It is located in southeastern Europe. Romania is surrounded by Ukraine to the north, Hungary to its north west, Moldova to the north east and Bulgaria in the south. The famous river Danube flows through Romania from the northwest to the east into the equally famous black sea after forming a picturesque delta- the famous Danube delta!

Romanians are known to be very friendly and hospitable people. The national language is Romanian and others include Hungarian and German. Most Romanians can also communicate fluently in English.

How to get to Romania?
If you are in Europe you can get to Romania by train, road or a sea cruise! If you are in another part of the world then the most convenient airline is the AUSTRIAN. For the flight details, you can either visit an international travel agent in your area or book your tickets online the latter is preferable if you want to move about and discover the place on your own and of course if you have done it on previous vacations to other places. You can opt for a tour package if you are not too sure of going on your own.

Places to stay once you are there:

Why not try the 4 Star Hotel Europa in Eforie Nord. Situated in a dramatic setting overlooking the bay in the scenic Efories Nord.

Or perhaps spend your holiday at the 3 Star Vox Maris Club Resort Hotel an ideal short haul summer destination. In Costinesti the Vox Maris is a self-contained club resort and is a perfect location to enjoy the Black Sea.

Or finally why not stay at the excellent value Raluca Hotel in the beautiful Black sea beach resort of Venus.

Places to Visit

Looking for leisure?
The beaches along the black sea coast of Romania are your best bet. Romania has a 225 miles stretch of the most beautiful pristine white sandy beaches dotted with hotels and natural spas. The lakes and rivers of the Danube delta are another place for leisure and for the romantic at heart!

For the history enthusiast
There are a number of ancient castles and fortresses and still intact medieval towns for the history buff to visit. The most famous castles are Peles castle, Bran castle, Corvinesti castle and the Royal Palace Bucharest. Among the best preserved medieval towns are Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara. One of Sighisoara?s most famous attractions is the Clock Tower also known as Council Tower built in the 14th Century; another famous attraction is Vlad the Impaler or Dracula House. The painted monasteries are another very interesting must see place in Romania!

Looking for Natural Therapeutic Remedies?
Spas are said to have been started by the Romans and Romania is home to a third of Europe?s mineral and thermal springs. Romania’s main spas are located at Mangalia, Neptun, Eforie Nord, Covasna, Slanic Moldova, Vatra Dornei, Borsec, Sovata, Tusnad, Calimanesti, Govora, Herculane, Buzias and Baile Felix.

Activities:
Given Romania?s diverse terrain, climate, flora, and fauna you can choose from a number of activities such as Bird watching, camping, cycling tours, fishing, golf, hiking, horseback riding, rafting, skiing.

Darren Panto sales & marketing Peltours – the UK?s leading tour operator to Romania and the Red Sea. For more information on Romanian holidays and the major resorts of the area visit http://www.peltours.com/introducingromania/index.html Alternatively, for a full and comprehensive Romanian holiday search visit http://www.peltours.com.

There are a couple of important considerations when choosing travel luggage. First, one of the greatest mistakes that people make when buying travel luggage, is worrying more about weight than size. Weight is less of a problem than bulk, though it is important to be conscious of both. If you can travel light, all the better, but if you cannot, then try to travel small. Secondly, bring what is the most important to you. Some people have the incredible ability to travel with merely a tent, a toothbrush, a change of clothes and a guidebook. I am not one of them, but have found that if you can bring a balance of basic necessities and things for enriching your experience (such as a camera or journal), this can help you pack more quickly.

Your choice of travel luggage is of paramount importance, and will most likely involve you making a purchase at one point or another. After a certain point in your life, it will no longer suffice to borrow your brother?s ripped backpack from fifteen years back or your father?s first roll travel suitcase. You will have to hazard a purchase on your own.

Backpacks can be an obvious choice for people who will be hiking over hills and doing a fair amount of camping. It is the kind of travel luggage that distributes weight evenly on your shoulders and hips and takes the main weight off your lower back. However, if you are considering using public transport and walking in busy, crowded areas, it may be wiser to buy a combination bag and backpack. Both pieces come apart and zip together depending on where you are going, and can be very helpful if you do not wish to look too conspicuous with your backpack.

If you are going on a tour, and will be with a group who has their travel luggage carried for them, it may be wise to look into purchasing a duffel bag. These are easily stored in compartments where suitcases do not fit, and can be easily hoisted on to a pack animal or stowed away on a boat.

