Since many years the Mayan World has been a popular destination for adventure seekers. Early day explorers like John Lloyd Stephens discovered the region to be full of exciting surprises when first stumbling upon great ancient pyramids in the early 19th century. Still only 40 years ago a visit to the now well known ruins of Tikal, Guatemala involved a 2 day jungle hike over rarely trotted paths after a dubious flight into Guatemala's jungle capital Flores.
Nowadays the region offers escapades for any adventure level.
From day excursions to Chichen Itza Maya Ruins to one week
jungle tours by foot visiting the tallest Mayan ruin El Mirador.
But the Mayan World offers the adventurer much more then just
archeology. In an area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers
(116,000 square miles) the Mayan World comprises mountains,
lakes, both white water and calm rivers, rainforest, Caribbean
beaches, cenotes, caves and waterfalls. This wide range of
geological attractions and ancient as well as modern Mayan
culture provides the traveler with an ideal destination to
quench his thirst for adventure.
The state Quintana Roo of Mexico owns the worlds largest system
of underwater caves. Called cenotes, these cave systems were
once dry and formed marvelous limestone forms in stalactites and
stalagmites. Today these caves are a paradise to snorkelers and
scuba divers as they are accessible from both land and ocean.
In the Peten region of Guatemala, one can find many lakes. Each
with a different composition these lakes vary in color and
clearness. Spread throughout the vast rainforest of this region,
these lakes provide a refreshing break and beautiful views. The
rivers of this region are excellent for bird watching and canoe
trips.
In Cayo District of Belize day excursions are numerous. The
region is rich with lush jungle, caves and rivers. Let your
guide take you on a river into the jungle for a visit to a well
known medicine man or pass through water caves on an inner tube.
Southern Guatemala's mountain range offers white water rafting,
kayaking and amazing waterfalls. A visit to this region is not
easily planned, but the effort is awarded with natural beauties
still undiscovered by most tourists.
Chiapas state of Mexico has waterfalls amongst Mayan ruins and
lush jungle. A visit to the ancient Mayan ruins of Bonampac
provides the opportunity for a bicycle ride through the
rainforest.
These are just a few highlights in the amazing World of the
Maya; a destination that forms a must to any self respecting
adventurer.
You can be in Tenerife from the UK in around five hours and
since it is a popular destination you can find flights departing
there every week, giving you plenty of options for when to
travel. The obvious advice is, if you can, avoid school holidays
to get substantial savings off the price of your holiday.
The main tourist resorts in Tenerife are Los Cristianos and
Playa de Las Americas to be found in the south of the island.
Los Cristianos originates from a quiet fishing village which
therefore means the harbour is the main point of the region. The
character of this fishing village is still evident however now
it has pretty much been transformed to appeal to tourists and
along with Playa de Las Americas is one of the largest tourist
zones on the island.
Making use of the harbour there are daily fishing trips,
excursion boats showing you around the bay, cruises as well as
glass bottomed boats(always wanted to go on one of these!) so
you can enjoy the sea life from the comfort of a boat.
As you would expect there is lots of nightlife, the area comes
alive at night with hundreds of bars and clubs to cater for the
clubbers and restaurants to start your night in or cater for
mature family types. For those who want to party by night and
sun bath by day there are a host of beaches to choose from and
these beaches will amaze you, these are some of the best beaches
you will have ever seen, you have all seen the pictures,
beautiful golden sand everywhere.
For the family and the big kids there are water parks, ideally
situated close to the motorway so they can be easily located and
reached when using a rental car.
Playa de Las Americas is said to be the most popular tourist
destination offering the same services as Los Cristianos with it
possible offering slightly more first class facilities. You will
find the same range of water sports and attractions, hand
gliding, jet-skiing, diving and snorkelling. Whichever you
region you choose of the two, you can’t go wrong for truly
amazing Tenerife holidays.
Cyprus car rental or Cyprus car hire as it is sometimes
referred to is probably the best way to get around the Island.
