travelwriter

During the 33rd session of The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) this past June in London, England, it was announced that eleven cultural sites and two natural sites have been added to the World Heritage list.
The new additions include:

• The Wadden Sea, Germany/Netherlands
• The Dolomites, Italy
• Stoclet House, Belgium
• The Ruins of Loropeni, Burkina Faso
• Mount Wutai, China
• Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, Iran
• Sulamain-Too Scared Mountain, Kyrgyzstan
• The Sacred City of Caral-Supe, Peru
• The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, Republic of Korea
• The Tower of Hercules, Spain
• La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle, Switzerland
• Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, United Kingdom
• The Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains, France

For only the second time in the history of UNESCO, a site on the World Heritage list has been removed.  The Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany was unable to retain its status due to the construction of a four-lane bridge in the middle of the site.

Three world sites are threatened by various factors and were added to the danger list.  They include the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, Los Katios National Park in Colombia, and the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta in Georgia.

Based in Paris and established in 1945, UNESCO encourages awareness of the natural and cultural heritage worldwide.  For more information, visit UNESCO .

For the second year in a row, Marriott Golf, is offering ‘a yearlong series of one day events’ to promote family togetherness in golf.

The Marriott International Family Golf Festival invites families to Marriott Golf properties for a fun afternoon of FREE instruction, golf clinics, activities, interactive games, plus a chance to win family vacation prizes!

Plus, after 3 p.m. on the Golf Festival day, children and families can golf for FREE.  An estimated 10,000 children and parents participated in the Marriott program in 2008.

Marriott offers more than 60 golf courses at 44 locations in 13 countries – with more than 1,000 holes of championship golf.  Visit Marriott.com to see a complete list of 2009 Golf Festival Dates .

Early yesterday morning, Continental flight 61, enroute from Brussels, Belgium, landed safely at Newark Liberty International airport in New Jersey even though the pilot died during the flight.

The Boeing 777 landed safely with the two first officers onboard flying the aircraft as required by FAA rules for international flights.  Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency crews and Continental customer service staff who escorted the passengers from the plane.

With this very unusual situation, officials state that even though the cut off age for working pilots was recently increased from age 60 to 65, every pilot is required to pass a rigorous physical every six months.

With over 25 years in the travel business, Singles Travel International provides worry free travel for single travelers.

Join them on their Taste of Italy Cuisine Tour featuring pasta, wine, cheese, olive oils, and so much more along with the unique history and endless photography opportunities only Italy can provide.

Tour highlights include visiting St. Peter’s Square, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Michelangelo’s David, with cooking lessons, wine tasting, and a Venice canal ride.

Departing August 15, 2009, the Taste of Italy Cuisine Tour includes 7 nights accommodation, 11 meals including a welcome dinner, pizza party & farewell dinner, starting at only $1999 USD per person.

For more information, visit: SinglesTravelInternational

Why not add some mystery and intrigue to your next trip?

Check into the former summer home of Agatha Christie known as Greenway.  After extensive and expensive renovations, the 500 year-old house was recently opened to guests.

The converted apartment at Greenway can be rented for groups of up to 10 people in size.  Renting for $503 USD per night, the Greenway apartment requires a 3-night minimum stay.

For more information, visit National Trust Cottages.

Relationship Problems?  Stay at Miami’s Standard Hotel and you can book a counseling session with a Ph.D.  The doctor may even recommend a treatment at the hotel spa.

Sleeping Problems?  Check into the Quilibra Aguas de Ibiza Hotel in Spain where the suites are designed to deliver a perfect balance of oxygen, light, and noise for an uninterrupted deep sleep.

Overindulgence Problems?  Check into the Hotel Gabriel Paris Marsais , aka the ‘detox hotel,’ for organic, anti-oxidants to revitalize and detox the body.

Money Problems?  Sail with Crystal Cruises and attend a series of money management seminars with Bob Froehlich, former chairman of the Deutsche Bank.

With over 1,000 personally selected properties in 14 destinations around the world, The Villa Book has it all.

Intrigued?  For more information, visit The Villa Book.

Brazilian Air Force officials have just announced they found what appears to be wreckage from the missing Air France flight that disappeared yesterday enroute from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France.

After departing Rio and nearly 4 hours later, Air France flight 447 left radar contact.  According to Air France officials, the Airbus A330 with 228 passengers and crew onboard, “crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence.”  This is the suspected cause of the apparent crash.

Most of the passengers onboard the ill-fated flight were from France, Brazil and Germany with the remaining passengers from 29 additional countries including the United States and Canada.

Air France has also just announced it will be holding “an inter-religious ceremony for the relatives and friends of the victims on Wednesday, June 3, at 4 p.m. at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.”

Princess Cruises is offering an amazing 107-day world cruise that will take you to the north, south, east, and west with the experience and knowledge that only Princess can offer with over 40 years of sailing the ocean blue.

Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, to Rome, this 107-day luxurious cruise will stop at an amazing 40 ports including overnight stays in Sydney, Australia, and Xingang, China. 

If you don’t want to wait until 2010 for this cruise, a 104-day cruise is still available on the Dawn Princess sailing roundtrip from Sydney on July 5, 2009.  Ports include Cork, Ireland; Paris, France; Goa, India, plus an overnight stay in Bermuda.

Remember, cruising is the best vacation value for your money.  For more information, visit: Princess Cruises

The Paris Greeter program is run by volunteers who cordially offer free scheduled tours of Paris to visitors from all over the world. 

The volunteers are looking to give visitors a little taste of Parisian life during their 2 to 3 hour tour that takes a maximum of 6 people.  The volunteers are forbidden to take tips from tour goers but any transportation expenses during the tour are expected to be paid on behalf of the volunteer by the tourists themselves.

The Paris Greeter program was developed in the summer of 2007 with the approval of the Parisian government and in order to help dispel the myth of visitors encountering rude Parisians during their trip.

In order to take advantage of a Paris Greeter tour, a request must be submitted at least 1 to 2 weeks prior to your Paris trip.  Paris Greeter tours are available in nine other languages besides English.