Travel Shanghai China, An amazing city.

I live, work, play in Shanghai, China’s largest city, largest port; a city of 16 million people, (many millions more during holidays and festivals), a city wanting to be the biggest, best and most important in the world.

If you had been able to Travel Shanghai 10 years ago, and returned today, you would see a very, very different city. Shanghai today is a modern, 21st Century city, with tall, new shiny buildings, amazing nightlights, a wonderland.

Finding the old sights and sounds of the old city is becoming more difficult as the city’s rapid development produces almost instant change, almost everywhere.

Shanghai is a Chinese city of surprises: - a bizarre, and sometimes brutal, colonial history (British, French, American, Italian, Japanese) and dark days exploited as an Opium trade hub. Mix that with ancient Chinese culture and today we have a city urgently trying to leave its colourful past behind and which will soon be compared, in class and elegance, with any major city in the world.

When you Travel Shanghai China, you will quickly notice it is the power-house of China, the money-making machine that drives the Chinese economy continually forward.

Shanghai is usually a business destination. However if you are coming for a China vacation, or traveling through on the way to somewhere else, Travel Shanghai China has some must-see experiences and is a good way to introduce yourself to the wonders and difficulties of Travel in China.

There is still a lot for the visitor to see and do in Shanghai. Bars, Clubs, Business, the incredible skyline of beautiful tall buildings as far as you can see. The 21st century architecture. However, the truth be told, when you Travel Shanghai China, the city itself does not have a lot of cultural feel about it. Shanghai is the financial center of China.

I could talk all day about what great fun it is to live here; it’s a lively vibrant place that moves at an extraordinarily fast pace. I will cover some of the highlights but you need to see and feel the place personally to fully appreciate it.

Some Shanghai Highlights

• The beautiful colonial-style buildings along the river; an area called the “Bund” where these remarkable buildings from old European days are marvelously lit up at night, and have been beautifully restored; the contrast between the Old and the New is quite a sight.

• The most famous shopping street and lighting effects in China, Nanging Rd, is just a short walk from the Bund.

• The famous Xintain Di district: - this area is the social hub of Shanghai, the very best in chic and style, expensive cars, fine wine, the best restaurants, a very happening place.

• At the southern end of another famous shopping street, Huai Hai Rd, is an area known as the “French Concession”, where peaceful tree-lined streets with wonderful colonial-style villas would make you think you were actually in Europe.

• A must thing to see and do, is to visit the viewing platform at the top of the Jin Mao Tower, the third highest building on earth, the tallest with an hotel inside (the Hyatt). This stunning building is 89 stories high and the view of the city from the top is spectacular.

A very special treat is to have a buffet dinner at the Hyatt on the 53rd level, then go up to the bar on the 89th floor and enjoy a drink and the view, which at night will amaze you.

• Shop !!! There are Antique markets, Bird and Bug markets, Commodity markets, Clothes and Fabric markets, local markets and a very famous market where you can buy all the world’s best brand names, at amazingly low prices.

Shanghai is a shopper’s heaven, come with a small suitcase and leave with a big one.

Secret Treasures

If you come to Travel Shanghai China and have time, just outside the city, one or two hours on a bus are some real treats. Would you like to see tranquil lakes?… beautiful Chinese gardens?… ancient villages?

Here are a few places that are very close to Shanghai which can often be overlooked when one comes to Shanghai. These cities, towns and villages are the real deal and a must-see adventure.

Just an hour by local bus is Zhujiajiao, About two hours away by bus or train is Suzhou, as well as Hangzhou. As I grow this site, I will add places that are more interesting.

Enjoy Shanghai…I do!!

John Mckenna
http://www.Travel-the-Real-China.com

The official web-site of the River Chateau Hotel, four stars luxury hotel in Rome, changes.

A brand new image on line for the River Chateau Hotel, Via Flaminia 520 in Rome, thanks to a restyling of its web-site.

Yellow and gold in the new version with titles and links in Bordeaux.

Above header and logo and a particular view of an outside fountain for a welcome to the Lobby. In the centre a slide show with the Hotel’s common areas and the staff.

