Since 1887 Raffles Hotel in the island country of Singapore has been known for its luxury and superb dining and service.  Named after Singapore’s founder Sir Stamford Raffles the Victorian style hotel offers a charm like no other and has played a huge role in the history of Singapore. The hotel is noted as being the place where the last wild tiger in Singapore was shot although there is a lot of different versions of events and no one is quiet sure of the truth if any. The hotel also had a lot of traumatic events take place during the 2nd World War when Singapore was occupied by the Japanese , ending up a transit camp for prisoners of war at the conclusion of the occupation.  Huge celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charlie Chaplin, George Bush snr. and even Queen Elizabeth II have visited this landmark hotel. The hotel is known for it’s Singapore Sling cocktail which is a must for any visitor to the city. This tropical blend of gin, brandy, pineapple, Marschino cherry amongst other things. The cocktail was invented by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon nearly 100 years ago and became  a signature drink of the hotel in the 1970’s.

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The magnificent Orca or Killer Whale are the highlight attraction at San Diego’s Seaworld park. These massive mammals live in over 7 million litres of water an have been the major drawcard to this popular park since the 1960s performing to millions of visitors. The park currently has seven of killer whales but they have a huge variety of other amazing animals to thrill young and old including the pacific walruses who are so cute.  Dolphins, penguins, sharks and otters are also hugely popular exhibits and many are part of several daily shows which are held in the park where people can see the animals up close and learn about their threat of survival from pollution, over hunting and climate change.  Seaworld is home to more than animals they have a huge amount of fun for the whole family, with dozens of rides and attractions including boat rides, simulator rides and the skytower which gives a panoramic view over the park.  The Sesemae Street team are on hand for the youngsters and there are plenty of dining and shopping options.  Seaworld is a great day out in Southern California.

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Longbeach California just to the south of Los Angeles is the resting place of one of what was one of the world’s grandest ocean liners. The RMS Queen Mary sailed the seven seas for just over 40 years until she was retired in 1967. Today the 1019 ft long liner is docked at Longbeach and has taken on a new role as a museum, restaurant and hotel. Many of the original splendor of the Queen Mary is intact including magnificent art deco hallways, ballrooms and function rooms.  The ship also boasts some stunning artwork including a huge transatlantic map which stands in the first class dining room which had lit up and showed the position of the ship as it cruised from London to New York. The cabins are not as luxurious as you would expect in a modern liner, but they are charming, a bit small but have good comfortable amenities. The Queen Mary is a unique accommodation experience and a very fun place to stay for anyone planning to spend a few days in Longbeach, San Diego or Los Angeles.   Interestingly the Queen Mary was owned by Disney for a period in the late 1980’s there was talk of the ship being the centrepiece of what would have become a ocean themed park. There is a striking resemblance to the Queen Mary in Tokyo’s Disneysea.. Maybe the Tokyo Park might have come out of concepts for what might have been in Longbeach.

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Well we think of Orlando, Florida as being home to the huge Walt Disney Resort, Universal Studios and Sea World but did you know that Orlando is also the Alligator capital of the world. Well Gatorland on the Orange Blossom Trail in Kissimmee not far from Mickey and his friends is home to 110 acres of Alligators, crocs and other leathery reptiles. The park dates back to 1949 and was founded by Owen Godwin who’s family still run the park today.  The park is great fun and the kid’s really love getting up close to some of the huge reptiles and there’s nothing like feeding time. The park is also an important learning and conservation area and home to many rare and threatened animals- not just reptiles but birds, amphibians and mammals.  The park takes about half a day to cover and is a great way to kick back and enjoy a little quieter pace in between the queueing and hustle and bustle of Orlando’s huge theme parks.

