Packing is one activity that will affect your entire trip. It is important to make sure not to bring too many things, since you will have to carry everything you bring.

Unless you are going somewhere very remote, don?t bother bringing a water filtration system. Most people in the world have access to fresh water; they simply can?t afford to buy it.

Bring clothing appropriate to where you are going. If you are traveling to the tropics, bring light clothing that dries quickly. Avoid heavy apparel like blue jeans and boots.

Don?t forget the little things like nail clippers, a sewing kit, compass, band-aids and toothbrush. In some countries, these things can be puzzlingly rare.

Do not bother bringing a space blanket. They are completely useless, and do not function as described by their clever marketing. Imagine trying to sleep under a giant piece of tin foil.

Swiss army knives seem like the perfect travelers tool, but because the blades are small and don?t lock they can be more dangerous than useful. Most jobs require a larger knife with a fixed or locking blade, such as a machete. Bring it, but don?t expect to be doing more with it than opening beer bottles.

The most important piece of gear to pack is ear plugs. They are the perfect solution for screaming babies, noisy buses, and partying neighbors. Bring several sets, but don?t throw them away after you use them. They are very difficult to replace while abroad.

All in all, remember to pack light. It?s more important to be carrying the right couple of tools than a bag full of laundry.

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The Catalan town of Alghero is located on the Northwest coast of Sardinia. Known throughout the world for its stunning beaches and characteristic old town centre it is fast becoming one of Europe?s holiday hotspots. Alghero is an old fishing town that has embraced the tourist industry with two very large arms. Sprawling out along the coast line Alghero offers the tourist both the opportunity of a beach holiday or a small city break.

If you are looking to just relax and be somewhere that you can walk out the door and be on the beach you must stay in the Lido area. The Lido is Alghero?s own beach that runs all the way form Alghero to Fertilia, a small hamlet of Alghero. There are a number of hotels located in the area with sea views and private sun beds on the beach for residents. In the summer months the Lido comes to life with a number of bars, restaurants and pizzerias either on the beach or in the area and when the sun goes down you can find live music and parties on the beach.

For those who don?t want to be on the beach and want to experience a little more of the cultural side of Alghero there is the old town. Dating back to the 12th century the old town centre is truly something that must be seen to be fully appreciated. Have lunch along the battlements looking out to sea or take a stroll through the shops in the warren of cobble stone streets. There are a number of churches and historical places of interest to visit and many guided excursions to help make sure you do not miss anything.

The area of Alghero does of course spread beyond the boundaries of the city itself. There is Porto Conte with its natural wildlife reserve that spreads along the coast line in complete natural beauty. Reachable either by land or by boat excursion there is Capo Caccia and Neptune?s Grotto which is a must for any visitor to Alghero.

Away form the coast there is also much to see and do. Why not visit an Agriturismo, a working farm that has lodging and restaurant facilities serving up only produce from the farm.

As mentioned earlier Alghero is a Catalan town and although much of the cuisine available is Italian there are a few Catalan influences to be found. Why not try Paella Algherese or Catalan lobster (served cold with fresh tomato and onion). There are of course many Sardinian specialities to be tried such as roast suckling pig or Seadas, a pastry filled with Goats cheese and then dribbled with honey.

The climate in Alghero allows for a perfect vacation all year round. The summer months get up to about 35 degrees and throughout the day in the winter the temperature never drops much below 15 degrees.

A great place for children and adults alike, Alghero is definitely worth a visit.

For more Sardinian tourist information take a look at Sardinia – tourist information

Born in London Kirk Friis moved to Sardinia where he now lives with his wife and son.

A few years ago the United Nations selected Canada as the # 1 country for quality of life, ahead of the United States and European countries. And if you needed proof of that, anyone who?s lived in Oakville ? for 24 hours or for 70 years ? can provide it. It?s easy to see why Oakville is THE exemplary microcosm of Canada – no two ways about it.

To see is to believe goes the popular saying. Pictures aren?t enough to profile this part of the world effectively. You have to feel Oakville and allow it to creep into your being before you can exclaim, ?ah, but of course!?

Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a 30-minute drive from downtown. It is a full service urban center but has none of the city pollution and noise that many North American cities are notorious for. You get to enjoy city amenities but with that small town ambience ? a certain quaintness if you will ? because this lakeside community is rich in history.

Where were you in 1827?

This was the year that Oakville was born. Today, it is one of Ontario?s best residential enclaves, and is home to over 260 local and international corporations that take up prominent positions in the automotive, pharmaceutical, technology and aerospace industries ? just a sample of numerous business endeavors that constitute the economic core of Oakville.

