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Travel Guide to Tokyo We all know Japan as one of the most powerful nations located in South East Asia who had the courage to stand against the mighty USSR, but we hardly knew that this small country has a lot of potential...

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Consider Beautiful Costa Rica For Your Next Vacation Are you a traveler who loves to travel to different destinations? Many people around the world prefer to spend their quality time with their friends and family at their favorite tourist destinations like...

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Traditional Food and Drink to Try When Staying in Son... When on holiday, we all like to soak up a bit of the local culture, and there is no better way to do this than to sample the local food and drink that the place that we are staying has to offer. When staying...

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Game Reserve Gap Years for the Generations Thinking of taking a gap year? That doesn't necessarily mean that you're a young and wet behind the ears student. Wildlife conservation holidays are popular with nature-lovers of all ages, from school...

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My Top Tips For a Perfect Albufeira Holiday

Posted by Ken Sand | Posted on 28-02-2010

Category : Travel

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Albufeira is the tourist capital of Portugal’s Algarve coast and has some of the most spectacular beaches. It is a 2000 year old town that will not cease to surprise you with its splendor, charm, and people.

Visitors

Albufeira is the holiday destination for everyone and there are no specific age groups that are targetted. People from various age groups and nationalities or countries visit Albufeira during the season and also in off season. Every one from retired couples to honeymooners, families, teenagers and young children come here to have their share of sun, sand and fun.

Season

Albufeira is a popular holiday destination not only because of the beach but also because it has a pleasant climate where the temperatures vary from 7.35

What’s on in Madrid in 2010?

Posted by Ken Sand | Posted on 25-02-2010

Category : Travel

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Madrid is one of the cultural centers of Europe. The city comprimises centuries of history and have annual events that keep men and women from around the globe coming each year. If you are planning a vacation to Madrid this year, consider some of these exciting special events that will take place. Many of them are even free or very cheap. As you will notice, the football matches of Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid are not mentioned in this article, the reason for this is that the cheapest tickets can cost as much as 30 euros (almost $50).

Winter and Spring

Early in the year, you can enjoy the performances and religious ceremonies of Carnival, which starts on Fat Tuesday and finishes up on Ash Wednesday. Also in February sis ARCO – the modern art fair famous throughout the world for its displays and announcements of new talents. March sees the International Theater Festival, followed by the Jazz festival. The bullfighting season also starts in March, and lasts until October at the Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las Ventas.

Spring and Summer

In April, the Antique Music Week and Cumbre Flamenco showcase music and dance that are Spanish in nature. The FINART festival is a worldwide craft fair and the Mozart Festival kicks off, lasting through June. On May 2nd, Madrid Day is celebrated to commemorate the 1808 rebellion against Napoleon. The 15th of May is Dia de San Isidro, celebrating the patron saint of Madrid.

Jumping into June, the city’s largest street party takes place between June 9th-June 13th as Aan Antonio del la Florida.

Summer and Autumn

The summer months are rather quiet, as most people take to the nearby beaches to stay cool and relax, but you can enjoy the Verbanas celebration in August. Moving into September, there are a number of events, including Pasalera Cibeles, Musica en las Ventas, and Festival de Otono – which lasts until November as a performing arts festival with acts from around the world.

If you really need a beach to lay down on during the sizzling hot Madrid summer, you need to pack your bags and head for the southern coast of Spain, or alternatively, the eastern coast. Madrid is situated in the middle of the country, and either way you will need to calculate a travelling time of 3-4 hours by car, or 1 hour by plane. The fast train connections will get you to the coasts within 2 hours.

Autumn and Winter

November sees the Feast Day of Nuestra Senora del Almudena on the 9th, and the International Jazz Festival, which is celebrated throughout Spain, also takes place in November. December then sees a shift to the winter holidays, with Christmas Fair in Plaza Mayor and Feria de Artesenia taking place in Paseo de Recoletos.

Whatever you are interested in, you will find a wide array of activities to keep you busy throughout the year in Madrid, without having to pay a fortune to enjoy them. As long as you are smart and manages to research a bit before you arrive, you will enjoy a spectacular budget holiday in the Spanish capital.

Ken has a special relationship with Madrid. He often writes articles to support his living in Madrid budget. At his Madrid travel guide he has a list of typical Madrid drink prices in order for you to know how much to pay for your beverage when visiting the Spanish capital. Sand has also published a norwegian travel guide about Madrid.