In the home page a panoramic view of the Hotel: the Lobby and the Restaurant American Bar Manhattan Caffè, the three kind of rooms available ( Junior Suite , Double Executive and Presidential Suite ), The Brasini and Flaminia meeting rooms for business events.

Again in home page informations regarding happenings in Rome, news, info and a slide show of Vips that have chosen the River Chateau Hotel for their roman stay.

The map of the web site has been changed to allow a better navigation in the pages through which you have a panoramic view of the Hotel.

Beside the Gallery a particular attention has been given to Rome local attractions especially the ones in the Hotel’s area: pictures and texts of Olympic Theatre, Olympic Stadium , Flaminio Stadium , Auditorium, Farnesina Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the residential “VIP” area of Via Flaminia, and much more.

The web site is available in Italian and in English.

Refined and elegant Hotel in Rome where everything has been cured in the smallest detail.

That Monaco is crowded with celebrities is no piece of news. Since 1869, when the personal income tax policy became favorable, Monaco attracted very many individuals with high net income, such as movie stars, sporting stars etc. who became residents of the Principality in order to benefit from personal income tax exemption.

Take, for instance, Roger Moore, Shirley Bassey, Ringo Starr, Karen Mulder, Eva Herzigova, the race drivers Jacques Villeneuve, David Coulthard, Jenson Button.

But the number of celebrities is far outnumbered by the number of business people who enjoy the country’s tax facilities: the retail tycoon Philip Green and the Barclay brothers are Monegasque residents.

Being a resident of Monaco implies proving you have a place to live and are rich enough to afford a very high standard way of life. And I mean really rich, as a place to live in the apartment blocks jammed into two square kilometres, either rented or bought, is extremely high.

Keeping residency implies proving you live in Monaco at least 6 months and a day per year. If you are rich, the advantage of being a Monaco resident is that, besides enjoying a sunny, pleasant climate, you can live at the same time in another country. The Principality is very close to main airports and is also easily reachable by sea, by car or by train. Thus, being a Monaco resident and working in another country is not only possible but it’s easy especially speaking of UK citizens: laws in UK permit a maximum stay of 90 days (without counting the day of departure and that of arrival!) for non-residents. Many UK business people reside in Monaco and work in the UK without surpassing the 90 days limit so that they are subject to Monaco lawas for taxation.

Having attracted so many rich resulted in a conflict of interests: many countries disapprove of this taxation policy, looking at it as an evasion from taxes in their national area. And not entirely wrongly! In fact, Monaco has been “tax-cheating” a little by attracting capital from the high tax countries.

Looking at the issue from the perspective of the Principality, seems to me only right to try and succeed to evolve with the few means and resources a state so small has. Monaco developed from one of the poorest countries in the world (in the 1860s) into a state with one of the world’s highest per capita income (around EUR22,000). And it was possible due to a strategic leadership of a resourceless country. It is after the territory was drastically reduced that this personal income tax policy came into being. Attracting foreign capital become one of the main targets for development. That’s how the Casino became grand and famous and emphasis was put on tourism, being raised at luxury levels.

After the individual taxation regulations, in 1963 the Principality came with another financial artifice: no tax for local company profits or dividends. Thus the target was to enhance local business flourishing. This stipulation combined with an almost hermetic data privacy did nothing else than to increase even more foreign investments in Monaco.

So, from the point of view of big economic powers, Monaco should be punished, and so deserves any country daring to offer a better taxation alternative, putting at a disadvantage their high-tax based economy. The OECD has a project on “harmful tax practices” stipulating a set of punitive measures for the non-cooperating jurisdictions.

Invoking money laundering and international terrorism tracking, many OECD governments promote a policy of free information exchange that has as main purpose limiting the tax competition, beyond the intention to limit tax evasion and to combat serious crime.

Estimated negative results of OECD policy:

* Eliminating tax competition would result in uniformizing taxes to the amount dictated by some governments. Without the possibility of choosing a better alternative, there is no reason for governments to reduce taxes and make the tax system more efficient.

* This policy would change the present status of emigrants that pay taxes only to their new country and would promote the premise that the state still has a right to benefit from its former national labour. This sounds to me like a violation of fundamental human rights.

