Chủ Nhật, 30 tháng 4, 2017

The 20 best destinations to visit in 2017 (Part 1)



From the charms of Chile to glorious Granada and the beaches of Bermuda, our experts select the 20 best destinations to visit in the coming months.

1. Chile

If Brazil owned South American travel last year, Chile takes over for 2017. Slowly, methodically, the continent’s most overlooked wonderland has become arguably its most desirable adventure tourism destination – precisely the gong it picked up at last year’s World Travel Awards.

And why? Because it’s a whopping 2,650 miles long, yet never more than 150 miles wide – and is packed with ecosystems, biodiversity, topographies. It has 36 national parks, some of the most extreme environments on Earth, from deserts to fjords to subpolar islands, and the roads and footpaths and necessary infrastructure to make these accessible.

Non-stop flights to Chile start in 2017

The major novelty for 2017 is a new British Airways flight from Heathrow, non-stop, four times a week. It takes 14 hours and 40 minutes to get there, but it still speeds up and smoothes the journey to Santiago.

The capital is awash with new boutique hotels – Luciano K and Magnolia are the latest – and fine dining, including four restaurants in the influential San Pellegrino Top 50 ranking for 2016. Fourth-placed Boragó was well above any in Buenos Aires.

Chile’s wine tourism scene is the most developed south of Napa, with the Maule Valley opening up to visitors with a smart new five-room boutique hotel at Casa Bouchon.

Santiago CREDIT: ALAMY

Urban pleasures sorted, it’s time to head for extremes: the Atacama Desert in the north, where there are new hot-air balloon flights over the salt lakes; and Patagonia, where escapists can set off on a slow drive along Aysén’s lonely Southern Highway and stay at Parque Patagonia, Chile’s newest, and least overcrowded, protected area. (Chris Moss)

How to go

British Airways flights between London Heathrow and Santiago cost from about £740 return (ba.com); a two-week trip to Chile, including Santiago, self-drive in Aysén, stay at Tierra Atacama, and a balloon flight over the desert, flying from most UK airports in February 2017, costs £5,900 a head with Audley Travel (01993 838600; audleytravel.com). For more information see chile.travel.

2. Canada

It’s a big year in a big country as 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, the moment Canada became a self-governing dominion within the British Empire – a country, in other words. Today, although it plays second fiddle to Russia in terms of size, it’s hard to think of a country more beautiful or more varied – a good reason to visit at any time, let alone a year that promises to be one long, nationwide birthday party.

The big landscapes – the Canadian Rockies – are well known. Less celebrated, perhaps, is the splendour of the scenery elsewhere. Pockets of British Columbia, for example, contain desert (around Osoyoos) and warm-wintered enclaves of vines and olives (the Okanagan). On the west coast the Inside Passage – a labyrinth of fjords and islands – features North America’s finest seascapes. Alberta’s prairies contain eerie badlands (at Drumheller); the autumn colours of New Brunswick’s forests are the equal of anything in New England; and Prince Edward Island contains some of the loveliest pastoral countryside on Earth. And over it all arches the vast, ethereal beauty of the Canadian Arctic, hundreds – thousands – of miles of sublime, windswept nothing.

Big landscapes and big distances, of course, make for big journeys. By road Canada offers, among other great drives, the Icefields Parkway through the heart of the Rockies and the Alaska Highway north towards the Yukon and the old goldfields of the Klondike. By train there’s the epic Trans-Canada route or the shorter but more spectacular trips between Jasper and Prince Rupert or across the tundra from Winnipeg to Churchill on Hudson Bay.

Beyond the landscape are cities worthy of visits in their own right. Vancouver, often rated one of the world’s most liveable cities, and Montreal, a vibrant francophone enclave, are my favourites, but historic Quebec, unsung Victoria and dynamic Toronto are also compelling. (Tim Jepson)

How to go

Audley Travel (01993 838700; audleytravel.com) can tailor-make trips across Canada. A nine-day, self-drive Highlights of Canada’s West tour, taking in Vancouver and the Rockies, costs from £2,040 per person, including flights from a choice of six UK airports. Visit canada.pch.gc.cafor details of “Canada 150” events.

