36 Hours in Naples, Italy

The Italian port city might be knee-high in trash. And, sure, it’s been subject to bloody Mafia wars and political corruption. But there’s real vibrancy, and even a little beauty, in all that chaos.
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Welcome to the travel and tourism guide to Tunisia

Hear the siren song that calls you to Tunisia. This hospitable land of colors and contrasts, spices and scents invites you to enjoy its natural beauty, ancient cities, lively festivals and warm friendliness of its people. Welcoming visitors to its shores has long been an honored Tunisian tradition and an impressive infrastructure of modern hotels, restaurants, international airports, tourism offices and information centers has been developped to add to our guests comfort and pleasure.

In this land of the familiar and the exotic one can watch the sunrise over the Sahara, enjoy a gourmet meal at a seaside resort and top off the evening with a midnight swim in the pool of a modern comfortble hotel.
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Win a touring holiday to the Lower Rhine

Enter our price draw and WIN A FABULOUS HOLIDAY FOR TWO touring the culturally rich area of the Lower Rhine and stay at one of the grand castles in Germany – Schloss Hertefeld. The Lower Rhine loops alongside the ancient borderlands of Germany and Holland. Its landscape is open and wide, and is characterised by avenues of poplars, water-and windmills, and willows that shade riverside meadows
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Welcome to Vagabond Cruises

In over 25 years, Vagabond Cruises have had the pleasure of hosting countless special events across the beautiful waters of Sydney Harbour – from casual occasions, to glamorous, grand affairs.

Our unique fleet of vessels is equipped with everything you could need for an unforgettable event, boasting spacious, carpeted dining areas, parquet dance floors, observation decks, not to mention fine food, refreshing drinks and dazzling entertainment.
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Business Visas to Australia

Invest, establish or purchase a business in Australia!
Australia welcomes experienced business people who can bring their expertise and investment to Australia. There has never been a better opportunity to benefit from Australia’s Business Skills Program, with a booming economy and record low unemployment.
What are the requirements for a business visa?
Australian Business Visa RequirementsTo be eligible for one of the provisional business visas, you must have:
a successful business or investment career and,
a genuine commitment to engage in business activities in Australia.
To be eligible, there are certain basic criteria you must satisfy, but there is no points test. The entry threshold, particularly concerning age, English language ability, business turnover or assets is lower for applicants who secure sponsorship from an Australian State or Territory Government. Sponsored applicants will be given priority processing
AN OFFICIAL PROGRAM BY USA CONGRESS

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery has been established in the 1996 Immigration Act in order to give immigration opportunity to natives from countries other than the main source of immigration to the U.S.A. This official U.S. government program aims to diversify the American population by creating an immigration opportunity to under-represented ethnic groups.
Immigration to Australia increasing amongst UK pensioners wanting better weather and lifestyle.
Australia has been announced as the most popular retirement destination for Scottish Pensioners with almost 95,000 now claiming their pensions abroad, up by a third in the past decade. The second and third most popular destinations for retiring abroad being Ireland and Spain.
The big increase in the number of Scottish pensioners looking to move abroad is expected to continue to rise, and is expected to reach 300,000 by 2050
A recent poll found that a third of those reaching retirement age planned to move abroad. With financial worries being the main reason. With the main benefits of moving abroad seen as the better weather, lifestyle and cost of living. One immigration consultant was quoted as saying “Many people who contact us are fed up with Scotland. They say the country is going down the tubes and that they don’t see any future here.”
A recent report published by the Public Policy Research found that there are more Britons living abroad than foreign migrants moving to the UK. The report also showed that the number of Britons buying property overseas has increased by a staggering fifty percent in just three years. The study concluded that British are one of the most footloose people in the world, with more Britons living abroad in the greatest number of different countries than any other nationality. There are now 41 countries with more than 10,000 British people living there, and a further 71 countries with over 1000 British people living there.
The increase in immigration now means that more people are emigrating than at the height of the last immigration peak, just before the First World War, when 300,000 people per annum where leaving their country.
And it’s just not the pensioners looking to retire in the sun and making the most of a lower cost of living, it’s also the young and highly skilled. Four out of 10 emigrating in 2004 were managerial or professional occupations.
The increasing number of people looking to immigrate to Australia compounded with the limited number of immigration places available has meant there is competition amongst applicants for Australian visas. It is now probably more important than ever to have a good understanding of how the Australian immigration officials assess visa applications in order that applicants can maximise their chance of gaining an Australian Visa

