The Caribbean Islands Are A Must-Visit Destination

When the phrase tropical paradise gets mentioned one automatically starts to think about lush beaches with crystal clear waters, huge palm trees dotting the shore, and an endless stretch of powdery white sand that is such a joy to behold. If you are thinking about having a vacation in a tropical paradise then you should consider booking a ticket to the Caribbean.

What many tourists do not know is that the Caribbean Islands have a rich and colorful history. It was the great explorer Christopher Columbus who was said to discover the islands therefore it became the springboard for European invasion and domination of the Americas. The reason why the Caribbean has a very unique culture is because of the influences of the Spanish and Portuguese in the beginning and continued later by the arrival of the Europeans. Their arrival brought about what tourists see today as an eclectic mix of American and European influences on food, architecture, and way of life that is now considered as their own. During the sixteenth century the entire Caribbean region was dominated by the Spanish empire and during the seventeenth century the English, Dutch, and French also established colonies. It was in 1962 when the colonies became independent because of the rise of popular movements and labor organizations and the emergence of a generation of politicians who assumed leadership roles.

Today the Caribbean Islands boasts of a culture that is a melting pot of influences from the different colonies that settled in the beginning of their history. Tourists admire the laid back lifestyle of the people in these islands and they just enjoy hanging out with the locals sharing a few drinks with them and talking about their beautiful islands.

If you are unsure which island to visit first, consider Jamaica. It is the third largest island in the Caribbean and provides a home for about 2.6 million people; this beautiful island is where you will find the Blue Mountain Range. It is surrounded by a narrow coastal plain making it perfect for building beach resorts and hotels. Jamaica considers tourism as one of the biggest contributors to their economy. Because of its stunning white beaches, lush foliage, and warm, tropical weather all-year round, people from all over the world flock to Jamaica for several days or weeks of fun in the sun and total relaxation.

Regardless of which island you choose for your vacation, with the gorgeous beaches, comfortable and functional island resorts and hotels, and warm and welcoming people, the Caribbean is definitely one of those place you would not want to miss in your lifetime.  Dawn Schraeder

How to Visit Astronomical Observatories In Chile

Renowned for its lush fields, excellent vineyards and beautiful, clear skies, the Elqui Valley in northern Chile is one of the favorite destinations among travelers looking for breathtaking nature and true experience. In this region, you'll find some of the world's best wines, as well as pisco distilleries, producing the national beverage. But what truly distinguishes the Elqui valley from other wine producing region or beautiful countryside is its extremely dry atmosphere which makes for some of the world's clearest skies and the ideal astronomical observation spot.

This is the reason why no less than 3 international observatories can be found in the Valley: La Silla, El Tololo and Las Campanas. Most of them were built by international organizations with large funding from Europe and the United States. All observatories can be visited on your Chile vacation, although none of them allow for observation through their telescopes. Visiting these immense laboratories of astronomical science and admiring their high tech equipment is still an unforgettable experience that will awake the inner child of anyone who has ever owned a telescope.

La Silla is owned by the organization European Southern Observatory (ESO), financed by a coalition of 8 European governments. The observatory is located at over 2,400 meters, about 150 kilometers from La Serena, the largest city in the area. The site can be visited on Saturdays only, except in July and August, and visitors are required to register in advance in Santiago, or through mail/email/phone to the direct reservation office of the observatory in La Serena. La Silla operates 3 major telescopes and several smaller ones. Be aware that procedures to visit the observatory are complex and can take a long time so make sure you plan your trip well in advance.

El Tololo observatory is owned by an association of US and Chilean universities, and until recently, was home to the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, with a 4-meter wide diameter. It also possesses 6 other telescopes and a radio telescope. Located at 2,200 meters above sea level, the observatory can only be reached from La Serena with private transportation, about 87 kilometers away. Just like for La Silla, it's worth it to plan your visit to El Tololo well in advance and apply for a permit, although in the off-season, you may be able to be granted a visitor's permit the day before should there be any cancellations. Visits are only permitted on Saturdays from 9:00am to 13:00pm and free permits can be obtained by writing to their office in La Serena.

Third international observatory in Chile's Elqui Valley and highest one, at 2,500 meters, Las Campanas belongs to the famous Carnegie institute. With 5 telescopes, this is the smallest one of the three.

