Once you have finally dropped your bags at your destination, the next 24 hours of any trip can be both thrilling and completely disorienting. Having a plan for getting things done and getting your trip truly underway upon arrival can set the tone for an entire vacation. Here are 10 tips for dispatching potential snags in the first 24 hours of your trip.

1. On the way in, plan your exit.
The best time to figure out the fastest and easiest way out of town is on your way in; waiting until you are trying to make a plane to do so can cause a lot of stress and lost time. After you get off a plane, for example, scope out the airport layout and amenities. Note how far it is from the car rental counter to the terminal as well as a good place to buy gas to fill up your tank before returning your vehicle. Look for street names and exit numbers to thread your way back to the rental counter or terminals. When you check in at your hotel, ask about check-out times and see if you can leave without stopping at the front desk.

2. Grab some nourishment.
One of the first things most travelers will need to do upon arriving in a new place is eat, and many end up grabbing whatever is available, whether it’s room service or fast food. But with Yelp, Urbanspoon, TripAdvisor, and many other listing sites and apps out there, you can get ahead of this one very easily.

Reader Tre Horoszewski offers a tip: “Do a little research ahead of time to find a decent, nearby restaurant for your first meal upon arrival. You’re often tired and hungry, so aren’t ready to go to that one really great place you want to try on your trip. But neither do you want to spend time looking for someplace and wind up settling for junk precisely because you’re tired and hungry and just want food.”

3. Reset your clock.
If you changed time zones while traveling, you will want to assume the daily rhythms of the new zone immediately, right down to the type of foods you eat. If it is morning, go have tea or coffee and breakfast foods (pancakes, pastries, etc.); if it is evening, have a proper dinner; if it is nighttime, maybe a cocktail and a snack. Don’t succumb to the urge to stay on your old schedule, especially for your most ingrained habits — which brings us to…

4. Get outside.
When you visit a new place, the light is different, the air is different and your entire sense of the world can be different. After spending hours in parking lots, airports, planes, shuttle buses and rental car garages, put down all your stuff and get out the door.

Ceci Flinn, an American working toward a Ph.D. at Oxford in the U.K., offers the following: “Take a walk, familiarize yourself with the surroundings and get fresh air/exercise. Okay, there are places like parts of L.A. where this doesn’t work so well, and ya gotta take a bus or drive, and then walk!”

Do this again the morning after you arrive; getting yourself out into the sunlight alerts your brain and body to what time of day it is, and lets them know that you’re done sitting on planes and ready to have some fun!

5. Have a plan to deal with your caffeine addiction.
Face it, a very large percentage of Americans have a caffeine addiction of some type; getting this under control and on track as quickly as possible is going to be critical in adjusting your biological clock to match your new surroundings. If you mess it up in the early going, it can take days to correct, and even exact a toll on your overall enjoyment of your trip.

Anyone with a coffee habit of any merit knows the consequences of having a strong cup of coffee at the wrong time of day. If it’s 7 a.m. in your home town but late in the day at your new destination, you know that giving your body the java fix it’s demanding will wreak havoc on your sleep that night and your energy the next day. But you also know you can’t go completely without.

I have found that substituting a sugarless cola often does the trick; with less than 50 milligrams of caffeine in most colas, it is enough to push back headaches and cravings, but not so much to ruin your sleep.

Then when you get up the next day, get out of your room into the morning sunlight and hit the caffeine hard; I have found that this combination can reset your internal clock almost in an instant. You may have a different approach — and an evening cup of coffee may have little effect on some people — but you want to put a strategy into play before you find yourself lying awake in the dark on a midnight caffeine jag.

A simpler version: Wait until your first morning to drink your first strong cup of coffee.

6. Take pictures.
A pro photographer I know always dedicates the first few hours of a trip to taking a lot of photos; he noticed some time ago that his eye was always “freshest” when he first arrived in a new place, and he would notice things in the first few hours that he might ignore after a few days. Flynn says simply, “Take a camera; you never know when you will see something magical.”

7. Charge your electronics.
When you arrive in your room, the first thing you want to do is whip out all your electronic devices, make sure you can plug them in if you are traveling internationally and put a full charge on them. If you need adapters, you will want to deal with this early in your trip; having your laptop or camera bail out on you right after you arrive can make the normal hassles of traveling overwhelm the first promising hours of your trip.

8. Secure your valuables.
The place you stow your most valuable items during a flight (in your carry-on, in your coat pocket) may not be the safest place for the duration of your trip. If you are traveling with any especially valuable items, secure them straight away upon arrival, whether in the safe in your room, or buried deep in your socks, or however you prefer to do so.

9. Let someone know you arrived, and where you are.
Especially if you are traveling alone, but even if not, it’s a good idea to let someone close to you know that you arrived safely, and tell him or her how to get in touch with you if needed (hotel phone and room number, your preferred traveling e-mail address, a local cell phone if you purchase one, etc.).

10. Check the weather.
It seems almost too simple, but countless travelers get ambushed by bad weather, and a thoughtful weather check can really assist your overall planning. Check the long-term forecast for your stay, which will help you decide when to schedule outdoor vs. indoor activities, whether you will need to pick up gear that you didn’t pack, and how to cope with any truly plan-wrecking weather events.

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From – Lonelyplanet

It’s not as if you need an excuse for travel…but if you did, here are the anniversaries, gatherings and essential destinations to put in your diary for next year. Your 2012 travel planning starts here.

