Alanya Attractions

Alanya has a long list of tourist attractions to its credit. The place abounds in natural beauty and historical wealth. The city is full of Roman structures and Byzantine churches with intricate frescoes on them. Alanya is adorned by a 14th century citadel, which leads down to intriguing sea caves and grottoes. The Damlatus is a hot tourist destination. The caves are formed of curious shapes, stalactites and stalagmites with a unique humid atmosphere. Alaeddin Keykubat built the renowned Alanya fortress in 1229. It houses the palace, churches, the huge lantern, Seljuk baths and cisterns. The Red Tower is the most prominent symbol of the magnificent city of Alanya. This octagonal prism is 35 m high and built with red stones. It was originally used to guard the dock and has many historical remnants in it. The dockyard of Alanya is also of historical significance. The harbor of Alanya is a jovial place with little boats and many restaurants. You can take boat trips to the famous Fosforlu Magarasi Phosphorescent Cave, Apiklar Madarasi Lovers’ cave and Korsanlar Madarasi Pirates’ Cave. Apart from the Alanya Museum which house representations from the various cultures of ancient Turkey, the Seljuk ruins are just 5 km away. Aytap, Syedra and Alanya Incekum are other places of interest close to Alana. You can travel to these spots to enjoy ancient historic ruins, the inns of Serapsu and Alara, the fortress and many other remnants of erstwhile civilizations. The Dim River valley is also a spot of exquisite natural beauty.

Alanya Hotels ( Country in Turkey )

Alanya is the liveliest summer vacation destination of Turkey. Alanya is credited to be a perfect travel destination due to the versatile range of pleasures it can offer to tourists. Starting from smiting natural beauty, rich historical charm, modern facilities to loads of adventure - you name it; Alanya has it. The place teems with a gay atmosphere, jolly crowds buzzing around in beaches, streets, shops and hotels.nAlanya will prove to be an ideal choice for your summer travel. You will be welcomed by mesmerizing Mediterranean landscapes, magnificent Turkish traditions and historical wealth. A great promontory juts out to the sea dividing the beaches of Alanya into two neat parts. The Eastern beach and the Cleopatra beach are the precise places to laze around in luxurious sunshine enjoying the sea. The beaches are alive with vacationers holidaying all day long. Alanya also hosts the International Folklore Festival in August and you will find a general ambience of merriment in those times. Going around Alanya is easy with widely available public buses and taxis. Alanya is an exotic place and perfect for your summer tour. It promises you good food, a nice tan, a fabulous holiday and much more.

Children’s Activities ( Cairo Country)

Cairo is a big city that is home to several million families and as a result, it offers a good selection of children’s activities. As well as zoos and theme parks, there are also many spectacular sights for children to enjoy.

Cairo Tower
The Cairo Tower is renowned across the world for its revolving restaurant on the top floor. A lift is available to take guests up to the restaurant, or the more energetic can attempt to climb the hundreds of stairs. The views from the restaurant are stunning and even children will find they’re lost for words when they first see out of the window. The Nile, eastern Cairo and part of the desert can be seen from either the restaurant or the popular observation deck. The Pharonic Personal Analysis is almost as popular with children as the novel revolving restaurant. It provides Egyptian hieroglyphics on imitation papyrus and a personality analysis in both Arabic and Egyptian.

Cairo Zoo
The zoo at Giza is one of the most striking and beautiful zoos in the world. It can be found on the west bank of the Nile, overlooking Cairo University. It is home to many species of animals including a large number which are native to Africa but are now extinct in Egypt. Children delight in the sights on offer at the zoo and can learn about animal behaviour, as the zoo houses an institute dedicated to the study of captive animals’ behaviour.

Egyptian Antiquities Museum
This museum is one of Cairo’s leading attractions. Children are guaranteed to be impressed by the amount of gold that can be found in the Tutankhamun collection. They will also be amazed by the amount of rare and incredibly extravagant pieces of Egyptian jewellery. Eleven mummies can be found in one room of the museum, with some even being unwrapped so that visitors can see their faces. The museum contains enough exhibitions and information to keep children amused for hours.

