Travel is one of the most enlightening activities one can do. Experience new cultures, history, art, cuisine, smells, sounds and the pleasures of what the world has to offer.
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 We spent several days in Nairobi darting around the decorated matatus on our way to sights such as the National Museum (reading the entrails of a sheep), Giraffe Center (kissing and feeding), David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (seeing the babies get fed in the morning), having lunch at the Masai Lodge (learned that in the US we eat tender young chicken). For day trips we went to Mount Kenya and stayed at the Castle Forest Lodge which was relaxing, and rustic. Since you are so close, drive to the equator as they have a big sign you can take pictures at and buy some items from the curio shops there. Another day trip into the Rift Valley and Lake Naivasha was very low at the time due to the drought and the water being used to cultivate roses for export. How can you travel w/out shopping? We got our fix at the Yaya Centre, Kitengela Glass Factory, Banannaboxcrafts, Kazuri bead factory, and Bata shoe factory. The Kenyan musical Mo FAYA was very enjoyable to us Americans, and even more so to the Kenyans who boisterously laughed at the inside jokes about their country and the dysfunction that occurs there. The highlight of the trip was the fly in safari trip to the Masai Mara (don't even think about driving there as it can be 9 hours by car vs an hour by plane.) Ilkeliani was a very nice tented camp which was really relaxing place to stay. Edward is a great driver and we saw leopards, cheetahs, cape buffalo, black rhino, wildebeests, zebra, giraffe, vultures, hippo, eland, elephant, ostriches, water buck, hyena, Thompsons gazelle, dik dik, warthogs, among others. It was simply an amazing place on this earth.
 Hong Kong's finest hotel with beautiful blue tile Roman style swimming pool with full harbor view. Helipad for those on a schedule, evening concerts, and superlative shopping. HK Sights: The Peak, Man Mo Temple, Jumbo floating restaurant, Aberdeen, Stanley Market, Victoria Harbor. Kowloon: Avenue of the Stars, Star Ferry to Hong Kong. Go to the new territories for a different look at China.
 Incredible hotel with great spa in the heart of the old city.
 Desert Ridge, luxury resort hotel in Phoenix, AX.
 Sandcastle Hotel on Jost Van Dyke, BVI. Home of the world famous PainKiller drink.
 Hacienda Del Mar, Dorado, Puerto Rico. One of the best river pools in the world. Very relaxing timeshare with safe private beach access.
 Bangalore India's finest hotel. Sanctuary within a frenzied city. Incredible outdoor pool, spa, workout facilities and gardens. Restaurants: Tandoor on MG Road. Higher end eatery with homemade dishes. Great for an afternoon business lunch. Sunny's is an expat's haven in the city. Always busy as it has Italian, French and American food. Taj West End has a great Sunday Brunch. The Oberoi's Polo Club is a very nice English style pub with indoor and outdoor seating which overlooks their gardens. Olive Beach: Restored bungalow with Mediterranean menu. Beautiful interior with white rocks and pools of water, great western style drinks and pizza. TGIF: the same as in the states, except with much more bass and loud music. Sights: Vidhana Soudha: neo-Dravidian sytle architecture is Bangalore's White House. Cubbon Park: 300 acre oasis within the city. Bangalore Palace: Tudor-style recreation of Windsor Castle (probably not worth spending the money to take photos). On my tour the King was there with several women. Interesting place to see if you haven't been to England. Otherwise there are better places to kill time. Lalbagh: Rose gardens and huge glass house. Bull Temple: dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. Built in 1786 out of a 15x20 ft granite monolith. International Society for Krishna Consciousness: yes, as in Hare. Have some small change for the man who holds your shoes as you can't take them in with you. Unique Dravidian and modern architecture with all of the merchandising on your way out. If you go midweek it is typically not that busy and you can get through the lines quickly. I was warned to be patient when visiting as you can get large groups coming though on a pilgramage.
 Shanghai Pudong Shangri-La. Beautiful lobby and spa is one of the best in Shanghai. Views of the Pearl Tower and short walk to watch the traffic on the river. Shopping mall next door offers a plethora of options.