The Many Flea Markets in Vienna

Posted by Ken Sand | Posted on 25-02-2010

Category : Travel

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The city of Vienna has always been known for its architectural beauty and rich heritage. Along with these, it is also popular for its sprawling and chaotic flea markets. These markets are attracting both locals and tourists in huge numbers. These traditional markets are located right in the heart of the city and are one of the must visits for the foreign tourists. Treat yourself to find a mind boggling range of antique stuff right from local food items to old furniture to trinkets of jewellery and what not at throw away prices at these flea markets in Vienna.

However, shopkeepers here often over price the goods to a very large extent. So, you have to be prepared to negotiate and bargain very hard or else someone is going to rip you off. But relax, it is not as bad and tiring as it sounds. In fact, within the lively atmosphere of the flea markets, you might actually start enjoying the whole haggling process. The following is a list of the prominent flea markets in Vienna with the necessary details:

Naschmarkt Flea Market

Open on Saturdays 9 am to 4 pm

Location- Along Wienzeile over the Wien River between U4 stops of Kettenbruckengasse and Karlsplatz

Naschmarkt is arguably the most popular flea market in Vienna. Among the oldest in the city, it covers a huge area and offers almost everything that you can think of. If you are interested in diverse international food items, then head to this flea market. You can find fresh Asian shrimps, Italian cheese, spices, olives and all sorts of fruits. The great part is that none of these will burn a hole in your pocket.

Apart from food, you can also get old furniture, carpets, postcards from the times of war, Indian jewellery etc. All in all, a trip to Naschmart makes for an amazing experience, both for the purpose of shopping and just to have a good time.

Flohmarkt Flea Market

Open Saturdays from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm

Location- Adjacent to Naschmarkt Flea Market

Situated right next to Naschmarkt, the Flohmarkt flea market is also full of little treasures. It is a storehouse of antique items like Old Swiss watches, ancient books, unique glassware etc. But again, be ready to dig beneath the heaps of stuff to find these goodies.

Antiquit

3 Important Things I Have Learned About Ayia Napa

Posted by Ken Sand | Posted on 04-02-2010

Category : Travel

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The beach is filled with young women in tiny bikinis displaying their tanned flesh, the music is pumping from the beach bars and the time on my watch is only 11 AM. I am taking my third can of Pepsi from my ice-bag and tell to myself: “This is the good life.”

Ayia Napa is the premier seaside resort of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Over 50 hotels and hundreds of restaurants and pubs are located in the former fishing village that became a resort in the 1980s. The majority of the 2.5 million annual tourists who visit Cyprus go to Ayia Napa or the neighbor resorts of Fig Tree Bay and Protaras.

The golden beaches are just one of the reasons for the rise of tourism in Ayia Napa. The other and most important reason for tourism development is the conflict between Cyprus and Turkey which made the seaside 40 km north of Ayia Napa a wasteland occupied by the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. Suddenly all the tourist development at the beaches in the north had to move south, and Ayia Napa was deemed the best location.

My friends back in the UK often refer to me as Mister Ice Cold Napa. The reason is that I run an ice cream bar in Ayia Napa. I chose to settle in Ayia Napa because it is the most lively holiday resort in Cyprus. When I say “lively”, other people say “drunken and rowdy.” But that’s just the few bar streets in the months of July and August. The rest of the year the resort is pretty pretty quiet. Ayia Napa is also used by pensioners and families with children, so no worries.

Enough of all the general info about Cyprus and the resort. My life as an ice cream bar owner in Ayia Napa has learned me three specific and important things which I want to pass on to you:

1. You only have to be 17 years old to buy beer in Cyprus, hence the Swedish girls populate the place.

The not so strict alcohol laws in Cyprus (compared to rest of Europe) makes it a popular place for teenagers to drink and have fun during the summer. That’s probably why we see so many young Scandinavian people here.

When they come to my ice cream bar, most of them prefer vanilla and lemon ice creams.

2. The Russians are everywhere.

You may not see so many Russians in Ayia Napa, but their money is helping out running several restaurants and night clubs. And a few strip joints as well. If you go to a strip club in Ayia Napa you will always lose more money than you think (Important lesson learned for me).

3. Tired of the music at Nissi Beach? Walk 500 metres and go to Golden Beach.

If you are staying in Napa for 14 days you will get tired of the constant loud music at Nissi, I advise my friends to head over to the neighbour beach of Golden beach for some relaxation in the sand.

The ice cream bar owner also runs a honest Ayia Napa travel guide which shows you all the little dirty secrets of the resort. He thinks that a vacation in Ayia Napa is money far well more spent than a city break in cities like Istanbul or Tel-Aviv.

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