Barbados Destinations Guide
Tourists pour into Barbados from all over the world, drawn by the delightful climate, the big blue sea and brilliant white sandy beaches. Many of them rarely stray far from their hotels and guesthouses, but those who make an effort find a proud island scattered with an impressive range of historic sites
For more than three centuries Barbados was a British colony and retains something of a British feel: the place names, the cricket, horse-racing and polo, Anglican parish churches, and even a hilly district known as Scotland.
The people of Barbados, known as Bajans , take great pride in their tiny island of 430 square kilometres
Tourism plays a major part in the country's economy and revenues have been put to good use. The infrastructure and public transport are first-rate and there is no sign of the poverty that continues to bedevil some Caribbean islands.\
Where to go
Chief among the island's attractions are its old plantation houses - places like St Nicholas Abbey and Francia , superb botanical gardens at Andromeda and the Flower Forest , and the military forts and signal stations at Gun Hill and Grenade Hall . The capital, Bridgetown , is a lively place to visit, with an excellent national museum and great nightlife in its bars and clubs
When to go
For many visitors, Barbados's tropical climate is its leading attraction - hot and sunny year-round. The weather is best, however, during the high season, from mid-December to mid-April, with rainfall low and the heat tempered by cooling trade winds. The peak season also brings the biggest crowds and the highest prices.
Getting around
The bus system in Barbados is excellent, with blue government buses and yellow, privately owned minibuses running all over the island. Fares are a flat rate of B$1.50. Buses run roughly every half-hour between Grantley Adams International Airport and Bridgetown, stopping at or near most of the south coast resorts en route. Services to the resorts on the west coast are less frequent.
Food & Drink
Fresh seafood is the island's speciality: snapper, barracuda and dolphin fish, as well as fresh prawns and lobster. Most popular of all is the flying fish - virtually a Bajan national emblem.
For snacks , you'll find cutters (bread rolls with a meat or cheese filling), coconut bread, and more substantial rotis (flat, unleavened bread wrapped around a filling of curried meat or vegetables); all are widely available.
Rum is the liquor of choice for many Bajans. Hundreds of tiny rum bars dot the island, which are an integral part of Bajan social life. On the coast, you'll find fewer places that cater specifically to drinkers but, all-inclusives apart, most hotels and restaurants will welcome you for a drink even if you're not staying or eating.
Barbados Destinations Guide
Of all European countries, Italy is perhaps the hardest to classify. It is a modern, industrialized nation. It is the harbinger of style, its designers leading the way with each season's fashions
If there is a single national characteristic, it's to embrace life to the full: in the hundreds of local festivals taking place across the country on any given day, to celebrate a saint or the local harvest; in the importance placed on good food; in the obsession with clothes and image; and above all in the daily domestic ritual of the collective evening stroll - a sociable affair celebrated by young and old alike in every town and village across the country.
Italians often feel more loyalty to their region than the nation as a whole. Italy breaks down into twenty regions, which in turn divide into different provinces. Some of these regional boundaries reflect long-standing historic borders, like Tuscany, Lombardy or the Veneto
The north is one of the most advanced industrial societies in the world, its people speak Italian with the cadences of France or Germany and its "capital", Milan, is a thoroughly European city. The south , derogatively known as il mezzogiorno , begins somewhere between Rome and Naples, and is by contrast one of the most economically depressed areas in Europe.
The economic backwardness of the south is partly the result of the historical neglect to which it was subjected by various foreign occupiers. But it is also the result of the deliberate policy of politicians and corporate heads to industrialize the north while preserving the underdeveloped south as a convenient reservoir of labour. Italy's industrial power and dynamism, based in the north, was built on the back of exploited southerners who emigrated to the northern industrial cities of Turin, Milan and Genoa in their millions during the Fifties and Sixties.
Rome
The Italian capital attracts around 20 million visitors a year, lured by its culture, rich sense of history and status as one of the world's most intriguing cities. Rome is unique because past and present are indelibly linked. The city's history isn't packed away in a museum; it's visible everywhere you look, living and breathing in the here and now.Italy Holiday Guide
It's hard not to be impressed when a city's vistas take in over two thousand years of achievements, and this is evident in some of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. Visit the Pantheon and the iconic Colosseum, neither of which need much explanation. A visit to Vatican City - home to new Pope Benedict XVI - will take in the amazing St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel (home of Michelangelo's masterpiece) and St Peter's Square.
Finally, no visit to Rome would be complete without a visit to the Trevi fountain, the world's coolest wishing well. Throw one coin over your shoulder into the Trevi and you are destined to return to city once again.
