Travel Around Planet

Archive for February, 2011

The City In The Centre Of Greece

The city of Volos is located at the foot of the peninsula of Pelion at the centre of Greece It is the capital of the Magnesia prefecture. Volos is the main export centre of Thessaly. The economy of the city is based on manufacturing trade services and tourism.

The port of Volos 4th busiest in place in Greece can accommodate all types of pleasure craft regardless of size. The harbour is particularly active. It is the main export centre of Thessaly and the scene of much commercial and passenger traffic bound for the Sporades.

A narrowgauge railway line connected the town with the villages of Mt. Pelion. It is planned to reopen the renowned Pelion mini railway as a tourist attraction and once again old smudgy will set out from the city. Travelling a verdant dream like route over sturdy iron and stone bridges spanning deep gullies and gorge.

The Volos region is an excellent place for ramblers and nature lovers to enjoy a holiday in Greece.

The city has an important water front which is lined with many restaurants pastry shops cafesbars and mezedopolia. During the nights there is a vast choice of bars clubs and discos . There are up to 300 tsipouradika spread through out the town and a long the harbour serving fresh fish and a great variety of shell fish.

The local theatre always has concerts of guitar classical concerts jazz music great performance painting exhibitions and dancing shows.

The shopping centre of the city stretches along the main roads parallel to the seafront. Argonafton Str. offers a wide variety of shops for all taste plus a selection of hidden bars and cafes especially around St. Nikolaos Square.

The popular painter Theofilos worked in Volos from the end of the last century until the 1930s creating many important works of art. Many important performers of the Greek musical scene have had a close relationship to the city and this tradition is continued to the present day by such famous figures such as Vangelis.

Volos participated at the Olympic Games and as an Olympic City it acquired international experience. Today it represents Greece as the candidate city for the Mediterranean Games of 2013.

Located near the city of Volos are the Mount Pelion which are entirely forested with beech oak maple and chestnut trees the mountain includes trails and sidewalks for walking within small and large beaches with sand or pebbles.

About the writer:  Douglas Scott writes for The Car Hire Specialist. and is a writer for The Volos Rental Site

The Summer Resort Capital Of China

Xining is the capital of Qinghai province and the capital of Xining City District. It lies in the Huangshui River Valley with a lot of mountains and ravines. It is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its cool summer.

Industries in the city include machinery chemical power metal making and food processing. Xining is a major producer for making heavy machine tools electrolytic aluminium and alloy steel. The chief farm products of Xining are corn rape wheat fruit vegetables milk and livestock.

The city is the supply depot for visitors who are headed to the other destinations of Qinghai Province and Tibet making it a great place to shop. Water Well Alley Market is for dining with over 3000 stalls. The Riverside Market for shopping. Stalls here sell a variety of goods from fish to squawking parakeets and birdcages.

Xining has a vivid nightlife and streets are filled with small vendors selling both food and clothing. The older people will be seen at the coffee houses and tea houses.

Xining provides a variety of delicious food and snacks. The biggest street for vendors selling is on Daxin Jie where touts sell every thing from barbecued fish to fried dumplings. One of Qinghai’s special exports is caterpillar fungus called dongchongxiacao which can be soaked in vodka like a worm in tequila or brewed with soup.

The Dongguan Mosque is one of the largest mosques in north west China. It was built in 1379 the mosque has a long history of more than 600 years. Architecture of the mosque combines traditional Chinese style and the local features with grand appearance and delicate dazzlingly inside ornaments. The mosque has a prayer hall which can hold up to 3000 people. The mosque now serves as an educational centre and institution of higher learning for Islamism and also is the leading mosque in Qinghai.

The sacred Kumbum Monastery is one of the six most important monasteries. The ancient monastery built during the 39th year in 560 AD of the reign of emperor Jiajing. The Great Hall of the Golden Roof and the Great Hall of Meditation are the main parts. There are a total of around 20000 religious paintings and embroideries within as well as numerous yak butter sculptures and idols of Buddhas past present and future. A pure gold tower stands in the hall that contains the ashes of Tsong Khapa. Photography is prohibited within the monastery.

About the writer:  Douglas Scott works and writes for The Car Hire Specialist. and is a free lance writer for The Xining Rental Site

Hawaii Cruise Packages – How To Save Money With Small Ship Hawaii Cruises

When considering different Hawaii cruise packages there are a variety of different things you can do to save money and get the best deal. In this article we will discuss different tips on how to do just that.

Regardless of the cost of a Hawaii vacation cruise there are always things you can do to enjoy more savings and get better deals. The simple strategy is to book your package far in advance. The farther in advance the better. Sometimes if you book over six months in advance you can enjoy up to 15 off the cost of the gorgeous package.

This would make you think that if you book late in advance you would pay more. But this isn’t always the case. In fact some cruise packages are cheapest if you purchase them at the last minute. This is because cruise ships do not want to leave the dock with anything less than full capacity. In an effort to make sure that there are no empty seats they will offer lastminute tickets for a large discount. Of course the drawback here is that you have to resort to waiting for a lastminute ticket to become available and you will have to make vacation plans immediately when they do become available.

There are other ways to get Hawaii cruise packages that discounts. Consider going in the off season. When there is less demand for a cruise the cost will go down. It is at this time that you can take advantage of rate reductions and purchase a package.

Every so often there will be inaugural Hawaii cruise packages that become available. Inaugural cruises are those where a cruise ship is just starting out and is offering special introductory rates to those who choose their package. Of course there are also drawbacks to this method. Usually on an inaugural cruise there will be some things that need to be worked out before the cruise runs as efficiently as possible. There will always be inevitable problems that you will have to face. But that is why you are able to get the package at a big discount.

Finally you should also consider group fares. If you travel by party sometimes you can be offered a nice discount. Keep these tips in mind when looking for your best deal on a Hawaii cruise.

About the writer:  You can find out more about a Hawaii Cruise Package as well as more information on everything to do with Hawaii Vacation Cruises and packages by going to http://www.HawaiiCruisePackageInfo.com