The Many Wonders Of Tijuana

Located on the U.S.-Mexican border right next to San Diego County in California, Tijuana is visited by countless thousands of tourists every year, not just from the U.S. but from other countries as well. This has given the city the reputation of being the “Most visited city in the world”, a distinction that is the source of no small amount of pride.

In many ways, Tijuana serves as the gateway into Mexico from the United States. This is reflected in the city’s motto, “Aquí empieza la patria”, which when translated means “The homeland starts here”.

While there is certainly no shortage of fun and leisure activities that you can partake of in the city, some people may be surprised to find that Tijuana is actually gifted with a rich and varied cultural heritage that often takes a back seat to its more tourist-oriented features. The city is in fact home to a flourishing arts and entertainment scene, with many world-renowned galleries, museums and cultural centers that feature works from both local and international artists and performers. Among these are the Tijuana Cultural Center, the Museum of the Californias, Municipal Institute of Art and Culture, the Tijuana Wax Museum and the Trompo Museum. The Tijuana Cultural Center is a particularly highly regarded cultural center in the city, having hosted the Orchestra of Baja California since 1992, and serving as the headquarters of both the Center of Scenic Arts of the Northwest and the Hispanic-American Center for Guitar.

Of course many people come to the Tijuana for fun, and naturally the city has plenty to offer in that area as well. The Avenida Revolución or Revolution Avenue is the place to be in that respect, and it is where you will find virtually everything that you came to Tijuana for. Food establishments abound and anything that you could possible want–from international cuisine to a host of flavors from many different countries–can be had. Of course, you would be missing out if you didn’t at least try some of the local cuisine and this is the best place to get it.

The Avenida Revolución is also the place to go for that all-important shopping spree. Leather goods, jewelry, perfumes, cigars and tobacco products, and of course, genuine handmade Mexican handicrafts…they’re all here and at amazingly low prices.

Now if you can have this much fun visiting Tijuana for a few days, imagine living here for an extended period of time…or even retiring here. With the ever-rising prices of real estate in the U.S. and everything that Tijuana has to offer, it’s a prospect that just may be worth a closer look.

By: Mikhail Tuknov

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Real estate in Mexico Baja California, 45 luxury beachfront condominiums in Rosarito just 18 miles from the San Diego border.

Michigan Backpacking - Secret Locations

In Michigan, backpacking usually consists of hiking the trails of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, or the Porcupine Mountains State Park, or The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. All of these are well worth doing, by the way. But what if you want to really get away from the crowds? Here are three places to try where you'll likely be backpacking alone.

Backpacking Isolated Islands

You'll need a canoe for this first destination. Off the Garden Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (take Highway 2 to 183), there are several islands that are uninhabited. The first, Little Summer Island, is just a mile or so offshore from the tiny community of Fairport. We paid $10 to leave our car parked behind the barn of a fisherman who lived there.

Summer Island and Poverty Island are next in the chain. These are wooded islands, with some old foundations of houses remaining from long ago, as well as a lighthouse still standing on one. They are primarily part of the Lake Superior State Forest (despite the fact that they are in Lake Michigan). There aren't really any trails for backpacking, but hiking the shore and exploring the interior of Summer Island could fill a day.

From Poverty Island, you have to cross a shipping channel to get to Saint Martin Island. This one is privately owned, but the caretaker told us that camping there was no problem, and he even left the lighthouse open for us to explore, with our promise to lock it up when we were done. When he took a boat home to Wisconsin (less than 10 miles south), we were the only ones on the island. There are trails here, and there may be a few rental cabins by the time you read this.

The Manistee River Trail

There is a little-known trail along the Manistee River in Northern Michigan that is never crowded. Part of it is the North Country Trail, a long trail from New York to North Dakota that may never be completed. I haven't hiked it in four years or so, but when we used to hike here or float homemade rafts down the river, we never had company.

The part that I am referring to runs through the Manistee National Forest from Highway 131, North of Cadillac, to Highway 37 near Mesick. The trail follows the river on the north side. There is one road (and a bridge) that you'll pass the first day, downstream from 131. After that there are no more houses or cabins for a long stretch. The terrain is rolling maple and beech woods, with some big sandy bluffs overlooking the river.

