Gay Travel In Europe

By BJ Sangwan

 If you like castles, you’ll love Germany, for Germany has castles the way Venice has canals, or Norway has fjords, or the Napa Valley has wineries. There are literally scores of them, virtually in every German state and seemingly on every other hilltop, especially along the river Rhine. There are schlosses (which are essentially castles or palaces) and there are burgs (castles or fortresses); and then there are festungs (quite simply, fortresses).

Here are ten of the most famous German castles, the must-sees, the “great castles” of Germany.

Burg Eltz

At the top of the list is Burg Eltz, one of Germany’s most beautiful medieval castles, 850 years old and unscathed! It is located in the lower Mosel Valley, high above the Rhine. Although still family owned and occupied, it can be seen on guided tours for 6 euros a pop. And it’s well worth it, for you’ll get a peek at not only the original period furniture and decor, but you’ll also get to see 20 flushable toilets that supposedly date back to the 15th century!

Meersburg Alte Burg

Another famous ‘burg’ is the Meersburg Alte Burg, located in the scenic Black Forest area in Baden-Wurttemberg. It dates from the seventh century and offers superb views out to the Bodensee. This is also the oldest of Germany’s castles that is inhabitable. A Merovingian king, Dagoberth, originally started it, and it then served as the residence of the bishop of Konstanz for decades. For 8 euros you can meander through 30 rooms of the castle, including the chambers used by the famous 19th-century German poet, Annette von Droste-Hulshoff.

The Wartburg

The Wartburg, situated just outside Eisenach in the Thuringia region, is considered to be the most German of the German castles. It was here that Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German while in hiding. The castle is open to public tours for 5 euros per head.

The Marksburg

This one, the Marksburg, is perched on a hill on the shores of the Rhine, high above the town of Braubach in the Rhine Valley. And make no mistake, this is not just another 19th century imitation - and yes, there are several of those in Germany! - this is the real thing, boasting one of the most impressive armory collections anywhere, including one of the oldest cannons in Germany. And for 4.50 euros you can see it all on a guided tour.

Schloss Sanssouci

Here’s a castle that’s hard to miss, Schloss Sanssouci. It is centrally located in Potsdam in the Brandenberg region, not far from Berlin, and is a genuine masterpiece from the Baroque period. What’s more, it has its associations with Frederick the Great. It was in this small but lively summer palace that the sovereign entertained the thinkers and musicians of his time, notable among them Voltaire. The Rococco residence can be toured for 8 euros apiece, albeit with German-only commentary.

Schloss Braunfels

Schloss Braunfels is an 800-year-old palace located in the Hesse region’s Lahn Valley. While well worth visiting, the unfortunate thing about it is that it was rebuilt in the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style. But don’t let that deter you. A guided tour of the castle’s interior is a realtime romp through rooms filled to the gills with medieval weaponry, porcelain, and paintings. And it’s only 4 euros for the tour.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

And then there’s Schloss Neuschwanstein, perhaps the most picturesque, the most recognizable of Germany’s great castles. In fact, this is the one that inspired the magical castle at Disneyland, the one with interiors that resemble scenes from Wagnerian operas. Set on a hill in an alpine setting in Schwangau, along Northern Bavaria’s Romantic Road, the castle follows a distinctly Romanesque style. It was built between 1869 and 1886 and was the ultimate fantasy of the Mad King Ludwig. Public tours of it are 9 euros each, not cheap, but worth it.

Festung Konigstein

Festung Konigstein, located near Dresden in the Saxony region, is easily the largest fortress in Germany, and a triumph, if ever there was one, of fortress construction in Europe. Now more than 750 years old, it represents a confluence of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century architecture. During world War II, it housed senior French prisoners of war as well as Dresden’s best artworks. Guided tours of the fortress and its grounds are available year-round for 6 euros.

The Residenz

The Residenz, the principle address of the ruling Wittelsbach family for over 500 years, is located in Munich, Bavaria. It is a massive complex, lavishly decorated, constructed between 1720 and 1744 by Balthasar Neumann for the bishops of Wurzburg. It is also one of the finest Baroque palaces in Europe and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. And it’s 4 euros for a guided tour.

Schloss Heidelberg

Schloss Heidelberg, located in Heidelberg of course, in the Baden-Wurtemberg region, is easily Germany’s most famous ruin, and possibly also one of its most romantic sights. For five centuries the principle residence of the Prince Electors of the Kurpfalz, it was destroyed by the French in the 17th century but continues to dominate Heidelberg’s skyline. Photograph this, if only for the memories and the joy of it!

BJ Sangwan is a globetrotter, travel editor and published travel writer. He is a contributor and co-publisher at indianchieftravel.com, where these castles can be found on the Great Castles of Germany page (with photos).

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By Graeme Lanham

 For breathtaking rain forest beauty and heart pumping thrills, you simply can’t beat white water rafting on North Queensland’s mighty Tully River.

Adventure travel is big in Australia but few can match the pulse raising thrills of wrestling a tiny inflatable raft against the power of a raging torrent. I tried it and lived to tell the tale with memories that will last forever.

Fear and Anticipation.

As our bus towing a trailer loaded with rafts climbed to the top of the Great Dividing Range, the nervous group of men and women shared mixed emotions. Our admiration for the beauty of the pristine rainforest was tempered by the fear of the challenges that lay ahead.

Our fears turned to terror when we saw and heard our pathway to the bottom of the range. It was like a scene from the movie “Deliverance”. A fearsome white and brown bucking bronco was eagerly waiting for us.

After some safety drills and instructions from our raft captain our intrepid group was ready to enter the foaming cauldron and tackle our first rapid. It was a twisting beast involving an almost vertical drop. Amazingly we survived, but other rafts weren’t so lucky and overturned.

Fortunately our captains were highly skilled and had well rehearsed safety drills. The overturned rafts were soon ready, together with their waterlogged crew, to tackle the next rapid.

The Calm Between the Rapids.

In between the rapids there were periods of calm where we were invited to jump out of the rafts and drift down this beautiful river on our backs like a flotilla of human rafts. Our compulsory lifejackets kept us afloat.

The sheer pleasure of floating in the calm, warm water, listening to bird calls and being surrounded on all sides by dense tropical rainforest, was surreal. Ah what bliss!

Shared Experiences.

Lunch was taken at a clearing in the rain forest. It allowed us time to share our adventures (and misadventures) as well as enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of this beautiful pristine wilderness rainforest, miles from anywhere.

The afternoon journey to the last of the rapids was just as terrifying, but by this stage, we knew what to do and expect. I am sure the guides had sadistic pleasure from watching our reactions and telling about the terrors of the next set of rapids.

Sadly and suddenly, the adrenaline rush came to an end and over drinks at the end of the day, we laughed as we shared our experiences and ranked it as a “must try before you die” adventure.

Accommodation.

A number of white water rafting organisations operate from Cairns and stop at the pretty coastal resort of Mission Beach on the way. The town has a wide range of accommodation including a superb Youth Hostel called “Treehouse”. I stayed 3 nights at Treehouse and used it as a base for exploring the area, including Dunk Island, one of a string of island paradises along the North Queensland coast.

What do you want to know aboutadventure travel in Australia? You’ll find all the answers in Australian travel expert Graeme Lanham’s new book.

Available at: http://www.traveltipsaustralia.com

For a limited time,claim your 3 free special reports, (value $57)

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By Phoenix Delray

 Las Vegas Hotels: The first all suite casino in Las Vegas was the Rio, located right off of the famous Las Vegas Strip. Debuting as a locals casino that was run by Marnell Corrao Associates in 1990, nine years later the Las Vegas hotel was bought for $888 million by Harrahs Entertainment. Today, this pinnacle of Las Vegas hotels boasts about 2,500 luxury suites for guests to enjoy. The suites are some of the best tended to suites of Las Vegas hotels, and they range from sizes of 600 square feet all the way up to a grand 13,000 square feet.

The Rio is known for having some of the best golf courses of Las Vegas hotels that are available for public access. The Rio Secco Golf Club offers players more than 7,400 yards of greens. The golf club is located at the foothills of the Black Mountain Range, and it features six holes on a breathtaking plateau that overlooks the city. In addition, the views from the Rio Secco Golf Club include six more holes in a grand desert wash and six more that wind through deep, enriched canyons.

This wonder of Las Vegas hotels offers guests sand beaches, a tropical lagoon, waterfalls of paradise, five Jacuzzi spas, and four different swimming pools. The tropical paradise that the Rio offers at Ipanema Beach is world famous, and for splendidly luxurious pampering, guests are invited to take advantage of the private cabana rentals, which includes cocktails and five star food service.

When guests first enter this amazing Las Vegas hotel and casino, they will be swept away with the famous Masquerade Show in the Sky, a genuine cultural experience that highlights Mardi Gras style floats and a Brazilian carnival dance. There are even lucky beads that are tossed from the seemingly magical floats, and patrons of the Rio enjoy reaching out to and catching the beads for a lucky vacation.

Other entertainment that other Las Vegas hotels cannot stake claim to is a chance for patrons to dance (and sing) the night away at Princes self named nightclub. The time that many guests come alive is at night, so many patrons spend the late hours of the day at other night life hot spots like the Flirt, the I Bar, and the high profile Voo Doo Lounge.

Chippendales, the famous all male show, is responsible for many fantastic girls nights out at the Rio. The legendary Penn & Teller also entertain clientele of the Las Vegas hotel. Tony and Tinas Wedding, a wildly popular audience participation comedy is also one of the highlights of this Las Vegas hotel. The decadence, luxury, and exquisite entertainment all make the Rio one of the most popular Las Vegas hotels, and the clientele are appreciative of the uniqueness that they find here.

To know more about luxury travel please visit our website.

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By Mike Strom

 Whether you are traveling within or outside your country of residence, there are certain risks and uncertainties that you will have to deal with down the way. The best way to prevent any ugly situation is to purchase travel insurance for one’s protection. You can rest assured that you have the best protection throughout your journey with travel insurance.

The fact is that anything can happen to you while you are always on such travels. You should also realize that some financial problems could happen that might be beyond your control on such journeys.That’s why it’s of extreme importance to get travel insurance to cover all such problems. You can get the travel insurance you need from the insurance companies, or even from the banks. All the unpleasant issues that might arise while one is away from home on travels are effectively covered in per-trip travel insurance.

Those that intend to travel to dangerous parts of the world or who intend to engage in dangerous behavior can buy specific travel insurance to cover such dangers. Because of the different types of travel insurance, the rates are different. It’s advisable to always take you time to buy the travel insurance that is most suitable to your specific travel situation. With as little as seventy to one hundred twenty and for as long as two weeks to any European country, a couple can enjoy a travel insurance package.

One will also pay similar rates for travels to Africa or such countries. There are also travel insurance packages that will cover you if you are traveling to terrorists’ attacks prone countries. To conclude, it’s critically important to get a travel insurance package that will cover all of your travel before you embark on the journey.

To be informed on helpful guide on resources about InternationalStudentTravelMedicalInsurance , visit Mike Strom’s web site ==> http://www.travelersinsuranceguide.com

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By Dominic Donaldson

 It may not be the obvious tourist attraction, especially if you’ve traveled half way around the world to be on holiday, but visiting a sporting event while you’re abroad can be quite a memorable and worthwhile experience. As sport across the board becomes more and more high profile, and gains exposure through celebrity fans, the average holiday maker is asking themselves what the attraction is.

Taking a look at the Sunday papers and reading the sports reviews from cover to cover you’ll probably find something you’re interested in and there are now many companies catering exclusively for sports themed breaks and days out but what if you are looking for something a bit different?

Enjoying a sporting event while you’re on holiday is a great way to take in the atmosphere of a place and feel part of the place you are staying, particularly if you’re abroad. If you make reading sports reviews from the location you will be staying part of your holiday plan, or even think of it as research for you holiday, then you could be surprised at some of the events that are open to you.

USA - Travelers to America are in the enviable position of having some of the best stage managed and entertaining sports in the world available to them. Weekend sports reviews from the US read like short novels sometimes, they are that exciting. The USA also has some high profile sports that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Baseball is a good place to start. Baseball is the national sport in America and every major city or town has a team. Some of the bigger stadiums have guided tours as well, to showcase their history. So as well as watching a game you could get a history lesson American style. The New York Yankees are in a state of flux at the moment as they move from their old Yankee Stadium to the new one. The whole process is getting a lot of mentions in sports reviews and American newspapers. Visiting now and taking in a baseball game is a great chance to see the transition from old to new.

