In Larnaca the weather continues to be nice even in November when the average high temperature is 22.6 Celsius degrees, so there are lots of chances that you’d get sunny beach days (monthly history of temperatures can be found here).

The accommodations I found worth considering are the following:

Golden Bay Beach Hotel Larnaca

Golden Bay Beach Hotel is an exclusive 5 star hotel Set in mature landscaped gardens of tropical palms and vibrant flowers, bordering a long sandy beach on the island of Cyprus, the jewel of the eastern Mediterranean. Situated in the favored south eastern region of Cyprus at the heart of the Bay of Larnaca, The Golden Bay is a world class haven of luxury. Just outside the town of Larnaca, only 14 kilometers from the international Airport, The Golden bay is the ideal choice for both the business traveler and the discerning holiday maker.

The “Twin Inland View Room” with Bed And Breakfast included costs 77.38 EUR/night at hotels4u.com, a reasonable price for the given services.

Sun Hall Hotel And Apartments Larnaca

The Sun Hall Hotel & Apartments are located in the center of the cosmopolitan town of Larnaca enjoying a panoramic view of the famous Phynikoudes promenade and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. Close to the commercial center, this is a perfect value hotel for business travelers as well as a terrific hotel for couples and families with modern facilities and comfortable accommodation surrounded by pretty gardens and a sparkling pool. Guests of the Sun Hall Hotel & Apartments can discover delightful beaches and relax in front of the most beautiful sunsets nature has to offer on the beautiful island of Aphrodite. For an affordable holiday in Cyprus this is a great value hotel, almost half of the price for the above 5 stars hotel!

The “Studio Inland View” Room with Self Catering would cost for the Fri 13 Nov 2009 - Mon 16 Nov 2009 weekend 46.46 EUR/ night, so the whole cost would be of almost 140EUR - that’s impressive!

Chatrium Suites Bangkok
“Where Yesterday’s Elegance Meets Tomorrow’s Convenience”

The first luxurious choice was this elegant hotel, towering above Bangkok’s legendary Chao Phraya River, with sweeping cityscapes from its oversized windows. The 5-star Chatrium Suites Bangkok hotel features luxury accommodations designed expressly to meet the needs of discerning business and leisure travelers. And this is for a very competitive price in the 14th-21nd of November: only 36EUR/night/studio twin room with breakfast - that’s a very good price for GTAHotels comparing to all other reservation systems.

Its riverside location was carefully chosen to afford ready access to road, SkyTrain and boat transport, assuring that all points of the city are within reach, from the major thoroughfares of Silom, Sathorn and Rama III roads to expressway links that put Suvarnabhumi International Airport a mere 45-minute drive away.

Chatrium’s progressive architecture and décor, combined with the dedication of its staff to the hospitality and service for which Thailand is renowned, bring together the best of the traditional and the avantgarde. At Chatrium, the goal is to provide every guest with an overwhelming sensation of being in a very special place at a very special time.

The Oakleaf Restaurant is located on the 4th floor and set amidst lush tropical gardens and a beautiful free-form pool. An enticing selection of Western, Japanese and Thai cuisine is on offer either inside the restaurant or served outdoors at Pool Bar. The staff also offer monthly promotions for Japanese menu as well as delightful new salad & sandwich creations.

The residence offers outdoor swimming pool set among tropical gardens, fitness center, aerobic room, steam room and jacuzzi.

Chatrium Residence Sathon provides modern business facilities and essential support services to meet your professional needs, ranging from private office spaces and meeting rooms to a fully equipped boardroom.

President Solitaire Hotel & Spa
“The ultimate in luxury and prestige”

Located within the heart of downtown Bangkok, on the fashionable Sukhumvit Road, the President Solitaire Hotel & Spa Bangkok offers a contemporary retreat of beautifully decorated suites within the bustling city streets. A warm welcome from its friendly and caring staff awaits as you are swiftly transported to the sumptuous surroundings of your pristine suite - your home away from home for the duration of your stay.

And all these for a staggering price of only 52EUR/Double Room(Premiere Suite) with American Buffet Breakfast!!

These were only the first two picks I got by just searching for offers in Bangkok for November - try and see other offers too that may be in your advantage: Hotels in Bangkok in November

Starting with Friday, 23rd of October until Sunday, 25th the days will be clear sky and a maximum of 20 degrees Celsius - see here for more details.

The first hotel I would recommend for this weekend would be Sol Melia Grand Hermitage Hotel. I have been there before, even written a post about it some time ago this summer (Melia Hotel) and I was very pleased with the conditions found there. For this next weekend, the rates are much lower then the ones from the middle of the summer: €51.70/room/night for Bed&Breakfast - so at €104.30 you’ll get a luxurious weekend.

Another option for a last minute deal in five stars hotel would be Helios Spa & Resort Hotel.

Considering that this is a cheaper option, for Helios you would get a 64EUR/weekend for a Park View or 70EUR/weekend for See View, both with BB option. If you want “Half Board” option then “gtahotels” has an offer for as little as 74EUR/ParkView room/weekend or 84EUR/SeeView room/weekend. I think this is really an offer that should not be missed.

Rome definitely requires more time to visit then three days but for a quick weekend visit I found a special last minute deal in a five stars accommodation: Vatican St. Peter Bed&Breakfast for Fri 30 Oct 2009 - Sun 01 Nov 2009.

B&B is a new construction, situated to as soon as 300mt from the city of the Vatican and St.Peter Square. The B&B is made with three rooms, all with private bathroom, complete of all the comforts, from the WiFi to the Tv LCD to the conditioned air to the shower with radio and hydro massage, everything within a stones-throw from St. Pietro. This zone represents a good point of departure to go to the discovery of the enchanting one, as the Vatican Museums, Saint Angel Castel, to reach the historian Piazza of the People and to the center in Rome.

The BandB Vatican St. Peter can entertain thin to 8 people, there are two Triple rooms with a matrimonial bed and an individual, according to the demands they can become three single beds and a double room with matrimonial bed or two single beds. The Triple rooms have the window with sight on the Stupendous Street Gregorio VII, while the double one always has a Beautiful balcony on Street Gregorio VII.The sweet breakfast is furnished in room, on salty application also. The guest has to his disposition 24 hours on 24, inclusive in the price, normal and decaffeinated coffee, milk, warm tea and water.

So, since there are only 3 rooms available, you should be quick into reserving them, but I believe that you won’t be disappointing by the good level of services. From the reviews I’ve seen the tourists were very happy with this accommodation: “I recommend this B&B without hesitation. Very clean, nicely appointed, spacious rooms, at an extremely reasonable price. The location looks out of the way, but it is not. Excellent for pilgrims to St. Peter’s — only a 15 minute walk away.”

Since we are blessed with such a nice weather in the ending of this year’s autumn, I was thinking of escaping the daily routine and try a little beach sun combined with a elegant relaxation spot. And what could be the first place to think for this? Greece, of course. It is reasonable accessible by car from Eastern Europe and with very good connection by airplane from the rest of the world.

So, I started searching the net for great hotel prices for the weekend getaway 31st of October until the 2nd of November. And I definitely found some interesting holiday deals. But let’s not keep you waiting.

Corfu

Corfu is one of Greece’s most popular islands and attracts every year thousands of visitors. It is the most northern island of the Ionian Group and lies at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea. It is the second largest island of the Ionian.

The island of Corfu has some of the Ionian’s most beautiful beaches. One can find a great variety of beaches all around the island. Most of them have been turned into resorts offering many accommodations, restaurants and bars.

The deal I found for Corfu was in Aquis Corfu Holiday Palace Hotel - around 80EUR/double Lake View room/night - so for the two nights 160EUR with Half board. Maybe this could sound a little expensive for the time but take into account that it is a luxurious 5 star hotel, the only one in the island with a direct view to the famous ‘Mouse Island’’ the trademark of Corfu Island. Set in magnificent landscaped gardens /45000 sq. m./ with an abundance of pine- eucalyptus and cypress trees, well maintains its prominent position amongst Corfu’s top hotels. The hotel is very close to Corfu town and also nearby the major archaeological sites offering the perfect base for those seeking to explore the island.
For those who wish to try their luck and have a great time full of suspense, the Corfu Casino is housed at Aquis Corfu Holiday Palace Hotel.

The Aquis Corfu Holiday Palace Hotel, offers:
• 256 guestrooms most with outstanding sea view
• Easily accessible by inclined elevator private beach
• Casino
• Health club
• four lane bowling alley
• indoor and outdoor swimming pool

The downsides for this hotels from the reviews I’ve seen so far: needs a little bit of renovating (sort of outdated furniture) and on one part of the hotel it could be noisy since the airport is quite near.

In conclusion a not-to-miss opportunity for this hotel: a half board five start hotel weekend with only 160EUR per couple.

If you are worried about the weather, looking at the history for the Greece locations, there could be around a maximum of 23-25 Celsius degrees - so, in a sunny day, you may be fortunate enough to get some beach time.

Pamporovo is a modern ski resort in the heart of the Rhodopi mountain, the mountain that since ancient times have been a source of legends and stories told through the centuries. This is the cradle of the mythical singer Orpheus. Magnificent pine forests, green meadows and mountain peaks bathed in sunlight – these are the incredible Rhodope Mountains you will never forget. Not will you forget the Rhodope the Rhodope people – their hospitality and the delicious dishes they will make especially for you.

The resort is amongst the southern skiing resort in Europe. It is the sunniest Bulgarian mountain resort with wonderful snow throughout the whole season. Pamporovo is situated on 1650 m above the sea level at the foot of peak Snejanka (1926 m). It is 240 km far from Sofia and 85 km from Plovdiv.

The climate in winter is moderate/mild with a Mediterranean influence and about 120 sunny days during the skiing period. Typical of this region is that nature does not change its moods abruptly, there is no danger of avalanche, and that guarantees the tranquility and safety of your vacation.

The significant influence of The Aegean Sea appears here and the skiing season starts from mid - December to mid - April. The average air temperature is - 3 ° C. The gentle profile of the mountain with its rounded slopes and summits makes Pamporovo particularly suitable for beginners. But there are also difficult ski runs like the Giant Slalom run which is an excellent exercise for every skiing expert. If you cannot ski, this is not a tragedy, the ski-school in Pamporovo is one of the best in Europe. Highly qualified instructors, speaking at least two foreign languages, train the beginners, in groups or individually. Specialists will help you to make the snow-board a part of your body.

Pamporovo Ski Zone

All ski runs are safe guarded and maintained in a very good condition. More than 100 highly qualified ski instructors fluent in different languages are here to teach both beginners and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Ski rentals are available near the ski runs and the lift stations, you can book ski equipment rental, ski school, lift pass with us.

The ski runs in Pamporovo come in all hardship levels. They are located between 1926 and 1450 m above the sea level on the northern, eastern and western slopes of The Snejanka peak.

The most difficult ski piste is “The Wall”.  All major ski runs start from the peak of the mountain, where the TV tower is located. Great off-piste skiing and snowboarding is available in this resort, however we recommend using a local guide when going off-piste.

Places to go

We recommend a day trip to Plovdiv or the nearby town of Smolyan. Sofia and the Bachkovo Monastery are of great interest too.
The local people have developed a good selection of places to go.
The staff in most places is professional, very helpful and friendly. English (plus some other popular languages) is widely spoken.

Restaurants&Night Life

Most of the famous drinks are available. Local or imported alcohols, beers and wines are available at very reasonable prices. Regular “Happy hours” provide drinks on half price to start the night with.
Almost all hotels have restaurants and day bars. Different types of restaurants and places to eat are available in the resort and near the ski pistes. Read more on restaurants and more on night life.

Accomodation

For best accommodation deals you can search here through 30 holidays reservation systems: Hotels in Pamporovo

Source

If we had to put it in just a few words, than the Transfagarasan (DN 7C) is just the road that passes through Fagaras Mountains (the highest mountains in Romania – Moldoveanu peak – 2544 meters) and that connects Walachia and Transylvania. But in fact Transfagarasan road is more than that. I called it a “Road to Heaven” mainly because of the splendid sights it passes giving you the impression of a road way to better places.

It is the road that climbs to the highest altitude in Romania, 2042 meters, in the Glacial Hollow Balea. It has two traffic lanes of 92 kilometers long. Because of the countless turns, the average speed is maximum 40 km per hour. Along this route there are 27 viaducts and bridges, and the longest road tunnel in Romania - 887 meters, that passes through Paltin Mountains, from Capra to Balea Lake. The ventilation of the tunnel is made naturally, thanks to the extremely powerful currents. The traffic lane inside the unlighted tunnel is only 6 meters wide and there is a one meter broad pavement.

Tourists who would like to “venture” on the Transfagarasan Road are advised to climb it from South to the North. Romania’s most famous road runs from Arefu village (at km 61 of DN7C) in the county of Arges, to the county of Sibiu, somewhere near Cartisoara village (at the crossroad with DN1).

The landscape is fantastic, and the differences of altitude and the curves represent a challenge for both cars and drivers. Unfortunately, because of the weather conditions, Transfagarasan Road is opened for only a few months every year, usually from July until October.

The most important tourist attractions are Vidraru Lake and Vidraru Dam, which is one of the greatest in Europe, then Poenari Fortress (built in the time of Vlad Tepes), Balea Glacial Lake and Balea Waterfall.

How it bas built

Transfagarasan was built between 1970 and 1974. A brief presentation with numbers might be difficult to follow, but for those who have the patience to read it is worth saying that about 3 million tones of hard rocks were dislocated, 830 transverse works and 290 000 cubic meters of masonry were made for building those 92 kilometers of road. For building the Capra – Balea Tunnel there were excavated over 41 000 cubic meters of rocks. There were also used 20 tones of dynamite, 3 573 tones of cement, 89 tones of concrete steel, 24 000 of anchors, 129 tones of brazed nets, 14 200 square meters of encasements, 1750 meters of concrete tubes, 4 100 meters of pipes, 50 tones of metal composites, 6 900 cubic meters of grit, 6000 cubic meters of gravel, 3 000 tones of crushed rocks and 740 lighting lamps.

Some of those who worked at the construction of Transfagarasan, nowadays retired, speak about the sacrifices that were made for the road that leads to the sky. Before its construction, it was impossible to cross the mountains, not even on horseback. But it is said that once, before becoming president, Nicolae Ceausescu stopped by Arefu village and the idea of a road that passed through the mountains crossed his mind. During the construction a lot of men lost their lives, like in Vidraru’s case. Unfortunately the documents didn’t keep these numbers. But the survivors say that it is about a hundred of human sacrifices. Many of those who died weren’t even found in the precipices in which they had fallen. It is also said that when the tunnel was built, the miners who were in charge with the planting of the explosive were hanging on each other, in groups of 20 or 30, not to be thrown by the strong wind into the precipice.

A story that has been spreading from mouth to mouth refers to a monk named Nectarie. After the construction of the Transfagarasan road, he climbed it by his car, a Trabant, up to Capra, where he was caught by an avalanche. He left the car at Capra, and he threw himself on the snow, being carried by the “wave”. It is said that he remained alive, while his car was found after 6 months, when the snow melt away.

Balea Waterfall and Balea Glacial Lake

Balea Waterfall, located in the Fagaras Mountains, is one of the most famous waterfalls in Romania, is at an altitude of 1234 meters and the water falls from 68 meters.

Balea Glacial Lake is a real monument of nature (formed in a glacial circus), is 360 meters long, 240 meters broad and 11 meters depth. Situated at 2 034 meters of altitude, the lake is between the Defileul Oltului (Olt Canyon) and the foot of Piatra Craiului Mountains. It is accessible by car during the summer, and the rest of the year by a cable car from the “Balea Cascada” chalet.

Since 1932, the lake and about 180 hectare of land around it were declared scientific reservation. It must also be mentioned the fact that the first ice hotel in Eastern Europe was built near the lake in 2006.

On summer one can practice boating on the lake, while on winter one can skate, play hockey or curling on the frozen surface of the lake. One can also climb down from the Waterfall by skiing, on a 10 kilometers route with a 600 meters difference of altitude.

Accommodation possibilities

There are many accommodation possibilities, from camping places to boarding houses and chalets. It is certain that booking must be done in advance because they are booked for the entire year.