Traveling by air may merely require that you purchase a conventional suitcase, and if you are a frequent traveler, it may be wise to get a good quality one. The typical way that travel luggage is handled in airports could easily seeing you replacing that cheap suitcase after each trip.

However and wherever you go, remember to consider the importance of what you will be carrying, and how the travel luggage that you eventually choose can either make or break a trip.

For more information on the best Travel Deals Online try visiting Ultimate Travel Deals Video located at http://vacation-travel-deals.com/traveldeals.htm where you will find valuable information on cheap tickets and other information..

Con Artists are very clever and one of their prime targets is the uninformed traveler. When you visit someplace you have never been to before take the time to research and learn a little bit about the place you are headed. You can easily find information on town and city layouts, crime rates and the types of restaurants and services available online or by making a few well placed phone calls. A Con Artist may offer to help you find information on places or help to secure you a hotel reservation or place to stay at a much cheaper cost, but will really take your money and leave you lost and confused. There are some people who actually supply these services to travelers but their methods may be under the table, quasi illegal or down right against the law. You could get in trouble if they are caught or you may even be tricked by undercover police officers pretending to offer such services.

You can take some simple steps avoid being taken by a con artist. Travel in groups or with another person. There is safety in numbers and con artists are less likely to go after a herd of tourists. If someone does approach your or your fellow travelers tell them ?no thanks,? in a firm tone of voice. If they persist and even begin to follow you remain firm, threaten to call the authorities. If you?ve done your research you should have seen at least a few photos of the type of clothing people wear in the place you are about to visit. Take note of this when packing. For example the French, especially Parisians wear dark and muted colors and they only smile at people they know, friends and family. If you take clothing that is similar to the style and do your best to adopt the social attitude of those you are traveling among you are less likely to stand out as a tourist. There may not be much you can do about the language barrier, but from a distance you won?t look as much a foreigner and therefore an easy mark.

Gail Leino is known throughout the internet world as Mrs. Party. She has become the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies with clever themes. Her simple party planning approach demostrates how to use proper manners while teaching etiquette with organizational skills. She shares lots of interesting fun facts. See travel vacations for information on exotic destinations.

The plan follows on from a report last year for the Association of London Government, which represents 32 boroughs, which described the tax as, an ideal minor tax in that it relates to a group that imposes clear costs on authorities but which presently contributes nothing directly towards those costs.

The current proposals, as they stand, could raise the cost of a short UK break by up to ?100 for the average family. While the UK is already, throughout Europe, second only to Denmark in the severity of its taxation levels for tourism, the newly proposed tax would put Britain firmly above the Danes making it the highest taxed holiday destination in the EU, nearly three times the European average.

The idea which is presently under consideration by Sir Michael Lyons, who is tasked to review the plans for future local government financing, however the Liberal Democrats warned that implementing such a move could be disastrous for the entire ?12bn UK tourism sector.

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster told the BBC, When you think that VAT on tourist-related activities in this country is 17.5 per cent, whereas in the rest of Europe it is 8.5 per cent and in countries like France 5.5 per cent, these tourists use services, but they are certainly already paying for them.

Industry news publisher Caterer and Hotelkeeper has been joined by the UK hotel big hitter, Travelodge, along with the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and the Tourism Alliance (an umbrella group of 45 trade associations), to formally lobby against the plans. Another hotel industry heavyweight, Hilton, spokeswoman said the company strongly supported the BHA’s efforts.

While Travelodge has set up its own online petition, the deputy chief executive of the BHA, Martin Couchman, said the organisation encouraged its members to lobby independently, a message which online UK hotel directory Superbreak has taken to heart, with its own petition, in an ongoing campaign to bring prices down.

A recent Travelodge survey of 2,000 UK consumers, revealed that 85% already believe UK hotels are too expensive, a perception that will only be exacerbated by a 10% price hike. Current predictions by the tourist industry indicate the impact of the tax could lead to the possible loss of up to ?1.3bn and 32,000 jobs if the tax were to be introduced.

Don Foster commented, We have got a problem and anything like a bed tax that would put people off from coming to this country would be a real disaster.

Submitted by: Michael Hanna

About Michael Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:

Contact details: E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com Phone: 0131 561 2251 Michael’s Website: Taxi Belfast Airport Belfast Taxis

First things first – why Byron Bay, and where is it?

Byron Bay is a town 800km (~500 miles) north of Sydney and south of Brisbane, on the north coast of New South Wales (NSW). It has a population of approx. 9,000 people, with the larger Byron Shire having close to 30,000 people living in its boundaries.

