If you love mirrors, I think you want to see the world’s largest mirror – Salar de Uyuni J It is the largest salt flat in the world, which is located in southwest Bolivia.

Salar de Uyuni was a part of Lake Minchin but when the lake dried, it was formed to Poopo Lake, Uru Uru Lake, Salar de Coipasa, and the Uyuni. It is said that Salar de Uyuni is roughly 25 times the size of the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States. Salar de Uyuni is also very convenient for the flamingoes to live on. Salar de Uyuni is one of the candidates for the new wonders of the world! It is a popular tourism destination includes an interesting salt hotel and many so-called islands.

There are tours for the best sightseeing the wonderful Salar de Uyuni. These tours consist of 3-4 days. You can find many agencies for these trips around the main square of Uyuni. There is an example for a typical trip:

First day of the trip:

Uyuni Plaza Arce

Train Graveyard 

Colchani, Bloques de Sal

Salt-Mining Area 

Salt Hotels

Isla de los Pescados

Second day of the trip:

Laguna Hedionda

Viscacha Area

Arbol de Piedra

Laguna Colorada

Third day of the trip:

Solar de Manana geyser basin

Laguna Verde

Laguna Blanca

Laguna Celeste

Valles de Rocas

Fourth day of the trip:

San Cristobal

Have fun !

Tags: Bolivia

Interested in underwater world or love visiting interesting destinations for your vacation? I think you should think of planning a vacation in one of the beautiful underwater hotels in the world!

Underwater hotels offer you a unique experience to discover the fascinating underwater world. Can you imagine that you’ll sleep under the sea surface by viewing the perfect underwater scenery? You can see many kinds of fish, coral reefs, and many other sea creatures. Instead of looking at an aquarium, you live in it! A vacation in the underwater world can be a romantic getaway or peaceful rest.

 If you are interested in, I would like to introduce you Top 5 Underwater Hotels around the world!

 Jules Undersea Lodge ( Key Largo, Florida)

Jules Undersea Lodge is a hotel in Key Largo, Florida. It is the only underwater hotel in the United States. Jules Undersea Lodge has two separate rooms. The rooms are well-designed with many modern facilities. The entrance to the hotel is 21 feet underwater on the sea floor. The hotel offers various packages for every demands. You should have a diving certificate or have a short diving course for coming to the hotel. Dinner is at 6.00 pm and breakfast is at 8.00 am in the hotel. 

Utter Inn ( Vasteras, Sweden)

Utter Inn is an art project for public by Mikael Genberg. The hotel is a one-room inn that is 3 m below the surface of Lake Malaren. It has the appearance of a Swedish red house. Mr Genberg offers dinner, if you pay for it or you will be on your own.

Hydropolis ( Dubai)

Hydropolis, one of the underwater hotels under construction, is in Dubai. Hydropolis will consist of 3 different parts: the Tunnel, Landstation and Hydropalace. The hotel will have 220 suits. Hydropolis is under 66 feet below the surface of the Persian Gulf. It is said that the hotel will be opened in 2009.

Poseidon Underwater Resort ( Fiji)

Poseidon Underwater Resort is still under construction and located in Fiji. In Poseidon Resort, you can sleep 40 feet underwater with a unique scenery. The hotel offers many facilities to its guests. There are 6 restaurants, 7 bars, water sports center, and a boutique. You can see everything in the sea from your room’s window. Poseidon Underwater resort is perfect for weddings! It is said that it will be opened in 2009.

 An Underwater hotel in Istanbul ( Turkey)

It is said that there will be an underwater hotel in Istanbul. The hotel will be 7 floors with seven stars. It will beconstructed on what was formerly a tobacco factory. The hotel will be built under the city center and will be opened in 2010. It can be just a rumor but I hope it is not …
 

Tags: Underwater hotels

Last winter, I decided to go on holiday to a warmer place for just a couple days. I was really tired and fed up with work and freezing weather! I wanted to visit a place that I had never been before. And I was dying for a relaxing vacation. Then I found out Cayo Largo!

Cayo Largo is a small island in Cuba. It is just a tourism destination – relaxing and peaceful! The island is a wonderful combination of perfect blue sea, clear sandy beaches, and tropic vegetation. Cayo Largo has a rich underwater world and is a paradise for divers.