Qanatar
Qanatar can be found within a 90-minute drive south of Cairo. It is a stunning island that is home to several amusement parks equipped with favourites, from fair rides to entertainment. The island is located in the middle of the Nile and is perfect for family picnics as well as relaxing while your kids chase a football, a Frisbee or each other. Traditional Victorian stone bridges can be found throughout the island, offering easy access to and from the mainland.

Cultural Activities

Cairo is renowned for its fascinating museums and stunning churches and mosques. The city was once the cultural capital of the world and much of that magic still remains.

Saint Mercurius Church
This stunning church was built in the 6^thcentury AD and was comprehensively restored in the 12^thcentury. It is known as the ‘Saint of the two Swords’ and is thought to be the only church in Cairo that still has its original foundations.

Egyptian Antiquities Museum
This impressive museum is housed in a neoclassical building and offers visitors the chance to see the world’s largest collection of Egyptian artefacts. There are over 100,000 items in total, so you will need to plan your trip carefully to make sure you get to see everything that you want to, as it is virtually impossible to see everything here in one day. In fact, it is said that if you were to spend just one minute looking at each item, you would still not have seen everything nine months later. It is wise to hire a museum guide to show you round. The famous Tutankhamun collection includes an enormous amount of gold and jewellery as well as beautiful ancient thrones. The Royal Mummy Room is home to 11 mummies, some of whom have their faces unwrapped for a better view. For more information contact: +205 796 9741

Egyptian Ethnological Museum
This museum is home to exhibitions which cover the activities and traditions in Cairo throughout the ages. Displays include village crafts, costumes and equipment as well as reconstructions of daily life in Cairo throughout the ages. For more information, telephone: +202 354 5450.

Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan
The Mosque is thought to be one of the largest buildings in the world which is dedicated to Islam. It was built between 1356 and 1363, out of stone from the pyramids at Giza. Between each of the sitting rooms (or liwans) are religious schools (madrassas). Visitors enter through a giant doorway which is an impressive piece of art in itself. It is a fascinating site and gives a real insight into Islamic beliefs and culture.

Museum of Islamic Art
The Museum of Islamic Art is both a fascinating and impressive selection of Islamic art and antiquities. The museum is home to more than 10,000 artefacts, making it impossible to fully experience everything on display here in just one day. Visitors will find displays from a wide range of Islamic periods that influenced Egypt. These include the Fatimid, Turkish and Persian periods. Phone: +202 390 9930

Pharaonic Village
This interactive museum allows visitors to fully experience what life would have been like in Pharaonic Egypt. Ancient Egypt has been reconstructed and visitors can step back thousands of years while they sail around the village on a barge and learn about Egypt’s ancient ancestors. For more information, phone: +202 571 8675.

Dining & Shopping

Egyptian cuisine is a perfect fusion of Arabic, Middle Eastern and African foods. You will find many restaurants in Cairo serving local delights as well as many international restaurants serving dishes from all around the world.

Kebabs, in particular the shish kebab, are very popular with local people and tourists alike. The shish kebab is always served with salad, tomatoes, tahini sauce and whole wheat pita bread. Grilled pigeon is a national delicacy throughout Egypt, as is Egyptian marinade. This dish consists of seasoned chicken breasts soaked overnight in buttermilk before they are cooked. Mashed chick peas are a popular side dish, as is kushari, noodles mixed with onions, lentils and tomato sauce. Meats are usually grilled or roasted, with chicken and lamb being favoured. Cows here are more likely to be used as help on the farms rather than food for the locals.

People looking for authentic Egyptian cuisine will find a wide range of dishes at the numerous streets stalls, which offer delicious food at exceptionally good prices. Cafés also offer excellent value for money, but they do not offer as wide a selection of food as the restaurants. Street stalls, cafés and restaurants can be found throughout the city.

