Editor: Valerie Dunn

There are few places in the world that generate more iconic imagery than London and its surrounding attractions and even fewer live up to it in reality! London, the Capital of the United Kingdom, is a city of eight million people covering 601 square miles of southeast England. It is Europes biggest city and its most important financial centre. London, once the largest city on earth, continually enthrals visitors with its historic sites, royal palaces and parks. It is home to museums and galleries filled with an astonishing diversity of treasures from all over the world whose exhibits cater to most interests the product, in part, of centuries at the hub of world-wide trade and a far-flung Empire. Where else on earth can you see a modern, environmentally-friendly

VISIT LONDON: BIG, BRIGHT, AND FUll Of BEAUTY

skyscraper next to a Roman wall that was partly obscured by a medieval church? London has one of the worlds greenest city centres, full of tree-lined squares, grassy parks and open spaces. Some of these, such as Hampstead Heath, were originally common land, where smallholders could graze their animals. Others, such as Richmond Park and Holland Park, were royal hunting grounds or the gardens of large houses. Today you can walk across much of central London by walking from St Jamess Park in the east to Kensington Gardens in the west. Springtime in London carries an almost tangible air of a city waking up to longer days and outdoor pursuits as the cheerful yellow of daffodils studs the parks. As spring turns to summer, the royal parks reach their full glory and, in Kensington Gardens, nannies gather to chat under venerable

October 2013

chestnut trees. As autumn takes hold, those same trees are ablaze with red and gold and Londoners thoughts turn to afternoons in museums and art galleries, followed by tea in a caf. The year draws to a close with Guy Fawkes parties and shopping in the West End. Much of Londons rich inheritance of tradition and ceremony centres on royalty. Although the Queens role is now largely symbolic, the Guard at Buckingham Palace still actively patrols the grounds. The impressive ceremony of Changing the Guard features dazzling uniforms, shouted commands and martial music. The Guard is also changed at Horse Guards, on Tower Green at the Tower of London and at Windsor Castle.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Top 10 Most Visited
Times Square, New York City (39,200,000) Central Park, New York City (38,000,000) United States, Washington, D.C. ( 37,000,000) Las Vegas Strip (29,467,000) Niagra Falls, New Yok & Ontario (22,500,000) Grand Central Terminal (21,600,000) Faneuii Hall Market Place, Boston (18,000,000) Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom, Orlando (16,972,000) Disneyland Park, Anaheim, California (15,980,000) Grand Bazaar, Istanbul (15,000,000)

SPEND HOlIDAYS

Festivities Year Round!

IN

CANCUN

Cancun is full of fun in the sun all year round. Main events take place eight months out of the year but of course the festivites do not stop in those months that are not designated to certain events. Below is a few examples of months when activites are planned. JANUARY: New Years Day (Ao Nuevo): celebrated across the country, Mexico sees the New Year in with gusto. Parties are held all over Cancun featuring music, dance, food and fireworks. All-night street parties continue into the night, with tradition calling for revellers to eat twelve grapes, one with each stroke of the clock at midnight, ensuring good luck for the next 12 months. OCTOBER: Cancun Banamex Triathlon: having been running for several years now, the triathlon draws athletes from around the globe, who descend on the city to compete. All three sports; swimming, cycling and running, can be watched by spectators. The history of Cancun dates back to 1967 when the Mexican government, recognizing the importance of tourism to the countrys economic future, began a detailed search to pinpoint ideal sites for tourism development.

Why go?

TOURING PARIS FRANCE

Paris is the worlds most romantic clich, but this is one place where the reality outstrips the myth. Tree-shaded boulevards, bridges illuminated by wrought-iron lamps and wickerchair-lined caf terraces lend the city charm, while the grand public monuments add grandeur to remind you that this is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Every corner of Paris is a story in itself in some arrondissements (districts), that means a boutique-by-boutique contribution to what is the fashion capital of the world, while elsewhere its an idea of sophistication as intangible as it is unmistakable. The Eiffel Tower is beautiful from any angle, while the views from its three platforms enable you to literally have Paris at your feet.

