Diani House is a coastal taste of colonial Kenya located about halfway along Diani, this pleasant home with grassy slopes rolling down to the beach is a nostalgic reminder of what the Kenyan coast was like before the mushrooming of resort hotels. Sitting on the cool veranda with dogs at your feet, you feel transported back in time.

When you stay at Diani house you are hosted by Annelise (lulu) Archer and John Clark. This lively young couple helps you to feel completely relaxed and at home, and they will organize activities or outings to suit. They have a boat for fishing, snorkeling, or visiting nearby islands. You can also windsurf. Side trips to the Shimba Hills National Reserve for game viewing or into Mombasa for shopping or sight seeing can easily be arranged.

Safari journal-last late evening

"At dinner there were candles, music wafting out of the living room, and a selection of wines. There was a pleasant breeze, a bush baby ran along the edge of the veranda and we could sense the ocean through the night. Conversation flowed. Could have spent a week just talking to John and Lulu, to hear more about their wonderful and diverse experiences growing up in Kenya-from game safaris to movie sets".

Diani House can accommodate a maximum of eight guests. The bedrooms are spacious and simple. Lulu has decorated them individually using Kenyan furniture, fabrics and crafts to make them colorful and attractive. There are bookshelves piled with books and scattered rugs-the ambience is casual and homey rather than luxurious. There are fans (no air conditioning) and each bedroom has a large bathroom ensuite. In place of glass, there is dark meshing over windows, but from the veranda outside there are nice views down over the garden towards the ocean.

The almost five hectares in size grounds are impressive with palms, baobabs and bougainvillea is also a refuge for all manner of birds and small wildlife. There are colobus monkeys in the trees, a bush baby helps itself from a feeder, and every where there are birds.

Fresh home-cooked food is served with an emphasis on the wonderful seafood and tropical fruits available. Meals are casual and usually enjoyed alfresco on the long veranda.

Golden Beach

This is a huge concrete high-rise with 138 rooms. There is little charm and loud décor-more like a convention center. Although the beach front is extensive, the buildings are from the beach. There are many sports activities, a big pool and gardens. The hotel is frequented mainly by German tour groups.

Robinson Baobab Club

Built in 1974, this is one of the oldest hotels on the beach. It can accommodate 300 people. The clientele is predominantly German, and bookings are made in Frankfurt. The hotel has a magnificent site high on a rocky promontory, well-treed, and with views down over the ocean. There are some nice touches-a waterfall by the lobby, interesting Lamu furniture, dining tables next to big open windows with sea views.

Southern Palms Beach Resort

This is a new beach resort going up near the northern end of Diani Beach. Southern Palms will have 180 rooms in three stories. There is to be a large pool, sports and conference facilities and nightly entertainment. Rooms will have Swahili-style décor and balconies facing the sea. They will also have air conditioning, mosquito nets and large double beds. An extra Lamu-style divan will add to the Swahili theme.

There is a little bay and hamlet on the West coast of Scotland called Kentallen, beautiful and quiet, it must have been quite a centre in the ancient days because of its location. Look up the hill from there and you can see the cleft in the rock where Charles Stewart, the local clan leader hid from the forces of the government who were set on killing him. To-day the little cottages are most likely to be let to visitors as holiday cottages. Yet they are surrounded by history.

The longest unbroken line of British Kings and Queens was formed in Scotland. This one Scottish family, the Stewarts, lasted in power for over 400 years. There is even a Stewart pretender to the British throne to-day. Appin was their land.

And one of the smaller areas of the West coast of Scotland, renowned for its stunning beauty, was their family playground. Visitors from around the world to-day bask in its glorious mountains, they fish in its streams and they watch its wildlife in wonder.

When Walter the High Steward married Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjory in the 14th century, little did they know that their descendants would take the crowns of Scotland and England for the next 400 years ending with Queen Anne in 1714. The words, High Steward become corrupted to Stuart, or Stewart over the years.

