The Silk Road is rapidly becoming one of China’s most popular tourist destinations. Heaps of travel agents and tour companies offer tours there in 2010. So why is it so popular? But first let’s examine where the Silk Road is and how to get there?

Starting at the time of Christ, the Silk Road extends from Xian in central China to either the Middle East or Europe. In fact there are many routes, some to Moscow in the north and those into India and Pakistan in the south. Just like travellers in the time of Marco Polo – thirteenth century – the ancient trade routes still exist although the type of goods sold and the method of transport have changed. The reason why the Silk Road starts/ends in Xian is that it was the ancient capital of China and internal trade routes, in many cases along the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, were already established to distribute goods within China.

Many tourists start their Silk Road journey in Beijing. The Imperial City, the Great Wall of China the many places of historic interest will make a 3-5 day stay worthwhile. Add to it a little shopping and time to experience northern Chinese cuisine and you are ready for your Silk Road experience.

How to get there
Most international airlines fly into Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. There is a lesser choice of flights to and from western China and most of these are based out of the capital of Xinjiang Province, Urumqi.

China has rail connections north to Mongolia, Hong Kong, Tibet and west to Moscow. For the more adventurous there are multiple rail links into Vietnam.

Coach access from/to Pakistan is available along the Karakorum Highway, apart from November though April, when it is closed. Delays and discomfort can be part of this route so be prepared. Travel in Pakistan needs serious consideration. We spent 12 wonderful days travelling there in late 2007 but with the rise of the Taliban the risk for westerners has increased dramatically.

Visas are required for all access points to China and I recommend that these be obtained well in advance.

How to get around
Train travel is popular in China although it does have an extensive coach network. Of course you could fly but that would really defeat the main purpose of visiting China – to meet the people. Train travel is reliable, fast and cheap. “Soft” sleeping compartments either for four or on some routes for two persons are available or if you want to join the locals try the “hard” class, but unless you are on a tight budget, it’s not recommended. You will need assistance buying the rail tickets as few station staff speak English. The timetables and options can be complex. Ask a travel agency with China experience to help.

Many companies offer tours along the Silk Road. Most of these use a combination of coach and rail travel. International companies include GAP, Peregrine, World Expeditions, Travel Indo-China. You’ll find these using Google. Some tours include a tour leader and guide. Standards of accommodation and comfort are reflected in the pricing.

Another option is to hire a guide through Chinese companies like Xinjiang Silk Road Adventures in Urumqi. Local guides can be provided on a per day basis or overall for a tour, at very reasonable prices. Tour guides are required to be licensed in China.

When to Go
China is a vast country covering eight time zones. It’s climate varies considerably. Summers can be hot and sticky and the winters extremely cold so the best months are in Spring and Autumn. Consult a good guide book for the temperatures that you can experience at the time of your planned travel so that you can dress appropriately.

Silk Road Highlights
To get the most out of a Silk Road journey it should not be rushed. Allow a minimum of 14 days in addition to any stay in Beijing. If you are including Uzbekistan add another ten days:

The major attractions are:

Xian the Terracotta Army and other historic sites

The Labrang Monastery in Xiahe, in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous region

The Fort and Great Wall of China Museum at Jiayuguan

Dunhuang for riding the two humped Bactrian camels in the vast sand dunes. Nearby are the Buddhist Mogao Caves set into a desert backdrop of the Flaming mountains.

Urumqi has an excellent Xinjiang Regional Museum. Two hours away is the spectacular lake district of China, the Heavenly Lake. Here you’ll find Kazakh people living in yurts and grazing their herds of horses, sheep and goats. If you have the time, stay overnight and experience the food and hospitality of the locals.

Turpan is famous for its grapes, and nearby are the ancient cities of Gaochang and Jiaohe, the Bezeklik thousand Buddha Tombs and the underground water systems called karez that link Turpan to much needed snow melt from the distant Tian Shan mountains.

Kashgar, a trade route city for thousands of years. Visit the old city before it’s demolished and attend the famous Sunday animal market which although dusty is a great spectacle.

