Vacation Rental

New Zealand Travel, Accommodation, Tours, Vacation, Rental Car - Experience New Zealand Travel Agent NZ Time: Thu 29 Dec 2005, 11:50AM » EXPERIENCE NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL LTD since 1999 NEW ZEALAND ACCOMMODATION New Zealand Vacation Services Need help to plan or book your: New Zealand Vacation New Zealand Tour New Zealand Accommodation New Zealand Motorhome Or prefer to arrange your own: New Zealand Rental Car New Zealand Ferry Bookings New Zealand Flights New Zealand Travel Insurance New Zealand Information New Zealand Activities New Zealand Restaurants New Zealand Books New Zealand Photo Gallery New Zealand Maps More Information: New Zealand Statistics New Zealand Climate Guide New Zealand Driving Guide Currency and Shopping Telephones and Language Important Dates Company Information About Experience New Zealand Meet the ENZ Team Feedback Forms Customer Comments More Information: FAQs ENZTL Internships Travel Links Experience NZ Travel Ltd travel@experiencenz.com Level 8, AMP Chambers 187 Featherston St Wellington 6001 New Zealand PO Box 23049 Cable Car Lane Wellington Tel. +64 (4) 473 4470* Fax. +64 (4) 473 4471 *Office hours are 9:00a.m. to 5:30p.m. NZ time is currently: 11:50AM (Thursday) Site Search experiencenz.com www How better to plan your New Zealand vacation than with a New Zealand travel agent who can create a personalised itinerary tailored to your needs? Whether it be a Luxury New Zealand vacation or an all out New Zealand adventure, we can create the perfect holiday for you. Alternatively, you may like to travel as part of a guided New Zealand tour , or if you are seeking the independence that a New Zealand motorhome or New Zealand rental car provides, we can find the best match for you. Three GREAT ways to experience one GREAT country. Which travel style suits you best? 1. A Personalised New Zealand Itinerary We're matchmakers. We will work with you to put together a personalised itinerary that meets your individual travel needs. From luxurious seclusion to all out adventure, we have the first-hand knowledge to recommend the best of what New Zealand has to offer. » Contact Us -- 2. A Guided New Zealand Tour We recognise that some people prefer to travel in a group, or to be personally guided. The New Zealand tours and personal guides we recommend each strive to offer exciting and unique experiences not always available to the casual visitor. We also organise personalised group tours and special interest tours for groups of ten or more. Important Note: December Specials — discounts available now 3. A New Zealand Motorhome or Campervan A motorhome or campervan holiday provides you with the opportunity to freely explore the wonders of New Zealand with your transport and accomodation all-in-one. We recommend three quality New Zealand Campervan companies : Britz , Pacific Horizon , Maui and Kea . WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT THEIR NEW ZEALAND VACATION Helen,You are absolutely marvelous, and I will send all our friends to you in the future. I can't thank you enough for all the work you have done for us. You are obviously swamped, ... more Liz Schilling, USA, December 2004 Denise, Well, we have finally settled back here in the UK. Its time to put pen to paper and try to sum up our experience. We are absolutely sure that had we tried to organise a ... more Jon and Yvonne Ham, UK, September 2005 Denise was exceptional in the planning and execution of our trip to the South Island of New Zealand. Her recommendations were intelligent and well thought out to reflect our objectives ... more Ron and Susan, USA, November 2005 » Customer comments WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS COME TO NEW ZEALAND TO SEE » New Zealand photo gallery Planning to travel to New Zealand? Please make use of our unique New Zealand Accommodation Guide . This is not an advertising directory but is instead a current list of the properties that consistently exceed the expectations of our clients . Feature property Name: Okareka Lake House Region: Rotorua Tariff: NZ$2,227.00 per night Search by region for recommended accommodation Northland — Bay of Islands Auckland — Waiheke Island Coromandel Rotorua Waikato — Waitomo Caves Taupo Gisborne Hawkes Bay — Napier Wairarapa — Martinborough — Greytown Wellington Nelson — Abel Tasman — Golden Bay Marlborough — Picton — Blenheim — Kaikoura West Coast — Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers — Hokitika Canterbury — Akaroa — Hanmer Springs Christchurch Mt Cook — Lake Tekapo Queenstown Wanaka Fiordland — Milford Sounds — Te Anau Dunedin Southland — Invercargill Travel Affiliations Great journeys are created from great experiences - our mission is to provide you with a complete itinerary of wonderful experiences within our beautiful country - Aotearoa New Zealand TourWriter | New Zealand Luxury Accommodation | New Zealand Accommodation | New Zealand Travel Insurance North Island | Auckland Accommodation | Coromandel Accommodation | Rotorua Accommodation | Wellington Accommodation | Northland Accommodation | Bay of Plenty Accommodation | Waikato Accommodation | Gisborne Accommodation | Ruapehu Accommodation | Taupo Accommodation | Hawkes Bay Accommodation | Horowhenua Accommodation | Wairarapa Accommodation South Island | Fiordland Accommodation | West Coast Accommodation | Canterbury Accommodation | Christchurch Accommodation | Nelson Accommodation | Marlborough Accommodation | Wanaka Accommodation | Mt Cook Accommodation | Queenstown Accommodation | Central Otago Accommodation | Southland Accommodation | Dunedin Accommodation ©1999-2005 Experience New Zealand Travel Ltd Scenic photographs © Focus New Zealand Photo Library Designed by Kudos web design There is a Javascript error. » More information