They were some of the most famous names in European history. They included the tragic but beautiful Mary Queen of Scots, who was beheaded under the orders of her cousin Queen Elizabeth of England. Her son became James the 1st of England as well as the King of Scots. The British Parliament committed regicide by executing another Stewart King, Charles 1st. The final Stewart monarch, Queen Anne, reigned during the political Union of Scotland and England in the early 18th century.

All of them knew about the Stewart homelands in Appin. James IV often visited his cousin in Stalker Castle in the 15th century for hunting and fishing. Then, as now, the East of Scotland was the seat of government and Appin was a playground

There was uproar in Appin with the revolt of Bonnie Prince Charlie - Charles Edward Stewart - the whole clan turned out for him at Culloden Field in 1745. The clanslost and the repercussions were awful. The banner of the Stewart Clan was hidden after the battle and is now in Edinburgh.

The visitors to-day just enjoy the beaches and the forest walks. They walk around Appin and occasionally wonder what the big stone is doing in he middle of the field. It was put there by the megalithic people, 3,000 years ago. Few of the passers by realise that.

John

When it comes to fun in the sun, southern California has it all. With its year-round tropical climate, year-round average water temperature of 78 degrees, perfect waves, excellent dining, and numerous oceanfront resorts, this earthly paradise also boasts picturesque harbors and a shimmering coastline filled with sand, surf and sun.

Not only is it home to millions of people but it beckons millions more each year from all over the globe. Whether you are a California resident headed to the beach to soak up the sun for a day, or you are planning a family vacation that your kids will remember for a long time to come, you'll find some beaches to add to your itinerary here.

Here are six of the top beaches in California, including nice, quiet beaches as well as a few beaches that are particularly nice for visiting families.

1. Santa Monica Beach. The West Coast's answer to Coney Island, this magnificent stretch of wide, sandy beach located in the seat of Los Angeles County features the famous Santa Monica Pier which houses its own amusement park atop one of the oldest wooden piers on the west coast. The site has also appeared in dozens of movies and television shows. Take a ride at sunset on the Ferris wheel for a spectacular ocean view. Enjoy lunch or dinner at the many different eateries in the area and be sure to check out the nearby attractions, which include Venice Beach and Palisades Park. This is one place that's sure to make a splash with the entire family.

2. Newport Beach. A fascinating and trendy bit of real estate located in Orange County, Newport Beach offers locals and tourists a variety of activities. Stroll on a scenic walkway, embark on a refreshing harbor cruise, or go boating, scuba diving, or bodysurfing Dining at most restaurants includes panoramic views of the harbors. Make sure to check out the Fun Zone and Balboa Pavilion.

3. Cardiff State Beach. Located in San Diego County, this recreational facility features lifeguards, restrooms and a smoothly sloping beach for sunbathing, fishing, swimming, surfing and kayaking. People love Cardiff State Beach for its quiet beach, casual atmosphere, fewer crowds and excellent restaurants. Nearby points of interest include Restaurant Row, which features savory seafood and Mexican fare; San Elijo Lagoon, which boasts great bird watching; and the Seaside Market where you can purchase a wide variety of healthy foods and snacks.

4. La Jolla. If your preference is sheltered coves and unique landscapes, then visiting these beaches in San Diego County should definitely be listed on your itinerary. The versatility of La Jolla's beaches makes for intriguing and enchanting getaways or they can be loads of fun for the entire family. Investigate the underwater marine life while snorkeling or simply walk the shoreline barefoot. Nearby attractions include The Scripps Institute of Oceanography and The Stephen Birch Aquarium Museum.

5. Oceanside City Beach. Tropical palm trees stretch along the shores of this tranquil and eloquent beach located in northern San Diego County. Take a leisurely walk, ride your bicycle or roller-blade down what is called "The Strand" (the main street alongside the beach) or spend some time fishing off the pier at Oceanside. Nearby Cape Cod Village offers lots of great restaurants and the beach has lifeguards and restrooms.

6. Coronado Beach. If you're in San Diego, you'll love the wide expanse of Coronado Beach with plenty of room for the family to spread out. While the kids are playing volleyball, soccer or tag, or tossing Frisbees, flying kites or building sand castles, you and your spouse can kick back and enjoy the surf, the sand and the seagulls.