Although in 2004 still on the OECD black list of the tax policy non-cooperating jurisdictions, Monaco has changed its policy regarding the high confidentiality of financial data in the light of the expected, recent admission to the Council of Europe (Monaco joined the Europe Council on October 5, 2004 ). Modifications to legislation:

* October 2001: French citizens living in Monaco since 1989 must pay a wealth tax beginning with 2002.

* Information on French nationals are to be unconditionally provided to the Bank of France when required. Information may be passed on to the authorities of France or of a third country if necessary.

* 2004: Under EU’s Savings Tax Directive, Monaco will impose a witholding tax on the returns on savings such as bank interests earned by EU citizens. The tax quantum will be the same as in Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg (initially 15%). 75% of such revenues will be handed over to the Member State of the respective EU resident. This will be applied beginning with 2005.

* December 2000: Monaco signs the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime. The treaty stipulates that its members do not permit anonymous accounts requiring identification of customers. Banks must keep accurate records of accounts and report any suspicious transaction. Moreover, the domestic law enforcement officials are permitted inspection of accounts.

With all these measures, it seems that Monaco’s attraction as a personal income tax haven will decrease. It remains to be seen how all these measures will affect Monaco financial and banking system after becoming operative.

Who has never heard anything about German roads? I think, almost everybody who has ever touched a car, has also heard fairy tales about German roads. And those fairy tales are partly true stories. Because these roads are really good, but not always.

Of course, if you hear about German roads, you probably listen to stories about so called “autobahn” highways. These are actually wide built highways with minimum 2 lanes and one separate emergency lane on the right. Some of these roads were built at the beginning of the past century. The both sides of the road are equipped with guardrail and sometimes, when the highway goes through or nearby the urban areas – with plastic fences to isolate people living in the area from noise. The guardrail separating the driving directions is often combined with special bushes or plastic shields to protect the driver from getting blind because of the traffic lights.

The most interesting moment in those highways is that actually there are no speed limits on them. I mean, if there is no speed limit active right now, you could actually drive as fast as your vehicle can, of course, if it does not result harm to the other traffic participants. In fact, there are not so many places where you could drive at unlimited speed, because there are always some intervals of the highways, where a speed limit is necessary and after it’s cancellation there are usually only some kilometers to drive without any limitations and after that – again you should slow down.

But there are some pieces of road especially beloved by the owners of “charged” cars, where the number of lanes is 3 and there is no speed limit for several dozens of kilometers. Some of those drivers come specially to have some moments of pleasure there, driving at 250 km/h or more. Of course, such racers are surely interesting to watch, especially if you drive in your average car in the second lane with your maximum 200 and somebody takes you over as if you were just staying. Or another type of adrenaline lovers, which force you to have an adrenaline boost even more as themselves – motorcycle riders. On such “unlimited” ranges they are unbelievably fast. Imagine the same situation, you are in the second lane and are trying to get 210 out of your 120 horsepower and 1400 kg of weight and you actually do not succeed it. And then you hear “whoosh”. At first you don’t understand what has happened. After a couple of such “whooshes” in a sunny day, you will be able to notice for a millisecond a figure on two wheels. That was a sport-biker having fun with his 300 or more km/h. Imagine what happens if you will try to takeover a slow car in the second lane and you’ll change the lane to the third without looking at the mirror and the biker is also quick enough not to succeed slowing down.

Another interesting type of roads in Germany are so-called “landstrasse”-roads, that are connecting districts and small towns. Normally there is a speed limit of 100 km/h, often limited with explicit signs to 70. These roads have usually lots of curves. And if you use fully the allowed speed, you’ll feel yourself like a racing pilot while handling those curves with squeaking tires. And again those crazy bikers. They are having of course more pleasure while racing through those curves over the speed limit. Some of such ranges are even prohibited for motorcycles if there is another way to use. So, don’t miss this pleasure while traveling to Germany and have a nice trip.

