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New Delhi has much to offer tourists in major historic landmarks, architectural elements and cultural performance aspects. All of these represent the significance culture and religion has played on the city. The New Delhi four star hotels provide the top luxury accommodations guest can expect and also serve to enhance an already incredible vacation. The can provide insight and information on some of the most popular and historic landmarks, as well as the great entertainment scene and major city festivals.

Qutab Minar is one of the most popular and spectacular landmarks that is visited by tourists every year. It is located in the southern region of the capital city and dates back to the early 12th century. It was built by the Muslim King Qutab-ud-din-Aibak, though it was not completed in his lifetime. The complex was finally finished during the reign of King Iitutmish. The Red Fort is another historic complex, located along the Yumana River in Delhi. The two cities combined offer many diverse offerings, and tourists often consider them both in planning their vacation agendas.

The Jama Masjid is the largest Muslim Mosque in India. It was built in the middle of the 17th century, and devote Muslims have prayed and worshiped there for centuries. It remains a popular prayer and devotion center today, and its incredible architectural design attracts many to its doors. It built in tribute to the Mughal Kings and served to honor their devotion and religious commitment. There is a large courtyard in the middle of the Mosque to offer a quite place for reflection and quite comfort. The grand staircase inspires awe and wonder, as does the rest of the building complex. It is conveniently located to the Red Fort, and many shops and restaurants are found in the area. Local cuisine often features many vegetarian options, though there are dining options in the area that represent food from around the world.

Many people have been traveling to Singapore for purposes of business for many years, whether in marketing, banking or trade.  Singapore is well known for the excellence in practice, and for the convention halls, lectures and seminars dedicated to expanding the knowledge of the Singapore business world, and creating new business as well.  The city is a bit congested and for anyone working there on a daily basis, say in a Singapore private bank, office building or hotel trips outside the city become a necessary retreat for peace of mind and well being.  One of the best get aways close enough for a day trip is to the rain forest.  The surroundings of the natural world will bring one back to onself, and give one the sense of the proper world.  One of the largest trees in the rainforests of Asia are the Tualang Trees.

And of the most distinguishable features of the tree is that honeycombs, like large disks, hang from the branches high above the top of the forest canopy.  One of the aspects of the trees is that the natural predator for honey, the bear, is unable to grip the sides of the tree due to the slick bark.  Which means, the honey is there for the people.  The honey harvestd from these trees is worth more than the timber would be should they be cut down, so the trees remain.  Some of the combs reach a diameter of six or more feet, containing as many as thirty thousand bees.  The bees are of the species of Asian bees, the largest honey bees in the world, averaging about a foot in length.  An average tree will contain about one thousand pounds of honey.  The ritual harvest of the honey occurs in February and March, and holds religious significance for Hindus and Muslims.  This is one of the times of great festivals, and work.  This is just one of the many aspects of the forest of interest when one decides to head to the rainforest of Singapore for a break from the city life.

The two neighborhoods one is most likely to find a Melbourne luxury hotel, is St. Kilda and Toorak.  While there are luxury accommodations located throughout the Australian city, these two districts have histories that are steeped in old money, wealth, style and decadence.  One a beach-side resort town for the genteel and upper class residents of Melbourne, St. Kilda became a bit seedy, a bit edgy during the late 1960′s and early 1970′s.  But as all neighborhoods in cities transition, today there is an air of cool cosmopolitan style and a vibe of independence.  Many of those living in St. Kilda take to the streets.  This is a fantastic vacation destination for those wishing to bike, walk and skate through their days.  Off shore, there are many opportunities for sailing and wind surfing.

The restaurants in the neighborhood boast some of the freshest and finest of seafood cuisine.  And local nightlife is alive with a thriving local music scene.  There are locations for spa treatment, including indoor purified seawater saunas and pools.  And each Sunday there is an open air market with a special section for crafts that children can participate in.  Book stores and boutiques of fashionable clothing are popping up on Carlisle and Acland Streets.  And each January the Yalukit Wilam Ngargee festival takes place with celebrate the cultures indigenous to the country, with performers, and artists lining the streets.

