Hotel Travel

Expedia.co.uk Travel Book cheap flights, travel, hotels & package holidays Expedia.co.uk Skip Navigation HOME DEALS FLIGHTS HOTELS CARS HOLIDAYS ATTRACTIONS INSURANCE EUROSTAR GUIDES MAPS CORPORATE TRAVEL Welcome - Already a member? Sign in Site Map My Trips My Profile Customer Support Get ideas for your next trip Top 10 Hip Hotels World Cup 2006 Help with Booking Please call 0870 050 0808 Expedia email Best Deals Direct Email Address More info Traveller Tools Bookmark Expedia Arrivals/Departures Flight Timetables Currency Converter World Guide Weather Health & Safety CREATE YOUR PERFECT TRIP Flight Only Hotel Only Car Only Flight + Hotel Flight + Hotel + Car Flight + Car Tailor-make and save! Departing from: Destination: Pick up from: Depart: Pick up: Check-in: Morning Midday Evening Anytime 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Check-out: Going to: Going to: Car class: No Preference Mini-car Economy Compact Midsize Standard Full Size Premium Luxury Return: Drop-off: Morning Midday Evening Anytime 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Adults: (12-64) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Seniors: (65+) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Children: (0-11) 0 1 2 3 4 5 Please Note: All drivers must have held a full licence for at least one year and be 25 or older. If the driver is over 65, please call Expedia.co.uk on (0870) 050 0808 Specify ages of children at time of travel. Discounts may be offered to children of certain ages. Child 1: -?- 7 8 9 10 11 Child 2: -?- 7 8 9 10 11 Child 3: -?- 7 8 9 10 11 Child 4: -?- 7 8 9 10 11 Child 5: -?- 7 8 9 10 11 Child 6: -?- 7 8 9 10 11 More flight search options: Premium classes, one way trips, multiple destinations... More hotel search options: Hotel details, multiple rooms... More car search options: Need any special equipment? More flight + hotel search options: Multiple rooms, more destinations... More flight + car search options: More destinations... More flight + hotel + car search options: More destinations... January Sale now on! -- City Breaks from £112 Winter Sun from £111 Ski Deals from £173 Family Holidays from £133 -- Family Deals from £133 Last Minute from £102 World Cup from £199 Discover the World London departures Description from Destination Hotel Holiday Rome £44 £158 North America £34 £342 Caribbean £47 £537 Eastern Europe £42 £109 Far East £23 £435 Mediterranean £35 £116 UK & Ireland £35 £89 from --New York flights £253 Explore World Heritage sites Visit the Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids of Egypt and more... Regional Departures London departures Holidays from Birmingham £148 Manchester £113 Scotland £111 flights | hotels | hotel chains | holidays | car hire | about expedia.co.uk | site map | affiliates | advertising | jobs | privacy policy | terms of use | international sites | ©2005, Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved travel , and travel guides . preferred partners Expedia, Inc., not responsible for content on external Web sites. Travel US | Travel CA | Voyages CA | Voyages FR | Reisen DE | Reis NL | Viaggio IT | Hotels.com | Travel AU Holidays that include air travel, which you arrange on Expedia.co.uk are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under ATOL number 5788. ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. For all pre-arranged holidays bought from Expedia.co.uk, Expedia, Inc acts as an authorised travel agent .

