The Winter Palace, housing the State Hermitage Museum, can be seen in the background, with the Alexander Column on Palace Square in front. (BBC)

Achingly beautiful St Petersburg, with its baroque palaces and sweeping broad boulevards, seemed immune from the sweeping tides of change remaking the architectural and cultural character of Moscow.

You came here to drink in the grandeur of the Winter Palace, to float down the majestic canals, to be transported to its gilded czarist opulence. But focusing on the past is out of line with the city's history.

Founded by the forward-thinking emperor, Peter the Great, the city has always been Russia's cultural capital. This is the city of Balanchine and Baryshnikov, Dostoevsky and Tchaikovsky. It was from here that Peter undertook the first great modernization of Russia, where citizens agitated for the October Revolution that ushered in the Communist age, and where residents later pushed for Democratic reform as Communism crumbled.

It is odd that a city that has been at the forefront of so many radical changes should, more recently, come to be defined by its old world character. Eclipsed by the economic powerhouse of Moscow, St Petersburg feels a bit like a large museum. But with the opening of the city's first contemporary art museums, the country's first W Hotel, and a growing restaurant scene, tourists are starting to get a taste of the vibrant cultural life that has been bubbling beneath the city's ornate veneer. But you have to experience St Petersburg's past to be able to appreciate its present. So consider this our back to the future guide to St Petersburg, past to present.

Old hotel
The Grand Hotel Europe has been open since 1875, its own history a microcosm of Russia's history. Rasputin dined here, Dostoevsky wrote in a corner hotel room, Tchaikovsky supped with his bride on their honeymoon. The grand dame morphed into a cramped halfway house of sorts while families awaited apartment allocations after the October Revolution put the city under Communist rule. It later became a hospital during the siege on the city in World War II. But now it is every bit as grand as the day it opened with Russian oligarchs scooping up caviar from gold-rimmed china and sipping champagne from cut crystal flutes. Rooms awash in precious antiques feel firmly routed in old-world grandeur with modern benefits like flat screen TVs and wi-fi.

New hotel
Building codes designed to preserve the architectural character and historic facades of St Petersburg have also stymied the development of inventive architecture. And hotels in particular have stuck to a tried-and-true formula of stuffy historic design. That is why the opening of the new W, the city's first truly contemporary hotel, is such a breath of fresh air. The W took a cue from the St Petersburg's original planners, hiring Italian architects to design the 137 rooms and suites. The only debt their designs owe to the city's past are the bright pops of jewel tones  as accents throughout the hotel, a nod to the famous Faberge Eggs produced in the city. The hotel otherwise sits firmly rooted in the future, with low-slung mod furniture lit by glittering gold lamps reminiscent of disco balls, and Russian power players dining in the new Alain Ducasse restaurant, miX.

Old restaurant
The Palkins are some of Russia's oldest restaurateurs and their crowning jewel opened in 1874 with 25 dining halls, a billiard room, a marble fountain and a sweeping staircase. The current incarnation, reopened in 2002, may not be quite so sprawling but the massive crystal chandeliers, heavy raw silk draping and elaborately carved walls certainly evoke the days when czars and czarinas supped within these walls. The food is also a bit of a history lesson as Palkin's chefs were the first to incorporate French techniques into Russian cooking. Today, you will find evidence of that tradition in dishes like sea scallops served mille-feuilles style with red caviar and passion fruit balls or stroganoff made with wild boar and fox berries.

Cow trekking in the Rhine.

“It began on a winter’s day when my wife took the kids camel riding here in Switzerland,” said Heinz, with a twinkle in his eye. “Why camels, I asked, when we’ve got a stable full of cows?”

Heinz may have been joking at the time, but he soon realised he was actually onto something. Today, cow trekking is part of Heinz and Doris's approach to organic farming at Bolderhof in Hemishofen, in the canton of Schaffhausen.

I arrived on a warm, hazy morning and was introduced to brown-eyed beauties Umbra, La Paloma and Oklahoma. I took to La Paloma instantly and, after a quick briefing, I was helped onto her smooth back. It wasn't as bumpy as a camel and considerably slower than a horse. I tried to keep La Paloma on the path and away from tempting meadows full of grass. In vain. Yet, slowly but surely, we picked our way through fields of sunflowers and down to the banks of the Rhine. Cow trekking is not only a unique way to explore the Swiss countryside, it's slow travel at its finest.

Kerry Christiani lives right by the German-Swiss border and is the co-author of Lonely Planet Switzerland.

This article was published in partnership with Lonely Planet Magazine.

The Hop Garden, in Wellington, has a great selection of New Zealand microbrews to intice any hobbit.

