Cruise & Travel

Cape Sounio Hotel

Cape Sounio embodies a world of privacy and natural beauty basking in the glow of one of antiquity’s most celebrated monuments, The Temple of Poseidon. Arranged amphitheatrically to maximise the views of the Temple, elegant, terracotta villas with private gardens and pools rise along shaded, stone paths framed by olive trees and fragrant pines descending to two private beaches.

The location of the Cape at the tip of Attica – and similarly, as the Gateway to both Athens and the Aegean – made it a place of great strategic importance. The Cape also holds legendary significance as the place where the Aegean was named; it was here that Aegeus, the King of Athens, plunged to his death upon spying the dark sails of Theseus’s ship and mistakenly believing that his son had been slain by the Minotaur.

Cape Sounio Room

Rising on the slopes of the bay, above Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort, lies the Sounio National Park, revered for its scenic beauty and rich geological history. The ancient mines within the park are reputed to have supplied the marble for the building of the Temple of Poseidon.

One of the few Athens Riviera hotels, Cape Sounio The park and Resort overlooks the deep blue waters of Cape Sounio Bay – home to some of the cleanest and clearest waters in the Saronic Gulf. Protected from winds and rough seas, the crystal depths teem with life and are home to a thriving colony of Poseidonias Seaweed, one of the most important ocean biotypes in existence.

Double room prices range from US$ 380.00/night. For more information visit www.capesounio.com

Villa Antica Rosa - Private Pool

Mandola Rosa is a boutique hotel that occupies an exclusive stretch of one of the finest beaches in the Mediterranean. The Hotel lies at the centre of its own private estate within the Olympia Riviera Resort and comprises just 54 suites and villas, steeped in old world charm and effortless elegance.

In addition to benefiting from an abundance of resort activities, Mandola Rosa offers easy access to the world famous archaeological site of Ancient Olympia and the many other natural, historical and cultural attractions of the Western Peloponnese. VIP services and high security standards make the Hotel the perfect retreat for couples and families seeking quality time in an exclusive environment.

Elixir Thalasso

A Sanctuary for the Senses, a Balm for the Soul: Inspired by the Rotunda at Olympia nearby, ‘Elixir’ Thalassotherapy Center is designed like a complex of Greek temples. Illuminated in the evening, it harks back to the sanctuaries of Classical Greece. This luxury retreat combines the ages-old wisdom of the Greeks, who valued the healing properties of the sea, with modern wellness regimens to relax the body and rejuvenate the spirit.

The ‘Elixir’ Thalassotherapy Center has three wings. The central building is a rotunda, inspired by the temple Alexander the Great built at the sanctuary at nearby Ancient Olympia. A grand staircase sweeps up guests from the reception area into the spa’s inner sanctum – a suite of thirty elegantly-appointed private massage rooms, changing areas, showers, saunas, exercise rooms, steam rooms, and luxurious indoor and outdoor lounges where you relax between treatments.

Aqua Elixir Thalasso Pool

The sanctuary design is part of the escapism of this fantasy setting and it’s hard not to feel like a goddess when you’re seated in an open-air whirlpool under the dome of a small temple. Spoil yourself completely with an open-air massage on the temple porch, discreetly screened by billowing curtains of filmy voile. The spa’s showstopper is the Aqua Elixir Thalasso Pool – more opulent than the grandest Roman thermae. Simply Divine!

Double room prices range from US$ 200.00/night. A Villa Delo Private Pool price is US$ 990.00/night. For more information visit Mandola Rosa Suites and Villas.

Aqua Room

Aqua is the first luxury cruise ever seen sailing through the Amazon. Has 12 finely decorated suites with panoramic windows that offer a wonderful view from the outside. 4 suites are interconnected for greater comfort for passengers traveling with family.

The social areas are in the dining lounge at the interior and exterior, located on the observation deck and the boutique.

Accommodation:
Up to 24 passengers with private facilities
(Additional accommodation for a child in each cabin)

Cabins:
12 suites:
- 4 Master Suites 240 square feet / 22 m2 each
- 8  Suites from 230 square feet / 21 m2 each
- All with panoramic windows and exterior view
- All with air conditioning and seating area where
- 4 interconnecting suites for families

All cabins include: area, internal communication system and hot water 24 hours a day.

Aqua 800

Others:
Electricity: 220 volts
Water Treatment Plant 7000 liters of water
Safety radio communication system with separate battery, satellite phone, life jackets, flare signals, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in each cabin.
Boats: Three auxiliary aluminum boats equipped with four stroke engines with low emissions, constant radio communication with the boat. Each boat has a capacity of 8 to 10 passengers.
Crew: 16 plus 3 naturalist guides, bilingual (English-Spanish).

