Sunday, August 17, 2008

Things to do in Baja California

The peninsula of Baja California is a piece of paradise situated at the westernmost region of Mexico. Geographically speaking, Baja is a unique and interesting place to see and visit. The peninsula is situated between two large bodies of water, the vast Pacific Ocean on the west and the abundant Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez to the east. All throughout the entire length of the peninsula runs a series of coastal mountain ranges which, along with the beaches and deserts of Baja, make up the peninsula's land region.

The multitude of environmental regions in Baja California combined with it pleasant Mediterranean climate opens up the doors towards many recreational activities for travelers, visitors, locals, tourists and vacationers.

Of course, water sports aplenty are available in Baja California. There are several beaches, marinas, harbors and bays to be found all around the Baja peninsula, and swimming is an activity many people enjoy in Baja's fine, white sand beaches. Aside from swimming, another water sport that thousands come to Baja every year to experience is sports fishing. With two very abundant and large bodies of water found on either side of the peninsula, it comes as no surprise that Baja offers an enjoyable fishing experience.

Snorkeling and scuba diving are also very popular among tourists. There are but a very few places in the whole planet where you can dive and swim along colonies of hammerhead sharks or gigantic yet gentle whale sharks and humpback whales. Because of the rich marine bio-diversity in the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean, as well as the interesting underwater landscapes found beyond Baja California's shores, both diving experts and amateurs can enjoy their Baja diving experience.

Other water sports and seaside recreational activities that you can do in Baja is wind surfing, para sailing, sea kayaking, whale watching, island boating and surfing.

Due to the long strip of mountain ranges found in the peninsula of Baja California, activities such as mountain biking, trekking, hiking and camping are popular recreational activities along Baja mountain ranges. Some very well known mountain ranges in the Baja peninsula are the Sierra de la Giganta and Sierra de la Laguna. These mountain ranges have different environmental regions within them. You can find cool pine forests, dry mountain forests and desert mountain regions.

Deserts in Baja California also offer several recreational activities. Desert biking is a famous sport in Baja and there are plenty of annual biking competitions and events held here. There are also some ranches found along Baja desert regions where you can go horseback riding, touring and ATV racing (all terrain vehicle racing).

And even within the large cities and small towns of Baja, there is always an enjoyable distraction to find. Tours are popular among vacationers and visitors. Old Spanish missions, cathedrals, museums, cave paintings and other historically and culturally significant sites are commonly part of these tours. Shopping is a most engaging activity in Baja California, not just because of the very low prices but also because of the wide variety of choices there is to find.

For more information on Baja California recreational activities, visit www.baja.com for a complete city guide and loads of helpful information.

A Bahamas Holiday - Truly a tourist's delight

The Bahamas is a cluster of many big and small islands in the West Indies. Now an independent country, the Bahamas has breathtaking beaches and marine life to experience on an exotic holiday. From snorkelling, dolphin encounters, diving and sailing to simply sun bathing on the beaches, the Bahamas offers the one of the best holiday experiences. The Bahamian land is more than just beaches, as you can also visit the historical places, museums, take a safari, enjoy the old architectural rich forts as well as the beautiful green natural parks.

Listed below are some of the popular places you can visit when holidaying in Bahamas:

Lucayan National Park

This tourist spot in the Bahamas is home to many exciting activities such as swimming, caving and kayaking. This natural and beautiful park is known as a real treat for a great family time. You can take the cave tour, walk and trail down the mangrove lined stream, picnic with your loved ones at the Gold beach or enjoy swimming for relaxation. On a Bahamian holiday you must make it a point to visit this natural wonder on Grand Bahama Island.

Pirates of Nassau

The Nassau downtown displays a fascinating educational program that takes you through the life and tales of pirates. Tourist and visitors holidaying in Bahamas often visit this tourist spot to experience Bahamian culture.

Blue Lagoon Island

When on a holiday in Bahamas, you must not forget to visit the dolphins on the Blue Lagoon Island. This place is a famous tourist spot in the Bahamas due to its superb beaches and the experience it offers. It's worth visiting the island, as you get to cherish the beauty of dolphins, take picture of them and even swim with them. Located in Nassau, this island is perfect way to unwind on your Bahamian holiday.

Bahamas Jeep Safari Tours

The best way to enjoy a Bahamian holiday is to take a jeep safari tour of the island. Tourist and visitors often get drawn towards the thrilling, exciting and instructive trip as it takes them to museums, beaches and other natural and historical tourist spots. The sight seeing offered in the safari adds to the scenic beauty of your holiday in Bahamas.

Fort Charlotte

This tourist spot is found to fascinate those tourist and visitors with interests in military sites and stories. Built in 18th century, the site is situated in Marcus Bethel Way and West Bay Street in Nassau. The place got its name after the name of George III's wife. Things to experience in this fort include mysterious dungeons, a waterless moat, ramparts and a drawbridge.

Beaches

While on a Bahamian holiday, you can not afford to miss the exotic and vivid beaches of the Bahamas. The place has two very famous and known beaches to offer, which are the Paradise and Cabbage beach. The beaches act as a perfect tourist spot for those on a holiday in the Bahamas. The scenic beauty, coconut trees, water side and the casuarinas add to the whole holiday mood for all. Other great beaches in the Bahamas are Lucaya beach, Xanadu beach and the Gold Rock beach.

Best time to holiday in Bahamas

Ideal time to enjoy a Bahamian holiday is during the summer time i.e. in the months from June to August, when it's breezy and warm.

SeaWorld San Antonio: A Texas-Sized Aquatic Adventure

SeaWorld San Antonio is the world's largest marine education and adventure theme park. From Shamu to dolphins, sharks, seals, sea lions and much more, this 250-acre Texas theme park features 6 rides, world-class shows, animal encounters and exhibits and the Lost Lagoon Water Park. It ranks among Texas's top 5 most popular attractions.

Not only does SeaWorld have Shamu, it also has walk-through habitats where you can watch sea lions, sharks, fish, penguins and flamingos do what they would do in the wild. Animal exhibits at SeaWorld San Antonio include "Penguin Encounter", home to more than 200 penguins and the "Seal and Sea Lion Community", home to California sea lions, otters and the endangered Hawaiian monk seals.

"Dolphin Cove" allows you to touch and feed bottlenose dolphins. Food can also be purchased to feed the flamingos at "Flamingo Cove" and the various exotic birds at the "Aviary Habitats". You can also visit the world famous Anheuser-Busch mascots at the "Clydesdale Hamlet" and the reptilian residents of "Alligator Alley".

At the 450,000-gallon "Sharks/The Coral Reef" exhibit, guests can get face-to-face with some of the ocean's most mysterious creatures, including the only hammerhead sharks on display in North America. Nearby, in a 300,000-gallon "Coral Reef" setting, thousands of fish from the Indian and Pacific oceans create a living rainbow of colors while moray eels reside in another habitat. Moray eels also reside in a separate area within this habitat.

The "Interaction Programs" allows you to get in the water and interact with Beluga whales and sea lions. There are also several behind-the-scenes tours which allow you to interact with dolphins, penguins, sea lions and monk seals without getting wet.

This Texas theme park also includes incredible shows like "Believe", featuring choreography between the killer whales, trainers and beautiful music. Guests get to see the park's most famous resident perform in his high-energy water show that promises to drench more than just the front row.

"Viva!" is a fascinating show that combines the talents of high divers, aerialists and swimmers with dolphins and Beluga whales. You can also enjoy the "Pirates 4-D"movie and see some daredevil waterskiing at the "Rockin' Ski Party" show or. Other popular shows include the too-cute animal show, "Waggin' Tales" and a comedy show starring sea lions and otters called "The Cannery Row Caper".

After the shows, be sure to take in some roller-coaster action with the parks' two world-class roller coasters. You can experience a bout of weightlessness on the 65-mph hypercoaster, "Steel Eel" as well as enjoy a thrill ride on Texas' first inverted steel coaster, "The Great White". Other rides include the "Journey to Atlantis" water coaster, the "Rio Loco" river raft ride and the "Texas Splashdown" log flume ride.

Kids will have a great time at Shamu's Happy Harbor. This 3-acre playground paradise features water play areas, climbing nets, slides and a giant schooner in the harbor complete with water cannons. Kids of all ages can also ride the "Shamu Express" family coaster and play a variety of midway games and win prizes at "Boardwalk Games".

The Lost Lagoon Water Park is included with the cost of your SeaWorld San Antonio ticket and makes cooling off a whole lot of fun. The park features the huge "Wave Wash Pool" and the "Castaway Cruisin" lazy river. Slides include the "Sky Tubin" water slide and the four water slides of "Buckaroo Mountain".

Everyone can enjoy the shallows of the "Activity Pool" that features waterfalls and geysers and a family slide tower. Kids can let loose at the three-story "Splash Attack" fun house while the "Lil' Gators Lagoon" is a water play area just for the little ones.

SeaWorld San Antonio offers a variety of ticket options and is open March through December with varying operating hours and days. You'll save money if you buy your tickets and parking pass online ahead of time, and try to visit in between school breaks and vacations to cut down on the crowds and wait time.

San Antonio is very beautiful but the sun is strong so remember to bring your sunscreen. You can also save money by bringing in your own bottle of water and refill it for free at the park's water fountains. All little pre-trip preparation can save you both time and money as well as add to the overall enjoyment of your trip.

From the fabulous performances and exhibits featuring some of the ocean's most amazing animals, to the cool waters of Lost Lagoon, you're sure to enjoy your time at SeaWorld San Antonio.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Austin - Live Music Capital of the World

Austin is the capital of Texas and boasts many attractions, interesting places to visit and culture to view. It’s locals like to promote the “Keep Austin Weird” slogan, but there is plenty of history and architecture in addition to the more modern music and media life that makes Austin the “Live Music Capital of the World”.

The traditional places to visit such as Bob Bullock State History Museum and The Texas State Capitol Complex are impressive buildings. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is enormous and holds the original goddess of Liberty, not to mention a full sized windmill and a Texan Airplane from the 1940’s in addition to smaller displays and multimedia presentations. The Texas State Capitol complex is a true treasure of the state and is in fact larger and plusher than the original US Capitol buildings. It is a place that visitors must try to visit, if just to walk in the well kept and picturesque gardens.

Austin is a cosmopolitan city with plenty of modern architecture mixed with classic styles. Just to walk around some of the local streets and neighborhoods is enough for some visitors. You can visit the Pennybacker Bridge which is surrounded by urban picturesque scenes in all directions or take a stroll near the Congress Avenue Bridge around sunset which is the home to over 1.5 million Mexican free tailed bats. These bats live under the bridge for 8 months of the year and come out around sunset to look for insects to eat. It is quite a phenomenon to see the clouds of bats rising from the bridge during a warm summer evening. The bats migrate to Mexico for the winter.

Animals and nature are all part of Austin’s culture. In fact the Austin Zoo is known as a rescue zoo and sanctuary for over 300 animals that have been saved from the wild or extinction. The Barton Springs Pools and the Deep Eddy Pool are the largest and oldest man made pools in the country and are fed from water from the Barton Spring. The water temperature in the Barton Springs pool is always a constant 69 degrees and thought to be a very healthy place to swim and bathe in the grounds of the Zilker Park. Apart from these two famous pools there are many nature trails, parks and recreational facilities to visit and spend time while taking a break from the more upbeat sights and sounds of Austin.

The reason for Austin’s famous name as the “Live Music Capital of the World” is not just because of the hoards of graduates from the many music schools in the area but also the infamous 6th Street. 6Th Street is the home to a multitude of music venues and nightclubs housed in architecturally unique buildings. Strolling down 6th street by day is entertainment in itself to view the buildings and meet the cosmopolitan residents. All of these attractions and more can be seen from the comfort of the Dillo, an historic reproduction of the trolley cars that will take you downtown, to the capitol complex and around the University complex all for free. It is a perfect way to start your trip around Austin and decide which of the many attractions and places of interest that you want to see.

Budget Travel

Planning a vacation? Have you thought of travel to Europe but the idea of pinching your pocket worries you? In the present day scenario, it isn’t that impossible to plan your vacation to Europe. With the emergence of the numerous tours and travel operators all across the globe, limited budget is no longer a criterion that can thwart your dream. The rise in expenses and limited incomes are a common scenario, and to cater to this section of the masses, tour operators have come up with numerous cheap deals that can fit in all pocket-sizes without any hassle.

These cheap travel packages to Europe aren’t fraud or dubious. These packages are like any other travel packages with the sole difference that the focus is kept on the cost value, and a particular budget. For instance, rather than opting for a 5-star hotel these packages may make a simple motel or accommodation that is suitable minus lavish expenses. Despite of traveling all across Europe, the cheap travel package may include the highlighted tourist spots that can give you a flavor of the continent.

In the tight-scheduled lifestyle of the present-day, one may find it extremely difficult to actually give in some time to be physically present in front of the tour operators, and devote long hours to get their information. For these set of individuals, online services providers offer an ideal approach to access information. The latest bang in the surfacing of the online services providers clearly reflects the popular usage by individuals of these websites for cheap travel packages. A major section of these websites do not charge upfront fees for accessing their services, yet this may differ from one provider to the other. It is advisable to go through the terms and conditions of an online provider before accessing its services so that you can steer clear of any false impression.

You can visit: http://www.airwayreservation.com to find more travel offers

1888 Press Release.com - Lifestyle/Travel and Tourism Press Release