Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and has a history that dates back around three thousand years making it one of the world?s oldest cities. Until 1930 Istanbul was formally known as Constantinople named after the Roman emperor Constantine. When the city was originally founded it was known as Byzantium.

Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus strait and is split in two, one half located in Europe and one half in Asia. This division makes it the only major city in the world to be located on two continents. Istanbul has a population of over 15 million.

Istanbul summers are hot and humid while winters can be cold and rainy with occasional snow

Istanbul is a colorful city and a center for commerce, culture, education, shopping, tourism, entertainment and art. The city abounds with bazaars, Byzantine churches and Ottoman mansions. It is a major port and a center for trade. Istanbul is at the centre of the Turkey’s economic life

The neighborhoods of Istanbul are a melting pot shaped by many different ethnic communities including Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Christians, and the Sephardic Jews.

Istanbul is a major center for arts and culture with the International Arts and Cultural Festival being held each year in June and July attracting artists of international repute. Nightclubs abound throughout the city and provide both traditional Turkish entertainment such as belly-dancing and also more modern such as cabarets, discos, and clubs.

Shopping in Istanbul is a multi-faceted experience. For a truly unique experience try the Covered Bazaar with more than 4,000 shops located in the old city. This is the traditional Turkish way of shopping and an experience not to be missed. Local crafts abound including carpets, pottery, glassware, jewelry, spices and leather goods.

For a more modern shopping experience try the Taksim – Nisantasi – Sisli areas of the city. Here you can explore fashionable stores selling clothing made from Turkey?s high quality textiles.

Turkish baths or hammams are the perfect way to rejuvenate after a days of shopping and sight-seeing. These usually include a Turkish massage, steam bath and tea.

Food in Turkey shows the influence that other cultures have had on the city. There are influences from the Far East and the Mediterranean which merge within Turkish cuisine. From home meals and sidewalk cafes to fancy restaurants you will experience good food and value for money. Local tradesman eateries serve lunches such as sulu yemek (stew) and pilav (rice).

Traditional Turkish cuisine includes delicacies such as kebap, baklava, lokum, and rakı, Meals include soups, rice dishes, stuffed veggies, pastries and rich desserts. Turkish coffee is renowned around the world and is a long way removed from the coffees found in North America. Turkish delight is a sweet confection flavored with rose water or lemon. It is eaten in small cubes dusted with sugar.

There are so many delights to be had when visiting Istanbul. The city offers something for everyone. It is a wonderful, fascinating place with such a rich heritage and diversity of cultures. The historical buildings and houses, the bridges crossing the Bosphorus, the stores, bazaars and restaurants and the Turkish people make the Istanbul experience one never to be forgotten.

Fionn Downhill writes for Four Corners Hotels http://www.fourcornershotels.com/index.php/TR–Istanbul which offers hotels in cities around the world.

Accommodation is often on people?s minds when it comes to travelling round the world, though. It?s one of the elements of your trip that takes up the most cash, and you?ll probably be wondering whether you need to prepare in advance or trust that it?ll all fall into place. So, should you book ahead or leave it to the day you arrive? And, what should you be expecting?

Here are one or two pointers.

Do you need to book ahead?
If you know you?re definitely going to be somewhere between certain dates, there?s no reason why you shouldn?t. But plans often change while you?re on the road, and it could be better to book when you arrive. It?s not often that hostels are fully booked, unless there?s a local event going on or it?s a popular time of the year. If there are two or more of you, the best bet is to let one person sit in a cafe with the bags while the other one pounds the pavements checking out the local places to stay. This is much less tiring than trudging around with your backpacks and you are less likely to accept a sub-standard or overpriced place as it is easier to scoot along to check out the next next place that might just be a gem !

