It was quite exciting to read the media responses to the opening film of Venice International Film Festival, “Burn After Reading”. Some say that the film is anti-spy and there is nothing much to be revealed at the end of the it. The one-liner of George Clooney, one of the celebrity stars of the film, at a press conference itself was interesting: “The film talks about some incredibly idiotic people who do some really stupid things.” Sounds deconstructive !

We also have films of some renowned film makers in the Venice Festival. Ferzan Ozpetek, an outspoken gay director whose “His Secret Life” and “Facing Windows” attracted film lovers worldwide, is one among them. Master filmmaker from the Fine Arts school Abbas Kiarostami would also have some great film experience to offer the audience in his “Shirin”. Kiarostami’s films speak a different language, I have often felt. Western media might have sketched a different picture of Iran for being anti-US, for being supportive of Muslim sentiments around the world and the like. But Kiarostami’s films, especially his Earthquake Trilogy, explore true art, without involving in political exchanges.

Twenty one films are included in the competition category. The 65th Venice Film Festival also bestows a career Golden Lion for Italian film director Ermanno Olmi. This year’s festival is dedicated to recently died Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. The Festival, which started on Aug 27, runs through September 6.

Istanbul is a less visited city but a beautiful one I must say. Along with all my team mates, I reached Istanbul and was amazed by the beautiful locales of the place. We stood in front of the ferry and were watching the city as it revealed itself in front of us… it was just amazing! The next day we planned to visit the beautiful Prince’s Island.

The Prince’s Islands were simply beautiful!  We got off at the third Island to enjoy and chill out. But the place was unbelievably hot and even the hats were of no help.  However, lovely breeze would calm down the temperature sometimes.  I enjoyed travel by the horse drawn carriages as cars were not allowed on the island. Some of my tour-mates even used bicycles.  In this island, we found a small wooden hotel which offered accommodation to us. They played traditional music within the hotel which added to the ethnic décor of the place.

Another lovely place which I visited during my trip to Istanbul was the Sunset Mosque. While returning from the Sunset Mosque, we took a ferry to the city. While returning, the sun was about to set which gave a beautiful look to the skyline of Istanbul. Looking at the beautiful sky, we returned to the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.

Have you ever taken a look at the Vietnam Maps? Really interesting isn’t it? These maps of Vietnam offer ample information about the country. I found different types of maps on Vietnam. Moreover, the interesting thing is that all these maps are available online as well. I believe this has helped a large number of people to sit at home and take a look at the maps.

I found a travel map of Vietnam and believe me it was really very informative.  This map which I found online marked all the major attractions of the place. The popular attractions which you should not forget visiting include Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Halong Bay, PhongNha Cave and the mountain villages of Sapa and Dalat. Other than this, the travel maps also mark the various historical and cultural sites like Hung Temple, Coloa citadel, the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, MySon Sanctuary and HoiAn.

Apart from the travel maps, you will also be finding a number of physical and topographical maps. Some maps are there offering information about the hotels and other accommodation available in the country. The road maps of Vietnam give information on the transportation system available.  The easiest routes available for visiting the travel destinations are also marked.

Below the maps, I also found some of the other details about the country which included – information on language, religion, capital city, shopping malls, population and area. So lots of information isn’t it? Along with that, let me tell you one thing, you will even buy these maps online!

If you are planning to visit USA in near future, chalk out your travel plan from now on. Buy a tourist map of USA, you will get plenty of them online. Read about the tourist attractions of the place you are visiting and schedule a time in your itinerary to visit each of those you. If you are traveling from one city to the other by car do not forget to carry US road map with you. Detailed road maps of every important city and county of the United States are available online.

At different mapping sites like mapsofworld.com you will get a detailed road map of the United States. The road map combines two extensive network of roads and highways. One of the network is named Federal Interstate Highway and the regional US Highway. These two highway networks play the central role in the surface transportation system of the country. The road map can be a great help to you to reach your destination in a fast and easy way.

You can also take the the help of Global positioning service or GPS. With any GPS-enabled device you can easily track your location with the help of GPS satellite. You can also know about the roads and services in close proximity of your location.

Consulting the map not only helps you find ways when you are lost , it also offers you joy of exploration. So next time you visit the United States do not forget to take a US road map along.

Being a island country situated in South Eastern Pacific ocean, New Zealand is blessed with a rich and unique variety of flora and fauna. For this reason this country has always been a popular destination for the nature lovers. The country with its bountiful natural resources welcomes the travelers in the realm of nature.

The most important reason behind the concentration of the extraordinary variety of flora and fauna was the isolated location of the country in Australian continent and the island biogeography. 80% of the vegetation in this Island country are endemic in nature. You can find two types of forests in this island country. You will find podocarps and giant Kauris in different areas of the country that have a little warmer climate. You can also find a number of southern beeches in the region with a cooler climate. The other parts of the country is covered with lush green grasslands.

The animal kingdom of New Zealand also has a wide variety. Most of the trees and animals are descendants of Gondowanan wildlife. For long it was thought that other than some species of bats there are no non-marine mammals until in the year 2006 the scientists have found skeletons of some rat like non-marine mammals in the interiors of the country. Animals in the country include takahe, kakapo, kiwi, megafauna, Haast’s Eagle, kaka and kea parrots. However, several of these species are now endangered, some are even living on the verge of extinction. Efforts are being made to control the extinction process.

Thus New Zealand is a beautiful country with a rich biodiversity. If you are a nature lover and want to spend a peaceful vacation in the lap of nature then New Zealand is sure to be your favorite tourist destination.