Those with extra time may find the southern Silk Road oasis towns of Yarkand and Khotan of interest. This area is less visited but does have some interesting side trips including camel safaris and treks into the Taklamakan desert. This predominantly Uyghur area has much of interest for those that are looking for something a little different.

A short train journey or flight will take you across the western Chinese border and then on to Tashkent the capital of Uzbekistan. Here the real gems of the Silk Road are to be found in the ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Coach travel in Uzbekistan is comfortable and affordable, although the rail line west offers an alternative.

If you are looking for a vacation with a difference and you are a little adventurous, then travelling the Silk Road should be on the top of your list. It is safe and affordable. And it is a hugely rewarding experience. Yes, it will have its challenges but what a story you can tell when you get home, not to mention your fantastic digital photographs of the highlights of this scenic journey.

You could, like Marco Polo, even write a book about your experiences. I did. It’s called Following Macro Polo’s Silk Road.

Brian Lawrenson
Author
Following Marco Polo’s Silk Road
www.marcopolopress.com

email: blawrens@bigpond.net.au

So, you are interested in finding Lake Tahoe rental houses? This can be easy if you find yourself looking in the right places. This is a great place to visit no matter what time of the year it is. As soon as you take the time to find the right properties you will be well on your way to the vacation of your dreams.

To start, you should use the internet to answer most of your questions. There are a lot of sites dedicated to Lake Tahoe rental houses as well as the area in general. The more information you can find the better off you are going to be when it finally comes time to book a property.

Of course, you can also find Lake Tahoe rental houses offline as well. For instance, many homeowners will put their property in the newspaper. The only problem with this is that you may not see the advertisement until it is too late, if at all.

If you are going to search for Lake Tahoe rental houses make sure you exhaust all your options. It is very important that you consider the many properties that are out there. Not only do you want to think about its location, but don’t overlook how much money you are going to spend. Saving money on a Lake Tahoe rental house is more than possible if you keep an open mind.

All in all, there are many Lake Tahoe rental houses waiting for you. Where are you going to turn to find the right information?

Santa Catalina Island, sometimes referred to as nothing more than Catalina, is known as the “Island of Romance.” There is no more romantic place to spend your wedding day. With many great wedding venues to choose from, such as the Catalina Casino Grand Ballroom or the rooftop deck at the Avalon Hotel, as a bride and groom who loves adventure travel or adventure sports, you cannot ask for more! Should you decide to combine your wedding with your honeymoon, Catalina scuba diving is just one of the more creative, exciting and even romantic activities you have to choose from.

As mentioned above, the Catalina Casino Grand Ballroom and the rooftop deck at the Avalon Hotel come highly rated and recommended for wedding ceremonies and receptions. As for the Catalina Casino Grand Ballroom, it is open all year around for private events. The ballroom has a capacity of 1,400 people. Your reservation gets you access to chairs, tables, silver, linens, an elevated stage, raised dance floor seating, full-service bar, and kitchen facilities.

The Avalon Hotel is best for smaller weddings. You get panoramic views of the city of Avalon and the harbor. The rooftop deck and the courtyard garden are perfect for small weddings as they can accommodate up to 30 people. The Avalon Hotel is known for their buy one, get one free nightly specials.

If your Catalina wedding is a destination wedding, meaning you are not local to the area, you can benefit from using the services of a professional wedding planner. By opting for an on-island wedding planner, you get inside information to make your wedding picture perfect even if you are thousands of miles away. Since you are combining your wedding and honeymoon into one trip, focus on that honeymoon too. As previously stated, you have many great, romantic, energetic and exciting activities to choose from, such as Catalina diving.

In order to get the most of your Catalina scuba diving, plan your wedding and honeymoon ahead of time. Some of the best diving is right off Avalon. A hidden secret the locals know is that the kelp forests here offer you great year round diving!

Catalina diving is a popular honeymoon activity for two different reasons. It is romantic, stimulating, and adventurous all at the same time. How would you like to dive below the water and checkout the beautiful sea animals, sandy bottoms of beaches, and the world renowned Kelp Forests? This exciting adventure will be romantic with your new life-partner by your side.