One time you?ll definitely know you?re arriving somewhere on a certain date is at the first destination of your trip, and perhaps on this occasion it?ll be preferable and less stressful to book in advance. It might also be worth booking if you?re arriving somewhere late in the evening. It may be worth considering booking somehwere above a hostel standard for the first few days of your trip. You are at your most vulnerable in the first few days of your trip. You are likely to be jet-lagged, culture-shocked, and exhausted by the heat at first. Having the sanctuary of a nice hotel for a few days will make soften the blow.

How do I get good accommodation?
Guide books are usually helpful. They offer information on the quality and also how much you?ll need to stump up for a night.

Another idea might be to ask other travellers. If you?re staying in an area for a while, you could book into somewhere for a couple of nights whilst you ask around.

What are the hostels usually like?
The standard varies, of course. But, you might be surprised how good they are considering they are a cheap option to a hotel room. Hostels in Australia and New Zealand are particularly good and sometimes even have swimming pools !

When you arrive, you might get the choice of a shared room, twin- or double-room. If you are happy to share with people you don?t know ? and risk sleeping in the same room as a heavy snorer! ? then the dorm option is the cheapest.

Do I need to join some kind of club to stay in a hostel?
No, but if you will be travelling in Australia and or New Zealand, it is worth getting a VIP backpacker card (these cost ?16.50 from Travel Nation). These give you a small discounts on ‘VIP’ registered hostels. There are lots of these hostels in this part of the world and they are of a good standard.

Eating in hostels
You should ask what meals are included in your stay in a hostel. You sometimes get breakfast, and there could be self-catering facilities which can be a good way of saving cash.

Haydn Wrath is the owner at Travel nation specialising in round the world flights. Travel Nation have a wealth of experience in putting together round the world itineries.

For more information visit Travel Nation.

Fancy a sunny day out at the beach? Well, if you?re in Amsterdam, you don?t have to travel out to Zandvoort or Bloemendaal any more. Amsterdam is quite well-off in the trendy beaches sector. Beaches like Blijburg, Amsterdam Plage and the brand-new Strand West are all in Amsterdam itself. Apart from beaches Amsterdam also has other amazing places where one can kick back and sunbathe during summer without getting so much as a grain of sand between the toes.

Blijburg aan Zee is a sandy beach on the new IJburg island complex. Not only does Blijburg have a pleasant beach, it also has a beach caf? with a bar and an open kitchen. Every Sunday there is a performance by a DJ or a country band. It is on the new islands in the East of Amsterdam. Only this beach allows swimming officially allowed. One can find a caf? or a restaurant on the beach itself.

Amsterdam?s newest stylist city beach is Strand West. It?s a wide sandy beach with a panoramic view over the waters of the IJ. One can laze in a hammock or beanbag, drink a cocktail, eat tapas or play beach volleyball with friends and colleagues. Children can ride on the giant stride or enjoy the view from the mini big wheel. When the weather is good, there are barbecues or paellas.

Last year the Amsterdam Plage beach at Stenen Hoofd, to the west of the Central Station, was a huge success. This beach, right next to the Silodam, was laid on the age-old dike that projects far out into the IJ. It is smaller than Strand West but more popular because of its intimacy.

Another beach is Strand-Zuid, located at the back of the RAI Congress Centre, just south of the centre of Amsterdam. It has 2,000 m2 of sand, chairs, terraces, a beach volleyball field and there are showers. One can go there by a boat also, as there are places to moor your boat.

Towering above Amsterdam is the ?Green Boat? designed by architect Renzo Piano. It?s not a beach in the classical sense of the word, but one look at the palm trees, the large sandpit, the waterfall and the splashing Waterwonder and one can imagine that one is in the South of France, Spain or some other holiday destination.

Rahul viz recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.nl/city/nl/amsterdam.html?aid=305255 for more information on BEACH BUMMIING.

HISTORY
Hotel growth in Uganda started in the 19th century, a decade after independence during the colonial period. This saw the growth of accommodation, transport and infrastructure in Uganda (tourism.) The political instability during the 1970?s and 1980?s led to the decline in the hotel industry as well as tourism. Hotels were closed, destroyed and made into police barracks like the Nile mansions.