“Valea cu Pesti” (Fish Valley) Chalet
Located on the East side of Vidraru Lake, at an altitude of 870 meters, the chalet was one of the protocol places used by Nicolae Ceausescu. Nowadays it has 18 dwellings, meaning 45 accommodation units.

“Cumpana” (Sweep) Chalet
It is located on the West side of Vidraru Lake and has 88 accommodation units, a restaurant for 100 persons, a disco, a sport field, a pool that floats on Vidraru Lake on summer. One can also rent from here all sorts of amusement devices to use on the lake, and can take the passenger steamship (for 100 persons) that goes to Casa Argeseana (Argeseana House) and “Valea cu Pesti” (Fish Valley) Chalet.

Dracula Boarding House
Dracula Boarding House is located on Transfagarasan route, at about 6 km far from Vidraru Dam and 1 km far from Poenari Fortress. It has 20 rooms, parking lots, terrace, its own restaurant and bar.

“Paraul Capra” Chalet
Capra Tourist Complex is located at an altitude of 1585 meters and has 52 accommodation units in 26 double rooms and a restaurant for maximum 80 persons.

Cascada Chalet
It is located at the foot of the Balea Waterfall, at an altitude of 1234 meters. The chalet has 80 accommodation units, an all included restaurant, a day bar and, on demand, a conference room.

Balea Lake Chalet
Balea Lake Chalet is located on a half-isle that goes into the Balea Glacial Lake, at an altitude of 2034 meters. The present chalet was rebuilt in 2000, because the old one had been destroyed in a fire in 1995. On its three floors there are double rooms, rooms with four, six or ten places and also apartments. It has its own restaurant and facilities for renting sport equipment, baby sky and scooters.

Paltinul Villa
The villa is located on the border of the Balea Lake, at an altitude of 2044 meters, and has 26 accommodation units in double rooms, rooms of four and an apartment. One can also rent sport equipment, and professional mountain assistance is ensured as well.

Text Source: Travel to Romania

I found the following tips on Dohop.com blog, they were hilarious and I thought I would share this with you:

1. Be polite. Smile. Stewardesses have to deal with tired and crabby passengers day in and day out, so being nice to them will get you a long way. Just don’t overdue it so they think you’re hitting on them, because they will definately not like that. Unless you’re, you know, Brad Pitt or his long lost twin.
2. Be tall. Be very very tall. Rumour has it that if you ask for seats with extra leg space in check-in, some airlines will upgrade you to first class. And first class, as we all know, means extra service AND champagne!
3. Pretend your pregnant. The stewardesses will be rushing to see if you’re comfortable and get the best food before anyone else is served. Plus, you have an excuse to ask for more, as you are supposedly eating for two.
4. Feign air sickness. They will give you soft drinks and be concerned about you throwing up your meal all over your seat.
5. Tell them you are afraid of flying. Before 9/11 they would probably have taken you to meet the captain and given you the tour of the cockpit, but those happy days are over. But if you pretend you are terrified, they might just give you a free drink or two to calm your nerves.
6. Bring a baby. You get to be the first to board, and the first to disembark.
7. Play dead. We all read the story about how on board British Airways flights passengers who die in the air are discreetly moved to first class, where there tend to be more free seats available. You won’t be able to ask for any of the accompanying perks, but the seats are definately better! And you might have a bit of explaining to do when you come back to life as the wheels touch ground.

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The Rome Colosseum is quite possibly one of the most amazing thing I have ever seen. In my late winter visit to Rome this was the first part of ancient Rome we saw and made a point of walking past it every day at different times for a truly magnificent view of the structure.

Constructed over 1920 years ago, It is considered an architectural and engineering wonder, and remains as a standing proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world.

The Amphitheatrum Flavium, a.k.a. Colosseum or Coliseum (though in the antiquity Romans referred to it as to Amphitheatrum Caesareum or hunting theater), was built by the Flavian emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian between 71-72 and 80 AD as a gift to the Roman citizens, in the place where the previous Emperor Nero (37-68 AD) had built his residence, the Domus Aurea.

It took about ten years to build the amphitheater. Vespasian started the works in 72 AD and his son Titus dedicated it in the year 80 with magnificent games that lasted one hundred days. It is generally accepted that the building was completed by the following emperor, Domitian, Titus’ brother.

