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Posts Tagged ‘holidays’

Fascinating Sights To See On Sofia City Breaks

Sofia, Bulgaria is an ancient and beautiful city, the perfect place to plan Sofia city breaks. With a population of 1. 14 million souls, this marvelous city ranks 12th among the great urban capitals of Europe. The primitive beginnings of Sofa go back a mere 7, 000 years according to archaeologists who have unearthed ancient cultures. If you’re planning a whirlwind tour of this city nestled between the mountains, here are several sights you won’t want to miss.

See glorious old churches

Set among a beautifully attended garden is the 14th century Boyana Church. Inside is an astounding assortment of medieval frescos. This art is so susceptible to atmospheric conditions that tourists can only view them for 10 minutes. Replicas can be seen in a nearby museum. Then there’s the Aleksander Nevski memorial church, which was completed in 1924. It’s the country’s finest piece of Balkan architecture. The shimmering gold leaf inside was donated by the Soviet Union. It holds 5, 000 people.

Astonishing evidence of former Muslim culture

Close to Sofia’s famous mineral springs and baths lies the Banya Bashi mosque. It dates back to 1576. Shortly after it was built, Muslims in Bulgaria were expelled by communists and the mosque fell into disrepair. After being abandoned for hundreds of years, the European Union stepped in with an injection of cash and Muslim worshipers have returned. Another mosque, Buyuk Djami, is now a museum to display artifacts from the extinct Thracian culture. It also boasts Roman and Greek artifacts found through out the country.

Natural heritage preserved in Sofia

On Boulevard Tsar Osvoboditel is Sofia’s Natural Science Museum, home to a thriving collection of native animals. It was built in 1889 and houses a comprehensive display of local horticulture and wildlife. A spectacular Russian church is mere steps away from the museum. It was built in 1913 by a Tsarist diplomat who, fearing his immortal doom by worshiping in a Bulgarian church, had his own edifice built. One of its amazing features is an emerald spire and bright yellow tiles.

High on Sofia’s mountain

Just 7 km from Sofia’s city centre is beautiful Mount Vitosha. You’ll stroll through villages in the foothills on the way to this mountain. Vitosha is perfect for hiking or a romantic picnic. In the winter, skiing is offered on Vitosha from December to March. Mix with the locals and don’t miss one more nearby attraction. Dragalevtsi, home to an ancient and serene monastery.

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What Kind of Travel Experience Do You Want?

travel packing tips
So you’re going on a trip. Fantastic! Exciting! But what sort of trip are you planning to take? Is it for business or pleasure? Where are you headed? Who are you going with? Just what kind of travel experience do you want?

Traveling on a budget can give you all sorts of experiences, depending on a) your budget, b) where you want to go, and c) what you want to do. Everyone’s budget will be different, and traveling on a budget means knowing how much money you can afford to spend and sticking to that amount. So if you have a budget of two thousand dollars, your travel experience will be different from someone who has a budget of ten thousand dollars. It’s all relative to the dollar amount, but knowing some tricks to help you save money while traveling will make your dollars stretch further therefore increasing your travel experience.

Do you want to travel overseas? Do you want to travel around your home country? Do you want to stay in luxury accommodation or are you going to back- pack? Are you traveling with children or are you honeymooning? Are you traveling with a bunch of friends or are you keen to experience a group tour with strangers? Do you want to go to popular tourist sites or do you want to experience a destination’s way of living in remote areas?

All these questions are things you need to ask yourself before you begin to plan your trip. You can either plan your trip with your budget in mind, or plan your trip, work out how much money you’ll need and save until you can get there. The first is probably a little easier to do because when the travel bug hits, you generally want to take off as soon as possible. Knowing your budget can guide you in making your decision of how and where you will be traveling. But if you have your heart set on a trip of a lifetime to an exotic island in the Pacific then you will need to save accordingly. It’s your choice.

Once you know what type of experience you are after, it’s time to work out the best way to get it on your available funds. Traveling on a budget is easier than you think these days. No longer does it mean living on stale food and sleeping in questionable accommodation. If you are wise and spend some time investigating deals to your chosen destination you could be able to enhance your traveling experience more than you thought possible. A bit of research will get you a long way when traveling on a budget.

sailing
Why not check out Club Colonna as a Family Vacation Spot on Antigua this year?

A Family Vacation Idea is something parents think about a lot, and one of the best family vacation spots on Antigua is Sailing Club Colonna. It is a beachfront hotel situated on the north coast of Antigua in Hodges Bay which offers possibly the best family sailing holiday centre in Antigua if not the Caribbean.

What you will find here is the best dinghy sailing and windsurfing in Antigua, and for those not wanting to sail there is blue to turquoise crystal clear water and a private beach lined with palm trees.

Essentially this resort is for families who want to learn to sail, or improve their levels of ability. This is the epitome of affordable sailing, and windsurfing coaching for all the family.

There is a feeling that the priority here is the sailing and not the resort. There are mixed reviews about everything from the food, the rooms, the spa, and this is a little sad. There is no doubt that the upgrading of the resort and facilities which is imminent will make a difference, because it is very unsettling for staff and guests alike to be in a resort that has improvements planned, and widely known about.

After saying this, the main reason for falilies to come here is for a sailing holiday, and there is no doubt that this aspect works well.There are good discounts available, and if guests are aware that things may not be quite right, but the family vacation idea on principle is still OK, and the sailing is great then everything will be in the end what you wanted.

One problem about resorts and trying to make sense of what guests have to say, is the fact that everyone’s expectations are different. What a visitor who normally stays in a five star resort would make of Club Colonna is quite understandably different to that of a family with no experience of such places.

For what it is, Club Colonna is a great family vacation idea, the beach may or may not be man made, but it is a perfectly good place to swim and sunbathe. Noisy kids may dominate the pool, but that isn’t what everyone says, because the same kids aren’t there all the time.

The quality of the food may well vary, but so do guest’s tastes, and what may be delicious to one person may be inedible to another.

With everything in life and Club Colonna is no exception you have to see as you find. What you will find is that the Youth Sailing Club for 11 year olds is good fun. The Powerboat course will keep you interested and occupied.

Overall there is a definite feeling that Club Colonna is restricted by its budget. There is ample evidence that the resort is awaiting a revamp, and whilst this article may put you off booking this as a family vacation spot, there is every indication that it will reopen, refurbished, revitalised, almost reincarnated, and will return to the high standards some of the guests could remember in past times.

The Club Colonna is still a great family vacation idea for a sailing holiday, but perhaps not the best family vacation idea at the moment, but watch this space for a dramatic improvement shortly.