Additional Resources Koh Samui Island, Gulf Of Thailand, 5 Star Hotel & Villa Development Announced (ContentDesk) September 9, 2005 -- In Asia's Hottest New Tourism Market Koh Samui, Magsiam Holding (www.cococo-group.com) Read more...
Additional Resources Koh Samui Island, Gulf Of Thailand, 5 Star Hotel & Villa Development Announced (ContentDesk) September 9, 2005 -- In Asia's Hottest New Tourism Market Koh Samui, Magsiam Holding (www.cococo-group.com) Read more...
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Samui – Top 10 Attractions And Activities By Andy Burrows A 2-hour ferry ride from the coast of Sarat Thani will land you on the banks of Samui, one of Thailand's most popular resort islands which has grown increasingly popular in the past few years. Well-known for its wild parties as well as for its luxurious resorts, stunning coral reef environments and natural landscape, has rightfully earned its place as one of Thailand's most-loved destinations.
Beaches Chaweng Beach is probably the most popular beach to visit on Samui. Its clear waters and white sand make it very inviting, and the exciting night life and Muay Thai boxing matches are an added bonus. Choeng Mon is more secluded and offers five-star accommodation, while the bay of Ao Tong Takian is named after the silver hue of its sand. Lamai Beach is packed with water sports ranging from jet-skis and banana boats to activities like parasailing.
Temple of the Big Buddha The Temple of the Big Buddha, or Wat Phra Yai, was built in 1972 and is one of Samui’s top attractions. In the past few decades, it has become a beacon of prosperity for the island, a sentiment embodied in the 12 metre Buddha statue that sits in the grounds. There is also a meditation centre on-site that's open to visitors.
Full Moon Party Full Moon parties have become synonymous with the hedonistic side of this region. These high-octane celebrations take place once a month on the nearby Koh Pha Ngan. Thousands of foreign tourists flock to the island for what compares to an outdoor, coastal rave. Music blares, prices soar and controlled substances abound. As the popularity of these parties has risen, savvy locals have added an interim Half Moon Party to add an extra weekend of debauchery and partying.
Eating out Eating out is one of the simplest pleasures in Samui, with fresh seafood served up in every fashion according to international and local recipes. Visitors will find authentic street vendors selling delicious treats at phenomenal prices, along with more upscale establishments that sell gourmet Thai dishes as well as international cuisine. One way to treat yourself is to take your dinner on the beach in the comfortable surroundings of a beachside restaurant.
Partying and nightlife Big Buddha Beach is a good place to spend an evening for families or perhaps for the faint of heart. Many establishments here are laid-back and lack the pulsing music of the more heated parties found elsewhere on the island. Lamai Beach has a thriving red light district and plenty of go-go bars, while Chaweng Beach hosts a variety of live bands that play a mix of Thai and western covers.
Daytrip down south For those seeking the less touristy side of Samui, you may consider heading to the south side of the island. There has been less development here, and a daytrip provides insight into what once looked like, as well as offering a glimpse of day to day life for the locals who don't work directly with tourists. You'll
<u>Your</u> hotels from hell
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<p>"When I was on a book tour in 2006, I stayed in what seemed to be a hotel in the centre of Nottingham. It seemed okay – well, from the outside at least. My room had a skylight over the bed, which looked nice, but it turned out it was leaking, so water kept dripping on to my head like some form of water torture. If that wasn't enough to drive me insane, the strange odour that started leaking through my door was. When I opened my door I could see the cleaner walking down the hallway with a can of air freshener, emptying its entire contents. As I was about to suffocate in this African Lynx fog I asked the manager if they had another room available. To my surprise, they gave me a really nice room with a jet-stream bathtub and no leaking windows. You wonder how they checked people in to this hotel, perhaps with a scratchcard?" </p> Bad service and grumpy Britons put tourism jobs at risk
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<p>Shoddy service and high prices are putting foreign visitors off visiting the UK, which is threatening thousands of jobs during the recession, the Government's tourism boss says today.</p> Caravan Club reports record bookings for 2009
<p>
Caravan holiday bookings for 2009 are up by 40 per cent on last year,
according to the Caravan Club.
