T For Travel

Thailand is a beautiful country from the bamboo forest of the north to the bustling city of Bangkok in the central region to the white sandy beaches to the south. 5 star hotels Thailand await to pamper the visitor in luxury. The Thais are a gracious people, considering visitors to their nations as honored guests. Thailand meaning the land of smiles is a correct name every where you go the people are smiling from big cities to rural villages. Thailand is a Buddhist country the influence of the philosophy is evident through out the country. Temples and temple complexes dot the landscape from the north to the south. The temple serve the purpose of conducting important ritual and ceremony as well as perform services and teachings for the citizens. Thailand has a variety of climate regions. The sandy beaches of Phuket in the south the humid jungle climates of the central region the dry high plateau of the north east and the cooler mountain region of the north. The north east provinces are known for the handy work and arts and crafts. The Karn Hill Tribes are world famous for their work in fine silver. While in near by villages pottery, weaving and wood carving are popular. This region is home to a spicy Lao based cuisine of cooking that differs in style and spice from the Bangkok style of cooking in the mid region. The mountains of the north region are frequently shrouded in clouds and cool mists. Snow can fall here in the winter. The north region borders Mynamar and can at times have violence spilling over from Mynamar. Although this is rare visitors to the area should be aware of the possible volatile nature of the area and inquire about conditions ahead.

For four-star hotels, Bangalore has a surplus of comfort and luxury.  Our world-class accommodation offer some of the most splendid features available, with a generous mixture of hospitality and convenience.  We offer a marvelous array of lodgings, and we specialize in the revitalization of the body and spirit.  You will adore the fantastic food available here, prepared by chefs who are trained in traditional cooking as well as the most contemporary innovations.  Fine dining is at a premium here, and conveniently located within your hotel.  Guests here will experience a lovely sense of relaxation, preparing them for new adventures in the city.

Bangalore has a lot to offer travelers of all ages.  It is one of the world’s great centers of technology, and the local economy has been quite good recently.  There has been a trend toward young people returning to Bangalore from time spent abroad, lulled back by its financial promise.  This makes for a fascinating cultural mix, where locals are suddenly getting to know their own city again for the first time.  This has resulted in new and interesting cultural experiments, blending innovation and tradition to the entertainment menu.  In this light, there is the Bangalore Roof Top Film Festival, which brings together audiences for intimate evenings of independent entertainment.

The Roof Top Film Festival is a wonderful way to get to know local culture in Bangalore, as the events are very informal.  People gather with the intention of watching lesser-known films in a neighborhood setting.  It is very community-oriented, which means that there is a strong connection to the local and global, and visitors here can observe and take part in the next wave of film viewing.  This is an open forum where people can see new and exciting work, and discuss what they see in an atmosphere of open inquiry.

At 5 o:clock, on a Friday evening in 2001 many people gathered together to inaugurate an incredible building, designed by Norman Foster, in the English city of Newcastle.  More than fifteen thousand people attended the performances and events that celebrated the the Sage Gateshead opening.  This center for musical performance, education and conferences is about to celebrate its five year anniversary, or birthday.  This is located just outside of Newcastle, on the southern bank of the River Tyne.  The entire development is the Gateshead Quays, and includes the Millennium Bridge as well as the contemporary center for the arts, the Baltic Gallery.

There are three amphitheaters located within the Sage, the largest venue seating seventeen hundred, one that seats four hundred and a smaller hall used for rehearsal space and performances.  These three halls were the main focus of the design, and the rest of the building was constructed around the halls, in order to ensure the maximum potential for the acoustics.  The largest of the halls was designed after the Viennese hall, Musikverein.  The panels of the ceiling and the curtains may be move accordingly, to affect the structure of the sound and to cater to any form of music, be it rock or be it symphony.

The Sage is open during the day, to the public and the tourists coming from their Newcastle hotel of choice.  One may witness not only the spectacular performances during the evening, but can sit in on rehearsals, workshops and sound checks.  The building was designed to create an informal atmosphere, in the best possible way to really hear the sounds.  The center offers daily classes and workshops as well.  There are also five pubs and a cafe located within.  The facility also has a library on the grounds, also open to the public, which contains books and magazines that cover every aspect of music and the music business, as well as a library of recorded albums and CDs with listening stations throughout.  The birthday celebration will run through December 18 to the 20th, and is a must for music lovers in the city during the month of December.