The price of this cruise goes from US$ 2100.00 for 3 nights, per person. The cruise travels 3, 4 and 7 nights, the most expensive of US$ 4900.00. These prices are in the basic suite. The ride is incredible and worthwhile if the pocket allows. For more information, visit www.amazonriverexpeditions.com

Amirandes Hotel

Designed in keeping with the grand palaces of the Minoan kings, Amirandes is an exclusive beachside resort that epitomises Crete’s most inspiring features: beautiful architecture, warm hospitality, excellent cuisine and stunning land and seascapes. Just 20 minutes from Heraklion Airport, the Resort also offers good sea links and is just a short drive from attractions including the Palace of Knossos and Crete Golf Club.

Themed around the lagoons that swirl through its centre, the Resort’s 70,000 sq m expanse comprises six restaurants, private beaches, Elixir Spa with indoor pool, outdoor Olympic-size seawater pool, over 60 private pools and extensive children’s facilities. The 212 guestrooms feature indulgent details such as private gyms, home cinema and state-of-the-art bathrooms with colour-therapy and aromatherapy Jacuzzi bathtubs. Refined and considerate service mirrors the Resort’s meticulous attention to detail and utmost respect for the privacy of its guests.

Elixir Spa

Amirandes Room

Amirandes’ Elixir Spa offers a true sanctuary for the senses where simplicity is key. Six individually designed treatment and massage suites offer signature treatments and Ayurvedic therapies using organic plants and extracts from Crete’s rare, aromatic herbs.

The spa also contains an indoor pool, relaxation lounges serving complimentary tea and juices and separate men’s and women’s changing rooms with sauna and showers. Also contained within the spa is a state-of-the-art cardio-fitness gym and Beauty Centre with two manicure / pedicure rooms and hair salon. In-room treatments are available on request.

Double room prices range from US$ 200.00/night. For more information visit www.amirandes.com

Big Ben

Big Ben is the name that is known to the Great Bell of Westminster, the largest of the bells inside the tower and part of the Great Clock of Westminster, as well as (erroneously) to the Clock Tower of the Palace Westminster, located in London. The tower is located on the northwest corner of the building that houses the headquarters of the two Houses of the British Parliament.

The clock tower

The tower was built as part of the new building designed by Charles Barry, after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire the night of October 16, 1834. The tower is designed to Victorian Gothic style, and is 96.3 m high. The Gothic style was eventually chosen by the British Empire’s need to differentiate from other nations in those days, they felt less strong, where parliaments are governed primarily by the classical style.

The body of the tower (61 m) consists of a brickwork with stone cladding, and the remaining 35 meters form the needle cast iron which is crowned with the tower. The tower is seated on a base of 15 meters square and has a weight estimated at 8667 tons. The four watches are located at 55 meters tall.

Because of the land where the building is built, the tower leans slightly to the northwest, about 220 mm. Also a few millimeters annually ranges east and west, due to thermal effects.

The clock and its faces

The clock tower was the largest in the world in its time, capable of every hour with the precision of a second. The clock mechanism was completed in 1854, but the tower was not fully constructed until four years later.

The four sides of the clock and its fields were designed by Augustus Pugin. Each side has a spherical structure of iron, 23 feet in diameter containing 312 pieces of opaque glass. Some of these pieces can be removed to check the hands of the clock. At the base of each face of the clock there is an inscription in Latin: ‘DOMINO Sálvame FAC Reginam NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM’ ( ‘God save our Queen Victoria I’). The hand that marks the hours measured 2.7 meters long, while the minute mark that measured 4.3 meters.

The name “Big Ben” was the original 16-tonne bell in the tower, cast in 1856. Since the tower was not yet finished, the bell was installed in the “New Palace Yard,” but the bell was broken, and was remade into a campaign of 13.8 tons, which is used today. The new bell was mounted on the tower in 1858 with four more bells, which are responsible for providing quarters.

On September 7, 1859 the clock went into operation.

Today is one of the tourist attractions of the city of London. Millions of people visit it each year. It is an emblem of the city.

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is a skyscraper of 102 floors, the tallest building in New York City, a magnificent example of Art Deco architecture of the period since its completion in 1932, with observatories on floors 86 (air terrace free) and 102, which provide spectacular views of the city.

Every night, the 31 upper floors glow with a color representing the four seasons. On the second floor with the New York Skyride, a flight simulator that takes visitors on a journey around and above the attractions of the city.

Built during the Great Depression and so-called labor at very low costs. The time required were lifted only 410 days, which worked at the same time more than 3000 workers. The foundation began to excavate the January 22, 1930 construction began at a rate of 4.5 floors per week until its grand opening on May 1, 1931.

The number of steps that need to climb to reach the plant 102 are no less than 1860, they performed in the famous marathon New Yorkers, in a promotion that may require between 30 minutes and two hours. Located in the Midtown area at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 34 West Calkle, this colossus has become the symbol of power in the U.S., surpassing the Chrysler Building. However, it is no longer considered a symbol of power in 1974 with the opening of the Sears Tower in Chicago.