1. Honour Scott’s Polar Centenary

British explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition to the South Pole arrived on 17 January 1912, by which point they already knew they were beaten by Amundsen’s triumph on 14 December 1911. A century later, the Antarctic summer of 2011-12 will be a bumper one for visits to the frozen continent. Scott buffs should aim for Cambridge, England (home to the Polar Museum, part of the Scott Polar Research Institute) or his statue in London’s Waterloo Place. But the ultimate is to visit his frozen-in-time hut at Cape Evans on Ross Island, Antarctica.

The Scott Centenary concert tour featuring the City of London Sinfonia will tour England in February. See the Scott Polar Research Institute for details.

2. Follow Napoleon across Russia

Da da da da da da da da, daa daaa…BOOM! (That’s Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with cannon fire.) Yes, this year marks the 200th anniversary of 1812 – and Napoleon’s disastrous invasion of Russia and the battles provoked by it. Head to Moscow, where the Battle of Borodino Panorama gives a vivid impression of the events of a key skirmish. Or go further north to St Petersburg’s Hermitage and Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, which contain paintings and memorabilia from the campaign. This could also be the year to finally tackle Tolstoy’s epic War and Peace, set around the conflict – though you may need to set aside the entire year to get through it.

The 360-degree panorama of the Borodino battle – complete with sound effects – is at Kutuzovsky pr 38, Moscow.

3. Visit Namibia’s protected coast

Namibia is a special country, blessed with an abundance of easy-to-spot wildlife, beautiful desert scenery and vast, wide open spaces. This year you can visit the epic Namibian coastline in the knowledge that the entire Atlantic shore is now part of one of the world’s largest protected areas, encompassing four parks: the Sperregebiet National Park, Namib Naukluft Park, newly created Dorob National Park and the infamous Skeleton Coast protected area. Many areas, especially in the south, can be explored independently – though ideally with your own wheels – but getting into serious Skeleton Coast wilderness requires a charter flight and deep pockets.

Chameleon Safaris offers good-value safaris across Namibia, including the Skeleton Coast.

4. Go football crazy in Poland and Ukraine

This summer’s European Football Championship shines a light on two of Europe’s least appreciated destinations. Poland and Ukraine are providing four venues each, and the rewards for travelling fans are set to be huge. Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw, Poland’s host cities, frame a journey around that country, and you can tick off Krakow on the way to Europe’s best-kept secret, Lviv in Ukraine. Kiev, which is especially lovely in the summer, Kharkiv and football-mad Donetsk complete the set of Ukrainian host venues. Both countries offer some of the best-value travel in Europe, with easy transport links to ferry the continent’s supporters to and frommatches.

Get details about the venues and travel at UEFA.com.

5. Chase Australia’s Top End eclipse

Eclipse chasers have had a bountiful few years, pairing one of nature’s greatest shows with visits to Easter Island, Bhutan and Mongolia. This year’s total eclipse on 13 November crosses parts of the South Pacific, with the most significant landfall across Arnhem Land and Cape York in Australia’s Northern Territory and Queensland, respectively. This is wild territory, and access to many areas is restricted by both permit requirements and wet season transport difficulties. However, the remote Palmer River area, inland from Port Douglas, Queensland, sees less rainfall than coastal areas and looks set to be a key eclipse-chasers destination.

Camping, facilities and a gold rush museum are available at the Palmer River Roadhouse on the Mulligan Hwy.

6. Meet the Maid of Orleans on her 600th birthday

France’s greatest heroine was born 600 years ago this year, offering a great excuse to explore her former stamping ground. Joan of Arc was a teenage visionary and military hero who took the fight to the English in the Hundred Years War. Following her trail will lead travellers to some wonderful parts of France, from Orleans, where her boldness led to the lifting of a long siege, to the beautiful Reims Cathedral, where Charles VII was crowned King of France, having been inspired by her visions of his succession. Joan was tried in Rouen Castle and executed in the city’s Vieux Marche, where a modern church marks the location of her immolation.

In preparation, read Mark Twain’s fictional but illuminating Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc.

7. Discover a new Middle East

The Arab Spring swept through the region in 2011, offering revolutions that were variously realised or repressed. Few countries in the Middle East and North Africa were unaffected, but the most significant change may be in Western perceptions of the region. Despite their troubled political systems, these countries are steeped in history and offer hospitality unrivalled anywhere else; they’re also are home to a young, energetic and ambitious population. Why not pay a visit toTunis or Cairo – or any of the other cities that hit the headlines in 2011? You might be among the first to return, and you’ll definitely be warmly welcomed.

Keep an eye on the headlines for the opening date of the amazing new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, projected for some time in 2012.

8. Explore Maribor’s Old Town

Sharing the European Capital of Culture crown with Guimarães, Portugal  is the unheralded Slovenian gem of Maribor. The plan is to use the year in the spotlight to increase the profile of Slovenia’s second-largest city, which is off the usual Ljubljana-Lake Bled-Triglav route through the country. Events are still being confirmed, but expect art, music and other festivals to accompany the well-established theatre, classical music and folklore performances. The real stars of the show will be Maribor’s delightful Old Town and imposing castle, combined with a laid-back air best sampled from a cafe in one of the city’s many delightful, diminutive squares.

Štajerc, a pub-restaurant at Vetrinjskaulica 30, is the place to head for if you’re in the mood for reasonably priced local dishes.