This enchanting locale is home to the famous Hotel Del Coronado and is just a short ferry ride away from San Diego Bay. Or you can opt to pack everything you'll need for a day at the beach and drive across the Bay Bridge. No food is sold at the beach so be sure to bring along sandwiches, soft drinks and other snacks. There is free parking on Ocean Avenue but it gets crowded quickly so try to get there early.

It's interesting to note that the entire California coastline is constantly changing due to tides, currents and weather conditions. Beaches erode and new ones form when sediment washes in from the Pacific Ocean.

With all its coves, cliffs and inlets, islands and harbors, jetties and piers, it would take eons to fully explore this magnificent geographical location. That's why many people return year after year to experience its magic and appreciate its treasures.

When you're off on holiday, you don't really pay attention to the transport. The plane, ship, or train is just a means to get you to where you want to go. But that's not the case at the Aurora-Express hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Aurora-Express consists of seven Railroad cars converted into a luxury hotel. The Cars have views of the Tenana River, the Alaskan Mountain Range and the City of Fairbanks.

The hotel has a large outdoor deck for where guests can enjoy barbecues or relax in the warm summer evenings and a Diner car where breakfast is served at 8am daily.

The Railroad cars have been decorated elegantly and many of the rooms have their own theme. The National Domain car has been renovated into four suites featuring queen-sized beds and private baths and entrances.

The CanCan room has a 10-foot ceiling, crystal chandeliers, and antiques. It is decorated with costumes, paintings, fabrics, colours and fixtures reminiscent of the period in which the CanCan was first performed.

The Arlene car is a private 85–foot car with two bedrooms including a queen size bed and two twin beds. This car also features a private bath, kitchen and living room with a T.V.

Fairbanks is the second largest city in the state of Alaska. It is 45 minutes from Anchorage by air and three hours from Seattle.

A stay at the Aurora Express hotel and you'll never look at transport in the same way again!

Travel has changed and fierce competition among airline carriers has ensured that the savvy customer benefits. Unlike earlier tickets on a flight are not sold at a fixed rate. Most airlines have an elaborate grading system in place. For example:

• In Y class the airline may choose to sell say 10 of tickets at USD 100 each.

• In X class they may allocate 50 seats at USD 110.

• In S class they may want to sell 75 seats at USD150 each.

• In C class the airline may choose to sell say 5 tickets at USD 300.

So at any given time when you try and buy tickets you would come up with different rates depending on the number of tickets you wish to buy. As a traveler you need to log on to websites that sell discounted or cheap airline tickets at different times of the day or night and check whether you strike gold.

Here are a few tips that may help you get the cheapest airline tickets:

1. Get familiar with the workings of major plane ticket search engines and web directories. Examples are Expedia, Hotwire, and 1888airlinetickets.com . Most tend to release new discount tickets quotas on Wednesdays. So the best time to buy the cheapest tickets would be Wednesday night from midnight to around 5 am.

2. If you are planning a trip for the whole family then aim for off season travel. Ticket prices are lowest just before and after major holidays and in fall. According to experts the best time slots would be say mid-January to end February, April through May, and mid-September to mid-December.

3. Try not to buy tickets last minute the prices are the highest from 14 days before departure date. So either book around 21 days in advance or take a chance that a plane may be empty and book just before departure. Many airlines give away unsold tickets at bargain prices around half hour before departure.

4. In case you just have to travel during holidays. Choose the day itself and not the day before. Experts have found that planes go empty on Xmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving days while they are chock-a-block the day before and after.

5. To get the most benefits you must comparison shop. Log on to several travel sites and compare prices for the sector you want to fly on.

The airlines and travel websites offer greater discounts for tickets booked online because it saves them overhead costs. One-way tickets are more expensive than two way so, book a round trip and reap the many benefits. Similarly tickets are much cheaper mid-week than weekends.

Try and collect loyalty reward points by flying the same airline each time. That way you will benefit more and you can also choose to club credit card reward points with flying miles. If you are traveling constantly then sign up for email notifications of discounts, promotions, and change in prices.

