Taos, NM

Still home to one of the longest-established Native American populations in the United States, though transformed by becoming first a Spanish colonial outpost, and more recently a hangout for bohemian artists and New Age dropouts, TAOS (which rhymes with mouse) has become famous out of all proportion to its size. Just six thousand people live in its three component parts: Taos itself, around the plaza; sprawling Ranchos de Taos, three miles to the south; and the Native American community of Taos Pueblo, two miles north.

Beyond the usual unsightly highway sprawl, Taos is a delight to visit. As well as museums, galleries and stores to match Santa Fe, it still offers an unhurried pace and charm, and the sense of a meeting place between Pueblo, Hispanic and American cultures. Its reputation as an arts colony began at the end of the nineteenth century, with the arrival of painter Joseph Henry Sharp. He was soon joined by two young New Yorkers, Bert Phillips and Ernest L. Blumenschein; legend has it that their wagon lost a wheel outside Taos as they headed for Mexico in 1898, and they liked it so much they never got round to leaving. The three men formed the nucleus of the Taos Society of Artists, established in 1915. Soon afterwards, society heiress and arts patron Mabel Dodge arrived, and married an Indian from the Pueblo to become Mabel Dodge Luhan. She in turn wrote a fan letter to English novelist D.H. Lawrence, who visited three times in the early 1920s; his widow Frieda made her home in Taos after his death. New generations of artists and writers have "discovered" Taos ever since, but the most famous of all was Georgia O'Keeffe, who stayed for a few years at the end of the 1920s. Her renditions of the church at Ranchos de Taos in particular were a major influence on contemporary Southwestern art.

Information by Rough Guides

Boracay Island, Philippines

Geographically speaking, Boracay is part of the municipality of Malay in the province of Aklan, which is located in Panay, one of a cluster of islands that constitute the central section of the Philippine archipelago.

Boracay can be reached from Manila by daily flights on Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Seair and Pacific Air. Caticlan is nearer the island, but the airstrip is short and narrow, and only the smaller planes of Asian Spirit, Seair and Pacific Air can land on it. The larger aircraft of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines fly to Kalibo, the capital of Aklan. From Caticlan it takes about 15 minutes by boat to Boracay; from Kalibo, an hour and a half by bus plus the 15-minute boat ride.

Once on the island, you will find out that getting around is simple and easy. There are three categories of transport: pedicabs and motorized tricycles shared with other passengers; individually rented bicycles and motorbikes; and the shuttle service offered by some hotels. Taxis are not available. However, since everything is more or less within walking distance, you will most likely join the majority of visitors in moving around the island on foot.

Boracay is seven kilometers long and divided into three barangays, or communities. Yapak lies in the north, Balabag in the center and Manoc-Manoc in the south. Within these barangays are smaller villages such as Angol, Manggayad and Bolabog.

Yapak is spread out over hilly terrain situated some distance away from the main tourist beat, but the shoreline is dotted with beautiful, uncrowded beaches and coves such as Puka Beach and Balinghai Beach . The island's only golf club, the 18-hole par-72 course at Fairways & Bluewater , is also located in Yapak. The Bat Caves , a popular destination for nature lovers, can be found at the barangay's northeastern tip.

White Beach , Boracay's biggest tourist attraction, stretches some four kilometers on the western side of the island, mostly within the barangay of Balabag. It is largely because of the pristine, white powdery sand of White Beach and the crystal-clear blue water of the surrounding sea that Boracay is often called "the world's most beautiful tropical island."

While White Beach takes up most of the western shoreline, Bolabog Beach dominates the eastern coast. Bolabog (sometimes spelled "Bulabog" or "Bulabug") belongs to the barangay of Balabag (with very little difference in spelling, Bolabog is often confused with Balabag by newcomers to the island). Normally the boat trip from Caticlan terminates at White Beach, but during the monsoon season when the western side of the island is lashed by strong winds, visitors are brought to a docking area in Bolabog. The waters here are also considered to offer ideal conditions for windsurfing. A small dirt road takes you from Bolabog to the foot of Mount Luho , the highest point on the island.

Understandably hotels on White Beach attract the most guests. The northern end of the beach is "lorded over" by Fridays , the southern end by Lorenzo South . In between you will find all kinds of accommodation, from native bamboo-and-nipa bungalows to Western-style concrete buildings.

