Tag Archives: Nightlife
Gorgeous Grande-Terre: Must Do’s for Every Day-tripper
Grande-Terre Island is the name given to the eastern half of Guadeloupe Island (with the other half known as Basse-Terre). It is the home of most of Guadeloupe’s tourist resorts and farmlands, due to its beautiful land and coastline. If you you’re only visiting Grande-Terre Island for a day trip however, what attractions can you see to keep busy?
Aquarium de la Guadeloupe
For people that want to spend the day relaxing and enjoying marine life, Aquarium de la Guadeloupe is an excellent choice. With its variety of marine life, visitors can enjoy seeing everything from crabs to sharks. Daily snorkelling tours are also available, so visitors can experience the beauty of marine life first-hand, with a biologist and diving instructor.
Ft. Fleur D’épee
If you want to take full advantage of all inclusive long haul holidays, visiting the fortress in Bas-du-Fort is a must. Built between 1759 and 1763, the fortress can be found on the hillside behind a deep moat. The fortress is well-known for its battles between the French and English in 1794, and visitors can learn everything they need to about the battles and fortress history through guided tours.
Musée Camelia Costumes et Traditions
If you want to see a true labour of love, you must take the time to visit the Musée Camelia Costumes et Traditions. The private collection, owned by a retired English teacher named Camelia Bausivoir, includes examples of the dress of different societies through the ages. You can see baptism outfits, madras headdresses, colonial pith helmets, and much more.
Cathédrale de St-Pierre et St-Paul
For tourists that enjoy visiting religious sites, Cathédrale de St-Pierre et St-Paul is a must. Built in 1807, the cathedral has Creole-style balconies and stained windows that give it a dramatic effect. Since it was battered by hurricanes, it is under renovation and supported by ribs and pillars.
Musée St-John Perse
If you have a strong love for French culture and literature, visiting the Musée St-John Perse is sure to please. The museum is dedicated to Alexis Léger (better known as Saint-John Perse), a famous poet. In fact, in 1960, he won the Nobel Prize for literature. Most of his best work was inspired by his love for Guadeloupe.
Le Gosier
Le Gosier is a popular place for many tourists due to its shops, nightclubs, rental car agencies, and its casino. Although it simply used to serve as a stopping place between Pointe-à-Pitre and Ste-Anne, it is now one of the most popular tourist attractions.
St-François
Aside from Gosier, St-François is another area fast growing in popularity with tourists. In fact, it is believed that St-François is quickly overtaking Gosier as being the most fashionable and luxurious resort area. The area includes hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, golfing, and a casino.
With so much to see and do in Grande-Terre, any tourist can enjoy a wonderful day trip.
Alex Norman loves living under the stars. An avid traveller, he loves to write about a variety of topics that revolve around the great outdoors.
Beautiful, bright Bodrum, Turkey!
I’ve been going to Turkey for the last seven years, and I’ve watched it change as tourism has become big business over recent years. The number of visitors to this wonderful, mysterious country has increased dramatically, and Bodrum is one of those booming resorts.
Fantastic beaches, lively night-life, delicious restaurants, history, culture, and lots of shopping, all with the potential to explore further afield – it’s no wonder Bodrum is so popular.
There are some fantastic package holidays to Bodrum this summer, ranging from all-inclusive, half-board, full-board and self-catering. Personally, I tend to book self-catering, as there are some wonderful restaurants around and I enjoy the freedom to go where I please in the evening, however if you’re travelling with children, I’d recommend all-inclusive, to keep costs on holiday low.
Getting to the airport itself can be a hassle, and you’ll find that many flights to Turkey are at awkward times of the day from the UK. A great way to save money and combat stress is to pre-book Airport parking at your terminal, meaning no need to book an expensive airport taxi, and putting the control firmly back in your hands. You’ll find a service no matter where you fly from, and I recently used Stansted Airport parking at Airparks, with no complaints from me whatsoever! I’d highly recommend you look into what’s available from your airport.
Once you land at Bodrum Airport, it’s under an hour’s transfer to your hotel, depending on where you’re staying. It’s easy to get around resort, thanks to the handy dolmus, or mini-bus, running around resort, but Bodrum is quite compact, so I’d suggest a pair of comfortable flip flops and head out on foot and explore. The dolmus is invaluable for exploring the surrounding area, such as the nearby resort of Gumbet, with its wide beach and plentiful water-sports. Alternatively, haggle the price of your excursions from a street vendor and head out on a jeep safari into the surrounding countryside, through villages and hills. A boat trip is also a must-do excursion, as well as a traditional Turkish bath for that longer lasting tan.