Traveling by plane now has so many aspects that a traveler needs to keep abreast with changes in the system and new innovations. The World Wide Web has changed air travel by offering so many conveniences online.

There are some beautiful places to ride in every state of the union. Florida, however, with its mild winters and helmet optional law, is a very popular state for motorcycle vacations – especially around Daytona's Bike Week or Biketoberfest.

You'll find some really great spots to ride from the Panhandle to Key West. Along the way, you'll run into lots of other motorcycle enthusiasts to share the road with.

· Let's begin in the northwestern portion of the Panhandle of Florida. Panama City and Pensacola are both great beach rides. Pamana City offers "The Miracle Mile" right on the beach where everyone, bikers or not, slowly cruises to see the sight of the neon night.

· Crossing Interstate 10 over to Jacksonville, you'll find Jacksonville to be a great spot for nightlife and beaches as well. All the fun of a big city combine with the peaceful beaches to make Jax, as it is commonly called, a perfect stop on your Florida trip.

· Turn down Interstate 95 from Jacksonville and you'll find St. Augustine just an hour's right south. Head toward the beach through this quaint little town to find the historic section where the Spaniards first established themselves in this country. Tour the fort, take a horse and buggy ride, visit the old drug store and oldest school house in the U.S. and much more.

· From St. Augustine, you can head south again and, around Ormond Beach, head over to U.S. 1 for your ride into Daytona Beach. At the Speedway, turn east and head for Boothill Saloon, the Iron Horse, and all the beach spots. Come prepared to party because Daytona is a fun beach town. Stop at Daddy Rat's and other unique beach shops and ride "The Loop" which is a well-known run beginning north at the Granada Bridge on John Anderson Drive in Ormond Beach. Continue north to Highbridge Road, turn left and go over the Inter-Coastal Waterway, the Halifax River by any other name. Enjoy the winding turns until you approach Walter Boardman Road where you turn left to Old Dixie Highway. Take another left and you'll be heading south into Ormond Beach. This 22 miles of Florida's beauty is a traditional run for Bike Week or Biketoberfest participants.

· Back on I-95, or if you prefer the scenic route, going south on U.S. 1, you'll come to Titusville, Florida where you'll want to stop and tour Kennedy Space Center. Nearby Cocoa Beach makes a great overnight stop or camp at the Great Outdoor right in Titusville.

· Continue south on I-95 and you'll find yourself in the Florida Keys after a few hours. Be sure to miss the Miami traffic and stay on I-95 South. Miami isn't a fun ride due to the crowds! If you do want to stop in Miami, take a tour through South Beach. Once you enter the Florida Keys, you'll see a whole different side of Florida. The life is slow and easy in the keys. The Seven-Mile Bridge really is seven miles long. At the end of the road, Key West awaits! See the sunset at the southern most point and do the Duvall Crawl with the other parties, but remember to drink responsibly.

· Heading back up from the Florida Keys, take the Florida Turnpike into Orlando for a day of fun with Mickey Mouse or one of the other theme parks in Orlando.

· From Orlando, Interstate-4 will head you right back to Daytona for another day or another week of fun in the sun. If you prefer, you can cruise the back roads of the west coast of Florida for a trip you'll remember. But you won't find places like Daytona Beach on that trip.

Most importantly, no matter where you decide to travel in Florida, remember that the helmet laws is a helmet-optional, but you only have the option if you carry $100,000 medical coverage on your motorcycle policy. If you are riding with minimum coverage and get stopped, the fines can be high. Also, remember that even though Florida has rescinded the helmet law, it certainly hasn't improved those cage drivers watching for bikers! Keep a close watch on them because anything can happen when a northern tourist in a cage sees a pretty palm tree!

You'll find Florida bikers are friendly, helpful people, always ready to share with you the next great campground on the road or the next biker-friendly bar or restraint or the next good bike mechanic. Enjoy your ride through the Sunshine State!

