Westminster Travel Trips

Melbourne: A City of Character Melbourne is the capital city of the state of Victoria and while the confines of Melbourne are home to only 65,000 people, the surrounding metropolis is home to over 1million people. Situated at the head of Port Philip in the South East of Australia, Melbourne is a buzzing city with more than a little flavour of the multicultural.

The centre of the city itself was laid out by John Batman who is the only Australian born explorer to found a state Capital. Batman was so far ahead of his time that he even wanted to compensate the aboriginals for the use of their land. Among one of the prospective name for Melbourne was Batville or Batmania Luckily they stuck with Melbourne. One thing that will stick with visitors to Melbourne is the trees as most streets are tree lined. It is a tribute to the design of Melbourne that today the streets are so rich with trees.

The centre of Melbourne is laid out in a grid formation, ten grids across by ten grids tall. It is a bustling city centre with pedestrian shopping streets and trams running ever two blocks. If you are driving through Melbourne City Centre, be forewarned about turning right when there are tram lines present. You cannot make a standard right turn as the nose of the car will be on the tram tracks. Rather you indicate right, but park in front of the traffic to your left which is queuing to go straight on. When your lights go red you complete your turn. My advise would be to watch this carefully from the footpath before trying it with a car.

The Queen Victoria Market is as much a market as a tourist attraction as a market. It is a vast complex offering everything from fruit and vegetables to clothes, fine coffees and local produce. The market is open every week from Tuesday to Sunday and is within easy reach by foot from the centre of Melbourne.

From this central area of Melbourne, the other sections of Melbourne radiate at angles. Among them is the fashionable area of Carlton. This is a fashionable area that is famous for its restaurant lined streets of typically Greek or Italian nature. This is a great place to walk in the evening as the restaurants vie for every piece of prospective business the passes by.

Among the other fashionable districts of Melbourne is St Kilda. It is easily reached by tram and offers not just scenic views over the bay, but also a mish mash of cafes, restaurants and luxury home made items. While St Kilda is now a fashionable area, it wasn’t always that way as it was associated with drug addicts and prostitutes. While this reputation it not justified, there are still prostitutes working in St Kilda today.

No visit to Melbourne should be undertaken without renting a car and heading out the great ocean road to see the 12 Apostles. The 12 Apostles is a rock formation which consists of 12 rock stacks which stand independently. The views are spectacular as the mist from the South Sea rises as it hits land. While making this trip there are a number of fashionable holiday towns that are worth stopping in for a night or simply for dinner.

Ronan Menton is the webmaster for a number of travel related websites and has been for some in Ireland, been associated with search engine optimisation in the Irish travel industry. Among the many sites he is currently working on are the following: hotels in Melboure and hotels in Sydney.

Dubai is one of the seven states making up the United Arab Emirates and it is located in the Middle East at the crossroads of Asia and Europe.

Dubai is a city of striking contrasts; it is an exciting destination both for travelers seeking thrills and adventure and for expatriates seeking a healthy employment climate and a tax free lifestyle.

Those expatriates planning on moving to the UAE or who are seeking the latest job opportunities in Dubai are certainly not alone. The population of Dubai is one of the fastest growing in the world and over the past twenty five years it has quadrupled.

Employment prospects in the city rise annually by an average of 8.3% and the increasing availability of quality jobs has attracted record numbers of expatriates to the region. The appeal of Dubai lies in the fact that it is a liberal and moderate emirate and it has attracted major players from every single significant business sector of note because of the tax free trade zones Dubai is famous for. These industry giants from the media, IT, engineering and financial sectors for example can recruit internationally and many offer their staff a tax free salary with attractive relocation benefits on top meaning they attract the best, most dynamic employees from around the world.

The expatriate population in the entire UAE makes up 91.5% of the working population so you can see how popular a destination Dubai is with international executives from around the world. To work in Dubai it is necessary to obtain an employment visa, if you secure a job offer before you fly out your employer will sponsor your visa for you. Alternatively you can travel to the country on a 30 day temporary visa, seek work and as soon as you secure a job offer you can apply for your employment visa.

In terms of those who holiday in Dubai they are divided into a number of categories – you have shopoholics who come for the tax free prices on luxury goods and jewellery, you have those who want an adventure in and around the ancient and fascinating heart of Dubai, you have families keen to hit the theme parks and adventure centres and those who come for the sporting highlights of Dubai such as the world class golf, polo, diving and desert safaris.

Visitors to the city of Dubai require a visa unless they herald from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman or Saudi Arabia. Those visitors who are staying in one of the amazing and luxurious hotels Dubai is famous for will be provided with a visa by the hotel for the duration of their stay. The process to obtain a visa is very simple, in fact most travel agents or hotels will fill in the necessary paper work for you and you can either apply for a 14 day ‘transit visa’ or a 30 day ‘visit visa’ and then enter the country and be free to enjoy your time exploring this dynamic and breathtaking city of contrasts.

Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles about living and working abroad have appeared in many major lifestyle publications throughout the world.

On her site Shelter Offshore you can find more of her articles about living and working in Dubai

Victoria BC has come a long way since it was first incorporated as a city in 1862. Victoria is a city in Canada, and it is the provincial capital of British Columbia. According to the 2001 census, this city has a total population of 74, 125 and a total area of 19.68 square kilometers.

Located near the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria BC is known for its natural beauty, temperate climate, places of recreation and better economic opportunities. Because of this, more and more people from all over the world want to visit and come to experience this superb city. An international airport, helicopter and seaplane services, buses and passenger train service make it possible for people to spend a week or two in this beautiful city of Victoria.

Victoria BC is a home to many breathtaking attractions. Some include Butchart Gardens, Olympic Mountains, Dallas Road and 15 year round golf courses. In addition to this, entertainment and shopping spots like downtown Victoria, Antique Row on Fort Street, Market Square, and Inner Harbour. The Royal London Museum, Crystal Gardens, Undersea Gardens and Miniature Gardens are exciting family stops.

Victoria BC is also a center for business development and economic investment, because of its strategic location and its many sea and air links. Aside from tourists, foreign investors and business people are also considered frequent travelers to this great city.

Indeed, Victoria BC has a lot to offer both to tourists and foreign businessmen. With all these tourist spots and destinations, spending a day or two in Victoria will surely be worthwhile. Not only that, considering Victoria’s accessibility and accommodations, people that come here will treasure a truly memorable and enjoyable trip.

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