Africa – the very name of this continent flashes the idea of untamed forests in our minds. This is also the place where the human civilization is believed to have started its first journey. But very few among us are aware how this continent got its name. Studies have brought about different theories about this matter. Still some of them are well established with factual proofs.
North Africa, the place near Carthage is one of the main places where the African civilization saw its first days. Now, people living in this part of the continent were known as ‘Afri’. The word means ‘dust’ in English and it was pronounced as ‘afar’. It is also believed that a Berber word ‘Ifri’ might have given birth to the term ‘Afri’.
In Latin, the word ‘Aprica’ means a place which enjoys sunshine. The Greek word ‘Aphrike’, on the other hand, means a place which is not cold. So there are assumptions to form a theory that the name Africa may have come from a Latin or Greek origin. This theory was formed for the first time by a 15th century historian Leo Africanus. He also mentioned that the Greek term ‘Phrike’ donates a sense of horror. So it may be so that the origin of the name of this continent may be related to some ominous thought.

Virgin Group is one of the best known airlines company and Virgin Express was the name of one of their branches. It used to take the passengers to Brussels from its Southern European hub. This particular airlines began its services from the year 1996 on 23rd April. The first chairman of this airlines was Richard Branson. The business was started based on the property of Euro Belgian Airlines or in short, known as EBA.
Boeing 737 flights were in EBA’s fleet and therefore Virgin Express made their perfect use. The main target was to launch a low budget airlines and for the first few years the business was greatly successful too. Sabena was one of the airlines which gave the Virgin Express a tough competition. Finally, the authority of this company decided to go along with the services of Brussels Airlines. The mingled forces became strong enough to establish themselves as an unparalleled competitor in the market. SN Brussels Airlines was the name with which they began their journey but finally decided to go for a single company with the name of Brussels Airlines. Recently they have also taken the responsibility of the company Cameroon Airlines.

If you are planning for a short trip or a long tour you need to make your travel plans ahead. Depending on your vacation, budget and preference you need to choose a tourist destination at first. Then you need to gather information about the tourist attractions in and around the place. After that you can chalk out your travel plan with the help of a tourist map. For example, if you want to travel USA you need to collect information about the important tourism attractions of the country including the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and Grand Canyon. You also need to gather information about accommodation facilities in and around the tourist destinations. All such information will be available in a number of travel websites online. You can also take help of several travel magazines to get a clear idea about accommodation, tourist attractions, and tours available near your destination.

You can also consult your travel plans with your friends and relatives. Thus you can get some valuable travel tips from those who has been to any such destination. First hand knowledge is always very authentic and useful. You can also read the travelogues and travel blog available online. From these blogs and travelogues you can know a great deal about your destination and things to do there. Once you satisfy all your queries you can go ahead and book your ticket, tour and hotel and look forward to a happy vacation.

If you are planning to visit India anywhere in the recent future you better start planning from this moment. As India is a large country with numerous well known tourist destinations spread across the country you need to plan your vacation ahead. If you know someone who has visited India in recent past as him or her for suitable travel advice. You can also look for some valuable travel tips from any travel magazine. Visiting different travel sites and reading travel blogs will also be a great help to you. After collecting ample information you can chalk out you travel plans.

While visiting India you must do your bookings ahead. Whether you are opting for a tour package to Taj Mahal or looking for a suitable accommodation facility making prior bookings will save you from unnecessary hazards. At any packaged tour you will get English speaking tourist guides. However, you can also hire special guides who can speak your native language. While visiting any religious place remember to put off your shoes. If you are on medication do not forget to bring your medicine along as you may not get the brand in India.

Be careful about choosing your belongings. India is a tropical country in Asia, so there is absolutely no need to carry sweaters and woolen garments, unless you are visiting the Himalayas during the winter months. Never leave hotel without your passport, a local road map and a guide book, reading which you can get a fair idea about Indian cuisine, culture and history. To have a check on every dollar you spend it is better to do some research on the web about the actual price of the handicraft items and other souvenirs. But most importantly, keep your camera and camcorders ready to capture every moment spent in this beautiful country.

Nothing interests me more than beaches, when the concerning matter comes to traveling. That day, every one of my friends was head over heels to approach a conclusion on where to go in the summer vacation. I was the savior to their confusion and convinced them to start for Rugen in Germany. I showed them a number of picturesque snaps of Rugen beaches on the travel sites over the Internet. They couldn’t help appreciating my decision.

We chose to reach the heavenly Rugen Island by ferry from the city of Stralsund. Baltic Sea welcomed us with a turquoise smile to the sand beaches of Rugen. The weather was really nice. The day temperature was around 16 degrees Celsius. It was a heavenly experience to enjoy the panoramic view of Rugen from the rooftop of our hotel. We stayed in the hotel – Steigenberger Resort Hotel Rugen.

But one unfortunate thing seemed to haunt us in the island. We saw there a number of resorts (you may also call them castles). After a bit of inquiry, we collected the bitter information that those were once built on Nazi fascist ruler Hitler’s orders. Legends say that this killer ruler was so becharmed by the beauty of this beach that he built resorts for his lackeys.

The Nazi holiday resort, Prora really haunted us for a day. The memory of concentration camps in which the Jews suffered inhumane death in 1940s captured our mind. But the pristine beaches did not let us be gloomy for more than a day. The beaches of Rugen showed the valor of beauty overtaking the brutality of Nazis. The fact that Hitler is dead and Rugen is alive proves the fact that beauty overhauls brutality.