London- From Cheap Fast Food Chains To Fashionable Restaurant

Borough Market

1. London markets
Visiting one of the London markets is a perfect way to study the everyday London life and have a bite at the same time. Camden Market, Broadway Market in Hackney, and Spitafields Market are the most famous markets in London. In the narrow streets of the markets you can find numerous inexpensive cafes of various cuisines: Indian, Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese. One helping of food costs 4-5 pounds. At London’s Boroughs Market prices are a little bit higher, but the food is tastier. Borough Market is London's oldest food market and one of the famous markets in the UK.

2. Fish&chips
Fish&chips is a traditional English dish, which is made of grilled fish (codfish) and potatoes. It is sold everywhere in the streets of London. It’s better to buy this fast-food dish at the stalls, where there are locals waiting in line. They know what’s what! In addition, there is a special fast-food chain (Harry Ramsden’s), which sells only fish&chips.

3. McDonald’s
In spite of the fact that this food is far from being healthy, it enjoys wide popularity with people from all over the world. It is quite cheap instant food.

4. Santa Maria Pizzeria
Santa Maria is one of the best inexpensive pizzerias in London. Specialty of the house is a pizza, which costs 5,45 pounds. Other dishes cost a little bit more. But it’s all the same, Santa Maria’s prices are lower than in Domino’s and Pizza Hut pizzeria chains. Address: Saint Mary’s Road, Ealing Broadway metro station.

5. Patogh Restaurant (Persian cuisine)
It is a good inexpensive restaurant, where you can taste delicious Persian cuisine. If you are going to visit this restaurant in the evening or at the weekend, it would be better to reserve a table beforehand. Address: Crowford Place, Edgware Road metro station.

6. Busaba Restaurant Chain (Thai cuisine)
These restaurants boast of moderate prices, perfect food and wonderful interiors of the halls. The restaurant chain consists of 10 restaurants, which are located in the center of London. Address: consult the official website of the restaurant chain.

7. Cape Town Fish Market
It is a surprisingly inexpensive fish restaurant located in the heart of the city. Here you can have spontaneous sushi-lunch with your friends; or you can have an exquisite romantic dinner: oysters and champagne or white wine. Adddress: Argyll Street, Oxford Circus metro station.

8. Monmouth Coffee House
This coffee house is found in a coffee shop. Here you can drink a cup of wonderful coffee, made of real arabica. One more coffee house of this chain is located at Boroughs Market. Address: Monmouth Street, Covent Garden metro station.

9. Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen London
The most famous and darling British chef feeds his visitors at a considerable price; but all the dishes are the most tastiest in London. Th average restaurant bill usually comes about 35 pounds per head. Don’t forget, that you have to give your credit card’s number in case of reserving a table beforehand; in addition this restaurants always sets a fine upon latecomers. Address: Westland Place, Andel metro station.

10. Bel Canto Opera Restaurant
In Europe there are three restaurants, in which each of the waiters is a present or prospective opera singer. Two of these restaurants are located in France; and one of them is found in London. It is a perfect expensive restaurant of French cuisine, where music is one of the main ”dishes” for dinner. The average bill is usually about 40 pounds plus 15 pounds for music underneath. Address: Lancaster Gate, Lancaster Gate metro station.

Planning A Trip To Mexico

Mexico is the heart of the Caribbeans. The Mexicans, cheery people of the south, know how to have a good time. To make sure it is really so, you have to travel to this wonderful country. In Mexico there is a span of hotels. Some of them are the best luxury hotels in the world. Travelers from all over the world are always welcomed to the resorts of Mexico. Azure mirror-like surface of the serene ocean, favorable climate, bright colors, breathtaking sunsets and sunrises, coral reefs and impenetrable jungles, unique culture and hospitable locals are always waiting for in this beautiful tropical country. In Mexico travelers have a wonderful opportunity to luxuriate on snow-white beaches of Cancun and the Riviera Maya and to visit enigmatic ancient Mayan Cities.

Pre- Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza

In the north of the Yucatan Peninsula the Sacred city of the Mayan, Chichen-Itza, is located. The second popular historical center in Mexico, Chichen-Itza attracts tourists from all over the world.
The city was founded by the Mayan Indians in the 7th century B.C.; in 17 centuries the city was occupied by the enemies, who built their houses around the historical center. After a sequence of wars with neighboring tribes Chichen-Itza became was abandoned and forgotten.
Archaeologists found numerous interesting and enigmatic things in this ancient deserted city. The archaeological dig has begun in the 20-ies of the last century; and it is under way nowadays.

