on the usual international-tourist hit list. Fair enough. They’re out of the way, and there’s just so much to do in Tokyo. But those who make the effort are rewarded. Many of the islands in this roughly 400km-long waterway offer the chance to experience a Japan without all the bells, whistles and bullet trains.

Palawan The Philippines Best in Travel 2018

Palawan incorporates thousands of sparkling, rugged islands and is fringed by 2000km of pristine coastline. So far Palawan’s natural marvels have only been sampled by plucky backpackers. Not for much longer. The trail these pioneers have blazed is set to explode, with regional airlines waking up to Palawan’s potential and clambering to schedule direct flights to the capital. Throw in the mushrooming growth of style-conscious boutique hotels normally found in places like Ko Samui or Bali, and you can feel that Palawan is ready to hit the big-time in 2013.Palawan incorporates thousands of sparkling, rugged islands and is fringed by 2000km of pristine coastline. So far Palawan’s natural marvels have only been sampled by plucky backpackers. Not for much longer. The trail these pioneers have blazed is set to explode, with regional airlines waking up to Palawan’s potential and clambering to schedule direct flights to the capital. Throw in the mushrooming growth of style-conscious boutique hotels normally found in places like Ko Samui or Bali, and you can feel that Palawan is ready to hit the big-time in 2013.Palawan incorporates thousands of sparkling, rugged islands and is fringed by 2000km of pristine coastline. So far Palawan’s natural marvels have only been sampled by plucky backpackers. Not for much longer. The trail these pioneers have blazed is set to explode, with regional airlines waking up to Palawan’s potential and clambering to schedule direct flights to the capital. Throw in the mushrooming growth of style-conscious boutique hotels normally found in places like Ko Samui or Bali, and you can feel that Palawan is ready to hit the big-time in 2013.

Carinthia Austria Best in Travel 2018

With belts tightening across Europe, the Alps are fast becoming the exclusive preserve of the champagne set… but lesser mortals will find plenty to love about Carinthia. With ski resorts nestled on every mountain top, Carinthia is best known outside Austria for uncrowded slopes and après-ski where you don’t have to take out a second mortgage just to buy a beer. Backing onto Italy and Slovenia, the region dilutes the Austrian efficiency with Mediterranean laissez-faire. So where are the crowds? Check out Carinthia now, while peace and quiet reigns; it won’t stay like this forever.With belts tightening across Europe, the Alps are fast becoming the exclusive preserve of the champagne set… but lesser mortals will find plenty to love about Carinthia. With ski resorts nestled on every mountain top, Carinthia is best known outside Austria for uncrowded slopes and après-ski where you don’t have to take out a second mortgage just to buy a beer. Backing onto Italy and Slovenia, the region dilutes the Austrian efficiency with Mediterranean laissez-faire. So where are the crowds? Check out Carinthia now, while peace and quiet reigns; it won’t stay like this forever.With belts tightening across Europe, the Alps are fast becoming the exclusive preserve of the champagne set… but lesser mortals will find plenty to love about Carinthia. With ski resorts nestled on every mountain top, Carinthia is best known outside Austria for uncrowded slopes and après-ski where you don’t have to take out a second mortgage just to buy a beer. Backing onto Italy and Slovenia, the region dilutes the Austrian efficiency with Mediterranean laissez-faire. So where are the crowds? Check out Carinthia now, while peace and quiet reigns; it won’t stay like this forever.

The Gulf Coast USA Best in Travel 2018

An area that has become synonymous with the words ‘oil spill’ doesn’t sound like it’d be a vacation must-do. But a lot has happened since a deep-water drilling operation off the coast of Louisiana went fatally awry in 2010. The Gulf Coast – never a place to take disaster lying down – has rebounded. Rolling sand dunes once again sparkle and seasonal travellers are once again enjoying the Gulf’s tepid waters, not to mention its tender locally caught fish. The 'Redneck Riviera' is edging back to its best.An area that has become synonymous with the words ‘oil spill’ doesn’t sound like it’d be a vacation must-do. But a lot has happened since a deep-water drilling operation off the coast of Louisiana went fatally awry in 2010. The Gulf Coast – never a place to take disaster lying down – has rebounded. Rolling sand dunes once again sparkle and seasonal travellers are once again enjoying the Gulf’s tepid waters, not to mention its tender locally caught fish. The 'Redneck Riviera' is edging back to its best.An area that has become synonymous with the words ‘oil spill’ doesn’t sound like it’d be a vacation must-do. But a lot has happened since a deep-water drilling operation off the coast of Louisiana went fatally awry in 2010. The Gulf Coast – never a place to take disaster lying down – has rebounded. Rolling sand dunes once again sparkle and seasonal travellers are once again enjoying the Gulf’s tepid waters, not to mention its tender locally caught fish. The 'Redneck Riviera' is edging back to its best.

