Riga is a thoroughly modern city which has managed nevertheless to embrace and celebrate the glories of its past.  Riga possesses the 13th tallest television tower in the world; this structure is one of the tallest buildings in the European Union. 

At the same time, Riga maintains ties to its historic past and serves as a repository of much European culture from outside its borders as well.  The Latvian National Opera, for example, was founded in 1918 and is still in operation today; the theatre’s repertoire includes opera masterpieces from across the continent of Europe.  The National Opera also houses the nation’s most significant ballet troupe.

The Latvian National Theatre, founded in 1919, is one of the biggest theatres in the nation.  It specialises in preserving the theatrical traditions to be found in the Latvian school of drama.  The Riga Russian Theatre, established in 1883, features classical plays and includes works from Russian playwrights and experimental works from other foreign playwrights.

Visitors who prefer a bit more humour will enjoy the Latvian State Puppet Theatre in Riga, which has been presenting shows for children and adults since 1944.  Modern plays are performed in the New Riga Theatre, which opened in 1992.

Beijing

Since the 2008 Olympics truly put Beijing on the world stage, the city has been a magnet for visitors from Britain and Europe, the Antipodes, the USA and Canada.

The so-called Forbidden City is located in the heart of the metropolis. This is China’s best-preserved imperial palace. Covering 74 hectares, it is also the largest ancient palatial structure in the world. From Beijing visitors can also book a tour along the fabled Great Wall.

Shanghai

Tourists are traditionally drawn to Shanghai’s main attractions, although the more intrepid love exploring places of interest, which are well off the beaten track. English language tours will take visitors to interesting destinations such as Yu Garden, with its ancient trees and pagodas. Another popular option is cycle tours.

Nanjing Road boasts China’s ‘number one shopping street’, offering a huge variety of tempting merchandise. The Bund (quay), headquarters of European, American and Japanese trading houses, is a stretch of neo-classical buildings that have recently been renovated. The skyline is particularly impressive at night.

Guangzhou

Located on the southern coastline, Guangzhou offers visitor attractions, including the Five Ram Statue in Yuexiu Park and White Cloud Mountain.

Guangzhou by night

Picture courtesy of micmac9a

Cunard has a long history with the city and the closing festival will also be marked by Cunard’s flagship vessel, the Queen Mary 2. In the 1840’s Samuel Cunard started the shipping line, the company’s headquarters were in the city until they moved in the 1960’s to Southampton. You can still see their original headquarters the Cunard Building is one of the ‘Three Graces’ of the city along with the Royal Liver Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.

Currently Liverpool are trying to remove a restriction preventing the city from being a turnaround port, at the moment cruises cannot start or stop there, and the terminal is only used as a port of call. Cunard and other cruise companies may be persuaded back to the historic city and the Princess Dock if Liverpool is successful which could bring in much needed tourism, jobs and money to the city.

The town boasts a natural hot springs, where visitors can soak after a day of hiking the surrounding peaks. For those less inclined to hike, there is a gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain that offers jaw-dropping views of the mountains. Banff is home to many renowned dining establishments, where you can enjoy Canadian cuisine in style. Relax at the many spas in the area, or enjoy live music at an outdoor venue.

If you wish to escape the bustle of city life, enjoy a gentle walk through neighbouring Lake Louise National Park. There is a vastness to the landscape, with its thick forests, charming brooks and craggy peaks. The jewel that is Lake Louise, with its stunning, azure-coloured water, is not to be missed. Enjoy the view from the lawn of the Chateau Lake Louise, paddle along the shores in a canoe or take on the seven kilometre, return, hike to the teahouse. The nearby town of Canmore offers further hiking and cycling adventures, as well as golfing and fine dining. 

Banff is located only 140kms from Calgary International Airport. There are numerous holiday rental options for your visit, from charming bed and breakfasts to the prestigious Banff Springs Hotel, which was established in 1888.

Melbourne which is the second most populated city in Australia scored well on transport and education which put in in the top spot, out of 140 cities which are ranked of factors such as stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, which bodes well for those lucky enough to live in this ‘top’ city.

It’s thought that a couple of things resulted in the loss of the number one spot for Vancouver including increased congestion throughout the city, however after the list was compiled Vancouver also suffered from widespread rioting in June which could affect its place on the list in future.

Unfortunately it wasn’t a good show for European cities, only two featured in the top ten; Vienna, in second spot, and Helsinki, Finland, in seventh place. For the UK London didn’t fair that well landing in 56th place, with the capital been let down by the perceived threat of terrorism and the rates of violent and petty crime and it could get worse for us in the future thanks to the recent riots in London. New York was also another city to suffer from the perceived threat of terrorism and the rates of violent and petty crime coming in in 53rd.

The Top Ten List

1. Melbourne, Australia 97.5
2. Vienna, Austria 97.4
3. Vancouver, Canada 97.3
4. Toronto, Canada 97.2
5. Calgary, Canada 96.6
6. Sydney, Australia 96.1
7. Helsinki, Finland 96
8. Perth, Australia 95.9
9. Adelaide, Australia 95.9
10. Auckland, New Zealand 95.7

At the bottom of the list sits Dhaka, Bangladesh at 139th and Zimbabwe in 140th!