Japan Travel International Travel

Metropolis - Tokyo Japan Travel: God speed JAPAN TODAY | METROPOLIS | CLASSIFIEDS | PERSONALS | JOBS Issue Index Original Features Features Mini Features Cultural Features Life in Japan Big in Japan Rant & Rave Cars & Bikes Health & Beauty Interiors Practical Jobfinder Money Talks Tokyo Tech Web Watch Food & Drink Food & Drink Restaurant Reviews Bar Reviews Word of Mouth Travel Travel Features Japan Travel International Travel Travelogue Style Art Artifacts Fashion Tokyo Talk In Store Buyline Music Japan Beat CD Reviews In Person Concerts Clubbing JAPAN TRAVEL Photos by Mary King The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine is the spiritual home of the Japanese nation. Mary King takes a pilgrimage. D own the ages various rumors and tales have circulated about the sacred mirror of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. It was once said that whoever laid eyes on the mirror would immediately be struck blind, a possible deterrent for would-be thieves. Others have claimed to have seen the mirror and reported that it is inscribed with ancient Hebrew lettering, reading “eheyeh asher eheyeh,” the name of the Judaic-Christian God written in Exodus 3:14 and meaning “I AM THAT I AM.” Heavenly abode Japan’s sacred mirror, one of three items of the Imperial Regalia, is kept in the Inner Shrine (Naiku) at Ise Grand Shrine, a sanctuary that many visitors to the Mie Prefecture city of Ise are astonished to discover they are not allowed to enter or even see. Ise Jingu, popularly known as “O-Ise-san,” or officially “Jingu,” holds the most honored position among the more than 100,000 Shinto shrines that are scattered throughout the breadth of Japan. The site of the nation’s most Holy of Holies, and boasting some of the world’s greatest architectural monuments, Jingu is also home to some of the simplest and most mysterious structures. Described as the “starting point for all journeys in Japan,” Ise is regarded as the spiritual home of the Japanese, a place to which most wish to make at least one pilgrimage to in their lives. In fact, more than six million pilgrims and worshipers come to Jingu each year, crossing the Uji Bridge spanning the sacred Isuzu River to symbolically leave behind the temporal world and enter a “pure world” of kami (gods and spirits) and the ancient mythology of the land. Odyssey Passing through the second huge torii at the end of Uji Bridge, a long gravel approach leads you through a natural cathedral of towering cryptomeria. Pilgrim and tourist alike are taken on a divine journey toward the Naiku and Geku, where Amaterasu and Toyouke (God of Abundant Food) are respectively worshipped. It is an unforgettable odyssey, one that spirits you back to the country’s earliest recorded “history” that tells of the “Age of Kami,” the creation of Japan and the origins of its people right through to the Imperial line and succeeding generations of emperors and empresses. The auxiliary shrines resemble ancient granaries The Geku (Outer Shrine) was dedicated to the grain deity Toyouke, possibly in a bid to bolster the new imperial cult that started, according to the myth, when Amaterasu sent her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto, down to earth to rule. The Sun Goddess handed her grandson the mirror that had lured her out of her cave, along with Susano’s sword, and a curved jewel. The mirror (yata no kagami), along with the jewel and sword, remain the Three Imperial Regalia, symbols of divine authority, and to this day the emperor conducts rites to ensure a bountiful harvest as well as secret rituals in which he symbolically mates with the Sun Goddess. The high priestess of Ise, meanwhile, has traditionally been an Imperial princess, reflecting the nation’s early history of shamanesses, priestesses and ruling empresses. Having passed through large open grounds and crossed over a small bridge (hiyokebashi), you gradually move towards the more sacred area of the Naiku. To the right of the main pilgrimage path is located a font for the ablutions made by pilgrims prior to proceeding toward the main sanctuary grounds. Beyond the daiichi torii (first sacred gateway) are steps that lead to the Isuzu River, where since ancient times pilgrims have purified their body and mind by washing their hands in, and rinsing their mouths with, the waters of this sacred river. According to Shinto thought, one’s pure mind and body given by the kami must be ritually cleansed so as to return to a state of purity. Amaterasu Omikami is enshrined in the main sanctuary building, the Goshoden, of the inner sanctum of Naiku, in which the august mirror, her symbol or goshintai, is kept and worshipped. As they are considered most sacred, pilgrims or other visitors may see neither the mirror nor the main sanctuary. In fact, the only people allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, according to my guide, are members of the Imperial Family, although on one occasion, it is rumored, Queen Elizabeth was invited in. Restoration Except for the exalted mirror, all of Jingu’s other sacred shrines and objects must be reconstructed in synch with each 20-year Shikinen Sengyo cycle. The elaborate transference