The taking over of power in 1986 by the National Resistance movement (NRM) led to the revival of the tourism industry. Uganda has consistently worn foreign and international relations, support of large international organizations like World Tourism Organization, and has attracted internal and external investors. This has led to the rehabilitation of leisure and tourism facilities like hotels.

Visitor arrivals have grown due to the increase in tourism demand from the 512,000 in 2004 to about 700,000 in 2005.Uganda?s tourism sector has continued to grow and is expected to earn the country over $500m (about sh905b) this year from $360m (sh651.6b) last year.

HOTELS/ACCOMMODATION
Uganda has a wide range of excellent hotels and accommodation facilities located in all regions of the country. These are mainly located in the main towns of Kampala (Capital City), Jinja, Entebbe, Gulu, Mbarara, Mbale, Fortportal, Arua. Uganda is well known for its hospitality and the welcoming nature of the local people, which has promoted the growth and development of hotels and other accommodation facilities.

Upmarket, low budget and more affordable hotels and accommodation include Sheraton Kampala hotel, Serena hotel (formerly Nile hotel), Speke hotel, Grand Imperial hotel, Emin pasha hotel, Hotel Equatoria, hotel Africana, Tourist hotel, Hotel Diplomate, Holiday Express hotel. Imperial Resort beach hotel, Botanical beach hotel, Hotel Tria ngle, Crested crane hotel, Windsor lake Victoria hotel, Mbale resort hotel, Mt.Elgon hotel, to mention but a few.

Other accommodation facilities include hostels, lodges, campsites, guesthouses and apartments, which are located in the city center, suburbs and in all regions of the country. Lodges include Mweya safari lodge, Speke resort Munyonyo, Red chili rest camp and hideaway, Gorilla forest camp, Volcanoes, Arra fishing lodge, Jacana safari lodge etc. Apartments include Acacia apartments, Windsor apartments, Kabira club, Dolphin suites, Mosa courts, golden leaves, Royal suites, Salama springs, Speke resort, etc. Campsites and hostels include Adrift/Nile high camp, Red chili hideaway, Backpackers, Bigodi wetland sanctuary, Bunyonyi overland camp, Ishasha wilderness camp, Sambiya river lodge Bandas, Hornbill, The crows nest, Lake Nabugabo campsite, etc. Guesthouses include Rwenzori guesthouse, Mamba point, palm tree guesthouse, 2 friends guesthouse, Palm tree guesthouse, etc and Islands like nature?s prime island, Ssese Island, Bulago island.

HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS IN UGANDA.
The latest hotel developments in Uganda are a sure indication of tourism growth in Uganda and EastAfrica as a whole. The development of tourism has been enhanced by effective promotion, of both the destination and products offered by specific businesses. Establishment of awareness programes, qualified, trained and skilled human resources, improved and stronger tourism administration, investment in the tourism plant and associated products (attractions, entertainment, shopping, etc), enhancing marketing methods and development of basic facilities, social services and proper infrastructure.

The hotels and other accommodation facilities have developed to offer distinguished ambience, panoramic views, and tranquil surroundings. They are uniquely refurbished to offer comfortable accommodations for a relaxing business or holiday trip. Hotels are perfectly situated for visitors with a welcoming atmosphere, friendly and hospitable services, with excellent facilities as well as comfortable guestrooms and public areas.

Business centers with boardrooms and equipment, Bars and restaurants serving intercontinental cuisine with wines and cocktails, Services like massage, sauna, Internet facilities, private lounges, gyms, swimming pools, shopping malls, Recreation courtyards, open spaces, pergolas, terraces and entertainment centers are offered by Uganda?s hotels and accommodation facilities.

The hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled for 2007 in Uganda has also enhanced hotel development and refurbishment, and Hotel Owners have put their facilities together necessary to host the summit in 2007.