Visitors who are not willing to go through the lengthy and cumbersome processes to visit these observatories can travel to Mamalluca, a recent observatory specifically built for the public in the area, where you can actually look through the telescopes. Mamalluca is open daily for nocturnal visits (times depend on the season) and booking in advance is strongly recommended.  Hortense Soulier

5 Things You Must Do In Berlin Germany

Berlin, Germany is not one of the major cities in Europe which one associates with the beach life and sunshine holidays, such as one looks for in cities such as Barcelona, Cannes, Faro or Ibiza. Berlin though offers some excellent attractions, a fascinating history, culture and a whole load more, for tourists. Below a look at 5 reasons why the city of Berlin is always worth visiting for a few days.

1. The Berlin Wall and Eastern Berlin - There are few visitors to Berlin who will not appreciate the stunning changes that have taken place in Berlin in recent decades with the fall of the Berlin wall. The wall is an attraction well worth visiting and to get to the best out of your experience, one of the guided walking tours which includes the wall is normally very good. The guides will fill you in on the history of the wall and show you vital landmarks.

2. Wellness and Sauna - Just like in many other Northern European countries, Germans have a passion for sauna and wellness. The city of Berlin has some world class spa and sauna venues The Sultan Hamam, Thermin Berlin and Gewoelbe sauna's are all very well organised and professional wellness places to unwind in for an afternoon or evening. Beware that clothes are not permitted in German saunas and tend to be mixed gender.

3. The Museums - Berlin has a number of excellent museum and none so better than the German Historical Museum. This museums gives one an instant look into Berlin and Germany's past and is a must see museum if you are interested in the local culture.

4. Sports - German people tend to be as passionate as any nation when it comes to sport and football (soccer) and the chance to see a home game when Hertha Berlin are playing in the German Bundesliga is quite an experience. If you really want to fit in, make sure to buy a Hertha Berlin football scarf from outside the ground and then take your seat in the home supporters area and cheer on the local team.

5. Shopping - One might associate London and Paris more so, when it comes to shopping in European cities. If you are interested in the wellness aspect of Berlin culture though or have an interest in attractions such as the Berlin wall, you will find that Berlin certainly has plenty of shopping opportunities. German art and style does exist and does offer something different and this can make shopping in Berlin a fun experience.  Paul Symonds

Dubai Visa - The What, Where, and How

Dubai has become a magnet attracting shoppers, holiday makers, tourists, business persons and job seekers alike, in droves. Not without reason. It has acquired a much envied status in the world, of the most happening destination. Other positive adjectives are also frequently used to describe this vibrant and dynamic city, like, zero crime rate city, fastest growing tourism destination, city of skyscrapers, city of gold, city of dreams, the new land of the rising sun, and lots more...

Dubai is attracting people from over 200 countries, for various purposes as described above. Obviously then, a Dubai Visa must be in great demand! You bet it is. I present below a guide to the different types of Dubai Visas, Dubai Visa Requirements, Tips to remember, & Important Do's and Don'ts. I recommend you to read these carefully before proceeding ahead in your quest to obtain a Dubai Visa.

Always use your judgment. Follow the rules and regulations of the United Arab Emirates government in regards to obtaining a Visa. Please always apply with the registered agents.

Types of Dubai Visa

Entry Permit on Arrival:

Passport holders of the following countries can get free entry permit on arrival valid for 30 days:

• Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) country citizens viz. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, entering the UAE with valid passports.
• Resident visa holders from Arab Gulf Co-operation Council (AGCC) countries (certain designations only like businessmen, company managers and representatives, auditors, accountants, doctors, engineers or employees working in the public sector, their family members and drivers and servants sponsored by them are eligible for this visa.)
• Passport holders of 34 countries viz.
• France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

This permit is renewable for 30 more days. The above country citizens are also exempt from the refundable deposit and health insurance rules.

Visit Visa:

• Dubai residents can apply for a 30 or 90 day non-renewable visit visa for a spouse or blood relatives. The Dubai Visa applicant has to pay AED 1000 refundable deposit and show proof of health insurance.
• Emiratis are allowed to sponsor friends on visit visas with approval from the authorities.
• Foreign wives of GCC citizens can obtain a Dubai visit visa if she holds a residence visa in the home country of her husband.

