Places of interest in Spain – Alora

Be sure, you will certainly enjoy your stay in Spain. It has all that you require as a tourist; a quiet and entertaining place to stay and relax, rich vegetation around to keep you calm, vast beach to cajole  you to rush to the water like your children and after the hectic entertainment a luxurious villa to relax yourself in. Remember all these are available at a very modest expenditure. There are many places of interest in Spain and you can choose the place depending on your preference. Here, a village near the Malaga province is introduced so that you can have this small village ‘Alora’ in the list of your preferred places of visit. Now, we will start our tour of Alora:

Arab Castle:

It was constructed during the Phoenician period and thereafter the Romans rebuilt it. It was actually the Arabs who made it into a fortress and they also built several houses and started living in it. The arch which is in horseshoe design is one of the unique structures of this fort. In fact it was declared as a national monument. The Guadalhorce valley which is just outside the fort has added beauty to the fort.

Parish Church:

Also called as the Church of lady of the incarnation and built in Mannerist style, this church is considered to be the third largest church in the Malaga province. According to historians, this church is considered to be built in the 17th century. This church is popular for its large columns and the dome and it is also known for its aesthetic beauty.  

Chapel:

This chapel, also called the Chapel of ‘lady of flower’ is believed to have been built during the 16th century. This chapel is known for its most impressive construction in the midst of impeccable natural beauty. The image of the ‘Virgin of the flowers’ is most attractive. The chapel receives lot of visitors every day.

Museum:

Almost every province, city and most of the villages in Spain have museums and each of these museums have rich collection of ancient works of art and artifacts. This is true of the ‘museum of Alora’ which is run by the local municipality. The building where the museum is now located was actually a chapel of one of the hospitals. This museum has a large collection of archaeological materials and gives a vivid insight into the history of Alora. The museum has some of the most interesting facts about Alora.

Finding Better Prices For Expensive Travel Vacations

Lets face it we all love to escape from the pressure and demands of our busy daily lives here in the 21st century. Whether it is for two days or two months the chance to ‘drop out’ and venture away to an exotic location somewhere in the world is irresistible. And, what’s more, you don’t have to pay ridiculous prices to enjoy an expensive travel vacation.

In many parts of the country we are hunkered down in snow and rain dreaming of a vacation paradise. We envision places where we can be pampered by ‘servants’ catering to our every need. This includes everything from umbrella adorned exotic tropical concoctions to personal guides who take us scuba diving in crystal clear, tropic oceans. Picture a horseback ride on endless white sand beaches. Imagine that you can let the child out and laugh to the splash of turquoise water, as well as feel the temperate breezes in their faces and the warmth of tropical sun on bare backs.

Expensive vacation packages often seem out of our reach. In lieu, we try to locate a travel channel or golf resort magazine that can point us to a blissful destination. We only dream of places that can quench our desires for escape. When able to pursue such a vacation, we sadly often find blacked out dates, overbooked resorts, or exorbitant fees to pay just to have the privilege to get away from it all.

Consider obtaining a membership through travel destination clubs that can give you unrestricted access to many destinations around the world. Many of these travel membership plans have no blackout dates or restricted weeks. This puts you in complete control of your next vacation spot. Whether you want to go to Hawaii in peak season or Cabo in fishing season, these memberships offer a service like no other.

As a member to such places, you generally have access anytime to top resort destinations. You will find it easy to book accommodations at many luxury resort destinations. You can even enjoy discounts on all the major cruise lines as well, depending on which membership you join.

Your best bet is to look for memberships that offer no annual dues or exchange fees. Also look out for restricted weeks and blackout dates. Avoiding these traps means you can have year-round access to the worlds top resorts in peak season. With companies competing for your business, you can find just the deals you are looking for.

When you obtain a membership, you basically get to take advantage of having your own travel professionals. These professionals know how to fulfill your specific requests including exact dates, unit sizes, and the number of travelers. This gives you complete freedom and total control to travel when and where you want. This prestigious service will be yours for a lifetime, if you choose.

If you are ready to escape this is your vehicle and your portal to that bliss you so desperately seek. Joining a travel club definitely has its advantages. Complete packages have become quite affordable over time. What are you waiting for?

A Look at Australia Weather

One of the most amazing trips that a person can take is an Australian holiday.  With that in mind, if you are considering such an Australian holiday, you undoubtedly are trying to decide what time of year you should take your Australia holiday trip.  Through this article you will be provided with some basic information about Australia weather.  The bottom line is that when it comes to an Australian holiday, the weather at the time of year you would like to travel is an important consideration.

 When it comes to Australia weather and your own Australian holiday, you do need to understand that there are very significant variations when it comes to the Australian climate.  With that said, the largest part of the continent is considered desert or semi-arid.  The reality is that a full forty percent of Australia is covered by sand dunes.

In further considering Australian weather and your Australia holiday, you need to know that the level of rain or snow fall (depending on the time of year and where you are in country) is not great on average.  Indeed, besides Antarctica there is not place on the planet that gets less precipitation than does Australia. 

If you want to take advantage of warmer weather when on an Australia holiday, you will want to plan your journey for sometime between November through March.  On the other hand, if you want an Australian holiday during the colder months of the year, you will want to book your Australia holiday between April through October.  (For example, it is during these months in some parts of the country that there is a ski season.  There are some ski resorts in the country that a growing number of people are traveling to on a seasonal basis.)

If you are planning an Australian holiday during the summer months, you need to understand that the country will be particularly dry.  Humidity will be very low and this actually is the time of the year when there are a considerable number of troublesome bushfires. 

