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Archive for December, 2009

Hosteras 2009 Summer Itineraries

Itinerary Mining Archaeology between land and sea in South West Sardinia: In October 1997 Unescos general assembly declared that the Geomineral Historic and Environmental Park of Sardinia was the first Park in the geopark world net. The eight areas with their overall 3.500 square kilometers turns it into one of the largest and heterogeneous national parks in Italy. Mining activity has modeled the landscape and the ancient culture of the mining populations creating an atmosphere in which the visitors are accompanied by the smell of history by exploring underground worlds and wonderful Sardinian nature. These old mines today belong to the concept of Industrial Archaeology a heritage of landscapes infrastructures equipment documents archives and of cultural identity for many generations. Enchanting working class villages extraction pits thousand kilometers of galleries industrial systems an old railway station and the memory of generations of miners turn this Park into a new large cultural deposit to be discovered. The mining museum holds records of over 8.000 years of mining history. Hosteras offers its guests two different itineraries through the mining zones all combined with an extraordinary stay in one of the most beautiful beach hotels in the area Le Dune. The hotel was built out of an eighteencentury mining building where blend and galena minerals were stocked. The itinerary costs 895 Euro per person in a double room and includes airport transfers to and from Piscinas four nights at the 4 star Hotel Le Dune half board private guided excursions to the mining area.

Itinerary The Green Train from past to present in East Sardinia: An unusual but extraordinary way of exploring Sardinias inland is a journey on the Green Train. The Trenino Verde runs across a land rich in vegetation passing by signalmans houses stations and viaducts. The speed of the train is the right one to allow passengers to appreciate aspects of the islands landscape as the train proceeds almost on tiptoes in an environment unreachable by any other way.
The starting point of the trip is the small town of Orroli where the train passes by a hilly landscape before rising on a long climb among the mountains with stunning views until a height of 800 meters towards the Gennargentu mountain. The trip continues in the thick greenery of the Ogliastra region with its wonderful sea and coast and ends in the sea town of Arbatax. Orroli is situated in an area with numerous archaeological testimonies such as the famous site of Su Nuraxi which has been proclaimed part of Unescos Heritage of Humanity in 1997. Hosteras includes in this journey really outstanding accommodation such as Antichi Ovili an original farmhouse strictly built according to the old sheepfolds architecture made of local stone and wood. The rustic atmosphere combines comfort with a true farm experience. In addition the tour operator makes guests experience the Castellinaria Lodge interesting for its circular plan in local stone and timber which echoes Sardinias sighting towers the famous nuraghi. In Arbatax guests will stay at Hotel La Bitta located directly on the sea with spectacular views and elegant and refined setting. Itinerary price starts at 820 Euro per person in a double room including private airport transfers two nights at Castellinaria Lodge or Antichi Ovili half board private excursion to the archaeological site of Su Nuraxi lunch and visit of Omu Axiu the Green Train from Orroli to Arbatax and a two nights stay at Hotel La Bitta including half board.

Itinerary Stunning nature in Northern Sardinia: Five days in one of the most wonderful corners that Sardinia is famous for: the Archipelago de La Maddalena the Asinara island and Stintino a combination of the most pristine sea water with unspoiled Mediterranean landscape endemic fauna and flora. The Archipelago de La Maddalena spreads out in front of the Palau Coast and consists of 60 islands. It is the first established national park in Sardinia. La Maddalena is worth a few days stay combining walking itineraries and bird watching as well as sea and beach experience. The Asinara National Park on the island of Asinara right in front of the small town Stintino is home to some rare animals including a population of wild albino donkeys from which the island takes its name. Asinara has been banned to human settlements after having been declared a quarantine area and high security prison island in 1885. Two events which forbade entry to the island until a decade ago when it became a National Park. Stintino with its lively atmosphere and busy cafs and restaurants was once an enchanting old fishing village facing the Asinara island. Today it attracts sea and beach lovers from all over Europe. The most famous beach is La Pelosa truly the queen of the beaches with its light ultramarine blue to cadmium shallow waters extending for some 50 meters from the long stretch of the fine white sand. Hosteras package for this pure nature experience comprises private transfers from and to Olbia airport ferry transportation two nights at the four star Hotel Cala Lunga at La Maddalena including half board private transfer to Stintino two nights at the new and superbly equipped resort Cala Rosa Club including half board as well as a private guided excursion to LAsinara National Park. Itinerary price starts at 890 Euro per person in a double room.