Tourist Visa:

All nationalities can enter the UAE on a Tourist Visa. Tourist visas for 30 days, renewable once for 30 days, can only be applied for through a licensed hotel, travel or tourism agency. Tourists must be covered by health insurance.

Student Visa:

Student Visas are issued for 60 days and can be renewed twice for a similar period. Students must be registered in one of the universities in the UAE and must obtain health insurance.

Multiple Entry Visa:

A Dubai Visa for Business travelers who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company here can obtain a multiple entry visa. This is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. However, each visit must not exceed 14 days.

Visa for Expos & Conferences:

A Dubai Visa to attend conferences, exhibitions or festivals can be obtained for a 30-day period. It is non - renewable.

Mission Visa:

A Dubai Visa for the purpose of temporary work in UAE can be obtained for a max of 180 days. It can be renewed for another 180 days. An applicant must obtain the permit from the Labour Ministry to get the visa.

Transit Visa:

A Dubai Visa is issued to travelers transiting through UAE airports. It is issued for 96 hours and must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE. The visitor must have a valid ticket for onward flight.

Citizens of Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger and Yemen are not eligible for the 96 hours visa on arrival.

Emirates Airlines handles the service for their travelers. However, for those flying with other Airlines, have to contact Marhaba Services for any transit visa.

Residence Visa:

A Residence Visa is issued to those who intend to reside indefinitely with a person who is already a resident. It is issued to the immediate kin of a resident for 3 years. The residence visa becomes invalid if the resident remains out of the UAE for more than six months at a time.

Investor Visa:

A Dubai Visa is issued to expatriate investors entering in partnership deals with locals, for a period of 3 years. The foreign investor must hold a minimum stake of AED 70,000 in the share capital.

Employment Visa:

A Dubai Visa is issued to Employees of a company in the UAE, by the Immigration Department to a foreign national upon the approval of the Ministry of Labour. When the employee has entered UAE on the basis of the employment visa, the sponsor company arranges to transfer this visa to a residence visa.

Dubai Visa Requirements:

• Passport and 2 photocopies
• 4 photographs
• Duplicate application form
• Letter or fax from the sponsor in the UAE to the concerned embassy
• Letter from the applicant's company plus photocopy

Important Tips:

• A sponsor requires the visitor's date of arrival and flight details, and a photocopy of the first few pages of the visitor's passport which should be valid for at least three months.
• German citizens can get a 1 or 2 year multiple-entry visa from the UAE Embassy in Germany. Sponsor not required. Max duration of stay cannot exceed 3 months a year.
• US citizens can get a 1 to 10 year multiple-entry visa (Free) from the UAE Embassy in USA. Sponsor is required. Max duration of stay cannot exceed 6 months a visit.
• UK citizens can get a 1 to 2 year multiple-entry visa (Free) from the UAE Embassy in Great Britain. Sponsor is required. Max duration of stay cannot exceed 6 months a visit.

Do's and Don'ts:

• The various types of Dubai Visa are valid for a period of between 14 to 60 days from the issue date. The person has to enter the country before this period, else the visa expires.
• If a Dubai Visa is valid for 30 days, that does not convert to 1 month, as 1 month can consist of 31 days too. An extra day in this case can cost you AED 100 as fine.
• Earlier, people used to come to Dubai on a visit visa, search for and secure a job, then as per rule had to leave the country, and re-enter with an employment visa sponsored by their company. There were flights scheduled to take you to Kish Island and back. This has now been abolished as you can change your visit visa to employment by paying AED 500.

NOTE: Dubai Visas can be sponsored by a travel agency, hotel, a company or department with which you are doing business in the UAE, an Emirati, or an expatriate individual (eg. a relative or friend resident in the UAE).

Receive competitive price quotes from the leading Dubai Visa Services Providers. Genuine, & authorised by the UAE government. You can then obtain a Dubai Visa from the one that suits you best.  Shabbir Kagalwala

Five Travel Tips For Florence

The Uffizi Gallery Tip

The Uffizi Gallery contains some of the most important and greatest art collections in the world. It is also the world's oldest museum. Most tour guide books and online travel sites will urge you to ensure that a visit to the Uffiizi is included as part of any Florence vacation, no matter how short. What most of them fail to tell you, or at least stress with sufficient emphasis, is that without a pre-booked ticket, you may not be able to visit the Uffizi at all!