White Beach extends into Manoc-Manoc, but the barangay features its own share of beaches worth visiting and exploring, including one named Manoc-Manoc Beach . The barangay also encompasses the Boracay Beach & Yacht Club and Crocodile Island, a popular destination for picnics, diving expeditions and marine excursions. The Dead Forest , a scenic spot believed to be populated by elemental spirits, is likewise located within the boundaries of Manoc-Manoc. White Beach Path runs along White Beach but is set back from the shore by rows of coconut trees. Hotels, eateries, bars, stores and dive shops line the entire length of the meandering footpath. This is where visitors to the island come to see and be seen.

You will find hotels like the longstanding Red Coconut Resort and more recently constructed Boracay Regency Beach Resort on White Beach Path, and likewise the Tourist Center , a handy one-stop shop for all kinds of travel needs (airline reservations, postcards, stamps, film, souvenirs and so forth). Thai Castles, True Food, Steakhouse Boracay , Gorio's , La Reserve Restaurant , Banza and La Capannina are among the better known eateries. Bars include Bom Bom and Summer Place Bar & Restaurant . Victory Divers and Aquarius Diving are just two of the many dive shops (there are more than 20 such outlets on the island) scattered along the path. Retail stores range from Paulo Collection Body Wear to Lonely Planet. The Talipapa Market, which burnt down in early 2005, has now been rebuilt in several locations between White Beach Path and Boracay Main Road .

Tricycles ply Boracay Main Road and a handful of side streets but are not allowed on White Beach Path. Except for Jony's Beach Resort , the town square (where the church and DOT Office are located), Beachcomber Bar & Disco , Moondog Shooter Bar , Pink Patio Resort and a few other establishments, there are not many places geared toward tourists on the main road. You may, however, ride a tricycle on the road to get to a hotel or an eatery on White Beach Path; just get off at the nearest stop and walk the rest of the way.

To facilitate locating an establishment on the island, the nearest boat station is often specified in its address. Here a word on these stations is in order: Numbered 1, 2 and 3, they are used as stopping-off points by boats ferrying new arrivals from Caticlan. Do not, however, expect some well-constructed structure with a welcoming jetty for you to conveniently step on. To disembark, you can go for one of two options: Jump into the water and wade ashore or allow yourself the luxury of being borne aloft on the shoulders of some hapless porter. Happy landing!
source: yahoo travel

Tampere, Finland

Welcome to Tampere, an international city of culture, science and commerce! The home of the famous black sausage was born as a factory town but has grown to be a lot more than that. Tampere leaves nobody cold.

Tampere is an inland city, the biggest in the Nordic countries, but the importance of water ways is greater and more physical than in many coastal cities. The unique location of the city centre on an isthmus between two lakes means you are never far from water. A special attraction is the Tammerkoski rapids, essential to the birth and development of the city, flowing through its heart like a giant aorta.

The location also results in the peculiar shape the city takes on the map. Since the lakes cover the greater part of the northern and southern directions, most city districts and suburbs have spread east and west in a bowlike form. The knot of the bow, embracing the rapids, is the city centre, where the main action in cultural and commercial life is concentrated.


The Lakes

The importance of the two large bodies of water—and the rapids connecting them—for the city of Tampere can hardly be overestimated. The water of the rapids flows through the centre from north to south, descending 18 metres on its route from Lake Näsijärvi to Lake Pyhäjärvi. The lakes used to be essential for the transportation of people and goods, and nowadays this tradition of lake cruising is enjoyed by tourists. In summer, southbound Suomen Hopealinja boats to Hämeenlinna depart from the Laukontori , and on Lake Näsijärvi the old steam ship Tarjanne sails the Runoilijan Tie to the north.

Since Lake Pyhäjärvi lies in the south, it always glitters when observed from the city in sunny weather. According to many locals, the lake is at its best in March, when its snowy surface bathes in the bright spring sun. The popular summer resort Viikinsaari is a few kilometres away, the boatride from the city taking only 15 minutes. The international airport of Tampere is located in Pirkkala , to the south of the lake.

Lake Näsijärvi, or the part of it close to Tampere, can best be seen from the top of Näsinneula . This tower, indisputably the number one landmark of the city, is the highest building in the Nordic countries. Perhaps providing a revealing example of the local sense of humour, there used to be a rumour that the tower was built from the top to the bottom.