(Phil Cook)

Adding to the excitement surrounding the much anticipated film based on JRR Tolkien’s inaugural fantasy novel, director Sir Peter Jackson released a video diary last month that takes fans behind the scenes of his movie set in Wellington, New Zealand.

• Related article: Hiking through a microcosm of Earth

His glimpse into the making of The Hobbit movie, scheduled for release next year, has undoubtedly whetted the palates of fantasy geeks around the world. So we've put together a tour of Wellington that should all but satisfy their hunger for all things Lord of the Rings - in other words, an itinerary fit for a hobbit.

1) Get yourself a hobbit name
Use "The Hobbit Name Generator" to discover your secret hobbit name. ("Bilbo Baggins" returns the name Bilbo Baggins, so it's legit.)

2) Find a dwelling in Middle-earth
Booklovers Bed and Breakfast in downtown Wellington is a dream for, well, book lovers. Converted from a historic home, Booklovers was opened in 1999 by author Jane Tolerton who has stocked the inn with books over the years. The coolest thing about this B&B is that guests can choose from the literary collection and take books with them.

3) Devour breakfast... and then second breakfast
Freshly cooked breakfast is included in your stay at Booklovers, which offers eggs, bacon, fresh fruits, homemade granola, local juice, fair-trade local coffee and more. Since hobbits are known to enjoy "second breakfast", we recommend Vista Café, just north of Booklovers, which serves breakfast until 4 pm. In addition to brunch staples like eggs benedict and pancakes, Vista serves corn and herb fritters with a tomato-onion salsa, banana-coconut bread and homemade ciabatta bread.

4) Follow the trails of Frodo and Gandalf
Follow in the footsteps of actors Elijah Wood and Sir Ian McKellen by choosing from the movie tours offered by Wellington Rover Tours. Depending on which trip you select, you could recreate up to 25 scenes from the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy. Possible locations include "outer shire", outside of Downtown; suburbs to the south of Downtown where LOTR actors have lived; the WETA Cave, a pop culture museum co-founded by Jackson; Stone Street Studio, where The Hobbit is currently in production; and Hutt Valley and Kaitoke Regional Park, home to gardens, rivers and elfish trees featured in the movies. Wellington Rover Tours says its proudest feature is its knowledgeable guides, who have numerous anecdotes and secrets about the LOTR movies.

Serious fanatics may want to head out of town for a weekend to take the Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm Tour in Matamata - about six hours north of Wellington. Peter Jackson used Hobbiton's private farmland - the Alexander family farm - as The Shire in his films.

5) Have a spot of afternoon tea
It's no surprise that hobbits take afternoon tea, since their creator was an Englishman. Hippopotamus Restaurant serves high tea with multiple menus from which to choose. Tea varieties range from Mediterranean mandarin to natural rosehip and hibiscus to traditional Ceylon. Hobbit wannabes looking for an afternoon tipple will be pleased by Hippopotamus's selection of high tea cocktails. The Skye Bridge cocktail is made with 10-year-old scotch and Manuka honey.

6) Crash the set of The Hobbit
A tweet from Sir Ian McKellen leads us to believe that he and his cast-mates are currently shooting scenes at Stone Street Studios in the Miramar area of Wellington. The company does not offer public tours, but if you hang out outside for long enough, you're likely to spot members of The Hobbit's star-studded cast.

7) Chow down some more
As Pippin notes in the first Lord of the Rings movie, hobbits love to eat: "What about breakfast...What about second breakfast?...What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?" That means, it's time to eat again. Not far from Peter Jackson's Miramar sound stages is Café Polo, named after the polo grounds nearby. According to Tolkien, mushrooms are a favourite hobbit food which grows in the Shire. Café Polo's menu features wild mushroom arancini and a main course of sirloin steak with mushrooms in garlic butter.

For supper with a side of celebrity, restaurants with a reputation of attracting LOTR stars include Green Parrot and Matterhorn, just a few blocks away from each other in Downtown Wellington.

8) 'It comes in pints!'
After your day (or weekend) of Tolkein-esque attractions, wind down with some ale, glorious ale. If there's an activity hobbits enjoy more than eating, it's probably drinking. If hobbits weren't fictional, we have a feeling they'd be at the forefront of the microbrew scene. For a night of frothy craft ales, start at Mac's Brewbar, on the harbour downtown. Mac's own award-winning beer includes the English-style Sassy Red, the chocolaty Mac's Black and Isaac's Cider, a hard cider made from local apples.

Next, head south to find The Malthouse, which isn't a brewpub but it does serve 80 craft beers from around the world. To find out which creative beers the bar is rolling out, check in with its blog. Finally, travel a few blocks south to find a gorgeous pub just a stone's throw from Booklovers B&B.

