Saturday, June 27, 2009

Stockholm, Sweden

Ask a Stockholmer where they are from, and they will most probably say the name of their closest subway station. Being a city practically on water, it is best getting around its many narrow streets and alleys on public transport. Furthermore, the subway stations separate the different parts of the city.

Stockholm is a city of many beautiful faces and each area of town is distinctive. T-Centralen, for example, is a typical downtown area with traffic jams and bustling crowds. This is the part known as the City or Norrmalm. From here you can choose to walk alongside the water to Djurgården, a lovely island ideal for walks and picnics, and visit Skansen or Gröna Lund . Why not stroll through Östermalm? This is the most elegant part of town where some of the city's most impressive buildings are found (Östermalms Saluhall should not be missed!). Go through Kungsträdgården ( The King's Garden) and walk over the bridge to cosy, little Skeppsholmen, popping into Moderna Museet or Skeppsholmen's church . You could take one of the ferries out to the magical archipelago and you will still be, geographically at least, within the borders of Stockholm. Of course, you could also take the subway a couple of stations and spot modern, daring architecture (The City Library at Rådmansgatan subway station and the new Cultural Centre at T-Centralen) or see the little red cottages. Whilst strolling around Mosebacke or Fjällgatan (subway station Slussen) you will still be in the same lovely city—Stockholm, the country's capital, and the Venice of the North.

The other side of town, Södermalm, is also worth seeing. In the late 1800s this was the home of Stockholm's working class. Returning home from a long, hard day by the ships the workers used to stop for a drink at the local taverns. This image of Södermalm as the home of the bohemian workers, of genuine pub culture and socializing has been preserved; more cafes, galleries and pubs are found here than in any other part of town. A lot of small, funky stores featuring local artists' and designers' works are also to be found in this area, as well as at the summer Mynttorget street-festivals. At Vita Bergen (subway station Skanstull) performances in theatre and song can be enjoyed. It is here, at Södermalm, where you will experience a living, creative, urban Stockholm.

And if Södermalm is cultural Stockholm, Gamla Stan (the Old Town) is genuine Stockholm. It is still the city's pride and joy. Cobbled streets and narrow, 17th-century alleys (the smallest one being only 67cm wide!) create a unique atmosphere. Don't forget to look up at the impressive old church, Storkyrkan . The area's old houses all feature ambitious decor and ornaments. If you turned back the clock by about 700 years this is what all of Stockholm would look like.

A lot has happened since, an example being the construction of the Royal Castle . Unfortunately, members of the royal family no longer live here; Drottningholm is now their home. Stroll through the lovely gardens, admire the water and appreciate the history of Stockholm, the country's diverse capital.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-191501806-stockholm_vacations-i

One way travel

A common question asked in relation to travel is whether it is possible to buy travel insurance for one way travel. Yes, you can is the short answer but do look around as not every travel insurance policy provides this level of cover and you could be caught out.

What do we mean by one way travel? This is taken to mean when someone has open ended travel plans and has not bought a return leg or, perhaps, if someone is emigrating and wants to have cover for the travel part of their itinerary. The advice here is to check the policy wording carefully. Some policies, mostly at the cheaper end of the market, will not have cover in place for one way travel and will require travellers to have purchased, or have proof of purchase, of a return ticket and insurers will ask to see this, if and when, a claim is made. Once you have found a travel insurance provider who will cover one way travel, you do need to remember that cover will only be provided for the period of their insurance or there could be a restriction on how long the cover is in place once you have arrived at your final destination. This could easily be overlooked. Likewise, don't assume that your annual multi-trip insurance policy will cover you for the period you spend away, as most of these policies do have trip limits. So if your annual policy allows you to take individual trips of, say, 31 days per trip, then if your one way travel exceeds this then you will definitely not be covered after that period. The same applies to single trip travel insurance policies. For instance, if you planning to take out a three week insurance policy to go backpacking in Europe this summer to attend Euro 2008, then don't exceed your insurance period and still assume you are covered. The lure of the open road, not restricted by an end dateBusiness Management Articles, has much to recommend it but don't let this search for complete travel freedom catch you out.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

About The Author

Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design

Cherating

Cherating is a famous beach town in Pahang, Malaysia. Cherating, located about 47 km north of Kuantan, is famed as the location of Asia’s first Club Mediterranee ("Club Med"). Located in the Club Med village is also one of the best lagoons in the area, where coupled with the golden soft sandy beach,the calm waters make you want to take a dip in the sea, and then just laze and laze on and on under the sun. There are a number of fun activities to do in Cherating including batik painting, where you can paint and design your own print on t-shirts, sarongs and scarves. Cherating also houses a cultural village and a turtle sanctuary. At the turtle sanctuary, you can learn about the lifecycle of turtles for free. The turtles lay their eggs between July and August, so if you're lucky, you might witness the turtles lay their eggs! Another tourist attraction is cruising up the Cherating River to watch glowing fireflies. Fishing is also an activity enjoyed by many.