When I learned these, I was sure that I should be there! I went to Cayo Largo on February. The weather was wonderful there. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I stayed at Barcelo Cayo Largo Hotel and I didn’t have any trouble.It was comfortable. The hotel staff always smiled

First day, I directly went to the beach. It was amazing! You should see the scenery. The beach is white and clear and the heat of the sea water is perfect. I was just relaxed. In the afternoon, I went for a walk. I had fresh air and beautiful sightseeing. There were many coconut palms, and turtles, iguanas, and pelicans in the island. The fascinating atmosphere affects you deeply! For dinner, I went to Sirena Beach Restaurant. It had a perfect view and I liked the foods. The next day, I hired a bicycle and took a trip in the island. I went to La Granja de las Tortugas to see the lovely turtles! After dining, I sat on the beautiful beach and just watched the scenery. I felt really relaxed, it was wonderful! On my last day, I went to beach again. I swam in the blue sea and sunbathed last time. In the afternoon I left the island very sadly.

 My holiday was just perfect! I am planning to visit Cayo Largo next summer J I hope I will stay much longer this time!

 If you are tempted to head for warmer surroundings in the winter have a look at our  super hotel rates for Cayo largo

http://www.otel.com/hotels/cayo_largo.htm

Tags: Cayo Largo, Cuba

I didn’t know even the place of Laos in the map before our Asia tour comprised two days in Laos. We were on our way to China when we stopped in Vientiane which is the capital city of Laos. We stayed at Lao Plaza Hotel which we enjoyed very much.

We saw many monks wearing a special orange colored religious costume. From afar, they seemed like little walking oranges. They were kind people and very helpful indeed. The first thing we saw was the Great Sacred Stupa which was 24-carat golden tower having a height of 45meters. It was all made of gold! God! I’d be a Buddhist just to live in it !

Then we visited the Wat Si Saket which was a very old temple having so many Buddha images and statues. Thousands
of golden and silver Buddhas! We couldn’t believe our eyes. They were so ornate and so beautiful.

Our next stop was a really relaxing place. We went to the Papaya Spa and enjoyed the warm water. The massages we had were so good that we felt a little spoilt at the end of it. After the massages, my husband insisted on my taking massage courses as soon as possible! Selfish guy!

Our only problem was hungriness then. We went to eat at Samsenthai Fried Noodle. Honestly, I didn’t expect so delicious meals from thin Laotians. But we enjoyed our meal very much.

We regretted not having been there before. Although we couldn’t stay there long enough because of the time restrictions, we really had a very nice time in Laos.   

Tags: Laos

I had no idea about Morocco before we went to Casablanca. The city offered us such good spots to visit that I regretted not having been there before. At first, I didn’t expect much in Casablanca, but when John insisted on going there, I decided to give a chance to this black continent. We stayed at Ibis Moussafir Hotel Casablanca during our holiday. The hotel’s location was very good, as it was next to the train station and it was just 20 minutes from the beach. We arrived at the Mohammed V International Airport which was 30 minutes from the hotel. Our Casablanca adventure just started there. The first place we visited in Casablanca was the Hassan II Mosque. It was a very impressing mosque and it was also so gigantic that I felt like a little rat in front of it. Entrance to the mosque was allowed in guided tours, so we could see inside, too. The view was magnificent as the mosque is surrounded by ocean on three sides. When looked from afar, it seemed as if built on the sea! Too beautiful a scene to be missed. We saw some beautiful patterns of mosaic in the Notre Dame Church. They were in the Picasso style as we learned from our guide. They were really beautiful. I wish we could have some on our house’s ceiling.

We had a chance to watch a cabaret show in Casablanca for the first time in our lives. It was fun to watch the performers and we learned that sometimes belly dancers also performed in nightclubs. There wasn’t any at that night. If there had been, I wouldn’t have let John watch her anyway! There were many discos in the town. One night we tried the Casablanca Bar where there was a pianist and the atmosphere of the bar was quiet peaceful. We really enjoyed ourselves that night.

While we were walking on Djemaa el Fna Square, we saw a woman syringing something onto the hands of another woman who was obviously a tourist. We got very curious about what she was doing and went nearer to ask her. She told us that it was henna in the syringe and that she could draw whatever shape we wanted on our hands, arms or legs. It resembled to a tattoo except that it would be erased after a while. I wanted to have a dolphin on my forearm. Though John was nervous as he expected some things would be wrong, but it was ok. It didn’t hurt and there it was. My little dolphin on its place  But 2 months later,I realized that it wasn’t there. Maybe it went to the ocean near its mother, who knows! After that henna experience, there was another thing that would surprise and maybe scare us a little. We saw two men playing a kind of flute. It was ok until then, but when we realized that there was a big snake dancing in front of them, we were about to faint! Apparently, the snake charmers charmed us, too!

It was all a nice experience to be in Casablanca. It is a very different culture that awaits there. Best for those fed up with the monotonous life and  stereotyped people around them. Feel the difference in Casablanca, Morocco!

