A taste of the Central Highlands

Visitors and locals in Ho Chi Minh City can now get a flavor for the Central Highlands without ever leaving the city.

The Siu Black Café, located near the city’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, is owned and operated by the vivacious female singer of the same name.

Black, a renowned staple of the local entertainment scene for the past 20 years, is known for her powerful voice and distinctive performing style. The 41-year-old singer has also acted in several films and served as a judge on Vietnam Idol for the past two seasons.

From the décor to the staff, the Siu Black Café, located at 23 Cuu Long Street, Tan Binh District, features a Central Highlands style. The employees are mainly Bana ethnic people and wear traditional costumes. Most are from Pleitonghia Village in Daklak Province where Black grew up.

The café is spacious and features an outdoor seating area. A patio is adorned with a system of water wheels and wooden statues of people. The indoor area displays several masks, gongs, shields and costumes of different ethnic groups.

Customers can sip coffee and may even be treated to a story from Black herself about a collection of items in the café from the K’ho, Ede and Bana ethnic communities.

Aside from the Highlands ambience, a range of delicious beverages are also available at Siu Black Café. Strong black coffee is one fixture on the menu, made from locally roasted beans and perfect for caffeine addicts who enjoy a strong brew.

Another drink is Konreng, a traditional drink of the ethnic Highlanders. The main ingredient is the juice of rung sau (a type of fruit). Black says rung sau trees grow naturally in her village and people throughout the Central Highlands now grow it around their houses. The fruit itself has an acrid taste, but once mixed with the juice of other fruit, the beverage takes on a unique, delicious flavor.

Black says that in the near future she also will begin holding ‘music nights’ featuring live performances at the café.

PortAventura Holidays, Spain

In association with

Take a trip with PortAventura Holidays to the sunny Costa Daurada in Spain - the perfect place for a family holiday.

Escape to PortAventura theme park with its five fascinating lands where you can brave the thrilling rides, take in stunning shows and enjoy relaxing dinners in delicious restaurants.

Cool off in the Caribbean waters of Caribe Aquatic Park; a waterpark that offers fun in the sun and a chilled-out reggae vibe.

Stay in one of the fabulous four-star resort hotels. You can choose from the Mediterranean themed Hotel PortAventura, the Mexican themed Hotel El Paso and the Caribbean themed Hotel Caribe or the new Hotel Gold River opening in summer 2009. All hotel guests have exclusive benefits which include unlimited park entrance amongst other great advantages.

Discover PortAventura and explore the resort’s sunny, beachside location combined with the non-stop fun of the parks that make PortAventura an exciting destination for a fabulous family holiday.

Port Aventura holidays have something for everyone. Take a fascinating journey around the world to the exotic lands of China, Polynesia, the Far West, Mexico and of course the Mediterranean. Each land has rides, shows, shops and restaurants that are themed with native products, plants and artists.

PortAventura Park offers more than 30 rides to suit both adrenaline junkies and small children. Test your nerves on the eight-loop Dragon Khan ride which reaches speeds of over 112 km/h (70mph), whilst the Hurakan Condor stands at over 91m (300ft) and lifts its riders slowly to the top before plunging them to the ground in freefall. Or try out the new roller coaster Furius Baco in the Mediterranean area of the park. This ride speeds from 0 to 135 km/h (83mph) in less than 3.5 seconds. To make it even more exciting it drops to ground level, runs through trenches, tunnels and even skims across the Mediterranean lake.

And for the little ones, PortAventura Theme Park has a wealth of roller coasters, teacups, swings and more.

But it's not just about rides. PortAventura Park has over 100 performances each day of dazzling shows; from Can Can dances, to Chinese Acrobats, Polynesian tribal dances and FiestAventura - a stunning midnight firework spectacular which takes place on the Mediterranean lake.

The park has a wide variety of restaurants in each land. You will find restaurants serving a la carte menus with full table service as well as fast food outlets for those who would rather not stop, and the little ones will just love the children's specialties.

Caribe Aquatic Park

The water park guarantees non-stop fun for hours on end. Enjoy whizzing down breath-taking slides and rapids, surfing the waves in the wave pool, or winding your way down the lazy river. Lush Caribbean surroundings are filled with palm trees, beach huts and cool reggae music. While the bars, restaurants and gardens will whisk you away to the heart of the tropics.

