Tahiti Tours Are The Best Way To Experience The Best Of Tahiti By Kelly Renaul Taking Tahiti tours is the perfect way to experience the islands that have been described as paradise on Earth. Comfortably cooled by the breezes that blow from the Pacific Ocean, Tahiti maintains a Read more...
The History And Traditions Of Tahiti By David Friel With a rich history that extends back at least 3000 years, Tahiti has been a prized possession of conquerors, particularly Europeans, over the centuries. Despite the advances of uninvited visitors, Read more...
A Quick Guide Of Tahiti Vacation Tidbits By Kelly Renaul A Tahiti vacation is a vacation in Paradise. Tahiti is the largest of the 118 islands that make up French Polynesia. Tahiti is known to the world traditionally as the Island of Love, and anyone who Read more...
The History And Traditions Of Tahiti By David Friel With a rich history that extends back at least 3000 years, Tahiti has been a prized possession of conquerors, particularly Europeans, over the centuries. Despite the advances of uninvited visitors, Read more...
Travel News:
Take a dip into Budapest <p>It had been exactly 10 years since I last visited Budapest. I had travelled on the night train with three other friends who I’d been teaching with in Prague as part of a gap year. We were reaching the end of our time abroad — and the end of our tether when it came to dealing with each other on a 24/7 basis. </p> 10 best: South Italian secrets <p>Venture down Italy's heel and you'll find some of the most romantic hotels in the world. Boutique gurus Mr and Mrs Smith reveal their favourites. </p> Prepare for ski trip or risk heart attack, amateur skiers told <p>Amateur skiers have been warned of the dangers of hitting the slopes unprepared after a study showed a spike in the number of heart attacks in the first two days of a holiday. </p> Weekend away: Breaffy House Resort, Co Mayo <p>First impressions</p> My own Tour de Kerry <p>Cycling is having something of a moment these days. Whether it's the Green Party supporter out saving the planet on his trusty mountain bike, lycra-clad Lance Armstrong lookalikes haring up mountains after a day at the office, or the It girl trundling through Dublin 4 on a quaint set of wheels, they've all got one thing in common: they're part of the bikegeist.</p> Walk of the week: Diamond Hill, Connemara, Co Galway <p>Diamond Hill is, first and last, a proper mountain. It is easy to think of it as a tame lump, scarcely worth the attention of a proper walker. </p> Zero tolerance Italian-style <p>Is the Bel Paese turning into the biggest nanny state in the planet? It's well known that Italy surpasses all of its European neighbours when it comes to devising picky laws that drive its citizens and unsuspecting tourists to distraction, but this summer, Berlusconi's government has really lost the run of itself. First, public kissing came under the knife. Then sandcastles got the boot. Now the latest crime against humanity is possession of a squeaky sandal.</p> Allez les blues as you coast along in France <p>As our plane banked dramatically to-wards a landing in Carcassonne, the fairy-tale vista delivered by the town's medieval landscape set the tone for much of what was to follow during the next few days.</p> A slice of Madeira <p>When I asked my 20-year-old daughter Ellen if she'd like a week in the sun, I expected her to say yes. But when I added the caveat that it I would be her travelling companion, I thought she might demur. But she didn't. That could be for one of two reasons. Either I have been an exceptional father, or her social life is so comatose that it sounded like an attractive offer.</p> 48 hours in: Zurich <p>Switzerland’s financial centre is surrounded by leafy hills and pretty rivers. It’s also buzzing with chic shops and eclectic entertainment, as Anthony Lambert discovers</p> New York: How to Carrie it off <p>Park Avenue and Madison. The Bronx and Staten Island. Coney and Baloney. They go together like other New York stalwarts Cosmo cocktails and Carrie Bradshaw.</p> Quirky Big Apple: The not-so-obvious guide to New York <p>You’ve sipped cocktails in Manhattan, been on the Staten Island Ferry, shopped till you dropped, travelled to the top of the Empire State Building and you’ve hung out in Greenwich Village; chances are you think you’ve done the Big Apple.</p> Ten best: Big Apple Bargains <p>A spring break in New York means sun, shopping and cut-price stays. Adriaane Pielou selects 10 of the best-value hotels to be found in the city.</p> Style City: New York <p>Style City brings you an insider’s guide to the most exciting cities in the world. This month the stylish Noreen Boyhan takes you on a guided tour of the best places to shop, eat and party in New York. </p> 10 best New York bolt-holes <p>Boutique hotel gurus Mr & Mrs Smith reveal their 10 favourite hotels to bed down in the city that never sleeps, with rooms starting from €117 a night.</p> Ten best: New York Day Trips <p>Most visitors to New York never make it out of Manhattan. There's so much to see and do upstate, so ditch the bright lights and spread your wings</p> Sicily: The clue to everything <p>IT was like something out of a horror film. I had been basking in the warm Sicilian sun only an hour earlier, but now a thick, cold mist and eerie silence swirled around me, causing my holiday companions to keep disappearing out of sight. A blessed relief in some cases, some might say, but not me, of course. </p> London: Ten quirky things to do and see <p>Heading across the Irish sea for a weekend break? Looking to avoid the stampede of tourists making their way to all the usual places in London? Here’s our guide to some of the more unique and unusual attractions that London has to offer plus a few experiences that you wouldn’t normally associate with the British capital.</p> Where wonders never end <p>THE opportunity presented itself to go to Jordan for 10 days. It is not somewhere I would ordinarily think of going. But having been to the Middle East a couple of years ago, I was anxious to go back. I'm glad I did. A love affair has begun.