If you?re looking to beat the winter blues, you may be considering a holiday to somewhere warm. There are all the usual destinations: Australia, the tropics, the Mediterranean. But if you?re looking for a holiday adventure somewhere you?ve never been?a place with a rich, ancient history, a fascinating culture, luxurious hotels and food?look no further than the Red Sea Riviera.

The Red Sea Riviera refers to a string of luxury towns along the northern coast of the Red Sea, in both Egypt and Israel. This area has worked hard in the past few decades to increase its appeal to tourists?and now there?s so much to do and see there, you won?t want to come home. Following are just a few activities and features you can find during a Red Sea Riviera holiday.

Diving on coral reefs. There are beautiful coral reefs in the Red Sea that rival anything you can find in Australia. The Red Sea Riviera has always been a popular destination for serious divers. Now that the area is welcoming more tourists, there are many opportunities for even beginner divers to get in on the action, with diving schools, tours, snorkeling, and boating trips available at tourist resorts all along the Red Sea.

Beaches. No winter holiday is complete without a warm, sunny beach full of sparkling sand. There?s nothing like digging your toes into sun-warmed sand, feeling a cool sea breeze on your face, settling down with a good book and a drink beneath a palm tree and letting your worries float away. The Red Sea area boasts some of the world?s most beautiful beaches.

Water sports. If you?re looking for adventure on the water, there?s no better place to go than the Red Sea Riviera. Local tourist destinations offer parasailing, waterskiing, motorboat rides, sailing, windsurfing, and more. Whether you?re experienced at water sports or just getting your feet wet, you?re sure to have a wonderful time on the water.

Ancient ruins. This area is rich in ancient history?and you can see it all along the Red Sea. The most famous ruins of Egypt are only a day?s travel away from Soma Bay, well within reach of a Red Sea Riviera excursion. There are also Roman ruins and mines from the time of the Roman occupation of Egypt; ancient temples, monasteries, churches, and mosques; and ruined cities from the dawn of civilization. Each town along the Red Sea Riviera boasts a rich and varied past?and more fascinating destinations for history buffs than can be counted.

Hiking. The Red Sea Riviera is truly the place where sea and mountains meet. The area borders several noted national parks, including the Wadi el Gemal National Park near Marsa Alam; the Giftun Island National Park in Hurghada; the Ras Mohammad National Park at the Gulf of Aqaba; and more. Bird-watch for herons, ospreys, and exotic desert birds; experience hiking on Mt. Sinai and trekking through Bedouin land; walk along pristine and uninhabited coastline in a marine preserve; rappel down sheer red cliffs that soar up from the dunes. If you?re looking for outdoor adventure, the Red Sea Riviera has something for everyone.

Desert safaris. Ever ridden a camel through the desert? Many resort towns along the Red Sea Riviera offer excursions through the stunning desert landscape. There?s nothing more beautiful than a vast desert sky full of stars. A desert safari is sure to be an experience you?ll never forget.

Fascinating culture. Bedouin culture places great emphasis on hospitality?you?ll see when you get to the Red Sea Riviera, and discover how welcoming the people are. It?s a relaxed, down-to-earth culture that?s sure to have you forgetting your day-to-day worries in no time. The Bedouin culture also has a rich tradition of art, poetry and music that?s sure to fascinate and inspire.

Unforgettable cuisine. Don?t be afraid to try the local cuisine. Middle-eastern cooking is bold and flavorful. No visitor should miss the ?Iftar,? the traditional meal that breaks a Muslim fast?with its rich and varied choice of traditional dishes, it?s a feast like no other. Vegetarians are well provided for in the Middle East, with lots of traditional vegetable dishes; however, vegetarians should be aware that chicken stock is often used in these recipes.

The Red Sea Riviera offers an astonishing variety of things to do, places to see, and new and exciting people to meet. With its ancient history, fascinating culture, stunning landscape, luxurious hotels and unforgettable cuisine, you?re sure to want to come back next year. If you?re looking for a holiday that?s out of the ordinary, there?s no better place to go.

Darren Panto works fro www.peltours.com Established in 1920 Peltours is the UK?s longest established tour operator to Egypt. For more information on Egypt and a wide range of Red Sea holidays visit www.peltours.com/resorts

In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is the main draw for tourism today, and rightly so, called the Crown Jewel of South East Asia the temple complexes? 40 Sq Kilometers? of temples is famous the world over, but now, more people are visiting the rest of Cambodia and the word of mouth is that the rest of the Cambodia is worth a visit as well. The Beach resort of Sihanoukville is fast becoming a holiday destination in its own right, with lots of islands and parks and things to do from hiking and exploring, scuba diving & snorkeling and boat rides, water falls, jungle treks and chilling in a hammock in a quiet beach park reading a good book. Culturally there are the markets, the local wats and the schools, where many come to donate time and money towards educating the kids.

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

After you have decided that you are going on a family vacation, the next step is to decide where to go. The tourist industry offers many destinations that will welcome you but certainly there are better and there are worse choices. Since you have decided that you go on vacation with your children, it is clear that this must be the primary consideration in choosing the destination.

The most common travel mistake with children is Las Vegas or Reno in Nevada. While the tourism industries of both cities have been trying to make the towns into family vacation destinations (Las Vegas a bit more than Reno), these towns are not originally geared toward family.

There is very little in either city that is great for children, and anything that is can be easily replicated in other locations. Besides, if you’re planning on going to Las Vegas, you probably plan on doing at least a little gambling – which is something you should save for an adults- only vacation getaway.