Beach Club

The exclusive Beach Club is an idyllic spot which will make your stay at PortAventura an unforgettable experience. Close your eyes and imagine an exclusive destination right by the sea in a unique Mediterranean setting. Take a relaxing dip in the pool, enjoy a refreshing fruit shake, or take a quiet stroll along Salou's Playa Larga.

Hotel PortAventura

Discover Hotel PortAventura - the perfect holiday village with all the charm of the Mediterranean. Sit back and relax in comfortable rooms, magnificent gardens and large swimming pools. The hotel's wide range of restaurants will delight you with their tasty Mediterranean dishes. And with direct access to the PortAventura theme park, this is the ideal combination for theme park lovers of all ages.

Hotel El Paso

Ideal for families, the Hotel El Paso is a traditional Mexican hacienda where the authentic looking décor and charming gardens will take you back to the days of colonial Mexico. Lie back and relax next to the hotel's enormous pool which features a sunken pirate ship where children can splash around for hours. Relax in comfortable lounges as you take in all of the excitement of this hotel which lies just minutes from the gates of Port Aventura Theme Park and Caribe Aquatic Park.

Hotel Caribe

Portaventura Hotel Caribe is a unique tropical paradise comprising huge open spaces and low-rise buildings set around a picturesque central lake. The hotel has four pools, a children's club, wellness area and an entertainment venue. Relax with a cocktail on the wicker loungers surrounding the lake whilst the children enjoy one of the many facilities on offer. The hotel with its landscaped surroundings is a charming Caribbean paradise just a stone's throw from PortAventura Park.

Geocaching in the Yorkshire Dales

"Vg fbhaqf nf vs guvf pnpur vf orarngu lbh!" the clue reads. But, while it may look like an attempt to represent the sound of a stifled sneeze in the written word, for geocachers - proponents of a new high-tech treasure hunt sport - it could mean the difference between discovering the prize or walking away empty-handed.

Unfortunately, for my inaugural geocaching hunt, I forgot to print out the code used to crack the clue. Bletchley Park it wasn't, but, stood in a damp churchyard in the middle of the Yorkshire Moors, I realised the scale of my school boy error.

Origins of geocaching

Geocaching was devised by gadget geeks in 2000 when the global satellite positioning system was opened up to mere mortals (as opposed to the military). A guy in Oregon hid a ‘cache' - a small box - in the middle of the woods and gave his friend the coordinates. Using a GPS receiver, he followed the directions, just like on a sat nav, and found the prize. Thus was born geocaching - after thinking twice about calling it ‘stashing'.

As of 16 July 2009, there are 849, 790 caches hidden in more than 100 countries, and on all seven continents. There are thousands of urban caches in London, New York, Paris, Toronto, and many more camouflaged in countryside across the world; I would be fairly certain there is at least one within half an hour from where you're sitting. You can find one in your lunch break.

What's the prize?

Geocaches can contain all manner of whimsical items, pieces of information, coins that have moved around the world and you plant somewhere else, or, at its simplest, a log book and pencil. The idea is that you can take any prize and replace it with a like-valued item. But for geocachers, the prize is the least important element. It is an excuse to go places you may never have seen.

In urban areas, you can find a new coffee house, boutique shops, or in the country, a new walking or mountain biking route. But at its core is forcing the geocacher into the unknown. You become a 21st-century flâneur, guided on the whim of 27 GPS satellites. Well that, or maybe it's just a good fun treasure hunt.

Getting started

1. All the caches are logged on www.geocaching.com. Register for free and type in your postcode, or the town where you want to start your quest from. This will draw up a list of caches.

2. Click on the name for more information about the cache. It will also give coordinates of either the cache's location or a starting point. Read the clue carefully, sometimes a maths quiz is thrown in to work out the coordinates, sometimes the information given in the first cache will lead you to the second and so on. And then maybe another coded hint. Print out the page - all of it.

3. Find a starting point, tap in the coordinates to your GPS. A specific outdoor handheld receiver is best, but a sat nav and GPS enabled phone (there is an excellent Geocaching application for the iPhone) will do the job just fine. A good OS map can be useful for footpaths, or finding the cache old school style.

4. When you find the exact location for the cache, this is where the hint comes in handy. The caches are usually in plastic weatherproof boxes, or in cities, they could be a film case. And eureka! Inside each cache must be a log book. Jot down your details and ponder the prizes. Geocaching etiquette says you must replace the prize with some of like value.

