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Seville is one of the jewels of Spain, with architecture, museums, food and shopping that make it a must-see holiday destination.  [Read more]

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Spending some time in Bangkok? You have to see the temples.

No visit to Bangkok is complete without visiting the temples in the city. The temples, or wats, are all over and the main temples can be seen in a day or two.

You can either plan your own trip or check in the lobby of your hotel and sign up for a Ω or full day trip. There are 5 temples that are definite “must see”.

Wat Arun is the temple of the dawn. It is located on the Chao Phraya River. As the name indicates, it is ideal to visit first thing in the morning as the sun rises. This way you will see the sun bounce off the walls of the temple with a pearly iridescence.

Wat Phra Kaew, or the temple of the Emerald Buddha, is in the heart of Bangkok, at the Royal Palace. Despite the name, the statue is really made of jade and is adorned in golden garments. There are three sets of gold clothing that are changed according to the seasons.

Like all the temples, you should dress appropriately. For the men, this means slacks and a collar shirt. For the ladies, wear a dress and cover as much skin as possible. If you are improperly dressed, you will either be turned away or be offered to rent some clothes.

Another temple to visit is Wat Pho. This is the temple of the Reclining Buddha. This is the oldest temple in Bangkok and houses over 1,000 images of Buddha. The Reclining Buddha is 46 meters long, plated in gold, with inlaid mother of pearl on his eyes and soles of his feet.

Next is Wat Benchamabophit. This is a beautiful marble temple built in 1899. Inside the Ordination Hall (Ubosot) is a Sukhothai-style Buddha statue named Phra Buddhajinaraja, cast in 1920 after the original located in Wat Mahathat in Phitsanulok. The ashes of King Chulalongkorn are buried beneath the statue. In the gallery surrounding the ordination hall are 52 Buddha statues, collected by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab for his king.

Lastly, is Wat Tramit, the Golden Buddha. This is a fascinating story and a temple you have to see. You need to read the history and learn how the Thai people hid this Buddha in clay to keep the Burmese from taking it and melting down the gold for war. It went undiscovered until an accident chipped away some of the clay to reveal part of the 5 tons of gold. No guards in sight as no one would dare steal it.

Whether you are religious or not, visiting the temples in Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand is something you should do.

Don’t miss these temples in Bangkok, book a Bangkok hotel deal through hotelpepper.com

Photo by Alan Light

Each year, an unlimited number of individuals make the decision to travel to Waikiki, Hawaii. Hawaii trips have rapidly increased in popularity over the past few years. There are a number of different reasons for that, such as the beautiful weather and breathtaking beaches. It fact, it has often been said that the beaches are what makes Hawaii so attractive and alluring to tourists. If the beaches are the main reason why you have decided to take a Hawaii trip, you may want to focus your vacation on those beaches. You can easily do this with an oceanfront vacation rental.

The first step in reserving an oceanfront vacation rental, for your next Hawaii trip, is to decide on an area of Hawaii that you would like to visit. While you may enjoy visiting Big Island, Kauai, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai, you may want to give Oahu some serious thought, particularly the Waikiki area. Waikiki is rapidly become a popular vacation destination for many tourists. One of the reasons for that is everything that Waikiki has to offer. While Waikiki is most well-known for its amazing nightlife, it is also home to the Waikiki Aquarium, as well as the Diamond Head Crater. Perhaps, what is best about Waikiki is that everything in the area is grouped together, within a reasonable amount of distance. This means that you should easily be able to walk from your oceanfront rental, hotel, or resort to wherever you want to go.

As mentioned above, if you are traveling to Hawaii just to see and enjoy the amazing Hawaiian beaches, you are advised to take advantages of those beaches. In addition to visiting an area like Waikiki, you may also want to make your overnight accommodations close to the beach or even directly on the beach. In Waikiki, you can easily do this by reserving a Waikiki oceanfront rental for your next Hawaii trip. Waikiki oceanfront rentals are the perfect way to spend your Waikiki vacation. In fact, some tourists say that you do not get the whole Waikiki experience unless you are staying along the beach.

Waikiki oceanfront rentals come in a number of different forms. Perhaps, the most popular type of Waikiki oceanfront rentals are oceanfront condos. Waikiki oceanfront condos are a number of living spaces that are all housed inside a large building. In Waikiki, these large buildings are often high-rises. In a way, Waikiki oceanfront condos resemble apartments. This is mostly because of everything that they include. Most Waikiki oceanfront condos come with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, dinning rooms, living rooms, and kitchens. It is also common for Waikiki oceanfront condos to have laundry rooms or, at least, an onsite laundry facility.

In addition to oceanfront rentals, the Waikiki area also has a number of oceanfront hotels and vacation resorts. If you are looking for an affordable way to spend your vacation along Waikiki beach, you may want to look into Waikiki oceanfront hotels and resorts. As affordable as these overnight accommodations are, it is important to remember what you are getting. Unlike a Waikiki oceanfront condo, you will most likely not be given a full kitchen or a dinning room; however, it is possible to find luxury hotel or resort accommodations, but you will need to be prepared to pay for them.

If you are looking to enjoy everything that Waikiki has to offer, you are advised to book a stay at a Waikiki oceanfront rental. Whether you choose to rent a Waikiki oceanfront condo or book a stay at an oceanfront hotel or vacation resort, you will likely be pleased with your decision to not only visit Waikiki, but to stay on Waikiki Beach.

Search hotelpepper.com for the best choice in Waikiki hotels and oceanfront hotels in Hawaii.

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Prague is one of Europe’s cities with the highest number of five star hotels. When looking for Prague hotels it is not difficult to find a hotel in the city centre most of the hotels lie in the old city and are located close to each other. [Read more]

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About the country

The United Kingdom, also known as England or Great Britain is the country which once ruled nearly the entire world. The glory might have been lost but the people are still proud of their country and heritage and the travel and tourisim industries are among the best in the world. The United Kingdom is an EU member and enjoys a fantastic economic climate. The country consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The country is full of scenic locales and energetic cities. The capital city of the UK is London.

A city beyond compare, the UK represents itself as an icon of diversity with people from all walks of life blended into its culture. It is also home to many architectural marvels such as Buckingham Palace, London Bridge and more modern fare such as Canary Wharf. While areas like York and Durham capture the bygone era of country life, Liverpool and Newcastle are modern industrial marvels. Donít forget the scenic Lake District and Edinburg still attracts people from all over the world.

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