Краткое описание: Thailand is often referred to as a golden land, not because there is precious metal buried underground but because the country gives off a certain lustre, be it the fertile rice fields of the central plains or the warm hospitality of its citizenry. People come here as miners: first perhaps for the uniquely Western concept of R&R. And while they toast themselves to a bronze hue on the sandy beaches, they find in the daily rhythm of Thailand a tranquillity that isn’t confined to vacation time. Welcome to a life-altering experience disguised as a holiday.

Краткое описание: Книга известного французского писателя и исследователя Жоржа Блона посвящена морским баталиям Второй мировой войны. Используя богатейший исторический материал, автор воссоздает широкую панораму войны в океанах, яростном противоборстве морских держав (Великобритании, США, Советского Союза, Германии, Японии) за господство на океанских просторах.

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As an old Scots saying has it, “guid gear comes in sma’ bouk” (good things come in small packages). And despite its small size, Scotland certainly has many treasures crammed into its compact territory. There’s something for all tastes, from sophisticated cities, fine food and malt whisky to wild mountain scenery and sparkling, island-studded seas. Wildlife watchers will find otters, eagles, whales and dolphins, while hill walkers have almost 300 Munros to bag. There’s turbulent history and fascinating genealogy, castles and country pubs, canoeing and caber-tossing, golfing and fishing and all-round good craic (lively conversation).

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Rugged and breathtakingly beautiful one minute, flat and featureless the next - there’s something undeniably cool about Scandinavia. There’s a purity to the air, blondness in the hair and a sense of space you won’t find anywhere else in Europe.

There’s so much natural beauty in Scandinavia it’s difficult to know where to start. Iceland is a volcanic hotspot of lava flows, waterfalls and glaciers. Norway has an overwhelming coastline of dramatic steep-sided fjords and mountains. Finland is a patchwork of lakes and pristine forests. Spy on puffins from clifftops, spot whales breaching at sea or pause as a herd of reindeer crosses your path in Lapland.

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Figuring out how much time to allow for a trip is the main issue confronting travellers to Samoa, American Samoa and/or Tonga. Think carefully about your priorities before settling on an itinerary. Are you happy to sit on a single beach for a few weeks? Do you have an irresistible urge to explore every hiking trail in one particular island group? Or are you interested in combining relaxed tours of the main islands with brief excursions to smaller, outlying places that take more time and flexibility to reach?

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No other city comes close. It may no longer be caput mundi (capital of the world), but Rome is an epic, bubbling-over metropolis harbouring lost empires. One visit and you’ll be hooked.

Rome has a glorious monumentality that it wears without reverence. Its architectural heirlooms are buzzed around by car and Vespa as if they were no more than traffic islands. The city bombards you with images: Valentino, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana: elderly ladies with dyed hair the colour of autumn leaves; priests with cigars; traffic jams beneath Roman aqueducts; plateloads of pasta in shining cafés; sinuous trees beside rust-golden buildings; barrages of pastel-coloured scooters revving up at traffic lights as if preparing for a race.

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The name ‘Romania’ didn’t refer to Wallachia or Moldavia until 1859, and Transylvania remained part of the Astro-Hungarian empire until 1918 - even Dracula was actually a Magyar - so what is Romania? It s a fair question, and one that frequently yields long, philosophical answers when travelling around the country - often without much of a clear answer at the end of it. Romania is a product of many incarnations - sometimes tied with Slavic neighbours, Greece, Turkey, Saxon Germany, the USSR or Hungary. But more often Romanians link their past with the Dacians or (more fashionably, at times) with the century the Romans hung out in the area.

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The Cook Islands can be visited as a destination on its own, as a stopover when crossing the Pacific, or as part of a Circle Pacific or round-the- world trip. The vast majority of people visit the Cook Islands as a short stopover on flights across the Pacific, usually staying only a few days on the main island of Rarotonga. But if you can, it’s worth allowing at least a couple of weeks to visit some of the outer islands of the Southern Group, where you’ll be able to get right off the tourist trail and experience a much more traditional side of the Cook Islands.

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Here is India at its high-definition, surround-sound best. Prowling tigers, swaying elephants, hot and spicy bazaars, fabulous festivals, stunning saris and twisted turbans; all a pageant of colour and curiosity set against a backdrop of desert sands, secluded jungles, marble palaces and impenetrable stone forts.

This book also celebrates the Golden Triangle - a traveller’s trigonometric survey of emblematic India. Starting at the daunting megametropolis of Delhi with its majestic Mughal heritage, it then angles towards Agra, where the world’s most famous tomb, the Taj Mahal, defines a city, before heading to Jaipur, the city painted pink with a palace of winds and bustling bazaars, and the gateway to Rajasthan.