The Hop Garden has a lovely glass-encased garden-patio in addition to its great selection of New Zealand microbrews. With the option of ordering half-glasses of beers including Emerson's Bookbinder and Renaissance's Stonecutter Scotch Ale, you can sample as many craft brews as your little hobbit liver allows.

Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown's beach (Irene Caselli)

Queenstown is the adrenaline capital of the world – that is what the tourist board will tell you, and that is how it feels like when you walk down its streets. There are dozens of outdoors shops and athletic people sporting the trendiest trekking gear. Skydiving and bungee jumping are a common topic of conversation. And in the distance you can see paragliders descending nearby peaks.

• Related article: Falling into New Zealand, from 10,000 feet

But adventure sports are not all there is to do in Queenstown. Great food, beautiful scenery and relaxing walks make this town a worthwhile destination even if you are not an adventure junkie, or you have already had an adventure overdose and need a day to totally relax.

Start by setting yourself up away from the town's hustle and bustle. Choose a location by Lake Wakatipu, which offers the perfect backdrop for the city. Options vary hugely, and you can find anything from the large and upscale Rydges Hotel to the basic YHA youth hostel. The hotels are only a 10 minute walk from the centre of town, and the lakeside path makes for great photography, a long jog or a nice stroll into town.

After a quiet and relaxing night of sleep, start your day by hiking up Ben Lomond. It is a five-hour trek roundtrip from the town's cemetery, and it is worth the initial steep climb. The views from the summit, at 1,748 metres, are stunning: you can see the whole lake, as well as the Remarkables mountain range. Start the walk early in the morning and have warm clothes and sunscreen with you - it might be very sunny yet chilly.

Walk down and stop for a drink and a snack at the café restaurant at the Skyline (if you can time it, a cocktail at sunset is unbeatable), and then hop on the gondola and you will be back in town in five minutes.

Back in Queenstown, there are plenty of options for an early dinner. If you are after a beer and a burger, Fergburger is the place for you. The meat is superb, and it also offers great fish 'n' chips or vegetarian options such as falafel. Otherwise, you can have a seafood-based dinner at a waterfront location such as Finz. There is a good wine list, the prices are reasonable, and the view of the lake is great.

Whatever you eat, leave space for ice cream. Argentine-owned Patagonia has incredible ice cream, summer fruit sorbets and spectacular chocolates. Take a stroll with your ice cream and you might be able to catch some young artists in the streets. If it is not too cold, the beach is a nice place to sit, relax and even sunbathe in the summer.

If you book ahead, Onsen Hot Pools after dinner is the perfect end to any day. You get access to a private hot tub for a reasonable price (going in a larger group is cheaper), and you even have the option to open the roof and the walls around you while soaking in hot water. Pools are conveniently south-facing, which means that on a starry night you can spot the Southern Cross and other constellations while soaking in the tub.

When you eat noodles in Japan, it’s perfectly 

okay to slurp them (Oliver Strewe/LPI)

You think that emptying the bottle into your guest’s glass is polite… little do you know that you just designated them as the buyer of the next round! Although most locals will excuse breaches in etiquette, it is better to be informed and impress them with your cultural know-how. Read below for a list of etiquette tips, taken from various Lonely Planet guidebooks, to help you eat and drink in different parts of the world.

Table manners
1. When you eat noodles in Japan, it is perfectly okay - even expected - to slurp them. (From the Lonely Planet Japan travel guide)

2. Never stick your chopsticks into a bowl of rice upright - that is how rice is offered to the dead! It also looks like the incense sticks that are burned for the dead. It is also bad form to pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's - another Buddhist funeral right which involves passing the remains of the cremated deceased among members of the family using chopsticks. This is true in China and for almost all of Asia. (From the Lonely Planet China travel guide)

3. In Russia, put your wrists on the edge of the table (not in your lap) while eating, and keep your fork in your left hand and knife in your right. (From the Lonely Planet Russia travel guide)

4. In Nepal, do wait to be served and be sure to ask for seconds when eating at someone's house. In general, when eating in a group, no one gets up until everyone finished their food. If you have to leave early, make your apologies by saying "bistaii khaanus" (please eat slowly). (From the Lonely Planet Nepal travel guide)

5. In restaurants in Portugal, do not ask for salt and pepper if it is not already on the table. Asking for any kind of seasoning or condiment is to cast aspersions on the cook. And cooks are highly respected people in Portugal. (From the Lonely Planet Portugal travel guide)

6. In France, never, ever discuss money over dinner.  And splitting the bill is considered the height of unsophistication. (From the Lonely Planet France travel guide)