9. Play arcade classics at the Smithsonian

Parents, kids, geeks and gamers should rejoice and head for the US capital. The collection at DC’s Smithsonian American Art Museum has over 7000 works of art, but an exhibition this year proves this is no mere load of frames gathering dust. The Art of Video Games explores the evolution of arcade and computer games over 40 years, and promises to make almost everyone who visits feel nostalgic (and possibly ancient). Some 80 games will be featured through still images and video footage. Better yet, you warm up your fingers and then play Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst and World of Warcraft.

The exhibition will run from 16 March to 30 September. See the Smithsonian for more details about exhibitions.

10. Check out Korea’s Expo

Today’s descendants of World’s Fairs, expos are large public exhibitions organised around a particular theme and featuring stands representing individual countries (think World Showcase at Disney World’s Epcot). The modern versions fascinate as much for the ways that countries strive to portray themselves as for the exhibits themselves. Yeosu in Korea is staging EXPO 2012, with a theme of ‘Living Ocean and Coast’, and the port city is a fitting venue with its spectacular coastline. Inside the Expo, expect thought-provoking, futuristic displays and dramatically designed pavilions.

Disneyland may look like a straightforward theme park. But there’s a secret world hidden behind the balloons, castles and cotton candy – a place where wild cats roam the park at midnight, Mickey Mouse hides in the wallpaper, and movie stars sip martinis behind closed doors.

Feline security

It’s not easy keeping the grounds of Disneyland utterly spotless, as well as free of unwanted pests. Every night after closing time, 200 feral cats are released into the park to help keep the rodent population under control. Though Disney doesn’t comment on the matter, rumour has it that the feline taskforce dates back to 1957, when renovations to Sleeping Beauty Castle revealed a colony of more than 100 stray cats. After unsuccessful attempts to chase them out of the park, Disney decided to put the cats to work instead. Today they spend their daylight hours resting in the park’s well-concealed ‘cat houses’, though you can sometimes spot a furry face peeking out between the mechanical lions on the Jungle Cruise.

Hidden Mickeys

At Disneyland, the round-eared Mickey Mouse emblem is everywhere. But thanks to clever Imagineers (Disney’s specially trained designers and engineers), hundreds of ‘Hidden Mickeys‘ are also scattered across the park. The subtle symbols are often difficult to spot: they’re camouflaged in the architecture and landscaping as well as in the smallest stylistic details, from the floral wallpaper of the First Aid station and the rust marks atop a treasure chest in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, to the shapes of car speakers on Space Mountain. No one knows exactly how many exist.

Cocktails behind closed doors

Disneyland is dry – unless you can manage to get your name on the list at Club 33. The secret cocktail lounge, tucked away above the Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square, has a limited membership of just 487 and a waiting list of approximately 14 years. Walt Disney designed the club as an exclusive space to entertain possible investors; since then, the lounge, complete with an elegant dining room and a first-class wine cellar, has hosted US presidents, film stars, foreign dignitaries, and lucky guests with connections. It’s said that Robert Kennedy dined here on 3 June, 1968, two days before he was assassinated.

Trick of the eye

Things are not always as they appear at Disneyland. The park’s design employs‘forced perspective,’ creating optical illusions that make structures appear larger or smaller than they actually are. Sleeping Beauty Castle, for example, looks much taller than its 77 feet – that’s because the ‘bricks’ and other architectural features grow progressively smaller as the towers rise. The Matterhorn also appears more massive than it is, since the tallest trees are at the base of the mountain and the smallest are placed at the summit. Entering Main Street, thanks to clever angles and scaling techniques, the castle seems far away and the old-fashioned shops and ice cream parlours seem to be several stories tall. As you exit, the same Main Street seems much shorter. Walt Disney figured that families coming into the park would be filled with anticipation, but on leaving, they’d be too tired for a leisurely stroll.

Always on stage

At Disneyland, a janitor isn’t a janitor – he’s a ‘cast member’. So are the legions of cashiers, painters, ride operators, gardeners, and performers, from the girl who portrays Cinderella to the guy pushing a broom around Frontierland. All cast members are trained to follow a specific code of etiquette that helps preserve the Disney magic. On the list of dos and don’ts? Never break character. If wearing a costume that belongs in Fantasyland, don’t set foot in Tomorrowland – it might confuse visitors or break the park’s orderly image. When directing guests, point with two fingers or an open palm, never the index finger. Cast members are issued a Disney ‘look book’ that details the fresh-faced ideal – no long fingernails, beards, or unnaturally coloured hair allowed. It’s a throwback to Walt Disney’s All-American standards: when the park opened even guests with facial hair weren’t allowed entrance.

A light stays on

When construction was underway in the early 1950s, Walt didn’t want to miss a moment of his dream coming to life. That’s why he installed a small private apartment for his family above the Fire Department on Main Street. Decorated by one of Disney’s set designers, the apartment featured turn-of-the-century decor; the apartment still contains Walt’s tiled shower (fitted with multiple shower heads to soothe an old polo injury) and a ceramic bar set Walt used to serve his favourite hot drink, the rum- and brandy-based Tom & Jerry. The lamp in the window, visible from the park, was once illuminated to signal to cast members that the head honcho was on the premises. Today the lamp always stays lit in honour of the man behind the mouse.

Source : lonelyplanet.com

With winter cruise season and the lure of warmer climes close at hand, here are some suggestions on how to plan a winter cruise and help guard your health while assuring you of a pleasant trip.

