Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest

Fisherman’s Bastion was built in 1905 on the medieval castle walls, the neo-Romanesque ramparts were so named after the city's fishermen whose duty it was to defend this side of the hill during the Middle Ages, but the existing bastion never actually served a defensive purpose. It is solely ornamental with gleaming white cloisters and stairways connecting seven turrets symbolic of the Magyar tribes that conquered the Carpathian Basin in the 9th century. Set back from the ramparts is an equestrian statue of King Stephen, a memorial to the founder of the Hungarian nation. The view from Fisherman's Bastion, over the Danube, the Chain Bridge and the Parliament Buildings with Pest stretching out into the distance, is outstanding. Floodlit at night, the bastion is a mesmerising sight from across the river. Review our cheap Budapest hotels and get the best rates when you book online with gtahotels.com http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/budapest.htm

A visit to Valetta

Valetta, which is the capital of Malta, has the charm of an Italian city with its many Baroque palaces set on narrow steep streets that form a grid pattern. The city was carefully planned by its founder, Grand Master Fra Jean de la Vallette and the Knights of the Order of St John. The city was 'built by gentlemen for gentlemen' with the first stone being ceremonially laid in 1566 after Ottoman forces withdrew their siege of the Maltese Islands and the Knights of St John took over. The purpose of the city, built in a short span of 15 years on a plateau between two harbours on Malta's northeast coast, was primarily to fortify the island and secondly to provide palaces, Auberges (lodgings) for the eight Knight's groupings (Langues), churches for worship and gardens for recreation. The remnants of the Knight's occupation today characterise Valetta in the form of some splendid Baroque buildings and fortifications, but the majestic architecture manages not to overwhelm the island's carefree personality.

Today you can enjoy a horse drawn cariage ride around the city before exploring the narrow streets and passageways yourself...

Attractions Lascaris War Rooms

Valletta suffered a great deal of damage during bombing raids in the Second World War. The Battle of Malta and other events involving the islands during the early years of the war are featured in a series of 17th century tunnels, which were turned into a military operations complex during the war. The complex has been restored and now acts as a museum, with charts, models and dioramas.

Malta Experience

A dramatic presentation that illustrates the history of Malta, from Neolithic to modern times, can be enjoyed at the Mediterranean Conference Centre at St. Elmo's bastion in Valletta. This building itself has been impressively restored, having been built by the Knights in the 1500s as a hospital. The wards, which are great sweeping halls with vaulted ceilings and marble floors, now serve as exhibition areas. A modern theatre has been added where the Malta Experience audio-visual show is offered in 10 languages.

National Museum of Archaeology

The archaeological museum on Republic Street is housed in one of the inns of the Knights of St John, the Auberge de Provence. The museum's focus on Malta’s prehistory includes displays such as the reconstruction of prehistoric remains found at Hypogeum. Items such as pottery, sculptures, statuettes, stone implements and jewellery from the prehistoric, megalithic and temple-building periods are featured, as well as some Punic and Roman tomb furniture. All the exhibits were found on excavations across the Maltese islands.

Palace of the Grand Masters

The Grand Master's palace, built around 1571, today serves as the office of the President and seat of the Maltese Parliament. The palace is a treasure house of art, from the unique collection of Gobelin Tapestries to frescoes depicting the Great Siege of 1565 by Perez d'Aleccio that cover the walls of the Halls of St Michael and St George. Visitors can also view the armoury and state apartments, which are adorned with friezes describing the history of the Order of St John.

St John's Co-Cathedral

Valetta's magnificent medieval cathedral is famous for the painting by Caravaggio, which hangs in its oratory, and the 369 inlaid mosaic marble tombstones that cover its floor. Each tombstone depicts the lives of the Grand Masters of the Order of St John, buried beneath. The façade is rather severe and militaristic, but inside the cathedral is lavishly splendid in the grandest tradition of high Baroque, with every inch of wall covered by carving, while the vaulted ceiling sports paintings depicting the life of St John the Baptist, patron saint of the Knights.