With average summer daytime temperatures of 28C (~82F), and average winter daytime temperatures of 21C (~69F), both locals and visitors enjoy plenty of outdoor activities, due to the moderate but very pleasant climate.

Byron Bay is truly a destination for all seasons because of these lovely temperatures and the beautiful environment. If you’ve never been to Byron Bay before, it’s approximately 2 hours drive south of Brisbane and a 40 minute drive south of the Gold Coast. The area offers a year round tropical paradise of beaches and rainforests, and is an extremely popular tourist destination.

Spectacular blue watered beaches invite even the sun-shy to come out and explore Byron Bay. Naturally enough, there is an impressive range of luxury byron bay accommodation, including resorts, apartments and hotels. Just make sure you bring your swimming ‘togs’ so you don?t miss out on a refreshing dip in the beautiful waters.

While you are visiting Byron Bay, why not try some of the great local activities, such as rain forest tours, bush walking, hang gliding, sky diving, ultra-light flights, Harley tours, cycling, canoeing, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, horse riding, deep sea fishing, vintage car tours and Australia’s only flying trapeze school.

And when the sun finally disappears behind the hills you can dine at one of Byron Bay’s many superb, award winning restaurants, enjoy a local band or theatrical production… or stroll along a serene moonlit beach, looking forward to your next day in paradise.

If your tastes in accommodation are a little up-market, then the best resource for finding and choosing Byron Bay accommodation is the Simply Lush Luxury Accommodation directory (www.simplylush.com). This page is the gateway to their luxury Byron Bay accommodation listings.

They review and recommend beautiful beach houses (check out the front deck view of the ocean from Pips), Tuscan guest houses (Victoria’s has an awesome swimming pool) and villas, apartments, bungalows and so forth.

I guarantee you’ll be excited by the choice of luxurious Byron Bay accommodation sites on Simply Lush’s website.

For more information on these and other luxury Byron Bay accommodation choices, be sure to check out the Simply Lush website: Luxury Australian Accommodation.

? Sarong
? Duct Tape
? Plastic Baggies
? Wet Naps or Baby Wipes
? Fold Down bag
? Plastic film canister that comes with each new roll of camera film
? Earplugs and eye mask
? Toilet paper

Many women have found the sarong to be an invaluable tool. You can use it as a skirt, head covering, bag, swimsuit, dress, towel, shawl, blanket, curtain for privacy and it can even be used as an impromptu bandage in case of injury. Duct tape explains itself. It can be your quick fix for numerous problems including a rip in your tent. Plastic baggies can hold everything from food to seashells found on the beach. Baby Wipes come in handy when you are short on running water. If you plan on making a lot of purchases a fold down bag can fold out and hold items for you. Those plastic film canisters make great medicine containers. Those who are on a long flight or in a hotel with paper thin walls will greatly appreciate earplugs and an eye mask. Last but certainly not least you can never know which places will run out of toilet paper right when you need to go, so always keep some on hand.

These are recommended extras that you can pick and choose from at length and will probable be more essential for some people, while merely being extra baggage for others. It?s really up to the traveler to decide what items they should add to personalize their travel kits, but my top three picks are duct tape, Baby Wipes and toilet paper.

Gail Leino is known throughout the internet world as Mrs. Party. She has become the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies with clever themes. Her simple party planning approach demostrates how to use proper manners while teaching etiquette with organizational skills. She shares lots of interesting fun facts. See travel vacations for more tips.

Despite the climate the capital city has its own individual personality. It holds the Paruqe del Retiro, a world famous area of paths and avenues, a royal palace and grand public squares. Its museums are brimming with Spain?s historic treasures. Madrid is a city that has the best in shopping facilities. The latest designer clothes are sold in classy upmarket stores. There are food markets throughout the city and the centuries-old Rastro, open every Sunday, is one of the world?s greatest flea markets.

The central plateau is covered in dry plains and massive rolling fields. Given the attractions of the Costas and the Islands it is not an area where many Europeans call home. It is a place to work. Long straight roads and huge fields with wheat, sunflowers and grape overwhelm the region. It is deserted and of real beauty, suitable for those endangered in agriculture or for those who want to get off the beaten track, going back to the roots in old rural Spain.

Contributed by S.Fry of http://www.spainlog.co.uk, see more of her work at Spain family holidays

Sihanoukville has a 5 star resort on its own kilometer long private beach. The pool could be classified as a small lake and is almost visible from space, complete with a bridge to its own little island. The hotel is only 2 years old and has a staff to guest ratio of 4/1. The prices for comparable hotels in South East Asia would be substantially higher.