Venice
All the postcards in the world cannot prepare you for your first view of Venice, surely in contention for the title of World's Most Beautiful City. The city is built on 117 small islands, with 150 canals and over 400 bridges linking them all together. Cars can't traverse the city's watery streets, so to see the sights you're either walking or navigating Venice's waterways by water taxi or the celebrated gondolas.
Wind your way up the Grand Canal, past bridges and ornate canal-side homes; sip espresso in famous St Mark's Square (if you can afford it and don't mind sharing your table with a few pigeons!); sip a Bellini in the cocktail's birthplace, Harry's Bar; or visit the late Peggy Guggenheim's impressive collection of modern art.
It can cost a lot to visit somewhere this good-looking. Restaurants and accommodation are the most expensive in Italy, and a ride in a traditional Venetian gondola can set you back €62 for less than an hour's ride. But is the expense worth it? We say, most definitely.
Florence
This beautiful city in the heart of Tuscany still emanates all the artistic wonder so prevalent here several centuries ago. It was of course the home of the Renaissance, of Machiavelli and Michelangelo, and it seems Florence is still intriguing and inspiring its visitors today.
The famous Uffizi Gallery is a mecca for art lovers, holding Botticelli's Birth of Venus and works by Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio in what was Europe's first modern museum. Amble onwards to the Santa Croce, a church which holds the skeletons of some of Renaissance-era Florence's most prominent names. The duomo, or dome, which sits atop Florence's cathedral is the most recognised symbol of the city. Then of course there's the world's most famous statue, Michelangelo's David, carved out of one large piece of marble and able to be viewed at the Galleria dell'Accademia.
And for those who prefer something a bit more modern, visit the Galleria Poggiali e Forconi, an exhibition gallery dedicated to contemporary artists like Enzo Cucchi, Luca Pignatelli and Gilberto Zorio.
For non-art lovers, have a wander around the city's craft shops where you'll be able to pick up leather goods and silver ornaments and jewellery at bargain prices.
Sorrento
Sorrento is a picture-perfect Italian tourist town balanced on the high cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. It's a beautiful resort style town, handily close to the nearby island of Capri, and a short albeit hairy drive away from the beautiful Amalfi Coast.
If you can bear to leave your people-watching spot at one of the city's elegant cafes, take a stroll around the town's piazzas and up to the hills for spectacular views; or shop for Sorrento specialties like clothing, embroidery and furniture; or hire a boat or eat your fill of fresh seafood. Whatever activity you choose, it's exremely difficult not to find la dolce vita in this part of the world.
Disneyland - Paris
Disneyland® Resort Paris
Only at Disneyland® Resort Paris can you experience the magic and enjoy a truly unique family getaway.
Be enchanted by Disneyland® Park and enjoy the sheer delight on your children's faces as they see their favourite Disney Characters. Discover the magic behind the scenes at Walt Disney Studios® Park and let your imagination soar in the fascinating world of cinema, animation and television.
Revel in the excitement of Disney® Village with non-stop family entertainment. There really is something for everyone at Disneyland® Resort Paris from the thrill of high-speed roller-coasters, to a relaxing walk around Lake Disney®. Whatever your adventure, the magic is closer than you think!
Disney's Hotel Santa Fe®
Mexico and America join hands for a lively stay in the deep South West" .... Route 66 and the scenery of New Mexico are brought to life at the colourful Disney's Hotel Santa Fe® with its fusion of Indian, Mexican and American cultures.
Disney's Hotel Cheyenne®
Ride into the sunset, toward a boomtown in the Old West where Hollywood legends come to life. Inspired by Billy the Kid, this is a town where outlaws, cowboys and Indians stake their claim. Yes-sir-ee!
Disney's Sequoia Lodge®
Lying on the shores of Lake Disney® and surrounded by leafy trees you feel as if you are staying within a great American Redwood forest.
Disney's Newport Bay Club®
The impressive Disney’s Newport Bay Club® rises majestically over the shores of Lake Disney®. It has a bright and breezy nautical atmosphere, being decorated in the style of a turn of the century New England seaside resort.
Disney's Hotel New York®
Reminiscent of the 'Big Apple’, Disney’s Hotel New York® is built in the style of a series of Midtown skyscrapers alongside typical New York brownstone and Gramercy Park houses.
Disneyland® Hotel
The story goes that at the end of each railway line a smart hotel would be built and a town would spring up around it. True to the tale, the Disneyland® Hotel is situated alongside the station overlooking Main Street, U.S.A.
Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch®
If you enjoy the simple outdoor life with lots of activities try the wilderness escape of Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch®. Situated just 15 minutes drive from the Disney Parks.