 Another factor that you will want to take into consideration when it comes to an Australian holiday and the weather is the reality that the country can be effected by tropical cyclones (hurricanes).  Cyclone season at Australia runs between December and April.  With that said, the last truly major cyclone to cause a significant amount of damage anywhere in Australia was back in 1974.  Some people are contending that “Global Warming” may effect the incidence of cyclones in Australian in the future as well as may effect other weather patterns on the continent as well.

 Finally, when it comes to weather related issues and your Australian holiday, your travel professional can assist you in developing an Australia travel plan that will ideally be suited to your weather preferences.  Simply put, it can be a very simple matter to plan your own Australian holiday around the seasonal weather changes that truly will be the most appealing to you. 

Jade Market – Hong Kong’s Dazzling Jade Bazaar

Amid the many street markets in Hong Kong, the Jade Market as its name suggests, is full of this beautiful and semi precious stone in all shapes and sizes. The market lies on the junction of Kansu and Battery Streets, just off the vibrant Nathan Road where vendors pack in to sell a wide array of items ranging from jewelry to electrical goods. Jade Market comprises of at least 400 stalls filled with jade items that are just waiting to be explored.

Very much a part of the Chinese culture, the emphasis on the jade stone celebrated at the Jade Market, is a reflection of the popular belief that the stone is associated with health, longevity and purity. As a result many Chinese people wear it as a protection against health hazards. The market is a dazzling place as it contains thousands of these greenish stones that are radiant in their vibrant colours and hues.

The market opens daily from 10 am to 5 pm and is an ideal place for tourists to pick up some gifts and souvenirs to take back home. The stalls are filled with lovely trinkets such as jade pendants, rings, bracelets, carvings and ornaments that are sculpted from large blocks into beautiful and delicate shaped items. Much of the jade on sale originated mainly from Myanmar, ranging from those impregnated with polymers, natural pieces or those dyed to enhance the colour.

Bargaining at the Jade Market is an expected practice. A visit to this interesting and unique market for travellers in Hong Kong is worth it, as you will definitely be able to be able to pick up some lovely jade items.

Visitors looking for a modern and elegant Hong Kong hotel from which to explore this beautiful city should consider the Eaton Hotel Hong Kong. This Kowloon hotel is a popular choice among tourists for its close proximity to many of the city’s attractions, including Jade Market.

The Sanbona Experience

I awoke startled by an unfamiliar ring of a telephone and scrambled to find the phone in my dark unfamiliar room. Shaken back to reality from a deep sleep, my memory returned to me slowly as I realised where I was. Our game ranger, Richard, sounding bright eyed and bushy tailed, was starting our day with a wake up call at 05h30. A good strong cup of filter coffee had me right as rain and we were on board the game drive vehicle by 06h00 ready to search for some exciting game species.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is a very special place for those searching for a remote luxury wilderness experience. Spectacular scenery has one in awe of nature’s beauty. The reserve offers a huge 54 000 hectares of rugged landscape, fascinating geology, unusual vegetation and brilliant, diverse game viewing! It is the closest authentic Big 5 safari experience to Cape Town being approx 3hrs30min drive away. The diversity of game is excellent and I was fortunate to see a large selection during my 2 nights stay. To diverge a little, I shared the game drive vehicle with 2 other clients staying at Sanbona’s Gondwana Lodge. Monique and Simon were a young couple full of fun and laughter who worked on board a cruise liner and were here taking a break from their crazy lives. We experienced a wonderful sighting of a large breeding herd of elephants, we spotted the tawny and rare white lions, we experienced tracking down a cheetah on foot and found her with her 2 young cubs, and we spotted black rhino a number of times. These and many other species kept us enthralled.

With many years of game ranging experience, Richard showed great passion and enthusiasm towards nature and we were delighted to be the recipients of his excellent knowledge and expertise. I’ve always strongly believed that it’s imperative for a game lodge to have good knowledgeable game rangers because as clients you spend a lot of your valuable holiday time with them. They can make or break your experience. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, as do the other Mantis Collection properties, understands this.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve offers a choice of only 3 lodges within this 54 000 hectares, limiting the number of game drive vehicles traversing the reserve and therefore adding to that remote exclusivity it offers. All the lodges in my opinion are wonderful and all offer a completely different experience. Tilney Manor, with only 6 suites, offers privacy and tranquillity with a wonderfully welcoming staff complement seeing to your every need. The huge and beautifully appointed suites offer space and complete luxury and the manor house a touch of history supporting old photographs of the original farm owners. Tilney Manor is the oldest of Sanbona’s lodges with Dwyka Tented Camp and Gondwana Lodge being relatively new additions.

Gondwana Lodge is the child friendly lodge with 12 suites cleverly appointed to suit families travelling together. It offers a “kids on safari” program allowing the adults of bit of time to relax, unwind and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. The kids on safari program offers a great selection of kids entertainment including a games rooms, an outside play area and documentary DVD’s.

Dwyka Tented Camp is also very luxurious, situated at the base of a fascinating rock cliff where majestic Black Eagles (Verreaux Eagle) nest. Each of their tents is a separate unit with its own private balcony and plunge pool offering complete privacy. Dwyka Tented Camp offers an atmosphere of pioneering adventure and therefore seems to attract guests that appeal to the adventure. Each of the camps is surrounded by an electric fence making it safe to walk around the lodges at any time of the day without an armed escort.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve offers complimentary transfers to the lodges from the main gate. The drive is approximately 45min to 1 hour and is on a dirt road. The road is very accessible by car, though it can be a bit corrugated and possibly a little too rough for low-lying sports cars. I would recommend the transfer as it adds to the all round hospitable service one gets from Sanbona. This also prevents you from taking the wrong turn and getting yourself lost in 54000 hectares of rough wilderness!

All in all Sanbona Wildlife Reserve offers a fabulous experience, one I would gladly recommend.