My wife and I had a three day holiday in Florence at the beginning of April 2005. We had planned on visiting the Uffizi Gallery and as soon as we checked in at our hotel we telephoned the gallery to purchase tickets. After several attempts without our calls being answered, we asked the hotel reception to do the booking for us. They explained that it was nearly always difficult to get through on the booking line and that our three day stay might not provide sufficient notice to make a booking possible. Despite this, the hotel staff were most happy to keep trying whilst we enjoyed the other wonders of Florence.

We decided to check out the situation for ourselves the next day but discovered queues that hardly seemed to move, stretching for an enormous distance around the area of the Uffizi. Queuing all day was certainly not the way we wanted to spend our time in Florence, so we decided to leave things in the capable hands of the reception staff whilst we enjoyed the other attractions that we had come to see. The following evening, we were informed that after many fruitless attempts at getting through on the booking line, success had finally been achieved but only to receive information that all tickets were sold for the following day. We consequently missed out on seeing many of Florence's greatest art treasures and our top travel tip for anyone visiting Florence on a short stay vacation is to book tickets for the Uffizi Gallery online some time before their holiday.

 The Inside Tip for the Duomo

Another of the wonders of Florence not to be missed is the Duomo. Actually, it is impossible to miss this magnificent building because it dominates the city and can be seen from virtually everywhere. Savour the views of it whilst enjoying a coffee at one of the cafes in the surrounding piazza. Walk around it, pausing every now and then to appreciate it from every aspect. View it from more distant, elevated, positions around the city. This was once the largest cathedral in the world and even now, nearly six hundred years after it was built, it is the fourth largest. Florence always insisted on everything being the biggest and the best but what really makes the Duomo unique is its dome or "Cupola". When Fillipo Brunelleschi undertook this masterpiece of renaissance architecture, no one believed that such a dome was possible. The secret had been lost for over a thousand years but Brunelleschi traveled to Rome to unravel it by examining the dome of the ancient Pantheon.

My tip for the Duomo is to ascend this incredible feat of engineering. You can do so by entering a stairway that leads up inside the dome, between its inner and outer shells. When you reach the top, you can step outside onto an external gallery that provides magnificent views of the city and the surrounding Tuscan countryside. This gallery was never finished however, so your views are restricted to northerly and westerly directions.

Palazzo Vecchio - David's Copy Tip

Perhaps the next most famous landmark of Florence is the Palazzo Vecchio. Once again, it is a building worth enjoying from every aspect on the outside before entering to explore its fascinating, art filled, interior.

My tip for the Palazzo Vecchio is to spare a few minutes looking at the pollution-streaked COPY of the world's most famous statue, realizing that although the original Michelangelo's David is safely inside the Accademia, the copy is standing just where the original once stood.

 River Arno Cross Over Tip

This tip is to retreat from the busiest tourist attractions of the city centre and to cross the Arno river via the Ponte Vecchio. The crowds on this wonderful, historic bridge will probably be even more tightly packed than in the central Piazzas you have just left but within a hundred metres of the other side, they will have thinned out and you can explore the delights of the Boboli gardens and the Palazzo Pitti before walking up the meandering paths to the Piazzo Michelangelo which stands on a beautiful hill overlooking Florence and its surrounds.

A final Florence travel tip - Avoiding "Stendhal Sydrome"

Florence has so much beauty that every year, there are a few tourists who have to be treated at local hospitals for a condition known as "Stendhal Syndrome". Symptoms range from feeling faint to complete exhaustion. Stendhal was a French tourist whose nineteenth century tour of Florence overloaded his senses so much that he collapsed with these symptoms.  Stewart Palmer

Rome Travel Information, Rome Travel Tips

Rome is one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. There ancient city offer great attractions and activities. Here the styles of art is different, it is fascinating and mighty. And also Rome is the most important city of the western antiquity and the cradle of the European civilization, where the past and the present is blended in perfect harmony. The most unique features of this old world city such as magnificent thrill of centuries of turbulent history, natural occurrence, architectural jewelry from the history's greatest artists makes traveler in love with Rome.

Rome is truly an open-air museum, a city that has retained a real architectural uniformity; here, no changes due to industrialization and modernization, but a city that retains much of its charm. No wonder you can enjoy a day walking among the temples, squares, stores, bell-towers and more those will create a memorable and unforgettable images on travelers' mind.