Traveling to unfamiliar destinations can bring to you the sort of troubles you do not want to experience while on the road namely: robbery, rape, or murder. Tourists often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a trip. Let’s examine some things you should do to prevent your travels from becoming a tragedy:

1. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company’s address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well.

2. Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle.

3. Carry important papers with you; NEVER check anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver’s license and credit cards.

4. Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you’ll suddenly be “in the dark” and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. At night, keep your flashlight by your bed.

5. Make sure that your prescription medicines are filled properly and labeled accurately. In some countries certain prescription medicines are forbidden.

6. Never wear anything that projects affluence. No gold chains, expensive watches and rings, luggage, or other paraphernalia should be in easy view. Better yet: leave your jewelry at home.

7. If possible travel with only one or two credit cards.

8. Women particularly should never accept a drink from a stranger. Keep an eye on your drink at all times.

9. Vary your schedule; try not to come and go at the same time everyday.

10. Only stay in a hotel that uses cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock. Secure the chain and secure the door by pushing a rubber stop under it.

11. Stay in a room near a stairwell. Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Always stay in a hotel where the doors enter the hallway and not directly from the outside.

12. Do not wear name tags in public.

13. Do not use unmarked taxi cabs.

14. Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.

15. Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.

16. If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.

17. Be aware of ’staged’ car accidents meant to catch you off card.

18. Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.

19. Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.

20. If your cell phone does not work outside of the country, consider renting one that does for the duration of your trip.

21. If detained for whatever reason by an official, ask for identification. If in doubt, tell them that you want to see his superior. Keep your emotions in check.

22. If traveling with children, bring along an updated photograph of each child in the event that you become separated from them.

23. Write your child’s name and your hotel number on each card; include a close friend’s or relative’s contact information on the card. Give a card to each child which they will carry with them as long as you are away. Destroy once home.

24. Discuss with your family what they would do in event of an emergency while away from home, e.g. whom to call, how to contact emergency personnel, etc.

25. Do not discuss travel plans, your room number or any other personal information in public within earshot of strangers.

26. Bring along a basic first aid kit with bandages, iodine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, alcohol packets, dramamine, pepto bismol, diarrhea medicine, etc.

27. Familiarize yourself with train and bus schedules before traveling. Have an alternate plan in place in the event your transportation plans change.

28. Do not flash your passport in public. Discreetly show important documents to officials only.

29. Consider purchasing portable alarms that emit a loud sound.

30. Watch for scams on the street. Children working with adults are notorious as pickpockets.

31. Never flash your money in public. Exchange funds with reputable and recognized exchangers only.

32. Have tips ready in advance for service personnel.

33. Consider renting an escort [security] service if traveling in areas where crime is high.

The key to safe traveling in any area is situational awareness. Distractions because of luggage, children, hotel personnel, strangers, etc. can put you at risk. Know your surroundings and stay in control of every situation.

Are you looking to escape on a vacation but don’t want to spend all your hard-earned cash or rack up your credit card account? Well, do not fear, you are not alone! Thanks to several amazing online discount travel sites, a great vacation has never been more affordable! This is your best bet to find the latest discount travel deals. Firstly, begin your search by checking out www.expedia.com, www.hotwire.com, www.cheaptickets.com, www.orbitz.com, www.travelzoo.com, or any number of sites where you can find discount travel deals.

Don’t forget if you’re a AAA member you can consult their travel department for exclusive offerings also, of which some are not available through other travel agencies, such as member only guided tours etc. Travelers belonging to members-only travel coops, such as those operated by various resort and time share companies can also avail discount travel deals.

For those who want to travel to a specific destination or during a limited time frame, then start searching as soon as possible, but don’t necessarily book the first thing you see. If you start looking around early, there are some great discount travel deals to be found. Or you can opt to visit various air carriers to browse fare specials that may not be posted on the other travel sites. Of course one can sign up for email notification of special offers from any of these sites, so you don’t miss out on any last minute discount travel deals.

For those who are not restricted to certain travel dates and have more flexibility, then you will have a greater chance of finding even better discount travel deals. Generally off season rates are much more affordable to a number of popular destinations, but this shouldn’t prevent you from going. For instance, Colorado mountain lodges and resorts, offer just as much recreation and entertainment during the summer months as during the peak of the ski season, but at a much lower rate.

