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Archive for June, 2011

Enjoy Malaga Attractions With Superb Hospitality In Malaga Hotels

The city of Malaga in Spain is an impressive city situated along the Costa del Sol approximately 370 kilometers to the south of Alicante. Most tourists and travelers from around Europe prefer to embark at the Malaga Airport which is well known for its close proximity to hotels in Malaga ensuring ease of access in travel. Even the travelers having bookings in hotels or apartments around the Costa del Sol area prefer to touch down at Malaga. The lovely harbor at Malaga makes a visit to the area worth every penny. Malaga is well known for pasas raisins and superbly rich wines.

One of the primary attractions of Malaga is the renowned Cathedral of Malaga. The structure located at the Plaza de la Cathedral is one of the most prominent buildings of the city. The construction of the building has been done with limestone and was started in 1528. The construction of the building is credited to Pedro Lopez and Diego Siloe who started the construction of the building on the place of a Malaga mosque. The construction of the cathedral has a bit of history behind it. The construction had to be stopped on numerous occasions before construction was finally halted in 1783 due to lack of money. As the southern tower of the church is still incomplete it is called La Manquita which in Spanish means the missing. The tourists have generally been noted to have pointed out visible different styles of the cathedral. That is quite understandable given the fact that various architects have been working on the cathedral over the centuries.

To the west of the Cathedral lies the old part of the town where a lot many tiny streets and footpaths are to be found. The market is a must visit for any tourist which enthralls shoppers with its impressive marble entrance door. One will find almost anything ranging from tons of fish and beautiful flowers to vegetables. The place just outside the market hall has a lot many likeable bars and restaurants which are just ideal for a little break.

The Picasso Museum is obviously with reference to Pablo Picasso. Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous sons of the city with his birth house located at Plaza de la Merced 15. The birth building has been converted as the Foundation Picasso building. The Picasso Museum is a larger building and more famous situated at the Palacio de Buena vista. One needs to move a little bit further north to the Calle de la Victoria where one will find a beautiful church from the 15th century.

The harbor area of the city is a very likeable area. It has a lovely park along side which allows one the comfort of relaxing in peaceful surroundings. To reach the bullfighting arena one needs to follow the paseo dl Parque pathway along the plaza de marina route. The Malaga hotels cater to the requirements of all types of travelers with a lot many cheap Malaga hotels available for the economy budget traveler.

About the writer:  Author is an associate editor of http://www.budgetspainhotels.com. The website offers exclusive information of spain and malaga hotels. We also provide online hotel reservation of hotels in malaga.

Enjoy A Memorable Day Trip To Belfast This Summer

When you’re thinking about taking a holiday this summer day trips may not necessarily be your first option. But wherever you live in the UK you’re likely to be just a short journey away from a place of historical importance or great natural beauty the perfect opportunity for a day trip to remember. Belfast for instance is a great city to visit on a day trip with a stunning architectural landscape and rich cultural offerings.

If you decide to take a trip to Belfast there are a number of ways in which you’ll be able to plan your daylong city break. For instance spend the day sightseeing Belfast’s most famous buildings like Belfast City Hall. With its impressive 173foot high dome and surrounding green space the City Hall is certainly one of Belfast’s most attractive structures.

Belfast also boasts the world’s largest dry dock; and the historic Harland and Wolff shipyard the builders of the Titanic. St George’s Market is also worth a visit as it is Belfast’s last surviving Victorian covered market.

Alternatively time your day trip to Belfast during one of its many festivals. For example the Belfast Maritime Festival will take place from Friday 29 June to Sunday 1 July 2007. Seven of the worlds most spectacular ships will be sailing into Belfast for a weekend of fantastic family fun. Visitors will have an opportunity to board the boats around the Donegall Quay and Queens Quay area for free.

Or why not visit the Ould Lammas Fair a traditional fair held in Ballycastle in County Antrim a short drive away from Belfast. The Ould Lammas fair which has been running for over 400 years sells traditional local goods like Yellowman a local variant of honeycomb and dulse an edible seaweed.

Tourists on day trips to Belfast hoping to enjoy some spectacular scenery need look no further than the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim. It is one of the UK’s most fascinating geological features and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and a National Nature Reserve in 1987. Another place of interest is the CarrickaRede Rope Bridge a rope suspension bridge in Ballintoy. Linked to the miniscule Carrick Island this rope bridge is owned and maintained by the National Trust and attracts in excess of 140000 visitors a year.

If you’re planning a day trip to Belfast there’s a variety of fun and exciting ways to get there. For instance why not take the ferry to Belfast? This way you’ll be able to enjoy your transport to and from Northern Ireland and your daylong holiday will begin as soon as you step on the boat. What’s more taking a ferry to Belfast will mean that you’re able to take your car with you an addition that can be particularly beneficial if you’re taking children with you or you’re hoping to explore Belfast’s outer regions.

About the writer:  Scott James writes about all sorts of automotive issues on the Internet and Check out the following for more information about the above: International Travel Medical Insurance ; Smoky Mountain Cabins and Venice City Breaks

Dublin Ireland At Christmas
If you are planning on visting Dublin for Christmas make sure that you are either staying with friends or family staying at a hotel that is going to be open or renting a self catering property like those advertised on jmlvillas.com

Unlike France Italy or England it is very difficult to actually eat out or even get a drink on Christmas day. The reason is that traditionally it is a day when a family is meant to be together.

I tried in both 2007 and 2008 to find a restaurant or hotel that was open for Christmas lunch. It is nearly impossible.

Most hotels close early afternoon on Christmas Eve and don’t usually open again till lunchtime on the day after St Stephens Day Boxing day the 27th. The pubs will close early on Christmas Eve and some will open on St Stephens Day. Many Guest Houses and ned and breakfast establishments also closed.
A lot of bar staff in Ireland used to be members of a union and it was agreed therefore that pubs would not open. Although the situation with staff will have changed a lot today the same rules apply to opening. They don’t!!

I discovered that a hotel in Drumcondra on the way to the airport is open for Christmas Lunch however their arrangements included a small entertainment variety show. A hotel that is part of an American chain was open as well in the centre for a 4 course brucnh. The price quoted was 160 euro per person without drink or service charges. They had two sittings and if you were a family of five after spending nearly a thouand euro taking the first sitting you would have to vaccate quite quickly to let the second sitting take over.

Another hotel in the centre near Grafton Street that is Irish owned was also open but by coincidence the price was exactly the same.

Looking outside Dublin hotels around the country that were open and took guests for 2 or 3 nights were generally much more expensive than they would normally be. I stayed at a fabulous hotel on the west coat for the second time last June. Like the others I discovered their Christmas break prices had gone up considerably.

With the credit crunch biting hard in Ireland it will be interesting to see if this changes for Christmas 2009.

If you are thinking of taking a break in Ireland over Christmas all of this is worth considering as the only place you might find open on Christmas day is the odd Chinese restaurant or petrol service station.

About the writer:  Philip Suter is a Director of jml Property Services; http://www.jmlproperty.co.uk a UK based company offering Insurance products on line at http://www.jmlinsurance.co.uk and a holiday home advertising service and management training within the UK. He is a very experienced property consultant with over 30 years work in the Residential letting business in the UK and served on the National Council of ARLA. He is a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents NAEA and a Member of The association of Residential Letting Agents ARLA