3. Chandigarh, India

What an intriguing mix of innovation and tradition. In northern India the bold, modernist architecture of Chandigarh has been awarded classic status, while just outside this striking city a brand-new hotel celebrates Rajput and Mughal heritage with quite some panache.

One of Le Corbusier's creations in the Indian city CREDIT: ALAMY

Chandigarh is one of the world’s most remarkable urban creations; a purpose-built city designed by Le Corbusier in the Fifties. After Partition in 1947, India’s state of Punjab needed a new capital – Lahore having been ceded to Pakistan. So prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru commissioned the great Swiss-French exponent of modernism to devise a completely new city expressive of the country’s faith in the future. The result is a masterpiece in concrete – and green spaces too. It’s a very liveable place loved locally for its wide avenues and parks.

In October its government buildings, the Capitol Complex, were among a number of Le Corbusier’s finest works worldwide to join Unesco’s World Heritage list. Pretty much simultaneously, the Oberoi group was adding final details to a new resort of great splendour, which is set on the edge of 8,000-acre Siswan Forest reserve, about half an hour’s drive from the city centre.

Formally opening next month , The Oberoi Sukhvilas offers a modern take on time-honoured Indian palace life. The landscaping is superb, with fountains and reflective pools, courtyards and colonnades. There’s a bar adorned with warrior frescoes, and there are 60 sumptuous bedrooms in a choice of villas, tents or suites. Explore the reserve with an on-hand naturalist then marvel at meticulously planned Chandigarh, from grand, naturally air-conditioned civic buildings to manhole covers etched with maps of the city. (Harriet O’Brien)

How to go

A five-night trip taking in Chandigarh and The Oberoi Sukhvilas (for three nights) and The Oberoi Gurgaon (for two nights) is offered by Ampersand Travel (020 7819 9770; ampersandtravel). The cost from £3,150 a head includes flights to Delhi and then Chandigarh, accommodation with breakfast, and guiding.

4. Granada, Spain

Spending a few days drifting around Granada is the most sensual of history lessons. The palaces and gardens of the Alhambra, created by the Nasrids, the final dynasty of Islamic Spain, are more rewarding with every visit, each time revealing a few more of the secrets concealed in the intricate architecture.

While you might come to Granada to see Spain’s most-visited monument, it is the little things along the way that seep into your soul: tiled fountains in tiny squares, flowers tumbling over whitewashed walls and forkfuls of tasty tapas in boisterous bars.

From February 4 it will be a lot easier to get to the Andalucian city when easyJet starts a new route from London Gatwick three times a week, adding to the twice-weekly British Airways flight from London City airport.

The Alhambra

Flying to Granada also makes a few days skiing in the Sierra Nevada more feasible, as the ski resort is only 29 miles (47 km) from the airport and there is usually snow until April. Walking in the Alpujarras on the southern slopes of the mountains is wonderful in May, when the landscape is covered in flowers.

Granada airport is also a handy gateway to the north east of Andalucia. In the province of Jaén, olive groves carpet the hills and the towns of Úbeda and Baeza contain astounding Renaissance architecture. The airport’s official name is Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén and devotees of the poet can head straight to his birthplace in Fuente Vaqueros on arrival, a 20-minute drive away, before visiting his summer home, the Huerta de San Vicente in the city itself. (Annie Bennett)

How to go

EasyJet offers return flights to Granada from London Gatwick from £47. A seven-night stay at the stylish three-star Marquis Urban hotel from March 4 costs from £359 per person including flights with easyJet Holidays (0203 499 5232; easyjet.com). British Airways flies from London City Airport from £110 return (0344 493 0787; britishairways.com). More information: granadatur.com; alhambra-patronato.es; spain.info.

5. Hadrian’s Wall, England

Hark! Is that the sound of hooves? There hasn’t been this much action on Hadrian’s Wall since Roman troops tramped up Ermine Street in the second century to build the 73-mile barrier between Bowness and Wallsend.

