2voyage Travel Portal

Is it better to take the Eurostar train to visit Paris from London or the ferry ride? I’m booking my tickets and wanted to choose. Please let me know your experience and what you liked about each of them. I’m traveling from U.S. to U.K. for the summer and wanted to take 3-4 day trips from London to other parts of Europe.

I want to do a study abroad program in England and I like this one program at the university of Sussex but I also want to be close to London for day trips and what not like that. There is also a program in Manchester but that is a bit farther from London. I would appreciate any information having to do with study abroad in England and distances between London and Sussex and London and Manchester. Thank you

Regarded as the world’s oldest scientific zoo, this natural escapade in the modern suburbs is a great place to indulge the mind and eye for some knowledge about the wildlife and nature. Located near the Regent’s Park, London Zoo is now operated by the Zoological Society of London.

The zoo’s history dates back to as far as 27th of April 1828, the date where the zoo is officially open for scientific studies. Now spanning around nearly 36 acres, London Zoo is home for a collection of 755 species of animals and nearly 15000 individuals. To witness this humongous wild life habitat, a person can either use the London underground train or the 274 bus route to get to the London Zoo.

One of the many attractions in London Zoo is The African Bird Safari, which was opened in 2005 is the home to 113 bird species. A walkthrough and a bridge which hangs over a stream and high trees ensure that the visitors will get an adventurous experience as it is in these suburbs.

The aquarium, the first of its kind in the world, is the home for 213 species of fish and the Butterfly Paradise is full of endangered species of small flying beauties and also educates the visitors about the dangers faced by these species. B.U.G.S. or better known as Biodiversity Underpinning Global Survival is project which launched to educate the public about the importance of bio diversity and this place is also the home for Zoological Society of London’s Invertebrate Conservation Unit.

London Zoo also comprises of a children’s zoo known as Ambika Paul’s Children Zoo which is based around pet care center and the paddock, which provides first hand experience on animals. Another interesting part in London Zoo is Clore Rainforest Lookout which is built to recreate the South American rain forest atmosphere right here in London. Gorilla Kingdom and Reptile Houses are much more informative and clear up any misunderstanding about these creatures and educate the public about their endangered future because of human activities.

Langham Hotel London, a premiere choice in London hotels will provide the easy getaway to London Zoo and ease up the tire of the journey at the lap of the best in London Luxury Hotels.

You can bet that the able international organizations and firms are no longer eyeing New York, London, Singapore or Dubai for their next annual partners meeting, they just discovered Africa! They will either be coming to Nairobi city, Kenya’s capital or conveniently take up a 100 bed capacity lodge in the heart of The Masai Mara game reserve or block out a 60 bed luxury tented camp some where quiet, tranquil and wild in one of Kenya’s many game reserve.

There is a real explosion in Kenya’s conferencing and trade fairs sector and few serious Kenyan tour firms are busy strategizing on how to accommodate this new important wave of a very different kind of business, most tour operators were used to running the usual Kenya wildlife safaris circuits to game reserves and national parks most often tourists would then reside to the beach resorts and islands, which we all admit is still very good value for the holiday makers.

But in the recent past we have experienced a very different kind of tourist visitors, they bring with them lap tops, i – phones then halfway ‘dress up’ and look semi official in their casual safari gear. This has come to the surprise of the many natives most of whom are hotel staff used to back packers and the real safari gear. Safari camps and lodges are suddenly flooding with flip charts and overhead projectors, internet hot spots and very many branded pens and pads in their storage rooms.

You must agree, there can never be a better way to run a four days meeting rather than somewhere blissful, luxurious, natural, accommodating and full of color. Somewhere in between your meetings you can take short game drives, a guided nature walk or a balloon trip over the Mara plains and later enjoy a bush dinner along the Mara river where crocodiles and hippos laze as they keep watch over in one of those cool Africa evenings.

It’s no surprise that each resort in the wild and the beach resorts are either developing or have heavily invested in world class business meeting venues. Some of which have the capacity to accommodate over 200 guests. City colleges and institutions are stating to avail courses on handling this kind of clientele to ensure continuity.

This trend if encouraged would turn around the countries economy and challenge the old tourism guards to invest in this viable direction. A big ‘thank you’ to the tourism ministry for embracing this venture.

The IT technology that came with mobile phones, video conferencing and wireless internet has by far mostly assisted in developing this sector and here is a country that its people shall forever be grateful for the Wildlife, rolling landscapes and diverse culture, a life time cocktail.

After a seven months undercover investigation to really find out whom among the safari resorts and camps have captured and is sufficiently ready to accommodate this new enterprise dubbed ‘business function venues of the 20th century’ on top of my list just to name a few of my favorites concluded as follows.

The Fairmonts international hotel chain with a camp in the Masai mara, a lodge on the slope of Mount Kenya and a resort on the Zanzibar island leads the pack, with a history in international hospitality, Kenya means real business for them, they have even gone a step further to introduce ‘green conferencing’ in all their resorts.

