Posted by Jackie Hewett on Sun 27th January 2008 at 12:05 PM, Filed in Unusual Hotels
OK – so most of us have heard about the Ice Hotel in Norway, but here is something different – the Hotel de Sal Playa - a hotel made entirely of salt (even the beds), although the roof, some chairs and (fortunately bed coverings) are made of other materials!!
Salt Hotel Exterior
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The beautiful unspoilt Caribbean Island of Bonaire is 50 miles north of Venezuela, and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The wonderful year round climate ensures that its perfect for naturist holidays – with the added bonus of being one of the rare places in the Caribbean that is outside the hurricane belt. The constant trade winds, strongest from December to August moderate the heat. The water temperature is 27 degrees, and 32 degrees air temperature year round makes it perfect for swimming – and obtaining an all over suntan. It’s also a divers paradise being surrounded by coral reefs with over 350 species of fish making diving breathtaking. Local laws strictly enforce the prohibition of anchoring, spearing fish and touching the coral – ensuring this colourful underwater world is protected for future generations.
The small family naturist resort of Sorobon beach is located in the south east corner of Bonaire with it’s own spotless 200 yard section of sandy beach, protected by the coral reef half a mile out. Sun loungers are under shelters made from Palm trees branches providing welcome shade from the suns intense rays. The Sorobon beach resort is also slightly eco-friendly as solar-panels are used to heat the bathing water, which in turn is re-cycled and used to water the grounds.
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If you are going away and need to pack a towel but are tight for space / weight (especially back-packing) you might like to invest in one of these little ‘beauties’ – ‘trek’ or travel towels. They are astonishingly absorbent for their bulk ( or should that be lack-of bulk! ) and feel a bit like a chamoix leather.
The claim is that they are up to six times lighter than your standard beach towel and they dry 8 times faster and come in a handy storage pouch.
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Thu 17th January 2008 at 01:19 AM, Filed in Far East, January
Like many Thai locations, you’ll find ‘Bosang’ spelt in several different ways, including Bor Sang and Bo Sang. But however you spell it, the place is now synonymous with umbrellas, and making/selling them provides a livelihood for many of the villagers.
Bosang is only 9 kilometers outside Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, according to various legends, is a place where umbrellas have been made for centuries. Some claim the craft migrated here from China, others from Burma.
For two or three days every January the village holds a festival celebrating their local craft. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the festival is being held on the 18th, 19th and 20th of January (It usually falls on the third week-end in January).
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Wed 16th January 2008 at 02:58 AM, Filed in India, January
Bikaner is set in the heart of the dessert and before the advent of modern transport replied heavily on camels. In fact the Bikaner army even had an elite camel corps called the Ganga Risala who played an active part in both world wars and Indo-Pak wars. Even today, Bikaner has the only Camel breeding centre in India.
The annual camel festival is always in January, and in 2008 it takes place on the 21st and 22nd. The event is organised by Rajasthan’s Department of Tourism, Art and Culture specifically to (very successfully) attract tourists who attend in their hundreds. The festival opens with a procession of camels decked out in their ‘Sunday best’ against a backdrop of the Junagarh Fort. The procession finishes at some open sand grounds (also used a polo grounds) where most of the festival events take place.
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