procession and ceremony involves the remaking of some 491 holy treasures, 1600 accessories and 125 kinds of sacred apparel that are then put in their proscribed places by the priests. Formerly used objects are kept in the nearby Jingu History Museum, which is open to the public. It is possible to find two absolutely identical Naiku and Geku standing side by side-one old, one new. In time the older one will be deconstructed and its wooden parts, now forever consecrated, recycled as repair pieces for other shrines around Japan. The newer one-once the transference of holy objects has been consummated-hence replaces the old as a locus of veneration. The shrines themselves are thought to resemble ancient granaries or storehouses and are built from Japanese cypress (hinoki) from the Kiso forestry preserves extending between the Gifu and Nagano Prefectures. Befitting the reverence accorded to these sanctified building blocks, death, loss of a limb, or imprisonment have, over the centuries, been the penalties for felling these jewels. A visit to the majestic Ise shrine allows one to understand why. Where to stay: Oaken, tel: 059-622-2589; Hinodekan, Tel: 059-628-2954; Saekikan, tel: 059-628-2017; Okubun, tel: 059-628-2231. Ise City Tourist Information, tel: 059-623-9655. TRAVELOGUE WORLD TRAVEL TRAVEL FEATURES JAPAN TRAVEL: SEPTEMBER 389: God speed The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine AUGUST 385: Hattoji Highland hamlet JULY 380: Nagasaki Remembrance of things past 378: Kawagoe From modern Tokyo to "Little Edo" 376: Tottori Tottori's stunning landscapes JUNE 375: Kyushu Bed and bath under the volcano 373: Ryogoku Land of the giants 372: Osaka Universal Studios Japan MAY 371: Osaka Amerika-mura: Osaka's funky town 369: Mie Mikimoto Pearl Island 368: Takarazuka Hyogo-ken's all women theater group APRIL 365: Kawasaki Kawasaki's annual fertility festival 364: Aomori A day on Fear Mountain MARCH 362: Nagano Chill out snowboarding 361: Asuka One foot in the grave FEBRUARY 356: Yamanashi Hakushu's hidden treasures 355: Waseda Tram Trip A streetcar named... 352/3: Aomori Jesus in Japan 351: Kumamoto Under the volcano in Kyushu 350: Sado Island Explore the forgotten charms of Shukunegi ISSUES 348- ISSUES 298- TOP

Russia Travel Division -

Google Directory - Regional > Europe > Russia > Travel and Tourism > Travel Services > Tour Operators Directory Help Search only in Tour Operators Search the Web Tour Operators Regional > Europe > Russia > Travel and Tourism > Travel Services > Tour Operators Go to Directory Home Categories Saint Petersburg (54) Vladivostok (2) Related Category: Regional > Europe > Travel and Tourism > Travel Services > Tour Operators (119) Web Pages Viewing in Google PageRank order View in alphabetical order Russian National Group - http://www.russia-travel.com/ Offers travel and visa services to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. Description of services, company information, information for tourists. Russia Experience - http://www.trans-siberian.co.uk Train travel and ecotourism trips in Siberia and Mongolia - including trekking and nature-study at Lake Baikal, and nomad trips in Mongolia. Ecological Travels Centre - http://www.ecotravel.ru/ Offers ecotours: expeditions, bird watching, wildlife viewing, rafting, mountaineering, horseback riding, filming and others. Description of services, company and contact information. Interactive Russia Travel Division - http://travel.in-russia.com/ Offers adventure and ecological tours to Russia. Includes description of tours, destinations, hotel and airfare booking service. Intel ServiceCenter - http://www.intelservice.ru/ Offers tours in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Descriptions of services, contact information. The Geographic Bureau - http://www.geographicbureau.com Organizes trips throughout the former Soviet Union, and specializes in the Caucasus and Mount Elbrus ascents. Intourist Joint Stock Company - http://www.intourist.ru/ Organise group, motor, individual and special interest tours to the former USSR. Lost World Tours - http://www.travelkamchatka.com/ Offers adventure tours to Kamchatka. Description of services, company information, information about the region. GW Travel Ltd - http://www.gwtravel.co.uk/ Offering guided hotel on wheels train travel on Russian rail routes. Details of forthcoming tours and contact information. Irkutsk Baikal Travel Inc. - http://www.irkutsk-baikal.com Offers individual and group tours, adventure tours, other travel services. Description of services, contact information. Sokol Tours - http://www.sokoltours.com/ Offers adventure and regular tours in Russia and Central Asia, including bookings for transport and accommodations, visa support, and a range of travel packages. Description of services, company and contact information. Russian Cycle Touring Club - http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/8640/ Adventure bicycle tours in Russia. Information about cycle touring in Russia. Supporting travelers. Exeter International - http://www.exeterinternational.com/ Organizing group and private tours to Russia and Eastern Europe. Red Star Travel - http://www.travel2russia.com Tour operator and