For those wanting high fashion and higher priced items, the village of Toorak is the spot to shop.  Some of the celebrities of the country live here and the higher priced real estate has kept this village to those wealthy who can afford.  It is however, fun to walk through the shops and indulge in the beauty salons and barber shops offering high-class shaves to the gentlemen in the group. One of the most beautiful gardens in Australia is located close by, the Como House and Garden.  Inside the house there is a fine collection of antique furniture and art work.  This is an historical site at one time the residence of the most wealthy pioneering families of Australia, the Armytages. And just down Malvern Road sits the village of Hawksburn, wherein at one time was the location of some of the most serious chefs in the world.  And is, by the way, still one of the best locations to find fine restaurants and interesting cuisine.

Ibiza has long been the favorite hot spot for the young travelers, or for those interested in hip and happening night life and the parties that seem to never end.  There are quiet spots on the island as well, perfect for long walks or families traveling with children.  However for those wanting a truly all around serene and idyllic vacation, Menorca is the island one should visit.  There are many coves protected by the rocky shores as well as inlets which provide children with the safe swimming holes and various opportunities for exploration and shell hunting.  Mahon is the capital city of the island, and is the location of the harbor.  This island differs from the others in the Balearic chain, as the interior is still relatively undeveloped.  There are many places for nature hikes and mountain bike rides through virgin territory on Menorca.

Surrounding beaches include Cala Tirant, Santo Tomas and Playa de Fornells.  One of the legends of the islands is that there is a wind that blows across the island, and that this wind changes people, much as is the legend behind the Santa Ana winds in Southern California city of Los Angeles.  It is said that once a tourist experiences the winds of Menorca, they come back…to move there permanently.  There are many hotels Menorca beaches support, and each one of them has the distinct style of the history and the quaintness of this island.  Each of the islands has its own personality or style, and just because the island is calmer than the rest, the personality of Menorca is strong and distinct.

There are a variety of cultural event that happen throughout the year as well.  There is the very first Opera House in the entire country of Spain, the Teatro Principal was opened almost two hundred years ago.  And while it is most of time used for films these days, many acts due tour from time to time and play at the theater.  There is the eighteenth century gin distillery, the Xoriguer, which produces the famous gin of Menorca to this day.  Located throughout the city there are also numerous parks, churches and historical buildings and landmarks.  This is truly the gem of the Balearic Islands.

The long history of the city of Delhi and the length of time that this had been known as the capital of the country of India has had a great influence the city’s culture.  There are numerous monuments and public sculptures surrounding the city, and there are more than one thousand buildings that are recognized as heritage sites by the Archaeological Survey.  Many of the early rulers are responsible for the incredible architecture in the city, such as the largest mosque in the country, the Jama Masjid.  Three of the national heritage sites of India are located in Delhi, the Qutab Minar, the Red Fort and the Humayun Tomb.  When entering the city one will most likely enter through the Gate of India.  There are many temples throughout the city that incredible architectural structures as well as Memorial Tombs such as the one containing Gandhi, the Raj Ghat.  Many of these past listed buildings were the influence of the Turkish and Mogul rulers.  Several of the government buildings are of the Colonial British influences, such as the Sectretariat and the Parliament House of India.

Dehli is the location for the celebrations of the country as well as for holidays and national public events.  Many Delhi 5 star hotels fill during the Gandhi Jayanti Festival, a celebration of his birthday each year, and also for the Republic Day and India’s Day of Independence.  On that day, August 15th, the Prime Minister travels to Delhi and speaks to the country from the site of the Red Fort.  Many kites can be seen in the skies that day, as the kite symbolizes freedom.  The parade is huge with military marching and various colorful aspects of the culture as well.   And one of the most colorful and all encompassing examples of the diverse culture can be witnessed during each September, the Phool Walon Ki Sair.  A veritable festival of flowers, be they real, block printed or embroidered on materials and dancing.  Both these celebrations in August and September provide the traveler with a taste of the amazing culture, not just of Delhi, but of the entire country as well.