Motion sickness can be one of any trip’s unpleasantries, but many drugs are now available that will forestall that queasy feeling. Eat lightly just prior to embarking and if you do feel nauseated in spite of the medication, lie down, keep quiet – if you are on a ship, that is. If you are taking an airplane, try to get a seat near the wings where less motion is felt.

Native cooking sometimes plays tricks, too. If you are troubled by an upset stomach, do not take any food for a while, and drink only strong boiled tea. Your family doctor will recommend kaopectate or bismuth subcarbonate capsules to take along to control the condition. Also, remember that in higher altitudes, such as Mexico City which is situated on a mile-high plateau, your stomach needs a much longer time to digest meals.

If you suffer from allergies, be sure to take whatever preventative remedies you require before your winter cruise. Also, carry a prescription for any drugs you may need abroad. If you wear glasses, take along one extra pair or a prescription for the lenses in case they are broken.

Your prescription can be filled in most parts of the world. Ideally, every traveler should carry a first-aid kit as part of his luggage. Of course, it need not try to rival the supply room of a hospital, but it should be geared to the climate and the kind of activities that you have scheduled. If you’re headed for the sub-tropics, be sure to include insect repellent, salt tablets, and sun tan lotion. For relief when your eyes are inflamed or tired from dust, smoke, or sun glare, include eye drops when packing your kit.

The rest of your kit may be fitted out with aspirin, band-aids, adhesive tape, a tube of vaseline, two sterile compresses, a small bottle of iodine and foot powder. Add a few packets of pocket-sized tissues, and you’re all set for a pleasant winter cruise.

1. Thailand

Image by jaaron

Standing at the crossroads of India, China and Oceania, Thai cuisine is like a best-of of all three’s techniques and ingredients. Dishes generally go in hard with garlic and chillies (especially the phrik khii nuu variety, which literally translates as ‘mouseshit peppers’). Other signature ingredients include lime juice, coriander and lemon grass, which give the cuisine its characteristic tang. Legendary fish sauce or shrimp paste looks after the salt.

2. Greece

Image by Klearchos Kapoutsis

From olives to octopus, the true taste of Greece depends on fresh, unadulterated staples. Masking or complicating original flavours is not the done thing, especially when you’re dealing with oven-fresh bread, rosy tomatoes and fish fresh from the Mediterranean. The midday meal is the main event with a procession of goodies brought to the table as they’re ready. With Wednesday and Friday traditionally reserved as fast days (ie no-meat days), vegetarians are also looked after.

3. China

From back-alley dumpling shops to four-star banquet halls, China has one of the world’s finest palates. Cultural precepts of Yin and Yang (balance and harmony) are evident in the bowl: with food for the day including cooling foods such as vegetables and fruit to counter warming spices and meat. The Chinese revere rice but also choose noodles, with either almost always accompanying a meal. A range of regional specialities exist, variously influenced by geography and history.

4. France

Image by Sunfox

From cheese and champagne to snails and baguettes, the French are famous for their foodstuffs. French cuisine has long distinguished itself for dallying with a great variety of foods. Each region’s distinct climate and geography have influenced the array of regional specialities. Many in France consider lunch as the day’s main meal, though the two hour marathon meal is increasingly rare. The crowning meal is a fully fledged home-cooked dinner comprising six distinct plats (courses).

5. Spain

Image by scaredy_kat

Best in Barcelona, Catalan cooking is racking up the accolades from gourmands around the globe. Like other regional Spanish cuisines, Catalan cooking favours spices such as saffron and cumin, as well as honeyed sweets. A mixture of ingredients and traditions adds flair to Barcelona’s fare: using seafood and meats in a rich array of sauces. Dinner is the main event, but never before 9pm.

6. Mexico

Image by chargrillkiller

Would you like some magic-realism with that enchilada? The Mexican sensibility for enchanting influences is also brought to the table in its food, particularly during celebrations. Mexican cuisine has an overriding Spanish influence, with a twist of French and African thanks to its history. Corn and bean-based dishes are prominent – prepared in a multitude of world renowned ways including tacos, enchiladas andquesadillas. And who could forget the worm that waits at the bottom of a bottle ofMezcal?

7. Italy

Image by Allerina and Glen MacLarty

Its food is arguably Italy‘s most famous export, and it’s with good reason that the world wants it. Despite all the variations that exist between regions, some common staples bind the country’s culinary creations. Think thin-crust pizza and al dente pastasand risottos. And to drink? One word: coffee. The Italians do it best – from perfecting a distinguished roast to the gentle extraction of its essence into the cup. Perfecto!

8. India

Image by maintenancepic

India’s protean gastronomy changes shape as you move between neighbourhoods, towns and states. The basis of all meals is rice in the south, and roti in the north. These are generally partnered with dhal, vegetables and chutney. Fish or meat may also be added. Whatever the ingredients: the dish usually contains a heady cast of exotic spices that make the taste buds stand up and take notice.

9. Japan

Image by jetalone

If you can wrap your tongue around pronouncing the menu, Japan’s cuisine is a most rewarding mouthful. Most Japanese restaurants concentrate on a specialty cuisine, such as yakitori (skewers of grilled chicken or veg), sushi and sashimi (raw fish),tempura (lightly battered and fried ingredients) and ramen noodle bars. The pinnacle of Japanese cooking, kaiseki (derived as an adjunct to the tea ceremony), combines ingredients, preparation, setting and ceremony over several small courses to distinguish the gentle art of eating.

