Island-Sity

To celebrate the addition of this very exclusive resort to the iHaveNotBeenThere portfolio, the boutique travel agency offers a special luxury travel experience for the fall and holiday season.

Discover Dubai & the Maldives - ultimate extravagance and paradise on earth…

First fly to Dubai and discover the modern city which has sprung from the desert into a modern oasis. Dubai has become, in a short time, one of the world most sought after destinations due to its luxury hotels, unique hospitality, exceptional service and super bdining. The spectacular beaches, traditional Arab souks, excellent shopping, vibrant nightlife and captivating desert resorts can all be enjoyed in one of the world’s most secure environments.

Once you’ve had a chance to take in this pulsating hub of excitement, fly to the Maldives and experience the peaceful serenity of one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Maldivesattracts visitors from all over the world. The myriad of tiny coral islands and a tolls looklike they have come from a postcard. The white sandy beaches and crystal clear ocean will beckon you.

Dubai is a hub of interests and activities which will marvel your senses, while the Maldives is a place of amazing beauty perfect to relax in and re-connect with yourself. Start the dream and call 1 877 611 0222.

iHaveNotBeenThere.com is an independent Canadian Boutique Travel Agency offering
travelers luxury vacations in specially selected destinations, all at the best possible value for money.

The unique landscape of the Cyclades islands makes the most beautiful contradiction. The rocks that mirrors on the blue crystal waters, the small white houses scattered all around, the sandy beaches, the bright blue sky above: It's a warm and hospitable place.

HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS

The complex of the Cyclades islands has a history of thousands of years.
Due to their position into the center of the known world of the prehistoric and ancient years, the Cyclades islands where a station for merchandisers and sailors. This gave a boost to the economic and cultural life of the islands.

According to the myth, Cyclades where named after the nymphs Cyclades who Poseidon, the god of the sea transformed into rocks because they caused his anger. A different version is that they where named like this because they form a natural circle around the island of Delos the sacred island of Apollo. (From the greek word "cyclos", which means "cycle").

The Cycladic civilization is parted in three periods during prehistoric period, the first Cycladic period (3200-2000B.C.), the middle Cycladic period (2000-1550B.C.) and the late Cycladic period (1550-1100B.C.).

During the historic times (1100B.C. - 500B.C.) there was a great flourish in economy and culture with Delos playing the most important role.

During the times of Macedonian and Roman domination (500B.C. - 300B.C.) the islands passed to the domination of Fillip the 2nd, king of Macedonia and then to his son Alexander the great. After the fall of Macedonia the Romans dominated, bringing the decay to all of the islands with only exception Delos which kept flourishing.
During the Byzantine period and the middle ages (300B.C.-1537B.C.) the islands belonged to the Byzantine Empire until 1204 when Konstantinoupolis the capital of Byzantium fell to the Franks. After that and until 1537 the islands where ruled by the Franks. On 1538 the great Pirate Barbarosa, looted the islands and this caused the desolation of some of the islands.

Until 1617 Cyclades decayed and gradually fell under the domination of the Turks. On 1821 they participated on the rebellion of the Greeks against the Turks and contributed to the liberation of Greece.

The complex is consisted of 34 islands from which 23 are being habited.
Each island has a history of his own and apart from the common characteristics, differ in style and aura making each and every one of the islands worth visiting and finding out the unique characteristics and special feeling they have.

The islands have differences in the way they have evolved. The bigger islands, by being centers of commerce, navigation and more recently tourism centers, are cosmopolitan and crowded, especially during summer period.

Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Santorini can host even the most demanding and cosmopolitan visitors, having followed the needs of modern times in facilities and entertainment, keeping at the same time the unique features of the complex.
Islands like Amorgos, Sifnos, Andros and Milos are following the steps of evolution, having made great steps in tourist facilities the past years, being like this great tourist destinations as well.

For the ones that whish for something original and outstanding, islands like Anafi, Sikinos, Folegandros and the small Cyclades will fill with magic and reveal the authentic aura of the Cyclades, away from the modern civilization, beyond time.

The best way to enjoy the complex is a small tour to some of the islands according to the needs that everyone wants to fulfill. There is a fully organized navigation network with modern ships with hourly schedules from the ports of Athens to the islands and connecting the islands. Visitors just have to choose which destinations they want to visit. Start with a visit to the capital, Syros and a walk at Ermoupolis with the picturesque alleys, a village with a unique mix in Catholic and Orthodox culture spreading onto two hills. After that, a night at Mykonos letting the senses rule until the morning light. Continue on a cosmopolitan beach of Paros or Naxos. Start a quest on the Paths of Amorgos ending at the monastery of Santa Anna with the grand blue just under the cliff, enjoy the sun at the isolated beach of Roukounas at Anafi and finally take a walk at the castle of Sifnos during sunset where you can literally listen to the Aegean sea breathing!

Some things cannot be measured, cannot be described. If you want to understand the aura of the Cyclades complex, come and see for yourself, magic will overcome you once you enter the complex and from then on the Cyclades islands will be a synonym of joy of life, just let Poseidon, Apollo and Aphrodite take you into their arms.

Will claims checks ever come?

A July story by Bloomberg, however, notes that it's not clear that hotels and other businesses hurt by the decline in tourism will be eligible for claims.

"Feinberg, whom President Obama appointed to handle claims, told the House Small Business Committee in Washington that determining whether to pay businesses and individuals that didn't suffer direct damage is among the most difficult issues he faces," Bloomberg reported on July 1.