NEW YORK: BEING MORE THAN THE BIG CITY LIGHTS Countries Oldest Race Track Celebrates 150th Anniversary!
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Concerts, contests, cash giveaways and free trips to Triple Crown races are just some highlights of a 150th anniversary of racing that officials unveiled Thursday. Dozens of people gathered at historic Saratoga Race Course -- Americas oldest sporting venue -- that will be the focal point of a five-month communitywide celebration, beginning next May, filled with all kinds of events and activities to mark thoroughbred racings sesquicentennial in Saratoga Springs in 2013. Officials are announcing plans now to grow momentum for an extravaganza thats expected to enhance Saratogas already strong tourist trade by leaps and bounds. This will be one of the biggest celebrations in Saratogas history, said John Hendrickson, the events honorary co-chair with his wife, Marylou Whitney. Its worldwide. Saratoga is the envy of the racing world. Thoroughbred racing got its start at Saratoga in 1863 -- during the height of the Civil War -- at the Horse Haven track near the present-day Oklahoma Training Track on the north side of Union Avenue. A year later, racing shifted to the opposite side of the street where its been ever since. Now dozens of people are involved working on 10 different subcommittees for a party that will encompass more than 100 events at every major venue in the area. Whitney and Hendrickson are donating $15,000 for a lucky fan to win each Saturday during the 2013 meet. The money must be bet on that days featured race, starting with the Whitney Handicap on Aug. 3, the official 150th anniversary date. Thanks to modern technology, people will be able to use an iPhone to take a walking tour of downtown to points of interest such as Railroad Place, where horses used to get off at the citys old train station before going across town to the track.

HOTElS AROUND

According to Travelers Choice 2013 Top 15 Hotels in the World

1. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic
Kaupulehu - Kailua- Kona, Hawaii 2. Cape Grace - Cape Town Central, South Africa 3. Onyria Marinha Edition Hotel & Thalasso - Cascais, Portugal 4. Rudding Park Hotel - Harrogate, United Kingdom 5. The Upper House - Hong Kong, China 6. Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita - Beau Champ 7. The Samaya Bali - Seminyak, Indonesia 8. Baros Maldives - North Male Atoll

THE

WORlD
9. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet - Istanbul, Turkey 10. Aria Hotel - Prague, Czech republic 11. Hotel Belvedere - Riccione, Italy 12. La Residence Phou Vao by Orient- Express - Luang Prabang, Laos 13. Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong - Hong Kong, China 14. An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas - Nha Trang, Vietnam 15. Veligandu Island Resort and Spa - North Ari Atoll

Lighten up your wallet. Only carry the credit cards youll be using on your trip and leave the rest at home. Pack an ATM/debit card for withdrawing cash at ATMs. Remove any card with your Social Security number. For health insurance cards, the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization focused on identity theft prevention, suggests making a copy of the card and removing the last four digits of your Social Security number. Bring the photocopy with you on your trip and leave the original card at home. Leave your checkbook at home. Limit what documents you are going to carry with you, says Linda Foley, cofounder of the Identity Theft Resource Center. Clean out your wallet and purse before you take that trip. Use credit cards for major purchases. Most credit cards have zero-liability policies, meaning you wont pay a penny for unauthorized charges if a card is lost or stolen. The Fair Credit Billing Act specifies that your maximum liability for unauthorized credit card charges is $50. So thats the most youll end up paying if a thief should get a hold of your credit card. If youre worrying about safety, I dont think you can go wrong with credit cards, says Anne Banas.

Protect your Money

Street Foods

Take your Taste Buds with you!

Street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race. So proclaimed Anthony Bourdain, passionate street food advocate and consumer, at the inaugural World Street Food Congress in Singapore. Held in the Southeast Asian street food Mecca, the WSFC featured extensive panels and discussions about international street food culture, from the USAs food trucks to Singapores own prolific hawker centers, and a 10-day Jamboree of 37 street food vendors from around the world serving up their respective regional specialties. Street food makes travel interesting, Bourdain explained. Its very easy to travel around the world and look out the window and not know where you are. You see the same businesses. Go to the best restaurant in town in Houston, New York, or Berlin, and theyre not going to be that different. Thats not the case with street food. In Mexico, youll know if youre in Puebla or Mexico Cityyoull smell, see, and taste the difference. From the spicy, deep fried, Chicken 65 in India to the chopped-up pork sausage with a side order of fries and mayonnaise namedCurrywurst in Berlin, all are a must try!