10. Indonesia & Malaysia

Image by paularps

Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines are one big food swap: Chinese, Portuguese, Indian, colonists and traders have all influenced their ingredients and culinary concepts. They are nations well represented by their food. The abundance of rice is characteristic of the region’s fertile terraced landscape, the spices are reminiscent of a time of trade and invasion (the Spice Islands), and fiery chilli echoes the people’s passion. Indonesian and Malaysian cooking is not complex, and tastes here stay separate, simple and substantial.

Source : www.lonelyplanet.com

Royal palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, who grew up nearby at Hohenschwangau Castle. And my favourite and most beautiful of all!

PALACE OF VERSAILLES

The Palace of Versailles was the official residence of the Kings of France from 1682 until 1790. It was originally a hunting lodge, built in 1624, by Louis XIII. It  was expanded by Louis XIV beginning in 1669. He used it as a little lodge as a secret refuge for his amorous trysts with the lovely Louise de la Valliere and built a fairy tale park around it.  Jules Hardouin Mansart, the king’s principal architect, drew the plans to enlarge what was turning more and more into a palace from A Thousand and One Nights. The terrace that overlooked the gardens was removed to make way for the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, the Galarie de Glaces. It is here from which the king radiated his power and where the destiny of Europe was decided over a century. The French classical architecture was complemented by extensive gardens.

CHENONCEAU

Chenonceaux, small agricultural community in the department of Indre-et-Loire in northwestern France,18 miles east of Tours. Located on the Cher River. Chenonceaux is best known as the site of the 16th-century Chateau de Chenonceaux, which is situated on the north bank of the river.
In 1515 Thomas Bohier, revenue collector for King Francis I, began the construction of the Chateau de Chenonceaux. Unfinished at the time of his death, construction of the chateau was completed by Bohier’s wife and son. In 1535, however, Francis I took the estate in payment of debts. King Henry II, son of Francis I, gave the chateaux to Diane de Poitiers, duchesse de Valentinois, who extended the structure by a bridge across the Cher. Catherine de Medicis, widow of Henry II, forced Diane de Poitiers to deed the chateaux to her. Catherine de Medicis constructed the gallery above the bridge and the stables known as the Batiment-des-Dames. The chateau became her favorite residence, and it was there that her son Francis II and Mary, Queen of Scots, were married in 1560.

The Chateau of Chambord

Chambord, chateau, park, and village in the department of Loire-et-Cher in central France. The chateau of Chambord was a retreat for French kings, especially Louis XIV  It was under his auspices that French dramatist Moliere’s Monsieur de Pourceaugnac and Le bourgeois Gentilhomme were first produced there.

Linderhof

Ludwig II built this secluded hunting lodge, it was known as the Kings Hut. Ludwig decided that this will be a New Versailles. It was planned as a modest villa  but had become a splendid Rococo palace in the ornate French style.  Linderhof is the smallest of the three royal castles, and the only one which was completely finished. (1878).

Tower of London

Castle building was an essential part of the Norman Conquest; when Duke William of Normandy invaded England  in 1066 his first action after landing was to build a castle.After his coronation in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066, William ordered the construction of a castle in London for his triumphal entry. nitially the Tower had consisted of a modest enclosure built into the south-east corner of the Roman City walls, but by the late 1070s, with the initial completion of the White Tower, it had become the most fearsome of all. Nothing had been seen like it in England before. It was built by Norman masons and English (Anglo-Saxon) labor drafted in from the countryside.  It was intended to protect the river route from Danish attack, but also and more importantly to dominate the City physically and visually.The White Tower was protected to the east and south by the old Roman City walls (a full height fragment can be seen just by Tower Hill underground station), while the north and west sides were protected by ditches as much as 750m (25ft) wide and 3.40m (lift) deep and an earthwork with a wooden wall on top. It is important for us today to remember that the functions of the Tower from the 1070s until the late 19th century were established by its Norman founders. The Tower was never primarily intended to protect London from external invasion, although, of course, it could have done so if necessary. Nor was it ever intended to be the principal residence of the kings and queens of England, though many did in fact spend periods of time there. Its primary function was always to provide a base for royal power in the City of London and a stronghold to which the royal family could retreat in times of civil disorder.

Leeds, Kent

Leeds Castle, acclaimed as the most romantic castle in England, is located  in south-east England, built on two adjacent island in the river Len.Leeds Castle was originally a manor of the Saxon royal family possibly as early as the reign of Ethelbert IV ( 856-860). The first castle was an earthwork enclosure whose wooden palisade was converted to stone and provided with two towers along the perimeter. This is now vanished. Traces of arches in a vault thought to be Norman were found at the beginning of this century. Around 1119 Robert Crevecoeur started to build a stone castle on the site, establishing his donjon where the Gloriette now is. Stephen, Count of Blois, and his cousin the Empress Matilda contested the crown of England. In 1139 Matilda invaded England with the help of his brother Robert, Earl of Gloucester, who held Leeds castle, but Kent was loyal to king Stephen and following a short siege he took control of the castle.The castle came into the possession of Edward I (1278) . He rebuilt much of the castle as it stood at the beginning of his reign, and enlarged it, providing an outer stone curtain round the edge of the larger island, with cylindrical open-backed  flanking towers and a square-plan water-gate on the south-east. The gatehouse at the south-west, a single tower pierced by an arched passage was improved.Henry VIII, the most famous of all the owners of Leeds Castles, expended large sums in enlarging and beautifying the whole range of buildings. At the same time, he carefully retained the defenses of the castle for he often had cause to fear invasion from either France or the Spanish . The king entrusted the work of alteration to his great friend Sir Henry Guidford.Leeds has been constantly inhabited and rebuilt since then. Most of the castle today is the result of the nineteenth-century reconstruction and addition.