Cairo offers an incredibly wide range of shopping opportunities for all of its visitors. Popular buys include perfumes, spices, gold, silver, brass and copperware, leatherwork, carpets, glass and ceramics. You may choose to shop in one of the many street markets or try your hand at bargaining at the souks. If you prefer to shop indoors, there are a wide range of air-conditioned shopping centres housing items guaranteed to suit all tastes.

The infamous souks literally sell anything and everything, with specialities including carpets, souvenirs and camels. The famous Khan el-Khalili souk remains largely unchanged since the 14^th century and is very popular among those looking to buy souvenirs and those simply wanting to experience an Egyptian bazaar.

Cairo’s street markets are renowned around the world for their bright colours, lively stall holders and wide array of items. Egyptian fabrics such as cotton can be bought at Wekala al-Balaq market, while the market on Mohammed Ali Street specialises in all kinds of musical instruments.

If you are going to try your hand at bargaining at either the souks or the street markets, a few things to bear in mind include: always halve the first asking price and start your bargaining from there; be polite and keep a sense of humour while bargaining - it is supposed to be fun and it is considered insulting to lose your temper in public; walking away is a good way to get the price lowered quickly; pay what you think the item is worth, but remember that there will be many items just like the one you are haggling over just around the next corner.

Outdoor Activities

Although Cairo is not renowned for its worldwide sporting achievements, there are many excellent sporting and outdoor opportunities on offer for visitors. Whether you prefer to get into the midst of the action or to take a backseat, there will be plenty to occupy you.

Al-Azhar Park
The Al-Azhar Park is located in the heart of the city and features shaded walkways that are perfect for an afternoon stroll. There is stunning scenery on offer, impressive Arab architecture and breathtaking views of the city. The park was originally created to provide a leisure and recreational area for residents and tourists. There is a severe lack of parks in Cairo, so Al Azhar is constantly buzzing with activity. Aside from beautiful gardens, refreshing fountains, tree-lined paths and an impressive amphitheatre, the park has many restaurants serving various cuisines.

Horseback Riding
Horseback riding is incredibly popular among the local people. If you would like to ride a horse while you are on holiday, you will find stables near the pyramids at Giza, where horses can be rented out. No equipment is necessary, but it is important that you rent a horse that suits your horse riding ability.

Football
The city is home to a number of football teams who all compete nationally. The two most popular teams are Al-Zamalek and Al-Ahly, both of which play their home games at the International Stadium. The local derby between the two teams is the most popular sporting event in Egypt and much of the Arab world. If you happen to be in Cairo for a match, it is well worth trying to get tickets.

Rugby
The Cairo Rugby Club always welcomes holidaymakers to join them in training. They train at the Victory College playing fields every Monday and Wednesday evenings. It’s an opportunity to train among semi-professional players and learn a few tips as well as having a good old fashioned run around. You will need to take your own running shoes, but everything else will be provided.

Top family beach resorts

More beach resorts are offering pools with water slides, no-cost children’s programs and other amenities that make them attractive, affordable alternatives for families looking for one-stop vacations, according to Parents magazine.

The magazine evaluated more than 200 beach resorts in the U.S. and the Caribbean, based on room rates and other costs, quality of children’s programs, variety of family activities, pool and beach area and other factors.

The May issue of Parents lists the 10 resorts the magazine deemed to best meet those criteria.

“Our winners are practically rolling out the red carpet for families on a tight budget,” said Sally Lee, editor in chief of Parents. “Great kids’ programs and perks are no longer exclusive to resorts with high price tags.”

The resorts that made Parents’ list offer seven-night vacations, May-September, for prices ranging from $129 a night to $500 a night (for an all-inclusive with meals and activities covered), with most falling under $250 nightly.

The resorts are Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya, Bahamas; Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; South Seas Island Resort, Captiva Island, Fla.; Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas; Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Florida; Beaches Negril Resort and Spa, Jamaica; Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii; Ocean Edge Resort & Spa, Brewster, Mass.; Loew’s Coronado Bay Beach Resort & Spa, San Diego; and Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort Casino & Spa, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Details at http://www.parentsmag.com.