Events

Springtime is carnival time in Malta. Carnival week with its traditional boisterous revelry, is centred in the capital Valletta. Carnival includes extravagant gaudy floats, fancy dress, and some wild nightlife in the Paceville club area. Other towns and villages across the island also celebrate their own version of carnival. The tradition started in 1560, when a massed Christian armada became harbour-bound in Malta and some jollification ashore ensued. 12 - 16 February 2010

Malta International (MLA)Location: The airport is situated three miles (5km) southeast of Valetta.

Exploring the island of Malta from Valetta is cheap and easy if you travel by bus from the main bus station in Valetta

Munich Oktoberfest

At the end of September/beginning of October each year all roads in Munich lead to the Theresienwiese, a giant grass meadow about the size of 20 football fields near the centre of the city. The occasion is the world's biggest party, the Munich Oktoberfest. The field becomes a beer-drinking city, complete with its own post office, police force and fire department, and most importantly numerous huge tents, erected by the various Bavarian breweries, that serve as massive beer halls. The first keg is tapped in ceremonial style to open the two-week celebration, which draws hundreds of thousands of revellers from all around the world. Apart from the rollicking beer halls where traditional Bavarian bands belt out their old favourites, the festival offers a host of carnival games and fun park rides, as well as stalls selling a range of German delicacies. Date: 19 September to 4 October 2009; Website: http://www.oktoberfest.de/ If anyone has attended the Oktoberfest in previous years, you will know how difficult it can be to find affordable hotel accommodation. We have secured a limited number of rooms at the 3* Tulip Inn Munich Schwabing hotel which is on the outskirts of Munich - While the hotel is not centrally located, there are very good transportation links to the centre of Munich. Interested ? Please send an e.mail to caroline@gtahotels.com for rates and current availability

White party

This year marks the 29th annual White party week - This is the worlds largest and oldest HIV/AIDS fundraiserand takes place between the 25th-30th November 2009 in Miamii Florida. Every year for the past 29 years, individuals have travelled from all around the world to attend this premier event.

The Health Crisis Network first held the White Party in 1985, and Since then, the event has grown from a small effort that raised about $16,000 to a major source of revenue for AIDS research, bringing in millions of dollars annually. The White Party has grown from a single evening event to a week-long series of social occasions. The White Party’s name derives from the tradition that participants at all events dress entirely in white clothing

http://www.whiteparty.org/

If you will be attending this huge event and need hotel accommodation then we have secures limited space at the 4* Intercontinental Miami which is ideally located in Downtown Miami and Soars 34 stories over glistening Biscayne Bay. While there are not a large choice of restaurants, bars or nightlife close to the hotel- It does provide a good value and comfortable base from which to enjoy the White party events.

Overall the Intercontinental Miami hotel is just a short stroll to the Bayside tourist complex - Good for some light shopping. If you want to go to South Beach then it's about a 15 minute taxi ride away...

For further information on rates and availability for the Intercontinental Miami over these dates please contact caroline@gtahotels.com

Will your hotel stay cost you any extra?