St Petersburg is a testament to its Tsarist past, which looked to emulate the predominant European powers at the time in its architecture and establish a name for itself in its own right as a cultural hub.  In fact, the whole city was lauded to be the ‘Paris of the East’.  The Hermitage museum is a fine example of just that, bearing more than just a passing resemblance to the Palace of Versailles and containing works of great masters such as Van Gogh and Matisse. 

On the other hand, Moscow, though now fully westernised – with the obligatory McDonald’s restaurants spotted here and there, although the signs are written in Cyrillic – still retains an air of the beating heart of communism, housing iconic and awe-inspiring buildings such as The Kremlin and St Basil’s Church.  The Lenin Mausoleum is a major tourist attraction and draws huge crowds every morning, both tourists and Russians alike.

Russia was somewhat of an enigma in recent history.  However, as time heals the rifts of the Cold War this is a fascinating country to discover, on the doorstep of Europe.

Route 66

Picture courtesy of Chuck “Caveman” Corker

On a cruise around this area you get to see real contrasting landscapes from the bright, light cities of Montreal, Boston and New York to unassuming and traditional ports of Halifax, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine as well as the rugged coastline on the way around where you can take in the best nature has to offer. It’s not often you can easily take in major cities such as these with such ease, many of the major cruise lines offer North America East Coast cruises which include the USA and Canada routes mentioned above, which means you can also travel in style with some of the most prestigious cruise lines or comfortable for a great price with others. There are many great cruise deals for this area, so you should find something to fit your budget.

You don’t have to worry about where your next meal comes from as cruise ships offer a wide range of restaurants that offer different cuisines, no matter the size of the vessel. Most importantly you don’t have to worry about getting places because that is taken care of, as well as excursions and organised tours of ports. There are also plenty of activities available onboard whether you want to be active or you want to relax in your free time.

The time of year when you travel and vary what you see on your cruise holiday, during the summer months the major ports will be busy with tourists and travellers, just out of season in early spring and early winter, you will find less people however the weather is not brilliant and can be quite cold, well freezing. The most popular time to visit this region is autumn time, a noted time of year, especially for New England when its stunning scenery starts to change from summer greens into rich coppers, reds and gold. It’s popular with tourists, but it is well worth it for photographs and you still find that the weather can be pleasant during the day, although expect cold nights. Plus New York before the mad Christmas rush is also pleasant and it means you can nicely fit in some sightseeing and shopping.

New England

Picture courtesy of pdbreen

If money is no object, then your destination is Madison Avenue.  All the most chic designers boast stores on its fifteen blocks:  Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Chanel, Hermès and more.  If your feet and wallet can still stand it, move on from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue, where you’ll find the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue, Ferragamo, Versace, Fendi and Bergdorf Goodman.  The shops are happy to send your purchases on ahead to your hotel, so you’ll have room for purchases from the next.  How thoughtful!

If you’ve only got room for one tiny thing more after all that, stroll down to Tiffany & Co. or Van Cleef & Arpels, situated across from each other on Fifth Avenue.  If there’s little left in your wallet, you can opt for a simple key ring or  other bauble and vow to come back another time for a larger purchase.

For treasure hunters, try the Strand Book Store on Broadway and 12th, or SoHo and Chinatown, two districts nearly backing each other between Broadway and 6th.  Here you can find artsy, cutting-edge clothing, music and accessories—as well as cheap knock-offs in Chinatown—and enjoy the ambience of people who are “into life”.  A visit to New York is dizzying, fun, and definitely memorable!

The first consideration is the type of holiday you are planning.  Are you heading for a theme park or other attraction that caters to the kids?  You will probably want something fairly close to the action, but can perhaps get by with a little less space.  After all, you will be spending most of your days at the attraction itself, and the kids will likely be tired when you return.  They will not need large areas for playing.

On the other hand, if you plan a mixture of activities, look for something a little outside the heart of town.  It will be quieter, and for the same price of a small flat in town, you can likely find a larger apartment or even a villa.  Also, if noise at night interrupts your sleep, a holiday flat on the outskirts of town will help you get some needed shut-eye.

Look for rental locations on the internet, like ownersdirect.co.uk or Vacation Rentals by Owner, VRBO.com.  You can search by location, size, price, and available dates.  All the listings have pictures, so you will get a good idea of what to expect.  Prior renters will post reviews, and this can be particularly helpful when narrowing down the list to your favourites.  Spend a little time planning, and you will find the perfect holiday flat for a memorable time away.

Most major tourist destinations have thriving rental markets, with many companies who specialise in providing villas, houses and apartments to holidaymakers.  Brits looking to rent a property abroad can usually find brochures listing rental properties in any high street travel agent’s shop, while the internet has also become an increasingly useful way to search for holiday rental properties.  Internet property listings have also made it possible for people to offer rental properties independent from these listing companies, lowering prices as no commission needs to be paid to an agent.

When searching for a rental property, it is extremely important that travellers keep in mind that rental properties sometimes don’t have all the amenities on hand in the same way that hotels do.  Because of this, before booking a holiday rental property tourists should always ensure that both the properties they are interested in and their surrounding area have all of the features and amenities that are needed.  Not all rental properties contain the luxuries that come as standard in hotels.