If you are not yet a diver you can still enjoy your holidays and the beauty of the island. Be adventurous and come snorkel! Play in the water by day, and hear great music and stroll through Avalon when you are ready for some land based fun. Enjoy the sea and the lovely surroundings on Catalina Island year round.

Remember, Catalina diving is the perfect honeymoon activity because it is a specialty on Catalina Island. Millions of tourists visit the island each year and most do one thing: dive. The Casino Point Underwater Park is a great dive location, as is the shallow waters of Lover’s Cove.

Work with your wedding planner or get info on your own honeymoon dive by calling Catalina Divers Supply. The crew here has packages that range from day only dives to week long vacation dive packages available in different price ranges depending on your preference in diving experiences and accommodations.

By timing your trip right, you will gain access to some of the best diving in the Pacific Ocean. So what are you waiting for? Book your travel package today and start planning your dream wedding and honeymoon!

Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast is not your traditional hotel accommodation. The services are more personalized such as that they make you feel comfortable and pampered. Generally, the places for bed and breakfast in Wisconsin are homes, hotels and mansions that are revamped for this purpose.

Regardless of what you want for your bed and breakfast inns, there are countless of Wisconsin B&B to choose from. Here, we help you with few tips on how to find bed and breakfast in Wisconsin.

The first place to look at is the associations for bed and breakfast inns. There are many associations in US America; some are large that covers every US State while others are medium that have members from different US States; still others are small that cover only the bed and breakfast Inns in their local area.

The best Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Inns are listed on associations that meet their standards. Each association has its own set of requirements in order to be listed as member. The standards can range from accommodations, amenities, location and other services that are part of the package. Of course, this should not be a point to discourage you from looking further.

Your decision depends on many factors such as the specific location in Wisconsin. Even if your finances afford you expensive bed and breakfast in Wisconsin, however, the location is not fitting to your agenda, then you have to look somewhere else. Who knows, smaller associations may offer you the bed and breakfast that you are exactly looking for. The good thing about bed and breakfast Inns associations is that they can be reached through their website complete with the information about each bed and breakfast inn in that State.

The second place to look for Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast is the local chamber of Commerce. This bureaucracy has complete list of bed and breakfast in all US States. You can use their directories in doing your queries. Since you will be going to Wisconsin, you can narrow down your search to that State.

Another source of quality information for your bed and breakfast in Wisconsin is your friends, relatives and co-workers. For sure, few or some of them have also gone to Wisconsin and had a romantic bed and breakfast getaway with your beloved, a family outing or a business trip. They can tip you on the best Wisconsin B&B.

In looking for Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast, you might find it helpful to determine the theme of your trip. Is it romantic and would love to have a romantic bed and breakfast on a Manor? Would you like to go down the memory lane and opt for Historic Bed and Breakfast? Perhaps, you missed the sound and life in the countryside and a farmhouse bed and breakfast can provide satiety. There are also city bed and breakfast, guesthouse bed and breakfast and cottage bed and breakfast to select from.

The Amenities are something that you need to ensure. Some bed and breakfast inn may offer continental breakfast in contrast to the whole meal breakfast offered in hotels and other type of inns. This is also true in Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast. Although there are no definitions set, however, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International has set standards to categorize the different Inns.

The Pennines are a low rising mountain rage which runs through northern England and southern Scotland. The mountain range often referred to as the backbone of England’ separates the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.

The range runs from the Peak District in Derbyshire through the Yorkshire Dales, around Manchester, through Lancashire and Cumbria and up to the English and Scottish boarders.

One of the most popular attractions of this beautiful part of England is the Pennine Way, a nature trail which runs for an incredible 267 miles. The trail is ideal for distance and day walkers as it offers a variety of different terrain as well as some truly stunning scenery and cultural and historical landmarks.

Some of the landmarks that can be seen along the trail include the site of the mass trespasses of the 30s at Kinder Scout, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in the south Pennines, Haworth the home of the Bronte sisters and all the way up to the ancient Roman Wall dividing England and Scotland.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people walk either part of or the entire trail. While this has boosted the local economy by millions of pounds and introduced many to the beauty of the area it has lead to some erosion of terrain in places. This has lead to local authorities laying huge sections of paths to not only protect the landscape but also provide a better walking surface for walkers.

