Kerala tourism

Kerala is decorated by its eye-soothing green jungles, rolling hills, mind-blowing beaches, tea gardens and of course its magical backwaters. The amazing backwaters of Kerala have become an integral part of its people. It has given the visitors the opportunity to see the rural and real life in the heart of Kerala. The backwaters of kerala stretch over 1900 kms, providing, drinking water and irrigating paddy fields. The most interesting area in the backwaters of kerala is the Kuttanad region, called the rice bowl of Kerala. The area is probably the only place in the continent where farming is done below sea level, using a system of dykes and bunds.

The ancient history of Kerala is shrouded in the mists of tradition. The most popular legend would have it that the land crust that forms the state was raised from the depths of the ocean by Parasurama, the Brahmin avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu and hence the sobriquet - "God's own Country". Thus during your tour to Kerala you get an opportunity to be a part of this culturally rich country.

Today, Kerala is one of the best-known tour destinations in the world tourism map. From mind-blowing landscapes to infinite intriguing customs, high-intensity cultural life to the educated public, holidays and tour in Kerala is a unique experience in itself.

To know more about kerala backwaters and beaches visit this site kerala-backwaters-tours. com

Visit newport beach california

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Newport Beach, home to Newport Harbor and Balboa Island, is fifty miles from Los Angeles, fourteen miles from Disneyland in Anaheim and thirty miles from Catalina Island. It's a great place to get away from it all but still have it all. It is a small, population approximately 72,000, affluent city surrounded by major attractions.


Rent a condo or villa, stay at an inexpensive motel, park your RV at the Newport Dunes Resort & Marina, check into a medium priced hotel or pamper yourself at a luxury hotel like the Balboa Bay Club & Resort which shares the same address as the Balboa Bay Club ("The Balboa Bay Club which boasts a star-studded history with a guest register bearing the signatures of luminaries, including John Wayne, Ronald and Nancy Regan, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood and many more."), Four Seasons, Hyatt Regency, Mariott or the Balboa Inn.


Dine at one of the many excellent restaurants like the Newport Landing Restaurant ("Newport Landing is Newport Beach. Located on the Bay overlooking the historic Balboa Ferry with a panoramic view of Newport Harbor, Balboa Island, Newport Center, and the distant peaks of Saddleback."), The Ritz Restaurant & Garden ("Synonymous with elegance, gracious service and award-winning cuisine."), The Sol Restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach (Featuring World Island cuisine from the Caribbean, South Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico.), Woody's Wharf ("Live entertainment Friday and Saturday night. Valet parking and quest slips available fo the boaters.") or The Harborside Restaurant and Grand Ballroom ("Famous for its world-renowned cupola and illuminated by more than 1,400 white lights, the Balboa Pavilion has served as the beacon of Newport Beach for almost a century."). These are but a few of the fine restaurants in Newport Beach.


Spend some time at the clean sandy beaches, cruise the large smooth water harbor while viewing the large yachts and multi million dollar homes, charter a sport fishing boat, rent a sail boat, have a party or get married on a chartered yacht, take a ride in a gondola, visit the Orange County Museum of Art, visit the many gift shops, art galleries and sidewalk cafes on Balboa Island, visit the boardwalk shops and restaurants at Newport Pier, visit or take a swim at Pirates Cove, which is best known for the filming of Gilligans Island, go hikeing, horseback riding, scuba diving or surfing at Crystal Cove State Park or catch a ride to Catalina Island.


If for some reason you need more to do, close by you will find Disneyland in Anaheim, Knott's Berry Farm and Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park and golf courses galore.



For more information about the city of Newport Beach, California see newportbeach. usacitydirectories. com, a directory of links to city of Newport Beach, California guides and directories listing information, resources, services, attorneys, realtors, things to do and places to go.

From wetlands to canals and dams travel to amsterdam

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There are not many cities that have experienced such social and political extremes in recent history as Amsterdam. In the 20th century alone, Amsterdam faced the atrocities of war for the first time in 400 years, became the radical center of 1960s social movements and witnessed a complete about-face in its core economy. Amsterdam's progressive, multicultural, conscientious and contentious attitude wipes out images of a more docile past and ranks this capital city among the top 5 for European travel destinations.
Precariously positioned on the banks of both the IJ Bay and the Amstel River headwaters, Amsterdam made an early mark on the world with its dominant seafaring fleet and colonial aspirations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Amsterdam's economy turned inward once England emerged as the seafaring superpower. Consequently, most of the enchantingly crooked mansions and townhouses alone the canals are now inhabited by eclectic stores, businesses and engaging galleries and the majority of Amsterdammers live outside of the canal belt.

