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Antigua Beach Caribbean Sun

Antigua

Do you like walking along a golden sandy beach. That is one thing that you can certainly do in Antigua, as there are 54 miles of coastline, to walk along. There are in fact 365 beaches along the coast, that’s one for every day of the year.

Of those beaches, amongst the most famous are Galley Bay Beach for surfing, Half Moon Bay for relaxing and Dickenson Bay which is the most popular, with a number of hotels and restaurants.  For example it is here that you can find the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and the Siboney Beach Club.

Dickenson Bay - Antigua
Dickenson Bay – Antigua

Many of the hotels on the island are built along the beaches so that you can literally step out of your room straight on to the beach.  In fact you could be on the beach within 10 hours of taking off from London with flight times of around 8 and a half hours.

Should you want to tear yourself away from the beach, then head up to Shirley Heights from where you can obtain the best view on the island.  At a height of 490 feet, you get superb views of English and Falmouth Harbours and is best visited at sunset and the early evening.

View from Shirley Heights - Antigua
View from Shirley Heights – Antigua

Today, Nelson’s Dockyard provides many sites and activities for the modern day visitor to enjoy.  It was built back in the early eighteenth century, when the British realised the value of having a dockyard to harbour ships in bad weather and keeping an eye on the French. The dockyard is named after Lord Nelson, who as Captain of the HMS Boreas, was sent to Antigua to enforce British laws in the colonies.

Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua
Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua
Categories
Argentina Buenos Aires South America

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has a curious blend of the European and the Latin. It is well known for its preserved colonial and neo-classical architecture as well as its rich cultural life including a tango show or a visit to a ranch. In more recent years ” meat loving” visitors will seek out traditional “asado” or a themed tour devoted to famous Argentines such as “Evita” (Eva Peron).

Buenos Aires is the most visited city in South America and the second most visited city in Latin America after Mexico City. Known as the “Paris of South America”. In a survey for Travel and Leisure Magazine, visitors voted it the second most desirable city to visit after Florence. According to the Tourism Board of Argentina nearly 6m tourists visited the country in 2018 a figure that more than doubled over a ten year period.

Cabildo of Buenos Aires - Copyright Welcome Argentina
Cabildo of Buenos Aires

The most popular tourist sites are found in the historic core of the city. Buenos Aires was conceived around the Plaza de Mayo. To the north of here is the Caefral Metroplitana and the Banco de Nacion Argentina. To the west is the Cabildo that was the seat of the town council in colonial times.

If you have the time then seek out the Café Tortoni. The café was opened in 1858 by a French immigrant who named it after a Parisian café bearing the same name. Café Tortoni was selected by UCityGuides as one of the ten most beautiful cafes in the world.

Café Tortoni - Copyright WelcomeArgentina.com
Café Tortoni- Buenos Aires – Argentina

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Asia Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Across its 263 islands not only does East meet West in terms of culture, but those islands provide mountains with their natural beauty in contrast with the man made beauty of its skyscraper skyline.

Market - Jardine's Crescent
Market – Jardine’s Crescent

Part of the fancination with Hong Kong is the opportunity to shop till you drop. As a free trade city there are bargains to be had in the numerous markets and shopping centres that the city has to offer. If shopping is not your thing, then there is the historical side of Hong Kong to discover. An excellent starting place is the Hong Kong Museum of History which is located next to the Hong Kong Science Museum. Whatever your reason for visiting Hong Kong you will not be disappointed.

Temple Street Night Market - Copyright Hong Kong Tourist Board.

Temple Street Night Market

At the end of the day however tired you might feel, a visit to a night market is a must. You just cannot travel halfway round and world and not experience the unique sight, sounds and smells of a Hong Kong night market. What are you waiting for?

Categories
Barbados Caribbean Heritage Sun

Barbados

This small beautiful Caribbean island is an average of 4 hours from East Coast departure points and when you step off the plane at Grantley Adams International Airport you will have been transported to a different world but some elements of familiarity.

The temperature rarely drops below 25°C, with daytime temperatures in August reaching around 30°C. The sea in Barbados is warm enough to swim all year round. The driest period is from December through to April. If soaking up the sun is for you then there are few prettier places in the world to do it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it’s generally considered that Barbados has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.

There is more to Barbados than just beaches and due to its size its relatively easy to travel around the island. Buses travel all over the island and are super cheap! They are a great way to experience Barbadian (aka Bajan) life. Meet some locals and see life outside your hotel or villa.

Since 2011 Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Of course there is modern Bridgetown where you can get your fix of shopping.

Categories
Asia Singapore

Singapore Sling

Written 100 years ago, many of us will know the song “On a Little Street in Singapore” from Glenn Miller, Bob Dylan or Manhattan Transfer. Today, it’s the attraction of those “Little Streets” that draw us to this Island State. Those “Little Streets” are the result of Singapore’s multi-cultural, colonial and wartime past and make it a destination in its own right rather than just a stopover. Being uniquely placed at the tip of the Malay peninsula, at the cross roads of trade routes it has been the meeting point for Asian and European cultures.  British influence is clearly evident as many of us are familiar with the Raffles Hotel named after Sir Thomas Raffles who brought the British to the island and the Anderson Bridge named after the Governor of the Region in 1910. 