If you are a budget traveler then Sihanoukville is your place as well, there are many rooms available with air con, hot water, refrigerator and Cable TV for $10 – $20 a night and if you want a place to stay for 6 months or more, you can get a business visa at the border on demand and stay as long as you like, works out to around $1 a day for the visa extensions, making the town attractive to pensioners and semi retired people.

Backpackers also like Sihanoukville with a few places offering 50 cent tall cold beers and cheap food starting at $.50. Some are also finding work as bar tenders and working the restaurants. Backpacker hostels start as low as free, Yup free, all you have do is buy one of your meals at the lodging and the price for the food is still cheap $1.50 to 2.50 a plate.

One local expert expat?s guess?s that there are more western owned business per population in Sihanoukville than any other place in Asia! Many are coming and starting guesthouses & hotels, small bed and breakfast places, restaurants and bars and small resorts with a few starting to pop up on the islands off the coast. Want to rent your own fantasy island for a week check out Magic Island?

Logistically everything that you will need is here including reliable electricity, internet, and western restaurants as well as a lot of Asian European specialty foods prepared with the western travelers tastes in mind including Khmer seafood, Thai, Vietnamese, French, Italian, German, Russian, Indian, Sri Lankan and more coming soon. English languages schools are many in Sihanoukville, so you can almost always find someone to speak English when you need it.

Money use to be a problem as you had to go inside the banks to get cash and with 26 holidays on the Cambodian calendar, you could get stuck with out cash for a few days, now there are ATM locations in Siem Reap- Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh, Battembong and Sihanoukville. You can change just about every currency including Yen, Euros, Baht, Kip, Dong, and Sing Dollars. US Dollars and Cambodian Riel are the two most common currencies in use.

Sihanoukville is getting easier to get to with cheap international flights into Bangkok and really cheap regional flights into Phnom Penh. Flights into Sihanoukville are very close to being a reality as well. Regularly scheduled busses from Phnom Penh will get you to Sihanoukville in 4 hours on a excellent American built road. You can also arrange taxis and vans for moving groups of people, and an established over water route form Bangkok to Trat to the Had Lek – Klang Yai border to Sihanoukville. You might even arrive here via a cruise ships, as more are placing Sihanoukville on their itineraries.

The Islands of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand are mostly uninhabited; you will find isolated Spartan fishing villages with populations normally fewer than 100 people. One Island, Koh Tang, has only 7 residents and would take the better part of a day to hike around, so if you are looking for that deserted island to strand yourself on, to work on your coconut carving and ship in a bottle skills there are many here to chose from, bring your own hammock and Gal Friday or they can be acquired here in Sihanoukville.

The Cambodia of the past always seemed to bring up horrific images of the past misfortunes that the Khmers suffered at the end of the Vietnam War. Even today, the genocide in Cambodia is still in the news as the country has its tribunal to hopefully put the events behind them,

One of the few backhanded benefits of the recent past history was that Cambodia missed out on all of the heavy industrialization, that the other countries in the region experienced, notably Thailand and Vietnam; which means that they missed out on the pollution that goes with it. A UN survey of the waters in Asia, that included Cambodia, found only 3 areas of concern for ocean water quality near shore, where as Vietnam and Thailand, had allot problem locations, mostly from the industrial pollutions and shrimp farms. This may change, unfortunately, as oil has been found in Cambodia and the drilling of exploration holes has begun. So now is a really good time to come.

As Cambodia moves forward towards the future, it is obvious to most that the future in Cambodia is tourism. And for Cambodia?s beach resort of Sihanoukville, to misquote the tune ?the futures so bright, in Sihanoukville, that your gonna need shades?

Fred Tittle has lived and worked in resorts his entire life, from South East Wisconsin at the famous Lake Geneva Playboy Club and Nippersink Resort, Aspen Colorado where he was a rock jock for KSPN FM, Waikiki on Oahu in Hawaii where he drove big bikes and learned to scuba dive and now as a owner of EcoSea Dive in Sihanoukville Cambodia where he teaches PADI and SSI Scuba Diving and runs holiday adventure tours to the outer islands. Fred is working on a new website project CheapCharliesHotels.com as a excuse to travel more and work less, basically his life?s ambition. His website is http://www.ecosea.com

The New Forest was set aside as a Royal hunting ground at around 1079 by William the Conqueror. It is now the biggest area of largely unspoilt countryside in the lowlands of southern Britain and one of the few medieval forests remaining in Europe. Against all the odds, an ancient landscape of majestic woodlands, gorse-covered heathland and boggy valleys has survived into the twenty-first century. But the forest is not a desolate place. People have been living in the forest well before its creation as a Royal hunting ground. Indeed, the original inhabitants were allowed to remain in the forest. Today, the Forest is home to a collection of some of the most quintessential of English villages; quaint Norman churches, small, cosy pubs, greens and idyllic thatched cottages.