</p>
Budget hotel guests 'subjected to filthy conditions'
<p>
Guests staying at budget hotel chains have been greeted by mouldy mattresses,
stained duvets and dirty toilets, according to an investigation released
today.
</p>
Never mind the recession, we need a break
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<p>
<b>1. Britain
</b></p>
<p>
Holidaying at home to make savings is likely to be a winner this year.
Research conducted by Visit London and Visit Britain has revealed growing
interest in British holidays that are perceived to offer a quality
experience at good value.
</p>
Activity and adventure breaks 2009: Get going! There's a whole world to explore
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<p>
<b>1. Private views</b>
</p>
<p>
Follow in the footsteps of the great explorers and discover the world National
Geographic-style. National Geographic Journeys – a new partnership between
Titan HiTours, the escorted tours specialist, and the US-based National
Geographic Society – will offer travellers such perks as tours with private
access to museums, meetings with National Geographic experts around the
world and specially arranged dinners in awe-inspiring locations.<b> </b>
</p>
Walks 2009: Step out on these new routes around the UK
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<p>This year promises to be a good one for walkers. The Marine Bill, introduced to the Commons in December, gave the green light to the ambitious plan to map a coastal access corridor around the whole of England, allowing preparatory work on the 2,700-mile scheme to begin in 2009. But while hikers wait, many new paths and initiatives are opening up.</p> Responsible tourism 2009: This year's motto must be watch your carbon footprint
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<p>
The recession may be bad news for the more traditional holiday companies, but
for travellers looking to make their breaks a deeper shade of green, the
financial crisis offers one more reason to opt for more responsible trips.
</p>
Why I love: All-in entertainment
<p>
My husband and I used to spend most of our income on fancy hotels. Then we had
our daughters and discovered the delights of the all-inclusive
family-friendly resort. They have everything you need: a puréed food buffet;
a milk-warming room in every apartment block, usually full of bleary-eyed
parents.
</p>
The big chill: Baby, it's cold worldwide
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<p>From Courchevel and Chamonix in France to the slopes of Lombardy and the Tyrol, they have seen nothing like it for a generation.</p> Family Holidays 2009: How to keep them all happy, big and small
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<p>Three little words: tender loving care. That's what this year's family holidays are all about. Child-friendly operators, well aware that parents are feeling the pinch, are going all out to give us a big dollop of TLC. From children's activities to pampering facilities, these new offerings provide value for money as well as lots of thoughtful extras.</p> Days out 2009: Not much time to spare? How about an awayday
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<p>
<b>1. Homecoming Scotland 2009</b>
</p>
<p>
This is the year to head north of the border, where a countrywide programme of
events and activities celebrating Scotland's contribution to the world takes
place throughout 2009. Festivities kick off on the 250th anniversary of the
birth of Robert Burns and continue until St Andrew's Day. Highlights include
the Burns Light Festival in Dumfries and the Edinburgh International Science
Festival.
</p>
Rail delays continue after fatal air crash
<p>
Rail passengers were warned to expect further travel misery today as a fatal
aircraft crash on a key railway route continued to cause delays.
