Miami is a sunny, brash metropolis with very distinctive charm. Mostly known for the long Florida coastline, South and Miami Beaches, the strip’s restored art deco, pastel architecture and palm trees reflect appropriately on the sand and surf. The outlying areas include Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Little Havana and downtown. Unlike many major cities, Miami’s major draws do not come from the urban settings of skyscrapers and main streets. These areas tend to be quite segregated by economics and ethnicity. Key Biscayne is a small, plush neighborhood, mostly reserved for the affluent. Little Havana is largely Cuban and not half as tourist-friendly. Coconut Grove and Coral Gables both offer nice resorts and lavish gardens. Indulgence seems to be the theme here, perfect Florida weather, shopping, dining and drinking, and so on are some of the favorite pastimes. Some museums, galleries and other cultural notables are scattered around South Beach as well.
MIAMI FLORIDA - VACATION PARADISE Blessed with year-round mild climates and unrivaled ocean access, America’s southernmost resort city is also a sought-after international recreation destination. Ranked the nation’s #1 Healthiest City by Natural Health Magazine in 2002, Miami caters to action-oriented visitors from around the globe with some of the world's top golf, tennis and sporting facilities. Add sparkling waters that are a magnet for boating enthusiasts, fishermen, divers and water sports aficionados to the equation and it is easy to see why Miami is a number one choice for active travelers of all ages and skill levels. But where to start? Miami’s streets are often busy, some of its attractions often attract crowds, and a few days can leave more to choose from than you have time to include, so knowing the active options in advance—and how to manage your time and movements—is essential Miami planning. Making the best use of what time you have by knowing where your points of interest are can help you save more of your energy for the activities this city offers...read more about
New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States, and is the country's third most populous state. The state is bordered by New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to the south, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a water border with Rhode Island off the east coast of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario to the northwest. New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.
New York City, which is the largest city in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center. It was named after the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, future James II and VII of England and Scotland.
New York was inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Lenape Native American groups at the time Dutch and French nationals moved into the region in the early 17th century. First claimed by Henry Hudson in 1609, the region came to have Dutch forts in Fort Orange, near the site of the present-day capital of Albany in 1614 and was colonized by the Dutch in 1624, at both Albany and Manhattan; it later fell to British annexation in 1664. About one third of all of the battles of the Revolutionary War took place in New York. New York became an independent state on July 9, 1776 and enacted its constitution in 1777. The state ratified the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788 to become the 11th state. According to the US Department of Commerce, it is also the state of choice for foreign visitors, leading both Florida and California in tourism.
New York covers 54,556 square miles (141,299 km²) and ranks as 27th largest state by size. The Great Appalachian Valley dominates eastern New York, while Lake Champlain is the chief northern feature of the valley, which also includes the Hudson River flowing southward to the Atlantic Ocean. The rugged Adirondack Mountains, with vast tracts of wilderness, lie west of the valley. Most of the southern part of the state is on the Allegheny plateau, which rises from the southeast to the Catskill Mountains. The western section of the state is drained by the Allegheny River and rivers of the Susquehanna and Delaware systems. The Delaware River Basin Compact, signed in 1961 by New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the federal government, regulates the utilization of water of the Delaware system. The highest elevation in New York is Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks.
New York's borders touch (clockwise from the west) two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario, which are connected by the Niagara River); the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada; Lake Champlain; three New England states (Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut); the Atlantic Ocean, and two Mid-Atlantic states (New Jersey and Pennsylvania). In addition, Rhode Island shares a water border with New York.
Contrasting with New York City's urban atmosphere, the vast majority of the state is dominated by farms, forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes. New York's Adirondack Park is the largest state park in the United States. It is larger than the Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier and Olympic National Parks combined. New York established the first state park in the United States at Niagara Falls in 1885. Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River as it flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, is a popular attraction. The Hudson River begins with Lake Tear of the Clouds and flows south through the eastern part of the state without draining Lakes George or Champlain. Lake George empties at its north end into Lake Champlain, whose northern end extends into Canada, where it drains into the Richelieu and then the St. Lawrence Rivers. Four of New York City's five boroughs are on the three islands at the mouth of the Hudson River: Manhattan Island, Staten Island, and Brooklyn and Queens on Long Island.