Although a village, Lyndhurst has always been considered the ‘capital of the New Forest’. It is in this village that you can find the New Forest Museum. It tells the story of the New Forest through a seventeen minute audio-visual show and a series of well-arranged displays and dioramas. Visiting the museum is recommended as the first stop for the visitor, in order to gain an oversight of the history of the Forest and what it has to offer. The village church, St Michael and All Angels, is a modern building, built in the 1860s. The fine east window contains a superb stained glass window, designed by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. Near the parish church is Queen’s House – always known as King’s House when a king is on the throne. This was formerly the residence of the Lord Warden of the Forest, but now houses the offices of the Forestry Commission. Lyndhurst has two cricket pitches. Near the Beaulieu road, Bolton’s Bench cricket pitch has a thatched pavilion. It is overlooked by Bolton’s Bench, a hillock crowned with a distinctive yew, with seats beneath. The other pitch is called Swan Green and gets its name from the Swan Inn which overlooks it. This green is considered to be one of the most picturesque village scenes in Hampshire.

Lyndhurst may be the ‘capital’ but Brokenhurst is the largest of the New Forest villages. The name comes from old English, meaning ‘broken wooded hill’. The village has a mainline railway station and it is possible to catch a train from London – and Winchester – to the village. The local parish church is called St Nicholas’s and has a fine Norman doorway in the south porch. Beside the church the visitor may be surprised to find the ‘New Zealand war cemetery’. Neat rows of tombstones commemorate over one hundred soldiers who died in a nearby hospital during World War I. The village also has many fine old pubs and it is not unusual to see forest ponies meandering down the villages roads. The village is also the starting point of the New Forest Cycle Experience.

As the name suggests, Fordingbridge gets its name from the fact that the village has a bridge that spans a river, the river Avon. In fact, the most photographed aspect of the town is the ancient seven-arch Great Bridge, best seen from the recreation ground. Just outside the village you can visit the Rockbourne Roman Villa. Excavated in the 1950s by a local enthusiast, A T Morley-Hewitt; over fifty rooms were discovered. The museum displays some of the artefacts found in the digs and shows many aspects of life in a Romano-British villa of the second to fourth centuries. The village of Rockbourne is considered by many to be one of Hampshire’s prettiest villages. Thatched cottages line both sides of the village street, with a clear chalk stream running along one side.

Beaulieu is one of the most visited villages in the New Forest. The village is extremely picturesque, with thatched cottages and the scenic backdrop of the tidal estuary of the Beaulieu River. It is not unusual to see a group of donkeys walking down the main street, where several of the Georgian red-brick cottages are tastefully adapted as souvenir shops or tea-rooms. The Palace House and its grounds form one of the most popular sites in the south of England. A single entrance fee covers not only the House but also the remains of Beaulieu Abbey and the National Motor Museum. If Beautiful cars of the past are your thing, then the Motor Museum is a must see.

There are many more pretty, smaller villages in the New Forest. Each has its own charms and is worth exploring. Once a visitor enters the Forest he or she is hard pressed to leave. Its gentle, beguiling beauty has been appreciated by visitors for hundreds of years.

Robin O’Brien lives and works in Winchester and is founder of Winchester Tourist Information where you can find more information on the city such as, places to visit, walks, restaurants, photographs and hotels in Winchester

Despite the climate the capital city has its own individual personality. It holds the Paruqe del Retiro, a world famous area of paths and avenues, a royal palace and grand public squares. Its museums are brimming with Spain?s historic treasures. Madrid is a city that has the best in shopping facilities. The latest designer clothes are sold in classy upmarket stores. There are food markets throughout the city and the centuries-old Rastro, open every Sunday, is one of the world?s greatest flea markets.

The central plateau is covered in dry plains and massive rolling fields. Given the attractions of the Costas and the Islands it is not an area where many Europeans call home. It is a place to work. Long straight roads and huge fields with wheat, sunflowers and grape overwhelm the region. It is deserted and of real beauty, suitable for those endangered in agriculture or for those who want to get off the beaten track, going back to the roots in old rural Spain.

Contributed by S.Fry of http://www.spainlog.co.uk, see more of her work at Spain family holidays