Celebrated around the world for their beauty, beaches, and history the romantic islands of Zanzibar are under the influence of arabs especially one of the most attractive in Stone Town one of the island biggest attractions. Stone Town is the old city and cultural center of Zanzibar, which rose to prominence in the 17th century.  the haunting history of stone town is enough to make you shiver, the old slave castle and market are reminders of what the island was most famous for. David Livingstone used Stone Town as his base for preparing for his final expedition in 1866. Stone town is characterized by meandering alleys and noisy bazaars and is one of the few intact historical Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. Stone Town consists of approximately 2,500 buildings all made of coral stone, lime and clay, including 45 mosques, 2 christian churches and 4 hindu halls. Since Stone Town was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, several buildings have been renovated and restored by the duly appointed Stone Town conservation authority.

Stone Town is jam-packed with historical architecture and a rich ethnic culture and in the towns narrow streets, every sight, every glance conjures up the romantic pasthowever, for most visitors Zanzibar is about the sea, the corals, and the dolphins. While visiting the islands you should schedule for the fascinating walk through Stone Town that is rewarding. The contrast in Zanzibar between the main town area, Stone Town and the tourist venues on the islands are startling. As you walk through the town, please remember that stone town is very much a real community, where real people live and work. Narrow alleyways, intricately carved doors and ornate balconies is what makes Stone Town a popular destination in Zanzibar. You will lose your bearings here for sure, but getting lost in Stone Town is normal, fun and harmless. Key attractions in stone town include the old dispensary, Livingstone’s house, the peace memorial museum, the palace museum, the Arab fort and the house of wonders (which translates from its local name, Beit el Jaib). Beyond Stone Town clad in spice gardens are silver sandy beaches bejeweled by superb resorts.

The port area of Stone Town has one or two good wreck dives. I would suggest maybe two day dives in and around stone town and then move to the beaches and islands for the more exciting diving experiences.

You can book your trip to Stone Town and Zanzibar with Explorer Travel by calling 0208 816 8789 or visit their website – http://www.big5.explorertravel.co.uk/StoneTown.htm

Further Reading on Stone Town:

• Good Islands To Visit in Africa Living Life Abundantly – The capital is Zanzibar City and its old quarter Stone Town is a World Heritage Site. The old section of Stone Town is a World Heritage Site.
• Zanzibar – It was a very chilled out place with nice rooms and a relaxed bar/restaurant area, it was also right on a sandy beach on the West coast of the Island, about 15 mins drive away from the Islands capital, Stone Town. …
• Exploring Zanzibar’s rich spice trading past – … passion fruit, mango, avocado, pear, papaya, grape fruit and many others. The magnificent blue waters along the Tanzanian coast. Zanzibar Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Zanzibar Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• the world of zanzibar – within the small area of the major town called stone town, there are 60 mosques. near my house (and well within earshot) there are five mosques. especially during the holy month of fasting (ramadhan), it has been a challenge sometimes …
• Stone Town of Zanzibar – UNESCO World Heritage Centre – The Stone Town of Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. It retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact and contains many fine buildings that reflect its particular culture, …
• Matt and Paul’s travels: Stone Town to the Northern Beaches 6.8.09 – Before leaving Stone Town we were taken on a tour of the former slave market, now a cathedral. The Arabs from Oman were prolific slave traders (more so than the Europeans) and used to capture slaves from East Africa before transporting …
• Zanzibar – We got lunch on our own, and then met up to get a walking tour of Stone Town. We started at the Anglican Church which is built where the slave market used to be. The cells for the slaves are preserved in the basement of the museum, …
• More Scenes from Stone Town – More shots from wandering around Stone Town. Orange seller in the plaza- Orange Seller Sisters walking in front of a door- Sisters and Door Scooter- Real Madrid and Scooter Beautifully carved doors- Yellow Frame …
• Walking and Eating: Stone Town, Zanzibar – We braved and survived the ferry known as The Vomit Commit from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town, Zanzibar. Arriving into Stone Town was a pleasant mixture of laid back island culture and the frenzy of… [[ This is a content summary only. …

If you are thinking of planning a quiet and enjoyable vacation then you could consider planning one to Ballarat, Victoria as it has many attractions for the discerning tourist. There are many parks and gardens, war museums, statues and monuments along with the beautiful lakes and ponds. This article gives you some important information about Ballarat and what you can do here.