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The Berliner Dom or Berlin Cathedral as we know it, dates back to 1451 although it has been rebuilt several times, with the current building dating back to 1905 which in fact it was severely damaged by World War II and only finally fully restored in 1993 although in smaller and far less grand. The Cathedral is located in Colln and part of the central Mitte Island which houses many of Berlin’s most historic buildings and museums. Today the cathedral’s magnificent dome stands 115 metres and the building is 114 metres long. It is built from Silesian Sandstone. Many visitors come to the Dom to see the beautiful mosaics and the Sauer’s Organ. For those wanting to see the view from the top of the dome there is a 270 step climb which is well worth the effort for the amazing sight.

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Well when we think of travelling to LA you usually plan a trip to Disneyland, Universal Studios and a look around Hollywood and Rodeo Drive, but high on the list of many visitors it to check out Venice Beach. Especially on the weekends Venice Beach’s beautiful boardwalk is a colourful collection of sites from the weird to the sometimes unimaginable. There’s art and craft, music, people of all types- and I mean all types and a non stop well lets face it freak show. There’s the muscle beach enclosure as one example, where the ”beautifully fit’ exercise for not only for fitness but to be seen. There’s the freaky post modern hippies with their Rasta clothing, and of course the perfectly toned, manicured and (nipped and tucked) on show for all to see. Venice Beach is fantastic for a walk or even a bike ride along the wide paths. There’s plenty of places to stop for a eat or drink and soak up the unique atmosphere and step away into a weird world of sun and fun.
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For magnificent views of Sydney Harbour and a interesting look back at some of Australia’ s most important manufacturing heritage Cockatoo Island is a must for someone looking for something a bit different to do in this beautiful waterfront city.  Cockatoo Island is the largest island within Sydney Harbor and is managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. This island as well as being a prison and a range of other things the island has been the site of one of the country’s biggest shipyards. Today many of the industrial and convict past remains and they offer an amazing insight into the past. The historic sandstone prison buildings have even been nominated for World Heritage Protection.  The island is easily accessed from ferry and there are luxury campsites offering one of the best views of Sydney.  The island is a perfect place to kick back and watch the harbor sites and escape the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s great cities.

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Istana Negara  is the official residence of His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the King of Malaysia. The palace overlooks the Klang River and is set on 28 acres of lush tropical gardens complete with lake, 6 hole golf course, swimming pool and tennis courts .  The residence is not open to the public but the gatehouse is a very popular destination for tourists who want to see the changing of the guard ceremonies and the magnificent horses which are rode by the palace guards.  Like with many of the world’s monarchs a flag is flown if the King is in residence in the palace.  Constructions is currently underway to build a new bigger and more splendours Istana Negara at an enormous cost. It is expected the existing Istana Negara will become a museum which will give visitors an wonderful chance to see this beautiful building and grounds first hand.

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Cao Dai is one of the most visited temples in Vietnam for people visiting Ho Chi Minh city or Saigon. It is located near Tay Ninh, about 100 kilometres to the north east of the city and is a popular organised day trip where visitors usually visit the Cu Chi Tunnels as well.

The temple was built between 1933 and 1955 and is one of the most spectacular buildings to be seen anywhere with stunning architecture and amazing colour and artwork. The interior walls of the main temple are an amazing display of fluorescent shades of yellow, pink. There are rococo walls and an array of colourful mosaic mirror tiles which light the beautiful structure, which is part mosque, part cathedral and part pagoda.  The temple and the worshippers celebrate a mix of three great religions, Christianity, Buddhism and Hindu.

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The city of Nara in Japan celebrates 2010 as the 1300th anniversary of it becoming the capital of Japan which it held during the Nara Period between 710-784 AD. The historic city has so much heritage on show including some spectacular palaces and temples and actually is home to the largest number of registered national treasures in Japan. Nara is a short half hour train trip from Osaka and most of the sights are in easy walking distance from the station, making it a great day trip. The parks and gardens are full of roaming deer which are a much loved symbol of the city. To celebrate the 1300th anniversary Nara has plenty of special events throughout the year including exhibitions, festivals and performances.

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