Blois

Dominating the Loire River, the royal castle of Blois is not only one of the most prestigious Renaissance monuments in France but also a brilliant illustration of the evolution of the French architecture from the Middle ages to the 17th century.About the middle of the 10th century, the name of Thibaud I is recorded Count of Blois, he was the founder of the family who remained in power until 1230.  Blois became the most important town in the region.  The first stone castle was built to protect the town dates back to that period.  An independent bastion surrounded the castle, and followed the line of the headland on which it was erected. The numerous medieval remains still exists. The best preserved medieval tower is situated on a terrace overlooking the Loire.While the Franco-Anglo was (named the Hundred Years War) raged in the real, an event took place that determined the future of the county of Blois, the ancient fortress became a royal castle. At the end of the 14th. century, the county of Blois was sold to Prince Louis of Orleans, son of the king of France Charles V.  He lived in the castle for 25 years attracting a small court of scholars and poets. His grandson, Louis XII became king of France in 1498 and decided to move to Blois, in this way, the small town became a royal town and the capital of the Kingdom.Under Louis XII and Francis I the town of Blois grew considerably. But after the disaster of Pavia in 1525, Francis I never returned to Blois and his successors only paid short visits to the town. According to French and Gothic tradition, the initials and emblems of the owners of the place are sculptured in the stone: fleur de lis for the king and ermine spots for the queen, Anne de Bretagne. The equestrian statue of the king crowns the main entrance of the castle. The emblem of the king, the salamander, is sculptured eleven times in high relief on the Francis I facade.  The staircase, which was at the center of the facade before Gaston d”Orleans began to modify the castle is a masterpiece. When the Italianate straight flights of stairs appeared in the Loire Valley after the Gothic period, the shape of the spiral staircase in a protruding octagonal cage was considered rather ordinary. The staircase, with its three floors of balconies looking on to the Court of Honor, is perfectly suitable for the display of more and more sumptuous ceremonies.

Nymphenburg

The  former summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria is located in the west part of the city in the middle of one of Munich’s most beautiful parks. Five generations of Wittelsbach rulers were involved in the construction of this Baroque castle.
The building of Nymphenburg Castle  began in the reign of the Elector Ferdinand Maria: overjoyed by the birth of his son and heir, Max Emanuel, he had the central section built for his wife in the style of an Italian villa (Agostino Barelli, 1664-74). In about 1700, Max Emanuel commissioned Enrico Zuccali and Antonio Viscardi to extend the castle by adding galleries and pavilions.The central section owes its present appearance to the efforts of Josef Effner, who in 1715, designed the pilasters, arched windows and busts that now grace the exterior. A few years later, the south section of the castle was added to serve as the court stables. As a counterpart, the orangerie was added to the north.Central section: Stone Hall (Steinerner Saal; 1755-57) with ceiling frescoes by J. B. and F Zimmermann (Homage to the Goddess Hora); the Rococo stucco work is based on designs by Cuvillies.

Mont St. Michael

Le Mont-Saint-Michel, rocky, cone-shaped islet in  northwestern France, in the Gulf of Saint-Malo, connected by a causeway with the mainland. The islet, celebrated for its Benedictine abbey, has small houses and shops on its lowest level. Above these stand the monastic buildings, many of which date from the 13th century and are considered outstanding examples of Gothic architecture. The entire islet is crowned by the abbey church, about 73 m (about 240 ft) above sea level.The first chapel on this site was founded in 708 by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches , after the Archangel Michael has appeared to him in a dream. The Archangel Michel appeared here in the year 708. The Abbey takes the name of Mont saint Michel. The oratory, consecrated in 709 was served by a community of canons. It apparently survived the Norman invasions, but the observance of the rule became very relaxed. In 966 Richard I, Duke of Normandy, established there the Benedictine monks from St. Wandrille Abbeyunder the direction of Abbot Maynard, who began the reconstructions of the church and other buildings. The church was burnt in 922 and rebuilt on a larger scale by Abbot Hildebert II from 1023, at the time of the monastic reforms in Normandy carried out by Richard II and William of Volpiano. Mont Saint-Michel was built in a strong rock that measures 84 meters height. It is pure granite and is so hard that has resisted the passage of time.Mont Saint Michel was built as a medieval castle.  It has two large towers to defend the entrance to the castle. St. Michael is a surety for freedom and thus this sanctuary also became a symbol of the allied landing in Normandy during the Second World War.