The idea of the Pennine Way was that of journalist and hiker Tom Stephenson who got his inspiration from similar trails in the US. The idea was first mooted in 1395 and was later lobbied in Parliament. The final section of the trail was officially opened in 1965.

The Northern Pennines is one of the most popular regions of the mountain range and has been designated an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The region is charicterised by open heather moorland and peatland, beautiful dales and meadows, roaring upland rivers, lush green woodland, a rich history and a whole variety of animal and birdlife.

Throughout the Pennines there are many more great things to see and do.

If you’re going to Shanklin on a holiday, you’re probably wondering what to do there in the time that you’ll have. You don’t want to be so busy that you can’t relax, but you also don’t want to miss out on some great things to do just because you weren’t well-informed about the beauty of the area and the fun that you could be having. The food there is something that you’ll really want to enjoy. Ask some of the locals where they eat so that you can have real, authentic food from the area instead of always going to places that are designed only for tourists. There’s nothing wrong with these places, but they might not give you the complete atmosphere of the area, which probably isn’t quite what you’re looking for if you really want to have fun in Shanklin. After that, there’s the beach. The cliffs can be a great place to stand and view the beach, and you can also go down to it and walk and enjoy. In the summertime a lot of people swim and play in the water, and in the cooler times of year people walk on the beach and study the beauty of the crashing waves.

Another great thing that you can do in Shanklin is enjoy the gardens. There are several popular gardens there, and they’re all beautiful for different reasons. Some have more exotic plants, some are more local, and others have a combination. You can also view gardens that bloom in summer and gardens that are more likely to bloom and be beautiful during other times of year. No matter what you’re looking for when it comes to gardens and outdoor living, there are options in Shanklin. Part of that is from the work that the people who operate these gardens have put in. another part of it is from the natural beauty of the area around Shanklin, as it helps to really give the traveller on holiday a great experience. Shanklin is a unique place with so much to offer, and when you go there for a holiday, see the gardens, go to the beach, and take in the great food it has to offer, you’ll want to come back again and again to see what has changed and enjoy what has stayed the same. There are plenty of other place where you can go to have your holiday adventure, but it’s hard to find something that gives you a better experience and a better value than Shanklin.

Hinderwell, Yorkshire
4 miles (2 hours)
Level paths and lanes, steep sections when you reach the villages of Staithes.
Behind a mineral encrusted cliff lies a hinterland of fields and woods and quaint villages. Hidden behind the cliffs on the coastline lies the pretty harbour village of Staithes with stone cottages clustered around the harbour and river and colourful fishing boast in its waters. Here the highest cliffs in England can also be found.

Porth Clais, Wales
5.5 miles (3.5 hours)
Easy walking along cliff top paths and quite country lanes.
The walks is situated along the western rim of Wales and treks across open countryside and a cliff top path. St David’s cathedral, St Non’s Bay, Holy wells and the ruins of St Non’s Chapel can all be seen upon this particular walk.

Stackpole Quay, Wales
6.5 miles (3 hours)
The path can be up and down but eventually levels out by an ornamental lake.
The walk features wild cliff tops, beautiful seabirds and a tranquil lake. The trail takes you to the harbour at Stackpole Quay and the sandy sweep of Barafundle Bay and offers some stunning views along the way of coves, headlands and wildlife.

Poppit Sands, Wales
5.5 miles (3 hours)
A demanding walk.
This walk will take you from the shore to the towering cliff tops offering some ever increasingly stunning views across the Teifi estuary towards Cardigan Island.

Littleferry, Scotland
4.5 miles (2.5 hours)
Level paths and tracks.
This trail will take you from fine sandy dunes and its beautiful beach to the shores of Loch Fleet which is positively teeming with wildlife. Ducks, birds, roe deer, red squirrels and even seals can all be spotted along the trails and lake shore.

Talland, Cornwall
7 miles (4 hours)
Trails begins steeply before leveling off then features a period of ups and downs along the coast.
Walk from open fields and riverside woodland to a lively fishing port.

