Cookie travels

After looking at the photos I posted about North Cyprus, maybe some travel bugs would like to take a short adventure in North Cyprus. Salamis Ruins is just one of the many sights you can see over there. Or maybe the Isles of Scilly?

If you are given the time to take some days off from work which doesn’t happen always coz of hectic work schedule, then take a break and enjoy your days off with a vacation. You might have few dream destinations in mind so plan it now. If you don’t have the budget to travel or it’s not yet payday and you need some cash, get cash advance from Complete Loan Source, a one-stop place for all credit types. They offer financing solutions nationwide for a variety of credit needs including personal loans above $10,000. If you apply for a loan, you get a fast and free obligation loan approval. But think it over. Do you really need a personal loan for a relaxing get away?

If you are on a holiday in North Cyprus, do visit Salamis. Salamis is a must-see place and a great place for a day out in North Cyprus. It is the most important ancient city in Cyprus. The ruins are impressive. The site is over one kilometer long lined with a sandy beach. The site of Salamis was excavated in 1882 but was stopped in 1974 so much of the ruins are still uncovered from the sand dunes.

Salamis Ruins from air, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Photo Credits: TRNC Ministry of Tourism

From the pictures below, you will see the original Roman baths remodeled by the Byzantines and the plunge pools of the caldarium (or cold room).

Salamis Ruins from helicopter, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Photo Credits: TAK News Agency

Salamis Ruins, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Photo Credits: Ersin Taser

Tip to travelers:
1. Take a hat in the summer coz there isn’t enough trees to hide you from the sun.
2. Make sure you have plenty of time coz it might take almost 5km to trudge the entire site.
3. Bring a bottle of water this is a thirst quenching adventure.

More information about Salamis can be read from cyprus44.com.

North Cyprus as the name suggests, is located in the Mediterranean in the north of Cyprus. It is a de facto independent republic. Its official name is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) however the tourist office uses the name North Cyprus in their effort to promote TRNC.

Most of the historical and scenic places of interest in North Cyprus are museums and churches. One such historical structure is the Walls of the Old City, Famagusta. North Cyprus has also a long stretch of preserved sandy beaches. It is said to be crime free republic and has mild winters. Prices here are affordable, at restaurants or even in terms of owning a property. Could be a good place to retire.

If you want to own a North Cyprus Property and enjoy a lifetime vacation, just contact Wellington Estates Ltd. They also offer mortgage plans if you don’t have enough cash. If you choose to move in to North Cyprus, chances are you don’t have to book for flights, hotels or any accommodation, and travel guides next time you dream of North Cyprus.

Here are some of the photos of the beautiful archipelago, Isles of Scilly.

Aerial view Isles of Scilly taken by Richard Everitt of g4zfe.com.

The aerial view of the Isles of Scilly is really awesome. You have to travel by air to see the isles’ breathtaking beauty from above.

According to Richard “the Isles if Scilly are an excellent place to walk along open cliff land and along nature trails. Scilly is also a unique place for the bird-watcher as the islands are ideally situated for migrant birds.”

Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly taken on April 2008 by traveler James Stringer at Flickr.com

Cromwell’s Castle and Bryher gap, Isles of Scilly taken year 2007 by traveler bobjob64 at Photobucket.com (sorry if the pictures look blurry coz I have to enlarge it a bit to make it the same size as the above)

Cromwell’s Castle is situated on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. It is actually a coastal Gun Tower built by Oliver Cromwell in 1651-1652. I found two reasons for this castle: it is a replacement for King Charles’s Castle and a structure built to guard the anchorage between Bryher and Tresco.

Looking for a place to unwind for a holiday? What’s in you list? Nature, timeless peace, beautiful islands then the Isles of Scilly might just be the right holiday spot for you. (I provided a quick psot about this island prior to this…)

You can fly or sail to the Isles of Scilly to enjoy a Scilly Island Holiday. If you choose to fly to the Isles of Scilly, you will see the breathtaking aerial views over St. Martins, St. Helens, Tean and Round Island Lighthouse. If you choose to sail, the clear blue waters will similarly amaze you. You can travel to the Isles of Scilly by air thru Skybus or by sea via Scillonian III. These can be booked online courtesy of Isles of Scilly Travel.

Now for the special offers, the Isles of Scilly Travel provides a list of different special offers. To list some of the special offers from their website:

Scillonian III August Day Trip Offers – travel from Penzance to St. Mary’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays and return at special offer prices, family tickets also available

August Summer Offer at St. Mary’s Hall Hotel –Skybus flight, 3 nights bed and breakfast at the stylish St Mary’s Hall Hotel, 3 nights 3 course dinner at Cafe de Ferrari

Tresco & Bryher Summer & Autumn Offers 2008 - kids stay free this August at Hell Bay on Bryher, or fly free this September when self-catering at the new Flying Boat Club.