Resorts of the Caribbean Sea are the most wonderful travel destinations in Mexico. Cancun and the Mayan Riviera (Playa del Carmen and Cozumel Island) enjoy the widest popularity with travelers from all over the world.

In Mexico there are sandy beaches, and most of them may be visited for free. Tourists have always an opportunity to rent beach accessories: sunshades and chaise-longues.

Monte Alban, famous archaeological site 

Monte Alban is the great pre-Colombian archaeological site located in the state of Oaxaca. It’s a wonderful complex with terraces, dams, channel, pyramids and artificial hills. It seems to be carved right out of the mountains.

Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso Riviera Maya

The classification of hotels in Mexico is a little bit different from the European classification. And the number of ”stars” isn’t always consonant with the quality of the services provided. However, almost all the hotels are high-level ones. They offer different types of accommodation: from little hostels to ”all inclusive” hotels with large rooms and tremendous territories. The service personnel is mainly composed of the Cubans and Puerto-Ricans. English is spoken only in 5 * hotels.

What To See Around Italy

Italy can hardly complain of tourists’ lack of attention. It is one of the most popular European countries. Thousands of travelers flock to Italy the whole year round. It enjoys wide popularity at any season of the year. Italy boasts of numerous tourist attractions, clean and warm sea, wonderful beaches and breathtakingly beautiful nature. The list of the biggest Italian cities, which should be visited by all means, includes Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples. Here are some popular places of interest which attract travelers from all over the world.
The Uffizi Gallery is the pearl of Florence and one of the best art galleries in the world. In this museum you’ll get the greatest aesthetic pleasure ever. Here you can see canvases after such renowned artists as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Rubens, Giotto, Botticelli. This gallery is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Florence.

Uffizi Gallery- Florence

If you have always been dreaming of taking part in the real Venetian Carnival, it’s advisable to travel at the end of January, when there is an opportunity to plunge into festive atmosphere of the annual carnival. This masquerade is visited by more than half million tourists from all over the world. The first carnival happened in 1904.

Venice Carnival Photo

The Trevi Fountain is the biggest fountain in Rome. It is 25,9 m in height and 19,8 m in width. This Baroque fountain and the facade of the Palazzo Poli form the single architectural composition.

Trevi Fountain- Rome

Roman Colosseum- This historical monument is a symbol of Rome. It’s the most visited tourist attraction in Italy and world’s most popular landmark. It is one of the first Roman amphitheaters. If you are planning a trip to Italy you can not but visit the Colosseum.

Roman Colosseum

The Tower of Pisa is a cultural monument which is in no need of flourish of trumpets. This monument is famous all over the world. They began to built it in the 12 th century. The tower leans at 3,97 degree( almost 4 meters horizontally). This freestanding bell tower is a part of one of the oldest architectural ensembles in Pisa, Santa Maria Maggiore Cathedral. The Tower of Pisa is one of the most visited attractions in Italy.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Cortina D’Ampezzo is a winter sport resort located in the heart of the Dolomites in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. In 1956 this resort town was the capital of the winter Olympic games. Since then it has become extremely popular. Snowbirds from different countries flock to Cortina D’Ampezzo to spend unforgettable winter vacations. Here there are numerous opportunities for going in for different winter sports.

Cortina D'Ampezzo

If you are in a shopaholic, Milan is one of the most wonderful tourist destinations in Italy. In the local fashionable boutiques you can find original articles after the famous designers, such as Gucci, Prada, Armani, Moschino, Valentino, Versace, Cartier.

Cartier Boutique in Milan

10 Things To Do In Paris

Cafe de Flore

1. The first thing to do is starting the day with a cup of coffee and a delicious French croissant in one of the numerous coffee houses of Paris.

Eiffel Tower at night view

2. All the travelers who spend their vacations in Paris take photos of (and with) the Eiffel Tower. But most part of these photos are too monotonous and uniform. So surf the Web in search of some useful tips on taking interesting extraordinary pictures of this world-famous site.
3. One of the most advisable things to do in the capital of France is spending an evening in the Palais Garnier, a magnificent opera house. It’s one of the symbols of Paris and the most famous opera house in the world.

4. Of course, you cannot but visit the Louvre Museum, which is housed in the Louvre Palace. Travel experts consider the Louvre Museum in Paris the most visited museum in the world. More than 9.7 million people from all over the world visit this museum, a central landmark of the city.

The Louvre Museum night view- Paris

5. France is famous all over the world for its perfume industry. The greatest names in the perfume industry are French – Chanel, Christian Dior, Estee Lauder. So one of the most popular attractions in Paris is the Fragonard Perfumer Museum and shop. After visiting the museum, which houses the secrets to French perfume making, you may look in on the Fragonard store and buy a beautifully packaged bottle of the most delicious perfume ever.

6. If you are in France, don’t slip the chance of visiting and go sightseeing in the city of Versailles, which captivates with its unmatchable mixture of rural charm and regal history.

Versailles Garden

7. If you are eager to feel in full measure the romance of Paris, go on a cruise along the Seine. Experts believe, that such a cruise is an essential part of any traveler’s stay in Paris and is not to be missed. It’s really a lifetime experience to have a romantic lunch or dinner while cruising back and forth along the world-famous river and the canals of north-eastern Paris.
8. If you are planning to travel to Paris in spring, it will be great to take a walk through the most famous gardens of the city – the Tuileries Gardens and the Luxembourg Gardens.

Luxembourg Gardens

9. Don’t slip the chance to see the most monumental of all triumphal arches, the Arch of Triumph, with your own eyes. It is located at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle at the end of the Champs-Elysees in Paris. In addition travelers have an opportunity to experience the magnificent view from the Arch of Triumph. At the top of the arch there is an observatory desk which affords wonderful views of the city.

 Arch of Triumph

10. And of course, you cannot but take a stroll along the most famous avenue in the world. The avenue des Champs-Elysees stretches from the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle. The avenue is two kilometers long and seventy meters wide. It is full of theaters, cinemas, cafes, luxurious shops and fashionable boutiques.

Champs- Elysees

Australia

Australia is becoming more and more popular from year to year. This travel destination attracts thousands of people from different countries. Australia boasts its geographical, natural and sightseeing diversity. A tourist who is going to travel to this country should be ready for the following: 1. not to be afraid of getting a bad sunburn in the scorching Australian sun; 2. it usually takes too much time to get to the remote continent; 3. not be afraid of meeting every possible fantastical creatures: from giant grasshoppers to Tasmanian devils. So if you are ready for all this, you get a wonderful opportunity to see with your own eyes numerous tourists attractions: picturesque archipelagos of the Great Barrier Reef, the Ayers Rock (Uluru), the world’s largest red-colored monolith, big waves for surfers and plush tame koalas for rose-pink young ladies. 

Sydney Opera House

The list of tourist sights may enlarged with wonderful Australian beaches and the most recognizable buildings in the world (for example, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge), numerous interesting things and souvenirs and easiness of communication (English is an international language).

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Most visited beaches of Australia are located on the eastern coast. The Gold Coast and the Greta Barrier Reef are the most popular travel destinations of the Great Southern Continent. 

 Gold Coast- Hot Air Ballon

Gold Coast- Australia

The central part of the country is covered by a red desert, that’s why it’s usually called Australia’s Red Desert. These places are rich in Aboriginal culture and outback beauty.The most famous landmarks located here are the Grand Canyon and the red-colored Uluru, which was sacred to the Aborigenes.

Australia's Red Desert landscape

Australia’s summer, from December to February, is the best time for visiting the Gold Coast, a coastal city in southeastern Queensland. If you are going to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, it would be better to travel in the period from June to August. At this time the weather is suitable for bathing and sunbathing on the resorts of this region.

Great Barrier Reef Bird's Eye View

Australia’s hotels are classified according to the world-wide standards. The only difference that there is no star rating system. In stead of it hotels are divided into classes: de luxe (corresponds to 5*), superior first class (4,5*), first class (4*), superior tourist class (3*), tourist class (3*).

Sydney Harbour Marriot Hotel

Nature Summer Season-Maldives

Some travelers ask a question: Is Maldives a country? The Maldives is the smallest Asian Island Country located in the Indian Ocean. It is a large coral archipelago close to the equator. Wonderful beaches and upscale services make each of 200 inhabited islands of the archipelago a paradise on earth.Maldives holidays are a wonderful opportunity to relax and spend some time in peace and quite. Maldive Islands welcome travelers from all over the world the whole year round.

Ayada Maldives Luxury Resort

Unfortunately, not all travelers can afford to spend vacations on the Maldives. Prices are too high for an ordinary tourist with an average income. The lion’s share of any vacation package to Maldives is always the flight’s price. So if you are in search of a discount travel package, you have to look for seasonal discounts for airline tickets.

 Maldives Rangali Resort

There is one more nuance which can help to gain an advantageous Maldives travel package. The matter concerns the time of the year. In spite of the fact that the tourist season lasts the whole year round on these islands and travelers have an opportunity to sunbathe and swim at any season of the year, there are some things to take into account. The best time to travel to the Maldives is the high season, which falls between November and April. The ocean is always calm and the weather is dry, sunny and hot. In the period from May to October the weather is less predictable. The monsoon runs through the islands, there are scattered showers and high humidity, and the average air temperature is lower in comparison to the temperature in high season. So as you can guess from this information, this period is the most suitable time for looking for a discount travel package. The cheapest packages are available in July, when the weather is stormy and there are high waves. So if you are fond of water and sailing sports, you are a lucky man.

 Subsix Maldives Underwater Club

The next point which demands consideration is a deliberate choice of a hotel. All the Maldivian hotels are classified in a special way. Their classification criteria correspond to the traditional European star rating system. Before booking a hotel room, it’s always advisable to read real hotel reviews by real travelers who have already been to one or another hotel on the Maldives.

Poseidon Undersea Resort

Prices for one-week discount travel packages to the Maldives (airline tickets, transfer services and B&B accommodation) usually start at 1000 Euros per person. If you buy a vacation package beforehand, it will cost twice.

Bali Island Vacations

Bali is the most popular and visited resort in Indonesia. The island attracts thousands of travelers with its beautiful landscapes, tropical forests, imposing volcanoes (Kintamini, Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung), ancient temples and endless beaches. Best time to visit Bali is any season of the year. It’s not advisable to travel in the period from December to February. It’s a wet season.

The main resorts of the Bali islands are Sanur, Nusa Dua, Benoa, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, Ubud, Lovina, Uluwatu, Candi Dasa, Tanah Lot.

                                                            Mecure Resort Sanur Bali                      

Most beaches are public. But in Nusa Dua and Jimbaran there are some private beaches; they belong to hotels. On the island there are no nudist beaches, so it’s outlawed to sunbathe topless. Kuta Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Bali.

On the local resorts you can find best world’s hotel networks. It even doesn’t matter whether you stay at a 4* hotel or prefer a 5* hotel. The hotel services are of the highest level in all the hotels. All of them are extremely tidy and cozy, guests have an opportunity to get drinking water free of charge. By the way, a great number of married couples prefer to spend their honeymoon in Bali.

Jimbaran Puri Bali 5

Local gift shops abound in different souvenirs. The typical set of Indonesian souvenirs includes batik, dolls, masks, dragon statuettes, umbrellas, articles with emeralds and pearls, silver articles. And of course, don’t slip the chance of bargaining to take an article at the most favorable price.

In Bali there are numerous Spa-centers which offer wonderful treatment procedures. In local SPA-center tourists have an opportunity to relax and not to feel stressed or depressed. Many of the procedures are based on the usage of seaweeds, salts and curative muds.

The capital and the administrative center of Bali is Denpasar located in the southern part of the island. It is a calm town buried in verdure. If you are planning to travel to Bali, don’t slip the chance of visiting Denpasar, where you can see traditional little buildings. Don’t forget to visit Bali Provincial State Museum ”Negeri Propinsi” with interesting etnographic collection and Bali Art Center ”Tmanan Budaya”.

As for the Island of Gods itself, the main attractions of Bali are wonderful landscapes and marvelous tropical forests.

Mother Temple of Besakih

The most visited tourist sites are the Mother Temple of Besakih (ancient complex composed of 22 temples), the Sacred Monkey Forest, the Royal Temple of Mengwi, Ulun Danu temple, rocky temples in Pejenga. In addition, it’s always interesting to visit Serangan Island Turtle Park, Pura Titra Empul Temple or Hot Spring Water Temple. The list of other ”must-see” includes Gitgit Waterfall and Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave.