An increasingly important number of visitors are traveling to Dubai each year, on business trips, to attend trade shows and conventions, or for leasure. In the last nine months of 2007, the number of guests staying in hotels in Dubai rose 7 percent to 5.1 million while hotel occupancy rates rose 4.1 percent to reach 86.9 percent. In terms of Hotels, Dubai offers a wide array of choices. However the hotel chain brand names, ratings and facilities differ dramatically from the European or the US market. Also the ethnical and cultural variety of Dubai, its geographical spread and its problematic traffic system, make it easy for you to make the WRONG choice. There are a ton of websites that offer online hotel room booking for Dubai. But all these websites don’t offer more than the “official blabla” description of the hotel.
-
Edinburgh Breaks
This year (2012) more than any other year Edinburgh will be the city in the UK to visit on a short break. When the rest of the world is going mad down in London for the Olympics during August, Edinburgh will not only be able to offer the twin attractions of the Edinburgh Festival and The Edinburgh Fringe to its visitors but excellent short Edinburgh Breaks are on offer throughout August for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Beyond the summer months Edinburgh is attracting lovers of musical theatre with four massive musicals: Phantom of the Opera, Green Day’s American Idiot, Oliver and Dirty Dancing. The venue for these four hit shows is the Edinburgh Playhouse. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera is touring the UK for the first time: 25 years after it opened in London. It will be in Edinburgh between 19 September and 20 October 2012 with performances Monday to Saturday. Dirty Dancing comes to Edinburgh over Christmas and if there was any way to improve a trip to Edinburgh at this time of year then this phenomenon of a musical would surely be it. With all the great songs of the smash hit film starring Patrick Swayze it is the romantic option for a Scottish Break. Lionel Bart’s perennial favourite comes to Edinburgh BEFORE the summer – playing just from 08 to 23 June 2012. Brian Conley will take on the role of Fagin. American Idiot is in the UK for a strictly limited times and is in Edinburgh from 22 to 27 October 2012 – so Book NOW All shows are offered with a range of central Edinburgh Hotels: three, four and five star properties to choose from.
-
Playing Loteria While On Vacation
If you’re on vacation in Mexico, you’ve likely got a few priorities for how you’d like to spend your time. You want to stretch out on the beach with a good book and a margarita in hand, letting the sun warm your skin and give you that much-needed boost of Vitamin D. You want to eat the delicious food that your all-inclusive prepares, and work off some of it by taking sandy strolls along the shore or swimming in the ocean. On some days you’re sure to want to visit some of Mexico’s world famous archeological sites, such as Chichen Itza or Coba. Maybe you’ll do a little shopping for some souvenirs to commemorate this time. And maybe you’re itching to play some cards—after all, you’re on vacation, right? A little gambling isn’t out of the question. Well, for those who enjoy yelling out “Bingo!”, there’s a unique Mexican game of chance called Loteria which you’re sure to enjoy. Loteria works slightly similarly to bingo, but is played with a series of cards. Each player has a 4X4 grid of randomly assigned pictures, with each square having a name and number associated with it. The caller randomly selects a card from his 52-card deck, and announces it out; those players who have the card on their tablet will mark it off. It’s not uncommon for the caller to refer to the card using a riddle or joke instead of simply yelling its name. Winning happens when the first player to get a set of four squares calls out “Loteria!”. The set of four can be in a horizontal or vertical line, a cluster of 2X2 squares, or if the player gets all four corner squares filled. Loteria’s origins can be traced back to 15th century Italy, and it was brought to Mexico in 1769. Common cards include The Rooster, The Devil, The Arrows, The Shrimp, The Heron, the Bird, the Deer, and The Moon; each of the 52 cards in a standard deck is completely unique, and there is a riddle associated with each card! If you’re on vacation in a resort like occidental grand xcaret, it’s possible that the staff will run a game for guests. If you’re confident in your Spanish and want to try your luck, ask the staff if they can recommend a good bingo hall for you!
