Thursday, September 27, 2007

Top 5 Most Luxurious Hotels and Resorts

So you want to take the holiday of your life, and to make that even more special you decided that there will be no expenses spared. If you still don't know where to go, here are 5 places that will surely rock your boat!

1. Altamer Resorts (Anguilla) - the 3 exclusive villas in the Altamer Resort are some of the finest in the world. Well, at $80,000 a night (this price was charged in December 2006 through January 2007, and is the most expensive) it really should be that way!

Each villa has its own private swimming pool, hot tub, fitness center, home theater, an office with high speed internet access and wireless connection in the villa. You also get a personal butler and 8 dedicated staff, including a chef if the meal plan was selected.

There are also 2 tennis courts that double as basketball courts and a volleyball court that are common for the 3 villas. If that won't satisfy you, the pristine beaches of Shoal Bay West will be what you are looking for.

2. Burj Al Arab (Dubai) - if you're visiting the United Arab Emirates this is the only place to stay! At around $4,000 for a 2 bedroom, 3605 square feet suite, it is not as expensive as other accommodations but it isn't exactly cheap either.

Each suite has an office area complete with laptop, Internet access, private fax, printer and copier. Some of the advanced technologies that are at your disposal in a Burj Al Arab: lighting, curtains and air-conditioning at the touch of a button; 42 inch plasma screen, video on demand, DVD and a wide variety of cable channels.

3. Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows (Kohala Coast, Kona) - this AAA 5 Diamond Award Winner is located on the big island's Kohala Coast, Hawaii's sunniest coastline.

The only way you can benefit the full Mauna Lani experience is to take a tour of the island by helicopter: search for active lava flows, lush rain forests, deep valleys and waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, whales, hidden beaches and much more.

The top of the line in accommodation is the 3 bedroom villa that features a master bedroom/bath suite and 2 guest rooms for up to 6 people. It includes daily housekeeping service, spacious private lanai and state of the art kitchen, fully equipped laundry facility and a designated parking stall. The Prime Villa goes at $1,920 per day plus tax with a minimum stay of 3 days.

4. Le Meridien Bora Bora (Bora Bora, French Polynesia) - this tropical paradise can be one of the most romantic escapes for couples in love, especially with Le Meridien's offer: a Premium Overwater Bungalow will set you back a little bit over $1,000 a day.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Movile Cave

Movile Cave, located in Romania, near the Black Sea coast is probably one of the caves that have received the most attention during the last years, both from the mass media and from the scientific community.
What is the reason for such a high interest from such a diverse audience?
... it is a peculiar, practically unique environment, until now the only cave ecosystem completely driven by chemosynthesis (chemosynthesis = production of organic molecules using chemical energy rather than light)...
... it is an extremely small and fragile environment which deserves our protection
... it is one of the richest cave ecosystems regarding the number of species
... more than 30 new species for science were described from this cave,and all are endemic (i.e, they live only in this ecosystem)...
... it can serve as a valuable model for understanding how life can thrive even in the absence of light and under extreme conditions
... the history of its discovery and research is one of committment and dedication
While excavating for a major construction project in 1986, engineers happened to find a cave in which extraordinary conditions prevail. Named the Movile cave, it is the site of a hitherto unknown groundwater ecosystem that is rich in hydrogen sulfide (8-12 mg/l) and in contact with an atmosphere poor in oxygen (7-10%), rich in carbon dioxide (2-3.5%), and also containing significant amounts of methane (1-2%). Its exploration began in 1990.
Until research teams began exploring Movile Cave, its 12000 square meters were entirely sealed off. The cave had no natural entrance and was discovered by accident during some geological research in the area.
The radioactive isotopes common in Romanian soil since the 1986 Chernobyl accident were absent from the cave's sediment. The cave's water had a different chemical makeup than aboveground wells nearby.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Peştera Urşilor (The Bear`s Cave)

Peştera Urşilor means Bears' Cave. The cave was named so, as numerous cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) were found in this cave. The cave was visited by these large animals more than 15.000 years ago. But one day, a rock slide closed the entrance while more than 140 bears were still in the cave. Becoming hungry, the bears killed one another until all were dead. This story is told by their remains, tons of bear bones covering the floor of large parts of the cave with the marks of bear teeth.