If you would like to watch a cabaret show and have a henna tattoo in Casablanca. Have  a look at our unbeatable hotel rates for this great city

http://www.otel.com/hotels/casablanca.htm

Tags: Casablanca

Ever tried Chinese Cuisine?

It has been a priviledge to eat Chinese Cuisine. It is a very kitchen culture that offers lots of delicious dishes. Chinese cuisine is eaten with chopsticks traditionally. Fish and rice are the main ingredients used in Chinese kitchen. Dishes for vegetarians are also available. Soup is served as a beverage traditionally, but today beverages like beer and tea can also be seen in Chinese restaurants. Chicken and pork are also commonly used, but pork is substituted by beef in Muslim countries such as Turkey. There are many good Chinese restaurants in Istanbul that I’d like to share with you.

Yuen China Restaurant located in Bebek, İstanbul is a good choice to taste some delicious Chinese cuisine. If the weather is nice, you can also eat in the garden. I recommend the Chinese chicken salad. Prices are just the average.

Zen Restaurant in Etiler is another nice Chinese Restaurant. Inside is very luxurious. You must taste Peking duck. There is also a wide range of wine menu that includes French, German, Chilian, Italian and Turkish wines. The head cook himself is a Chinese. There are also TVs that you can watch.

The China Restaurant in Taksim- on Lamartin Street is one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in İstanbul. It is open from 11.30 am to 11 pm. I strongly recommend kumbo ciding if you like spicy food. There are also dishes for vegetarians.

Those were some of the Chinese restaurants in the most touristic places in the Europoean side of İstanbul. There are also some other Chinese restaurants in the Asian side of İstanbul. South China Restaurant located in Kadıköy is one of them. Peking duck is the most delicious food you can eat there. 

Have a good appetite!

If you are tempted to try Chinese in Istanbul have a peak at our great hotel deals

http://www.otel.com/hotels/istanbul.htm

Tags: , Istanbul

Do you love eating? There are the best restaurants from the all over the world!

 Restaurant Magazine has made a list of the best restaurants of the world in 2007. Do you keen on eating? I think you will enjoy learning the “bests” !

 I will just introduce you the Top 10, but there are actually 50 restaurants in the list.

 1) El Bulli from Spain:

El Bulli is located on the Costa Brava in Catalonia. The restaurant views the beautiful Cala Bay. It is open from April to September. El Bulli provides only 8,000 diners a season and a meal costs appoximately 250 euro. The restaurant has a rich history that it was founded in 1961. It is run by chef Ferran Adria.

2) The Fat Duck from UK:

The Fat Duck restaurant is in Bray, Berkshire, England. It is in a modest cottage-style house in a country village. As of May 2008 there are two menus in the restaurant: a la carte and the tasting menu. There are a selection of eight wines to accompany the tasting menus. The Fat Duck is run by chef Heston Blumenthal.

3) Pierre Gagnaire from France:

Pierre Gagnaire restaurant is run by the famous chef Pierre Gagnaire, located in Paris. The restaurant specializes “Modern French Cuisine”.

4) The French Laundry from the United States:

The French Laundry is also the best restaurant in the Americas. The restaurant is run by chef Thomas Keller in California. There are three menus daily: prix fixe, degustation, and vegetable tasting menu. Each of them costs $240 (2007). The foods has American and French influences.

5) Tetsuya’s from Australia:

Tetsuya’s is the best restaurant in Australasia. It serves in Sydney and it is run by Tetsuya Wakuda. The restaurant’s cuisine is based on Australian, Japanese and global sensibilities. A meal with drinks can cost AUD $195 per person.

 6) Bras from France

7) Mugaritz from Spain:

Mugaritz is in San Sebastian. It is located in a village to the south of the town. The restaurant is run by Andoni Aduriz.

Le Louis XV from Monaco:

Le Louis XV restaurant is run by chef Alain Ducasse. It is in Monte Carlo. The cuisine of the restaurant is influenced by the mediterranean.

9) Per Se from the United States:

Per Se is a New York restaurant run by chef Thomas Keller. The dining room of the restaurant has only 16 tables and they view the beautiful Central Park. A meal costs approximately $275.

10) Arzak from Spain:

Arzak is a famous restaurant in San Sebastian. The restaurant was built in 1897 as a house.

Last summer, my friend and I went to the capital of Cuba, Havana. I had a great time there than I had expected.
I stayed there for 3 days. It was a short vacation but I visited many places and learn many things. This was my first visit to Havana. I didn’t know anything about it so I made some search about what to see and do before my trip.

 We stayed in Santa Isabel Boutique Hotel, in the heart of Old Havana’s historical centre. The hotel was really wonderful! It was perfectly located and its architecture was fascinating. There were many priceless lamps, vases, and figures that I couldn’t take my eyes off. Rooms were comfortable and elegantly decorated. The hotel’s staff was polite and always smiling. It was a bit expensive but I didn’t disappointed.