10. Portland, OR

Population: 2.14 million
% commute by walking: 2.8%
% commute by mass transit: 5.9%
Average commute: 25.3 minutes
Number of parks: 39.5

09. Providence, RI

Population: 1.62 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 2.5%
Average commute: 22.3 minutes
Number of parks: 54.2

08. Chicago, IL

Population: 7.9 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 12.8%
Average commute: 33.7 minutes
Number of parks: 160

07. Philadelphia, PA

Population: 3.9 million
% commute by walking: 4.5%
% commute by mass transit: 12.1%
Average commute: 30.6 minutes
Number of parks: 36

06. Honolulu, HI

Population: 914,163
% commute by walking: 5.4%
% commute by mass transit: 8.3%
Average commute: 30.5 minutes
Number of parks: 46

05. Washington, DC

Population: 4.2 million
% commute by walking: 3.1%
% commute by mass transit: 11.3%
Average commute: 35.9 minutes
Number of parks: 102

04. Seattle, WA

Population: 2.5 million
% commute by walking: 3.2%
% commute by mass transit: 7.9%
Average commute: 30.1 minutes
Number of parks: 23

03. New York, NY

Population: 11.5 million
% commute by walking: 8.4%
% commute by mass transit: 42.4%
Average commute: 38 minutes
Number of parks: 242

02. Boston, MA

Population: 3.2 million
% commute by walking: 5%
% commute by mass transit: 12.5%
Average commute: 31 minutes
Number of parks: 29

01. San Francisco, CA

Population: 1.7 million
% commute by walking: 5.7%
% commute by mass transit: 18.2%
Average commute: 34.1 minutes
Number of parks: 71.4

Looking for a romantic spot that’s (almost) all yours? Here’s a list from our brand new Best in Travel 2011 guide to reignite your love affair with desert islands, with picks from across the globe.

1. Torres Strait Islands, Australia

Image by Killer White Fluff

As far as you can go in Oz without falling off the map, the Torres Strait Islands are Australia as it might have been if Europeans had never arrived. Spilling north from the tip of Cape York, the 274 islands in the Torres Strait preserve a unique tribal culture that bridges the divide between Aboriginal Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Great Barrier Reef is right on the doorstop and there are airstrips and hotels on Thursday Island and Horn Island, but access to other islands is at the discretion of local tribal councils.

Permits to visit outlying islands must be obtained at least one month in advance from the Torres Strait Regional Authority.

2. Yaeyama Islands, Japan

Image by ajari

The idyllic Yaeyama Islands are tucked away at the very southern tip of the Japanese archipelago. Looking more like the Caribbean, the islands of Iriomote, Taketomi and Ishigaki serve up generous portions of sun, sea, sand and sushi. Ishigaki has the best of the beaches, while Taketomi is famous for its traditional Ryukyuan houses and Iriomote is a jungle playground with an open-air onsen (hot springs).

Japan Transocean Air flies daily from Tokyo to Ishigaki, which is connected to the other islands by regular ferries.

3. Îles du Salut, French Guiana

Image by Antoine Hubert

Most people have heard of Devil’s Island, but few would be able to stick a pin on a map. The smallest of the three Îles du Salut, this infamous former penal colony is separated from the coast of French Guiana by 11km of treacherous, shark-infested waters. Steve McQueen tried to escape the islands repeatedly in Papillon, but most modern visitors are willing castaways, lured here by waving palms, chattering macaws and spooky ruins from the penal colony days.

Access to the Îles du Salut is by catamaran from Kourou and the only place to stay is the clubhouse-style Auberge des Iles.

4. Ulleungdo, South Korea

Image by hkinuthia

It’s easy to see the appeal of tiny Ulleungdo. Midway between South Korea and Japan, this rugged volcanic island is said to have no pollution, no thieves and no snakes – in other words, this is perfect hiking country. Ferries run daily from the mainland to the tiny port at Dodong-ri, where trails climb to the rocky summit of Seonginbong Peak (984m). If you want to really push the boat out, continue to the Dokdo islands – a tiny collection of outcrops that are hotly disputed between Japan and South Korea.

Perched beneath a towering cliff wall, Chusan Ilga Pension offers comfortable but satisfyingly rustic accommodation on the rugged north coast.

5. San Blás Archipelago, Panama

Image by Fathzer

Panama probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of the Caribbean, but this Central American nation has coral cays to rival anything in the Caymans or the Virgin Islands. Run as an autonomous province by the Kuna people, the San Blás Archipelago is a crescent of 365 tiny islands basking in the warm waters of the southern Caribbean. Forget luxury resorts – the only hotels are homestays in village houses and dinner is whatever the fishermen bring home in their canoes each evening.

Air Panama has regular flights to several San Blás islands, including the capital, El Porvenir.

6. Penghu Islands, Taiwan

Image by hsuyo

If Taiwan is the other China, then the Penghu islands are the other Taiwan. Administered from Taipei, the 90 islands of the Penghu archipelago are – within Taiwan at least – for their glorious scenery and ‘touching nostalgia’, which translates to unspoiled traditional Taiwanese culture. Away from the capital, Makung, this is a land of ox-carts, fish-traps, stone-walled fields, basalt cliffs and ancient temples dedicated to the sea goddess Matsu. If sun and sand are more your cup of shochu, the beaches and windsurfing are pretty impressive too.

From May to October, Penghu’s beaches are a nesting ground for endangered green turtles – locals leave turtle-shaped offerings at temples across Penghu as part of the Lantern Festival, 14 days after the New Year.

7. Bay Islands & Hog Islands, Honduras

Image by Theodore Scott

Forget Pirates of the Caribbean – the sand-dusted islands that float off the coast of Honduras are the real deal. In their heyday, the islands of Roatán, Utila and Guanaja were home to 5000 cutthroats, brigands and buccaneers, including the infamous Henry Morgan (aka Blackbeard). These days, the Bay Islands are better known for their beaches, diving and laid-back tropical vibe. You can turn the volume down ever further at the nearby Cayos Cochinos (Hog Islands) – 13 languorous coral cays and one secluded resort in a sea of brilliant blue.

