HOT DESTINATIONS CRACOW Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) is one of the largest medieval market squares in Europe. It is dominated by the 16th-century Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), which continues to perform its role as a trading centre with lively market stalls and pavement cafés in and around the building. The surrounding lanes of the Stare Miasto (Old Town) are ringed by the Planty, a leafy, linear park that follows the line of the Old Town walls. Wawel Hill, to the south, is home to Wawel Castle, the seat of Polish kings from the 11th to the early 17th century. There is enough to see here to occupy at least a day or two, including the Castle itself, the State Rooms, Treasury and Armoury, Royal Tombs and Wawel Cathedral. Cracow is very easy to navigate on foot as most of the main sights are located within the Planty or Stare Miasto (Old Town). Relaxing in a pavement café here is a good way to get acquainted with the city. Ten minutes’ walk from Wawel is the district of Kazimierz, southeast of the Old Town, where the city’s sizeable Jewish population used to prosper before the Nazis arrived. On the other bank of the sleepy Wisla River (Vistula River), is the old wartime Jewish ghetto of Podgorze, an area which has received an ever-growing number of visitors since the movie Schindler’s List was made. EUROPE’S NEWEST – HIP CITY HANOI, VIETNAM Moving to sights more modern, visit the colonial Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s house and take a sombre walk through the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Other places of interest include the Army and History Museums. Whilst the infamous ‘Hanoi Hilton’, Hoa Lo Prison, has been redeveloped into a modern office complex, a small section of the prison has been restored and is open to the public as a museum. Any visit to Hanoi is incomplete without a visit to see the world famous Water Puppets. Hanoi boasts a wide varied range of top quality and inexpensive restaurants and cafes, as well as western style bars. Shopping bargains include DVDs, paintings, silk cloth, clothing made to measure, beautiful hand embroideried cotton, lacquer ware and Asian antiques. Melia Hotel Melia Hanoi is in the centre of Hanoi near cultural and tourist attractions. The 5 Star Melia Hanoi is an international deluxe hotel with 306 deluxe rooms, 68 of which are Executive Suites. All the guest rooms are comfortable and nicely equipped, bathrooms with bath and shower, hair dryer, telephone with IDD and fax line, voice mail and message light, alarm clock, central air-conditioning with individual control, TV and radio, well stocked mini bar, complimentary coffee and tea making facilities and safe deposit box. BEEN THERE TOO! We have travelled the length of Vietnam and have great travel industry connections there, we can organise a wonderful Vietnam experience for you - call now (02) 9569 1197 or email info@alburykenttravel.com.au EXOTIC MAURITIUS Mauritius is a beautiful lush green island covered in sugar cane with stunning white sandy beaches, a fabulous and safe holiday destination. The easy going Mauritian people are an exotic and interesting mix of Indian, Chinese, African and Franco Mauritians – descendants of French colonialists. On the whole friendly welcoming and easy going. The island is easy to get around, the capital Port Louis well worth a visit as is Grand Baie a shopping and tourist centre. The food is fresh and very good. Wines, mostly South African with some French are reasonably priced, the local beer is also good. Shopping is great value for money with relaxed bargaining in markets selling local handicrafts, pashminias, jewellery as well as African batiks and Indian imports. Be sure to try the famous vanilla tea and many varieties of aged flavoured rum. “A recent visit to Mauritius to inspect hotels yielded some welcome surprises. We arrived at our first hotel to fabulous African drumming and “de Sabreur” a tradition at Naiade hotels – opening a champagne bottle with a sword! This honour was mine and nervously I was guided through the process by a friendly waiter. On the second try I got it, cork and a large chunk of bottle flying into the garden, champagne never tasted so good!” NAIADE HOTELS ARE STUNNING! Legends Hotel Les Pavilions Beau Rivage OUR FAVOURITE! PRAGUE The 'Royal Road' - past route of major processions - is the main tourist route across Prague beginning at the Powder Gate in Namesti Republiky, and continuing along Celetna to the Old Town Square. From there passes the Astronomical Clock and winds along Karlova to the Charles Bridge. Crossing the bridge it follows Mostecka through Mala Strana to the Baroque square at Malostranske Namesti. Streets off the square lead to the long climb of stairs to the Castle. Namesti republiky, with its magnificent Municipal House, Na prikope leads to Wenceslas Square, the hub of shopping and nightlife. Museums and galleries are scattered throughout the city, and even the suburbs. Be sure to leave time to wander and get a bit lost among the cobblestone lanes and you will come across a great jazz bar, a fantastic restaurant or pub. With the food you have to be a bit adventurous, we tried a dish call pivni syr s ruznym druhem koreni, which takes less time to eat than pronounce. It’s a whole lot of different ingredients in small piles on a plate, made up of special beer cheese, chopped raw onion, sardines and lots of spices. The idea is to mix it all together and eat it with rye bread. Wash it down with dark Czech beer, or shots of Becherovka (similar to scotch but made with herbs). It’s still reasonably cheap to eat in the Czech Republic and a beer costs about 75 cents a glass. Most people speak English. Prague is a good shopping city. The area around the old town square is a labyrinth of cobblestone streets and Gothic-style buildings crammed with touristy shops, selling everything from puppets, wooden toys and hand painted Russian dolls to tiny glass trinkets. If you’re after Czech glasswear and more expensive amber jewellery, head towards Wenceslas Square. EUROPE’S GROOVIEST CITY |