Studying in Canada

More than 130,000 students come to study in Canada every year and even more come to Canada to learn English or French. Foreign students bring a rich culture to our classrooms. Your knowledge and skills are welcome in our schools.
The provinces regulate education and schools in Canada. For more detailed information on living and studying in a specific province or territory, contact the school where you wish to study
Studying in Canada: Study permits
To study in Canada, you may need a study permit or a temporary resident visa, though not everyone must have these documents
Studying in Canada: Study permits
To study in Canada, you may need a study permit or a temporary resident visa, though not everyone must have these documents.
Studying in Canada: Work permits for students
It is possible to work in Canada while you are here as a student, and there are opportunities for jobs on and off campus. You will need to apply.
Visiting Canada
Canada welcomes you as a tourist, student or temporary worker. Every year, more than 35 million people visit Canada to enjoy the many opportunities our country has to offer.
Depending on where you live, and the reason for your visit, you will need to meet certain entry requirements. In some cases, if you plan to stay in Canada for a certain period of time, you will need a Temporary Resident Visa

Working in Canada

Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or as live-in caregivers.
A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessary. More information on work permits for temporary jobs can be found in this section of the website.Investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons
The Business Immigration Program seeks to attract experienced business people to Canada who will support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy
Working temporarily in Canada: Who can apply
Some temporary workers require a work permit and some do not. Some workers fall into categories where permits are approved more quickly.
The requirements and processing times depend on what sort of work you will be doing when you come to CanadaEvery year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or as live-in caregivers.
A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessary. More information on work permits for temporary jobs can be found in this section of the website.Investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons
The Business Immigration Program seeks to attract experienced business people to Canada who will support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy.

Business immigrants are expected to make a $400,000 investment or to own and manage businesses in Canada.

Canada has three classes of business immigrants:

* investors
* entrepreneurs and
* self-employed persons.

Each application can be made for only one class and cannot be changed once the application is submitted. The criteria you must meet to qualify are different for
each class.

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Is Queensland the new New Zealand?

recent years New Zealand has cornered the market for Antipodean thrill-seeking and self-drive touring holidays.

But over the past week I have been in Queensland discovering that at least one Aussie state is mounting a challenge to the Kiwis on both counts. I suppose the Sunshine State has always had an adventurous feel about it, what with the reef to dive on and the rainforest to play in. But it has also been traditionally associated with lazy beachside holidays.

I reckon that image is about to change. There are now many more imaginative ways of experiencing the rainforest and I’ve been here I have tried a few. The most thrilling was jungle surfing in the Daintree rainforest, which involved gliding (upside down) through the canopy on flying foxes. But my favourite adventure was a serene drift snorkelling tour along the Mossman river, negotiating occasional rapids and spotting turtles and eels along the way. I am too old to have tried other possibilities like swinging, but anybody who’s prepared to get off their loungers will find thrills aplenty in Tropical North Queensland.

On a more sedate note, the state is also redefining itself as a driving holiday destination. I followed part of the Great Tropical Drive, motoring gradually down through rainforest and past huge sugar cane and banana plantations from Cape Tribulation to Townsville. The route is particularly spectacular between Cape Trib and the Daintree River, the skinny road twisting and turning through deep-green jungle and from Port Douglas to Cairns where it hugs the coast. A self-drive holiday like this is another memorable alternative to a traditional Queensland holiday.

Is Queensland the next Antipodean adventure capital or will New Zealand continue to rule the roost? Which Aussie state is the best for a self-drive or thrill-seeking holiday?

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Off-beat London

Article by: Abigail Hole, April 2008

Buckingham, Schmuckingham: go off-piste and explore London’s eccentric secrets. Here are 10 of the best.

1 Go on a Bat Walk
Places are sought after on the St James’s Park Bat Walks, which take place at dusk and start at Horseguards Parade (tube: Charing Cross); book ahead.