travel agency providing travel services to Russia, including visa processing and visa support letter Voentour M - http://www.voentour.com/ Offers cultural, military-historical and educational tours in Russia. Description of services, company information. Russian Gateway (UK) - Ltd - http://www.russiangateway.co.uk/ Information about travelling to Russia, including details of obtaining a visa, and organised tours. Sweagent - http://www.sweagent.se/ Offers private, package and conference tours, visa services, and freight forwarding for Russia. Description of services, contact information. Premier-Voyage - http://travel.inc.ru/ Travel services in Russia, St. Petersburg: hotel reservation, guides, excursions, visa services. Description of services, contact information. Baikaler - http://www.Baikaler.com Local guide Jack Sheremetoff, MA offers tours to Baikal. Description of tour, information about the region. Adventures with Wild Russia - http://www.wildrussia.spb.ru Organise Mountain and adventure expeditions; guided ascents on Mt.Elbrus, wildlife safaries on Kamchatka and horse back trekking to the center of Siberia. Vostok-Express - http://www.vostexp.vl.ru/ Visa support, booking of air tickets, hotel reservations, organization of holidays and business visits. Tours to Vladivostok and Kamchatka, Primorsky region (Nikolaevka, Ussuriisk, Popov Island). Far East Russian Tours - http://www.fareastrussiantours.com Organizes tours to this beautiful part of the world. Offices in both the United States and Vladivostok. St. Petersburg Travel, Inc. - http://www.trips2russia.com/ Offer group and individual tours, transportation, and tour guide services. Glavs Travel USA - http://www.glavs.com/ Specialise in VIP travel to Russia and Eastern Europe. Site includes details of the tours available, current special offers, and contact details. Sibtravel Club - http://members.tripod.com/sibtravel/ Organise adventure travels and research expeditions, in Siberia. Tours Around Russia - http://www.aroundrussia.ru Tours Moscow, St. Petersburg, Velikiy Novgorod, Valaam, Kizhi islands with English-speaking guide. Safari tours: hunting, fishing, yachting. Hotels booking, transport, visa support, guiding and interpreter services. Forum. Mosco - http://www.mosco.ru Specializes in managing the requirements of business and leisure travelers within the former USSR. Travel Technology Group - http://www.welcome-russia.com/ Offers a range of services for tourists: visa services, ticketing and reservations, hotel reservations, rent a car. Description of services, contact information. Team Gorky - http://www.teamgorky.ru/index-e.html Provides adventure tours: whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, trekking, fishing, bicycling, outdoor activity in Russia, Siberia, Altai, Middle Asia, Nepal, Chile. Description of services, contact information. Charisma Travel Ltd. - http://www.charismatravel.net/ Offers custom tours to Russia. Description of tours, contact information. FOS Tours & Travel Inc. - http://www.fostours.com/ Provides escorted group travel, independent tours and customized itineraries to Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Baltics and Scandinavia. Description of services, booking request form, contact information. Russian Connection - http://www.rctours.com/ Specialises in arranging and conducting tours, travel and excursions to Russia and Eastern Europe. Description of services. Saint-Petersburg - Region - http://www.travel-company.spb.ru Provides services in St.Petersburg, Moscow and north-western region of Russia. Information about company and St.Petersburg, description of services. Top Sport Travel - http://www.tst.spb.ru/eng/index.html Specializes in active and sports tours: Alpine Ski, Mountain Climbing, Ski, Trekking. Description of services, contact information. Baikal-Safari - http://www.baikal-safari.ru/ Offers adventure tours in Siberia and the Far East. Description of services, company information. IntelService - http://www.russian-site.com/IntelPage.htm Russian tour operators. Site includes a summary of the services offered, and contact details. Nota Bene Co Ltd - http://nb.travel.spb.ru/ Russian tour company. Site includes information about the services offered including tours, learning Russian in Russia, transport, translation and guides. Travel Russia - http://www.travelrussia.net/ Offers tours to many cities and regions in Russia. Descriptions of tours, company information, Victoria Travel Co - http://kamchatka.al.ru Travel and Adventure trips in Kamchatka, Russia: outdoor, fishing, rafting, heli-skiing, climbing, trekking, volcano. Description of tours, contact information. Dersu Uzala - http://www.ecotours.ru/english/index1.htm Organizes ecotours which support Russian nature reserves and local communities. Description of services, contact information. Infinity Travel - http://www.infinity.ru/ American-Russian travel management company. Site includes online booking, details of hotels, and information on obtaining a visa and student travel. Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web. Submit a Site - Open Directory Project - Become an Editor Modified by Google - ©2004 Google Advertise with Us - Jobs, Press, Cool Stuff...