Browsing: Accommodations

Can you imagine heading to the mall and having your family begging to come along? The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is more of a city than a shopping mall. It has a selection of attractions which include an indoor amusement park and an aquarium. It also has its own hotels, tax free shopping, and restaurants to please every palate.  Consider it more of a vacation than a shopping experience.

A Full-Size Amusement Park

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Nashville may have been getting all the attention with a television show, but it’s not the only place you want to go to for the history of southern music and family fun. Memphis offers a look into the birthplace of the Blues, civil rights, and major attractions.

1. Graceland
You don’t have to be an expert on Memphis to know that Graceland is the top attraction in this city. The former home of Elvis Presley …

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Fairy tale-like Chester is considered one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. The old town’s collection of quirky stores housed in Rows (a fully-functioning medieval version of a shopping mall) is reminiscent of sepia toned Grimm’s tale.

What is truly striking about Chester is its dramatic architecture. It has a Victorian movie-set air to it with cobbled streets and narrow alleyways, grand old black and white Tudor buildings which stand shoulder-to-shoulder with slightly skewed half-timbered Victorian …

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I arrived at Parambikulam, a government run Tiger Reserve in Kerala, and paid Rs300 to gain access, Rs70 for the car, plus another Rs300 for my camera. At the main office, where I’m to book in for the night, I’m told I need to pay tourist prices, not the fee I was quoted online – that’s for Indian citizens. So I forked out Rs8,800 which, I was assured would give me two great safari experiences.…

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Dreams Riviera Cancun

Riviera Maya, Mexico
Just outside of the hustle and bustle of Cancun is another world in Riviera Maya. Among the resorts nestled in their own private kingdoms, Dreams Riviera Cancun is one that offers something for everyone. Tropical gardens align the land while the Caribbean lays in front of you. Everything here is all-inclusive, with buffets, grills, six a la carte restaurants, and even Coco Café, where you’ll forget all about Starbucks …

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How does it feel?

A little breezy, actually. Standing on a modest hilltop overlooking the Hull-Rust open pit iron mine, where Bob Dylan, then Bob Zimmerman, used to ride his bicycle with his friends, it is easy to see how his youth in Hibbing, Minnesota influenced Dylan’s work. This endless iron mine pit is the largest in the world. Locals refer to it as the man-made Grand Canyon.

When it was determined about a century …

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Santorini, Mykonos, Ios…The top spots in Greece’s Cyclades are definitely must-stop destinations on any itinerary through the islands. However, after a period of time you may find yourself burned out on cruise ship crowds or incessant partying groups from Italy, Australia etc.

So how do you get a taste of a real Greek Isles getaway without the crowds? Head for the southern shores of Paros to the little fishing village of Aliki for an idyllic …

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Scotland’s west coast is synonymous with excellent seafood with miles of coastline to fish and cultivate and fresh catches landed every day and taken straight to the region’s finest tables. Its hills, glens and pastures a natural larder to farm and harvest.

On the Isle of Bute, in Rothesay’s town centre, is a small craft brewer – Bute Brew Company, established in June 2014 by Aidan Canavan, formerly a biology teacher. Sitting in the main …

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Liverpool is by far one of the most original, cosmopolitan and vibrant cities in England. The edgy downtown cobbled area around Seel Street is undergoing massive regeneration and is bursting with people having fun at the hipster bars and trendy restaurants.

Towards the end of Seel Street, in a row of historic terraced warehouse styled buildings, is the Nadler Hotel, which, in recent years, has undergone a £14m renovation. In its former life, this 19th …

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Glasgow is renowned for its style and friendly locals. It’s well rounded with a blend of internationally-acclaimed museums and galleries, stunning architecture, vibrant nightlife, fantastic shopping and a buzzy array of restaurants and bars. The city centre’s architecture is an attraction in itself with countless impressive Victorian structures, including Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpieces – one of the city’s most celebrated architectural sons.

The city is going through a long-term transformation, combining urban mayhem with black …

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Just a short drive from Oban, on Scotland’s west coast, is the quiet Isle of Eriska. Set against a backdrop of mountains, ocean mist and Scottish landscapes there is a certain mystique about it. Rattling over an old wooden bridge you immediately enter a concealed whisper-quiet world of lavender, purple rhododendrons and wildflowers. Round a bend in the road and there she is, the Grande Dame herself, the five-star Eriska Hotel – a Victorian Manor …

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Just on an hour’s drive south of Calais, wedged in between Le Touquet and Arras, in the historic Somme valleys, is Chateau Bermicourt. Built in 1826, the ancestral Chateau served as the HQ for the Royal tank Corps in the Great War; and during WWII it was occupied by German forces. Although the Chateau is still a private residence lived in by the young de la Border family, its out buildings have been developed into …

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We hadn’t been to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in years. Caught up in traveling all around the world, we had almost forgotten this charming town tucked away at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States.

We were in town to check out Wilderness Wildlife Week, an annual event that brings together fans of nature with an astonishing variety of presenters, hikes,

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Scotland’s west coast is synonymous with excellent seafood. Its miles of coastline land fresh catches every day that are immediately taken to the region’s finest tables.

On route to Oban from Glasgow stop off at Fyne Ales (on the spectacular Loch Fyne), an award-winning brewer of craft beers. The ingredients are sourced from around the world and brewed with soft Highland water collected from the hills behind the brewery. They do a guided brewery tour …

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