The Local Serena hotels chain has come up with a list of dedicated conferencing options and says they offer full business support and a well deserved massage, health and beauty therapy at the end of every meeting.

The Heritage groups with its chain of resort boast of the most tranquil locations on the Kenyan map. The new Rift Valley Golf Resort, only one hour drive from Nairobi city overlooks Lake Naivasha and hells gate national park. This is where all local corporate firms will run to for a three days retreat to discuss a new agenda that just came up the list.

The Masai mara bush tops camp takes the trophy for originality. They have set up a 24 persons conference tent overlooking a water hole where animals take water from, if the LCD projector is too much to look at, or you just don’t like the maker pen ink color they decided to use on the flip chart, just look down your left and enjoy a family of giraffes as they take their mid morning bath, or if you are lucky a cheater will make lunch out of some other animal as you watch! Just don’t say a word as you might just get expelled off the executive class room.

The Harbour Bridge is high,
But you can’t see it in London,
And expensive wine isn’t cheap in Lyon,
The Russian steppe is wide,
You can ride across it,
and fly, fly , fly.

Hahahahahaaha there was a time when I thought that was good!

Los Angeles – the City of Angels, the home of the famous white Hollywood sign, and also the home of countless celebrities and movie stars.

No matter why you choose to go to LA, there is certainly plenty to see and do once you arrive. That’s one of the main reasons why you will find so many different forms of tours that will take you around the city to show you what’s what.

There are plenty of benefits to booking a place on a guided tour. Firstly you will get to learn more about the city itself. Every tour, no matter who you book it with, is led by experienced people who usually live in the area. Consequently it is one of the easiest and most pleasant ways to find out all you can about Los Angeles.

Secondly you will probably see places you may otherwise have missed out on as some tours go further off from familiar territory than others. For example one particular tour includes a whistle stop tour of some well known filming locations for the likes of ‘Halloween’ and ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’

Of course LA is definitely a celebrity town, and as such you can book yourself onto a tour that takes you to all the best celebrity homes in the area. Some of these tours are longer than others so be sure to book the longest one of all if this is your kind of thing.

The homes of top film stars of today such as Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and many more besides will be on the tours, so be sure you are prepared for a possible celebrity sighting. And don’t be surprised if some locations look familiar – many television shows and films have also been shot in and around the Los Angeles area.

There are other tours available too of course, such as a more general bus tour which reveals more of the history of the city. Sunset Boulevard and the Paramount Studios are just two of the locations you can look forward to seeing on this trip.

Finally no city would be complete without the presence of a ghost tour of some kind, and you can book a place on one of these in LA too. And since this is Los Angeles, you can expect a few famous names to crop up there as well!

There are plenty of Los Angeles hotels you can stay in while you are in town, so you should be nice and close to the pick up points for these tours. And since some of them pick you up directly from your hotel, you may be closer than you think to joining the LA tour of a lifetime.

I want to visit UK this next summer, on a 1 or 2 weeks trip by car. This is for relaxation and site-seeing.
I don’t want to visit the busy cities. I’m tired of such cities. I admit that there is a lot to see in London but maybe I’ll make a separate trip for this.
I don’t have any special objectives in mind except Stonehenge. What else do you recommend? In general, I was fascinated by several country-side views I’ve seen in movies.
Thanks!

I’ve found rules vary across Europe. In Italy, they have strict rules against any photography in their Art Museums. In Prado (Madrid), they seemed to have no objection as long as you did not use the Flash. Indeed, at Prado, even the “no flash” rule did not seem to be strictly enforced. Of course, I would never use Flash in a Museum, as I’ve been told this is considered inappropriate.

As the long summer days become a distant memory, and the cold winter nights begin to draw in, most of us start to daydream about getting away from it all. We hope to escape the dark frosty mornings, the cold icy winds, the grey oppressing skies, but most of all we hope to escape the drudgery of everyday life that always feels so much more depressing in winter.

Well perhaps there is a light at the end of this long dark tunnel, perhaps one of those last minute breaks away somewhere will help; a change of scenery, change of climate, and more importantly, a change of lifestyle for a little while. Nothing too dramatic of course, or too expensive, even just a couple of days away can work wonders for our self esteem and feeling of well being, giving us a helping hand to make it through the harsh days of winter to the blossoming bloom of spring at the other side. Last minute breaks could be anything from one, two or three nights to a couple of weeks depending on your finances and amount of time you can get off work.

So think about what it is you need at the moment; some fresh air and exercise, some retail therapy, a spa break, some sun on your face, a theatre weekend even, or perhaps an all inclusive, self indulgent few weeks away from it all. The best place to start looking for last minute breaks is the internet; this is where you’ll find all the offers without having to go out in the cold!