7. Whenever you catch the eye of someone who is eating in Mexico, stranger or not, say "provecho" (enjoy).  Do not avoid this custom.  It is good manners and feels nice. (From the Lonely Planet Mexico travel guide)

8. Eating from individual plates strikes most in Ethiopia as hilarious, bizarre, and wasteful. Food is always shared from a single plate without the use of cutlery. Greed is considered uncivilized so try not to guzzle. The meat dishes are usually the last things eaten, so do not hone in on them immediately. (From the Lonely Planet Ethiopia and Eritrea travel guide)

Drinking
1. When drinking in Japan, do not fill your own drink; fill the glass of the person next to you and wait for them to reciprocate. Filling your own glass amounts to admitting to everyone at the table that you are an alcoholic. (From the Lonely Planet Japan travel guide)

2. In Armenia, if you empty a bottle into someone's glass, it obliges them to buy the next bottle - it is polite to put the last drops into your own glass. (From the Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan travel guide)

3. In Australia, shout drinks to a group on arrival at the pub. "Shouting" is a revered custom where people rotate paying for a round of drinks. Do not leave before it is your turn to buy! (From the Lonely Planet Australia travel guide)

4. In Russia, vodka is for toasting, not for casual sipping; wait for the cue. Men are expected to down shots in one gulp, while women are usually excused. Never mix your vodka or dilute it.  And do not place an empty bottle on the table - it must be placed on the floor. (From the Lonely Planet Russia travel guide)

5. In Sweden, it is considered vulgar to clink your glasses aside from formal "skals" (cheers). (From the Lonely Planet Sweden travel guide)

Especially for vegetarians
1. In Peru, many tourist-heavy cities have vegetarian restaurants that offer a version of popular national dishes with soy substitutes. In regular restaurants, veggie options can often be found on the menu.  To be safe, ask for un plato vegetariano (a vegetarian dish) and be aware that the term sin carne (without meat) refers only to red meat or pork.(From the Lonely Planet Peru travel guide)

2. Russia can be tough on vegetarians.  Your best bet is to visit during Lent, when many restaurants have special non-meat menus.  Restaurants in Moscow, St Petersburg, and other large cities are the most likely to have meat-free items on the menu, but in general vegetables are boiled to death and even veggie soups are made with meat stock. (From the Lonely Plant Russia travel guide)

3. Other vegetarian tips: Vegetarian hits and misses.

 

The rocky tidal island of Mont St Michel on the Normandy coast. (Donald C. & Priscilla Alexander Eastman/LPI)

Famous for the Bayeux Tapestry, the D-Day Landings and fortified Mont St-Michel, Normandy’s eventful history draws in visitors. Equally beguiling are the pastoral landscapes, small fishing ports, dramatic coastline – and distinctive regional cuisine, with Camembert and cider taking pride of place.

Normandy’s 25-mile Route du Cidre starts east of Caen and wends through the Pays d’Auge, a rural area of orchards, through villages such as Beuvron-en-Auge. On the way, Cru de Cambremer signs direct you to local producers happy to sell you their homegrown cider (routeducidre.free.fr).

Rouen’s centre is a medley of architectural treasures. The main thoroughfare, rue du Gros Horloge, is spanned by an impressive Gothic belfry and nearby are the grand Notre Dame cathedral and Place du Vieux Marché, where Joan of Arc was executed (rouentourisme.com).

The Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet in Giverny was home to the painter for the last 43 years of his life. His pink house and Water Lily studio stand on the periphery of the Clos Normand (00 332 32 512821; giverny.org; 84 rue Claude-Monet, Giverny; 9.30am- 6pm Apr-Oct; £7).

The world’s most celebrated embroidery, the Bayeux Tapestry, is in the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux and recounts the Norman invasion of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror (00 332 31 512550; tapisserie-bayeux.fr; rue de Nesmond, Bayeux; daily; £7).

Trouville is a laid-back beach resort for weekending Parisians. The historic town was frequented by painters and writers during the 19th century, including Mozin and Flaubert, no doubt lured here by the sandy, mile-long beach. Nearby Honfleur is an amazingly picturesque old fishing port.

Eat and drink

Bayeux’s La Reine Mathilde is a sumptuous, turn-of-thecentury pâtisserie and salon de thé where you can sample soft nougats and fruit tarts beneath ornate chandeliers (00 332 31 920059; 47 rue St-Martin, Bayeux; breakfast, lunch and tea Tue-Sun; cakes from £2).

Caen’s warm and unpretentious Le Bouchon du Vaugueux is well worth booking for. Popular with locals, it serves spectacular modern Norman cooking such as fried chanterelle mushrooms and snails with red beetroot emulsion (00 332 31 442626; 4 rue Graindorge, Caen; lunch and dinner Tue-Sat; mains £8-£14).

