Vancouver, BC, Canada

Vancouver has a breathtaking view, a place where city truly meets wilderness and where you can experience modernity coupled with nature excursions. The city is backed up to a beautiful harbour where you can take a stroll and see some of the most lavish and beautiful ships in the world. From the harbour, you can look back on a city with innoative highrises, and well kept and appointed buildings.

From most angles, you can see the prosperous downtown area, full of life and sophistication, as well as the natural beauty of the North Shore Mountains. This is also true for most hotels in the downtown area.

No matter what type of hotel you are looking for, Vancouver has it. You can find luxury suites, romantic get aways, or business rooms for a working vacation. You can find a nicely appointed and inexpensive hotel room if money is a priority for your annual vacation.


Vancouver has a feel all of it's own where small community meets a big city, and where diversity creates new ideas and innovations. You will feel at home amongst a city of nearly 600,000 ihabitants while being able to experience international cuisines of almost every venue, local customs, and ethnic food stores and shops.

Vancouver offers activities for anyone. You can swim in beautiful crisp clean waters, sun bathe in the summer at the beach or kayak in the creeks. The North Shore Mountains offers skiing and snowboarding in the winter and a biker and hiker's heaven in the summer. Vancouver provides a vacationing paradise anytime of the year.

You don't hve to stay in Vancouver, although there is plenty to see and do. Victoria is a short distance away and would make for a beautiful day trip. Victoria is the capitol of British Columbia.

Daily excursions are available. You can tour the North Shore Mountains on a suspension bridge, go on a zodiac boat tour, take a scenic flight to an alpine lake and glacier, or visit the site of the 2010 Olympics.

Regardless of the occassion, Vancouver, BC, Canada will exceed all of your vacationing expectations!

New York City Guide for Travelers

New York city is truly the city that never sleeps. With it’s tall skyscrapers, hustle and bustle and well laid out city streets, your adventure will begin as soon as you arrive. The many songs that you hear about New York are all true. Manhattan has been a Mecca to celebrities and prominent travelers due to the rich culture and plush luxury and boutique hotels. New York City can accommodate the adventurous and relaxed traveler. The key is to plan an itinerary, prioritizing the activities or sights that you want to experience the most.

New York City is broken down into sections. The five Burroughs are Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan and Stanton Island. Manhattan is the area rich with museums, history, Broadway shows, nightlife and even Wall Street. Manhattan is a great walking city. Most everything there can be walked to, though you may want to take a cab if you are running short on time. Since the city is so densely populated with residents and tourists alike, it is much easier to travel on foot or by cab. I would not recommend a rental car if your are visiting New York, unless you intend on seeing other parts of the State. Otherwise, foot and mass transportation will be the best bet.

Times Square is a must see if you are going to visit New York City. Luxury and Boutique hotels are available in the heart of the most diverse and action packed Times Square area. The bright lights, restaurants, comedy clubs, bars and shops is enough to keep you busy for an entire evening. If you plan to see a comedy show however, I do recommend that you call ahead for show times. Ha Comedy Club and Caroline’s Comedy Club would be two of the top picks. The Iridium is a well known and liked Jazz Club that would be a nice relaxing night out. All types of diners are available until very late to catch a meal after your evening out. Times Square is very modern, but you will see police on horseback. For an interesting museum, tourists like the Ripley’s Believe it or Not located in the Times Square area. Here you will find some of the World’s most odd and bizarre artifacts. At Times Square you will enjoy a plethora of café’s, diners, and restaurants from French cuisine to pizzeria’s. The smells of fresh foods permeate the streets.

Moving outside of Times Square, the city is robust. Some other attractions include Wall Street, Ground Zero, Broadway, Central Park and Carnegie Hall. Central Park, much like times Square has many attractions within and restaurants that will delight your taste buds. Central Park has some of the finest New York City hotels, where attractions are right outside your door. The Central Park Zoo boasts over 130 species. Here you will experience the sections within including the Polar Circle, The Rain Forrest and The Temperate Territory. The events at Central Park are non-stop and include walking tours, wall climbing, ice skating, theatrical performances, concerts and a tour of the Belvedere Castle. Some of these events are seasonal so call the Central Park Tourism office for more information. Central Park covers a stunning 843 acres and 6% of Manhattan. The entire package of Central Park from beautiful landscape, historic buildings and monuments, to the many attractions will leave you in absolute wonderment.