Myrtle Beach's 100-km Grand Strand offers a rockin' good time for your next family vacation

Myrtle Beach -- known to many as 'America's Beach Playground' -- is one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the U.S.

Famous for its 'Grand Strand' -- a 100-km strip of white sandy beach with nary a cloud, a boat or an island dotting the horizon to disrupt the view -- it's not hard to see why.

Boasting 14-million annual visitors, a wealth of history, a never-ending amount of things to see and do, Southern hospitality and cuisine that can't be beat can be found any way you turn along the beautiful South Carolina coastline.

One of the main reasons for Canadians to trek south of the border to Myrtle in the month of March is the CanAm Days festival -- an annual week-long celebration hosted by Myrtle Beach to honour the area's annual crop of northern visitors. The ones they so fondly refer to as 'our Canadian snowbirds' in that unmistakable thick and slow Southern twang.

Myrtle Beach's nearest neighbour is a town by the name of Conway -- a 17th-century settlement nestled on the Waccamaw River, littered with Civil War reminders and remnants of its rich colonial history.

Quaint and quiet, the streets of Conway are lined with alternating American and Canadian flags during CanAm days and it doesn't take long to track down a few fellow-Canucks, such as Bob Jarrett and Mel Beatty from Ontario -- big grins on their faces, telling tale after tale of the many things that keep them coming back to Myrtle Beach year after year.

Brookgreen Gardens and the Huntington Sculpture Gardens Tour will truly take your breath away. And with a $12 admission that's good for seven days, you'll have time to see all the sculpture, horticulture and history you could dream of.

Considered one of the seven wonders of South Carolina, four former rice plantations have been combined to create the Huntington Sculpture Gardens. Opened to the public in 1932, the gardens now house more than 1,200 sculptures that stretch as far as the eye can see. There's also the Lowcountry History and Wildlife Preserve. And, most remarkable of all, the Lowcountry Trail and Ricefield Overlook -- a boardwalk stroll that will leave you standing in the exact spot where, a mere 200 years ago, thousands of enslaved Africans worked the rice fields.

For another history lesson on the controversial pre-Civil War South, visitors can take a walk through Litchfield Plantation. Established in 1750, Litchfield was one of the largest and most prosperous rice plantations in the 'Low Country' of South Carolina.

The old plantation house built in 1750 still remains, but is now a charming country inn resort offering Southern hospitality at its finest.

If a beachfront hotel on the strip is more your thing, the Anderson Ocean Club is a reasonably priced, full-service, five-star family hotel in the heart of the Grand Strand, with rooms ranging from studio-size to three-bedroom.

For the discerning business traveller looking for luxury tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach, the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes is an unexpected gem.

Set adjacent to the picturesque Intracoastal Waterway, the rooms at Marina Inn go from the modest-yet-magnificent Mediterranean Club Suites to four-bedroom luxury, with stunning views of the water and surrounding golf courses.

Though the golfing in Myrtle Beach is world renowned, the links aren't the only place for the big kids to go out and play.

Top-of-the-line rollercoasters, state-of-the-art attractions and interactive amusements are all found at Hard Rock Park. It's the world's first rock'n'roll theme park and the first new major attraction to be built in the U.S. in nearly a decade.

The 20th Annual Run to the Sun Car Show is another must-see pit-stop on the CanAm Days schedule, featuring more than 2,500 cars and trucks and attracting more than 80,000 visitors every year, with muscle cars and street rods bearing plates from as far away as Saskatchewan.

And don't forget The Carolina Opry's presentation of Calvin Gilmore's Good Vibrations Show. The song and dance montage of music from the '60s, '70s and '80s is family entertainment at its finest.

And if you think the kids won't dig it, ask them how they feel about the famous foursome of teen heartthrobs known as All That, who tap-danced their way to the top in 2006 on NBC's hit show America's Got Talent.