"Upstate" and "Downstate" are common terms used to distinguish New York State counties north of suburban Westchester and Rockland counties, on the one hand, from the New York City metropolitan area on th other. Upstate New York typically includes the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains, the Shawangunk Ridge, the Finger Lakes and the Great Lakes in the west; and Lake Champlain, Lake George, and Oneida Lake in the northeast; and rivers such as the Delaware, Genesee, Mohawk, and Susquehanna. (A popular joke goes, "Where does Upstate begin?" "At the sign that says, 'Welcome to Yonkers'!") Central New York is the region centered around Syracuse and Utica, regions west of Syracuse are Western New York (i.e. Rochester and Buffalo), Binghamton, Elmira and west along the Pennsylvania line is the "Southern Tier," and "The North Country" is the region between the Adirondacks and the Canadian border, from the Watertown area to Plattsburgh. Residents of neighboring states and provinces may use the term "New York State" to refer to Upstate New York, to distinguish the region from New York City
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Chalet Im Wieselti
Chalet Im Wieselti, near the famous ski resort of Arosa (1800m ) and Weisshorn peak (2653m), offers you both comfortable self catered accommodation and an ideal location from which to experience a wide range of winter or summer sports and outdoor activities in Switzerland.Situated in the alpine village of Langwies amongst the beautiful surroundings of the Schanfigg valley, the Chalet is ideally placed between the cosmopolitan ski resort of Arosa (15 minutes by car) and Chur the historic capital of Graubunden (20 minutes by car). The Chalet is south facing with stunning views across the valley and the famous Langwies viaduct. There is a wide variety of activities to take advantage of: Skiing SnowboardingSledgingSkatingHiking Mountain Biking Sight Seeing Fishing Golf
IntroductionThe United Arab Emirates was established in 1971 as a federation of seven emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain and Fujairah. The rulers comprise the Federal Supreme Council, FSC, which elects the country's President and Vice President at five-yearly intervals from amongst its members. HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, has been President since 1971, and HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, has been Vice President (also concurrently Prime Minister) since 1990. The Council of Ministers is chosen by the Prime Minister in consultation with the President, and is the executive arm of Government. The Federal National Council, or parliament, has 40 members, drawn from each of the emirates, and has a legislative and supervisory role and can amend proposed federal legislation. The judicial structure is headed by the Federal Supreme Court. There are also local governments in each of the emirates, while each major urban centre has a Municipality for local affairs. The traditional 'majlis' system of open discussion between the tribal leaders and their people has evolved into an important, although informal, part of the UAE's governing system. Few nations on earth have experienced more complete and far-reaching change over the past few decades than the United Arab Emirates. Today a land of six-lane highways and glittering streams of motorcars, where space-age cities of ivory-white and crystal glass emerge like a mirage from the haze of desert and sea, this federation of seven ancient Emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras a]-Khaimah, Umm al Qawain, Ajman and Fujairah - is not only the world's fourth largest oil-producer, but also its richest state per head of population, and the new commercial hub of the Middle EastYet only fifty years ago, when oil-exploration started, there was no electricity, no plumbing or telephone system, not a single public hospital nor modern school, no bridges, no deep-water harbor, no metalloid roads, no more than a handful of cars and scarcely a building more impressive than the crumbling mud-brick forts and watchtowers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where now high-rise stacks, gilded domes and minarets tower over wide boulevards, where cascades of water are flaunted with conspicuous opulence, and where acres of shrubs burgeon on the desert shore, stood sleepy settlements of reed, coral and mud-brick houses, sweltering on sand spits and islands in the most ferocious summer heat.Life on the Trucial Coast - as it was known until the 1970s - and in its hinterland, was one of considerable hardship. In the towns, fresh water was scarcely available and often had to be drawn by oxen from deep wells, or even brought in barrels from neighboring islands by dhow.Tribesmen would harvest the unreliable winter rains by stretching a sail with a hole in its center between two poles, and in the merciless heat of the Arabian summer would trap the cooling winds by the ingenious use of wind-towers made of sackcloth or cotton. On the sun-blasted terraces of the Hajar Mountains, subsistence farmers eked out a bitter existence, and in the interior the hardy Bedouin scoured the dunes of the great Empty Quarter for pasture. In the hot months, members of these various groups would come together to work as divers in the pearl-yielding oyster beds which flourished in the warm, shallow waters of the Gulf For almost three millennia the economy of this region was bound up with the pearling fleet, culminating in a boom that was only ended by the invention, in the 1920s of the cultured pearl.Despite its harsh climate, civilization has flourished in this region since the earliest times. At Jebel Hafit, near al-Ain, lie the remains of a settlement dating back more than five thousand years; at Hili, not far away, have been found pillbox-shaped tombs of dressed masonry so finely wrought that archaeologists believe they may be connected with the ancient land of Magan, mentioned in ancient Sumerian texts as a land of fabulous