</p>
Luxury on the line: All aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express
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<p>Paul Theroux travelled the length of Asia in 1974, a trip that resulted in The Great Railway Bazaar. "Ever since childhood," he wrote, "I have seldom heard a train go by and not wished I was on it." Theroux's trip involved all manner of rolling stock, but in 1974 there was no Eastern & Oriental Express linking Singapore with Bangkok.</p> 48 hours in: Cape Town
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<p>
<b><i>Click here for <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00108/capetown_108768a.pdf">48
Hours</a></i></b> <b><i>In...Cape Town map </i></b>
</p>
Five Irish spa retreats
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24-Hour Room Service: Four Seasons, Florence, Italy
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<p>Some first-time visitors to Florence have been known to suffer from Stendhal syndrome – often referred to as Florence Syndrome – which is named after the 19th-century French novelist. As a result of prolonged proximity to such "sublime beauty", he was overcome with an extreme case of nerves and palpitations. </p> Travel Agenda: Holland Art Cities 2009; Twelfth Night festival; Sydney Festival
Simon Calder's nine trips for 2009
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<p>Austerity tourism: that is what many of us will practise this year. Fortunately, my overseas travelling began in the 1970s, when practically every British tourist was on a shoestring, so having a holiday on next to nothing is standard practice. Here is where I hope to go in 2009, and why, and how much I intend to pay.</p> My life in travel: Top Gear presenter James May
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Air time: The brand new ski camp where 'progression is inevitable'
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<p> The family that skis together: doesn't it always end up not skiing together? Since my eldest child is still eight years away from being a teenager, I have no personal experience of this; but among the changes that adolescence brings – along with alienation, apathy and acne – is surely the end of the fun-filled family ski holiday. What 15-year-old worth his or her salt wants to carve graceful turns with the old folks, listening to the gentle swish of skis in powdery snow, when the alternative is to hang out in the half-pipe with like-minded people beneath huge, hard-working loudspeakers?</p> Lure of St Barts, the Caribbean idyll where everyone's a star
<p>Forget Whistler and Aspen, St Tropez and Monaco. If you're an actor, music mogul or model and you're not on the Caribbean island of St Barts, you should be wondering how you missed the party – and just when your star began fading.</p> World's first aeroplane hotel ready for take-off at Stockholm airport
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<p>An abandoned jumbo jet at Sweden's biggest airport will open this month as the world's first aeroplane hotel. </p> Huge price hikes on package holidays
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<p>Tour operators have increased the price of summer holidays by up to 40 per cent this year, raising the cost of an average family break to the Mediterranean by as much as £500, according to research for The Independent.</p> Nine for 2009: How is the travel industry facing up to what looks like a tough year?
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Something to Declare: British Airways sale; Norwegian krone; Sri Lanka
Simon Calder: Delays, diversions and Lisbon's little yellow tram
<p> The slogan on the latest of British Airways' slick ads is "Get on and see where it goes". The photograph shows one of the little yellow trams that tackle the steep hills of Lisbon. An odd choice, given the message: the route depicted is a short run of perhaps 500 metres from a hill on the west of the city centre down to river level. You need not be Sir Ernest Shackleton or even Bruce Parry to figure out where you will end up: anyone with normal distance vision standing at the top of the line, where the photograph has been taken, will be able to see the southern terminus. </p> A view of the past: Nine travel anniversaries for 2009
<p>
<b>100 years ago:</b> on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot flies from Sangatte, near
Calais, to Dover. The 22-mile trip takes 37 minutes, and he wins a £1,000
prize from a London newspaper for doing the first Channel crossing by air.
</p>
Holidaymakers hit by poor insurance-selling tactics
<p>
Holidaymakers have fallen foul of poor insurance-selling tactics by travel
agents, according to a poll today.
</p>
It's festival time for the cultural set
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<p>
<b>White Days, St Petersburg</b>
</p>
<p>
(2 Jan to 31 Mar) <b>
</b></p>
<p>
Following the huge success of its White Nights summer festival, St Petersburg
decided in 2003 to promote a series of performances held in the dead of
winter and label them "White Days".
</p>
After dark in New York: Chef Daniel Boulud reveals his favourite places to dine
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<p>I've been living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for a little over 25 years. I was born in Lyon and first came to New York in 1983 to work at the Plaza Athénée on Madison and 64th Street. Now my kitchen at Daniel restaurant backs on to the kitchen at the Plaza Athénée; that's how far I've travelled in a quarter of a century. </p> Escape from Manhattan to see the real city
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<p>Manhattan will always be New York's main draw, but the outer boroughs – particularly Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx – are catching up. Indeed, post-Giuliani, they might even be considered more authentic NY than Manhattan. I went to look.</p> Tips and deals: 28/12/2008
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<p>
<b>The kit</b>
</p>
<p>
New on the slopes this winter, Portaski is a clever little energy-saving
gadget. Adjustable straps secure your skis while the lightweight wheel-sled
bears up to 70 per cent of the weight. Price £29.95, for further information
go to <a href="http://www.portaski.com">www.portaski.com</a>.