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Europe Travel

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Germany travel guide Click

Germany (attitude Travel) Advice, Photos and Resources for Independent Travel Home > Germany attitude Travel Questions on Highlights of Travel Advice Background on Getting to Getting around Where to stay in Where to go in Culture Shock! Journals from Photos of Books about Resources for Maps of Language of Websites about Austria Belgium Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Malaysia Montenegro Morocco Netherlands Norway Poland Russia Serbia Singapore Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey Uzbekistan Germany Home Considering Germany German Travel Photos Germany Bookshop Getting to Germany Consular Travel Advice UK US AUS CAN Travelling in Germany Northern Europe attitude Travel Germany is a resource for independent travellers in Germany and a space for travellers to share original writing & photos Article Index Your questions! Travel Centre Bookshop Berchtesgaden (more travel photos...) Berchtesgaden (more travel photos...) attitudetravel.com SiteSearch Germany Profile Country Profile UK Foreign Office Germany Briefing The Economist Germany Profile BBC News Study of Germany US Library of Congress Background Notes US State Dept Cheap Hotel Rooms in Berlin Germany has convincingly established itself as the social, economic and industrial powerhouse of the European continent - perhaps to the chagrin of its nearest rivals. More maps... Travelling across the German countryside on pristine, high speed intercity trains and around German cities on efficient urban S-Bahn and U-Bahn networks, it's easy to feel the spirit of efficiency which drives the country forward. Germany's commitment to the principle of progress has a bit of a track record. For five hundred years the German lands have been a crucible of technological innovation, theological revolution, modern philosophy and radical political movements. The modern German state, inaugurated in October 1990, is a social and economic bridge between the former Eastern bloc and the European Union, and has firmly set its sights on building for the future. Berlin, a remodelled capital city with an openly gay mayor, a reconstructed Reichstag , a new city centre at the Potsdamer Platz and a brand new international airport is described today - almost to the point of tedium - as being the biggest building site in Europe, if not the world. Germany's time is coming. Independent Guides Click this icon to read a review of the website Panorama Cities Panoramic Photos Link to us on your site: Open source Germany travel guide Click above for details Travel Insurance from InsureandGo Car Hire Germany from carhire.co.uk Find cheap plane tickets on Yahoo! Travel Free Ranking and URL submission at siteranking.com Dresden and Eastern Germany © Ben Koschalka, Nordhausen, March 2003 Listen to the backpacker at Berlin Zoo station or believe many a guide book and you'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing else worth seeing in eastern Germany. Cross the wasteland of twenty percent unemployment, drug-cheat athletes and mass neo-Nazism, next stop funky sexy Prague . More books... Or: you could at least get off that Prague train a couple of hours earlier and give Dresden a try. If you're not at least pleasantly surprised, or more likely staggered by the returning beauty of the city that used to be known as the Florence of the Elbe , you'll be in the minority. Dresden's cultural treasures were famously and tragically all but destroyed by the February 1945 firebombing and again endangered just last summer by the flood of the century, but every time I go there it seems that there are more jewels to admire. The view of the restored Semper Opera House , palatial museum and gallery complex named the Zwinger , and the Brhl Terrace along the bank of the Elbe is stunning, especially illuminated in the evening. [ article continues... ] Ben Koschalka, lectures in English at the Fachhochshule Nordhausen in Thringen. Travel Articles on Germany Dresden and Eastern Germany Article by Ben Koschalka © 1997-2003 attitude Travel A r o u n i n m e d i a publication Professional Sites Click this icon to read a review of the website Austria | Belgium | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Croatia | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France Georgia | Germany | Greece | Hungary | Italy | Japan | Latvia | Lithuania | Malaysia | Morocco | Netherlands | Norway | Poland Russia | Serbia & Montenegro | Singapore | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Thailand | Turkey | Uzbekistan home | free backgrounds | bookshop | travel centre | features | travellers' cafe

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

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