Drummond Island

A few years back, a friend and I took the ferry to Drummond Island, with the canoe on the roof of the car. We found a string of lakes on the map and put the canoe in the first one. After paddling a ways, we had to haul the canoe over a beaver dam. Then we were in the big open areas, where the seemingly floating islands of plant life made navigating interesting.

We meant to camp somewhere on the shore of one of the lakes, but maps don't show everything. The shoreline was all marshy areas, full of cattails, reeds, and chest-deep muck. We realized at some point that it was not actually possible to get to shore. We could see dry land in the distance, but we couldn't paddle through the thick brush, nor walk well enough in the thick muck to get out and pull the canoe in.

By the end of the day, we were back where we started. We drove to an isolated part of the island (easy to do, since it all seems fairly isolated), and parked the car right in the road to set up a tent next to it. Not a single car passed before we left at 11 the next morning. If you want isolated backpacking - or paddling or even parking - this is one part of Michigan you'll want to check out.

By: Steve Gillman

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Copyright Steve Gillman. To get an ebook on Backpacking for FREE, as well as photos, gear recommendations, and a new wilderness survival section, visit: www.The-Ultralight-Site.com

Traveling To Baja California Mexico

Mexico is a country that has always occupied a special place among the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Its many treasures are of course known and loved by the countless thousands of people who have already experienced them, but Mexico has a way of enticing even those who have not had the opportunity to visit the country yet.

There are several places in Mexico that have contributed to the charm and allure of the country, among them: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City. All of these have done their share in building the “Mexico mystique” and are definitely some of the more worthwhile places to visit in the country. There is however another area that somehow stands apart from all the rest and that is the area known as Baja California.

Baja California is a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean from the southern end of California. As you may well imagine given this location, Baja California is gifted with spectacular seascapes, making it an ideal destination for myriad different water based leisure activities. In fact, the area has attracted thousands of surfers and sailing enthusiasts over the years, in addition to the hordes of college students from the U.S. who have made Baja California their unofficial home away from home during spring break.

The water is by no means the only place to have fun in Baja California. In fact, with the sheer number of things to do and places to see, you may find yourself overwhelmed if you try to take them all in! The best thing to do is to plan your visit around one or two major activities–diving or whale watching for example–and plan for smaller, shorter deviations throughout your stay. Of course, if you are up to the challenge you may just decide to see as much of the area as you possibly can!

We’ve already mentioned the water and how much fun you can have in or around it: there’s scuba diving, fishing, wind surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and even just lounging around in the sun and sand. There are other things to do in Baja California without even having to get wet however. For starters, there is cycling or even mountain biking. The highway that stretches from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas is a particularly popular route and attracts many cyclists every year. If you are interested in traveling the less beaten path, there are numerous dirt road trails all over La Paz, Loreto, San Jose del Cabo and Todos Santos that will test the limits of both you and your bike! Of course if you want to get around at a slower pace, you can always go for a hike on the many trails in the San Pedro Martir National Park or in the Sierra Lagunas.

We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of all the treasures that lie in wait for you in Baja California. Visiting this naturally rich and diverse spot will surely unearth a lot more for you to discover.

By: Mikhail Tuknov

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Baja California Mexico real estate, 45 luxury beachfront condominiums in Real del Mar just 18 miles from the San Diego border.

Dara Samui Beach Resort Spa Hotels Koh Samui Island

By: Maypopup M.

This article hopes to give you the knowledge you need, to feel that you have a firm grasp on the subject.

The Island of Koh Samui mendacity on the gulf of Thailand. It is legendary for its spanely vegetation. The island with its beaches, bays, capes and brilliant pretty beauty is a must holiday for travelers. If you want to like your stop in Koh Samui you should holiday the Chaweng Islands which is the focal island of Koh Samui. You will get good accommodation at the Dara Samui seaside choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island.