In Mumbai/Bombay, hotel accommodations are varied, and it is easy to find hotels that will fit into any budget.  Many travel to to Mumbai each year to experience the diversity of the culture, the food of the different regions, the traditions, the crafts and festivals.  One of the cultures living within the city is the population of Indians that follow the Jain religion.  The philosophy was originally taken from the Ancient texts and teaching of India, the Tirthankaras.  This is one of the influential religions in the modern society of India today, even as there are one of the smaller groups in the country.  Many people in other countries have become members of this group, such as the countries throughout Western Europe, the Far East, Africa and the United States.

Jainism was established during the same time that Buddha was alive and teaching, by a man known as Mahavira.  This title is translated to mean ‘great hero’ in English.  He was older than Buddha, and both have similarities in there beliefs and philosophical ideas.  For instance, both men did not respect the caste systems and the barriers it has placed on the people in the country for thousands of years.  The sacred nature of the Vedas is also something that both question.

And both men renounced their royal upbringing and all the material aspects of this world.  For more than two thousand years the Jains have influenced many of India’s spheres in society, such as the political, the religious, the economic and the ethical aspect of culture.  The stress is put on the independent spiritual connection to the world, and that all of life is equal important.  Much as in Buddhism ideology, all emphasis is place on the practice of non-violence and and of self control over the worldly passions and desired in order to find the true nature of one’s soul.  Scholarship and education is an important tradition, and those in this culture are among the most educated members of the country’s population.  The oldest libraries in India are the Jain’s.  This is just one of the many interesting cultures and aspects of the societies of India.

The oldest range of mountains in India is the Aravalli Mountain Range.  Many of those traveling in the country spend some time in the Palace hotel India offers, in order to take full advantage of the trails and the hikes throughout mountains.  This is a section of the outdoors that is a paradise, filled with the beauty that has been attracting travelers and hikers from around the world for many years.  All in this one range one will hike through jungles that are dense and rich with wildlife, lakes, and areas of open meadows.  The range is three hundred miles, stretching from the North to the Sought, in the Western region of the state of Rajasthan.

When one progresses North along the trails the terrain becomes rocky and more isolated.  Ancient folds in the mountains were created during years of erosion.  One while find action and adventure in these mountains, and is well known for the variety of the topography adding to the experience, much in the same way as the diversity of the terrain found in the Grand Canyon of the United States.  As one hikes down through the desert, one experiences the changes and how in one turn of a corner, the scenery will go from brown rocks and gravel to crystal blue water and vines climbing up the Canyon walls.

Mount Abu is located within the range, as well as the temples of the Jain religious sect in Ranakpuri.  There is also a sanctuary for wild life, and the dense jungle trees and plants provide a habitat that supports many species of animals and birds.  There are some areas that have been affected by deforestation, but for the most part the range has been well protected and preserved.  The erosion continues and has resulted in the levels being disturbed enough to affect the rivers, sending them in different directions over time.  Many of the groves or forest located throughout are now protected areas such as Dev Bani, Dev Ouranya, and Askankar Bani.  These are sacred locations, and the mountains themselves are respected by the humans, for the history and the influence they have added to that history of the relationship between the human world and the world of nature.

One aspect of the city of New York that is strange when one visits for the first time, is that metropolis is green, filled with plants and flowers hanging from the fire escape “balconies” of the apartment buildings, throughout the parks of the city, and along the streets where rows of trees shade the windows and the doorways of the NY hotels,  museums, restaurants, and shops.  The city has been home to some of the trees for years.  One interesting walk through the city is the search for the oldest tree on the island.  Although many candidates are in the running for that title as the Magnolia Tree the stands in Brooklyn, the Hanging Tree in Washington Square Park, and the White Oak tree that stands in Pelham Bay Park.  One of the traditional characteristics of the commissioners of the Parks and Recreation organization in New York is the planting of trees on a regular basis, along with the constant care of the city’s many gardens located in the parks.  This is similar to the city of Chicago’s devotion to the flowers that decorate that cities streets, and gardens located abundantly throughout the neighborhoods and park’s of the windy city.