</p> Brighton rocks <p>The zenith of the British seaside holiday may be resigned to the 1950s, when Punch & Judy shows and donkey rides drew the bucket-and-spade brigade en masse. </p> Set your clock to Africa time <p>It's almost a month now since the World Cup finished, when a late goal handed victory to Spain, and a final fanfare of vuvuzela horns rang out in the Jo'burg sky.</p> Hotel deal of the week: Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa <p>The Dunboyne Castle Hotel was completed for guests in 2006. The Georgian house itself, a grand old pile in grand old gardens, is wrapped by the newer wings which seem to stretch around most of the grounds and make for quite a large hotel.</p> Walk of the week: Mullaghmore, The Burren, Co Clare <p>There's definitely some magic about the Burren region of Clare -- the naked limestone hills so packed with wildlife, yet so seemingly empty; the bare grey landscape that hides a fabulous treasury of archaeological sites; the sleepy one-tractor villages where music springs at full flow from plain-looking pubs. </p> Hotel deal of the week: The Lough Rea Hotel and Spa, County Galway <p>On the surface, deals are plentiful - golf breaks and castles, country houses and estates, and all seem to be under-booked. Rooms appear to come cheap and plentiful, but in practice things aren't always that easy. Once the little luxuries have been added, a weekend away often adds up to as much as it ever did and a 'bargain' often turns out to be anything but. </p> Weekend Away: Delphi Mountain Resort, Connemara <p>First impressions</p> Glenbarrow, Slieve Blooms, Co Laois <p>There's something mysterious, half-invisible even, about the Slieve Blooms. These low-rolling hills, rising at the meeting point of Laois and Offaly, are only an hour from Dublin on a good traffic day. But mention them to most people and you'll get a puzzled shrug. </p> Weekend Away: River Court Hotel Kilkenny <p>First impressions</p> Short breaks make people happier than one long holiday, psychologists claim <br/><p>Taking frequent short breaks is better for you than one long holiday, research has found. <br/></p> Ditch the working holiday <p>You've switched on your out-of-office manager. Your voicemail will tell callers not to bother ringing for a fortnight. Azure seas and white sands beckon, and in less than a day you'll be lying in the sun with a good read in one hand and a cocktail in the other. </p> Holiday essentials cheaper on arrival <p>FROM sunglasses to Speedos, it pays for Irish holidaymakers to forget their toothbrush when travelling abroad this summer.</p> The A to Z of car hire <p>Simon Calder has the key facts you need on vehicle rental before you hit the road</p> My no-cover nightmare <p>I can't remember the exact moment last summer when my husband admitted we didn't have any travel insurance.</p> An in-flight wake-up call <p>Do you pop a pill before a long-haul flight? You're not alone. The pre-trip check list for many travellers nowadays goes something like this: passport, ticket, money ... sleeping tablet. </p> Our mother and daughter road-trip <p>In July next year, my 18-year-old daughter and I will be travelling to America. We plan to visit San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York. We are interested in places that are not on the typical tourist route. We would be willing to drive and are open to all ideas.Martina, Dublin </p> Family fun in malta <p> We are planning to visit Malta for a week at the end of March 2011 -- my husband, myself and my daughter (10). We are unsure about where to base ourselves. We would like to visit Gozo and to know what there is for families to do generally. Catherine O'Connor </p> Cover-up in bahrain <p>I have a 12-hour stopover in Bahrain on my way to India. I've heard that there are a few easily accessible things to do in Bahrain near the airport, but as a female with a fair complexion I don't want to get hassled. How much will I have to cover up? Clare</p> Travelling in Israel <p>My wife and I and another couple are hoping to go to Israel in October for two weeks, if conditions there remain calm. We are all getting on in years and don't want to drive out there -- how easy is it to get around by public transport? Sam </p> New zealand road trip <p>A bunch of friends and I are heading to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup next year. We plan to hire a campervan and travel around. Have you any idea how much campsites cost and what the best ways of booking are? Are there other costs we should be aware of? Niall </p> A fortnight in Dubai and beyond <p>My friend and I are planning a two-week holiday in November. We aim to visit Dubai for one week and then move on to somewhere different for the second week. We are both female and in our 20s. </p> New York, New York <p>They call it the city that never sleeps, but Rory Coen found it difficult to wake up... </p> Editor's letter: Welcome to Compass magazine <p>And so it is. Compass has made it from the imagination of 14 MA Journalism students from Independent College Dublin all the way into your hands. </p> The north side: Toronto <p>Don’t fancy the States? Then head north of the border, to Toronto. It’s a diverse, contemporary and buzzing city, and is a great place to spend your summer, writes Andrew Cosgrave.</p> Turning Japanese <p>More affordable and less hectic than central Tokyo, the commuter belt area of Chiba makes a great base on the edge of the Japanese capital, finds Ronan Abayawickrema. Further exploration, though, reveals a prefecture that makes a fascinating destination in itself...<br/></p> Rail against the machine: InterRail round Europe <p>Heading off to see Europe by train this summer but not sure how to plan your trip? Fear not – Cormac Murtagh has all the tips you need for a successful InterRail Odyssey right here. </p> Oxegen deprived: European music festivals <p>Tired of Oxegen and Electric Picnic? Fancy something new this summer? Then look no further. From Spain to Serbia, there’s no shortage of alternative music festivals to be found in Europe. Cormac Murtagh shines a spotlight on the pick of the bunch...</p>