Les Vapeurs, Trouville’s most famous restaurant, is a home from home for Parisian weekenders in designer shades. The menu focuses on local fish and seafood dishes served up in grand brasserie style (00 332 31 884585; lesvapeurs.fr; 160 quail Fernand Moureaux, Trouville; lunch and dinner; mains £8-£25).

Double Michelin-starred Gill serves gastronomic French cuisine by the banks of the River Seine. Try the Rouen-style pigeon stewed in vegetable consommé (00 332 35 711614; gill.fr; 8-9 quai de la Bourse, Rouen; lunch and dinner Tue-Sat; mains £20-£30).

Les Nymphéas bases its cuisine on local ingredients, including cider, giving a rich Norman twist to dishes such as farm-raised wild duck, scallops and lobster (00 332 35 892669; lesnympheas-rouen.com; 7-9 rue de la Pie, Rouen; lunch and dinner Tue-Sat; mains £20-£45).

Sleep

Stay in 17th-century La Maison Normande and you’ll feel like you’re visiting your Norman grandma. The cottage-style rooms are decorated in warm colours and toile de jouy wallpaper. The best have views of the nearby Gothic church (00 332 31 881225; maisonnormande.com, in French; 4 place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, Trouville; from £42).

Occupying a red 19th-century seaside villa in the centre of Trouville, Le Fer à Cheval has 34 comfortable rooms with large French windows and wrought-iron balconies. Owned by a retired baker, the croissants at breakfast are a treat (00 332 31 983020; hotel-trouville.com; 11 rue Victor Hugo, Trouville; from £75).

The impressive 18th-century Château de Bellefontaine, one mile outside Bayeux, is surrounded by a five-acre park. The spacious rooms have views over a tranquil brook. The suites in the converted barn are more modern and rather less charming (00 332 31 220010; hotel-belle fontaine.com; 49 rue de Bellefontaine, Bayeux; from £105).

La Maison de Lucie in Honfleur is the former home of novelist Lucie Mardrus. Its rooms are decorated with antiques and contemporary objets d’art, and some have fantastic views of the Pont de Normandie – the world's second-longest cable-stayed bridge (00 332 31 144040; lamaisondelucie.com; 44 rue des Capucins, Honfleur; from £128).

The elegant conversion of Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde adds some glamour to Rouen’s hotel scene. A 15th-century mansion house, the modern rooms have wood-panelling (00 332 35 145050; hotels parouen.com; 15 place de la Pucelle, Rouen; from £180).

Getting around

Trains serve Rouen, Amiens, Caen, Bayeux and Le Havre (sncf.com). Elsewhere, you’ll be relying on local buses. Car hire is best if you want to explore the countryside and coast. Avis and Europcar have offices in Rouen train station (£25 per day; europcar.com).

Getting there

Ferries run from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (£125) and Le Havre (£200; ldlines. co.uk). Taking a car by Eurotunnel costs £53 one way. Rouen is reached by train from London, via Paris (£90; eurostar.com). Paris has flights from Edinburgh (£105; easyjet.com)

The museum is located opposite Puputan Square in Denpasar. Set in traditional grounds, adjacent to Pura Jagatnata, a visit to the museum is a relaxing and affordable place. Here you can learn about Balinese history in detail. Split into 4 main buildings, the museum is stocked with artifacts dating back to the megalithic period. The museum dates back to 1910. The structure was in the puri-pura style, meaning like a palace-temple, complete with courtyards, pavilions and decorated temple gateways.

The Main Building contains a stone sarcophagus dating from 600BC-800AD as well as ancient tools used by the early Balinese. There are also weapons used by the Balinese against the Dutch. The Buleleng Pavilion contains examples of Balinese fibre arts, including a loom and various cloth; endek, songket and the famous Geringsing.
The Karangasem Pavilion has among other things examples of the Balinese Wuku calendar, a complex guide for priests to figure out auspicious days for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. The Tabanan Pavilion has items used in Balinese music and dance, including a Barong costume and 2 massive Barong Landung costumes.

For anyone visiting Bali a must-see that should be on their list is the Bali Safari & Marine Park, just a 45-minute drive from Bali’s International Airport. The park is located on the newly developed ocean highway, Jalan Ida Bagus Mantra and thus assuring visitors an easy and fast access from the main tourist destinations of Kuta, Nusa Dua or Sanur. It is also easily accessed from Ubud.

The Bali Safari and Marine Park gives visitors a fantastic and unique experience with a combination of natural wildlife in an area with a strong Balinese cultural influence. The 40-hectare park provides special safari vehicles to interact with 400 animals from 3 regions including Indonesia, India, and Africa.