Old Havana where we stayed displayed the traditional architecture and had a historical atmosphere with narrow streets and buildings. First day, we wanted to see some historical places. We visited the Morro Castle. It is a fortress that guards the entrance to Havana Bay. Its scenery was perfect. Then we went to the eastern side of the harbor entrance to see the La Cabana. It was impressive with its historic walls. After seeing these wonderful fortress, we visited the Cathedral of Saint Christopher of Havana. I heard that it was the unique example of a baroque construction which was asymmetric! It was true. It was really interesting that one of the towers was wider than the other! Then we went to eat something. A friend of mine recommended me to eat at El Aljibe Restaurant so we went there. The restaurant was good with a warm atmosphere. We liked the foods. I ate chicken served with rice, black beans, fried potatoes and a salad, it was delicious. After that we turned back to the hotel to get rest.

At night, we went out to see the Havana nights! I read good comments about Casa de la Musica before we came so we
took a taxi and went there. It was a wonderful night! We had a great time, I danced till 3 o’clock!

Next day, we woke up a bit late J After breakfast, we visited the Museum of the Revolution and Granma Memorial.
I learned that the museum was the former Presidential Palace. It was huge and the architecture of it was fascinating!

If this has tempted to visit Havana, have  a look at our great hotel rates and be even more tempted!  Hotel deals start from EUR 30 for 2 persons sharing a room

http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/havana.htm

Tags: Cuba, Havana

My husband, little son and I went to Nadi- Fiji last year. It was a marvelous holiday. I can surely say that it was even our best holiday. We stayed at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort Hotel which was 20 km from the airport.

Our first day in Nadi was so much fun. We experienced many things for the first time. For example, we tried weaving a basket. We understood that it was not an easy job, but we really had fun. Especially when my husband showed me the “thing” he done, we all raised a laugh. We also gained a new hobby: sailing. We enjoyed sailing  so much that we did it a few times before we left Nadi. Nadi’s beaches are very suitable for sailing.

We also went to one of the most beautiful Fijian islands, Plantation Island. The beach was adorable with clean sea and sand. It was very nice to watch my little son trying to make a sand castle. We also had a chance to watch the local dancers, it was really fun.

As we are interested in architecture, we went to see the big Hindu Temple in Nadi. It was a beautiful temple. After so much sightseeing, we got very hungry and asked the local people a good restaurant to dine in. They said it was the Steakhouse which we found was really good. It wasn’t expensive and the service was good, so thank you Fijian people. At boring nights, we sometimes went to the Fiji Bar to have some fun and never got disappointed.It was a cool place.

That is all about our Fiji holiday. I recommend going to Nadi to everyone who likes trying new things. 

Tags: Fiji, Nadi

I enjoyed my holiday in Phuket really much. Honestly, I didn’t expect to have that much fun, but Phuket was marvelous both with its beaches, activities and attractions. This was a world and a totally new culture to rediscover. I learned about Thai culture and I found it very very interesting. Some customs of them are so wierd that I couldn’t help being surprised. For example, I learned that it was found inappropriate to step into a temple with your shoes. I had to take them off before entering such sacred places and also Thai homes. I found out this tradition of them when I tried to enter the Buddhist temple called Wat Phra Tong. It was a fabulous temple to visit. Though I had to take off my shoes, trust me, it was worth it. Wat Chalong was another beautiful temple that I visited in Phuket. It had bright colors. My temple visits continued with the Grand Dame of Phuket.
I had never seen such a lovely building before. I saw some of the local people going there to get blessed by the monks in the temple. Actually, I thought about getting blessed too, but I realized then that I was not Buddhist It would be aninteresting experience, wouldn’t it?

Anyway, after so much sightseeing, I went to my hotel to get some sleep. Mine was the Karona Resort and Spa Hotel which was quite a good hotel to stay at. A very stylish hotel indeed. I slept peacefully that night.

A totally different experience was waiting for me the next day. I happened to go to the Fantasea Cultural Show and thank God I didn’t miss it. That show was too good to be missed. With elephants, cultural dance performances and tricks displayed, it was a colourful world from top to toe. Although I couldn’t take photos for no cameras were allowed during the show, I had the most reliable camera ever: my memory. There are many frames of show stored in my memory. It is a pity I cannot share them with you. Maybe if I draw them, but you wouldn’t like it , for my drawing sucks.
 
Those were some of the places that I visited in Phuket. Because I didn’t have much time, I couldn’t visit many other good places that I heard of. Yet I am planning to go there again and complete my sightseeing this time.

Tags: Phuket, Thailand