Hotels are on the increase in the country like Emin pasha, which opened at the end of March 2004. Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Bwebajja on Entebbe Road, Garden City, Golf Course and Kampala Serena hotels are undergoing construction and refurbishment. Buhoma Homestead, mantana-tented camps and the Volcanoes lodges are undergoing upgrading and expanding, and the most luxurious hotels used by business travellers and upmarket tourists have prices set in dollars.

There are plenty of budget hotels and accommodation facilities in Uganda, and the accommodation sector is growing consistently, with remarkable staff offering hospitable d?cor in hotels and all accommodation facilities.

About the Author: Jackie Kisibo is an author in Africa, and her articles can be found on Uganda Hotels, Kampala Hotels and Accommodation, Uganda travel guide and directory

Barcelona is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain. The city rests on the Mediterranean coast and it boasts a population of 1,593,075 inhabitants. It is thought that Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, the Carthaginian politician and statesman, originally founded the city. Since than, the city has been under the control of the Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors and the Napoleonic French Empire. Following the fall of Napoleon, the city was returned to Spanish rule. At the start of the 20th century, Catalan nationalists began the struggle for autonomous rule, which was finally granted in 1978 following the death of Franco.

This rich history is apparent in many of Barcelona?s streets. Visitors can wander the charming, winding streets of Barri Gotic ? the well-kept medieval city centre. The city also boasts a beautiful Gothic Quarter, home to impressive buildings such as the Church of Santa Maria del Pi and the Cathedral of Santa Eul?lia. For those interested in more modern architecture, the city is dotted with the beautiful work of the late Barcelona resident, Antoni Gaud?. Some examples of his stunning work include, the Palau G?ell mansion and the Parc G?ell, both of which have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Barcelona is a bustling, modern metropolis in which visitors are guaranteed a glimpse of lively city life if they wander down the busy tree lined walkway known as La Rambla. For those looking for a more relaxing look at life in Barcelona, a trip to the G?rcia area offers numerous cafes to quietly watch the world go by. Barcelona also boasts beautiful beaches and boardwalks, where visitors and locals can enjoy the sunshine. The city is home a famous zoo, which holds an impressive conservation record.

Dara Ward operates over 150 world travel sites including Hotels in Barcelona He also runs Hotels in Budapest and lives in Wexford Ireland.

Traveling is one of life’s greatest adventures. It can bring joy to the heart and peace to the soul. Unfortunately, traveling can be an expensive proposition, and one that makes adventurous vacations out of reach for many people. When you take advantage of wholesale travel packages, though, you can go on cruises, relax at resorts, luxuriate in the best accommodations at hotels, and fly with airfares that will make your friends jealous.

Wholesale travel can encompass a variety of vacation experiences. You can stay at resort properties, condo properties, timeshare properties, privately owned properties, vacation homes, or coastal beach homes. The keys to finding great wholesale travel opportunities are understanding how the tourism industry operates and having flexibility in your travel plans.

For example, when you call a resort and ask for room rates, you’ll most likely be quoted what are called rack rates. These are the non-discounted rates that resort properties can charge when they’re almost booked to capacity. In reality, though, resort properties aren’t usually full, and rooms are perishable commodities. If a room goes empty for a night, that represents lost income that the resort can never regain. Wholesale travel packages take advantage of this phenomena and book blocks of rooms at non-peak periods to get the best rates. The resorts readily agree because they need to fill the rooms and they know that guests will spend money on ancillary products, such as restaurant charges, room service, and gift shop purchases.

The same holds true for cruise ships. The ship will sail whether it’s at 80 percent capacity or 100 percent capacity. It behooves the cruise line to offer wholesale travel packages to operators in order to fill the cabins before the ship sets sail.

Other types of destinations work under the same principle, which is why wholesale travel is possible across the board. When looking into purchasing wholesale travel packages, here are some things to consider.