Oxwich, Wales
3.5 miles (2 hours)
The trails can get muddy after bad weather and there are some steep and rough sections.
An invigorating walk along wooded headland offering sea views as well as the chance to see a tucked away Norman Church and beautiful Tudor mansion.

Charmouth, Dorset
5 miles
A steep section up to Golden Cap
Walk along the Dorset Coats world famous for its rich heritage of fossils. This trail will take you along the highest sea cliffs in southern England.

Cullen, Scotland
6.5 miles (3.5 hours)
Sections of the trail can be dangerous when wet.
Walk along the sandy beachto the ruins of Finderlater Castle before heading along the rocky shore to the Moray Firth.

Holy Island
4.5 miles (2.5 hours)
Mostly level paths and sand, one short climb to priory ruins.
Walk around this fascinating and historic island forms its sand dunes to its ancient ruins.

If you’re looking for great places to see in the North East, Whitley Bay should be on your list. It’s a beautiful resort, and it’s an area that’s been popular for a long time but that isn’t so overdone that you can’t enjoy the natural beauty of it as well as the manmade options. That’s one of the great things about Whitley Bay, is that you’re able to enjoy both nature and the resort-quality experience that you’re looking for. Quite often, you can visit places that are very close to nature and they don’t have the kind of accommodations that you’re looking for. On the other hand, you can visit resort areas and you don’t feel close to nature at all.

Whitley Bay gives you both, and that’s such a rarity that the importance of it shouldn’t be overlooked. You can stay in beautiful hotel accommodations there and enjoy swimming, hiking, and the beauty of the natural world as well as massages, arts, culture, and all of the finer things that you’re looking for by taking a vacation. There are many places to see in the North East, but you’ll want to be sure to make Whitley Bay one of them. You don’t have to worry about being bored or having enough to do, because there are always things to enjoy there, and that’s true of all age groups.

While many of the activities offered there are geared toward adults, there are also activities for children, so you shouldn’t feel as though you can’t bring them to Whitley Bay and the surrounding areas. The charm of the nearby towns is worth taking the time to look at no matter what age group you fall into, and you can enjoy great food and drink as well as the history and cultural heritage of the immediate area. All of those things, combined with the resort atmosphere and the natural surroundings, make Whitley Bay an excellent choice for people who come from nearby areas and who also come from faraway places for a relaxing holiday that they can really enjoy.

If you need a holiday and you want to come to Whitley Bay, you can book early so that you’ll get the best deals. You might also want to consider booking in the off season so that you can get a lower rate. The weather might not be as perfect, but there are so many great things to do that you’ll probably never notice.

If you’re looking for a holiday where you can actually enjoy the sunshine, you might want to head to the Isle of Wight. When compared with other UK destinations, the Isle has more sunshine and the southernmost areas of it have a climate that is warm and very similar to what you would find in the Mediterranean. It isn’t going to be quite as hot and lush as it would be in a tropical place, but there are still many times when the weather is very warm and sunny. Not everyone’s looking for that kind of climate, but for people who feel as though they’ve been cooped up all winter because it’s been cloudy and gloomy and cold, getting away from that to the Isle of Wight and enjoying warm weather and sunshine can be just the thing that they need. If you’re looking for a sunny holiday spot and you’re planning on heading to the Isle of Wight, pick your time of year carefully. You’ll need to go when it’s warm, but you’ll also want to consider going when there aren’t so many crowds. If you’re trying to avoid large groups of people and higher hotel rates, visit the Isle of Wight at a time when there isn’t a festival going on.