Museums, Music and a Barrage of Culture
To gain a better understanding of how such a metropolitan city emerged from bogs, swamps and floodplains, visit the Amsterdams Historisch Museum. Extensive documentation covering centuries of growth spans the walls of the exhibits and a detailed segment is dedicated to modern day issues, conflicts and controversies surrounding Amsterdam's path to becoming a free and tolerant society. Then, explore Amsterdam's historic relationship with water aboard the Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, a dry-docked ship from the East India Company. For a more refined jaunt into the past, a trip to the colossal Rijksmuseum will indulge the senses with fine art from Dutch masters throughout history.

As evening approaches, leave your museum voice behind and dive dancing and drinking into Amsterdam's edgy and rowdy nightlife. The pubs and coffee shops that line the canals are a vibrant mix of locals and visitors, and the perfect place to begin your evening. Enjoy an extensive array of domestic ale or have a taste of the unique Dutch gin. Musically, Amsterdam has something for everyone. Visit Mulligans Pub for authentic Irish entertainment, kick back to some jazz in Dylan’s stylish lobby bar or go electro at the famed mega-club, Ministry.

For a moment of contemplation or a summer picnic, Amsterdam offers some of the best urban park spaces among European cities. Bikes are available for rental to take in the scenery at a faster pace, just beware of the tram tracks that crisscross most roadways and footpaths.

Of European cities, Amsterdam is most likely to surprise, excite and intrigue its visitors in a most unexpected fashion. Travel to Amsterdam to enjoy the perfect balance of open spaces, a lively urban pulse and a gracefully multiethnic ambiance.

For more information on international travel and discount airfare to Amsterdam, visit cfares. com.

The nightlife of rio de janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most exotic places on earth. The sun and beaches during the day give away to a whole new world of excitement at night. The nightlife in Rio de Janeiro is exciting and vibrant.

If you are looking for a place to take in some music you have many choices available in Rio. Samba is one of the favored types of music of the region and on any given night you can find it playing loudly along with people dancing. You can either sit and watch the band or join in the fun and take a spin on the dance floor. Many establishments are licensed so you can sip a cocktail while you soak in the ambiance.

If you’d rather take in a show there are several different theatre options at your disposal in Rio de Janeiro. Most of the local newspapers will have listings and finding directions is never difficult. The locals are often the first to help if you ask which way is which.

The beach at night in Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking. You do want to be mindful of which beach you are heading to as some aren’t policed and unfavorable characters gather there looking for unwitting tourists. If you want to party on the beach during the wee hours of the night consider visiting Copacabana beach. This is a popular destination for both natives and tourists alike. It’s well lit and it’s patrolled by the police so you can be certain that you’ll stay safe.

During the annual Carnival celebrations you’ll want to get out in the evening. The Carnival is a world class party with people attending from virtually every corner of the globe. The festivities go day and night in Rio de Janeiro during this time and the locals seem to enjoy it just as much as those visiting.

Parades are seen day and night in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival and it’s wise to try and soak up as much as you can. It’s truly a one in a lifetime experience to be there in the thick of this festive and lively celebration.

New Year’s Eve is a blast anywhere you are and that’s certainly no exception when you are in Rio de Janeiro. People from all over Brazil go to Rio to welcome the beginning of a new year. This is one spot that rivals Times Square for excitement as the clock strikes twelve.

Rio de Janeiro is a great vacation destination and don’t be surprised if you get little sleep while there. The fun in Rio never stops and you’re as likely to find excitement in the middle of the night as you are during the day.

Just stay safe by steering clear of neighborhoods that you aren’t familiar with. If you stay on the beaten path and in areas where lots of people are having fun you will have nothing to worry about. Make the most of your time in Rio de Janeiro by seeing the city at night.

Fairyland jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in the north of Sichuan Province, China. It is called "a fairyland", and this is not over rated.

Its attraction lies in its simple, idyllic beauty; with majestic and unrivalled emerald(sometimes multicolored) lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests and snow peaks. It is also the homeland of the giant panda.