Dara Samui shoreline choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island is a paradise on earth. The hotel provides comfort and luxury to the guests who come here for whole relaxation of both tend and body. The setting of Dara Samui shoreline choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island is very strategic. The hotel is sited very pivotally on the foremost beach of Thailand. This pivotal site enables the guests to not only tour curved the city of Koh Samui but also take part in lot of beach activities as well.

The convenient scope Facilities at Dara Samui seaside choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island submit a relaxed and comfortable stop to the guests. There are three core universe types at Dara Samui seaside choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island. You have the choice of choosing from advanced universes, Villas and expensive suites at the hotel.

The Dara Samui shore route and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island is a five star hotel. The lodge military and navy at Dara Samui shore route and Spa lodge in Koh Samui comprise assorted activities for recreation. You can relax while receiving a rubdown at the Dara Samui Spa. You can like the tang therapy at the Spa along with other traditional practices worn for medicinal. anyway the hotel also has an exotic dining place for the guests. The restaurants assist Lanna sea food in open air.

The Dara Samui shore route and Spa lodge in Koh Samui follows the traditional practices of Thailand. This hotel is not only elegant in its architectural method but also has International management side of Thai, American and European nationalists to take concern of the guests.

In the introduction, we saw how this subject can be beneficial to anyone. We will continue by explaining the basics of this topic.

The Dara Samui seaside choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui Island is a five star hotel. The lodge army and military at Dara Samui seaside choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui involve assorted activities for recreation. You can relax while receiving a work at the Dara Samui Spa. You can have the whiff therapy at the Spa along with other traditional practices worn for curative. also the hotel also has an exotic dining universe for the guests. The restaurants perform Lanna sea food in open air.

The Dara Samui seaside choice and Spa lodge in Koh Samui follows the traditional practices of Thailand. This hotel is not only elegant in its architectural panache but also has International management panel of Thai, American and European nationalists to take control of the guests.

hence among the other lodges in Koh Samui Island in Thailand Dara Samui shoreline choice and Spa lodge presents a good appraise for the money. Of all the lodges in Thailand, the lodges in Koh Samui presents the best navy to International guests.

Try searching for a particular keyword from the title of this article on your search engine and you are sure to find a wealth of knowledge.

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Treasure Islands in Vietnam

By: Luat Tran Van

On a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to manila, I looked out the window to find a beautiful view. The distant ocean was dotted with tiny green islands rimmed with white sand. Container ships cut through the blue water, heading southwest or northeast. The islands, I realized, belonged to the Truong Sa Archipelago, part of Vietnam's Khanh Hoa province. Abroad, they are known as the Spratley Islands.

Having been to the Truong Sa Islands, I found my bird's-eye-view especially fascinating. I first visited these remote islands in 1996, having boarded a navy ship in Cam Ranh Bay at 7pm and reached the islands at dawn.

The trip was unforgettable, For much of the journey the sea was calm, but within a space of 30 minutes a storm blew. our ship, weighing thousands of tons, was tossed like a dry leaf, its bow crashing into the wares and its propeller spinning in the air like that of an airplane. I felt as though hammers the size of houses were battering the ship. In that dangerous situation, where we feared for our lives, the sailors regaled us with stories of their journeys and adventures.

On another trip, while the map showed that our boat was near the islands, there was no sign of land. Some miles away we could see heavy rain falling. Informed by radio that it was raining in the Truong Sa Archipelago, we turned towards the rain and, sure enough, sighted land.

Among my fellow travelers was a troupe of performing artists, traveling to the islands to entertain the troops. All they had was a guitar, although the soldiers posted on the islands had promised to get a drum. True to their word, the soldiers cut the top off of an old oil drum and sounded as impressive as a "real" one. When the show was due to open there was no electricity. Using metal pipes, rags and gasoline, the soldiers made torches. The performance was excellent until everyone looked at each other and burst out laughing: the oily smoke had turned everyone's face pith black.

What I remember best in the sea, where I watched schools of flying fish streaming past like silver arrows. At night the sea round the Truong Sa Islands looked stunning. Shining a light on the water revealed squid. The fishing was excellent. It did not take us long to catch black cod or grouper as big as banana shoots.