5. Sit in a nearby pub and relish in the joy of finding the treasure.

6. Log your find on www.geocaching.com.

7. Go plant your own.

Cathedral of the Dales

After following these steps, I arrive in Maham - a small village under the brooding Yorkshire Moor skies. Hikers and mountain bikers scurry around as I head into one of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Centres. The park authority has been instrumental in promoting geocaching in the UK and was an early adopter. So much so, that today, there is a computer dedicated to geocaching with guidelines. You can even hire an outdoor handheld GPS receiver for £5 a day and £50 deposit.

I choose a cache called Cathedral of the Dales in nearby Kirkby Malham. Up hill and down dale, I plod through the sun-dappled countryside passing abandoned farmhouses, ruined abbeys and stop at country pubs to read the history of the St Michael the Archangel, the Cathedral of the Dales. Briefly: built 1490, Oliver Cromwell was the witness at a wedding here, original stocks still in churchyard. The coordinates gradually count down.

Once I find the exact coordinates, I start to hunt. Behind gravestones, in some poor folk's garden (cue odd looks from passers by) cursing the fact I didn't print the second page off with the code. What the devil does "Vg fbhaqf nf vs guvf pnpur vf orarngu lbh!" mean? Arrgghh. Twenty minutes later, and getting considerably frustrated, my wife notices an oddly placed rock underneath a tree (was she once in the SAS?), lifts it and there it is. A little Tupperware box, filled with a doll, a purse, a key ring and a notebook.

I write ‘Daniel Neilson, 11 July 2009, www.worldtravelguide.net'. At least 50 people have found it earlier, including one the day before. Happy we head into the pub next door. When I return I work out the clue: "It sounds as if this cache is beneath yew!". See what they did.

Budapest Trip – Experience Heaven on Earth

One of the most wonderful European capitals, the city of Budapest is a visual treat to the tourists. Budapest is inexplicably beautiful. It has a kind of magnetic quality that attracts people from all over the world. A city that is bustling with life yet peaceful, treasures its past and embraces its future, where the hills harmonize with the picturesque Danube River. The impressive buildings, streets and squares all offer a warm welcome to the visitors. 

Budapest is home to a number of World Heritage Sites as well. If you are planning a trip to Budapest don’t miss the following sites. 

1) Danube Panorama and Castle District: The view of the Danube embankments has been listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site. The Buda Castle District also comes under the list on 11th December 1987. Some of the most important historical Hungarian monuments can be found in this ancient town. The site encompasses the Liberty Bridge, the Chain Bridge, Citadel, the Gellert Bath, the Gellert Hill with Statue of Liberty, the Turkish baths of the Water Town and the Baroque churches. 

2) Andrassy Avenue: This is the most scenic avenue of Budapest and is named after Hungary Gyula Andrassy, former Prime Minister. One can see the three distinct parts; the first stretching from Bajcsy to Zsilinszky, the second part running from Oktogon to Kodaly Korond and the last part extends from Kodaly Korond to the Heroes’ Square. Millenium Underground, the first European underground railway was built under this avenue. It is home to some very impressive buildings like the Academy of Music, Institute of Ballet, the State Opera House, the House of Terror, Hotel Andrassy, Art School of Budapest etc. 

3) Heroes’ Square: Heroes’ Square is a very significant World Heritage site of Budapest. This impressive square starts where the Andrassy Avenue concludes. The Millenium Monument stands in the middle of the square. The monument is topped with the statue of Archangel Gabriel with the Holy Hungarian Crown and the double cross of Christianity. The Museum of Fine Arts can be seen at the left side of the square and the right side features the Art Hall. The City Park Lake rests just behind the square.

Trip to Dublin

The age old tradition of true hospitality and the general feel of the city makes Dublin one of the most sought after tourist destination of the world. The warm welcome you receive on your arrival will give you a glimpse of the great time ahead. Ireland is all about charm. Therefore a trip to Dublin will rejuvenate your tired soul. The unique style of Irish charm makes Dublin the most charismatic of capitals.

Meet the real Dubliners to get the feel of the city that thrives with life. There are the landscaped parks for nature lover, the museums for tourists interested in the history of the city and the cultural shows for people desiring to explore the effects of multiculturalism in Dublin.