</p>
Stay the night: Legado Mitico, Buenos Aires
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<p>
While most new hotels in the modish barrio of Palermo Viejo are riding the
design wave, arranging minimalist white chairs with frightening precision,
Legado Mitico is striking a different pose.
</p>
Katy Holland: Holidays for single parents
<p>Single dad Keith Middleton has sent me an angry email. "It's impossible to find a family holiday for just one adult that doesn't involve paying through the nose. Why is there always a catch? Companies charge adult prices for children if there aren't two parents ... so I end up being penalised just because I don't have a partner." </p> Follow the spiritual trail in the valley of Kathmandu
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<p>
Nepal is a country tipped up on its side, where an Indian rhinoceros munching
subtropical vegetation can lift its head and see snow glinting on the
world's highest mountain range.
</p>
Andermatt: the other side of the mountain
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<p>It's shortly after 9am on the kind of morning skiers dream about – cold, cloudless, still and with fresh snow – yet the only sound we can hear is the hypnotic swish-clack-swish of our own touring skis cutting tracks, gripping the mountainside with skins. Up ahead, the sky is blocked only by our target – the pyramid-like Winterhorn. </p> Wrong way? The 2008 travel review
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<p>A young lady who had sought my advice on where to go for New Year last week wrote to say she would ignore my recommendation of Malta and would go California instead. Nothing unusual there – except when she told me of her choice of airline from Heathrow: "I had read such negative reports about Terminal 5 and British Airways so decided on Virgin".</p> An island fling in New Zealand
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<p>Tea on Mou Waho Island, in the middle of Lake Wanaka. We had paused at an idyllic spot in the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island. As we admired the vast glacial lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, an uninvited guest strolled into view.</p> Something To Declare: Las Vegas; Malaria in Gambia; £9 rooms
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<p><b>Destination of the week: Las Vegas</b></p> 24-Hour Room Service: The Majestic Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia
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<p>As the centre of the 15th-century sultanate founded by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince, the city of Melaka is considered to be a wellspring of Malay culture and customs. Malacca (to use the old British spelling) was awarded Unesco World Heritage status earlier this year – a point that the Malaysian hotel chain YTL has made the most of in the latest addition to its upmarket group. </p> Five Nordic snow retreats
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Plate With a View: Carlton Sun Terrace, St Moritz, Switzerland
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<p>The best view in swanky St Moritz is from a terrace overlooking the lake. </p> Mumbai tourism fights back
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<p>After 70 hours of terror, Mumbai was "liberated" on 29 November. The following day, the Leopold Café, a long-standing backpacker haunt, reopened. Even though tourists had been shot there a few days earlier, it attracted such crowds that police had to shut it temporarily.</p> Travel Agenda: Robert Burns; bio-fuel test flights; Moscow's Winter Festival
<p></p> Simon Calder: These Boots rules are made for Washington
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<p>Badges of honour are worn by many in travel: holidaymakers successfully repatriated despite holding tickets on Silverjet/Zoom/XL Airways; people who protest against airport expansion and have the principles to desist from flying; and, a new category, backpackers who have successfully made an insurance claim under the "Incarceration" section of their Boots Gap Year travel policy. </p> My Life In Travel: Alexei Sayle
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<p><b>FIRST HOLIDAY MEMORY?</b></p> Vilnius
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<p>
<i><b>Click here for <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00107/48hr_107835a.pdf">48
Hours</a></b></i> <i><b>In...Vilnius map </b></i>
</p>
Washington's big day approaches
<p>
By tradition, the presidential oath of office will be administered outside, in
full view of the electorate, with the incoming President and Vice-President
surrounded by members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and diplomatic
corps. As George W Bush slips out of the door and disappears back to his
Texas ranch, the inauguration of the 44th president will be a
much-anticipated event.