Tampere is not something that can be explained exhaustively. Embraced by the lakes, this city of science, art, and industry continuously reveals new fascinating sides of itself. The Tammerkoski waterfront invites everyone to visit, and it is an invitation worth accepting.

Mombasa, Kenya

Looking for romantic place Kenya's second city can come as a revelation. There's a depth of history here, and a sense of community which Nairobi lacks. And, whereas Nairobi has very clear boundaries between rich and poor districts, things are less clearly defined in Mombasa. Sleazy, hot – you're always thirsty – and physically tropical in a way that could hardly be more different from the capital, MOMBASA is the slightly indolent hub of the coast – a faded, flaking, occasionally charming city that still feels, despite its gentle sprawl, like a small town that was once great.

Mombasa is actually an island, connected to the mainland by two causeways to the west, and by a bridge to the north, but still linked only by ferry to the south. The city is intricate and its streets wriggle deceptively. At its appealing heart is the Old Town, a lattice of lanes, mosques and cramped, old houses sloping gently down to the once-busy dhow harbour. Fort Jesus, an impressive reminder of Mombasa's complicated, bloody past, still overlooks the Old Town from where it once guarded the harbour entrance. It's now a national monument and museum.

Clustered all around you, within easy walking distance, is the whole expanse of downtown, modern Mombasa, with its wide streets and refreshing lack of high-rise buildings (though their number is steadily growing). While you won't doubt it's a chaotic city – there are no traffic lights left in working order for example – the atmosphere, even in the commercial centre of one of Africa's busiest ports, is invariably relaxed and congenial. Rush hours, urgency and paranoia seem to be Nairobi's problems (as everyone here will tell you), not Mombasa's. And the gaping, marginal slums that one expects to find outside African cities hardly exist here. True, Likoni and especially Changamwe, on the mainland, are burgeoning suburbs that the municipality has more or less abandoned, but the brutalizing conditions of the Mathare Valley, Kibera and Korogocho shantytowns in Nairobi are absent.

Despite the palms, the sunshine and the happy languor, all is not bliss and perfection. Street crime, though it hardly approaches Nairobi's level, is still a problem, and you should be wary of displaying your valuables or accepting invitations to walk down dark alleys. Likoni ferry and the area around the junction of Jomo Kenyatta Avenue with Mwembe Tayeri Road are two hotspots for pickpocketing and bag snatching, so be particularly wary in those places. But, as a general rule, Mombasa is a far less neurotic city than Nairobi and, in stark contrast to the capital, there's nowhere in the centre that could be considered a no-go area. One indication of this is that the city stays awake much later. Climatic considerations may partly explain it but, at an hour when central Nairobi is empty but for taxis and askaris, Mombasans are to be seen strolling in the warm night, old men conversing on the benches in Digo Road, and many shops are still open. The small-town freedoms remain healthy here and it all adds up to a city that is richly satisfying and rewarding to stay in.

Ethnically, Mombasa is perhaps even more diverse than Nairobi. Asian and Arab influence is particularly pervasive, with fifty mosques and dozens of Hindu and Sikh temples lending a strongly Oriental flavour. Still, the largest contingent speaks Swahili as a first language and it is the Swahili civilization that, more than any other, accounts for Mombasa's distinctive character. You'll see women wearing head-to-foot buibuis or brilliant kanga outfits, men decked out in kanzu gowns and hip-slung kikoi wraps. The smaller community of settlers and European expatriates figures less prominently here than in Nairobi, but it continues to wield disproportionate economic and social clout.

As a tourist town, Mombasa doesn't go out of its way to please. Indeed, one of its best qualities is its utter lack of pretension. It is principally a port: Kilindini harbour takes up most of the western side of the island. Increasingly, too, Mombasa is an industrial city, boasting one of East Africa's major oil refineries (on your right as you arrive by train). In short, Mombasa is not a resort. Visiting sailors are as important to its tourist economy as bona fide tourists, and (a grievous shortcoming) the island has no real beaches. The vast majority of the obvious tourists that you'll see around the place are here only for the purpose of a shopping trip from their North or South coast beach hotels. You may not be able to resist the lure of the beaches for too long, but Mombasa deserves a little of your time unless you are in a big hurry; there are few places in the country with such a strong sense of identity.

Information by Rough Guides