What makes it such a prized location? Wholesome neighborhoods and excellent schools are two reasons. The 145,000 residents enjoy a high standard of living (household median income is $86,000.00).

Things to Do

If you?re visiting Oakville for the first time and you?re itching for a round of golf, you have a choice of seven golf courses, one of them the PGA-acclaimed Glen Abbey Golf Course. If you prefer the water over the greens, Oakville has two harbors. And if you simply want to stretch your legs and wander around after a long, drawn-out business meeting, the town has 2,400 acres of park space.

Wives accompanying husbands on business trips have about 400 shops, boutiques and restaurants to while away their time. Bike and hiker trails, some of them in close proximity to Lake Ontario, also abound in Oakville.

If Oakville has a prosperous $80 million tourism industry and receives about 1.4 million visitors annually, that should be a good enough reason to put it on your travel agenda for next summer.

Entertainment and Culture

Oakville is far from a sleepy town. The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts has a year-round schedule of theatre, dance, music and comedy shows. Do an enlightening tour of the museum in Erchless Estate and take a leisurely stroll in art galleries and historical associations. Or just gaze at the local architecture ? particularly in preservation sites.

Speaking of festivities, there?s wholesome family fun in the annual Waterfront Festival and Festival of Classics and Jazz. And speaking of wholesome, the Oakville Santa Claus Parade will bring color to the bleak winter months: 50 floats, 12 marching bands, mascots and puppets ? and yes, throw in the clowns.

You think you?re too old for Santa? Drop by anyway. When you leave, the assurance that there are very likeable spots left on earth will make you smile.

Places to Stay

Oakville has accommodations to meet every budget. The big name hotels ? Marriott, Park Plaza and the Hilton ? are examples. If you want a home-cooked breakfast and a taste of Oakville hospitality, there are bed and breakfast places as well as camp sites and low-end accommodations.

Holiday Inn Select Oakville 2525 Wyecroft Road Oakville, ON Canada Reservations: 1-800-359-6279

Hilton Garden Inn Oakville 2774 South Sheridan Way Oakville, ON Canada Reservations: 1-800-359-6279

Monte Carlo Inn Oakville Suites 374 South Service Road East Oakville, ON Canada Reservations: 1-800-359-6279

Country Inn Oakville 2930 South Sheridan Way Oakville, ON Canada Reservations: 1-800-359-6279

Oakville Plaza Hotel 360 Oakville Place Drive Oakville, ON Canada Reservations: 1-800-359-6279

Copyright 2006 Jason Seib

Jason Seib has been a resident of the Oakville Ontario area for the last 15 years and runs his own industrial property management firm as well as a local community information and classified ad site http://www.myoakville.net

You probably already know about Cancun?s reputation as a tropical beach paradise, complete with luxurious resorts and decadent nightclubs. What you may not know is that when the party is over, relaxation options are not limited to merely sunbathing or shopping for trinkets. From sightseeing to spa treatments, Cancun?s Mayan heritage colors all aspects of the area?s recreation and relaxation. Mayan Historic Sites

For instance, in the center of Cancun’s Hotel Zone are the Ruinas del Rey (Ruins of the King), a Mayan site dating to 200 BC. Thought by some to be an ancient observatory, remains found at the site also suggest it could have been a royal burial ground. With two plazas featuring well-preserved frescoes and a small pyramid topped with a vault, Ruinas del Rey is an excellent introduction to the intrigue of an ancient civilization.

For tourists with time and a greater penchant for history and exploration, the awe-inspiring Mayan site, Chichen Itza, lies about 125 kilometers west of Cancun. As the most visited archeological site in Mexico, this four-square mile city has long been a popular daytrip for Cancun?s visitors. Tourists can climb the esteemed Castillo and visit the largest remaining court from the Mayan civilization. For your convenience, several tours are available through hotels and resorts.

Mayan-Inspired Spa Treatments

The spirit of the Mayans is also captured in a number of unique spa treatments available throughout Cancun. With the beauty of the Mexican Caribbean as a backdrop, local spas and resorts blend ancient techniques with innovative technology. Therapeutic treatments, such as thalassotherapy (the use of seawater to relax and rejuvenate) and traditional hot stone massage, offer great opportunities to decompress at the beginning or end of your vacation. Many spas also utilize a fantastic array of sea greens, herbs and minerals indigenous to the region in their treatments. Furthermore, despite the elegance of these boutique spas and resorts, spa visits in Cancun are generally much less expensive than comparable experiences in the United States.

