Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril or Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril in French is one of the premier rides at Disneyland Paris, and with the launch of the latest blockbuster film The Kingdom of the Crystal Scull the ride is even more popular than ever. Unlike the American and Japanese Indiana Jones ride which is set in an amazing indoor sound stage the Temple of Peril is an outdoor thrilling roller coaster adventure where brave travellers hop aboard a runaway mine train through the Temple of Peril. The 1968 feet track has a maximum height of 52 feet above the ground and the experience lasts 1 minute 30 and rival’s the other huge Adventureland ride The Pirates of the Carrbbean for both fun and excitement and was one of the rides which helped kick start Disneyland Paris after it’s less than successful start as Eurodisney in the early 1990’s.
St Kilda is a seaside suburb of Melbourne Australia and is home to two of the city’s most iconic buildings Luna Park amusement park and the Palais Theatre. When built in 1927the theatre was one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and was used primarily for a picture theatre but today it is used for live performances hosting some of the world’s biggest names, they have included the likes of the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and INXS who used the theatre in their Listen Like Thieves video clip. The building is one of Australia’s finest examples of Art Deco and has been placed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The building is planned to be restored to it’s former glory as part of a controversial redevelopment of the area surrounding the theatre. Read the rest of this entry »
Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is one of the most spectacular bay’s in the world. The bay a UNESCO World Heritage Site features thousands of limestone islands and outcrops covered in thick vegetation. Being only 185 km north of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi it is only a 4-5 hour journey to see this amazing place. The best way to see the islands is on the water, there are plenty of tour operators ranging from traditional junks to luxurious cruisers. Some of the cruise companies will stop at different islands so you can see the grottos and caves up close. Make sure you do your home work as prices and quality of tours can vary. Your hotel should be able to put you on the right track. Local folk laws say that the islands are a result of dragons descending from the heavens and spitting jewels of jade into the sea, its not hard to see why the place is spectacular. Once back on dry land visit the Halong Bay night markets, this is the best place for a cheap meal and some souvenirs, like laquerware, chopsticks and other trinkets – make sure you bargain- start at about 50% of the starting price- it’s all part of the fun. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hong Kong tramways has been operating for over 100 years and has the world’s largest fleet of double decker trams. There are only six tram routs and the total lenght of tracks only totals 30 km but the tramways carry and amazing 240,000 people per day accross there 161 trams. Stops are around 250 metres on average and there are 123 stops on the network. The trams offer a quick and cheap way to see some of Hong Kong island, One great trip is out to Happy Valley the city’s racecourse you can visit the racing museum or if its a race day have a flutter. The Central Admiralty & Wan Chai line offers easy access to many of the Hong Kong sights including Central District skyscrapers, Statue Square, the Ocean Terminal and the Zoo and Botanical gardens which are a great place to enjoy a relaxing stroll and a picnic- and best of all its’s free. The trams operate from 6am to midnight and at only $2 HK for any stop you like you won’t find a better bargain in Hong Kong other than the Star Ferry. Read the rest of this entry »
We all love the King of Rock and Roll but there’s so much more to Memphis than Elvis, and there’s plenty of other great music. One place where you can find it is B B King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. B. B. King is one of the legends of the Blues and he now has three of these amazing clubs, the original here in Memphis, another in country music capital Nashville and the other in the home of theme parks Orlando Florida. There’s three things to do at B.B. Kings- Eat, Drink and Dance. The menu is great Creole Cuisine and plenty of it- ribs, steaks, bbq and fried chicken and gumbo- just what you need to build up your energy to dancing to the best music Memphis has to offer. Many big names play at the club and the resident bands are sensational, it’s one of the best nights out you could ever have.
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood would have to be the most famous and most recognisable theatre in the world. Opening in 1927 on Hollywood Boulevard the theatre still today is used by many huge blockbuster opening screenings, even it’s first film was a opening screening Cecil B DeMille’s The King of Kings. The theatre has even been a host of 2 Academy Award ceremonies. Many tourists flock to the court in front of the theatre to see the dozens of celebrity cement blocks which have signatures, feet and hand prints of many of Hollywood’s biggest names. Today the theatre is owned by the huge Warner Bros and Paramount Picture companies and recently was restored to its former glory.
If you know your geography you will know that LA and New York are on the opposite ends of the US. So a road trip across the country will take you around 7 days, like it did for the guys in the video above. They have video taped their trip and condensed it into a time lapse video of 4 minutes that is kinda cool. so sit back watch and enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »
The Irish love their whiskey nearly as much as they love their beer and potatoes and Jameson one of Ireland’s most popular drops has a magnificent distillery experience for anyone traveling around the Cork area. The Old Distillery in Midleton on the banks of the Dungourney River is home to the Jameson Experience. Not only does the distillery have a great gift shop where you can purchase a few bottles and some pretty cool memorabilia they have a tour of the distillery with plenty to see and learn. You will see how whiskey is produced from grain to the years of maturing in wooden kegs and you will even get to sample a drop or two at the beautiful old bar. The Jameson Experience is in Midleton which is about 18 km from Cork, there is also the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin which has a visitors centre.
Well Prince Regent who later went on to become King George IV knew how to live it up. He had a bit of gout so his physician advised him to get a bit of seawater, so after ‘slumming it’ in a rented farmhouse he decided to commission a Royal pavilion for his seaside retreat. Now the designers and builders didn’t build him a little fibro holiday house instead they built him what is probably the most spectacular palace in all of the British Empire. The building’s designer was John Nash who used themes from India and the sub continent while the interior was even more over the top, with Chinese, Indian and Islamic influences it was designed by Frederick Crace. The pavilion is a popular spot for wedding and up market functions and exhibitions. The pavilion is open to the public and special tours of the amazing complex can be arranged. Read the rest of this entry »
The Sofitel Hotel in Melbourne offers one of the best views of the city while you are doing your business. Huge panoramic windows offer spectacular views of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and a magnificent view of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and sporting precinct from the 35th floor. The 5 star 363 room hotel makes up the upper floors of the Collins Place twin towers which design was inspired by the World Trade Centre in New York. The Towers are also home to major tenants ANZ Bank and has a host of theatres, boutiques, bars and cafes at the basement underneath a huge glass and steel canopy. Read the rest of this entry »