The preferred choice for many parents with children is Disney theme parks. These parks are often the best choice for children over five and under twelve. Children over twelve may well still like it, too. Children under five, especially those under three, might find it difficult to spend the whole day there and later they will hardly remember their visit to Disney.

You should keep in mind, however, that Disney parks are an energetic vacation destination. These are not good places to go for a relaxing time, since they tend to be crowded, and there is always something new to go and see. With younger children, expect cranky afternoons.

For a more relaxed family vacation, you should think about a destination like Hawaii. While Hawaii is not geared specifically toward children, there are still plenty of things for you to do depending on which island you’re staying on.

Hawaii is the best place for a family vacation with children who are ten or older. The reason is that most entertainment activities are suitable for older children – for example Pearl Harbor. If you visit it and your children are too young, they will hardly figure out the significance of the place.

Another suggestion for a family vacation with children is cruise ships. When choosing to spend your vacation on a cruise ship, there are some important facts to consider.

First, it is most likely that you will share a cabin with your family and there won~t be enough room for everybody’s liking. But since there are so many things to do outside the cabin, it shouldn~t be too much of a problem to view the cabin as a sleeping spot rather than a permanent hang-out.

Also, cruise ships are not the ideal choice for teenagers. Teenagers are in a difficult position because on one hand the majority of programs for children are targeted at children under twelve and on the other hand, teenagers are still not old enough to participate in entertainment for adults (casinos, lounges, etc.) But in any case there is the benefit that you will witness marvelous ocean views and will visit many different ports. Watch out for whales!

The conclusion is that choosing the destination for your family vacation is firmly up to you! You are the one who knows best what is interesting for your children and what is not. Take into account what is suitable for them and what is preferred by you, choose a destination or vacation package which offers the best combination of things which appeal to all of you — and you’re halfway to a great trip already.

Andrew Westforth is the owner and operator of FHT Travel — a large and comprehensive collection of information on travel, including articles, resources and a free newsletter.

For great travel information, go to: http://www.fhttravel.com

There is an old saying – ?you get what you pay for?. If that?s true then what would you expect for nearly $11,000 a night? If you said gold leaf, your own butler, 13 different pillow options, one Jacuzzi and a revolving bed then the Burj Al Arab in Dubai is the hotel for you.

Forbes magazine rates the Burj Al Arab in Dubai as one of the most expensive hotels in the world. Prices start from $1,770 a night for a basic suite and range up to $10,890 per night for the Royal Suite. Whilst the Burj Al Arab is the most expensive hotel in the Middle East, it is by no means unique. The luxury hotel market is growing by the day with more and more developments on the way. Forbes has quoted the Smith Travel Research as saying that the average luxury hotel price has risen 16% in the 12 months prior to May 2006. Developers are taking advantage of this growing market and planning more high class hotels for the region.

A range of boundary setting luxury hotels are expected in the region with Donald Trump, Giorgio Armani and the Versace Group all planning to take advantage of one of Europe?s favourite holiday destinations. And the little luxuries seem to be limitless. The beachfront palazzo planned by the Versace Group will regulate the sand on the beaches to prevent burned feet. Perhaps gold flip flops were considered but were ruled out because they were just too heavy!

Africa and Asia also have their own prestigious group of jaw dropping luxury hotels for the occasional millionaire. The Londolozi Tree Camp in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve, the six specialty tree-top suites start at $1,916 per night, and each comes with a private plunge pool. Rates include three Pan-African meals and two game drives per day, plus bush walks, and guests can view elephants, lions and leopards. Now that’s value for money.

Does anyone have an American Express gold card I could use?

Drake & Cavendish provides a luxury hotel research directory featuring over 5,000 luxury hotels in over 700 resort locations around the world. As a content provider we are committed to developing entertaining and informative travel related information. You can read further articles and details at http://www.drakeandcavendish.com

Hotel short break experts have a simple philosophy ? grown ups should be having fun too! It is keeping this belief in mind when they created their innovative ?Warner Breaks? which offer adults the very best in live entertainment, leisure activities and luxury accommodation ? all at a fantastically competitive price. Its easy to see why people like to come back year after year.

Superbreak has been long synonymous with the short break hotel market and consumers can begin their selection by visiting superbreak Warner breaks and choosing their hotel. Here are just some of the great choices available;

The Bembridge Hotel ? Isle of Wight: From the hotel’s glorious secluded vantage point, watch yachts cross the Solent before taking a dip in the sea (depending on the time of year of course!). Back on land, the hotel has 23 acres of beautiful grounds with famous Spanish Gardens that are ideal to explore in the light evenings. The hotel has extensive leisure facilities including a heated indoor pool, sauna steam room and fitness studio – just the thing before a night of fantastic entertainment.

Cricket St Thomas Hotel ? Somerset: Star of BBC’s To The Manor Born, this Grade II listed manor house has its own wildlife park with over 600 rare species. Guests can enjoy the grace and beauty of this historic venue, set in the lovely Somerset countryside. Guests can enjoy great entertainment in the purpose built 430 seater venue, with its full-theatre sound and lighting. There is also the opportunity for guests to get active with tennis, archery or fencing.

Superbreak.com, incorporating Theatrebreak.com, is the internet division of Superbreak Mini Holidays Limited, the market leader for short breaks throughout the UK. Superbreak is part of Holidaybreak plc, a publicly quoted leisure company whose share price can be found in most major UK newspapers, or at Holiday break.

About the Author

Michael Hanna is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland.

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