The main scenic area, which covers at least 80 km, is full of scenery that are just breathtaking. It composed of three valleys arranged in a Y shape. The Rizegou and Zechawagou gullies flow from the south and meet at the centre, then form the Shuzheng gully, flowing north to the mouth of the valley.

Jiuzaigou is most famous for its water. There is a saying in China: No mountain is worth seeing after you have seen Mount Huangshan, and no water will interest you after you've visited Jiuzaigou.

It is dotted with many gorgeous lakes. They are notable for their high concentration of calcium carbonate, to form different shades of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes according to their depths, residues, and surroundings. The carbonic calcifications between the lakes and waterfalls dazzle with color in the sunshine. The water is so clear that the bottom is visible despite depths of several dozen meters.

Waterfalls are the essence of the scenery in Jiuzhaigou. The most famous is Pearl Shoal. It is a huge fan-shaped calcium beach. The stream rushes down, splashing water about like millions of bouncing silver pearls, and then goes down to form

fantastic waterfalls of various shapes with a thunderous roaring echoing throughout the deep valley.

Jiuzhaigou is magnificent throughout the four seasons. But the best of all is in Autumn. The breeze is intoxicating, while the leaves turn colorful, and are beautifully reflected in the sparkling translucent lakes. However, this is also the most crowded time of the park.

For our family trip, we chose to visit Jiuzhaigou in Summer. With a six years old boy in tow, and 70+ years old parents, this seemed to be the best time of the year. The weather was comfortable, and relatively less visitors meant we need not rush through the scenic spots.

In fact, the weather was cooler than I thought. We stayed at Jiuzhai Paradise Hotel up in the mountains. Some mornings, we encountered wintry weather. Due to the rarefied atmosphere up in the mountain. We felt tired easily, and have to walk slowly around the hotel and even in the hotel room, sometimes feeling some sense of discomfort, and nauseous. We have to carry the oxygen tube around so that we can inhale some oxygen when we feel uncomfortable.

The air was a lot better in the town area and the Jiuzhaigou scenic area. We need not use the oxygen tube and can move around swiftly. In fact, in Jiuzhaigou scenic area, the air was great - clean and cool. The local authorities obviously place a lot of emphasis on keeping the place unpolluted. They use the "green" bus to travel around the area, and that is the only vehicle that is allowed in the park.

The scenery was simply magnificent. The water is in different shades of blue/emerald, and so crystal clear. Even my six year old would pause from his playing occasionally, too captivated by the beauty of Nature!

Remember the movie "Hero", by Zhang Yimou. One of the unforgetable scene where the two male leads fought on the tranquil blue lake, dipping in and out of the water...... It was filmed right here.

Paris is safe and well thank you

If you watched CNN or Fox News like I did a few evenings ago, you might have been impressed at the student demonstrations in France.

Both TV channels had us sold on the idea Paris was being mobbed by the angry multitude. Pictures of Mad Max-like police trucks hosing thousands of protesters. Scenes of massive gatherings around Bastille square. Interviews of malcontent students. Some pyrotechnics to boot!

Golly!

Though I often travel to Paris, I live in Florida. So I had to wait until the following day before I could call relatives and friends in Paris. I got Vince first. Vince is always a reliable source, he's got the local pulse. When I need to get the lowdown on all-things-Paris, I get it from him first.

"Hi Vince, it's Phil. Gee, how is it today? Have you lived through the night?

"Hi man, what are you talking about?

"Well, I mean, the demonstrations and all. The mayhem.

"Oh yeah, so what about them?

"Well, I was on CNN yesterday, and they were showing all this mess with the police, and students, and cars burning!

"And?

"Come on, man, you can't tell me nothing is happening there!

"Well, there was a demonstration, for sure. Students in the streets. But this was yesterday....

"You mean, it's over?

"Sure, buddy. Guys didn't like what the government handed over, guys got in the street, guys vented their anger, guys go home and watch TV, end of story.

"Oh. But about the cars torched? I mean, we saw it on TV!

"To hell with TV! You see a couple of cars burning, and you think it's the war?

OK, that was Vince's input. Kind of reassuring.

Let's ring family. I wanted to talk to Lolo, my brother in law. Lolo was an army firefighter for 15 years, he's cool-calm-collected, and he's used to assessing disasters with a cold eye.

"Lolo? Hi, it's Phil.