The driftwood Plantation Beach Resort is the Hog Islands’ only accommodation, but camping can be arranged on uninhabited islands.

8. Con Dao Islands, Vietnam

Another prison-turned-paradise, the Con Dao islands were home to the most notorious penal colony in Indochina, and continued its grim work until the end of the Vietnam War. Now preserved as Con Dao National Park, the 16 islands are a natural wonderland of dense jungles, jade-coloured waters and white-sand beaches, home to dugongs, dolphins, turtles and spectacular coral reefs. For now, tourist developments on the islands are limited to a single dive shop and a handful of resorts in Con Son township.

Timing is everything with Con Dao – the islands are lashed by squalls from the west from June to September and squalls from the east from September to January.

9. Ssese Islands, Uganda

Image by sanjoyg

Why would a landlocked African nation appear on a list of desert islands? Thank Lake Victoria. The Ssese Islands tick all the right boxes for an island paradise – golden beaches, whispering palm trees, exotic flora and fauna – they just happen to be in the middle of Africa’s largest lake. Most of the 84 islands in the Ssese group are undeveloped, but a handful of resorts and beach camps grace the sands of Buggala, Bukasa and Banda. Aside from basking in the sun, the main activities are combing the jungle for exotic creatures and canoeing across the lake.

We fervently believe that travel is one of the best educations any parent can give to a child – especially during their impressionable teenage years. Having said that, anyone who has teenagers will testify that travelling with them can be, well, challenging. Here are some tips that will hopefully help make your next trip as teen-friendly as possible:

1. Go team!

‘The family who plays together stays together.’ Simple, yet powerful, wisdom. Get your teens involved in all aspects of the holiday from the very onset. Discuss destination choices, itineraries and activities. Reading guidebooks and online travel sources will not only stir up pre-trip excitement but also stimulate young minds. Encourage your children to ask questions and make sure you listen keenly to what they have to say. Keep their sense of ownership of the travel experience alive by continuing to assign tasks while on the road, whether it’s navigating, reading maps, updating a travel journal or being appointed chief photographer.

2. Become a groupie

Most teenagers thrive in like-minded company, so you may want to consider taking a package tour for all or part of your trip. Involve your teen in the task of finding the right tour by speaking with travel agents and/or surfing the net. Cruises are particularly popular with families because they offer all sorts of organised social activities on board, from pool volleyball to dance nights.

3. Tough love

This is likely to be your biggest challenge. Convince the kids to leave ‘comfort items’ (handheld electronic games, MP3 players) at home. The reason? These distractions tend to diminish quality family bonding time. Although your teen may initially be grumpy about the decision, after a day or two, you’ll be surprised at how much more communicative they become, not to mention more engaged in what’s actually happening around them.

4. Space to breathe

Teenagers need their space; however, this can be particularly tricky to achieve while on holiday. Perhaps the easiest way is to book accommodation that has separate or adjoining rooms so that you don’t tear each other’s hair out after a long day of sightseeing together.

5. Chill baby, chill

There’s always too much to do and too little time when on vacation, but avoid squeezing 101 things into a day. Spread activities out and factor in some time to purely chill – whether it’s lazing by the swimming pool or simply spending an afternoon watching movies and munching on room service. It’ll leave you all less frazzled and thus less likely to snap at one another.

Source: www.lonelyplanet.com

Reviewed by Steve Waters

Death stalks the pages of esteemed English travel writer Thubron’s melancholy Buddhist litany To a Mountain in Tibet. Describing his pilgrimage from Humla in western Nepal to Buddhism’s holiest mountain across the Tibetan border, this deeply personal account reflects on sky burial, reincarnation, the uselessness of life, the deaths of Indian pilgrims and the author’s own losses.

Ascending onto the high Tibetan Plateau, Thubron finds the stark beauty and abject poverty of western Nepal replaced by an overwhelming sense of despair. Decay, impermanence and the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution sit uneasily on a wild land as the author makes his kora, the circumambulation of 6638m Mt Kailas, revered byBuddhist,  Hindu, Jain and Bon alike.

This is not a joyous book. Even when elated, Thubron’s prose is ascetic, pared back, flint-like – thin like the air that he breathes.  While he delves into great (though somewhat esoteric) religious, historical and, to a lesser degree, geographical detail, the author remains remarkably aloof of his fellow travellers, usually un-named, and referred to obliquely as ‘pilgrim’ or ‘trekker’.

His is an inner journey, with grief as his baggage, as he attempts to understand the transience of existence.  We learn scant details about his companions, the loyal Iswor and reliable Ram, and even less about the practicalities of travelling in the region. Current politics are mostly avoided and one senses a wariness in the descriptions of the Chinese section of the trek. Or perhaps that’s just an effect of the bleak landscape, where human remains are offered to the birds, prayer flags are shredded by the relentless wind and the tinkle of yak bells herald another dead lowland Hindu.

No conclusion, nor redemption is offered, and no journey’s end attained, and it’s here that Thubron could have offered something to dispel the melancholy and halt Death in its tracks – that unsurpassed feeling, which he surely would of experienced, of coming back down from the heights, back down from that frozen, barren plateau towards Nepal, where the air starts to thicken and smell again, where it tastes of water, of trees, of nature – of the very fullness of life.

Steve Waters has had too many hangovers over 5000m, and now swears at computers at sea level in LP’s Melbourne office.

Read a Lonely Planet  interview with Colin Thubron here on his trip to Tibet, and more travel literature reviews here.