Arranging accommodation is definitely of top priority for those travellers who are planning a business trip or going on holiday. Generally the trend is for travellers to book their acommodation first, and then search for the best rates for their flights . For both hotel accommodation and flights, rates are almost always the leading criteria for travellers to bear in mind when considering their options. Second option for accommodation searching, after rates is the location of the hotel, amenities and general facilities on offer. In the past, all you had to be concerned about was paying for your accommodation, with no additional extras unless of course you had used the mini bar, room service, car parking etc....But these days, how sure are you about the total amount that you will be paying for the accommodation? Nowadays, an increasing number of hotels are implementing ways in which they can apply or increase fees, for example, certain services such as air conditioning which were previously included in the room rates are now being charged for separately by the hotel. At this point its worth pointing out that the travel agency that you have booked through are not responsible for any supplementary charges that a hotel may decide to pass on. This growing trend among hotels is actually having the knockback effect of leading to disgruntled guests. Some additional charges that the hotels are passing on are even implemented and made witbout the guests knowledge and even regular customers who visit the same hotel every season can be quite astounded - at the time of checking out - to see how many new fees are added to their hotel bill. Additional hotel charges come in a multitude of disguises such as “mandatory resort fees”, “automatic gratuity” and fees for baggage handling, valet parking, laundry service, access to the gym, use of resort facilities, in-room safe and mini-bar even if you never use them. Quite a number of hotels charge their guests for valet parking - up to $45 per day - despite not bringing cars to the hotel at all; $7 per hour for holding bags behind the reception desk; $10 for Wi-Fi per day or $2 per item for mini-bar restocking. Additionally, there might be some costs covering the general maintenance at the hotels. These hotels know very well which fees will receive complaints and which ones will be paid with little fuss. Not surprisingly, the fees that are hardly brought to guests’ attention are only clarified in the room handbooks or on the website of the hotel and not to the guest at the time of check in nor to the travel agency. Furthermore, these extra charges generally change according to each hotel's needs even if the properties are under the very same brand. At the end of the day, the important point is to keep in mind that the travel agency or the websites that you made your booking through are not responsible for any of these supplementary charges the hotels may be charging. The official agreements made between the hotels and the intermediary companies are essentially based on particular rates for a certain number of people to stay at the hotel. At this point, it is - without doubt – that guests that need to be fully aware of any possible charges and fees that the hotel are implementing. Before making a reservation, it would certainly be a good idea to directly contact the hotel to ask about all the surcharges and take down the name of the person that they spoke to. Moreover, at your hotel, you need to make sure to get a statement of your bill the night before your check-out date, which will give you the favourable chance to examine the hotel bill carefully. If necessary, be unreserved to protest because recent surveys have shown that most hotels are willing to reverse the charges in question to avoid dissatisfied and angry customers.

Liverpool city guide

Liverpool, was the European Capital of Culture for 2008 Liverpool is nestled along the north bank of the River Mersey, in the north-east of England, United Kingdom. Founded as a small river-side city in 13th century, the city has grown into a prominent centre for industrial trade during 17th and 18th centuries and it has long played a significant role in the UK’s financial scene. A city with an impressive character, Liverpool has lots to offer to its visitors. It is a city with a big heart where old and new, traditional and modern, historic and contemporary stands side by side in a heart-warming atmosphere, offering a unique experience. With its stunning architectural structure, iconic natural beauties, vibrant cultural and entertainment facilities and generous culinary offers Liverpool does show that it is not the “European Capital of Culture for 2008 for nothing. Whether for business or leisure, whether just for a weekend break or longer, a trip to Liverpool is definitely a precious gift you can give to yourself. Now, take your guide with you and let yourself be spoilt by the facilities this fascinating city has to offer you. Major attractions in Liverpool Albert Dock Home to many of the city’s premiere attractions such as Tate Liverpool, Beatles Story and Maritime Museum, Albert Dock is a splendid 19th century building which showcases the best of the city in a World Heritage, waterfront setting. Free admission.