"Hi bro, whassup?

"Hey, I just wanted to hear it from you, you know, about the demonstrations, and the mess in Paris.

"Yeah, that was sporty.

"You mean, they wreaked havoc in the place?

"No, I mean it was sporty to get to work on my scooter. I mean, some of the streets near the Bastille Square were jam-packed.

"But what about the protests? I mean, they showed us the stuff on TV; it looked like mayhem with the cops and their trucks!

"That was towards the evening, not during the day. I was not far from the demonstrations when they were full on. The students sure were a loud crowd, but the hosing only started in the evening, and only lasted a couple hours.

"What about the cars burned?

"There were a few. Less than in November, during the events in the suburbs.

"Not many then. And how is it now?

"Quiet. Everybody's home, like nothing happened.

"Do you mean the demonstrations are over?

"Sure. I rode in Paris today, and it was business as usual.

"Is it safe for Americans to come? You know I have this website, Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News. com, and I give travel advice to people. Is it safe for them, or should I just tell my visitors to postpone their travel plans to Paris?

"It's just as quiet today as it was before the demonstrations. Come see yourself if you don't believe me."

Oh I sure believed Lolo, he having served 15 years as a firefighter in the army, and saved several lives. He used to serve in Paris too, so he knows the place like the back of his hand.

But I figured: I'm not gonna risk sending the visitors of my website to Destination Hell. I want proof. Solid proof that it's all over, and there's nothing bad happening now in Paris.

So I called Serge and Tony, two friends who are in the video business.

"Guys, could you do me a favor, and shoot a short video for my visitors, with the time and date on it? I wanna see Paris as it is today.

Serge and Tony are very cool guys, and they sure obliged.

This is the video they sent me: media. libsyn. com/media/hotels/ballade-high. wmv.

It was shot in Paris, between 1:00 and 2:00 PM on April 3, 2006, in various well-known places: under the Eiffel Tower, on the Alma Bridge, on the Champs Elysees Avenue, on Place de la Concorde, at St Germain des Pres, on St Michel Blvd, near the Cluny museum, at the Notre Dame Cathedral, on the Cite island, near the Louvre and Orsay museums, near the Opera house, and finally, right in the department store neighborhood.

What it shows is exactly how Paris is at this time. Business as usual.

So how come we have seen such a mess on TV, and there seems to be no trace of it today?

For one thing, student protests rarely last. They are put together quickly, and dissolve even quicker. What we saw on CNN and other news channels was a live-fast-die-fast occurrence.

What's more, TV and the news media rarely report quiet endings. 'News' is drama, war, atrocities, and the like. Uneventful endings never make the news.

The student protests of March 28 were filmed until everybody just went back home after sunset. Then they became much less newsworthy. Or so think the big honchos at CNN, Fox News, and the like. Don't forget folks, these guys think for y'all, the rabble. So shut up and watch.

Thirdly, the French are Mediterranean in character. An argument breaks, tempers flare quickly, bird names are exchanged, and suddenly it's all drama.... Then things resume their regular course, everybody shares a glass of wine, and the argument is soon forgotten.

The French government tried to pass a law which students and unions consider as a danger to job security. When the latter felt this law was forced into their gullets with no negotiations, their temper flared, and in no time they were down in the street. But it ended just as quickly as it all started. A flash in the pan. Within a day, it was over.

There is only one regrettable fact in this: heavy-handed, scandal-happy, war-loving news reporting gives us all a false impression that France is "a dangerous place to travel to these days."

Yet, had TV cameras continued rolling and spent just as much time showing Parisians had returned to their peaceful lives, such impression would have been quickly dispelled for what it really is: 100% false.

And so it is the privilege of regular Joes like me and other honest-to-God travelers to report the happy ending: everything is fine and dandy in Paris, folks. Live your lives as you plan them, and if you wish to travel to France, just don't bother too much with the news.

PS-- Paris is a big city. Demonstrations are mostly channeled along certain boulevards: Nation-to-Bastille, Nation-to-Italie, Bastille-to-Republique, and Bastille-to-Chatelet. Look them up on a map. Look at all the space around these spots. Well, that's your own playground in case new demonstrations occur when you are in Paris. A fact the news media conveniently omit to tell you. It wouldn't sell.

PPS-- To see the short movie, click here: media. libsyn. com/media/hotels/ballade-high. wmv