© tobybarnes

Cyberspace has lots of travel communities, blog collections, and user comment pages for travel. But I guess it could always use one more...

Sir Richard Branson, whose 360 Virgin brand companies include Virgin Atlantic airways, has started a new online travel community - vtravelled.

This website has been designed as a Travel Community, a place for travel lovers to easily share their stories and experiences
across the world.

Where better to learn what are the best hostels, the best restaurants and the best sights then from seasoned travellers?

A press release from the Digital News Agency includes video footage of the new community's opening in New York.

MSNBC recently looked at the city of Dublin and said that despite the hard economic times, visitors to the Irish capital can still have a ball there.

While Ireland's famed "Celtic Tiger" economy is now more of a sickly kitten these days, the country is still vibrant as can be for travelers. And Dublin offers the best (and many would say only) urban thrills in the Republic of Ireland.

Among the city's charms, there are a number of museums and academic halls to wander. No trip to Dublin is complete without a visit to Trinity College, for example. But you can also take in a football game - with 50,000 other Irish fans.

Of course, there's also beer...


© infomatique

It's been years since I've been to Austria. This MSNBC piece made me think about going back.

Vienna is one of Europe's cultural capitals. And while the music and the art and the archetecture and the history are all great, the food is not bad either.

Each coffeehouse comes with its own individual character. Cafe Sperl dates from 1880, and is still furnished identically to the day it opened - from the coat tree to the chairs. Cafe Hawelka has a dark, "brooding Trotsky" atmosphere, paintings by struggling artists (who couldn't pay for coffee), smoked velvet couches, and a phone that rings for regulars...

There's plenty more. See the story .


© viakali

I've been to Barcelona, but not in this millennium/ I'd love to go back.

I saw a piece in the NY Times not long ago on tings to do in the city. At least it was an article on things the author of the article (Stuart Emmrich) did while he was there.

IN recent years, the once-gritty neighborhoods of Born, El Raval and Barceloneta have emerged as the new face of Barcelona - home to some of its best restaurants, bars and designer shops. You wouldn't want to spend your entire time in Barcelona without traveling outside the boundaries of these three vibrant areas, of course, but spending a few well-chosen days among their narrow streets and shadowy alleyways will provide you with a crash course in what's hot now.

And then we get a description of how he spent 36 hours in that area.

Read the piece...


© Lena_Ni

© mavi_melek

Antalya is Turkey's Mediterranean playground. The beaches are beautiful. The water is warm. The nightlife is varied and moderately sophisticated. There are added attractions. The site is extremely close to some of the most beautiful mountains in the Mediterranean basin. History has left layers of archeological attractions in the area. And Antalya affords its visitors access to a number of surrounding seaside resorts and natural attractions.

The city of Antalya is the heart beat of tourism in Turkey. The official population is about 600,000. But summer months swell the city and the surrounding coasts as tourists flood the city's luxury hotels and the surrounding beach resorts that line the Gulf of Antalya. The city serves to funnel international tourists out to the regions surrounding mountains and to the beaches and islands along the coasts where they can hike, swim, dive, and explorer the area's parks and caves.

A variety of historic sites line the Gulf of Antalya. Many date from the Roman Era. A few date to earlier than that. And a couple can be dated to before history of the region began to be recorded. French and English kings based themselves here in preparation for campaigns during the Crusades.

Since the 1970's Turkey has developed Antalya and the surrounding coastline into the nation's biggest single attraction for international tourists. The city has an acceptable airport and the region has won international awards for quality tourism.

Antalya has two good beaches. Konyaalti Beach stretches for several miles to the west of the city along the Gulf of Antalya and is dotted with park facilities (including Antalya Beach Park). Lara Beach is a more sandy beach east of Antalya. But the larger region has a number of good beaches. Several of the towns of the bay have developed into small beach resorts. The reasons seem obvious. The bay has some of the cleanest conditions in the Mediterranean and it is warm enough to allow sunbathing all year. Hot, dry summers give way to warm, moist winters with temperatures in the upper 50's and lower 60's (about 15 °C).

While the warm Mediterranean washes the beaches of Antalya, snow covers the peaks of the Taurus Mountains for much of the year a mere 30 or so miles away. Several of the peaks in the mountains west of Antalya rise to over 8,000 feet. The mountains provide an incredibly beautiful backdrop to the region's beaches and a setting for winter sports for part of the year. During the summer it is possible to camp and hike in the mountains. A few for the peaks provide for good mountain climbing.

Antalya boasts some of Turkey's most vibrant nightlife. You'll find everything from belly dancers to disco in the city's bars and clubs at night. If you're looking for something more mellow, the seafront bars in Antalya old quarter, Kaleiçi, provide a quieter atmosphere.

Antalya's Old Quarter has been restored in recent years and is the most attractive portion of the city now. Restaurants and hotels abound. And it has become the city's most important shopping and entertainment District. All of Kaleiçi is inside the city's old walls that date from Roman times. The old harbor (a modern marina now) also sits within the walls. The 35-hectare old city is divided into four neighbourhoods - Selçuk, Tuzcular, Barbaros and Kýlýçarslan. Be sure and see the historic Hadrian's Gate.

Enjoy Antalya...

I've always associated Prague with youth for some reason. Now here's a story that confirms my suspicions...

MSNBC ran a piece yesterday on how Prague is a good place to take your kids.

There are more than 80 museums and 70 theaters in Prague. Kids will like taking the funicular train to the top of Petrin Hill to see the Eiffel Tower (one-fourth the size of the one in Paris -climb the nearly 300 steps to the top!), the observatory (where you might be able to look through the telescope) and the Maze of Mirrors.