Cancun also boasts the largest spa in all of Latin America, the three-level, 35,000-square foot paradise at JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa. Offering a full range of Mayan-inspired treatments, incorporating materials such as crystal, stone, mud, exotic fruit and milk, this spa is certainly unlike anything you?ll experience at home.

For travelers looking for a distinctively native spa experience, Temazcal is an indigenous Aztec steam bath treatment intended to renew the body, mind and spirit. Performed on hot stones with aromatic herbs, the Temazcal treatments are performed in cloth huts on the beach at sunset. As a traditional form of therapy, Temazcal could be likened to certain aspects of the Turkish bath, Finnish sauna or Arabian hammam. Having been practiced for centuries by tribes throughout North and Latin America, the term ?Temazcal? is derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec) terms, ?temaz? (bath) and ?calli? (house). Several beach resorts also offer more conventionally romantic moonlight massages in outdoor cabanas or secluded terraces, allowing guests to enjoy services in a private environment with spectacular ocean ambience and vistas.

Lastly, to ensure that your relaxation plans don?t become stressful, it is advisable to make a reservation when planning a visit to one of Cancun?s pampering spas. Guests should also try to arrive 15-30 minutes early and inform spa personnel of any health concerns.

This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select pieces about travel in Cancun Mexico and other Caribbean resort areas for Marriott Resorts.

Have you ever been to Niagara Falls? I have many times with my family. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I lived two hours away by car. My parents could not afford expensive vacations; consequently, we all piled into our car and headed for Niagara Falls. A trip to Niagara Falls was always an adventure.

The most memorable trip I made was about sixteen years ago. My sister and her family, along with me and my family were visiting my mother. I had not been to Niagara Falls in twelve years. I was excited, we all were excited our family was together and we were going to Niagara Falls!

None of us could sleep that night it seemed we were up all night wandering around. We were going to start on our trip about 8:00 a.m. in the morning but for some reason the troops were restless. My mother’s house was tiny and people and suitcases were strewn everywhere.

Somebody suggested at 4:00 a.m. why don’t we leave now, we won’t hit any traffic. All eight of us loaded up in my van and off we went. It was a great idea, traffic was definitely light. Unfortunately, nobody thought ahead at what time we would arrive at the falls.

We drove across the Peace Bridge linking the United States to Canada. When you approach the customs station, there are cars lined up a mile long. The wait usually isn’t very long. The custom’s official will ask you questions.

(1) Where were you born?

(2) How long will you be staying in Canada?

(3) Do you have anything to declare?

(4) Is everybody in the car carrying some kind of identification?

We arrived at Niagara Falls at 6:00 a.m. We had the pick of the parking spots and parking was free. When we all ambled out of the car we all realized at the same moment, we were completely alone and nothing was open. Not even a gas station. You can imagine how that put an instant decrease in the excitement.

We walked around and window shopped the numerous souvenir shops up and down the sidewalk. The souvenir shops are all located on steep hills. We really received our exercise that day. At 8:00 a.m. a restaurant opened and we were once more happy campers.

As you approach the falls, you experience emotions that you probably have never felt. The sheer magnitude of thousands of tons of water gushing, wildly down the mountains is mind blowing.

The closer you come to the falls, you automatically cover your ears with your hands. The ground literally vibrates from the tons of water exploding around you. Prepare to get soaked, it goes with the thrill of standing in front of one of the Seven Wonders Of The World.

When you turn around, you will be facing green grass and beautiful flower arrangements. The flower arrangements follow you everywhere. Benches are placed around the grounds for the sightseer’s convenience. The setting is so calming and refreshing, if you love the outdoors this is where it all happens.

THE MAID OF THE MIST:

Before you step onto this boat you must put on an ugly raincoat. Once on board the Maid of the Mist, you get to experience the foaming, churning water first hand. The boat gets tossed around, and be prepared for a wild wet ride. You will be very happy to be wearing your ugly raincoat.

JOURNEY BEHIND THE FALLS:

Once again, you must dress in an ugly raincoat. The next step, is to enter one of two elevators that take you down behind the falls. This is Mother Nature at her best. You stand in a group with the deafening noise of the falls crashing just a few feet from you. There is only one wall separating you from the falls. Again, you will be happy to be wearing the ugly raincoats or you would be drenched to the skin.

Since, we were all tired from not getting any sleep the night before, my mother, sister and daughter fell asleep on a park bench. I can still picture them in my mind sound asleep oblivious to their surroundings.

After we had taken in the above tours, we are all ready for food. There are many restaurants to choose from. For lunch my family always had a spaghetti dinner. It has become a tradition.

