vanhal travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

China’s boom-town capital, seat of the Forbidden City and home to more than 14 million people, opens its gates to the world as host of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008. Book your tickets for the August 8th – 24th, 2008 spectacular, at which more than 200 countries – the most for any games in history – are set to compete. Some wonder whether Beijing will, like Athens, struggle to finish building all the new stadiums and transport systems on time. These people have never seen the Chinese work. Bank on it being ready a year early. It’s too soon to know which athletes and events to look out for, but American swim-star Michael Phelps, the Romanian girls gymnastic team and the African distance runners are sure to put on a show. Don’t be surprised to find the Chinese have mastered basketball, baseball, soccer and rowing in the interim too.
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If you go to Kuwait don’t miss to visit the Kuwait Towers. The Towers are located on Arabian Guilf. They are one of tha most famous attractions in the State of Kuwait.The Monuments were designed by a Swedish group and were built in 1975.
On the inside things are less retro-futuristic, the tallest of the three contains a restaurant and a cafeteria alongside a revolving observation deck. The remaining sphere has a more practical use, acting as a water reservoir which supplies the businesses and residences of the city below. The other sphere-less spike, the minor tower, helps to illuminate its taller siblings.
The highest point is 120 meters.Full rotation every half an hour.From on the top you can view the great area surrounding the towers.
Working Time if from 9:00 a.m. to 23:30 p.m.

Part retail store, part television screen, the glass facade of the Chanel store in Tokyo’s swanky Ginza district lights up the night sky with 700,000 embedded LEDs. The massive display can project footage of fashion show runway scenes or an electronic version of Chanel’s iconic black-and-white tweeds on a larger-than-life scale. The electronic mille-feuille can also transform from see-through to opaque, thanks to a combination of 3,675 square feet of canvas scrim and electronically controlled privacy glass.
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Dongtan is a new city planned for the island of Chongming, near Shanghai. The city should be open, with accommodation for 50,000, by the time the Expo 2010 opens in Shanghai. By 2040, the city is slated to be one-third the size of Manhattan. Dongtan is the first of up to four slated “eco-cities” to be designed and built in China by Arup, a British company. The cities are planned to be ecologically friendly, with zero-greenhouse-emission transit and complete self-sufficiency in water and energy.Ecologically sensitive design will be a key element of the masterplan.
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The building probably featured on more postcards than any other contemporary building. Even the whole area, the Flatiron district, was named after the building. Originally the Flatiron building featured an observatory on the top floor, but taller buildings have taken over this function. It is still however a popular tourist attraction, and one of the most photographed landmarks in New York.The Flatiron Building was constructed between 1901 and 1903 at the intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenue, at the time one of the most prominent sites. It is located near Madison Square at the end of the Ladies Mile, one of Manhattan’s most important shopping districts at the turn of the 19th century.
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For millions of people, not only in New York but around the world, Madison Square Garden is more than an arena. It symbolizes the very best in sports and entertainment, earning the Garden the moniker, “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” Madison Square Garden occupy nearly 1,000,000 square feet in the heart of New York City and play host to more than 600 events. On February 11, 1968, the current Madison Square Garden opened its doors and has been creating irreplacable memories ever since.In addition to sports and special events, Madison Square Garden provides convention and office facilities. The facility can seat 20,000 for meetings, conventions or product launches.
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New York, New York what a wonderful place and the Empire State is no exception. Visit in the late afternoon and stay until after sunset to enjoy the magic of the Big Apple.The elevator ride leaves your stomach somewhere on the 33rd floor of this 89 storey building. When you get to the top and step out, you realize how high you are because it’s really cold and windy. There’s absolutely no way you could fall off because they’ve got wire fences everywhere, which is annoying for taking photos. Looking over is seriously scary even though you’re safe.
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The dune bashing or desert driving continues as you enjoy the dunes actually bashing, then with the thrill of going up and down the dunes provoke many a screem and laughter full of excitemen.
Dune bashing is to Dubai what skateboarding is to Venice Beach – just with higher-priced equipment. Hair raising thrill rides in 4×4 jeeps over miles of towering sand dunes, the fun starts when your Arab driver lets a little air out of the tires and instructs you to strap yourself in. Suddenly you’re off, zooming over swollen sands like a boat on stormy waves. The jeep rises, sinks and spins, sand spraying against the car windows like dense brown water. Add a pumping soundtrack of Eastern beats and you are in for the ride of your life.
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Every king’s dream, Versailles was the residence of the French king and the cultural heartbeat of Europe for about 100 years — until the Revolution of 1789 ended the notion that God deputized some people to rule for Him on Earth. Louis XIV spent half a year’s income of Europe’s richest country turning his dad’s hunting lodge into a palace fit for a divine monarch. Louis XV and Louis XVI spent much of the 18th century gilding Louis XIV’s lily. In 1837, about 50 years after the royal family was evicted, King Louis Philippe opened the palace as a museum. Europe’s next-best palaces are Versailles wannabes.Versailles is more than a palace, it’s a symbol – of absolute monarchy, of the excess that brought about a revolution. Occupying a pleasant Parisian suburb, the chateau is one of the city’s top tourist destinations and with good reason.The park and gardens are a joy in their own right, elaborately landscaped with grand fountains and central canal; stand on the terrace, with the palace behind you, and soak up a view fit for a Sun King.
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Some time ago,a group of open-minded people found the most beautiful moon was in Koh Phagan. They arranged a party along the well-shaped beach of Haad Rin to celebrate the Full Moon night. From then on,tourists all around the world come to join the celebration.
It’s a no holds barred, no shoes required dance fest on the beach come rain, hail or shine. Check out the vid shot the next morning when the party’s still going strong even if a few players look a little unsteady on their feet.
It is of course known as the Full Moon Party. International and Thai DJ’s are making the crowd go wild. Paint yourself in UV colors and let your body lose control. The DJ’s play all kinds of music; Techno, Trance, Goa, D&B, Dub, Reggae, Commercial hits, House etc. There are many small tables on the beach where you can sit down with your friends or meet new ones. You can order drinks and food from the restaurants and the bars next to the beach.
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