That's just a sampling. MSNBC seems to think that Prague (the paris of Eastern Europe) is a great desintation for kids.


© Jim Linwood

© Supermac1961

Golf holidays in Spain: how could you think of anything else at the moment? Spring is here, and Spain beckons...

• Hotel La Manga Club ​-​ Principe Felipe - Located in La Manga, Los Belones, Cartagena, 41 miles SW of Murcia, 77 miles SW of Alicante, province of Murcia, with three outstanding championship courses and comprehensive facilities, the high standards here have repeatedly allowed it to be named European Golf Resort of the Year.
  
  


• La Torre Golf Resort - Located 19 miles North of Cartagena, 20 miles SE of Murcia, province of Murcia, this course was created by the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, this 18-hole championship course reflects the personality of golf's most successful player of all times. Nicklaus heads a golf course design company that is responsible for some of the most amazing new courses in recent times. The lush fairways here remind you of Florida's golf resorts.
  
  


• Almerimar Hotel and Golf Club -Located in El Ejido, 24 miles SW of Almeria, province of Almeria, the course has a layout conceived by the legendary South African, Gary Player (with a little help from Ron Kirby), this is a truely outstanding resort course. Almerimar has a good variety of tees, to ensure that there is a suitable challenge for every visitor. Incredible water hazards add to both the challenge and the beauty.
  
  


• La Cala Golf Resort - Located in Mijas Costa, 12 miles East of Marbella, 24 miles SW of Malaga, this is the biggest golf complex in Spain, La Cala is also a spa. The resort has three superb 18-hole championship golf courses, plus an executive 6 hole par 3 course, all set within the magnificent rolling hills of Mijas.
  
  


• Hotel Almenara - Located in Sotogrande, 15 miles NE of Gibraltar, 18 miles SW of Estepona, 71 miles SW of Malaga, this is Spain's top golf resort, Hotel Almenara is situated in the heart of Sotogrande, Almenara. Built in the traditional Andalucian style, the hotel is graced with classic terracotta colourstaht have made the region famous.

You can find what you need to plan your trip at YourGolfTravel.com. What better time to go than now...?

© Philip Larson

Golf holidays in Florida are on everyone's summer wish list at the moment. and with good reason. Florida offers some incredible course, some beautiful scenery, and a nice dose of pampered luxury to the golfers who visit the state.

It's hard to narrow Florida's offerings down to just a handful, but if I had to pick the top five...

• Fifth: - REUNION RESORT . Located in Reunion, 26 miles southwest of Orlando and just 13 miles south of Disney World. The Reunion complex boasts three championship golf courses - designed by Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus.
  
  


• Fourth: - INNISBROOK RESORT & GOLF CLUB. Located in Palm Harbour, 25 miles northwest of Tampa. Four championship courses including the legendary Copperhead Course is the annual host of the PODS Championship on the PGA Tou.
  
  


• Third: - FAIRMONT TURNBERRY ISLE RESORT & CLUB. Located in Miami. The resort is spread over 300 coast acres and has recently undergone a $100 million renovation, making it one of the finest golf and leisure destinations in Florida.
  
  


• Second: - SAWGRASS MARRIOTT GOLF RESORT & SPA. Located in Ponte Vedra Beach, about 30 miles southeast of Jacksonville), this TPC Stadium Course has five championship layouts. The course is the annual host to the so-called 'fifth major', the Players Championship.
  
  


• First - PGA NATIONAL RESORT & SPA. Located in Palm Beach Gardens, 12 miles North of West Palm Beach, 54 miles North of Fort Lauderdale, 83 miles North of Miami. The course is the backbone of PGA National's outstanding golfing heritage, originally designed by Tom Fazio and subsequently reworked by Jack Nicklaus in 1990. A top class tournament venue, the Champion played host to the 1983 Ryder Cup matches and the 1987 PGA Championship, while it is now the annual home of the US Tour's Honda Classic.

With summer just around the corner, how can you not think about where you'll golf in Florida this year?

© Andyrob

One of the great attractions of London is the West End theatre district. Sure, by day you need to see the Tower and the Bridge and a few palaces and such. But once night falls, you need to be looking for your seat at one of the theatres on London's West End.

To see what? At the moment that's not really a hard question. There are a number of great shows playing. If I had to pick a top five, it would probably look like this:

• Billy Elliot - Based on the 2000 film. Billy Elliot is set in the fictional town of 'Everington' in the real County Durham. Eleven-year-old Billy wants to be a dancer when he grows up. Enhanced by a score from Elton John.
  


• Dirty Dancing - Somewhat more musical and fast paced than the movie.
  


• Hairspray - Hairspray has broken West End records this year, being nominated for eleven Olivier awards. At the Shaftesbury Theatre.
  


• Mamma Mia - Now in its ninth year in the West End. All the Abba you can stand in a brilliant show.
  


• Wicked - The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz has gone on to break box office records.

I personally cannot imagine being in London and not taking in a show on the West End. With the excellent choices available, how could you pass it up?

If you were considering a week in Cancun or Cozumel and now you're not sure what to do, the answer is probably to divert your trip to the Caribbean, instead. At least that seems to be everybody else's answer...

The Associated Press is reporting that tourist arrivals throughout the Caribbean are up in the wake of the swine flu outbreak that has shot down Mexico.

Travel agents in the U.S. say they are aggressively recommending Jamaica and the Dominican Republic as alternatives to Cancun and other Mexican beach resorts because they are close and affordable.

There are plenty of other destinations. The AP story was filed from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean travel industry is trying to recover for a downturn due to the hard economc times. Mexico's problems have become reason for celebration in many island nations.


© gailf548