We try to time dinner with the lightening of Niagara Falls which is at sundown. There is a wonderful restaurant directly across from the falls. If you time it just right, you have a seat and can watch the falls change all the colors of the rainbow. The light show if you have never seen it before is breath taking.

This was my daughter’s first trip to Niagara Falls since she was a baby. It was wonderful to watch the emotions on her face, as she watched the falls change breath taking colors for the first time.

It is a fantastic sight, watching thousands of people from every state and country in this world, lined up at the guard rails spreading out onto the lawn watching the light show.

After the light show, we are tired and start trudging up the steep hill to get to our car. We are usually loaded down with souvenirs and very happy to see our car again.

There is so much to do and see in Niagara Falls, you will need more than one day.

Niagara Falls is also known for their honey moon hotels and for their fantastic wedding chapels.

Niagara Falls has a little bit of everything for everybody. If you are planning a trip, think about going to Niagara Falls.

For me Niagara Falls was a time spent in an adventure with my family. My sister and I have memories, we cherish when we spent time exploring Niagara Falls together.

I hope, you enjoyed this article. Feel free to check out my other articles. Let me hear from you.

Copyright 2006 Linda Meckler

Linda has made many trips to Niagara Falls, Canada and hopes to make many more. Currently she has published her first book, Ghost Kids Trilogy, 3 books in 1 book. A children’s adventure for children 8-14 to adult. Love, Family Values, and Charity bursts off the pages. (Book 1) Ghost Kids: 2 children and 2 Ghost Kids team up. The ghost kids want to be reunited with their parents. (Book 2) Blue Vase Mystery: Uncle Charlie the villain of the books wants to be released from a magical blue vase. He will tell the children where the Pirates’ Treasure is hidden. (Book 3) Pirates’ Treasure-the hunt: Go on an exciting treasure hunt.

Visit my website http://www.lmeckler.com or email lmecky@tns.net You can order my book at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.buybooksontheweb.com For an order of 5 books = 40% discount. An order of 20 books free postage and handling. ISBN0-7414-2273-

Syracuse is situated on the eastern coast of Sicily and is one of Sicily?s main attractions due to its archaeological zone and historical testimony and also being a centre of industry and commerce hence reflecting the glorious past of power and prosperity. The oldest part of the Syracuse is on the Island of Ortigia, crossing the bridges linking the Island of Ortigia to the rest of the city, the visitor walks away from the historical centre towards the modern and vibrant part of the city. Syracuse boasts a stock of monuments having been the most important Greek metropolis as from the date of its foundation, 734 B.C. A must see are: the Greek Theatre built in the 5th century where to date during the months of May and June Ancient Greek Drama is held; the Ear of Dionysus, an artificial limestone cave which because of its shape has extremely good acoustics and finally, the third largest in Italy, Roman Amphitheatre, built in the 3rd Century BC for gladiators. Moreover the visitor can visit the monuments and enjoy the festivities linked to Santa Lucia, the patron saint of the city, who was martyred at Syracuse during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. For the traveller interested in military constructions, there is the Maniace Castle built in the first half of the 13th Century, named after the Byzantine general who in 1038 defended Ortigia from the Arabs; in the Piazza D?Armi exhibitions and cultural events are held.

No visit to Syracuse is complete without enjoying the comfortable tourist resort areas of Arenella and Fontane Bianche flanking the typical sandy beaches of the Ionian coast. Moreover, The broad waterfront of the Island of Ortigia, is an ideal place from which to appreciate the unique panoramic view of Porto Grande that witnessed great battles and from where a boat trip can be taken to the lovely small sandy beach of Punta del Pero.

The Bed and Breakfast Headquarters together with our affiliates and formula economy studio flats are centrally located in the historical centre. Other charming Bed and Breakfast Hotels are situated by Ortigia?s promenade form where one can enjoy the breathtaking sea view. It is important to add that parking is not a problem and that in less than an hour from Syracuse, the tourist can take trips to other nearby centres. It is a pity that most visitors are convinced to make day trips to Syracuse, hence being deprived of the high spirit and profound soul of Syracuse, which reflect the genius of the inventor Archimedes and past civilisations. So let?s not leave Syracuse only on the UNESCO world heritage list, but annotate it on your next tour to Sicily; just try it to believe and have a wonderful Sleep in Sicily time in this remarkable city by the sea!

Since 1990 committed in organising tours in Europe and specialised in incoming Italy ITALY HOTEL ITALY TRAVEL ITALY TOUR.