Today the wall draws walkers and cyclists, who follow its forts and milecastles in their lurching progress over sheer drops, rocky sills and swooping grasslands, from the big skies of Solway Firth to the mouth of the Tyne.

This year it celebrates its 30th anniversary as a Unesco World Heritage Site with Hadrian’s Cavalry, a six-month exhibition involving 10 sites running the length of the wall and into Hadrian’s Wall Country, 10 miles on either side.

Organisationally, this will be eerily similar to Roman battle formation, with its central front and cavalry at the wings. In the middle are Chesters Fort, one of four English Heritage sites, and Vindolanda, famed for its “tablets” or messages written in ink on bark. Chesters will examine the relationship between Roman cavalrymen and their horses, and in July presents a new installation recreating the sound of 500 horses. Vindolanda, which is near the Roman Army Museum by Walltown Crags, will display messages written by soldiers on the tablets.

Out west, the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle will stage an immersive audio-visual experience in its Roman Gallery, so that visitors can pretend to be cavalry based at the wall, skirmishing with tribes to the north.

To the east, Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum in North Shields will focus on training, tactics and dressing a cavalry horse, while two original cavalry helmets are on display in the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle.

Other sites will run a series of events and exhibitions throughout the six months, and on July 1 and 2 mounted re-enactors will stage cavalry manoeuvres at Bitts Park, Carlisle, including the first troop or turma of 30 horses seen in 2,000 years. (Sophie Campbell)

A walking path runs the length of Hadrian's Wall CREDIT: DAVID HEAD/FOTOLIA

How to go

Hadrian’s Cavalry runs from April 8 to September 10 2017.

Stay at Matfen Hall hotel, which is set in parkland near Corbridge; doubles from £94 a night with breakfast, or The Angel of Corbridge, in the town itself; doubles from £95 a night with breakfast. More information: hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/events/hadrians-cavalry-2017.

Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 3, 2017

30 Best Travel Tips (Part 2)


1. Pack A Scarf

I happen to use a shemagh, but sarongs also work smoothly. This simple piece of cotton cloth is one of my most useful accessories with variety of  practical applications. It’s great for sun protection, a makeshift towel, carrying stuff around, an eye mask, and much more.

2. Observe Daily Life

If you really want to get a feel for the pulse of a place, I recommend spending a few hours sitting in a park or on a busy street corner by yourself just watching day to day life happen in front of you.
Slow down your train of thought and pay close attention to the details around you. The smells, the colors, human interactions, and sounds. It’s a kind of meditation — and you’ll see stuff you never noticed before.

3. Back Everything Up

When my laptop computer was stolen in Panama, having most of my important documents and photos backed up saved my ass. Keep both digital and physical copies of your passport, visas, driver’s license, birth certificate, health insurance card, serial numbers, and important phone numbers ready to go in case of an emergency.

4. Take Lots Of Photos

You may only see these places & meet these people once in your lifetime. Remember them forever with plenty of photos. Don’t worry about looking like a “tourist”. Are you traveling to look cool? No one cares. Great photos are the ultimate souvenir.
They don’t cost anything, they’re easy to share with others, and they don’t take up space in your luggage. Just remember once you have your shot to get out from behind the lens and enjoy the view.

5. There’s Always A Way

Nothing is impossible. If you are having trouble going somewhere or doing something, don’t give up. You just haven’t found the best solution or met the right person yet. Don’t listen to those who say it can’t be done.

Thứ Hai, 13 tháng 3, 2017

30 Best Tips To Travel (Part 1)


1. Patience Is Important

Don’t sweat the stuff you can’t control. Life is much too short to be angry & annoyed all the time. Did you miss your bus? No worries, there will be another one. ATMs out of money? Great! Take an unplanned road trip over to the next town and explore. Sometimes freakouts happen regardless.

2. Wake Up Early

Rise at sunrise to have the best attractions all to yourself while avoiding crowds. It’s also a magical time for photos due to soft diffused light, and usually easier to interact with locals. Sketchy areas are less dangerous in the morning too. Honest hardworking people wake up early; touts, scammers, and criminals sleep in.