Now the cave was undisturbed until 17-SEP-1983, when the cave was discovered during quarry works. The marble and limestone of this area was mined by the inhabitants of the nearby village Chişcãu. So the rediscovery of the cave after a blast, was only a matter of time. The first one who visited the cave was the quarry worker Curta Traian from Chişcãu.

Peştera Urşilor is the only modern show cave in Romania, with paved paths, banisters, and electric light. This was a sort of experiment, to test if show caves are interesting for tourists. But although this experiment worked very well - the cave attracts more than 200.000 visitors every year - it is still the only well developed show cave in Romania. And this may stay so for the next time, as Romania is probably the poorest country in Europe, still suffering from 40 years of socialist Ceaucescu regime.

Monday, September 24, 2007

The Peles Castle

h a fountain in the middle, in the most accurate Renaissance style, pleasantly surprises the visitor. The courtyard has a merry decoration, made out of plants and flowers; all round, the building's facades are animated by elegant drawings. The interior of the castle is a true wonder, due to the beauty and richness of the sculpted wood and the stained glass windows. As you get in the vestibule, you are on the Honor Staircase, in front of the most important rulers of old Romania: Holy Stephen the Great, and Michael the Brave.
Peles Castle’s interiors are an opulent display of elegant design and historical artifact. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls covered with Cordoba leather, Meissen and Sevres porcelains, ebony and ivory sculptures.
Peles Castle most outstanding rooms are the Big Armory Room, the small Armory Room, the Florentine Room, the Reception Room (where paintings and wooden sculptures depicting 16 castles of the Hohenzollerns are exhibited), the Moresque Room, The French Room, the Turkish Room, the Council Room, the Concert Room as well as the Imperial Suite.
Other exquisite attractions at Peles Castle are the statues, the ceramics, the gold and silver plates, the Meissen and Sevres porcelain, as well as the extensive weapon collections are worth mentioning. It is also important to know that Peles Castle shelters one of the most important and most valuable painting collections in Europe, almost 2.000 pieces.
Rembrandt reproductions line the walls of the king's office at Peles Castle while rows of books in the library conceals a secret passage leading to the 2nd floor of the castle. There is a gallery of mirrors and the dining room has a leather clad ceiling. Scenes from age old Romanian fairytales adorn the stained glass windows in the poetry room.
In the Florence hall, Michelangelo's reproductions hang below a ceiling carved from glide linden wood. The Venetian room is equally impressive.
Several other buildings, annexed to Peles Castle, were built simultaneously: The Guard's Chambers, The Economat Building, The Foisor Hunting House with 42 rooms designed in Swiss style, The Royal Stables, and the Electrical Power Plant. The Sipot Villa was constructed later. This would serve as the work site of architect Karel Liman. Liman would later supervise the building of Pelisor (1889-1903, the future residence of King Ferdinand and Queen Mary of Romania). as well as of the King's Ferdinand Vila in the Royal Sheepfold Meadow
Almost adjacent to Peles Castle is Pelisor ("Little Peles"). King Ferdinand, who succeeded Carol I, intended to use Peles Castle as a summer residence. Supposedly he found Peles too big and overwhelming, so he commissioned the smaller, art-nouveau style, Pelisor Castle. Pelisor's 70 rooms feature a unique collection of turn-of-the century Viennese furniture and Tiffany and Lalique glassware.
Peles Castle opening hours:
June through September
Open: Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Closed: Monday
October through May
Open: Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
Please note that Peles Castle is closed during the whole month of November.
Access to Sinaia: road and rail.
Nearby attractions: the city of Brasov, Bran Castle or Dragula´s Castle, Rasnov Fortress, the ski resorts in Predeal and Poiana Brasov, Bucharest, Sighisoara, Sibiu.

 
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