Bahamas is a beautiful island situated in the northern most region of United States.
This Island is recognized as one of the popular destinations among tourists. The island is full of natural beauty and a nature lover would definitely love to visit this place. It's a wonderful place for holidaying and vacationing, one can experience full enjoyment in a place like Bahamas. You can also get cheap Bahamas vacation package if you want to visit this destination. After visiting this place, you can find long and wide deserted clean-white beaches, hotels, night time entertainment clubs, scuba diving facilities. Apart from this, you can also find various water sports and a water lover would definitely like to spend his maximum time.

This island has many peaceful and picturesque locations on either side of the beaches. You will gather a wonderful experience during tour to this island. It will attract you many more times and you will also like to visit again after your first visit. Before planning for your holiday to Bahamas, get all the information about the location through various sources. This will help you to have a better time in a new place and you can enjoy your holiday in a peaceful mode. You can search on web to know about various packages that is available with a tour operator. You can take cheap Bahamas vacation package and visit there to get a break from daily work schedule. The tour will refresh your mind and soul thus making your vacation a memorable one.

One can find numerous hotels, villas and resorts in Bahamas that are available at very reasonable prices. You can consider any of the means for staying depending on the extent of your budget. Different people have different vision of leading their life and so is the reason that some people prefer for rented villas while others stay in hotels to spend their vacation. Whatever is the mode of staying considering the size of your budget, be sure to make all the vacation preparation well in advance. Getting a cheap Bahamas vacation package during peak holiday season will surely let you have an unforgettable vacation. You can do anything that you want to enjoy your holiday. Any water sports with the calm and peaceful atmosphere is really soothing and you get mingled with such awesome things.

A cheap Bahamas vacation package consists of every feature that you want. You will not have to bother much about it. The tour operator or an online tour service provider will make your vacation arrangement. The package includes everything right from journey to staying. From sight seeing to experiencing all the luxuries and leisure's there. For those who are fascinated about traveling, Bahamas is the perfect destination to roam around and one can shack all his tensions and worry. You will have all the fun and experience the tremendous pleasures of life. This is an ideal place for a vacation with family and friends and can have all the fun you desire. A destination like Bahamas is a delight for visitors who love playing with water sports like snorkeling, diving, fishing. You can pamper around such activities that you desire.

Cambridge is a fantastic place to stay at any time of the year but during the Summer it really springs into life. The scenery and the attractions available are second to none. Combine that with the tradition and atmosphere surrounding the city and you really do have a perfect holiday combination.

The great news is that holidaying in Cambridge does not have to cost you an arm and a leg. Most of the attractions are a nominal cost, if not free, and you can easily Bed and Breakfast Cambridge without a problem.

There is an abundance of B&B's scattered all the way up Newmarket Rd which is the main thoroughfare into town. If you are staying up the top end of the road a walk into the town centre and the colleges should take you no more than 20 minutes. This is a great walk as you can cut across Parkers Piece where the students like to hang out and play football in between studying and sample the true Cambridge atmosphere.

If you are a bit further out it's not a problem as there are good bus connections all the way into the city form the Park and Ride on Newmarket Rd. If you are feeling really lazy you can always get a taxi which shouldn't cost you more than £5-6 (€8-10).

There are also a lot of B&B's concentrated in the South of the city which is ideal for visiting the backs and enjoying the great Cambridge tradition of punting up the River Cam.

If you do decide to Bed and Breakfast Cambridge then just check with the owner that the rooms cater for all your needs, particularly if you are travelling with small children or people with special dietary requirements.

Most B&B's are very flexible when it comes to these things but if you are planning a long stay it is always prudent to check and make sure there are no last minute hiccups that may ruin your holiday.

Nearly all of them will offer a choice of a European style breakfast consisting of Croissants and cereal, as well as the less healthy (but certainly more tasty) traditional English breakfast. This usually consists of a combination of a fry up including Sausage, Egg, Bacon Tomato, Mushrooms and if you are lucky – fried bread. It's a dieticians nightmare but there is nothing better to set you up for a long days sightseeing!

Now that your mouth is watering, click below to find a B&B in Cambridge:

Bed and Breakfast Cambridge