Expiration Dates: Many wholesale travel operators use the voucher system, and some vouchers have expiration dates. Before making a commitment, find out how quickly the vouchers expire, and make sure that the company has a low renewal fee in order to extend the life of the vouchers.

Transferable Vouchers: Some companies do not allow participants to transfer vouchers to friends and family members. When you work with a wholesale travel company, be sure to select one that allows you to transfer your vouchers to others.

Blackout Dates: The tradeoff in wholesale travel is that there are restrictions regarding when you can vacation. You can’t expect to select a popular destination and travel there during peak season. Before signing up for a wholesale travel package, be sure that your schedule is compatible with the travel date restrictions offered by the company.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Travel Website and Majon’s Travel directory.

Delhi, the capital of India and ever changing city in the country has tempted, lured and decimate many empires in the course of its eight centuries long history. Right from the times of Prithiviraj Chauhan to the Mughal rule, and later from the coming of the British to the Indian independence, Delhi has been an eye witness to an era that now exists either in the history books or in the courtyards of forts, palaces and tombs.

Delhi is a fascinating city that attracts larges number of tourists from different corners of globe. Historical monuments and a fine blend of old and new is perhaps what draw most to this ‘City of Djinis’. But Delhi, old Delhi in particular does not make sense unless a traveler is not aware about the history of Shahjehanabad (old Delhi, it was established by the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan). The monuments may look huge and awesome but they won’t look as convincing and won’t generate same curiosity as when one has known about the purpose why they were built.

Some of the most exciting monuments to visit in Delhi are the Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar. A cycle rickshaw ride to the Jama Masjid is perhaps the most exciting and filled with fun. On a busy day, it’ll perhaps take you more than half an hour to cover just a mile. The army of cycle rickshaws, bikes, cycles and hand-pulled carts add to the woes but the end, it’s fun. So don’t miss it.

If you are tired of choc-a-block roads and heavy traffic of old Delhi, just travel a few kilometers towards India gate and you’ll be relived to find wide tree lined roads and buildings of the Raj era. There are a number of fine parks in the vicinity of India Gate, and a leisurely stroll in the evening connects you to the people of the city.

Delhi has a fine infrastructure, when it comes to hospitality. There are a number of hotels in the city. Delhi hotels ranges from cheap budget hotels to high end luxury hotels.

Author is a travel writer To get an idea about hotels in Delhi and to book a hotel room in Delhi/India online click here.

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland. The city is the largest in Northern Ireland and the second largest on the island of Ireland. Located amongst stunning scenery, the city is surrounded by the Glens of Antrim, Castlereagh Hills, Divis Mountain, Cavehill and Black Mountain. The city has a mild, though occasionally rainy climate, and it boasts a population of 276,459 inhabitants.

Belfast has been a settlement since Bronze Age times and examples of Iron Age hill forts can be seen within the city. It was during the 18th century that Belfast began to become the bustling, industrial city that it is today. Between 1969 and the late 1990?s, the city suffered under ?The Troubles? – sectarian conflict between republicans and loyalists. However, following a ceasefire by both sides, Belfast has become a popular tourist destination.

Some notable attractions within the city include the impressive City Hall, which was opened in 1906 and is a stunning Classical Renaissance landmark. Resting close to City Hall is the equally impressive Saint Anne?s Cathedral and also the lovely Victorian-built, Belfast Central Library. Another Victorian-built landmark is the striking Queens University Belfast, which rests amongst beautiful gardens. Equally famed for its architecture is the Crown Liquor Saloon, which has remained unchanged since Victorian times and is charmingly gas-lit.

For those interested in nature, Belfast is home the lovely Botanical Gardens, featuring a mixture of local, rare and tropical plants. Another popular outdoor attraction within the city is Belfast Zoo, which is involved in world-wide breeding programmes. Many visitors to the city follow the Mural Tour of large-wall political paintings that can be seen throughout the city. While, for those less politically-minded, the city offers an abundance of cafes, pubs and shops ? particularly in Smithfield Market, where one-of-a-kind items are sold by independent retailers.