Besides the safari journeys throughout the park in from the comfort and safety of an air conditioned safari tram, there is a host of other activities on site sure to please the whole family. These include cultural performances and for the kids a waterpark and other entertainment. In the park there are also restaurants and other food outlets.

The Bali Safari and Marine Park offers tourists and travellers alike a full day of entertainment and a day well spent in Bali. Check out their website for the host of things on offer at the park and for full costs.

Contact: Kuta Office : +62 361 7513000

Website: http://www.balisafarimarinepark.com/

If like me you're one of those people who love going on holidays, but cannot abide the whole flying experience, then this feature will be your new best friend.
Location, hotel, weather, nightlife – these are all major factors that we consider when planning a holiday. Although often overlooked, your flights play a hugely important role in your whole holiday experience as well. A bad flight or a flight that’s too long can be the difference between a fantastic holiday and an ok holiday.
ExclusiveLondon.co.uk has complied a list of holiday destinations by flight duration to help you choose the perfect holiday. If you don’t like lengthy flights, you may think you are just limited to holidays in France or Germany, but there are many destinations featured below that may be closer than you think. Flight durations are based on flights leaving from London, UK.

1 to 2 hours

Austria (Tryol, Salzburg)
Belgium (Brussels)
Denmark (Copenhagen)
France, North to Mid (Paris, Lyon)
Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg)
Ireland (Dublin)
Netherlands, The (Amsterdam)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
Spain, North (Bilbao)
Switzerland (Basel, Geneva, Zurich)

2 to 3 hours

Romania (Bucharest)
Hungary (Budapest)
Finland (Helsinki)
Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca)
Italy, North (Milan, Venice)
Latvia (Riga)
Lithuania (Vilnius)
Costa del Sol (Marbella)
Poland (Krakow, Warsaw)
Portugal (Lisbon)
Czech Republic (Prague)
Iceland (Reykjavik)
Netherlands, The (Rotterdam)
Bulgaria (Sofia)
Spain, Mid to West (Barcelona, Madrid)
Sweden (Stockholm)
Tunisia (Tunis)
Austria (Vienna)

3 to 4 hours

Bulgaria (Sofia)
Greece, North to West (Halkidiki, Preveza)
Greece, South (Kalamata, Athens)
Greek Islands, North to West (Corfu, Kefalonia, Skiathos, Zante)
Gibraltar (South of Spain)
Turkey (Istanbul, Anakra)
Madeira (Island South of Portugal)
Malta (Valletta, Birkirkara)
Morocco (Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat)
France, South (Marseille, Montpellier, Nice)
Norway (Oslo)
Portugal (Porto Islands)
Italy, Mid to South (Rome, Naples, Sicily)
Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg)
Spain, South (Seville)

4 to 5 hours

Azores Islands, The (inc. 2 hour flight from Lisbon, Portugal)
Canary Islands (Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife)
Greek Islands, East to South (Mytilene, Cyprus, Mykonos, Kos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes)
Egypt (Cairo, Luxor)
Jordan (Amman)
Syria (Damascus)
Turkey (Izmir, Bodrum)

5 to 6 hours

Israel (Eilat)
Africa, West (Nigeria)

6 to 7 hours

Africa, West (Gambia, Ghana, Senegal)
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
Oman (Muscat)
United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

7 to 8 hours

Antigua (St John’s)
Barbados (Bridgetown)
Bermuda (Hamilton)
USA, East (New York, Boston)
Canada, East (Montreal)
St Lucia (Castries)
Trinidad (Port of Spain)

8 to 9 hours

India, North (New Delhi)
India, West (Mumbai, Goa)
Pakistan (Karachi)

9 to 10 hours

Aruba (Oranjestad)
Bahamas (Nassau)
Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Botswana (Gaborone)
Cuba (Havana)
Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
Jamaica (Montego Bay)
Kenya (Nairobi)
St Kitts (Basseterre)
Tobago
Zimbabwe (Harare)

10 to 11 hours

Canada, South (Ottawa, Toronto)
USA, South East (Atlanta, Miami)
USA, West (California, San Francisco)
USA, North to West (Montana, Seattle)
USA, South (New Orleans)
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo)
Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Cayman Islands (George Town)
Hong Kong
Grenada (St George’s)
Mexico (Mexico City)
Namibia (Windhoek)
Chile (Santiago)
South Africa (Cape Town)
Sri Lanka (Colombo)
Tanzania (Dodoma)
Zambia (Lusaka)

11 to 12 hours

Australia (Sydney)
Thailand (Bangkok)
Hawaii (Honolulu)
Japan (Tokyo)
Mauritius (Port Louis)
South Korea (Seoul)
Singapore
Venezuela (Caracas)

12+ hours

Fiji (Suva)
USA, West (Las Vegas)
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
USA (Montana)

To help you choose where to go and more importantly what beach to choose, we have compiled a list of the top 10 beaches in the Caribbean.