Almost as interesting as the bat spotting itself are your fellow spotters, who range from flappy-eared fanatics to quintessential English gentlemen, all sporting crackly bat detectors. The tension mounts as you circle the lake without spotting a single flying mammal, but as evening falls, the bats oblige by whirring above the trees, provoking a moment of pure wonder.

2 Find gods in Neasden
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (tube: Neasden), the first Hindu temple in Europe, would be amazing anywhere. But in a northwest London suburb, off the North Circular motorway, it’s otherworldly. The lace-like marble carving, delicate as flowers, was made by Indian sculptors and then shipped to the UK, where volunteers worked to build the temple from 26,300 carved pieces. Built from 1992 to 1995 and funded entirely by donations, it’s a focus for the area’s Indian community, but everyone is welcome.

3 Visit Sir John Soane’s Museum by candlelight
Sir John Soane’s Museum (Lincoln’s Inn Fields; tube: Holborn), the 18th-century architect’s former home, is a peculiarly British Aladdin’s cave. It’s at its most magical by candlelight (6-9pm, first Tuesday of the month).

From outside, the museum is a graceful townhouse. Within you’ll find a treasure trove, lit by hidden skylights, reflected by mirrors, and topped by a glass dome. Highlights of Soane’s crammed-in collection of art, sculpture and antiques include the Egyptian sarcophagus of Seti l and a bevy of Hogarth paintings.

4 Tango at a tea dance
Don your glad rags and get down to the magnificent Old Finsbury Town Hall for Art of the Dog’s fabulous tea dance (artofthedog@hotmail.com; 2-5pm, monthly on a Sunday; Rosebery Avenue; tube: Angel). This traditional affair is a dazzling mixture of ages and types, with 40s-styled nouveau sirens outdanced by old ladies in sequins. It’s a chance to dust off your waltz, foxtrot and quickstep in gorgeous yet unintimidating surroundings. Don’t panic if you’ve never done it before – lessons are included. Tea, cake, and G&Ts will help put twinkle in your toes.

5 Get kinky at the Torture Garden
‘Did they come on the bus? Or even by cab?’ you can’t help wondering, as another spiked PVC corset or fishnet bodystocking struts past. There aren’t many places where you can spot thong-wearing bank managers and people tied up in corners (who always go home early). Wear too many clothes and you’ll feel distinctly prudish at the Torture Garden. The world’s leading fetish club takes place regularly at Mass, a club in a converted Brixton church (tube: Brixton). Shows to make you go ‘ouch’ (such as on-stage piercing) add to the all-round freakiness.

6 Take a bracing dip
Swimming in the Serpentine Lido at Hyde Park is as civilised as cucumber sandwiches. For most, it’s a summer activity (open daily, 5 June-11 September), but join the Serpentine Swimming Club and you can swim every day of the year. When the lake is frozen, swimmers break the ice for what must be a brisk dip.

Another top swimming spot is Hampstead Bathing Ponds (Hampstead Heath; open May to September). This rural idyll of a pond is surrounded by London’s loveliest woodlands. If you want to swim year round, stiffen your sinews and join Hampstead Swimming Club.

7 Take a Duck Tour
A Duck Tour is a remarkable sightseeing tour in canary-yellow vehicles that drive on the road and float on water. Formerly military vehicles used in the D-Day landings, these Chitty Chitty Bang Bang truck-boat hybrids are each pushing 70 years old. The 75-minute tour trundles around central London, then lurches alarmingly into the Thames to chug low in the water alongside the Houses of Parliament. The entertaining guides combine interesting facts, stand-up comedy and stream-of-consciousness commentary.

8 Join the circus
Nothing builds a six pack like working out on a trapeze, and you no longer have to run away with the circus to get one. The Generating Company (0207 0933 204; Buoy Wharf, E14; DLR: East India) offers courses in trapeze, acrobatics, rope/silks and Chinese pole (tricks on a vertical steel pole), and allows you to sign up for a two-lesson taster.

9 Experience Westminster live
Want to witness all the turmoil and torpor of parliamentary politics? Attend a debate in the Houses of Commons or Lords. Join the queue outside St Stephen’s Gate; proceedings are open to both UK and overseas residents. You’ll need to apply for a free ticket in advance (UK residents only) for Question Time, when politicians are at their friskiest.