After the gold rush in Melbourne had come to an end, fewer immigrants from China were enter the city.  The business shifted as did the residents.  There were still Chinese owned shops, bakeries, and restaurants and cafes however.  But the draw to the neighborhood was coming from the general population on the whole.  Many Europeans had discovered the flavors of Chinatown and were frequenting the businesses.  It was the students of the 1930′s however, that made this area of the city, the ‘hip’ and cultural scene.  Many Chinese who had recently immigrated still found their social and cultural ties on these streets, however newer immigrants at this time tending to move to the out lying areas, and not into Chinatown.

And by the late 40′s and early 50′s, many became concerned, thinking that the neighborhood just may completely disappear.  Big department commercial stores began moving in taking away a bit from the charm of the area, forcing many smaller businesses and boutique hotel Melbourne supported out of commission.  Many historical and artistic architectural structures were demolished by the end of the 50′s.  But, as the 1960′s began, the times began to change and the cultural began to shift.  During the same era, the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco was booming, and this inspired the city in Australia.  Tourism was becoming a huge industry, and the City Council of Melbourne decided to invest in the redevelopment and revitalization of Little Burke Street, and in Chinatown on the whole.

Government funding became available and an innovative plan was begun in 1984.  Lighting and decorations were installed, as well as the rehabilitation of older buildings and street and sidewalk pavement replaced.  Many more have immigrated since that time, from Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.  This has led to an even more diverse, but still Asian culture, with the arts and the cuisine of various nations supporting each other.  Many more Asian students have filled the universities of Melbourne as a result, and the business of the community is doing better than ever, making this one of the most fascinating locations to visit on a holiday tour in Melbourne.

For all of the countries with five star hotels, Spain has a variety that is as wide as its regions, and its people.  There are at least a dozen languages spoken, and the climate can vary tremendously from place to place.  Local variants in food can lead toward a tendency to want to take a culinary tour of the country, but this, like anything else here, would take longer than one lifetime.  There are some standards that are the same from place to place, and these are evident in the hotels.  There is a love of both tradition and innovation, and guests here can expect to find old-world hospitality coupled with new technology.  There are also all the other qualities that are standard in five-star hotels, where excellence in service, design, and amenities are just the beginning.

Spain has something for everyone, and is one of the most fascinating countries in Europe.  With an extremely rich and complicated history, cultures that have reputations for being warm and friendly, and a sensibility that embraces style and elegance, Spain is, and has always been, a superb destination.  There are also some very famous and colorful characters who come from Spain, and one of its most favorite daughters these days is Penelope Cruz.  With dozens and dozens of film roles, television appearances, and high media attention, there are very few places in the world she can go without attracting a lot of attention.

It’s a beautiful arc for this character, as her origins are a little more humble.  Born in Madrid to a middle class family, her father was a mechanic and her mother was a hairdresser.  She studied classical ballet before she got the notion, when she saw Almodóvar’s ¡Átame! (Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!), to be an actress.  This was prescient, because not only has she become one of the most visible actresses working today, she has become one of Almodóvar’s favorites.  She had a leading role in Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother), and she won a very well-deserved nomination for Volver (To Return).  She has had many other roles, in films in Spanish and English, and is developing a reputation for her complex portrayals of complex characters, which might be shorthand for saying that she’s arrived.  Penelope Cruz just might be the Queen of Spain.

The New York City Broadway theatre scene is the most prominent in the United States. While Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and other major US cities also have an incredible and diverse theatre scene, Broadway is definitely the Great White Way and the icon of American theatre. Avenue Q is currently playing at the Golden Theatre between 8th and Broadway. It is a Tony Award winning musical comedy and is scheduled to play through mid September of this year, which will mark an incredible 6 year run. The Best New York City hotel will offer information on this and other shows at the front desk.

Avenue Q began previews in July of 2003, and has been extremely popular with all audiences since its first performance. Before its Broadway run it ran on Off Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. The musical follows the adventures of a recent college graduate who moves to New York to follow his dreams. It was conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was by Jeff Whitty, and the story is inspired by the Sesame Street Characters. The musical is full of puppets, and many of them are based on those found in the classic children’s educational program.