About the writer:  Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote but should be considered professional content.

Have You Seen The Best Of Bangkok?

As the capital of Thailand Bangkok is filled with plenty of things to see and do. It is located in southern Thailand and as such it benefits from warm temperatures that do not vary too much at any time of the year. That means it pays to make sure you have plenty of water with you as you explore; although it is a good excuse to keep stopping to admire the view!

So which locations can you see in Bangkok? Well the Grand Palace is a good start and while not all of it is open for you to wander into even the exterior is worth seeing. You can see the Coin Pavilion though which gives you an insight into all kinds of coins used in the past.

Every city has a wealth of museums to shed more light on the place but the one you should definitely make time for in Bangkok is the National Museum. This gives you a look at what makes Bangkok and indeed Thailand into the places they truly are it is well worth spending a few hours there.

The Temple of Dawn is probably a familiar name to most people but few could place its location as being in Bangkok. This is actually more of a tower in appearance than a temple but this is one of those must see sights that you should always have on your list of things to do.

Ironically you dont actually have to visit it to get the best from it. Most people agree that the best views come when you look over at it from the other side of the Chao Phraya River. You can only really get an appreciation of the awesome sight of this temple by standing back and viewing it from afar.

You will soon see that the Buddha is a frequent sight here in Bangkok. The Temple of the Green Buddha is a heavily frequented location when it comes to tourists but dont expect to take any photos of the Green Buddha itself as this is strictly forbidden. The Buddha is tiny compared to the grandeur of the temple so you may have to squint to commit it to memory!

Whats more you will find that once you arrive from your flights to Bangkok that wherever you choose to stay in the city you wont be too far from some of the major sights and tourist attractions. And there is enough to see and do to ensure that you will be satisfied no matter how long you stay.

About the writer:  The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.

Hampshire A Mix Between Urban And Rural

Hampshire is an area of England currently buzzing with life and potential. It has a population of more than 1 million people; around 200000 of these are in Portsmouth and Southampton. This county is no stranger to fame either Southampton is the home of the Spitfire Aircraft where it was built and tested. The very first Sherlock Holmes novel was written in Southsea and a new line of clothing was created by Thomas Burberry in Basingstoke. In fact the list of celebrities who came from Hampshire is quite long and a testimony to the area.

Hampshire is a mix between urban and rural with some beautiful unspoilt countryside and some fascinating exciting cities such as Portsmouth and Southampton. The best area to visit for an amble is the New Forest designated by William the Conqueror as a hunting ground. It was in fact here near Stoney Cross that one of his sons died under suspicious circumstances in a hunting accident. You can even visit the Rufus Stone which marks the spot where he died if you dont mind the morbidity of it. On a lighter note this area also boasts various plentiful walks and cycle tracks to peruse at your leisure. You can also visit some historical and architectural wonders such as the Beaulieu Abbey and Winchester Cathedral.

If you prefer you can visit one of Hampshires cities such as Southampton where the Mayflower set sail in 1620 for the New World. Southampton has remained a strong port throughout the ages since it was founded 2000 years ago as an established seaport by the Romans and currently boasts cruise ships as an important location for the cruise ship industry. Holidays from Southampton are not just limited to the seas either; you can drop by from Southampton International Airport.

If its the night life you are after Southampton is no stranger to bars pubs clubs and cinemas. If you would rather digest some culture you can visit the Eastleigh museum which is open all year round four days a week or the Southampton Maritime Museum. You could even visit the Museum of Archaeology where you can discover the story of Southampton from birth to present day.

Hampshire is home to a novel feature in the form of a man who has been dubbed Britains kindest boss Colin Potter. Although he hopes his latest adventure will land a profit of around 25 million over the next three years he has already pledged every penny of his profit to be distributed to various charities. Hampshire business is booming and churning out success stories. Many businesses are now reaping the benefits of Hampshire culture and taking their clients out to a lunch with style.

About the writer:  Lee Roper offers Search Engine Promotion Services in Hampshire. Services comprise of Search Engine Optimisation SEO Pay Per Click PPC Management and eMarketing Coaching within Hampshire and throughout the UK.Check out Lee’s Blog for regular updates.