3. Laugh At Yourself

You will definitely look like a fool many times when traveling to new places. Rather than get embarrassed, laugh at yourself. Don’t be afraid to screw up, and don’t take life so seriously.
Once a whole bus full of Guatemalans laughed with glee when I forced our driver to stop so I could urgently pee on the side of the road. Returning to the bus and laughing with them gave me new friends for the rest of the journey.

4. Stash Extra Cash

Cash is king around the world. To cover your ass in an emergency, make sure to stash some in a few different places. I recommend at least a couple hundred dollars worth. If you lose your wallet, your card stops working, or the ATMs run out of money, you’ll be glad you did.
Some of my favorite stash spots include socks, under shoe inserts, a toiletry bag, around the frame of a backpack, even sewn behind a patch on your bag.

5. Meet Local People

Make it a point to avoid other travelers from time to time and start conversations with local people. Basic English is spoken widely all over the world, so it’s easier to communicate than you might think, especially when you combine hand gestures and body language.
Learn from those who live in the country you’re visiting. People enrich your travels more than sights do.

Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 3, 2017

Top 10 Heart-Healthy Foods


The best diet for you to have a healthy heart is food that is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber. It should also be low in saturated fats (mostly from animal sources) and trans fats (those found in many processed baked goods).
Besides eating a healthy diet, you can keep your risk factors to a minimum by getting plenty of rest, quitting smoking, keeping alcohol to a minimum, and getting some stress-reducing exercise each day.
Here are my nominations for the top 10 heart-healthy foods:
1. Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (red grapes count, too)
2. Fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna (have it twice a week)
3. Soy foods, such as soybeans, tofu, and soybean oil -- all are good sources of isoflavones
4. Whole grains, such as breads, cereals, and oatmeal
5. Nuts, such as almonds, pecans, and walnuts
6. Olive oil
7. Beans, such as pintos, garbanzos, lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas
8. Other fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and grapefruit
9. Margarines, such as those fortified with stanols or sterols
10. Teas, particularly green and black teas

Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 3, 2017

10 tips for a healthy lifestyle





1. Think outside the box
Us lazy Brits will spend 17 years of our lives on the sofa, with seven years of that devoted to watching TV. Next time you hear yourself say, "I haven't got time to go to the gym" or you opt for ready meals because you're too busy to cook fresh food, think about switching off the box and doing something healthy instead.
2. Don't take the biscuit
It may be a good idea to steer clear of the biscuit tin before you go shopping. A team from the University of Singapore recently discovered that the smell of chocolate chip cookies could make women splurge on unnecessary clothes when they hit the shops. The smell activates the part of your brain that wants instant gratification, although that's no excuse for maxing out your credit cards.


. Embracing good health
Giving your partner a hug doesn't just warm the heart, it can protect it too. A study by the University of North Carolina in 2005 found that hugging your other half for 20 seconds could lower blood pressure and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked to heart disease and other conditions such as diabetes.


4. Pouring salt on the wound
We eat around 9.5g of salt a day, but the Government wants us to cut this to no more than 6g, as high levels of salt can push up your blood pressure, raising your risk of cardiovascular conditions. Many food labels only list salt as sodium however, but you can do a simple sum to work out their real salt content; just multiply by 2.5. So 0.8g of sodium becomes 2g of salt.


5. Sunny side up
Get outside in the sunshine for a natural boost. The sun's rays on the skin help your body produce vitamin D, which has been shown to fight heart disease, depression, osteoporosis and even some types of cancer. There's not a lot of sun around at this time of year, so make the most of it when it does appear!
6. One is the magic number
One of the largest studies into diet and cancer – the Europe-wide EPIC study – found that eating just one extra portion of fruit and vegetables a day could cut your risk of dying early from any cause by 20 per cent.