Theaters, Temples and spas next to stunning monuments gave the city a steady growth and a dazzling brightness that concluded in the decay of so great empire. Christian Rome is born then, and the city wearing Renaissance and Baroque art.

Born on seven hills (Capitoline, Quirinal (Quirinale), Esquilino, Viminale, Celia, Palatine, and Aventine), criss-crossed by the River Tiber, Etruscan settlement of brave warriors and powerful imperial metropolis, Rome (founded in 753 BC) is today proud of its immense historical and cultural heritage.

At present, Roma is divided into two fundamental areas: the interior, or historical center, surrounded by the walls of Aurelius, built at the end of the third century AD to fence the area of the Seven Hills, and the area of neighborhoods or suburbs.

In the communal territory of Rome is the State of Vatican City, headquarters of the papacy of the Catholic Church, recognized as independent state by the Italian government in 1929 by the Lateran Pacts. It has a surface of 42 m2. and approximately 1,000 people live there. The majestic Dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the largest in the world, stands on the horizon of the city.

The best time to visit Rome is in April, May, October and November. During these seasons, the landscape of the fields that surround the city is fascinating, the temperatures are pleasant. The visitor should try to avoid August, as this is the month in which the majority of Italians take their holiday and consequently many shops are closed. Although winter can be very cold, the sun appears frequently, there are less people and prices fall considerably.  Beyazit Dere

The Best Way to Travel: Group or Solo?

It depends! There is no one size fits all answer. The best way to travel depends on many things, but here are a few key factors.

• Your REASONS for travelling.
• Are you going solo or with friends from home?
• The duration of the trip.
• Your personality.
• The location.

Reasons!

If you are going to travel to finally take a long deserved break from your 60 hours weeks in a stressful job. Then I highly doubt you want to spend your break cramming your brain with loads and loads of new information. This can be in the form of a new language, new ways to function, new food, and figuring out a new public transit system every other day. In this case you would be far better off going somewhere you are semi-familiar with or travelling with a group. In a group you'll get to chill out. The company guide will take care of all the logistics, bargaining, scams, hotels, bus tickets and taxi rides. You are just there to clear your mind, not play Indiana Jones.

Are you going solo or with friends from home?

If going solo, nothing is stopping you from meeting people on the road. While traveling, you'll meet tons of people but they aren't always going your way. You could meet new people in Bangkok that seem like they are an awesome bunch but they are going to Chiang Mai... the city you just came from. That can be kind of a drag. Unless you are lucky and meet the perfect traveling partner, you'll have to get used to short term friendships. If you want to stay with the same people for the duration of the trip, develop better, longer lasting relationships and start developing inside jokes and all that fun stuff, group travel is definitely the better option.

The duration of the trip

If you are leaving for a very short period of time like 1 or 2 weeks. It would be better to go with a tour because they have years of experience in making the perfect itineraries. You might go solo, hoping to see this and that during your week only to find out that the bus only leaves every other day to that destination. The group travel businesses know this! And they plan for it way in advance allowing you the opportunity to see everything they said you would see... GUARANTEED! On the other hand if you have 4 months, go solo! Take your time, missed the bus? Oh well. Now you know, you have months ahead of you.

Your personality

If you're a very stressed out individual, dislike being out of your element, not a huge fan of change but still want to see beautiful places, going solo might just give you a long headache. You don't want to come back home with anger and new prejudices! Obviously, the group tour option would be a good one for you. If you are easy going, don't mind looking stupid in public, think that getting lost or scammed is part of life and love the growth you'll get out of bad experiences, go solo.

Location

If you are going to hard to reach places where you either need a car (or worse a 4x4 truck) to get to. Going solo is pretty much out of the question (unless you have tons of cash on hand!). Some national parks require a 4x4 vehicle to get around. If you show up with just a tent, and hiking boots, you won't see much! I speak from first hand experience. I tried to visit Kaeng Krachan national park in Thailand by foot. I thought they had hiking trails. I was wrong! I had to turn back. Think also of things like safaris, some last for a few days, some for a few weeks!.

Now if you are heading to an easy access location where you know you'll find someone that can understand you, find English menus etc. Nothing wrong with going by yourself!

So take this into consideration when daydreaming about your next trip. So many things are a factor in determining the perfect vacation. But these are the main issues that should help you figure out what the best way to travel is for you.  Cedric Cobban