World Traveller

About the Country

Belgium is situated in the west of Europe. The land here mostly comprises of flat coastal plains in the northeast, and southeast is occupied by the Ardennes Forest. Dutch, Flemish, French and German are the official languages of Belgium, with Dutch being the widely spoken followed by French. The weather here is pretty predictable. Months from April to September are the warmest. Otherwise the weather is pretty humid and skies are gray, that explains why umbrellas and raincoats are a part of the dressing. So, if the visit is planned for holidays during the rainy season, one must not forget to carry sufficient cover for maximum protection, as this is a coastal region. In case of emergency call 100 or 112.
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Albania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries of Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.

Culture

The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding one’s head means ‘no’ where as shaking the head means ‘yes’. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers aren’t much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers don’t have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit. Read the rest of this entry »

About the Country

Located in central Europe, Austria celebrates world’s best music festivals like the Salzburg Festival, Haydn Festival in Vienna, and the International Chamber Music Festival. Vienna is the capital of Austria as well as the musical capital of Europe. Music and art are in full flare here after centuries of hardship and innovation. That explains Vienna being the birthplace of Mozart. Horse dances are also part of these festivals. Since it snows in winter, the snow covered Alps is a must be visited place during the winter. Austria experiences a moderate summer. Rains can be expected year round. Incase of emergency call 120 or 123.
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In recent years British holidaymakers have begun to move away from the all-inclusive package holiday. After decades of visiting foreign shores in search of the sun, many visitors would now choose to stay in a holiday villa rather than an apartment or hotel.

This is very much in evidence in Lanzarote. Which has been catering to visitors’ tastes for over forty years. And whilst it started by developing apartments and hotels as the mainstay of its accommodation, in the last fifteen years or so it is the villas in Lanzarote that have come to dominate.

The popularity of villas is easy to explain as it gives visitors a greater degree of freedom over how their holiday will unfold. It also means not being tied to a hotel dining room for breakfast and evening meals. And as the vast majority of villas in Lanzarote are tastefully appointed, it offers a far more comfortable base to explore the island from.

With three main resorts to choose from and a good selection of villas within each, holidaymakers will not be disappointed. In the newest resort, the holiday villas in Playa Blanca all tend to be of recent construction, with spacious sun terraces and pool areas the norm.

In addition, most come with extras such as Jacuzzis, air conditioning and internet access. Reflecting the changing needs of visitors when they travel abroad, many have extensive home entertainment systems to ensure the children don’t get bored.

In the most established resort, this style of accommodation is largely found in an area of Los Mojones. Making many of the holiday villas in Puerto del Carmen rather exclusive, as the properties are tucked away behind garden walls and surrounded by mature tropical trees.

The villas in Los Mojones are all of individual design, with some former family homes and others converted from old stables. Each has its own character, which is further accentuated by the tasteful décor that predominates. And all provide the kind of self-catering accommodation that makes for an enjoyable holiday, where guests can take time to prepare a barbecue or dinner.

In the most northerly resort, a different emphasis has placed most of the holiday villas in Costa Teguise within a few minutes walk from the main beach. With all but a few properties in the very centre of the resort, these villas make an ideal base for families who want to visit some of Lanzarote’s tourist attractions. As many of these are based in the centre or north of the island.