Last month more than five thousand volunteers were brought together by the commissioner and organization called New York Cares.  The goal of the project is to have one million trees throughout the city during the next ten years.  So far, 20,000 trees have been planted last month, on one single day alone.  This is an attempt at creating a more visually beautiful city, and is an environmental action as well.  With the planting of the million, the forests of the city will be increased by twenty percent.  Hands on New York Day, brought the city together, and the communities throughout felt a spirit and a joy in the connection of not only participating in the same event at the same time, but in partaking in something that will forever affect those living and working in the city, and will inspire those traveling and touring Manhattan for the first time.  The people are bringing the forest into downtown, and the forest will breath more life into the communities, the atmospheres and the feel of this already vibrant American city.

There are many aspects that are amazing about the city, New York, USA. Hotel concierges offer up suggestions of tours and activities, but one way to spend the afternoon is to just walk around the neighborhoods and take in the history.  One aspect many may overlook is that of the oldest residents, the trees.  Many of the trees have been growing on the island long before the first European settlers landed on the shores of the East River.  In the Brooklyn borough, one tree has become quite famous.  This is a Magnolia tree that is located on the 600 block of Lafayette Street.  In 1970, this tree became a recognized landmark of the city, the only living landmark.  While the Magnolia tree of Brooklyn is most famous, it is not the oldest tree.  In Prospect Park, an area that once was a full blown forest, stands an oak tree, one of the last few standing.

However, research on the many trees in the park lands of the Bronx may turn up an older living legend.  For there are thousands of acres to discover throughout this borough of the city.  Currently the oldest tree standing in the Bronx is a White Oak.  This one dates back to the 1700′s.  This giant tree stands in the middle of a golf course in Pelham Bay Park.  Many have walked through Central Park and have the idea that the oldest trees are found within the park, and though they are older trees, most were transplanted.  There is one tree that stands along the reservoir that is believed to have been growing there before the construction of the park.  This London Plane is dated to the early 1800′s.

The two other species that are in the running for the oldest living trees on the island are located in Washington Heights and Washington Square Park.  In the Heights, stands an elm, over one hundred and ten feet tall.  Legend has it that George Washington stood beneath this tree on many occasions.  And then there is the Hangman’s tree, and Elm tree that dates back to the time in the history of New York, when Washington Square Park was the city’s location for the gallows.  This one is dated at three hundred and ten years old, and it is doubtful that any hangings really happened at the tree, many find it morbidly fascinating to wonder about.  Walking through the city is a joy for anyone, especially on their first visit as there is so much to discover about this small island, the largest city in the United States.

A few days ago, the National Arts Council of Singapore announced that Matthew Ngui )has been elected as the third Artistic Curator and Director of the annual arts festival, the Singapore Biennale.  Ngui is one of the most respected artists throughout the international art world, and this appointment has the first native Singaporean in charge in charge of this event.  2009 will be the third year of the festival, and the Council is hopeful that this will secure Singapore’s position on the international map, secure the position that Singapore has so longed for, that of an international artistic hub, the center, and one of the leaders in the world of visual arts.  Many of the businesses throughout the city, such as Singapore luxury hotels, benefit from the festival as well.  As many travel from all corners of the world, to either participate in the festival, or to experience it as audience members.

Ngui has had years of experience in the biennale celebrations throughout the world, and along with his credentials and expertise of his own work overseas, Singapore and the Council are quite confident that he will lead this years Singapore Biennale into great success.  He is known to create work that is specific to the regions and cities that he is working in, bringing the locals into the process and involving the culture from within he works.  This is a concept that the Council and the Government of Singapore has been working towards for years.  For not only is important to bring as many spectators and artists in from other parts of the world, it is of utmost importance to involve the local people and the local cultures.