While this might seem like a children’s show, based on the inspiration and character base, it should be known that there is adult language, themes and profanity. This is evident in one of the most popular songs from the show, The Internet is for Porn. The musical has had a successful turning production in Australia and was also produced in London’s West End. If planning on attending the production, audiences should just remember that while it is a comedy, and full of puppets, it is not recommended for young children, and adult supervision is essential for older youth and adolescents.

When I came to New York on a business trip, I had no idea that I would put in an application to help New York become greener. It was after I had finished up with my business deals and getting ready to check out of my New York USA Hotel, I heard a public announcement over the television about a new plan Mayor Bloomberg was implementing.

It has to do with enhancing New York’s urban environment. By 2017 he plans to plant an estimated 220,000 street trees with funding over $200 million. New York’s Parks and Recreations will be the steward of the approximately 29,000 acres of land from Central Park to the Yankee Stadium to the community Gardens and Greenstreets.

I did a little research on the Internet to find out more and to see what qualifications are necessary. Apparently, the Ciity of New York will be seeking individuals with experience and a earnest interest in Horticulture. They will have to perform advanced forestry functions. Do field surveys and inspections to assess the conditions of trees and recommend solutions to all the damage being done by insects and disease. Also recommend which species to plant. So far so good, I can meet all those expectations. My current job is in Horticulture.

I found a place on-line where I could fill out an application and submit it. I think that this initiative to make New York greener sounds like my ticket to get out from under a corporate job and get back to nature. Plus, help make New York and even better and more beautiful place to visit and live. I left my hotel room and took a leisurely walk up the street I was on. Yes, I could see how I could be of great benefit to this magnificent city and be of benefit to aiding in the re-greening of our Earth.

A few years ago, well many years ago, in 2002 I visited my dear friend Robert.  Robert was born in Queens and is the standard for the New York personality.  We had not seen each other for a few years, and during that time, I had moved from Phoenix, to Los Angeles to Chicago and back again.  He had been working in the city, and had been jogging in Central Park on the morning of 9/11.  Life goes by so quickly.  When I first stepped off of the plane in LaGuardia, I had to find my way to the bus that would take me to Grand Central Station.  Robert was to be waiting there for me.  The bus took me across the Brooklyn Bridge, and with tears in my eyes I wondered just how life had been for those living in Manhattan, or visiting the city and hanging out in the rooms of the 5 star New York hotels on that day…a few years prior.

I saw Robert at Grand Central, he looking so dapper in his black wool trench coat, and I realized in one moment, how much I had missed his face.  And he was smiling.  And we took the subway, and as it was close to Christmas there were jazz bands playing at every station.  Christmas tunes.  Once we arrived at his flat on the Upper East side, we order pizza and had a bit of wine.  We took off for his local pub, had a few Guinness and then went back to his place to promptly fall to sleep.  The next day was a day that I will never forget.  We woke up, felt woozy after the wine, and the Guinness.  We had dinner at an incredible Italian place in SOHO, then got into a cab and said…”Cabbie, take us to Hell!”  Hell is a dance club located in the meat packing district.  Once we escaped from Hell, we went on to a small piano bar called Brandy’s.

Now, previously we had been by the site of the Twin Towers.  It was an empty construction site by that time, but the rod iron fence surrounding the cathedral across the street was still decorated by the shirts of the firemen from different U.S. cities that had participated in the rescue efforts on that day when my friend was jogging in Central Park.  And I thought about that.  I had been in Chicago that day, and watching the news and not able to get through on the telephone to Robert.  So, after wine and pasta, we end up at Brandy’s, a sing along joint.  Just as the band was packing up, I asked the singer if he would sing, “Danny Boy”.  I don’t know why that song popped into my head, but it did.  And even though he was ready to go, the singer said, yes.  And in one moment, the entire bar was singing along with tears streaming down their cheeks.  When all was said and done, Robert told me that that song is an anthem, for police and firemen in New York, and although the construction site was cleared, the shirts of those that risked their lives were still hanging on a fence.  The city never forgets.  New York, New York…the best city in the world.