Not many people know that you can visit Big Ben by applying in writing to your MP (UK residents only). You climb 334 vertiginous steps to the bell’s hidden lair. After the hour strikes, your ears will be humming for days – but it’s a small price to pay for such an adventure.

10 Go boho at the Horse Hospital
This Bloomsbury arts venue (Colonnade; tube: Russell Square) was once – surprise! – a horse hospital. You enter up the slope where the horses once clip-clopped into the building. It might feel like a spooky squat party, but this is London’s most avant garde arts centre, with underground art and photography exhibitions and out-there films. Tickets are £7; films are obscure.

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Lap of Luxury

Article by: Clifton Wilkinson, April 2008

If money really was no object, where would you go? What would you drink? Get some fuel for your cash-splashing dreams.

What’s that rustling sound? Yes, it’s a windfall – a lucky chunk of unexpected cash has landed in your lap. Maybe your lottery numbers came up or your reclusive aunt has left you the sole beneficiary of her will. Either way, you’re now the proud owner of more money than you know what to do with. If you feel the high life beckoning, allow us to show you where to start splurging.

The world’s most expensive cocktail – Manchester, England
To help you over the shock of your new-found wealth you’re probably going to need a stiff drink – a stiff, fancy drink. Take some pink champagne, strawberry liqueur, lychee liqueur and lemon juice. Stir and garnish with an 18-carat white-gold ring with tourmaline and diamonds. Yes, you read that right. The world’s most expensive cocktail, served up in the Manchester branch of Harvey Nichols, the UK’s poshest department store, contains not just the usual alcoholic ingredients but a little something special at the bottom – security guards need to escort it to your table. And with a price tag of £15,250 (around US$30,000), this is definitely a drink to sip rather than gulp down in one.

The world’s best restaurant – Roses, Spain
You’ve had your celebratory cocktail, now it’s time to jet off to Catalonia (naturally offsetting your carbon emissions – no excuse now you’re super-rich) to dine at El Bulli. For around €250 a head you’ll be treated to superstar chef Ferran Adrià’s ‘molecular gastronomy’ – try the breaded sea cucumber with coconut sponge and smoked oil. You’ll need to hit the jackpot again, though: the restaurant is only open from April to September each year and bookings for the 8000 places are snapped up on just one day in October – meaning an average of 400 requests per table.

The world’s only 7-star hotel – Dubai, UAE
Dubai’s Burj Al Arab blows a five-star rating out of the glistening water and ups the ante to seven. So how does it earn those vital two extra stars? Well, first off it’s currently the world’s tallest hotel (reaching 321m) and its sail-like design and waterfront location are admittedly impressive. Inside, the decor is best described as luxury kitsch (think hi-tech meets Baroque meets Arabian splendour) and if you don’t flinch at paying at least UAE$6000 (around US$1600) per night for your duplex suite, you won’t mind splashing out a bit more in one of the many restaurants (including one with its own aquarium reached by simulated submarine ride). If you want to burn off a few gilded calories afterwards, why not have a game of tennis – on the rooftop helipad. Probably best not to chase those wide balls.

Enjoy your own tropical paradise – Necker Island, the Caribbean
If the thought of staying in a mere hotel isn’t enough for newly wealthy you, how about taking over a whole island for a long weekend? You and 27 of your closest friends can enjoy the Caribbean delights of Necker Island for just US$47,000 a night (five night minimum). Just explain what you’d like to eat and drink and when, what sports you’d like to learn, what time you’d like to party until and so on, and management will sort out the details. In addition to the standard luxuries you’d expect at these prices – infinity pools, spas, tennis courts and so on – you get the services of fifty staff to see to your every whim and a calypso band to provide some locally flavoured background music while you drink your unlimited supply of champagne.

Really really get away from it all – in space
When your new-found wealth seems to bring a string of pleading ‘friends’ out the woodwork, what better way to escape them than by heading into space? For a cool US$200,000 you can take a suborbital flight on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (well, you can book a spot at least – the first flights aren’t leaving until 2010 or so). Or for a bordering-on-insane US$100 million you can hitch a ride with Space Adventures’ Lunar Mission. Fly beyond the reach of those greedy relatives!