Three Graces Three Graces is the name for the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building which together create one of the most picturesque waterfronts in the world. Declared as a World Heritage site, Three Graces are not to be missed while in Liverpool. Anglican Cathedral (Liverpool Church) Liverpool Church is a spectacular building regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural achievements of the 20th century. The largest Anglican Church within UK, the Church houses one of the biggest organs in the country. Offering great views of the city of Liverpool from the top of its 101 metre tower, Liverpool Church is a must-see site while in Liverpool. Entrance to the church is free. Tower: £4.25 Metropolitan Cathedral Metropolitan Cathedral is a splendid Catholic Cathedral which is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool who is the spiritual leader to Northern Province of the Catholic Church in England. Free admission. Walker Art Gallery Walker Art Gallery boasts one of the finest collections of fine and decorative art in Europe. The collection comprises a great number of paintings, drawings and sculpture dating back to 1300 through the present time. Free admission. The Tate Liverpool The Tate Liverpool hosts the UK’s largest collection of modern and contemporary art outside London. The gallery displays pieces from Tate collection as well as special exhibitions. Free admission. (Fees may apply for special exhibitions) Maritime Museum Maritime Museum invites the visitors into an interesting tour into the city’s history of navigation through various exhibitions and video displays. Free admission. World Museum Liverpool World Museum houses an aquarium which offers eye-catching displays of fish and marine life taking the visitors into an exciting journey into the see world. Free admission. Beatles Story Do you love Beatles? If your answer to this question is “yes” then located at the historic Albert Dock, Beatles Story which has spectacular exhibitions including the original outfits, several video and sound recordings of the legendary band is a must-visit site for you. Admission fee: £12.50. Indulge yourself in Liverpool! Liverpool is not known as a premier gourmet destination. Yet, with its first-class restaurants and brassieres serving distinctive flavours from local and international cuisine, the city has rich culinary kitchen which will satisfy everyone whether travelling on budget or not. Alma de Cuba Nestled in the former St. Peter’s church, Alma de Cuba, which is the Winner of UK’s Best Venue in 2008, is one of the most popular restaurants in Liverpool. With its innovative design, decent dining area and Caribbean-infused menu Alma de Cuba brings a new taste, a new colour into Liverpool’s culinary world. Address: St. Peter's Church, 90 Seel Street London Carriage Works Another award winning restaurant, London Carriage Works is a must-visit place serving modern international food served in a professional manner in a refined setting. Address: 40 Hope Street Shangri-La One of the largest and the most popular restaurants in the city centre, Shangri-La is an excellent restaurant serving tantalising specialties from Chinese cuisine with an emphasis on Shanghai kitchen. Sit back and indulge yourself in one of the restaurant’s two spacious dining rooms enjoying the best drinks and service in the neighbourhood. Address: 37 Victoria Street Tate Liverpool Café Open during gallery hours, Tate Liverpool Café is an ideal spot to have delicious, home-made hot and cold meals or to drop in simply for a coffee. Address: Albert Dock Panoramic Panaromic invites you to have an unforgettable dining experience seated at 100 metres above the sea level, enjoying stunning views over the city and its surroundings while tasting the best food in the town. Address: West Tower, Brook Street Everyman Bistro Everyman Bistro offers the top -quality food made with the freshest ingredients. With its warm setting, friendly service, tasty food and reasonable prices this award winning bistro is another must-visit place in the gastronomic Liverpool. Address: 5-9 Hope Street. Blue Bar and Grill This is a sophisticated contemporary restaurant offering a wide menu including tapas, vegetable dishes and fish specialties. Located at the historic waterfront, Blue Bar and Grill is the ideal place to go if you are searching for good value food at affordable prices. Address: Edward Pavilion, Albert Dock. Lively nights in Liverpool Nights in Liverpool are so colourful, so vibrant. Whether you are searching for a nightclub to dance the night away or just for a quaint place to relax and unwind after a busy day you will find various alternatives offering a pleasant night out in Liverpool. Nation One of the most popular clubs in Liverpool’s night scene, Nation hosts a big number of dance and music events throughout the year. Address: Wolstenholme Square Korova Korova is a lively club in Liverpool nights offering live music seven nights a week. Address: 39-41 Fleet Street Circo