In fact if you are staying in a rented Cyprus villa or luxury
apartment a car is a must. The buses in Cyprus are sporadic at
best and only cover the areas such as resorts or the main towns.
Taxis are only a viable option if you possess more money than
sense and walking is great for your health but not such a good
idea in temperatures up to 40c in the summer. So if you want
less hassle and more Cyprus a Cyprus car hire deal is what you
should be looking for.
Isn't the internet great? You can find virtually anything on the
world wide web including of course all the best deals on Cyprus
car hire. You are at liberty to compare like for like vehicles
with lots of different companies without even leaving the
comfort of your own home. Neat or what? You can book your Cyprus
hire car on line and collect it from the airport when you arrive
in Cyprus for the start of your holiday and return it when you
come back to the airport to return home. You will have already
saved the cost of your two way transfer to your accommodation
and escaped the hassle of being driven round the Island before
finally arriving at your hotel or apartment which was probably
the nearest one to the airport anyway.
Then you wouldl miss all the fun of fishing your cases from the
depths of the coaches luggage hold in the dark and lugging them
up three flights of stairs in the middle of the night too.
Cyprus car hire certainly does make good sense if you want to
save yourself a lot of hassle and enjoy a stress free holiday
from day one. Remember that the Cyprus summer is HOT! and be
sure to specify a car with air conditioning. Those trendy little
jeeps look like great fun for cruising around Cyprus but once
the sun has fried your scalp they do seem to loose a little of
their appeal. The same goes for cabriolets too. You will look
real cool cruising down the strip but not so pretty after the
hot Cyprus sun has turned you into a cross between a leopard and
a lobster.
If you are already sold on the idea of Cyprus car hire it's
worth a reminder about some Cyprus car rental essentials. No
drivers licence no Cyprus hire car! If you can't produce both
your counterfoil and your photo licence you won't be driving
anywhere in Cyprus. (Ha well where's the coach park) Also
remember to carry your photo card license with you and the hire
documents whenever you drive the car because in Cyprus failure
to do so is an offence that carries an on the spot fine. In the
unlikely event that you are involved in an accident no matter
how minor, do NOT! move the vehicle and make sure the police are
informed as well as calling your Cyprus car hire company. These
steps are crucial because in Cyprus the police deal directly
with the motor insurance companies as to who is at fault in any
incident.
The roads are pretty good on the whole although you should
exercise a little care if you take a Cyprus hire car off the
main highways. With all the building work that is going on in
Cyprus some of the back roads have been dug up so many times
that they look like patchwork quilts and it is often difficult
to tell where the road ends or the verge starts. The main routes
however are as good (if not better) than those in other parts of
mainland Europe but without any of the traffic problems or other
driving stresses like road rage and traffic congestion. There is
a modern motorway network between the main towns and principle
coastal resorts that puts the crappie U.K. road network to
shame. (what do they spend all that road fund duty on?)
The chances are that once you have hired a car for your Cyprus
holiday you wouldn't dream of being without one when you come to
the Island again. The freedom of the open road is still a
reality in Cyprus and driving is still an enjoyable pastime
there. In fact many ex pats that make visits back to the U.K.
find the driving there a real nightmare. So if you want to wring
the most out of your time on this beautiful Island and see
places that the regular tourist miss out on sort yourself a
Cyprus car rental deal.
The Rezidor Hotel Group (STO:REZT) announces the 50th hotel in operation and under development in Germany: The Radisson Blu Badischer Hof Hotel, Baden-Baden will be re-branded in July 2009 adding 139 rooms to Rezidor's rapidly growing portfolio.
“This signing underlines our aim to further grow into depth in our German home market and also to increase the number of conversions we are doing”, comments Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. “With our partner Grand City Hotels & Resorts and Mark Hotels & Resorts we are already cooperating at the Radisson Blu Hotels in Stralsund, Bad Reichenhall, Dresden-Radebeul, and with the Park Inn brand in Weimar. We are delighted to add a fifth property”, continues Ritter.