New York City offers any traveler a unique and fun-filled vacation. Here you can travel in style, stay at some of the finest Boutique Hotels, shop at Saks Fifth Avenue and explore a culture like none other. Take your time, plan out your vacation, grab your camera and experience the diverse attractions of the Big Apple.

Seville City Guide for Travelers

A unique and captivating experience awaits you in Seville, Spain where you can enjoy all the perks of a large city and still enjoy the fresh air of wide open country. The city itself largely caters to business travelers and tourists and has done a great job of instituting a pedestrian plan, making most attractions easily reachable by foot. Walk along and pick delicious oranges from the legendary trees or enjoy a day soaking up the sun on one of Seville’s nearby sandy beaches. Since the climate is subtropical and offers more than 300 days of annual sunshine, your itinerary shouldn’t be difficult to plan when considering the beach, particularly the Costa del Sol.

The River, Guadalquivir, offers the ambience needed for a romantic and quiet stroll as well as a beautiful scenic boat tour to the other side where you can find churches, monuments and stunning neighborhoods that will enhance your sight seeing excursion. This would be the perfect ending to a quiet evening before returning to your luxury or boutique hotel room where sweet indulgences await you.

Seville offers a plethora of attractions. Some of the most popular include the Parque Maria Luisa, a vast parkland in the heart of Seville, the Plaza de Espana, a semicircular plaza that formed the center piece at the 1929 Seville Exposition, The Seville Cathedral, The Giralda Tower, The Alcazar Fortress Palace and other historic monuments.

Other areas of interest would be region of La Macarena, where you will find an interesting mix of Baroque and Mudejar churches, traditional tapas and shopping throughout the streets. Santa Cruz will offer the most photo opportunities with its picturesque buildings, skyline and natural beauty. If you are looking for grand buildings and history, El Arenal will satisfy both. Located on the western side of the city, El Arenal comes complete with history as the previous port of Seville, a large bullring, and a majestic 13th century tower to protect the port.

For dinner, it is a must that you try a local favorite. While your boutique or luxury hotel may have some of the finest international cuisine, it is important that you indulge yourself into the fare of Seville. Some suggestions include La Isla, La Cococha, Pleamar, Al Mutamidand and Bodegon Torro del Oro. If you find that the local cuisine is not satisfying your hunger, you can still find all the usual food chains throughout Seville, but why not live like the locals while in Seville.

After your long day of sightseeing, taking pictures, and tours, turn up the heat with a bit of Seville nightlife. Sit at the bar and relax to some local music, drink a fine glass of wine or a cold beer. Some of the hottest bars and clubs in Seville include Madigan’s, La Habanilla, Galeria Torneo, La Ilustre Victima, Abades, Merchant Café and Café de la Prensa. The end of the day will surely be perfect as you head back to your boutique or luxury hotel for a quiet bath in your well-appointed room, if you have the energy.

With so much to do, it may be difficult to fit in the usual museum browsing that is available on any holiday, but Seville offers some truly unique museums. While Columbus discovered the America’s, you can discover American history at the Archivo de Indias. Here you will find a phenomenal collection of 40,000 documents chronicling the first expeditions to the New World through the discovery in the 15th century. You will also find some autographed manuscripts from some of the most significant figures of the period. For a taste of archaeology, visit Museo Arqueologico, where you will find a three tiered facility with an impressive collection of works ranging from prehistoric to the Romanization of the Iberian Peninsula. Indulge in candy for the eyes at the Museo de Arte Contemoraneo. Here you will find an exquisite collection of Spanish art from the late 70’s to present. See works from Broto, Peinado, Curro Gonzalez, Pedro J. Romero and Ray Smith. Other museums of interest includes Museo de Bellas Artes, which houses ceramic, gold and silver artifacts as well as other art mediums, Museo de la Marcarena where you will find subliminal statutes of Mary and other crowns, antiques and candelmas and Museo de la Necropolis, where you will find collections of Roman artifacts from the first century AD.

Many other areas of interest and attractions are available throughout Seville. Depending on the length of your stay, you may want to research some of these legendary and historic sites. You will certainly want to leave room for some of the thoroughly pleasurable amenities that your boutique or luxury hotel room has to offer. Otherwise, Seville will keep you busy for as many days as your holiday is long - and you still will not have had the opportunity to take it all in.