Located in historic Albert Dock, Circo is a decent restaurant/bar/club which provides entertainment for everyone with its lively event schedule and professional service. Address: Britannia Pavilion, Albert Dock. Barfly Barfly host numerous live music events and performances by various local and international bands such as Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, Gossip and many more. Not to be missed while in Liverpool. Address: 90 Seel Street. Baa Bar If you are looking for a more relaxed way of entertainment, Baa Bar with its friendly service and relaxed atmosphere is the right place to spend the night out. Address: Fleet Street. Funakademia Located on the One Central Street, Funakademia is a cool spot to enjoy your night in Liverpool tasting the best local and international spirits while listening to the best picks from the old classics. Getting in/around Liverpool Located at 12 kilometres from the Liverpool city centre, Liverpool John Lennon Airport is one of the United Kingdom’s oldest airports. The main gateway to the city, the airport is serviced by several European and non-European airline companies throughout the year. Once at the airport you will find an efficient transit service between the airport ant the city centre which provides quick access to Liverpool and the surrounding area. Bus number 500 run by Arriva Bus Company links the airport to the city centre in about 20 minutes. The service is available in every 30 minutes costing £2.50. For further information about the route and timetable please check the company’s website: http://www.arrivabus.com/ Liverpool is a compact city with all the attractions close to each other which makes the city easy to explore on foot. For those who prefer public transportation the city has an excellent transportation system to offer its visitors. The transportation services which comprise buses, train, ferry, underground and tunnel lines are operated by Mersey Travel in an efficient way. For information about the routes, timetables and fare you can follow the link: http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/ There are several passes which provide cheaper transportation within the city. The “Saveaway Ticket” provides unlimited transportation within Liverpool and surrounding area for 24 hours. A ticket that covers the Liverpool area costs £3.20. If you want to take an extensive sightseeing tour around Liverpool, then you can purchase the ticket covering all the Mersey area costing £4.30. Saveaway passes can be purchased at the railway stations, travel centres, ticket agencies in corner shops and at some of the libraries. Live Smart pass, provides free public transportation as well as rides on City Explorer Bus tour and free entrance to some of the top attractions in the city. The pass is valid for 3 days and it costs £24.99. For further information you can visit the website: http://www.livesmart.biz/ Key events in Liverpool Liverpool Comedy Festival (Annual May/June) Liverpool Comedy Festival is an event which celebrates anything funny, showcasing numerous funny performances in various venues throughout the city Liverpool Lord Mayor's Parade (Annual, June) One of the most important events in Liverpool, Liverpool Lord Mayor's Parade is a spectacular event featuring costumed performers and thousands of people lined the streets of Liverpool marching behind the mayor’s horse-drawn carriage. Africa Oye (Annual, June) Africa Oye is the UK’s biggest festival celebrating African music and culture. Brouhaha International Street Festival (Annual, July/August) Brouhaha International Street Festival is one of the friendliest, most colourful and exciting festivals in the UK featuring music, dance, drama and street arts performed in various venues around the city. International Beatles Week (Annual, August) This is an extensive event during which The Beatles fans from all over the world come in the city of Liverpool to celebrate the music of this legendary band. The event features live entertainment as well as art exhibitions, concerts, flea markets, tours and an auction. Liverpool Biennial (Annual, September/November) This is one of the leading contemporary visual art events in the country featuring various displays of works of art by leading international artists. Bonfire Night Fireworks Displays (Annual, November) Held at Sefton Park, Walton Hall Park and Newsham Park Bonfire Night is a colourful event which fills the city with a festive atmosphere.

Book your Liverpool hotel online with Gtahotels.com and get the best rates for your Liverpool accommodation

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

Travel with the Commodore Amiga!

Ok, hands up...This is not strictly travel related, but for anyone who remembers the classic COMMODORE AMIGA - Here is a photograph for you to swoon over - My first and only love. I took this photograph at the Koç Museum in Istanbul last month, unfortunately for me the AMIGA was safely tucked behind glass, fortunately for the Rami Koç museum the glass saved their exhibit! Tempted by the opportunity to see the AMIGA once again? Who remembers Monkey Island? Lemmings?.... http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr/ Book your Istanbul hotel online and get the best rates for your ıstanbul accommodation.

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