Staying in Dublin is not very expensive. You can book hotel online before physically arriving there. This will save you from the hassle of searching hotel room meeting your needs on one hand. On the other hand it will save your time and money. A trip to Dublin will offer you a pleasant experience for life time.

How to Get the Best Travel Insurance Policy

Selecting the ideal travel insurance is quite easy when you know what you need exactly. There are plenty of options. Just check the options and determine which one meets your requirement. Here are a few ways to get the best deal.

Before traveling check whether purchasing a single trip policy will serve your purpose or an annual travel insurance package will be a better option. Medical insurance, trip cancellation coverage, loss of baggage coverage, accidental death these are the conditions that most of the policies cover. But make sure that the travel insurance is also destination oriented. For example if you are traveling to Kashmir you should consider terrorism insurance.

Before buying a travel insurance check what your credit card and health insurance already covers. Many of the health insurance policies cover international medical insurance. If you buy air ticket by credit card it can provide coverage against cancellation of tickets. Other factors to consider for getting travel insurance is your age, gender, any specific disease, recreational activities included in your holiday plans and so on.

Considering these few points will help you to get the right travel insurance.

Top places to go and things to do before...

Whether looking for romantic evenings, back-to-nature breaks, some vibrant and buzzing nightlife or family-friendly activities, it can be tricky deciding what, with so many sights to see and treks to tread, should be top of the list when planning a memorable trip.

To help you decide what experiences to include in your trip, especially with time ticking away faster than you can say ‘budget flights to the moon', here is our pick of travel treats not to be missed, whatever your situation. 

... you settle down

Dance at the Rio Carnival
The annual carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the wildest urban extravaganzas on the planet. The main party scene in the Cidade Nova district comes alive with a riot of colour, outlandish floats and throngs of gyrating dancers; all shaking to intoxicating samba rhythms.

Sip cocktails in Las Vegas
Sheer excess and decadence is the name of the game along Las Vegas' infamous Strip. Whilst still footloose and fancy free, make the most of Sin City's endless playground of neon lights, casinos, live entertainment and raucous nightlife.

Party in Ibiza
Nowhere in the world does nightlife like Ibiza. The clubbing haven for grown-up clubbers and style icons alike attracts world-famous DJs and celebrities every year as well as an increasing number of bands at the Ibiza Rocks line-up. 

... you need creature comforts


Go trekking in Nepal
Nepal's 800km (500-mile) stretch of undulating peaks and breathtaking views is one of the world's prime destinations for those wanting to tackle a mountainous challenge. Strap on your backpack and get trekking.

Try festivalling in the desert
For a unique festival experience, catch bands from around the globe play up a storm at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, set in the heavy heat of the Colorado Desert.

Explore the Amazon
Covering nine South American nations, the Amazon rainforest is the most diverse spread of tropical forest in the world. Sign up to a volunteer programme, join a jungle trek or try your hand at white-water rafting. 

... you have kids



See the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu
One of the world's most famous and sacred mountain treks, Peru's spectacular Inca Trail to the lost city of Machu Picchu passes through snow-capped mountains, a cloud forest and a string of 12 Inca ceremonial centres.

Cruise the Nile
Few places on earth conjure up the magic and mystique of Egypt's world-famous river. Taking a cruise on the Nile is the most romantic way to visit the Pharaohs' temples of Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and the sole survivors of the world's seven wonders: the Pyramids.

Sleep in a Kyoto temple 
Embrace Japan's Zen culture and spend the night in a temple. Rise early, pray with monks, eat a traditional fish breakfast and take in the beautiful surrounding scenery before any tourist crowds get in the way. 

... your kids grow up


Relish an ice cream factory tour
Celebrate USA's National Ice Cream Month (July) with a tour - and free flavour samples - of Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont. If your taste buds haven't had enough, the Scoop Shop outside features all of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet flavours.

Let go at Florida's theme parks
Your kids will love you for it and so will you. Orlando and Tampa in Florida, USA, offer some of the world's best theme parks, from Walt Disney World and Universal Studios to Busch Gardens and SeaWorld.

Visit Singapore Night Safari
For discovery, adventure and wide-eyed amazement, zoos tick all the boxes when it comes to entertaining the kids. Singapore Night Safari is one of the world's best zoos and offers ample opportunity for you and your young ones to be blown away by impressive creatures.