Due to its size and history there is so much to see and do, it’s all very easy to access and so much can be packed into such a short space of time.  On the one hand you have traditional Chinatown and on the other the Sands Skypark and shopping in Orchard Street.  Singapore’s nickname is “City in a Garden” and it’s possible to get away from it all at the National Orchid Garden and the Jurong Bird Park which home to 400 species of birds.

Categories
Asia Japan

Japan 2021

Top of the list of places to visit after travel restrictions are lifted has to be Japan. For most of us visting Japan will take us as far out of our comfort zone as we can go in a society and culture that on the face of it looks very much like our own.

As the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games draws nearer, the government is working to put safety measures in place for overseas visitors, with a possible lifting of the current entry ban as early as April 2021. 

This would allow the Japanese authorities to fine tune the arrangements ahead of the July 23rd start date for the Olympics.

Categories
Las Vegas Nevada USA

Viva Las Vegas

And how I wish that there were more
Than twenty-four hours in the day.
But even if there were forty more,
I wouldn’t sleep a minute away.
Oh, there’s blackjack and poker and a roulette wheel.
A fortune won and lost on every deal.
All you need’s a strong heart and a nerve of steel.

“Viva Las Vegas” was the title song of the film of the same name, sung by Elvis Presley. Although Elvis first performed in Vegas in 1956, it was his twice a day, seven days a week, 636 sold out shows, from August 1969 on, at the International where his association with the city was firmly cemented.

Tourists takes photos with the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on the Strip Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau
Tourists takes photos with the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on the Strip Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

The image of countless casinos is one that many people still hold of Las Vegas, but as a holiday destination it is so much more than that. It can better be described as an entertainment destination. If you are looking to be entertained then you will find it here and you don’t have to place a bet to enjoy what it has to offer.

There is nothing to beat a walk down the Las Vegas Strip in the evening. It is the must do part of your visit. You will be transported to Venice, Paris and New York. Don’t miss out on the beautiful Bellagio Fountains as they dance to the music every 15 minutes in the evenings.

This is a view of the Strip as seen from the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas Saturday, August 19, 2017. Visible in the photo are Bellagio, Fountains of Bellagio, Caesars, Mirage, Bally's, Flamingo and Cromwell. CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau
Categories
Beach Caribbean Cuba Heritage Sun

Havana, Cuba

Cuba has to be close to the top of the list of places to visit once we can travel again.  Thanks to US sanctions it is caught in a partial time warp.  Cuba is one of the few places in the world that you still can’t buy a McDonalds, unless you are serving or detained at Guantanamo Bay!

So you need to visit before it all changes. Unlike former Communist Central and East European countries where almost all vestiges of socialist ideologies have disappeared there are plenty of reminders around.

Old Cars Cuba
Old Cars Cuba

Outside of Havana where you must visit UNESCO listed the Old town and its impressive colonial buildings, you can access some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, with crystal clear waters and fine sandy beaches that are not overrun with tourists. 

And if you need any more reasons to visit, did we mention the old cars, the cheap beer and rum and world renowned cigars.

Categories
Beach Cancun Caribbean Mexico Sun

Cancun

Looking ahead to 2021, plenty of us will considering a trip south acroos the border to Cancun. Trips to Cancun have it all. On top of the 13+ miles of beaches, there is plenty of nightlife, modern shopping malls and Mayan ruins a short trip away.

The northern beaches are sheltered by a small island and have calmer waters whilst the eastern beaches have more waves. Take your pick depending on what you are looking for from a day at the beach. For sun lovers the sun shines for 250 days a year. The driest part of the year is from January to May and temperatures average between 28°C and 34°C depending on the season. Sea temperatures average 27°C.

Beach - Cancun - Mexico
Beach – Cancun – Mexico

Just a 90 minute drive away perched above 40 ft cliffs you will find one of Mexico’s best preserved Mayan costal sites. At Tulum you will find a walled city that was a bustling metropolis from the 13th to 15th centuries. Don’t miss out on the Temple of the Frescoes and its numerous murals, the Temple of the Descending God which is a single room accessed via a narrow staircase on top of another temple that served as its base, and finally the pyramid shaped El Castillo.

Tulum - Cancun - Mexico
Tulum – Cancun – Mexico

Back in Cancun there are a wide range of hotels to suit every pocket and in the evenings there is everything from sports bars to ballet and everything inbetween.

Sunset - Cancun - Mexico
Sunset – Cancun – Mexico
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Arizona California Illinois Kansas Missouri New Mexico Oklahoma Route 66 Texas USA

The highway that’s the best

Well according to the Rolling Stones*, that would be “Route 66*“. If you are planning a road trip in 2021, then if you haven’t motored west then maybe it’s time that you did.

Route 66 - Arizona
Route 66 – Arizona

The original Route 66 was declassified many years ago but with careful planning it is possible to drive along most of it. There are some excellent Historic Route 66 Maps and Guides* available to help you plan your journey. The route from Chicago to Los Angeles links hundreds of rural communities along its 2,448 miles route. Many sections of the route will give you some sense of the what is was like in the heyday of the road.

Chain of Rocks Bridge - Originally built as a toll bridge over the Mississippi.
Chain of Rocks Bridge – Originally built as a toll bridge over the Mississippi.

Should you decide to take a rental car then here is a handy tip to save money. Most people drive the Route 66 East to West, so all the rental cars end up in the West.  You can save up to 30% on the cost of your car rental by travelling from West to East.

Will this be the end of the beginning of the trail for you? Route 66 Santa Monica. Enf of the trail sign.
Will this be the end of the beginning of the trail for you?

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