As a leading hotel in the spa town of Baden-Baden, the Radisson Blu Badischer Hof Hotel features 139 spacious rooms (including 4 suites) and 7 conference & banqueting rooms. Food and beverage offerings include the “Parkrestaurant” (serving international and the famous regional cuisine from Germany's South-West), a summer terrace serving regional specialities and the “Jockey Bar” with its decent British style. Built in 1638, the property was originally a Capucin Monastery, converted from 1805 till 1809 to become a hotel. In 1983, the hotel was extended through the addition of a second building and most recently, a modern spa and wellness centre was completed in 2000. The hotel's 330 m² spa and wellness centre offers two 18 metre swimming pools - one indoor and one outdoor - saunas, solarium, a fitness room and medical wellness treatments. In addition, guests can relax in the hotel's private 5,000 m² park. Baden-Baden's famous thermal spring is located in the hotel's park and the public spa gardens, Kurpark', are just next to the hotel.
Baden-Baden 150 km from Frankfurt airport is one of Germany's most renowned spa towns with historical springs supplying healing waters from 2,000 metres underground. The town's popularity as a spa dates back to the early 19th century and has since become a place of healing and rejuvenation. Baden-Baden is frequented by many celebrities who come to visit the hot springs and the famous casino, which is located within close proximity of the hotel.
About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of close to 370 hotels in operation and under development with more than 78,300 rooms in 58 countries.
Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Rezidor has signed a worldwide license agreement with the Italian fashion house Missoni, in order to develop and operate a lifestyle hotel brand of the same name: Hotel Missoni.
In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder. The Corporate Office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.
The Banff Springs Hotel was the first luxury hotel in the
Rocky Mountains to be built by the CPR after the
transcontinental railway was completed in 1886. Before the
railway, the town of Banff was virtually unknown. It was named
after the county of Banffshire — the Scottish birthplace of two
CPR directors.
Cornelius Van Horne, the president of the CPR, recognised the
need for hotels along the CPR route. He had already built dining
stations at three locations along the way, as it was impossible
to serve meals through the steep sections of the route through
the Rockies — the dining cars were too heavy. People began to
ask for accommodation so that they could break their journey,
and the dining stations were transformed into elegant resort
hotels.
In the late 19th century alpine destinations were popular, but wealthy travellers also wanted luxury and comfort. As hot springs and spas were also popular, Banff was a perfect location for a luxury hotel in a pristine mountain wilderness. When Van Horne first saw the site beside the Spray River he called it "the million dollar view."
Van Horne hired New York architect, Bruce Price, to design the hotel. He borrowed the Swiss Chalet style and created an overall chateau effect, incorporating influences of French chateau, German Schloss, and English Tudor. The hotel opened in 1888.
In 1926, a fire destroyed the north wing of the hotel, but business continued in the centre block and south wing. The old wood Tudor building was gradually being rebuilt using Rundle stone. The new hotel was completed by 1928, still in the chateau style but strongly influenced by 19th century Scottish Highland castles.
The new manager, Michael Delahanty, was a talented decorator and was given the job of choosing furnishings. Spacious bedrooms with period fixtures and furniture, special suites for visiting royalty, and a ballroom illuminated by hidden lighting were all features of the new hotel. Patrons enjoyed excellent cuisine in the quiet elegance of the two main dining rooms, The Alhambra and The Fairholme, or had tea in The Riverview Lounge.
A new wing and major renovations were completed during the 1980's and 90's. Today, the Banff Springs Hotel is considered Fairmont's "western Canadian flagship resort and conference centre." It boasts 17 restaurants, 50 shops, a 27-hole golf course and a five-pin-bowling centre. The hotel has maintained its high standard of cuisine with its own on-site butcher and bakery and 90 kitchen staff.
The hotel's 770 spacious rooms offer a wide range of amenities, great views and many complimentary services. There is even a "Kids Check-in."
Did you know? The Banff Springs Hotel serves over 1000 breakfasts each day, handles 2000 bags per day, and goes through 16,548 towels per week.
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