Archive for February, 2012

5 places to visit in Canberra

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81 days
by in Adventure, Car Rental, Holidays, Hotels, Preparation, Tips and Trick

Canberra, the capital of Australia, is in the southeast region of New South Wales. The planned community has museums and commemorative monuments centered on artificial lakes. Canberra has outdoor attractions with gardens and parks.

The Australian War Memorial is one of Australia’s most prestigious museums. It involves the military history of Australia from the Federation through contemporary times. Its displays include equipment, personal artifacts and souvenirs and skirmish dioramas. The museum has a café and places to picnic on the grounds. The Anzac Parade that joins the War Memorial contains commemorations to various wars and the veterans. The museum is in the area of the city north of Lake Burley Griffin. The hours are every day from 10 AM until 5 PM. The admission is free, and the visit could take from four to seven hours.

The Old Parliament House, which also includes the Museum of Australian Democracy, is on King George Terrace. This building was the center of Australian government from the 1920s until 1988. The Old Parliament gives history buffs a feel for the government of Australia during this time. It exhibits various rooms such as the office of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet room and others open to the public. The museum displays photos of Canberra’s history. The parking has no fee, but there is an entry cost. The museum is at King George Terrace.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens, at the foot of Black Mountain in Acton, is Australia’s largest compilation of Australia’s native plants. It has water dragons in the ponds. The gardens hold jazz concerts on summer evenings on the weekends. Many families attend, bringing picnics. The concerts are free, but parking fee helps to maintain the garden.

Namadgi National Park comprises a considerable part of the Australian Capital Territory as well as the north Australian Alps National Park. Activities at the park include hiking on the tracks of vistas of the Brindabella Ranges, riding mountain bikes, climbing rocks at Booroomba Rocks and driving through striking scenes on back roads. Orroral Valley and Honeysuckle Creek are past locations of tracking stations for the Apollo Moon Landings. The park is accessible through Tharwa and Naas Road.

Black Mountain Tower is on the top of Black Mountain. Visitors have a 360-degree vista of Canberra and the area around from a stand 60 meters high on the tower. The tower is worthy of a visit both during the day or night for views of the Parliament House and the cork tree plantation. In addition, the guests can dine in the restaurant that revolves around the tower and view the exhibit about the history of communication. The tower also has a viewing platform on two levels above the restaurant. The enclosed lower level includes a store with souvenirs and snacks while the upper level is open air.

Visitors have many possibilities for Canberra accommodation. Budget lodgings include Canberra City YHA or Victor Lodge. Among moderate Canberra accommodation are the Novotel Canberra Hotel and Rydges Eagle Hawk Resort. More upscale Canberra accommodation could be the Hotel Kurrajong and the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. Canberra also offers serviced apartments and bed and breakfasts.

Canberra has evolved from a political city to one that has culture and distinctiveness. It has become a tourist destination because of its history, museums and natural surroundings.

London Weather Forecast for January and February 2012

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86 days
by in Travel Smart

The city of London is known for its cosmopolitan crowd and the thriving nightlife. This New Year too, was welcomed with a blast. Celebrations were all around and everyone waited as the clock slowly moved to midnight. Despite the cold and chilly December, the merriment and the festivities cured everyone’s blues.

In London, however, the winter season continues to January, February and early March. Hence, it is essential to know the weather forecast for the upcoming months.The winters of 2009 and 2010 have been some of the coolest experienced residents. The year 2011 was not very different;this last December averaged 7 to 11 degrees Celsius.

London weather forecast suggests that January is going to be slightly better, as the temperature should reach an average 6 to 10 degrees Celsius, and in February it is estimated to be about 8 degrees Celsius. Based on the readings of the previous year, chances are your winter fun will be interrupted with rainfall often. However, the second month of this year is expected to bring in highpressure, thus, keeping the rainfall to aminimum.

Just like the weather in Manchester, this city also has unreliable weather, so it is best to check the daily updates and forecasts on television or the Internet.

Discount Austin Hotels

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87 days
by in Options

In Austin hotels heavy discounts are offered, even for four- and five-star hotels. These discounts can be up to 70 percent of the room charges. So if one is lucky enough, or if one does a bit of online research, one can get a four-star hotel room for a two-star price. The chances of getting a discount are higher if you are getting your room booked well in advance.

If there is a group of tourists visiting the city, they can always seek bargains in their room rent in most of the hotels. However, these discounts are mostly offered only when the number of rooms booked by the group is more than 10. Some smaller hotels can give a group discount even if the number of rooms booked is less than that.

There are a number of online and offline resources which provide information about the ongoing discount rates offered by various Austin hotels. Go through them before you get a hotel room booked. Then there are certain websites which provide reviews of these hotels. These reviews often include comments from not only the writers, but also from ordinary people who stayed at these hotels. (more…)

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