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls

Stand 471 Squire Cummings Rd
Victoria Falls Zimbabwe
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Property Information by Northstar Travel Media, LLC

Amenities
Swimming Pool, Wheelchair Accessible, Babysitting, Restaurant in Hotel, Hot Tub, Bicycling, Jogging Track, Air Conditioning... see all


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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

ZAHIR MOSQUE


Situated in Alor Setar.
Opened in 1912, built with the Moorish traditional architecture. It is a mosque with numerous arches and columns, black domes and imposing minarets. It is one of the most beautiful mosques in the state. Hosted the annual state's Koran reading competition.
The design was inspired by the vision of the late Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin II. Masjid Zahir is located in central Alor Star, and is the official mosque for the state as well as the main mosque for the local Muslims. Its main hall (prayer hall), measuring 3,844 sq ft, is surrounded by wide verandahs with four mezzanine areas, each topped by a dome. The main dome is situated in the north-east of the building. The five large domes symbolise the five Islamic principles. Key Tips Touted as one of the most beautiful mosques in South East Asia, its architecture was inspired by Masjid Azizi in Sumatra, Indonesia.

http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/destinations/item.asp?item=zahir

Al-bukhary mosque

Masjid Albukhary, or Albukhary Mosque, is one of the newest and most impressive landmarks in Alor Setar, Kedah. It was built by Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, a local entrepreneur who made it big in the lorry business. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar, of Yemeni descent, is the third of seven siblings born into a poor family so impoverished that their home did not have a bed, table or chair.



Masjid Albukhary, Alor Star, Kedah.


Masjid Albukhary is part of Kompleks Albukhary, a sprawling Islamic centre which includes a medical centre, a community centre, an orphanage, a senior citizen academy and a centre for higher learning. The project is developed by Yayasan Albukhary, or the Albukhary Foundation. Next to Komplek Albukhary is another project developed by Yayasan Albukhary, the Souq Albukhary.

How to go to Masjid Albukhary

Masjid Albukhary is easily reachable from the North South Expressway. Take Exit 180 at Alor Star North. Immediately after the toll plaza, keep left, and turn left into Jalan Langgar at the next traffic junction. After a short distance, you will see Souq Albukhary on your right. Continue along the road until you see Masjid Albukhary on your right, then make a U-turn to reach it.

Alor Star Budget Accommodation Guide

Looking for a place to stay in Alor Star? View the list of hotel rooms in Alor Star. For accommodation in other cities and downs, go to the Budget Accommodation Guide.

http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/masjid_albukhary.htm

Classical Tours (Tours From Petra-Aqaba)

Desert Horizon Tour Operator has been long recognized for its top quality service in handling its audience’s tours in Jordan, Egypt, Syria, The Holy Land and Qatar. Desert Horizon Tour Operator is a member of Jordan Tourism Board and Jordan Inbound Tour Operator Association.

http://deserthorizon.net/aqaba_tours.html

Islamic Art Museum, Malaysia

Interest in Islamic art has grown enormously in recent years. Reflecting this awareness, in December 1998 Malaysia became home to Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art. The building occupies 30,000 square metres, situated amid the leafy surroundings of central Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens.

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia houses more than seven thousand artefacts, as well has an exceptional library of Islamic-art books. The art objects on display range from the tiniest pieces of jewellery to one of the world’s largest scale models of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The aim is to create a collection that is truly representative of the Islamic world. Instead of concentrating on works from the heartlands of Persia and the Middle East, IAMM also puts the emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast Asia are especially well represented. The third component of the Malaysian melting pot is India, which is also given special status. India, China and the Malay world are in an exceptional category. Other parts of the collection are displayed according to type rather than geographical origins in the museum’s 12 galleries.

http://www.iamm.org.my/i_ex/