Europe - For something a little different while you’re on holiday in Europe you could do worse than check out the local skiing scene. Skiing is the major sport in many European countries and the sports reviews in European newspapers reflect this. In some parts of Europe; France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, it is an obsession.

The time of year you are on holiday will obviously dictate whether you can see a skiing event. The season runs throughout the winter months but if you plan ahead you could witness one of the most exciting sports on the planet close up. Kitzbuehl in Austria and Sestriere in Italy are two of the most popular skiing venues and both regularly stage races and events. Even if you’re not staying close by transport to these places from anywhere in their respective countries is good.

Lillehammer in Norway is also a great holiday destination but the town also gets a regular mention in winter sports reviews and stories across Europe. It hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics and has been a top tourist destination ever since.

Caribbean Islands - If ice and snow aren’t you’re thing you are probably more of a sand and sea person and are much more likely to be seen soaking up some rays on a glorious beach. But just because you’re at the beach there’s no need to miss out on some great sporting events.

Cricket is the main topic of conversation on many Caribbean and West Indian islands. The West Indies cricket team is known throughout the world for their flair and entertaining style of the game. Taking a break from the beach to witness one of sports great occasion is something you really shouldn’t miss. Sports reviews can’t do justice to the atmosphere of a cricket match in places like Jamaica, Antigua or Barbados.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the sport and entertainment industry.

Find out more about sports reviews and sporting events.

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By Roger Munns

 A picture of white sand beaches and azure waters are conjured up by many when they consider a holiday on the island of Gran Canaria.

And the picture would be right, Gran Canaria is paradise for those who love their beach holidays.

However, there is more to Gran Canaria than beaches - it’s a perfect destination for those who enjoy nature and a natural environment.

The island is rich in natural resources and its vast terrain tantalizes eco-adventurers of all types. The island has been designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO for this reason. Thanks to this special status, Gran Canaria will remain an ecological preserve for the rest of its days. It also ensures harmonious balance between nature and the interests of man.

Gran Canaria is the third largest of the Canary Islands archipelago. Located 130 miles off the African coast, it has been a Spanish territory since the 15th century. The island bears a rich history dating back to 500 B.C. This is when it was first inhabited by the Canarios. Traces of their culture still remain throughout the Canary Islands.

The island has a full time population of about 800,000. However, tourism boosts the number closer to a million or more at any given time. Close to a half of the island’s regular residents live in the capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The rest of its residents are scattered throughout the island’s 21 municipalities and 1552 square kilometers.

While its beaches may be its top tourist draw, Gran Canaria is also known for its breathtaking volcanoes. In fact, the island itself is of volcanic origin. Its numerous fissure vents make this fact evident to visitors and residents alike.

An aerial view reveals that volcanic craters or calderas dot the surface of the island. One of these is the Caldera de Bandama, dating back to 20 B.C. Though it is one of the island’s smaller ones, the caldera covers a staggering one kilometer and a depth of 200 meters. Originally a double cinder cone, the caldera formed later on. Caldera de los Marteles is another of the island’s astounding sites. This crater formed over 100,000 years ago and now appears as a lush, green circular field.

Additional ecological gems include the island’s 290 caves located in the Cenobio de Valeron. This preserve is actually a massive basaltic arch. Inside, early setters known as the Guanche excavated caves and cubicles. These excavations still stand after centuries of time. The caves, once a storage area for the Guanche, are now a major piece of Gran Canaria’s history. Cueva Pintada is another of the island’s famous caves. It may be the most important seat of Guanche history. Located in the town of Galdar, it was once the center for ancient rulers. Its spectacular paintings gave the cave its name. Because of erosion the cave was closed to the public several years ago. However, tourists can visit the cave virtually at the Cueva Pintada museum. They can also view artifacts recovered from inside the caves’ many rooms.

Gran Canaria is a treasure trove of mountains, sand dunes and ancient monoliths. The terrain is diverse and offers opportunities for sightseeing by automobile, bicycle and foot. Its dozens of species of protected flora and fauna beckon nature-lovers of all types. Tourists looking for a unique eco-tourism experience won’t be disappointed with a Gran Canaria holiday if they visit in 2009.

More information about Gran Canaria can be found at travel site yourgrancanaria.net

For new visitors to the island wanting to find their way around they have a map of Gran Canaria while the company also have various blogs for sale

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