Tourism officials and those who make their living from tourism have said that the spill has reduced tourism and cost businesses billions of dollars, the Bloomberg story says.

Anxiety grows for hoteliers

Meanwhile, hoteliers are getting more and more nervous as fall approaches. "September and October are your slow season, but we're at a breaking point," said Desiree' Buhelos, owner of the Boathouse Motel, tells WINK News. "Our electric is a little bit past due, our water is due, our payroll is in a week and a half," Marcia Mandel, general manager of Lakeside Inn, tells the TV station.

A recent poll by Orlando-based travel marketing firm Ypartnership says that about 22% of tourists were less likely to visit southwest Florida beaches for fear of oil-riddled beaches, the WINK News story says.

The drive to our resort included a visit to what we thought the driver said was Kentucky Fried Chicken but was clearly not, a screeching stop for a large pig standing on the road, and a call to the driver's house to drop off food to his wife.

I experienced ''island time'' first-hand the following day when I asked to be taken into Nuku'alofa by 9am and we began the half-hour trip at 8.55am. Minutes into the journey, the taxi (a beat-up station wagon which had never had the words ''warrant of fitness'' uttered anywhere near it) stopped and the driver, who spoke very little English, indicated for me to wait in the car.

He wandered off and 15 minutes later returned with a coke bottle full of petrol to refill the empty tank. When I related this story to the owners of the resort, they laughed and said, ''That's Tonga''.

After a few more days in Tongatapu - including an island tour, exploring the markets, and sampling the food - we headed for Vava'u, an island about 240km north.

Despite the many warnings about aeroplanes being held together by rubber bands, our flight there did not seem especially death-defying, and we set down safely in an altogether different type of island.

While Nuku'alofa offered a new cultural experience, illustrating the country's hardships with run-down houses acting as headquarters for major government departments, Vava'u was geared more towards tourism.

The shopping area was smaller than in the capital, but had a cleaner look and boasted several waterfront restaurants and tourist shops.

Yachts filled the harbour and there were operations for fishing, diving, snorkelling, whale-watching and kayaking.

A Kart Safari - off-road carts for hire - gave visitors the chance for a guided ride through farmland to Vava'u's coast. Although this was fairly pricey (about 150 pa'angas, or $NZ110, per person), it was a chance to see parts of the island that were otherwise inaccessible, including amazing ocean views and Tongan farming villages.

Whales are Tonga's tourism drawcard, and several companies offered ''swim with the whales'' opportunities. Although none of my group jumped in with the humpbacks, we got close to them while sailing around Vava'u's islands on a catamaran for a week. Many whales breached the surface within metres of our boat.

On dry land not all was so idylic, with the risk that your worldly goods could be harpooned by thieves. Petty theft appeared to be one of Tonga's biggest problems.

Roadside shops supplying the bare essentials were set up as stalls with bars across the front, and backpacker and resort owners warned against leaving accommodation doors unlocked because tourists were often targeted.

However, one taxi driver said bigger crimes, such as car theft, were much less common.

''Everyone knows each other, so someone would know who did it,'' she told me.

Although theft was reportedly an issue, no one in my group had anything taken and we actually had one driver go out of his way to return a video game left in his car.

In contrast, after being back in New Zealand for less than a week, my car window was smashed and opportunist thieves helped themselves to a bag and two CD wallets - so I'm not feeling especially confident about petty crime here now either.

While the ''that's Tonga'' attitude arose several more times during the trip, it would be unfair to say this related solely to mishaps like broken-down cars and missed deadlines.

The generous attitudes of the Tongan people stood out, with locals invariably willing to go out of their way to help. In several cases they gave me rides and didn't ask for anything in return.

This was best seen on the final night of our trip, when we were facing a nine-hour wait outside the closed international airport.

The taxi driver, Ema, having driven us to the airport, turned around when we saw it was closed and took us to a buffet dinner and floor show being hosted by the Oholei beach resort.

Because it was the last day of the trip, none of us had any cash for the dinner, and Ema ended up paying for all seven of us, then joined us. So ''that's Tonga'' too - endless generosity and friendship.

The buffet included three spit-roasted pigs, seafood, vegetables and green salads, as well as traditional Tongan foods such as lu kapapulu (corned beef, onions and coconut cream wrapped in greens and steamed), which, for one daring enough to try, were an interesting new taste-bud experience.

During the floor show, a spectacle inside a cave featuring Tongan floor and fire dances, the resort's owner, Simana Kami, spoke about Tonga's future.

''We suffered with the cyclone this year and lost so much. It destroyed the resort, but we built it up again, and now we welcome people back,'' he said.

The Lakshadweepa is located 200 to 300 km off of the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea. Eleven of the islands are inhabited. Lashadweep officially consists of 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks, with a total of about 36 islands and islets. The name of the archipelago literally translates as hundred thousand island i.e., laksha one hundred thousand, and dweep means island.

Apart from this, islands of India contain islands of the Cauvery River that encompasses islands of Srigangapatna and Shivanasamudram. Also, you can visit islands of Mumbai harbour. The range of islands includes Butcher Island, Cross Island, Elephanta Island, Middle Ground, Oyster Rock, Salsette Island, etc.

The Islands of India are famous for tourist spots. They are perfect holiday destination for nature-lovers. Every piece of island has its own richness in a bevy of beauties.