In Bodrum itself, the castle should be your first port of call, stood imposing over the town. It also hosts the popular Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which is a surprisingly interesting morning or afternoon’s entertainment, and one the kids will love too.
For retail therapy hits, the marina has the best in terms of designer buys, however I love the markets for unusual souvenirs, and the haggling is fun once you get used to it.
As with most Turkish resorts, night-life is bright, vibrant and lively, yet also very varied. If you want to party, you’ll find plenty of clubs and bars, especially down on the water-front, yet if you just want a good meal and a few drinks, you’re more than catered for too. I’d really recommend trying some traditional Turkish cuisine, such as tasty chicken shish kebab, followed by some naughty-but-nice kunefe, and a glass of raki. Turkish food is cheap, plentiful and certainly delicious!
For a sunshine break with an added difference, Bodrum is a fantastic choice. Remember those airport extras and your holiday will not only be cheaper, but will start in a much more rested manner, without the stress of the airport marring the start of your break. You’re not forgotten in the parking stakes no matter you fly from, with services such as Luton Airport parking fantastic value for money.
Sunshine is a given, a great holiday is guaranteed – head to Bodrum this summer.
This was a guest post from Michelle Camens
Macau: Like Las Vegas but…Better!
The West has Las Vegas. The East has Macau. Vegas’s hotels are found on the “Strip.” Macau’s hotels are found on the “islands.” Las Vegas takes in $6.2 billion annually. Macau takes in nearly four times that amount ($25 billion). If Las Vegas is the “kid sister” of the World when it comes to gambling, then Macau is surely the big brother of the East, and it is all grown up now.
Similar to Hong Kong, Macau is what is known as an “administrative” area in China. It’s not really outside of the country, but it’s not really inside either, which makes it the perfect spot to serve as an international gambling haven.
It works geographically as well. Macau is a peninsula, which means it is near-surrounded by water (and in recent past it was actually still an island.) So, there is no shortage of beachfront property on which to erect some of the world’s most luxurious resorts and hotels.
In short, Macau is like Las Vegas…but better.
Staying
The Macau Peninsula is home to a number of noteworthy hotels, mostly built by the same management responsible for the stunning casino-resorts that line the Strip in Vegas—but with a grandiosity that makes the Nevada gaming counterpart look like a total dump.
For example, the Venetian Macau, a cavernous triumph of architecture, is not only an oversized replica of the version found on the Strip in Vegas, it actually holds the record for the biggest casino gaming floor in the world.
Other hotels in Macau that are also in Vegas include the Wynn and The Hyatt.
The Wynn owner, Steve Wynn, loves Macau so much he has vowed to build a replica of the Las Vegas Strip itself on a pier that connects two of the main islands in Macau. Talk about a direct comparison.
Gambling
One of the truly great aspects about Las Vegas is how cheap it is (in theory). Even if you go absolutely insane the first night and blow all your money at the Tao, you can drink for free and walk the Strip the next night fairly easily.
In Macau, things are a little bit different. There are no deals, there are no sales, and if you’re the type of person who is looking for the minimum bet gaming section, you may be disappointed to find that the minimum bet per hand for table games comes averages out to be around $35-60 USD depending on where you stay.
(Not surprisingly, Macau makes more money from its table games than it does slots, which is the opposite in Vegas.)
With prices like that, you had better hope that your win streak begins quickly or you might find yourself taking out a second mortgage just to make it through that dinner on your second night in Macau!
Entertainment
Similar to gambling, going out in Macau for entertainment is more of an investment than a savings. That said, however, Macau is home to some of the most impressive entertainment shows on earth.
If you have the chance, check out the “Tree of Prosperity” exhibit at the Wynn, whereupon a tree “grows” out of the floor amidst a light show to meet one of the most majestic chandeliers you’ll ever witness majestically hanging above.
If you are more the Cirque de Soleil type, head on over to the Venetian to sit beneath the big top to take in the already infamous “Zaia” show, a spectacular mix of high-wire acrobatics and choreographed dances.
This was a guest post by Simon who is a writer and content specialist…and he’s addicted to being on the front page of anything. A graduate of Dalhousie University, he specializes in using the em dash too often. Currently, Simon rests his typing hands in Vancouver, Canada.