 Marriott's CasaMagna Cancun. Beautiful outdoor pool next to the beach. JW Marriott is next door which also has some incredible grounds. Nice workout facilities
 Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. Some of the best indoor gardens in the world. Waterfalls, lush plantings and great shopping in the area. Of course performances are next door at the Grand Ole Opry.
 Kowloon Shangri-La (Hong Kong). Take the water taxi over to Hong Kong island to take in the sights.
 Embassy Suites, Philadelphia. Interesting building with great location within walking distance to Art Museum. Small historic pub/restaurant around the corner.
 Cooper Island Beach Club, BVI. Escape the world and the grid. Great fresh food from the area. Sail or powerboat to the island.
 The Dupont Hotel, Washington DC. Quaint Euro style hotel with a realistic Irish bar in the lobby.
 Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios Orlando.
 Luxor, Las Vegas. Ride the unique elevator.
 Omni Shoreham, Washington DC. Historic hotel. Great deli across the street and walking distance to the national zoo.
 Treasure Island, Las Vegas. Watch the evening shows from the two ships in front of the hotel battle it out. Shows change from year to year to keep people coming the the casino. Hotel rooms rather nice.
 Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, Phoenix, AZ. Serenity bed, river pool, tennis, great hiking, mini golf and fitness center to keep one busy. In the evening the Lantana Grille features southwestern food and wood burning ovens.
 Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Studios, Orlando.
 MGM, Las Vegas. Come for the fights, stay for the lion cage.
 Atlantis, Bahamas, Feb 08. Incredible facility with many pools and water based activities. The thrilling "Leap of Faith" water slide is the best at the park which goes though a shark tank. Rather high cost in this resort that can accommodate thousands of guest. http://bahamasfeb08.shutterfly.com/action/ link to 79 pictures of the trip.
 Logo says it all. Hotel specializing in evening wine tasting. Very well appointed rooms in the middle of the city. A short walk to the original McCormick and Schmicks.
 The Berkeley Hotel, Richmond VA. Small boutique hotel in the heart of the historic district.
Thrifty Travel:
http://www.warmshowers.org/ Specializes in free lodging for cyclists.
 Find a free couch to sleep on.
 Youth Hostel Organization
http://www.visitob.com/ Camping in the outer banks of NC. See the lighthouses and wild horses. Beware of the raccoons. Great boating, fishing and you can fly a kite anywhere.
 http://www.canoecountry.com/ Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota was a mainstay of thrifty travel for people with a strong back who want to get away from it all. Over the years the area has become more traveled so if you really want to get away go to Ontario.
http://www.ontarioparks.com/ENGLISH/quet.html Most memorable trip was a fly in trip from Ely, MN and then canoe back to the US. Much better fishing and virtually no other people there.
http://www.qcbc.org/tomrv/ Tour of Mississippi River Valley is a 200+ mile bike ride in IL/IA mid June. Overnight stay at Loras or Clarke colleges. Depending upon the weather the event could be epic or an enjoyable 2 days in the saddle. 11k feet of climbing, so leave your mountain bike at home, this isn't Ragbrai.
 http://ragbrai.com/ This is the bike ride that all other events have copied. Thousands of cyclists trek to IA each year to ride across the state in the heat of July. Think you have seen it all? No way. Every year there is something new, something weird, or some new beer to drink. Bring any bike, your suntan lotion, tent, and have some fun times.
 http://www.nps.gov/hale/ Bike riding up Haleakala. Check out the past articles in bicycling magazine. Amazing views and a sense of accomplishment when you get to the top. Cycle around Maui and do some camping and stay at some youth hostels. There are a lot of tour companies who take you there for premium dollars, or do a self guided tour. Maui has some great hotels such as the premium http://www.westinmaui.com/ or the Kaanapali Beach Hotel http://www.kbhmaui.com which has a great beach location and teaches the aloha spirit.
http://www.bareboatsbvi.com/norman_island_willy_t.html Travel Channel's 21 Sexiest Beach Bars: #7 is Willy T.'s floating bar, Norman Island, BVI. Bring your boat as you can't get there via land. Jump off the upper deck for excitement or watch others do so.
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