Whatever your pleasure, rest assured Myrtle Beach is not just for retirees and golfers. With an uninterrupted beach longer than California's, weather far more reliable than in Florida, and a plane trip that's just a skip over the border from Canada, Myrtle Beach is the perfect getaway destination for vacationing travellers of all ages.

Y'all should see for yourself now, y'hear?

The quiet side of Hawaii

There's a lot you might expect from a family vacation in Hawaii -- sandy beaches, swaying palms, steel guitars, a surfer or two. But seclusion? Hawaii's hot beaches can be heavily populated -- unless your family heads for Molokai.

This minuscule island is far from the madding crowds of Maui and only a puddle jump by air from the worldly excitement of Oahu. Settled long ago by leprosy sufferers who were banished to Molokai beaches then promptly nearly forgotten, the island has avoided mass development in the century since.

The leper colony is long gone. But in its wake, Molokai's inland terrain, which is dry and desert-like, has proven more attractive to ranchers and pineapple growers than tourists. These days the island is well kept and well guarded by locals fiercely holding fast to old Hawaiian traditions. Many say this Pacific isle conveys how Maui, Kauai and Oahu were 50 years ago, before they were discovered by resort developers.

FRIENDLY ISLE

Known as "the friendly isle," it is said Molokai (MO-lo-kye-EEE) is home to an "aloha spirit." Indeed, the few locals that you meet on this sparsely populated place are calm and welcoming. They drive slowly, amble through the aisles in the grocery store and take time to enjoy their own scenic views.

While the other isles of Hawaii are friendly, their citizens move at a more mainland pace. Which is exactly why Molokai is ideal for family travel. Besides taking in the sea, the palms and that consistently warm breeze, there's nothing much to do on Molokai except enjoy one another's company.

The island is the fifth largest in the Hawaiian archipelago. It's about 60 km long and approximately 16 km wide, with a seemingly small 40-km expanse between Molokai and Oahu. On our first night there we watched the sun set prettily behind Oahu's Waikiki Beach, which lies due west across the channel.

Much of Molokai's terrain is ranchlike -- similar to Australia's Outback or inland California. It is dry, treeless, hot, brown and sparse -- the antithesis of what you'd expect from a lush Hawaiian island. Cowboys have worked its land for years, especially on Molokai's western half.

This dry land is in stark contrast to the island's edges where, close to the sea, the terrain livens up. There's plenty of green, lots of palms, an ultra-blue sea and steady rolling waves that will lull you to sleep. As you travel east along the single highway that extends across the island, Molokai's terrain becomes more verdant. Molokai's eastern end is significantly more beachy and lush.

Among Molokai's family friendly fun are activities that are, like the island, low key. Kids love horseback riding along Molokai's rugged trials or cycling along its only road, which enjoys little vehicular traffic.

The island is so small, from the road and trail there's always a fabulous view of the sea. Molokai is home to Hawaii's only barrier reef -- ideal for snorkelling. Molokai's sea cliffs are among the highest and most dramatic in the world. Your kids will recall the spectacular views from the movie Jurassic Park III.

Sea kayaking is popular. And while Molokai isn't a Mecca for Hawaiian surfing, its smallish waves are decent enough to learn on. The island is also the birthplace of the hula dance.

Lodging and nightlife on Molokai is different than the hotel fare you find on Maui. There are no large hotel chains and few fancy restaurants.

UK to test new face recognition system at airports this summer

LONDON - British border officials say they plan to test a new facial recognition system at airports this summer to see if it can boost security and reduce overcrowding.

The Home Office says details about the scope of the program will be released in the coming months before it is put into operation.

Iris scanners are already in use at many UK airports for travellers who register for the program.

The British newspaper The Guardian said Friday that travellers with British or European passports with embedded biometric data can use the new system.

Unmanned security gates with computers will be set up to scan each person's face to determine if it matches passport data.

Some experts are skeptical about whether the technology is ready for widespread use.