Prague City Guide for Travelers

Just walking through Prague could keep you in awe and fill your itinerary with the unique but grand buildings, castle like architecture, monuments and statutes throughout the city. What lies inside of these gorgeous structures and the history thereof will absolutely jam-pack your schedule and offer you little time to enjoy that luxury hotel room….unless of course you schedule carefully and extend that vacation.

For a great start to seeing grand things visit Prague Castle. This is by far the most popular sight in Prague. This ancient castle is the largest in the world, measuring 570 m long, 128 m wide and has an area of 7.28 hectares. While the castle was originally constructed in the 9th century by Prince Boojvoj, the rulers that have lived there over the years created their own areas, adding and sometimes taking away from the styles within the castle. This makes for an eclectic mixture of styles as you tour this splendid one of a kind attraction. While it has kept the classical facelift it last took on during the 18th century during the reign of Maria Theresa, styles from other time periods are evident. Other notable sights at the Prague Castle include the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Picture Gallery of Prague Castle, The Imperial Stables, The Spanish Hall, The Rudolf Gallery, St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, The Mihulka Powder Tower, The Convent of St. George, The Basilica of St. George, The Royal Gardens, The Ball Game House, The Summer Palace, The Riding School, Golden Lane, White Tower, Daliborka Tower, Lobkowicz Palace, The Toy Museum, Schwarzenberg Palace, Archbishop Palace, Sternberg Palace, The Loreta, Capuchin Monastery, and finally Strahoy Monastery.

After seeing all of that, and a good night’s rest in your luxury or boutique hotel room, you may want to see Prague’s Lesser Town. This town was sounded in 1257 and sits on the slopes below the Prague Castle. This, unlike other Prague areas, has been most preserved to the days of the old. Some landmarks and other areas of interest here would include Nerudova Street, Lesser Town Square, St. Nicholas Church, Wallenstein Palace, the Church of St. Thomas, Vrtba Garden, Church of Our Lady Victorious, Maltese Square, Kampa Island, Charles Bridge, Vojan Park and Petoin Hill.

Even if your not Jewish, the Prague Jewish Quarter is certainly a place to visit as it holds rich culture and history from the World War II era and beyond. The types of attractions that this area has to offer include the Old Jewish Cemetery, The Jewish Town Hall, The Church of the Holy Ghost, St. Agnes’s Convent and The Rudolfinum. Synagogue’s such as Pinkas, Klausen, The Old-New, High, Maisel and Spanish are all situated in this area.

Old Town was on the map in 1091, and is the oldest of the towns in Prague though it wasn’t established until the 13th century. After New Town was founded in the 14th century, this area gained it’s practical name of Old Town. Here, you will find a plethora of attractions. It is unlikely that you will be able to see them all, so a careful planning may be in order. The good news? That you have a plush luxury hotel room where you can sit and decipher exactly what you want on your agenda. Your choices include the Powder Gate, The Municipal House, Celetna Steet, the Church of St. James, Estates Theatre, The Carolinum, Old Town Square, Church of our Lady before Tyn, Kinsky Palace, Jan hus Monument, Church of St. Nicholas, Old Town Hall, House at the Two Golden Bears, Church if St. Gall, Church if St. Martin in the Wall, Church if St. Giles, Bethlehem Chapel, Clam-Gallas Palace, Marianske Square, Charles Street, The Palace of the Lords of Kunstat, Clementinum and the Knights of the Cross Square.

Prague’s New Town was carefully planned out and founded by Charles IV in 1348. While it is twice the size of Old Town, it was mainly settled by tradesmen and craftsmen. This is the most modern area of Prague and doesn’t compliment the old world architecture and ambience of the rest of the city. There are some must see attractions in this area however. The list includes Welceslas Square, Church of Our Lady of the Snows, Franciscan Garden, National Museum, The State Opera, The Church of St. Ignatius, Jesuit College, Charles Square, Church of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, The Faust House, Slavonic Monastery, Church of St. Stephen, Church of St. Ursula and The National Theatre.

This is simply a partial list of all that Prague has to offer. Go for a lazy sight seeing ride via a boat down the Devil’s Stream or relax in your luxury or boutique hotel room. Venture out and see the various landmarks and monuments or soak up the grandeur of the area’s castles and mansions. Get in some history by visiting one of the many museums or visit one of the towns for some local culture. It doesn’t matter what suits your fancy, Prague surely has something to offer anyone, and a lot for the well rounded traveler.