As much as we loved the fishing, we didn't envy the fish. but at least two notable people ended up swimming like fish during our visit. The poet Duong Thuan was so intent on watching some squid that he fell overboard late at night, while the journalist Nguyen Nhu Phong disappeared into a hole in a coral reef. he was walking across the exposed reef carrying a camera bag for a colleague when he suddenly vanished. With a plop his plump from was submerged, leaving only the camera bag floating on the surface. When we pulled Phong up he was still clinging to the camera bag, desperate to keep the equipment from being damaged by the water.

Lying about 500 nautical miles from Vietnam's coast, the Truong Sa Islands are surprisingly green. On the main island, Great Truong Sa, maple trees offer shade. On Nam Yet Island the soldiers served us coconut milk and so Song Tu Tay Island we enjoyed cool nhau juice, which has therapeutic qualities.

Over the past decade, the island's soldiers have grown vegetables in wooden pots set on oil-covered poles to protect them from mice. Today, spinach, cabbage and other greens are spreading across the inlands.

I spent a morning touring Nam Yet, the most beautiful island in the Truong Sa. Incredibly tall coconut palms and green maples offered shade, while seabirds bustled around the water's edge. The receding tide revealed a white sandbar, the water as clear as glass and the silky sand unmarred by footsteps.

One day, I imagine that these islands will become a popular tourist destination. As a new airport is under construction on Great Truong Sa that day may be close. Watching the islands from above as I flew towards Manila I recalled my wonderful experiences in the Truong Sa Archipelago. Someday, I hope to be able to take a Vietnam Airlines flight back to those beautiful shores.

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9 'Secrets' to Improve Your Hotel Stay

By: Carson Danfield

You want a hotel to be your 'home away from home', but many aspects of hotel pricing and policy are anything but homey.

Here's what you need to know -

- You get the best rate by calling the hotel's local number, not the 800 number. The 800 number usually links callers to an off-site, centralized call center that only has the standard room rates. You're better to call the hotel directly and instead of asking for the reservations desk, ask to speak with the manager on duty, the general manager or the director of sales. They have the authority to negotiate room rates.

- Rooms are more expensive in the morning. The best time of day to make a reservation is right after 6PM. This is when hotels wipe out all the 'no-show' reservations that were unsecured by a credit card. They then offer those rooms at bargain rates.

- Everything is negotiable. Think parking is overpriced? If the lot looks half empty, offer less than the daily rate. Planning to make a lot of phone calls? Some hotels offer a per-day flat fee for local and long distance calling in the US (usually $9.95), but you must ask for it.

- Rooms are available even when a hotel has no vacancies. In any large hotel, a few rooms are usually listed as 'out-of-order' at any given time. The problem might be something as simple as a stain on the carpet or a chair that has been sent out for repairs.

If you're desperate for a last-minute room in a hotel that claims to have none available, tell the manager you are willing to take an out-of-order room with a minor problem.

- A thief takes one credit card, not your entire wallet. It's no secret that crime is common in hotels. The new twist is that some hotel thieves now take just one credit card when they find a wallet in a room, and leave everything else untouched. Often, the victim doesn't notice the card is missing until the credit line is maxed out.

Travel only with the credit cards you really need, and check your wallet carefully if you accidentally leave it unattended.

- It pays to tip the housekeeper every day. Exchange a few pleasant words with the housekeeper if you see him/her, and leave a $2 or $3 tip each day. You'll get better service. Housekeepers are the most overworked, underpaid, underappreciated people in hotels.

Knowing the housekeeper also reduces the chances that your room will be burglarized. Dishonest housekeepers are less likely to target guests they have met. And if a thief enters your room while it's being cleaned and pretends to be you (a common ruse), the housekeeper will be able to spot the impostor.

- Your bags aren't safe with the bellhop. Even in elite hotels, luggage can be stolen right off the luggage carts in the lobby. And the hotel assumes no legal responsibility for the loss.

If your bag is going to sit for more than a few minutes, ask that it be placed in a secure room. Keep valuable items in the hotel safe.

High-end luggage might impress fellow travelers, but it also impresses thieves. The cheaper or uglier your luggage looks, the greater the odds that a thief will target someone else.

- Hotel rooms are infested with germs. Certain items in hotel rooms never get cleaned. Trouble spots include the TV remote control, telephone and clock radio. Travel with a package of antibacterial wipes and clean these items when you arrive.

Also, while reputable hotels provide fresh linens, bedspreads might be cleaned only once every few months. Ask for clean blankets as soon as you arrive.

- The 'lost and found' is a great resource for cell phone users. If you use a cell phone, odds are that someday you'll forget to bring your recharging cord or lose it in transit. If you're staying in a hotel, there's no need to buy a replacement. Recharging cords are the No. 1 item left behind in hotel rooms. Most hotels are willing to lend chargers from their lost and found.

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Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya Thailand

By: Maypopup M.

We have numerous other articles written on this very subject. Each one tackles a different aspect of this complex topic.

There are a large number of plush hotels in Pattaya in Thailand and the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya is just one of those. This is an honor-disarming hotel that has given a new dimension to the worth of hospitality and genial and sophisticated living. This is the following Hard Rock Hotel in the entire of Asia. extend across a giant region, this super plush hotel, with its international pattern navy and decidedly able and polished navy, has emerged as one of the most sensational hotels of the city.

setting of Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya

The setting of Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya is situated in front of the shoreline, thus making your vacations an exotic experience. The hotel is located on Moo Pattaya Soi in the Banglamung Chonburi region of the city. Strategically located in inner Pattaya, the hotel is just 4 kilometers away from the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention focus. The Bangkok Airport is a 180 kilometers away from the place where the hotel is situated. Visitors to this hotel can like the picturesque outlook of the sea and the spotless sallow shorelinees from the windows of this hotel. Transportation is clearly free form the place where the hotel is placed.

span Facilities at Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya

The different accommodation options that are untaken by the hotel contain over scope, sumptuous scope, Kings bang scope, Kings bang Executive, Composer Suite, Producer Suite, Kings Suite, Kings bang recline and unique quarters for the disabled travelers. You will also get both non-smoking and smoking quarters in this hotel. The quarters of this hotel are air-conditioned and are done up in the most elaborate and admirable mode. The different extent facilities that one can find in the quarters of this hotel contain in-extent anodyne, high-zoom internet access, tea and brown makers, satellite television, IDD handset, little bars, CD players and others. The ensuite bathquarters have a Japanese blueprint bathtubs. The guests are provided with bath army like coat dryers and bathrobes during their break in the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya.

The second half of this article will help you to extend upon what you have learned in the first half.

span Facilities at Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya

The diverse accommodation options that are open by the hotel involve exclusive span, sumptuous span, Kings mace span, Kings mace Executive, Composer Suite, Producer Suite, Kings Suite, Kings mace sprawl and unusual quarters for the disabled travelers. You will also get both non-smoking and smoking quarters in this hotel. The quarters of this hotel are air-conditioned and are done up in the most elaborate and huge approach. The diverse scope facilities that one can find in the quarters of this hotel involve in-scope protected, high-hurry internet access, tea and russet makers, satellite television, IDD handset, small bars, CD players and others. The ensuite bathquarters have a Japanese draft bathtubs. The guests are provided with bath navy like tresses dryers and bathrobes during their delay in the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya.

Hotel overhauls and army at Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya

The countless navy and facilities that are open by the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya enter laundry cleaning sacrament, disabled facilities, baby-session navy, space sacrament, picture counter and parking zone. The hotel also provides conference facilities to assemble the load of the trade travelers. For recreation, do buttress out the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya SPA, where you can have a temperate and relaxing base work or some nature of beauty action. The dining options are good. The countless restaurants where you can dine enter Hard Rock Caf, Starz Diner, Starz Deli, e Bar and The Sheck.

The Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya pampers you with all that is needed to make your tumble to this exotic city a amazing and magical experience. You will also be stunned by the admirable army free by the cane of this hyped hotel. All this makes it one of the top hotels in Thailand.

If you thoroughly examine each part that we have discussed, you will see a common thread of which to explore.

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