</p>
Statelines: the full collection of articles in our America travel series
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British Airways and Virgin Atlantic cut fares
<p>UK airlines have come out swinging this Christmas, slashing in an attempt to lure customers into booking up their summer holidays despite the looming recession.</p> Why I love: Flying the coop
<p>I'm very much a Sagittarian – my bow is ready to let loose that arrow across the world. Because I always do panto, I do like to go straight to the sun after 12 performances a week. Mauritius, Mallorca, South Africa... My partner and I are lucky enough to have friends with boats and even aeroplanes. Given any opportunity to travel, I seize it. We were on the last voyage of the QE2 – I did two lectures – and the captain, an enchanting man, told me I had to get up at 5am to see Sydney as we sailed in at dawn. It was a magical sight. </p> Disappearing Caribbean: The unique Cuban way of life
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<p>
The principal tourist attraction in Cuba is Fidel Castro. With an economy
reliant on tourism, the country needs world-class attractions, and say what
you will about Fidel's failures (and there are many), he is a five-star
colossus of some antiquity.
</p>
Montserrat: this Caribbean island is rising from the ashes.
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<p>'Montserrat? An island in the Caribbean? Are you sure?" What an ignorant question and one that was testing the patience of the new man in my life, Dean, who was, yes, sure that he knew where his own parents had been born.</p> Tips and deals: 21/12/2008
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<p>
<b>The train</b>
</p>
<p>
Gatwick Express has launched a new service to Brighton. Six trains will depart
Brighton for Gatwick in the morning, Monday to Friday, and there will be six
journeys made from Gatwick to Brighton in the evenings. Go to
gatwickexpress.co.uk.
</p>
Mount Olympics' new lift deserves a medal
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<p>
'Whistler now has a guest experience that won't be surpassed for many years."
With these portentous words, a strong Mounties presence and triple
ribbon-snipping by linked local dignitaries, the inaugural scarlet Peak 2
Peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains slid out into the void.
</p>
Trekking in the Australian Alps is no skip through a meadow
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<p>The cry went up: "Tiger snake!" Some animals have misleadingly fearsome names, such as the antlion, which isn't a lion. But "tiger" and "snake" carry baggage, especially in Australia. In the time it took me to work this out, and study the undergrowth for the reptile, I noticed I was now alone. My four walking companions had taken an eighth of a second to put 50 yards between them and danger.</p> Katy Holland: Help your little darlings destress
<p>Did you see that story in the news recently about kids suffering from stress at Christmas? It seems the exhausting business of present-opening can really take its toll. What better time to plan a holiday to help your little darlings destress?</p> Christmas boredom beaters: top days out with the kids
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<p>
<b>London</b>
</p>
<p>
Gothic decorations, icy webs and creepy trees will frighten the festive life
out of your family in Satan's Anti-Christ(mas) Grotto at the London Dungeon,
until Wednesday (020-7403 7221;<a href="http:// www.visitlondon/events">
www.visitlondon/events</a>). Also, the hugely popular Doctor Who Exhibition
at Earls Court has been extended until 7 January. Fans of the Doctor will
love the first Dalek Zone, as well as the chance to see many of the original
monsters from the series (0871 230 1092; <a href="http://www.doctorwhoexhibition.com">www.doctorwhoexhibition.com</a>). </p>
Stay the night: Sofitel London Heathrow, Terminal 5
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<p>My companion was feeling disconcerted. "It's too quiet. I don't feel like I'm at an airport," was her verdict on the new Sofitel London Heathrow. I'd say her comment shouldn't be taken as criticism but as a recommendation for Britain's latest on-airport hotel.</p> 48 hours in Salamanca
<p>
Simon Calder is seduced by the lovely old Spanish city of Salamanca, where he
mingles with the students at one of Europe's oldest universities, and
discovers an astronaut among the Gothic carvings outside the cathedral.
</p>
24-Hour Room Service: St Regis Bali Resort, Nusa Dua, Bali
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<p> It's hard to think of anywhere in the world that, mile for mile, has more luxury spas and resorts than Bali. Nor anywhere where they are more prolific than in Nusa Dua, a gated beach development on the southern tip of the island, built in the 1970s. So any new addition to such a glut would have to be pretty impressive to earn its keep.</p> Travel Agenda: London's Winter Festival; Mumbai; 20th Palm Springs International Film Festival
Plate With A View: La Montagne Coupée, Quebec, Canada
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Virginia: Deer, misty mountains and wine fit for a president
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<p> On a pitch-black night in Manassas, near the site of the first major land battle of the American Civil War, about 80,000 people gathered in the Virginia countryside for a last hurrah of the 2008 presidential race. It was 3 November, unseasonably balmy, and the open-air fairground was filled to capacity. Like hundreds of others I had to settle for a spot on a road outside. There were no streetlights; the blue and red flashing police lights cast an eerie glow over the faces of people as they moved through the shadows. As we waited – black, white and Asian – for Barack Obama's final rally, it was a chance to reflect on Virginia's tumultuous history: the slavery, tobacco plantations, and disastrous civil war from which the state has never really recovered.</p> Family travel: 'Where can we see wild turtle hatchlings?'
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<p>
<b>Q. Our family would love to see turtle hatchlings in the wild. Do you have
any idea of how far and when we would have to travel to be guaranteed to see
them? We don't want there to be only "a good chance" of seeing
them. L Baxter, via email</b>
</p>
Trail Of The Unexpected: Christmas card
<p>
From Lent (the Netherlands) to Trinity Peninsula (Antarctica) via Jesus Island
(Quebec), Christianity can take you around the world – to islands where it
is Christmas every day: one in the Pacific Ocean, the other in the Indian
Ocean.
</p>
Why don't British skiers favour Switzerland and Italy?
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<p> France is by far the most popular destination among British skiers. According to the 2008 edition of the annual Ski Industry Report produced by the tour operator Crystal, it had 37.5 per cent of the UK market last season. Next came Austria, with 21.8 per cent. Behind these two market leaders, things were not so clear-cut. Italy was certainly in third place, but its share of UK skiers was slipping. The next country – principality, to be strictly accurate – was Andorra. But its market is declining fast: should the downward trend continue this season, the Pyrenean state will rank far behind Switzerland.</p> Five Scottish gastro hotels
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The Complete Guide To: Petra
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BA and Qantas merger talks fail
<p>
British Airways and Qantas today said they had failed to reach agreement on a
potential merger.
</p>
£7m ticket scam threatens to sink Alhambra
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<p>The fabulous Alhambra fortress in Granada, jewel of Islamic architecture in Europe, has been swindled out of millions of euros by a ticket scam, allegedly hatched by its doorkeepers, travel agencies, a tour guide and a branch of a major bank.</p> Fès is the next stop on the Marrakech express
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<p>'Ballack, ballack," shouts a scruffy young boy as he smacks the rump of a ragged donkey struggling with a heavy load of dyed leather. "It means get out the way!" yells a trader from across the narrow medina street. </p> City Slicker: How Zurich got creative
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<p>
<b>Why visit?</b>
</p>
<p>
For ski fans, Zurich's position in central Switzerland makes it one of the
best gateways to some the country's finest ski resorts, such as Davos and
Klosters, plus those of western Austria and northern Italy.
</p>
Tangier: The old lush is having a facelift. About time too
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<p>At twilight, the plant-filled terraces of Café Hafa are heaving. As the lights of Spain shimmer on the horizon, young Moroccans sip sweet mint tea and chat, smoke kif and play Parcheesi.</p> Stay the night: 6 Columbus New York
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<p>
Looking for somewhere to stay on a shopping trip to New York? Whiz hoteliers
Thompson Hotels kicked off with 60 Thompson seven years ago, and 6 Columbus
is their newbie, a boutique townhouse that opened early this year, replacing
a tired old pile called the West Park Hotel.
</p>
Tips and deals 14/12/2008
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<p>
<b>The flight</b>
</p>
<p>
Monarch Airlines is reviving one of the routes lost by the demise of Excel.