7. Holding back the years
Add 14 years to your life by following four very easy principles; don't smoke, take regular exercise, drink sensibly and eat five portions of fruit and veg a day. These simple steps can have a huge impact on your life expectancy, say scientists from Cambridge University. If you only manage one thing, give up smoking as the study found this had the biggest impact on your health.


8. A step in the right direction
Previously, experts thought taking 10,000 steps a day was enough to control your weight, but a world-wide study has just established that women up to the age of 40 and men up to 50 need 12,000 steps a day to help shift that middle jiggle. Invest in a pedometer to make sure you're hitting your target.
9. Laughter is the best medicine
Become a glass-half-full person! Studies have found that those with a positive attitude suffer less from conditions such as heart disease. Find something to laugh at every day to give your feel-good hormones a boost.

Chủ Nhật, 26 tháng 2, 2017

Never Do These 10 Things When Staying in a Hotel




1. Never yell at the staff. Ever.
2. Don't let anyone know your room number. 
3. Don't get bent out of shape when the night desk agent asks to see your "new friend's" identification. Additionally, do not let a hotel employee into your room if he does not have an ID.
4. Don't blame hotel staff for your stuff losing. My personal experience is that the guests eventually find 99% of the items that they report stolen from their rooms. However, it is your right to ask the manager to call the police to file a police report.
5. Don't order from room service if you notice that the pages are dirty and torn. Also don’t order if the menu reads "Winter Menu" when it's spring.
6. Don't use the bathroom washcloths to take off your makeup or shine your shoes.
7. Don't throw anything in the room garbage if you don't want the hotel staff to know about it, including insulin needles (or any needle). Properly dispose of them.
8. Don't abuse the privilege of late checkout. If you really need to stay past 1 p.m., ask for the manager.
9. Don’t leave your luggage unattended in a hotel lobby — even for a second.
10. Don't be embarrassed! Call the hotel after you’ve checked out, and the staff will send you your forgotten sex toys. Just as they would send your baby blanket back to you. Promise.

Chủ Nhật, 12 tháng 2, 2017

11 best travel tips



1. Bring copies of your passport. If your passport gets lost or stolen, this will help you to be sure that you can still get back into the country, or be able to prove your citizenship.
2. Register with your embassy. If there’s a problem in the country, this will make it easier for your government to contact you and get you to safety.
3. Make sure your credit card will work in the country you’re visiting. European banks have switched almost completely to the more secure chip-and-PIN technology, and fewer businesses abroad are accepting the outdated magnetic-strip cards.
4. Always have local cash. It's really vital because not every place takes credit cards. Especially important places like trains or buses.
5. Buy tickets now for places you know you want to visit or see. By buying in advance you’ll be able to skip more lines, and find more deals targeted toward you. You'll save time and avoid troubles.
6. Get guidebooks. Guidebooks usually include maps, key words or phrases, and give you enough detail on certain sites that you won’t need to purchase the pamphlet at the venue. And download apps before you travel. Avoid downloading charges from your wireless carrier and get your apps before you leave.
7. Research events going on while you’re there. This will help you make sure that you’re not missing the best events going on in the city — fun things like festivals, ceremonies and natural events. Also be sure to research as a few national dishes to try. You don’t want to leave the country without experiencing what its known for.
8. Bring a charger adapter. Countries have different size plugs and voltage. So if you want to use your iPhone, make sure you can charge it.
9. Activate your phone’s global capabilities. There’s usually a charge for doing this, but it is much less than the roaming charges you’ll get if you don’t.
10. Pack an extra set of clothes in your carry-on bag. Don’t be one of those travelers decked out in J’adore Paris apparel because the airline lost your luggage and you have nothing else to wear.
11. Bring snacks. Traveling abroad is fun, but it's not always easy to eat in a foreign country. Bring small snacks will help you to keep up until you find the suitable restaurant or food cart.

Thứ Ba, 31 tháng 1, 2017

Cute And Beautiful Asian Girls Wallpapers


Every one know that Asian girls are very beautiful and cute. This picture collection contains Cute Beautiful Asian Girls and sexy bikini girls wallpapers for free download.