Having been displaced as the tallest building in town with the construction of the Twin Towers, returned to this place after the tragedy of September 11. Although it has now been surpassed by many other high skyscraper, remains a symbol of New York and his image has appeared in over 100 films, including “King Kong”. Skip to the Empire State observatory provides one of the best views of the island and it is precisely that which leads to more than 3.5 million people visit each year.

Nightview of New York City

Facts and Events

The building has 73 elevators that travel at a rate of 366 meters per minute. The structure required the use of a 60,000 tonnes of steel and 10 million bricks. The coating includes 20,000 m2 of Indiana limestone and marble of 1000 m2 and the total area is 204,385 m2.

The price of entry to the observatories are:

Adults: US$ 19
Students (12-17 years) and Pensioners: US$ 17
Children (6-11 years): US$ 13
Children under 5 years: Free

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was constructed around 1462, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned less than 100 years later. It is likely that most of its inhabitants were wiped out by smallpox before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area, and there is no record of their having known of the remote city. Hiram Bingham, the credited discoverer of the site, along with several others, originally hypothesized that the citadel was the traditional birthplace of the Inca of the “Virgins of the Suns”.

Another theory maintains that Machu Picchu was an Inca “llacta”, a settlement built to control the economy of these conquered regions. Yet another asserts that it may have been built as a prison for a select few who had committed heinous crimes against Inca society. Research conducted by scholars, such as John Rowe and Richard Burger, has convinced most archaeologists that rather than a defensive retreat, Machu Picchu was an estate of the Inca emperor, Pachacuti. In addition, Johan Reinhard presented evidence that the site was selected because of its position relative to sacred landscape features—such as its mountains, which are purported to be in alignment with key astronomical events that would have been important to the Incas.

Intihuatana Stone

The Intihuatana stone is one of many ritual stones in South America. The Spanish did not find Machu Picchu so the Intihuatana Stone was not destroyed as many other ritual stones in Peru were. These stones are arranged to point directly at the sun during the winter solstice. Intihuatana also is called “The Hitching Point of the Sun” because it was believed to hold the sun in its place along its annual path in the sky. At midday on March 21 and September 21, the equinoxes, the sun stands almost above the pillar—casting no shadow at all. Researchers believe that it was built as an astronomic clock or calendar.

Intihuatana Stone

Tourism

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As Peru’s most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator, it is continually threatened by economic and commercial forces. In the late 1990s, the Peruvian government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car and development of a luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants. These plans were met with protests from scientists, academics, and the Peruvian public—all worried that the greater numbers of visitors would pose tremendous physical burdens on the ruins.

Extras: A tour for Cusco and Machu Picchu is about US$ 600.00, not including airfare.  In addition, Machu Picchu was considered one of the seven wonders in the last election few years ago. The experience is unforgettable.

Bellagio Hotel

Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It is owned by MGM Mirage. Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Bellagio is famed for its elegance. One of its most notable features is an 8 acre (32,000 m²) artificial lake between the building and the Strip. The fountain shows on the lake are a major free attraction and provide a romantic ambiance for couples walking along the strip.

Hand Blown Glass Display by Dale ChihulyInside Bellagio, Dale Chihuly’s Fiori di Como, composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 square feet (610 m²) of the lobby ceiling. The hotel also contains a Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. following the purchase and demolition of the legendary Dunes hotel and casino in 1993. Bellagio was designed by Marnell Corrao Associates and Jon Jerde. Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic production of “O”, only the second permanent production show for the world-renowned troupe.

The Bellagio employs approximately 10,000 people. In the fall of 2006, the casino floor was remodeled and new uniforms were issued, changing the original color scheme to a more contemporary blue tone.

Film history

Bellagio was featured prominently in the film Ocean’s Eleven (2001). The curved staircase that Tess Ocean (played by Julia Roberts) so impressively descended was removed during a 2006 remodel to accommodate the entrance pathway from a newly built hotel tower, called The Spa Tower. New shops and restaurants fill the space. The vault for the three casinos that were robbed (MGM Grand, Mirage, and Bellagio) owned by Terry Benedict (played by Andy Garcia) was located beneath the Bellagio. There is no confirmation whether in fact the vault exists as portrayed in the movie.

Poker Room

Bellagio's Restaurant

Many professional poker players prefer to play at the Bellagio poker room, calling it their home base due to the high table limits. Poker professionals refer to the high-limit table as The Big Game. Bellagio has also partnered with the World Poker Tour to host several of their tournaments.

Fountains

The Fountains of Bellagio attraction consists of an intricate water fountain display set to light and music. The display takes place in front of the Bellagio hotel and can be viewed from the Strip. The fountain show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 pm to midnight. Exceptions: a single or string of shows may be withheld when winds prevail; a single show may be skipped to avoid interference with a planned event.

The Fountains were created by WET Design, who specializes in creating intricate water shows. The design incorporates an array of underwater pipes with over 1,000 nozzles that makes it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with over 4,000 lights and music.