For inquiries, reservation, bookings, and more information, please visit the website Isles of Scilly Travel. Don’t miss any of the special offers and enjoy a Scilly Island holiday.

The Isles of Scilly is a small archipelago of five inhabited islands and their countless uninhabited islands and rocks in the Atlantic Ocean, located 28 miles off Lands End, in the southwest of Britain. In 1975, the Isles of Scilly were designated as an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you want to know the Isles of Scilly and plan your holiday, a map is provided to your right.

Some useful information about this beautiful archipelago can be found here:

SimplyScilly - travel guide to visiting the Isles of Scilly, includes things to do in Scilly and other useful information

ScillyOnLine - for everything you want to know about the Isles of Scilly

Council of the Isles of Scilly - learn more about the strong and sustainable island community

Photo credits: SimplyScilly

Pori Jazz is an international jazz festival held annually in Pori. There were lots of visitors during the remaining few days of Pori Jazz Festival. The highlight of this year’s International Pori Jazz Festival was Carlos Santana’s concert and it was packed with concert goers.

It was during this event when I saw one man suddenly collapsing on the street. He could be one of the many visitors who came to Pori to enjoy the international jazz festival. There were two ambulances that arrived on the scene and a police car. This is the first time I witnessed something like this happen.

Tip to concert-goer travel bugs traveling to crowded places to enjoy a concert, get drunk, or whatever, make sure your health is fit for this kind of thing. And make sure your heart is also in good condition to avoid Cardiac Arrest. Try to visit your doctor or the HeartLibrary to know more about your health and your heart before you travel.

The travel blogger thinks she’ll take a rest from blogging today. Reason, internet connectivity is really slow. She has not finished dropping some Entrecards. Did it take two to three minutes for one website to open? She didn’t time it but it seems like forever. Updating the post also took time. The travel blogger can’t work properly. Even though the laptop has been giving technical problems lately but at least yesterday it was cooperating with the travel blogger.

The travel blogger is me. Ow, hubby gave a call as I was typing this. You know, I complained to him earlier that internet connection is slow, and blah blah. So hubby called in to say that they are having the same problem in his office. Isn’t that nice of him? He received a notice that internet connection is slower than normal. Thanks for passing on the notice. So I will just shut down my laptop for a while and do other important things, besides today is little boy’s birthday.

I’ll be back as soon as our connection is normalized. Have a nice day to all…

sgd. the travel blogger

If you are thinking of investing on a travel website, consider carefully the branding side of the business. There are numerous travel websites in this industry such that to differentiate your new travel website from the rest would take the help of a branding expert. When it comes to marketing and advertising efforts, I suggest you think BIG - Brand Identity Guru.

BIG can be your all in one advertising agency. They provide support for every stage of your website’s marketing needs (whether travel or any kind). They provide website design, brand roll out, brochure designs, direct mail and catalogs, print ad design, outdoor advertising, corporate identity, and logo design. You have a number of choices here.

If you already have your travel website, think about this: your website might need some overhauling and serious branding. Visit BIG and test if your brand strength is strong enough to get a high score in the strength scale. Or better still, obtain a BrandStamp, which is a seal of approval by BIG indicating that your brand identity is perfectly aligned with your brand image. BrandStamp has two kinds. It could either be corporate or website but whichever BrandStamp you get, it gives your website a lot of benefit. Thru this, your website is recognized as a brand leader in your space, and thus it is believed that you are a quality, secure company to do business with. Take it from the branding guru Scott White.

Brand Identity Guru Inc.
304 Newbury St. Suite 555
Boston, MA 02115
Tel. 508.238.4347 Fax 508.238.5085

As India becomes a popular exotic travel destination, Blue1 and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) announced that it is opening up a new route to Delhi, India on October 27, 2008 from Helsinki. The new service will operate three times a week via Copenhagen on Mon, Wed and Sat and return flights on Sun, Tue and Thu in both directions.

The opening offer from Helsinki to Delhi is from 665 € and you have to book your trip no later than August 31, 2008! The following rules apply in relation to this new flight opening offer:
1. Travel period is from 1 Nov – 13 Dec 2008, journey has to be completed not later than 13 Dec 2008.
2. Minimum stay during weekends only: Sat-Sun.
3. Child discount policy applies as follows:
- children aged 2-15 get a 25 % discount and
- infants below 2 years old get a 90 % discount on the flight price.
- Taxes and fees will still be added.

Hmm this is a good time to escape the cold winter in Finland. So book your Delhi trip now before the opening offer expires.