About Ballarat

Ballarat is around 105 kilometres from the state capital Melbourne. Ballarat became a popular town after gold was discovered nearby in 1851. The influx of over 10,000 miners turned this once agricultural town into one of Victoria’s largest settlement. Ballarat is a city well known for its heritage and history and is today a major regional center in the Goldfields region of Victoria.

The discovery of gold near Ballarat was a part of the Victorian Gold Rush that happened through the 1850s and the 1860s when the gold was easily extracted from the surface itself. Owing to this, there was a major Victorian influence in the architecture especially. This is clearly evident even today. Ballarat has flourished mainly as a tourist destination and a major inland regional center. Today Ballarat’s beautiful Victorian architecture is famous all over and draws a large number of tourists from around the world to see the structures, statues, gardens, monuments and grand heritage listed public and private buildings.

Things to do in Ballarat

There are many things you can do in and around Ballarat. Some are listed below:

* Sovereign Hill- You can get a glimpse of the golden days of Ballarat’s Gold Rush times and experience the excitement and joy. You can witness the Blood on the Southern Cross which is a sound and light show depicting the Eureka rebellion held almost every night.

* The Eureka Center - The Eureka Center displays the history and story of how the Ballarat miners rebelled against the corrupt and unjust administration that was then overseeing in Goldfield which then led to democracy in Australia.

* Goldrush Mini Golf - Are you a fan of golf? Then you can enjoy the 18 holes mini-golf course that takes you through the world of dinosaurs, Caribbean pirate lairs and medieval castle hallways. You can experience the gold rush days when playing the outdoor course.

* Ballarat Wildlife Park - There are informative and exciting guided tours over 15 hectares of native Australian bushland where you can get to see wombats, koalas, crocodiles and much more.

* Ballarat Botanical Gardens – Lake Wendouree - These Botanical Gardens are situated on the western shores of the beautiful Lake Wendouree, which is a popular spot for walking, jogging or cycling. There is also an electric, vintage tramway that is operated on weekends and public holidays.

* Ballarat Fine Art Gallery - The Ballarat Fine Art Gallery boasts of one of Australia’s finest art collection and this is also where you will get to see the original Eureka Flag. If you are looking for some quality Ballarat Accommodation then you could consider the name Belfield Cottages. For more info please visit http://www.belfieldcottage.com.au

About the Author

Hannah Kelly is an avid traveller as well as being a prolific writer of articles pertaining to her travels all around the country and abroad. She is based in Canberra.

Someone has rightly said that “Marriages are made in Heaven but the honeymoon” is celebrated in Kerala. The narrow strip of green vegetation with bewitching backwaters and palm fringed beaches, Kerala offers something special and something unique to everyone. It is unique in its scintillating natural beauty, exotic flora and fauna, enthralling backwaters, luxurious accommodation, delicious cuisines, lovely weather and world class facilities. It is the beautiful land known for its ayurvedic body care, rich culture and customs, exquisite art, colourful fairs and festivals, etc. It also offers the most favourable climatic conditions as per the choice of the tourists. Be it the winter with bearable cold, monsoon with torrential rains or the summer with cool breeze of the sea which keeps heat away from you. Infact Kerala is the right destination for a delightful vacation. And if it honeymoon vacation Kerala will surely provides the ambiance for a romantic honeymoon for a newly wedded couples.

Kerala is famous all over the globe for its magnificent beauty. Not only that, it is the sought after tourist destination among the trotters and the honeymoon couples. There are several romantic places in Kerala which provides solitude to enjoy quality time with your beloved. Visit to any place in the state and you will find it enchantingly beautiful with fascinating emerald green hills as a backdrop.

Kerala offers several ideal honeymoon locations among which the backwaters are the prime one. Backwaters are the major attraction of tourists and the favourite haunt of the honeymooners. Dotted with swaying palm trees, exotic resorts, water lilies, rich eco-system, Kerala offers refreshing view of the lush green vegetation which can be seen while cruising over the picturesque backwaters. Cruise over the backwater can be enjoyed in a well organised household which provides the sheer ambiance of romantic Kerala honeymoon. Enjoy the cruise over the charming backwaters and you will surely have golden memories of honeymoon vacation which both of you will love it and cherish it for lifelong.

The beaches of Kerala are also very popular among honeymooners, travellers and newly wedded couples. A visit to Kerala beaches will provide you with sheer ambiance of heavenly ambiance. You can just relax and surf the cool breeze of the sea having a romantic talk with your beloved in a lap or you can take a leisure walk holding hand in hand along the silver beaches dotted with palm and coconut trees. You can also enjoy the lovely and delicious cuisines of beach resorts with enrich your taste buds and add a different taste in your honeymoon vacation. Come to Kerala for a honeymoon and spend some romantic time with immense happiness with your beloved.

Beside these there are lots of options in Kerala which provides you to make your honeymoon romantic and memorable. It has lovely hill stations decorated with sprawling tea gardens, coffee plantation, orange plantations and eye catching vistas of lovely hills as backdrop. Some of the popular hill stations of Kerala are Ponmudi, Munnar, Idukki, Palakkad, Rajmala, Wayanad, etc which provides solitude and romantic ambiance to celebrate your honeymoon in Kerala in a delightful way.

There are many other fascinating attractions in Kerala which can be enjoyed during your vacations. Beside these, Kerala has preserved a lot of tourism options for honeymooners like cultural heritage, music, traditional dance, martial arts, architecture, ayurvedic body care and delicious cuisine. All that you need to do is choose the right travel agency or tour operators to enjoy one time vacation of your life. You will find several tailor made Honeymoon Kerala available with the travel agents or tour operators. Some of the tour operators also provide special honeymoon packages in Kerala which cover all the captivating destinations and provides a special houseboat stay. Book any honeymoon tour package of your choice and enjoy your one time vacation of life (honeymoon vacation) in a romantic and memorable way.

About the Author

Joseph Moore is an eminent analyst and writer in Travel & Tourism related topics. He has authored many books on tour guide for Kerala honeymoon packages and Kerala Honeymoon Tour. Find more packages at http://www.greenparadize.com/

You have received this email as you subscribed to our mailing list If you no longer want to receive these email, you may unsubscribe using the link at the end of this email Given the improved strength of the pound against the dollar we have recosted our holidays in Southern Africa. This means incredible savings of up to £446. Here are just six...

On a recent flight, I came across an article written by the American humourist, Art Buchwald, who often wrote for the Washington Post. The article was called “The Tourists Prayer” and it brought a smile to my face so I thought I’d share it with you

“Heavenly Father, look down on us your humble obedient tourist servants who are doomed to travel this earth, taking photographs, mailing postcards, buying souvenirs, and walking about in drip-dry underwear.

“We beseech you, O Lord, to see that our plane is not hijacked, our luggage is not lost, and our overweight baggage goes unnoticed.

“Protect us from surly and unscrupulous taxi drivers, avaricious porters, and unlicensed English-speaking guides.

“Give us this day divine guidance in the selection of our hotels that we may find our reservations honoured, our rooms made up, and hot water running from the faucets (if it is at all possible).

“We pray that the telephones work and that the operators speak our tongue and that there is no mail waiting from our children which would force us to cancel the rest of our trip.

“Lead us, dear Lord, to good inexpensive restaurants where the food is superb, the waiters friendly, and the wine included in the price of the meal.

“Give us the wisdom to tip correctly in currencies we do not understand. Forgive us for under tipping out of ignorance and over tipping out of fear. Make the natives love us for what we are and not for what we can contribute to their worldly goods.

“Grant us the strength to visit the museums, the cathedrals, the palaces, and the castles listed as ‘musts’ in the guidebooks.

“And if perchance we skip a historic monument to take a nap after lunch, have mercy on us, for our flesh is weak.”

(This part of the prayer is for husbands.) “Dear God, keep our wives from shopping sprees and protect them from ‘bargains’ they don’t need or can’t afford. Lead them not into temptation, for they know not what they do.”

(This part of the prayer is for wives.) “Almighty Father, keep our husbands from looking at foreign woman and comparing them to us.

“Save them from making fools of themselves in cafes and nightclubs. Above all, please do not forgive them their trespasses, for they know exactly what they do.”

(Together.) “And when our voyage is over, and we return to our loved ones, grant us the favour of finding someone who will look at our home movies and listen to our stories, so our lives as tourists will
not have been in vain.

“This we ask you in the Name of Conrad Hilton, Thomas Cook, and the American Express.

Amen.”