Chachapoyas & Kuelap Peru Best in Travel 2018

Nestled in the northern Peruvian Andes, the placid mountain city of Chachapoyas is small, quiet and a pain in the neck to reach. But this charming agricultural centre sits amid some of the country’s most incredible cultural and natural treasures, including an entire river valley’s worth of pre-Inca ruins, the funerary site of Karajía, and one of the world’s tallest waterfalls. The glorious isolation isn’t going to last for long. For the past half-dozen years, the Peruvian government has been quietly paving roads and improving other infrastructure to make the area more visitor-friendly.Nestled in the northern Peruvian Andes, the placid mountain city of Chachapoyas is small, quiet and a pain in the neck to reach. But this charming agricultural centre sits amid some of the country’s most incredible cultural and natural treasures, including an entire river valley’s worth of pre-Inca ruins, the funerary site of Karajía, and one of the world’s tallest waterfalls. The glorious isolation isn’t going to last for long. For the past half-dozen years, the Peruvian government has been quietly paving roads and improving other infrastructure to make the area more visitor-friendly.

The Yukon Canada Best in Travel 2018

This vast and thinly populated wilderness has a grandeur and beauty that can only be properly appreciated in person. But while few places in the world today are so unchanged over the course of time, change has started coming fast to the Yukon. In 2013 it is still one of the least densely populated regions on the planet (there’s almost 14.2 sq km/5.5 sq miles for each hardy local) but its tremendous mineral wealth is drawing new residents in a reprise of the fabled Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Climate change means that parts of the far north are actually dissolving into the Arctic Ocean and the glacier-clad parks are undergoing profound change.This vast and thinly populated wilderness has a grandeur and beauty that can only be properly appreciated in person. But while few places in the world today are so unchanged over the course of time, change has started coming fast to the Yukon. In 2013 it is still one of the least densely populated regions on the planet (there’s almost 14.2 sq km/5.5 sq miles for each hardy local) but its tremendous mineral wealth is drawing new residents in a reprise of the fabled Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Climate change means that parts of the far north are actually dissolving into the Arctic Ocean and the glacier-clad parks are undergoing profound change.

Mustang Nepal Best in Travel 2018

The completion of a road connecting Mustang to China in the north and the rest of Nepal to the south will make all the difference to this remote region. Lo Manthang, or Mustang as it’s usually called, has been dubbed ‘little Tibet’ or ‘the last forbidden kingdom’; though politically part of Nepal, in language, culture, climate and geography, it’s Tibet. Until 1992 nobody from outside was allowed in; for a while after that it was opened up to a few hundred a year, and these days anyone can enter, though the pricey trekking permit keeps the numbers down. Expect that to change.The completion of a road connecting Mustang to China in the north and the rest of Nepal to the south will make all the difference to this remote region. Lo Manthang, or Mustang as it’s usually called, has been dubbed ‘little Tibet’ or ‘the last forbidden kingdom’; though politically part of Nepal, in language, culture, climate and geography, it’s Tibet. Until 1992 nobody from outside was allowed in; for a while after that it was opened up to a few hundred a year, and these days anyone can enter, though the pricey trekking permit keeps the numbers down. Expect that to change.The completion of a road connecting Mustang to China in the north and the rest of Nepal to the south will make all the difference to this remote region. Lo Manthang, or Mustang as it’s usually called, has been dubbed ‘little Tibet’ or ‘the last forbidden kingdom’; though politically part of Nepal, in language, culture, climate and geography, it’s Tibet. Until 1992 nobody from outside was allowed in; for a while after that it was opened up to a few hundred a year, and these days anyone can enter, though the pricey trekking permit keeps the numbers down. Expect that to change.

The Negev Israel Best in Travel 2018

For decades the Negev was regarded as nothing but a desolate desert. But today, this region is a giant greenhouse of development. Think eco-villages, spa resorts and even wineries. In the next few years a new international airport at Timna is scheduled to open, followed by a high-speed railway to Eilat and more hotels. Time is running out to experience the desert as nature intended.For decades the Negev was regarded as nothing but a desolate desert. But today, this region is a giant greenhouse of development. Think eco-villages, spa resorts and even wineries. In the next few years a new international airport at Timna is scheduled to open, followed by a high-speed railway to Eilat and more hotels. Time is running out to experience the desert as nature intended.For decades the Negev was regarded as nothing but a desolate desert. But today, this region is a giant greenhouse of development. Think eco-villages, spa resorts and even wineries. In the next few years a new international airport at Timna is scheduled to open, followed by a high-speed railway to Eilat and more hotels. Time is running out to experience the desert as nature intended.

Corsica France Best in Travel 2018

Mixing the cultures of Italy and France yet fiercely Corsican, the French Mediterranean island of Corsica has a furious beauty. It is this epic beauty combined with its challenging topography that make it a spectacular choice to host the historic centenary of the initial stages of the Tour de France. Race organisers wanted the hundredth Tour to start in an enchanting location, and decided Corsica was the place; this will be the first time the race has braved its challenges.Mixing the cultures of Italy and France yet fiercely Corsican, the French Mediterranean island of Corsica has a furious beauty. It is this epic beauty combined with its challenging topography that make it a spectacular choice to host the historic centenary of the initial stages of the Tour de France. Race organisers wanted the hundredth Tour to start in an enchanting location, and decided Corsica was the place; this will be the first time the race has braved its challenges.Mixing the cultures of Italy and France yet fiercely Corsican, the French Mediterranean island of Corsica has a furious beauty. It is this epic beauty combined with its challenging topography that make it a spectacular choice to host the historic centenary of the initial stages of the Tour de France. Race organisers wanted the hundredth Tour to start in an enchanting location, and decided Corsica was the place; this will be the first time the race has braved its challenges.