Dara Ward is an expert on all things Irish and is based in Wexford Ireland. He operates over 20 Irish travel websites including Hotels in Belfast and Hotels in Galway.

Americans are accustomed to making reservations well in advance over the Internet, but this trend does not extend to other nations. Often travelers will make such arrangements and pay for them only to find out on arrival that the hotel has never heard of them.

Best solution to this problem is either to make reservations directly by calling the hotel, or to not make them at all. Unless there is a special event occurring during that time or it is an extremely busy season, reservations often leave you with an inferior place at a high price. Instead of burying your nose in Conde Nast to find the best place, keep your eyes and ears open as you travel the city. You are your own best judge of where to stay.

Certainly beware of taxi drivers making ?suggestions? about where to go. Kickbacks for taxi drivers and large commissions are common the world over. No matter what city you are traveling to, try to arrive early in the day and maximize the amount of time you have to find a suitable place. Arriving at night is always a bad idea, and you may even find yourself in an undesirable hotel or sleeping in the park.

Always remember to investigate your room before you pay. If the hotel says they have hot water, turn on the shower and feel it for yourself. If they say they have a swimming pool, have a look. Sit on the bed. Examine the locks. Pay attention to who your neighbors might be, because you?re not getting a refund.

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If you are looking for tranquil peace the Bahamas is the right option for you. Most of the Bahamian population is black at about 85% and the next largest population group are whites at 12%. Other minorities include Hispanics and Asians at 3%. Many Bahamian whites are concentrated on Harbour Island, Abaco Island, Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, Montagu bay, and the Long Islands district of New Providence. There are also a significant number of noncitizen white expatriates from Europe and the United States.

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an independent English-speaking nation in the West Indies. An archipelago of 700 islands and cays (which are small islands), the Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean, the United States and east of Florida, north of Cuba and the Caribbean, and northwest of the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Documented Bahamian history begins with the words, Baja Mar, the name the Spanish bestowed on the islands. This term is misleading, however; it means shallow sea, but the islands are really mountain plateaus that emerged from the Atlantic hundreds of thousands of years ago. Christopher Columbus’s first landfall in the New World in 1492 is believed to have been on the island of San Salvador (also called Watling’s Island), in the southeastern Bahamas. He encountered Taino (also known as Lucayan) Amerindians and exchanged gifts with them.

The 294,982 people who live in The Bahamas are predominantly of West African descent. Their ancestors were slaves brought to the islands to work the cotton plantations until 1834, when Britain abolished slavery in all its territories. Most white residents of are descendants of the first English settlers, who emigrated from Bermuda in 1647 to gain religious freedom. Some are also related to the Loyalists who fled the southern United States during the American Revolution and built enormous plantations here.

Religion is an important and integral part of Bahamian life. Even the tiniest village has a church, sometimes two. The people’s religious ardor and high regard for education are evidence of their Puritan heritage, derived from the Eleutheran Adventurers. Music is also very popular and is in the very bones of the people. Caribbean Calypso, African rhythms, English folk songs and the uniquely Bahamian Goombay beat echo in the air.

Weddings and funerals in The Bahamas are especially important social events. People begin celebrating a marriage weeks before the official ceremony begins, and the passing of loved ones is commemorated by parties long after they are gone.

Anyone in search of the perfect beach might very well start with the Islands of The Bahamas, whose relatively small land mass belies the sheer quantity of its beachfront. With the vast majority of the islands shaped like slivers, one imagines two gorgeous stretches of beach separated by the most perfunctory of inlands. The beaches of The Bahamas are often coupled with shallow transparent water for hundreds of yards out to sea, rising gently to sandbars before finally dropping into the depths.

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.Jam727.com offers detailed information about the Bahamas at http://www.jam727.com/bahamas.htm