Weekly direct flights between Gatwick and Grenada & Tobago will begin
from next Saturday. For more information, call 08450 858080 or go to <a href="http://www.goldencaribbean.co.uk">www.goldencaribbean.co.uk</a> </p>
Katy Holland: The best family ski trip deals
<p>It's usually around this time of year that I start wondering whether the kids' ski suits will fit them for another season. But that's one thing less to worry about now the credit has crunched, for 'tis the season to tighten our belts. </p> Madama Butterfly, Floria Tosca – they all came from Lucca
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<p>On 22 December, the city of Lucca will celebrate Giacomo Puccini's 150th birthday. But the Tuscan maestro is only one famous Puccini in a city that employed five generations of his family as composers. Moreover, Luigi Boccherini and the opera composer Alfredo Catalani were also born in Lucca. For hundreds of years this hugely rich, fiercely independent trading city was a great patron of the arts. </p> Three's company on a honeymoon in the Maldives
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<p>It's not every night you go out for dinner and end up saving a life, but that's what happened on my honeymoon in the Maldives. Jan and I got married on Saturday, had our eight-month-old son, Toby, christened on Sunday, and, in need of some rest and relaxation, headed off to the Beach House resort on Manafaru island in the Maldives on the Monday.</p> Travel Agenda: Capella Ixtapa; Amanresorts' Villa Milocer; Circumnavigando Festival
Barcelona: The crowds are gone in December - and the locals like it that way
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<p> It was an exhilarating and faintly surreal sensation. Suspended in mid-air over Barcelona last week, I gazed down over the tops of palm trees and across an expansive panorama of cityscape, green hills and sea. The morning air was so remarkably crisp and clear that, among the tangle of urban life far below, I could pick out two striking modern landmarks: the Sagrada Familia, Gaudí's great unfinished cathedral; and the Torre Agbar, a funky and phallic office tower that was built in 2004 as the gateway to the city's revamped Poblenou neighbourhood and which looks not dissimilar to London's Gherkin. From the vantage point of my cable car, I felt as if I were king of Europe's most flamboyantly stylish city. </p> Simon Calder: A New Romantic rendezvous in Rio de Janeiro
<p> Travelling in South America comprises a grand tour through improbability. Uncertainty can beset the traveller immediately on arrival: forget the usual red channel/green channel arrangements, because in some countries it is usual at Customs to assess whether inbound passengers have something to declare on an entirely arbitrary basis. </p> 24-Hour Room Service: Raffles, Beijing, China
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<p> Arriving in Beijing for the first time was a disorienting experience. First thing in the morning and fresh off a body clock-busting flight, I wasn't sure if I was ready for breakfast or the bar. But as soon as I was shown to my room at Raffles Beijing Hotel, any good intentions of heading straight to the Forbidden City were undone – a few stolen hours between the sheets seemed like the only option. </p> Something To Declare: Ukraine; rental risk; sleeper trains
find several enticing, secluded beaches connected by coconut groves and predominately Muslim fishing villages.
Waterfalls It's worthwhile to journey out to one of a few waterfalls on the island. Hin Lat Fall is most conductive to swimming, as there aren't many boulders or sharp edges underwater. Trekkers and groups of elephant riders regularly journey to the Na Muang Falls system—specifically to the second waterfall, because it's easily accessed by elephants. The first of the two falls cascades magnificently down a steep cliff.
Diving Samui has a firm reputation among snorkellers and divers. Beginners can receive instruction from local gurus that work at one of multiple diving shops. More experienced divers have many options, ranging from the nearby Ang Thong National Marine Park or Sail Rock, out to the farther but highly esteemed Koh Tao, where divers from all over Thailand gather. In any event, the clear waters and stunning coral reefs make diving a wonderful experience.
Adventure sports Samui is an ideal place for those who are full of energy as there are many adrenaline pumping activities and exciting water sports. You can also get up close and personal with Samui’s local elephants. The less energetic will be content with the lovely beaches that offer perfect tropical swimming, or a day spent shopping or at a spa.
Viewing wildlife Samui has every manner of wildlife. Marine life teems at the Aquarium, while snakes and scorpions are employed in death-defying shows at the Snake Farm. The Crocodile Farm has more than just reptiles, with a few monkeys and other animals in addition to crocs and lizards. Violent Buffalo fights are held at one of several buffalo stadiums, while delicate butterfly species can be observed at the Butterfly Farm in the island's southeast corner.
Samui is a favourite choice for travel writer Andy Burrows, he recommends planning your trip beforehand using the following; Complete tourist www.1stopsamui.com/”> guide for Koh Samui Fun guide towww.1stopsamui.com/hospitality/night_life/”> Koh nightlife
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