There really are some awesome discount travel deals out there; the penny-wise traveler just has to look for them. If you are planning on a family vacation to Disneyland or a romantic Caribbean cruise, make sure to find just what you want at an affordable price. A good tip would be to start shopping around early, and compare what’s out there, so that you’ll recognize a discount travel deal when you see it. Don’t forget to read all the fine print and take note of any restrictions that apply to make sure that it really is a discount travel deal!

Spain is the largest of the three sovereign states that make up the Iberian Peninsula; Portugal and Andorra being the other two. Located in southwestern Europe, it is bordered by Portugal in the west, Gibraltar in the south, and France in the northeast. It is a country rich in culture and charm, appealing to a variety of ages and personalities because of the countless things you can do while there. Spanish is the official language, although a lot of its people can understand and speak simple English. Its rich culture and striking views, warm people and delectable food make Spain a top tourist destination.

While in Spain?

Experience the exotic and amazing Moorish influence when in the Alhambra in Granada, a vast complex that occupies the city center showcasing the rich Moorish culture spiced by Spain?s very own. The Alhambra in Grenada is what a lot of people consider to be the best preserved Moorish palace in Europe.

Visit any of Frank Gehry’s masterpieces - the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the huge fish on Barcelona beach, the convention center in Malaga - all futuristic, contemporary and edgy, which are not only delightful to look at but are as tickling and inspiring as well.

Join the local village fiesta! Spanish culture is greatly influenced by Roman Catholicism which celebrates feast days of saints every so often. Although religious in nature, fiestas are actually enveloped in fun brought about by lively music, sumptuous feasts, colorful parades and fun get-togethers.

Taste the tapas, one of Spain’s delicacies that range from potato dishes, eggs, fish and seafood, stuffed vegetables, tortillas, savory pastries and are perfect when washed down by cold drinks in any of Spain’s tapas bars.

Tap your feet at the tune of Flamenco, a must do when in the Southern part of Spain.

Visit Salvador Dali’s surreal museum cum mausoleum in the northern part of Spain. Get to know other Spanish artists such as Diego Velasquez, Miro, Goya, Picasso?

Run with the bulls in Pamplona! Or better yet, watch from a safe distance.

Austria is a country that has a number of buildings in its cities and towns, which are remarkable for their architectural splendor. The buildings include churches, monasteries, fortresses, castles, palaces and museums.

If the buildings keep you awe struck for their magnificent architecture, the snow-capped peaks of the Alps invite you to play with nature. In Austria you could watch water cascading down in the triple level waterfall at Krimml, explore the largest ice caves near Salzburg, attend an orchestra in Vienna, visit the Mozart museum in Salzburg and appreciate art and architecture that reach Baroque perfection.

Skiing, the favorite past time of Austrians has resulted in the conversion of villages to skiing resorts. People from all over the world frequent skiing villages on the Alps. Austrian skiers rank top in the world and Innsbruck is a popular skiing destination and the snowboarding capital of Europe. Towns like Kitzbuhel are not only visited for skiing purposes but because it has become a party place and a meeting place for the high society. There is a very popular annual reindeer sled race held in Austria. This race is the best in the Europe.

Austria is a must visit country for the lovers of Mozart’s music. The cycle of musical festivals in Austria is unceasing. If it’s a lavish ball in January, its Shrovetide carnival in February a celebration of return of spring with masks and processions. Vienna International Festival in June and Slazburg festival in July offer arts and music programs respectively.

Ambassador hotel and Grand Hotel Wien are two five star hotels in Vienna. Schloss hotel IgIs and Europa Tyrol hotel are the two five star hotels in Innsbruck. Slazburg doesn’t have any five star hotel. But there are a number of 4 star and lower priced hotels to accommodate burgeoning number of tourists.

If you want to splurge a little on your next trip to Vegas consider pampering yourself with an upgrade from the standard hotel room to something a little more luxurious. Of course, the ultimate luxury experience is being comped by one of the hotels. This is where the casino puts you up in a nice suite or if you’re a High-Roller, or “Whale”, you can stay in suites that cost $10,000 or more a night. The only downside is you must agree to gamble a minimum amount of time at the high stakes tables.