If it’s a short break you are after then Dublin, Prague, Budapest or even Paris are a good place to start, Edinburgh or London also offer great shopping and theatres without having to leave the country, no escaping the weather there though! If it’s something a little warmer you are after, then the Canaries, Egypt or even the Caribbean are all strong contenders for some winter sunshine. Egypt boasts the wonderful Red Sea Region where you’ll be spoilt for choice with fabulous beaches, superb snorkelling and world class dive sites. The Canaries are a group of islands just off the North West coast of Africa, a diverse little collection offering vast sandy beaches, beautiful natural scenery, superb family entertainment, national parks, zoos and one of Spain’s top tourist attractions; the imposing Mount Teide volcano which dominates the skyline of Tenerife. If you fancy something a little further away, then why not try the Caribbean, a cluster of over 7000 islands offering gems such as Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Aruba with its soft white sandy beaches and dazzling warm blue waters. Fantastic all inclusive resorts are just waiting to indulge you while cosy guest houses offer an authentic and warm welcome.

Benidorm is a firm favourite with winter holidaymakers, many of which return year after year to the excellent facilities and balmy winter sunshine. Some older holidaymakers choose to stay for a month or more and it is extremely busy over Christmas and New Year. So empty out those pockets, check down the back of the sofa, count your copper and choose from the last minute breaks available today. Whether its overnight or a month away it will give you that much needed boost to see you through the long winter months ahead, but be quick, tour operators are having to make credit crunching cut backs and availability is limited, so act quickly and make sure you don’t miss out on the best of the last minute breaks on the market, turning that daydream into reality.

France is still the world’s most popular tourist destination – Paris, charming countryside inns, campsites in Brittany, the chateaux of the Loire…There are many reasons. Yet, despite this success, the fairways of the 510+ courses in France are often empty. But once a golfer takes a French Golf Holidays, they’re smitten – here’s eight reasons why:

Easy Access

Just 100 miles from London you’ve got three of France’s great courses: Le Touquet La Mer, Hardelot Les Pins and Belle Dunes. Drive for another hour and you’ve got another batch of world-beaters…And it goes on. Whether driving, taking the train or taking a very short flight, you can arrive and play on the same day. As we say “So close, yet so different!”

The Value

Let’s be honest, France used to be ridiculously cheap. It’s no longer that but it still offers brilliant value-for-money. You can play 36 holes with a buggy at the Jack Nicklaus gem of Paris International (just two hours from Calais) for about £60 and you can play at Deauville for just £19. Compared to courses of the same quality, France offers far superior value. Where else can you play one of the world’s great courses all day (Fontainebleau) and have a three-course lunch and free use of a trolley and the practice range for less than the price of a round at an average course in England? For accommodation, France has updated its offering and working in a hotel has always been a respected profession. Generally speaking, you get four-star quality for a three-star price.

The Food

Need I say more? The French live for food…Children study food as part of the national curriculum from the age of seven and nearly everyone is a connoisseur. The produce is fresh, expertly prepared and served with style. Every region has its influence – the seaside, the rivers, the fields. You could tour non-stop and try a different dish every day for years.
It’s no coincidence that France has the greatest restaurants in the world and thousands of wonderful brasseries serving delicious dishes all day long. I often wonder how the menus are offered at such a low price (it’s probably got more to do with the UK over-charging!) Whilst we Brits concentrate on money, the French talk most about their food.

The Golf

FACTS: 22 courses in Europe’s Top 100. Links, parkland, target golf, woodland layouts.
Designed by the likes of Tom Simpson, Harry Colt, Robert von Hagge, Henry Cotton, Trent Jones, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus. 517 courses. Very few members. Chateau clubhouses.

It’s Better for the Planet

Air fares are climbing – charges for clubs, luggage, four types of tax etc. You can get to Northern France, Normandy, Champagne, Brittany, Paris and even the south-west of France within one to three hours of getting off Eurotunnel or your ferry, and no need to add to your carbon footprint in the process!

The Weather

As a general rule, the weather is warmer and more consistent that the UK. The South virtually guarantees sunshine – particularly the Languedoc Rousillon region. I find that the Loire River is the cut off point from being a few degrees warmer than “Old Blighty” to offering truly lovely weather.

The Fine Wine

Despite all the advances of New World wines, France is still considered to offer the best wines in the world. For red wines, Medoc; for white wines, Burgundy. Then there’s Champagne, the lovely light whites of the Loire, the fruity rose of Provence. Surprise, surprise, all those regions also offer stunning golf courses. There’s nothing nicer than playing a round of golf in the morning, lunch at the clubhouse or a nearby brasserie and stopping off at a chateau for a tasting and opportunity to buy great wines at very low prices. A very productive day!

The Culture

Culture plays a hugely important role in French society. From fashion to paintings, from architecture to history, you only need look at the attention and public grief at the recent passing of Yves Saint Laurent to realise what culture means to the French. There are museums everywhere and they make a great holiday for culture-vultures.

I could go on, but I’d be repeating the main points again and again: for great courses, fine dining, high culture and terrific weather, you can’t beat a luxury golf holiday in France.