Palm Beach

1/ Palm Beach (Aruba) – Idyllic beach setting with superb white sand.

2/ Grand Anse Beach (Grenada) – 3km beach with sugar-white sand, lots of space & shallow waters.

3/ Johnson’s Point (Antigua) – Made up of secluded coves; these white soft sand beaches are a must for snorkeling & swimming

4/ Pink Sand Beach ( Bahamas) – One of the world’s most photographed beaches, often voted world’s best by travel publications. 5km’s of salmon pink coloured sand, due to red plankton that has mixed with the fine white sand.

5/ Crane Beach (Barbados) – Often voted as Barbados’ most beautiful beach. Imposing cliffs, a natural coral reef and soft white sands make for a perfect beach.

6/ Negril Beach (Jamaica) – Laid back atmosphere and Jamaica’s prettiest beach. A lot quieter than Seven Mile beach.

7/ Englishman’s Bay (Tobago) – A sheltered beach with fine white sand, crystal waters & surrounded by a palm jungle.

8/ Grace Bay (Turks & Caicos) – Part of a national marine park, this beach has fine white sand, calm turquoise waters and is protected by a barrier reef.

9/ Trunk Bay (US Virgin Islands) – A beautiful beach with crystal clear waters, considered one of the best places for snorkeling in the Caribbean.

10/ Shoal Bay (Anguilla) – Put Angullia on the tourism map; sugar-white sand, crystal clear blue waters & coral reefs.

While Google Maps was probably hoping that Internet users would enjoy the practical side of their new satellite image technology, it was also likely that they expected people to have a little bit of fun with it. Sure enough, two Scottish brothers and one of their co-workers have banded together to launch a Blog devoted to all the fun places you can "visit" via Google Maps.

Earlier this month, we ran an article that explored the integration of the Keyhole satellite technology into Google Maps, (read: Google Maps Integrates Keyhole Satellite View) and how it could be used for local search. The Scottish trio latched on to the idea and decided to tour the world from the comfort of their cubicles.

Google Sightseeing, as the blog is called, works off of the trio's motto: "Why Bother Seeing the World for Real?" I can understand their logic... When Keyhole first came out, my husband literally spent hours on it looking up every landmark and vacation spot he could think of. My brother-in-law, a coaster-nut, looked up every single amusement park he could think of. They would fit right in with the bunch at the Google Sightseeing blog.

The concept is simple enough. Users visit the Google Maps site and type in an address. Once a map pops up, users select the "satellite" link from the top right corner of the screen and they can get an aerial photograph of the location they've searched for. This allows them to locate images of popular landmarks like the Sears Tower, Yankee Stadium or the home of The Ohio State Buckeyes.

According to an interview with Newsweek, the site came about after Alex Turnbull used the tool to take a virtual tour of the United States. Turnbull looked up popular spots like Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. From there, the idea expanded and the trio set up a blog site that allowed reader to submit their own unique finds. The site has picked up attention around the blogosphere with Google itself linking to the site from its own corporate blog. Now readers send in their own discoveries, from Area 51 to New England cranberry bogs. (No images of crop circles have popped up yet.)

The site is worth a visit for anyone that's a big fan of maps and traveling. I can already picture my husband seeking out cool locations worth submitting. Sure, there's no practical value to this search site, but every now and then, you've got to have a little bit of fun.

Check out Google Maps at: http://www.google.com/maps
Check out Google Sightseeing at: http://www.googlesightseeing.com/

Paris is the greatest city on earth – who would argue? Londoners and New Yorkers put up a fight, but in terms of architectural beauty, art history, gastronomy and sheer extravagance, it’s Paris that wins. And that is reflected in its visitors – there are more than any other city.
It’s more than the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre of course. Spending a few days in Paris can serve as a crash course in how to live. When you walk along the River Seine or take a seat in a corner café, it’s evident the finer things in life are appreciated. People don’t rush lunch. Children are doted upon. Hairdressers are always busy. And although you can’t take Paris with you, when you return home, that sense of pride will linger.
You can’t come to Paris and not indulge in culinary ecstasy. From light and flaky croissants in the morning to a rich slab of foie gras in the evening, Parisians love food. From the neighbourhood bistro to the Michelin-starred restaurant, dining out in Paris is a joy.
For the genuine foodie, Paris is the Holy City. For the art lover, Paris is the Holy City. For the lover, Paris is the Holy City.


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Situated in the Pacific some 1,000 km from the South American continent, these islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique 'living museum and showcase of evolution'. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a 'melting pot' of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflect the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many species of finch that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution following his visit in 1835.
The site is situated on the Galápagos Submarine Platform, and consists of about 120 islands. The larger islands are Isabela, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, Santiago and San Cristobal. The islands were formed by volcanic processes and most represent the summit of a volcano, some of which rise over 3,000 m from the Pacific floor. The western part of the archipelago experiences intense volcanic and seismic activity. The larger islands typically comprise one or more gently sloping shield volcano, culminating in collapsed craters or calderas. Long stretches of shoreline are only slightly eroded, but in many places faulting and marine erosion have produced steep cliffs and lava, coral or shell sand beaches. Other noteworthy landscape features include crater lakes, fumaroles, lava tubes, sulphur fields and a great variety of lava and other ejects such as pumice, ash and tuff.
The marine environments are highly varied and are associated with water temperature regimes reflecting differences in nutrient and light levels. These range from warm temperate conditions brought on by vigorous upwelling (Equatorial Undercurrent) and a moderately cool, warm temperate-subtropical influence (Peru Flow).
There is considerable variation in altitude, area and orientation between the islands which when combined with their physical separation, has contributed towards the species diversity and endemism on particular islands. Coastal vegetation occurs along beaches, salt-water lagoons and low, broken, boulder-strewn shores. Protected coves and lagoons are dominated by mangrove swamps. The arid zone is found immediately inland from the coastal zone, and is the most widespread formation in the islands. The humid zone emerges above the arid zone through a transition belt in which elements of the two are combined. It is a very damp zone maintained in the dry season by thick, garua fogs which accumulate through most of the night and last well into each day. A fern-grass-sedge zone covers the summit areas of the larger islands where moisture is retained in temporary pools.
The endemic fauna includes invertebrate, reptile and bird species. There are a few indigenous mammals. All the reptiles, except for two marine tortoises, are endemic. These include the Galápagos giant tortoise, with 11 subspecies on different islands, all of which are endangered, terrestrial iguanas, marine iguana, three racer species, numerous lizards of the genus and geckos. The native avifauna includes 57 residents, of which 26 (46%) are endemic and 31 are regular migrants. Endemic taxa include 13 species of Darwin's finches, including Floreana tree finch and mangrove finch. Other noteworthy species include dark-rumped petrel, Galápagos flightless cormorant, Galápagos penguin, lava gull, Floreana mockingbird, Galápagos hawk, lava heron, nocturnal swallow-tailed gull, Galápagos rail, thick-billed flycatcher, Galápagos martin and Galápagos dove. The native mammalian fauna includes six species: Galápagos fur seal, Galápagos sea lion, two species of rice rat, bat and hoary bat. Marine fauna includes several species of sharks, rays and Cetaceans. Green turtle and hawksbill turtle are common in surrounding waters, with the former nesting on sandy beaches.

Super Diego, the Second-Most Famous 

Tortoise in Galapagos 

Everyone knows Lonesome George. He's the last of his kind, the sole surviving member of his species, the only remaining Pinta Island Giant Tortoise. George is the one who gets on all the Galápagos calendars, t-shirts, post cards and coffee mugs. He's the one with an enclosure for himself (and his girlfriends) at the Charles Darwin Research Station. But right next to George, in the enclosure reserved for the tortoises from Española, is "Super Diego."

Super Diego, another Galapagos Giant Tortoise, has traveled more than George, done more to assure the survival of his species and is still going strong at the ripe old age of 130!

The Española Tortoises

Anyone who does a little bit of reading on the subject of Galapagos Giant Tortoises soon learns that the Floreana subspecies is extinct, the Pinta subspecies is only represented by George, and the rest of them are still around. What some people do not realize is how close a call it was for some of the other species! The Española tortoises were in critical danger in the 1960's, when all living Española tortoises, 2 males and 12 females, were brought to the Charles Darwin Research Station for protection.

Diego in San Diego

Meanwhile, the search was on for other Española tortoises worldwide. It was known that a group of 13 Española tortoises had gone to the San Diego zoo in the 1930's, and it turned out that one was still alive: Diego. Diego was sent back to the Galapagos in 1977, where he rejoined his fellow Española tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Diego had been well cared for at the San Diego zoo, which had actually managed to hatch Galapagos tortoise eggs in 1959.

Papa Diego

Since returning to Galapagos Diego has dedicated himself to the survival of his species. It is estimated that he has about 1,700 children! Diego and the other Española tortoises have been allowed to breed away from predators and hunters. Many of the young tortoises have been returned to Española, where the tortoise population is thriving once again: In 1994, descendants of tortoises sent over from Charles Darwin Research Station were discovered on Española Island.