If the average vacationer wants to live the life of luxury in Las Vega they must pay for it out of their own pocket but if you keep an eye on your gambling losses you could very well come out further ahead than if you would have gotten a free room.

Some of the finest hotels in the world can be found in Las Vegas and many of them are surprisingly affordable when compared to the price of major city hotel rooms like New York or Chicago:

The Bellagio

The most striking feature of the Bellagio is their famous fountains in front of the hotel. At set times each day and night a spectacular water show is performed that draws people from all over the Strip to watch. Boasting beautiful gardens, a world-class spa and fantastic shopping the Bellagio is also known for its gourmet restaurants and entertainment.

Depending on the time of year you might be able to get a suite for around $300 a night which includes his and her bathrooms. The men’s has a steam shower and the women’s has a whirlpool bath and of course robes and slippers are provided for after shower lounging.

The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons hotel chain is known the world over for luxurious accommodations and the Las Vegas property is no different. When I lived in Austin, TX I had two friends that worked at the local Four Seasons. One was the head of HR and the other was in charge of hotel maintenance so I was able to go into the “back of the house” a couple of times there and at the Dallas property.

One thing I took away from those experiences was that the guest’s happiness is the foremost thing on everyone’s minds and I’m sure that the Las Vegas property is no different.

From the calming quiet of this 5 star hotel to the beautiful room furniture and first class bedding you will not even feel like you are in Vegas unless you venture out. Children are welcomed with toys and other goodies and included in your room rate is full access to the pool, cabanas, spa and gym. The Four Seasons Las Vegas is also home to two fine dining establishments and a 24 hour business center is available.

The Ritz-Carlton

Another 5 star hotel, the Ritz has a championship 36 hole golf course, a spa and fitness center and fine dining available throughout the premises. They also have a unique program called “Ritz Kids” where trained staff watches your kids and keeps them engaged in a variety of fun activities while you are left to do your own thing.

For a real treat check out their Grand Canyon View Package that includes a room, a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon plus a gourmet picnic lunch. There are also less expensive packages available geared towards families like the Vegas Family Vacation where you get your fourth night free and the kids get free breakfast and lunch every day.

Every city has their well know luxury hotels but only in Las Vegas do you have such a variety to pick from. These and any of the new mega hotels that keep cropping up will surely give you a taste of the good life that you soon won’t forget.

In the last few years travel in Cambodia has become much less arduous than in years gone by with the continual improvement of the roads Buses taxis and “Motodops” (shortened to moto’s) are running at faster speeds and they are not the body shaking, teeth rattling odysseys anymore for the most part. The major exceptions would be the route from Poipet to Angkor Wat voted worst road in the world for over ten years and the overland route to Sihanoukville from Bangkok via Trat Thailand. With more tourism, which has been growing in double digits for many years now, the flights and air routes into Cambodia have more potential passengers, which have increased the competition, which has resulted in some of the cheapest flights in Cambodia in quite a while.

Cambodia buses both the mini bus and the big commercial busses are getting to be a higher quality, and new bus companies are forcing the older companies to improve their equipment in order to compete. Taxis like wise are improving as the western tourist demand a better quality, you can be fairly certain of getting a taxi that meets a minimum standard that is much improved from the old days. I remember one time that they had taken the seat belt and secured it behind the molding of the door frame, making it totally useless, this kind of modification was not unusual, nor was it unusual to be suffer from a massive headache in a mini bus due to sucking on exhaust fumes for hours on end from the open rear door.

“Moto’s” still tend to aggravate tourists mostly for the constant rip offs and now there is a lot of “took tooks” these guys are just as bad as the “touk touks” drivers in Bangkok and if you can avoid using one you will be that much happier on your travels.

In Cambodia cheap flights are now more common and there are more flights both within Cambodia as well as flight to the neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam and Singapore which serves as a regional hub for the discount flights.

As always in Cambodia remember to be vigilant when you travel if it seems wrong often times it is trust your intuition and do the smart thing.