wealth, the source of copper, minerals and semi-precious stonesCountryUnited Arab Emirates, federation of seven independent states lying along the east central coast of the Arabian Gulf.The states which include Abu Dhabi (capital of the UAE), Dubai, Al Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Al Fujairah, bounded on the north by the Arabian Gulf, on the east by Sultanate of Oman, and on the west by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The total area of the UAE is about 83,600 sq. km (with a total of 200 islands) .The area of the U.A.E. excepting the islands is about 77,700 square kilometers and among the G.C.C. states it is the third largest after Saudi Arabia & Oman. United Arab Emirates is a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council (G.C.C.).HistoryOn December 2, 1971, the seven states became independent as the United Arab Emirates. President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan who is also Ruler of Abu Dhabi has devoted much of his attention in the intervening years to the development of the federation of the United Arab Emirates.Each of the states has its own ruler, together they comprise the highest body of the federal government, the Supreme Council of Rulers. The council elects from its members a president and vice president. The federation is also governed by a prime minister and a 40 member consultative assembly called the Federal National Council.Population & ReligionThe population of the UAE is estimated to be 2.94 million, with a growth rate of around 6.5 per cent a year.This is expected to slow to 2.9 per cent by the year 2005, when the population will number around 3.48 million. UAE citizens account for a little over 20 per cent of the population, with the rest coming from the rest of the Arab world, the Indian sub-continent, the Far East, Europe and elsewhere. The national language is Arabic, although English and several Asian languages are widely used, particularly in commerce. Islam is thg state religion. The main population centres are the cities of Abu Dhabi (the capital) and Dubai.A recent study reveals that the workforce in the UAE has grown from 288,414 in 1975, to 1,378,390 in 1998. The wholesale and retail sector account for the largest proportion of the workforce, followed by the construction sector.The country religion is Islam and official spoken language is Arabic, although English is widely spoken.Climatic ConditionsThe UAE lies in the arid tropical zone extending across Asia and northern Africa, however the Indian Ocean has a strong influence on the climatic conditions in the area, since the country borders both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. This explains why high temperatures in summer are always accompanied by high humidity along the coast. Noticeable variations in climate occur between the coastal regions, the deserts of the interior and mountainous areas.Between the months of November and March a moderate, warm climate prevails during the day at an average temperature of 26°C, and a slightly cooler climate prevails throughout the night at an average temperature of 15°C. The humidity tends to rise in the summer months, between June and August. Prevailing winds, influenced by the monsoons, vary between south or southeast, to west or north to northwest depending upon the season and location. Average rainfall is low at less than 6.5 centimeters annually and more than half of the average rainfall occurs in December and JanuaryUAE CurrencyDirhams and fils are the units of currency with 100 fils to the Dirham (Dh). The Dirham is tied to the US Dollar at a steady exchange rate of $US 1= Dh 3.671. Banks usually give the best rates on foreign currency exchange but hotels and airports are often quicker and are open outside banking hours. Money changers tend to have a wider range of currencies but their rates may be higher. Exchange rates are published daily.TelephoneTelecommunications throughout the UAE are modern and efficient. International Direct Dialing is available to most countries. Local telephone calls are free. Local and international dialing codes may be obtained by dialing the operator on 181.International areas codes of UAE 00971 + Abu Dhabi 02Dubai 04Al Sharjah 06Ras al Khaimah 07Ajman 06Umm al Quwain 06Al Fujairah 09
Choose a Paris vacation rental from over 100 high quality apartments situated in all of the popular locations. These vacation accommodations are on both the Right and Left Banks and are ideal for holidays in France. Our Paris flats are specially furnished for vacation or holiday rentals. Many of the vacation apartments have unique features- one apartment has a private outdoor garden patio and another flat has a roof top terrace from which you can view much of Paris. Each apartment is privately owned and reflects the taste of the owner. Vacation rentals have a minimum of three nights.
Unlike other rental services, when you book a Paris flat with us there is no need to start your vacation by a trek to an office in France to obtain the apartment keys and then go to the apartment. And it is usually unnecessary to set an appointment to be met at the flat. Your Paris vacation starts as soon as you arrive! We've eliminated all these unnecessary hassles for most rentals by supplying the apartment keys and arrival information before you travel to France- we ship worldwide. Then when you get to Paris, follow our directions and go directly to the rental apartment. Of course, we do have a management team in Paris if needed.
Select a studio apartment, one bedroom, or two bedroom Paris rental- our accommodations range from standard quality to luxury. All flats have a kitchen area, private bathroom, cable or satellite TV, telephone for unlimited local calls and unlimited incoming calls worldwide. Some apartments have air conditioning.
Whether this is your first trip to Paris or if you travel here often, once you have experienced a Paris apartment vacation rental holiday, you'll never be satisfied with just a Paris hotel.