However, if you like crowds and want plenty to do, you might consider going to the Isle when there’s a festival underway. There are many of them all around the Isle at all times of year, so you should be able to pick one that you’ll really enjoy and that everyone in your travel group can have fun with. From children to young adults to the elderly, there is something for everyone on the Isle of Wight, so don’t feel like you need to leave the kids at home or that grandma won’t have a good time. It’s hard not to have a good time in the refreshing, warm sunshine of the Isle of Wight, and it’s also hard not to want to come back again and again when you’ve found a place that’s so lovely and that has so many great places to stay. From fine hotels to catered and self catering cottages to camp sites, the Isle of Wight has everything that you could want from a holiday spot. Booking early can help to ensure that you’ll get a good place to stay at an equally good price, and that’s important to a lot of people who are on a tight budget today.
Britain’s 10 Best Seaside Restaurants

If you’re looking for a great seaside dining experience in the UK, here are 10 places that you’ll want to consider:
East Beach Cafe, Littlehampton, West Sussex
De La Warr Pavilion Restaurant, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
11 the Quay, Ilfracombe, North Devon
Fifteen, Watergate Bay, Cornwall
St. Moritz Hotel Restaurant, Padstow, Cornwall
The Tate St. Ives Cafe, Cornwall
The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk
Midland Hotel Restaurant, Morecambe
The Seafood Restaurant, St. Andrews, Fife
The Tean, St. Martin’s, Isles of Scilly

These restaurants may be in different places and their menus aren’t quite the same, but they all have one thing in common – they have great food, drink, and prices. Many of them have won awards and they offer dishes that a lot of people really like. Their chefs are very high quality, and they’re interested in pleasing their customers, not just getting food out of the kitchen. There are many good restaurants out there, but these are the top ten when it comes to seafood in Britain. Seafood is very popular in the UK, and with that in mind there are a host of restaurants that either serve seafood exclusively or at least have seafood on their menu.

You’ll need to do some digging to find the one that you like the best, but the 10 listed above are the ones that are rated the best in the land by people who know their seafood. From fresh fish to all other types of seafood, there will be many different things that you can choose from, and the people who come along with you will be able to get what they want, as well. Children and adults are both welcomed at these restaurants, and if you’re a local or a tourist you’ll be treated well, so don’t feel like you’re out of place or that you’ll be excluded. Great food and great prices are available to everyone who goes to these seafood restaurants and many others around the area. There are plenty of smaller restaurants and local pubs where you can get fish and chips, but that isn’t the same thing as high class restaurants where you can get a lot of great seafood options brought fresh to your table. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with fish and chips, either, but only that award-winning seafood is something far different and there are many restaurants in Britain where you can get it.

With research recently published by Post Office warning of the costs of must have’ items for UK holidaymakers, it might be that staycationers’ will need to save money on other areas of their holidays. Travel is likely to be a big cost to some, but the Gower Peninsula in Wales is conveniently located to get to efficiently and cheaply from many parts of the UK, yet is far enough away to offer a uniquely new experience – and it is beautiful to boot.

The research published by travel insurance specialists, Post Office, shows that in order to keep summer car journeys peaceful and stress-free, parents are set to spend hundreds of pounds on travel toys, neck pillows and iPods – leaving little money left over for the travel itself. However it is fair to say that the journey to the Gower Peninsula is anything but boring. If the kids aren’t awe-struck by the three-mile long Second Severn Crossing, then they may well be impressed by the impressive southern Welsh countryside and the hard-to-pronounce town names.

The Gower was the first place in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956. It has since become famous for its dramatic and well-kept coastline that is popular with walkers, bathers and those in search of surf. To the north of the peninsula, the village of Penclawdd is famed for its cockles that thrive in the Burry Estuary and are shipped all over Europe. As a consequence of the village’s thriving food industry, Penclawdd market is award-winning and definitely worth a visit.

The most south western point on the Gower is home to the small village of Rhossili. The five kilometre long bay, known as Llangennith Sands, is an area of interest for more than just beach activities. The Beacon is the highest point on the Gower, and gives a good vantage point of the surrounding area including the dramatic Worm’s Head and the number of shipwrecks visible at low tide.

To the south of the peninsula, Oxwich Bay and the adjoining Three Cliffs are known for their dramatic geology and golden sands – in fact, the latter beach was once named Britain’s Best Beach by the BBC in 2006. Three Cliffs is also overlooked by Pennard Castle, a 12th Century Fort fit for exploration on your way to the beach. And to continue further east, will eventually lead you to the eighteenth largest retail centre in the UK: Swansea.