With so much to choose from, any relatively brief selection of Bangkok attractions must inevitably be personal. The following includes some of the most celebrated sights in or near the city, as well as a few that might get overlooked in the course of a short visit:

The Grand Palace Enclosure

No group of buildings in all the country better illustrates the splendour of Thailand's cultural heritage than this mile-square com¬pound containing the Grand Palace and its adjacent Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The earliest structures, in classic Thai style, date from the reign of King Rama I; extensive changes were made by later rulers of the dynasty, particularly King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who added a number of impres¬sive Western-style buildings to the collec¬tion. Of special interest are the Dusit Maha Prasat, an audience hall with traditional multi¬tiered roofs and an elegant, gilded spire; the Amarin Vinitchai Throne Hall, which served a the residence of the first three Chakri kings; and the Chakri Maha Prasat, contain¬ing the present throne hall, a basically Euro¬pean edifice crowned by three Thai spires.

The temple, known as Wat Phra Keo, houses the famous Emerald Buddha, a small, much-venerated image of northern Thai ori¬gin whose jewelled robes are changed three times a year by His Majesty the King at the beginning of each season. The main chapel, as well as the numerous buildings and monu¬ments surrounding it, are dazzlingly adorned by a profusion of stucco, gilded carvings, mother-of-pearl inlay, glass mosaics, statu¬ary, and other classic Thai arts. (The Grand Palace is open daily, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

WatArun

Popularly called Temple of Dawn, this dramatic complex overlooking the Chao Phraya River on the West bank dates from the Ayutthaya period and, during the Thonburi reign of King Taksin, was briefly the home...

Don’t dismiss a self catering vacation on St Lucia, until you have read about where it is, and what it is, and how much other people enjoy being there. Sometimes self catering would be better described as a bed and breakfast inn

A St Lucia Self catering vacation could be your best idea yet for a holiday in St Lucia, especially when your accommodation is Natures Paradise at Marigot Bay, especially when it has been selected as the number one hotel in that locality.

Before making judgments about what is self catering, what is a bed and breakfast, and what is a hotel, we should think about what we do in a small hotel on holiday. Probably eat breakfast if it is included in the room rate. Perhaps even very quietly remove some rolls, even cakes to devour at lunch because the hotel’s prices are too high, and then go out to dinner.

A Bed and Breakfast is only stating there will be only one meal, which is included in your room rate anyway, so you get the opportunity to go out and eat around, and perhaps buy the makings of a picnic for lunch, which you eat on the beach or wherever.

A self catering holiday infers no meals, but you do have a kitchen, where you can if you choose make meals for yourself.

However a place like Natures Paradise at Marigot Bay combines what has to be the best of all worlds. Here there are only five rooms with cottages called Avocado and Banana located on a quiet ridge above the sea. There is however breakfast, and a jolly nice breakfast too, plus the kitchen for catering for yourself.

What really sets Natures Paradise at Marigot Bay apart however is the hosts David and Wanda.

They really make this much more of a well loved Inn than a self catering holiday in St Lucia. Nothing seems too much trouble for them from actually taking careless guests to and from local restaurants in Marigot Bay, ...

Without a shadow of a doubt, Hong Kong is a photographer's paradise. Not only is there so much subject matter, but it's also a very safe environment for those who are going to be carrying expensive equipment with them. The Hong Kong culture also means you can take photographs all day long and well into the night because life keeps going well after the sun goes down. Just a quick search for Hong Kong on popular photo sites such as Flickr can give you an idea of it's got to offer a photographer.

Aside from its natural beauty, Hong Kong has a lot of financial clout, being one of the most important financial hubs in the world. This allows the state to create and maintain a lot of attractions that are freely accessible. For example, A Symphony of Lights is a nightly light show that stars over 40 of the buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour. The electricity bill alone is several thousand dollars for each 14-minute performance and yet it's completely free to view. Guinness World Records says it's the world's "Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" and every night it's watched by an audience of thousands spread across square miles.

Each of Hong Kong's parks also makes for a unique photo experience whether candids, floral, landscape, wildlife, or architecture is your passion. You also don't have to worry about litter or debris ruining your compositions as all are well-maintained throughout the day.

As a photographer, you might be interested in taking a walking tour of central Hong Kong to view the rich blend of old and new, urban and rural all within a few square miles. If walking's not to your liking then there are plenty of trams that can offer cheap transportation with a view.

Organised attractions aside, Hong Kong also offers many opportunities to capture a very rich and diverse culture. From the fishing villages along the...

If you are looking for a great cheap self catering holiday in St Lucia and in one of the very best St Lucia Accommodations at Castries, then check this out.

A self catering holiday in St Lucia, staying at Villa Beach Cottages could turn out to be one of the best decisions you will make this year. Villa Beach Cottages is rated the number one hotel in Castries by a number of well informed writers, and when you spend time there you will see why, and a plus factor is it isn’t expensive, so you could actually have a cheap holiday in St Lucia!!

Firstly in descriptive terms Villa Beach Cottages has fourteen rooms, and is the ultimate unique and intimate resort which is a mixture of villa suites and gingerbread cottages nestling amongst coconut trees and right on the Choc Bay beach at Castries.

Not for the first time you need to put whatever image you have of a self catering holiday out of your mind. Villa Beach Cottages has been described as being like heaven, the kind of place you want to return to again and again. For your St Lucia vacation to be successful one necessary feature is way you are looked after at whatever style of accommodation you choose. Here the staff go well above and beyond their call of duty. They are not only friendly, without being familiar, and that can be a thin line. They are very obliging, very helpful, and above all very professional.

You will find the quality of your accommodation far higher than you might have expected for self catering accommodation in St Lucia. You could find yourself in a first floor room with a huge bed, from which you could easily look out onto the sea, with a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area, and a sitting room area. The kitchen is beautifully equipped with everything you would have at home, and more besides.

The highlight is really the view from the balcony over the bea...

Salzburg is one of Europe's most popular cities. Although relatively small, (population around 150,000) it has an abundance of sight-seeing attractions and provides tourists with an inspirational combination of mountain views and historic monuments.

The city of Salzburg is located in the Salzburg region of Austria close to the border with Bavaria, (Germany). Its name means "Salt Castle" referring to the deposits of salt in the area that made the city wealthy as a centre of the medieval salt trade and its beautiful white castle.

Salzburg is an incredibly beautiful city that has many outstanding examples of both Romanesque and Baroque architecture. Everywhere you look you will see reminders that this city was birthplace of Mozart. His memory is preserved and celebrated in several museums and through regular musical events that take place in the city.

The following, top ten Salzburg travel tips are for things to see and do within the city itself. All of them can be easily reached without requiring any transport

1. Above all else, do not miss visiting the Salzburg Castle

Dominating the city, this magnificent, white, fairy-tale, castle is Europe's best preserved and largest intact medieval fortress. It is the kind of place you want to look at from every possible angle. Walking in the narrow streets of the old town, you turn each corner hoping to be provided with yet another view of the majestic building sitting at the top of the overlooking Monchsberg rock. When you are walking the hills opposite the Monchsberg, you are treated to views of the castle across the valley (see tip 10 below). When you are walking around the Monchsberg itself you constantly look up at the mighty fortress walls, towering above you. From here and from the castle ramparts you are provided with spectacular views over the city and the surrounding cou...