Ngui has also been gaining experience as a curator, working on the Biennale of 2008, as well as exhibiting at the Biennale celebrations in Venice, Sao Paulo and Gwangju.  In 2001 he became one of the first four Singaporean artists to represent the country in Venice, previously he was the very first to show at the Documenta Biennale in 1997.  He began as a sculptor and eventually moved into the realm of performance art, installation pieces, video and public art.  The 2001 Biennale will no doubt be quite a spectacular event with Ngui at the helm of such an incredibly talented group of international artists.

The sculptures that line the banks of the Singapore River are known for the stylistic diversity, illustrating the history of the rise of Singapore from a modest fishing village, to the internationally known business and tourism mecca that the city has become today.  Set with the backdrop of the hustle and bustle, the busy city streets, the sky scrapers and the charming here-and-there boutique hotel, Singapore has the history of the people laid out in bronze and symbolism, right there by the river.

One of the main contributors to this outdoor exhibit is Singaporean sculptor, Chong Fah Cheong.  Chong is well known throughout the country, and the rest of the world as well, for his iconic, often whimsical, portrayals of the lives of those he sculpts.  And while Chong does create abstract works, those along the river are life sized and realistic.  One of the pieces contains five figures, of boys jumping into the river for a swim.  These sculptures have been known to turn heads, as spectators really need a second look to make sure that they are not seeing real people jumping into the river.  This piece illustrates his love for the joy of life, and for the joy the river has provided the people of Singapore throughout the history of the growth of the nation.  His, “People Fishing” illustrates that at one time, every day life was not filled with stress and work.  It serves to remind those who pass by, that simple pleasures of life are so very important.

Another sculptor exhibited along the river walk is Dr. Aw Te Hong.  His piece illustrates the historical interactions between merchants and local tradesman.  It also honors the hard work of those working along the river, loading goods onto boats and carts.  The piece titled “From Chettiars to Financiers” depicts the change of the systems of banks and commerce.  Locals loaning goods, services and finances to each other and then the transition to the big business and financial institutions of modern times.

The abstract pieces along the river include the works of Fernando Botero and Salvador Dali.  Botero’s piece, “Bird” symbolizes joy, the desire for harmony, optimism and peace.  And Dali, his piece is titled “Homage to Newton”.  This is one of Dali’s finest bronzes, and sits just outside the entrance to the Overseas Bank Building.  A ball falls from the hand of the figure, which symbolizes the moment Isaac Newton was inspired by the apple falling from the tree, the discovery of gravity.  His piece is like a skeleton, with an open chest revealing a heart suspended, and an open skull…this signifies how important it is for humans to remain, throughout all that life brings, with an open heart and an open mind.  Necessary not only for discoveries to be made in the natural or the scientific world, but for success in all endeavors.

Water sports are definitely the most common outdoor activity on the small Mediterranean Island of Ibiza.  Hiking and other activities are also frequently engaged in, and one of the most inviting local sports is golf. There are two golf courses on the island, and while that may not be the main reason most people choose to visit, it is certainly popular among locals and visitors often discover the pleasures of the views and the beauty of the open ranges. Guests staying in 5 star hotel Ibiza will have no difficulty in accessing information on courses and renting equipment for this rewarding sport. Many hotels also assist in arranging for transportation.

Both of the island’s courses are located within close proximity to each other in the county Santa Eularia. They are the Ibiza Golf Club and Roca Llisa Golf Club. They are currently merging to form one large golfing complex. The Ibiza Golf Club was established in 1991 and is an 18 hole, par 72 course. It is located in beautiful and tranquil country scenery and offers great views of the Mediterranean. Fortunately for golfers who typically worry about landing a ball in the sand pit, or pond, the sea is far enough away that it doesn’t make for easy mishaps. Though, fetching a ball out of the coastal waters would be more of a pleasure than a task for the golfer. The course has an onsite hotel, restaurant and pro-shop, which caters to the golf enthusiasts. The Roca Llisa Golf Club is a smaller, 9 hole course and driving range. This beautiful club overlooks the cobalt sea and is smugly enclosed by beautiful pine tree groves. It is open all year long. Roca Llisa has qualified instructors to assist with inexperienced golfers who are just learning the sport. There is a pro-shop on site, though individuals may want to venture over to the Ibiza Golf Club for dining and hotel accommodations.