In the amphitheater, a Roman invention, were held games; the most popular were the venationes (hunts) and the munera (gladiatorial games). The Roman ruling class was obliged, by law and by the expectation of the people, to organize games, also to gain the favor of the citizens. The organization of the games, which involved great expenses, became a matter of public interest and was regulated by many laws.

The whole area was dedicated to the games; near the Colosseum Domitian also built four ludi, the prisons where gladiators had their training. The bestiarii, who fought against the beasts, were in the Ludus matutinus, so called because the show with the animals was held in the morning. Then there was the Ludus Gallicus, the Ludus Dacicus and the Ludus Magnus.

After the splendor of imperial times, the Colosseum was abandoned, and in turn it became a fortress for the medieval clans of the city, a source of building materials, a picturesque scenery for painters, a place of Christian worship. Today it is a challenge for the archaeologists and a scenario for events and shows.

Light up at night and well worth the walk into town just for the holiday snaps. I strongly recommend a trip inside but go either first thing or later in the day as it gets pretty crowded and it’s too bad for the beautiful sights to be rushed.

The exterior of the Roman Colosseum is made entirely of travertine, stretching 527 m around and four stories high. The arches of the second and third stories were originally filled with statues. There were 80 entrances, with the two principal ones reserved for the emperor and his entourage.

The interior is made of brick, tufa and marble; little of the marble survives today. The central area, the arena, was covered with a great wooden floor and canvas to make it waterproof. Over this was a layer of sand to absorb blood - in fact “arena” derives from the Latin word for sand. The floor is now exposed down to its underground passages, where beasts and gladiators awaited their fate, and crossed by a modern walkway.

The arena was surrounded by a 5m-high wall to protect spectators from attacks by wild beasts. At the top of the wall was the podium, on which the imperial party and other VIPs had their seats.

Near the site of the imperial box is a cross, which replaces an earlier one set up to commemorate the Christians who were believed to have been martyred here.

Above this was the cavea or seating area. This was divided into three tiers: the lowest for knights; the middle for wealthy citizens; and the top for the general population. In total the Colosseum could hold up to 45,000 spectators.

The base of the Colossus statue of Nero, after which the amphitheater is named, can be seen between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.

There are dozens of tour guides outside offering a tour of the Colosseum but most will only tell you what it says in the guide book anyway. If you really want to take a tour, my advice would be to use context travel who offer tours by historians and archaeologists.

In my business trip to Germany, I’ve managed to get some time to visit the center of Nuremberg, the second-largest Bavarian city with splendid mixture of tradition and modern times.

With 500,000 inhabitants, Nuremberg is the economic, services and cultural center of Northern Bavaria, and the center of the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region with about 3.5 million inhabitants.

The old town of Nuremberg in the shadow of the towering imperial castle is more than picturesque: Gothic churches, splendid patricians’ houses and romantic corners and spots. The castle is located on a sandstone rock in the north of the historical city and it comprises three parts: the Emperor’s buildings (”Kaiserburg”), the mostly built buildings of the rulers of Nuremberg (”Burggrafenburg”), and the buildings on the eastern side (”städtische Burganlage”). The castle was damaged in the Second World War but then reconstructed and today it stands as a omnipresent guardian of the old town.

An atmosphere of lively co-existence between medieval and modern, between the past and the present prevails in Nuremberg. I’ve walked for hours on the old streets and I could not get enough of the beautiful, well preserved buildings. A varied cultural life, a rich museum landscape, excellent shopping facilities, a large number of traditional and international restaurants and bars – all this constantly makes Nuremberg an experience that should not escape from you.

The most important house in the city is considered to be the house where Albrecht Dürer lived the last two decades of his life, from 1509 until his death in 1528. Three centuries after his death, the city bought the house, preserved it, and turned it into a museum. Inside the four-story house, there are many permanent exhibits devoted exclusively to Dürer’s life and works.

If you want to find good hotels in Nuremberg try booking.com and choose what you like most from the list - have a look at the guest reviews, because those give you an idea of how are the services of the hotel.

Following are some of the HD videos I’ve made in the old town of Nuremberg - enjoy: