3 Great Festivals

They always say that one small initiative can easily become a massive movement, that all it takes is the first step for leaps and bounds to turn an event that may have had no more than a smattering of people at its first show into one crowded with thousands of attendees. When they say it, it may not always seem true, but for South by Southwest it most definitely was.

South by Southwest began as a small music festival in Austin 22 years ago. Today it has grown to include three different festivals - music, film and interactive - with thousands of participants, days of fun and networking at each and more positive press than the organization knows what to do with.

Events begin in mid-March, with the last to start being the Music and Media Conference. At this festival, 80 stages in downtown Austin hold bands and musical acts from around the world, for nights filled with unbelievable music. And at the South by Southwest Trade Show in the Austin Convention Center, attendees gather valuable information, listen to interesting panel discussions and network with others in the music and media field.

Before the music festival even gets started, the Film Conference and Festival begins. This 9-day event examines the art and business sides of independent filmmaking. For five days, speakers and mentors discuss trends and new technology in the film world; and for the full 9 days, documentaries, dramas, comedies and all types of independent films are showcased at various theatres throughout Austin. Anywhere between 150 and 200 films are shown, for a week of great entertainment and definite education.

Finally, the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, which runs at the same time as the Film Conference, offers five days of panel discussions and five nights of parties. You will challenge your creativity as you learn through hands-on demonstrations that test your ability and force you to think out of the box. Topics include Web design, blogging, usability, new technology business models and wireless innovation. It is a week of true geekiness you can’t help but love.

If you want to attend any, or all, of the South by Southwest festivals, you should register . . . now, or as soon as you are able. There are several options for registration. You can get the Platinum badge, which will give you access to all three festivals, every day they are in session; the Gold badge, which gets you into the film and interactive conferences; or a badge for a specific festival (music, film or interactive). Whatever you decide, decide soon, for the closer it gets to start time, the more expensive the tickets become. And if you wait until the day of, you’ll be paying far more than if you had bought them in November or even September.

South by Southwest is undoubtedly a festival not to be mixed. It is the perfect combination of geeky innovation and arty thought. You can be a witness to great film in the making, great music at its start and great ideas from their birth. So don’t wait, visit Website SXSW for more information, today.

South Africa Travel

Welcome to South Africa, proud host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™!

We welcome you with open arms and hearts and the warmest, widest of smiles, excited to invite you to our shores, homes and braais.

Come and experience our hospitality wherever you go and get in touch with our wide variety of fascinating cultures and local traditions. Our people are ready to show you our country's natural wonders, draw you into the rhythm and soul of Africa, give you close encounters with our regal wildlife and take you on an unforgettable journey through our ancient and recent past.

Every country in the world displays some diversity, but South Africa, stretching from the hippos in the Limpopo River to the penguins waddling on the Cape, takes some beating. It befits its position at the southern end of the world’s most epic continent, with more types of terrain than photographers can shake their zoom lens at.

There’s the deserted Kalahari, Namakwa’s springtime symphony of wildflowers, iconic Table Mountain and Cape Point, Kruger National Park’s wildlife-stalked savannah (scene of the famous lion-buffalo-crocodile battle watched more than 40 million times on YouTube) and, running through the east of the country and into Lesotho, the Drakensberg. KwaZulu-Natal’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park alone has five distinct ecosystems, attracting both zebras and dolphins.

Great Outdoors

Austin is a beautiful city, alive with music, shops, people and entertainment. If you are looking for something fun and interesting to do with a decidedly city feel, there is no better place, no better metropolis. But if you are looking for something less urban and a little more . . . woodsy, is Austin still the location for you? It can be. You just have to know where to look.

The best place to start is the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a 7.9-mile hiking trail on 809 acres located within the city limits of Austin. Open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, the park offers visitors views of sheer cliff walls, lush vegetation and small water reservoirs (where many will happily swim). During the spring, when the creek is running, the sound of rushing water joins the view for a truly blissful experience.

For hikers, the most convenient access point is the Loop 360 access, which will take you right onto the trail in about the middle of the walk, so whichever way you turn you’ll have a decent hike ahead of you. However, there are other accesses: Zilker Access is at Town Lake, and just a few steps away from the Barton Creek swimming pool, a natural pool that is over 1,000 feet long; Twin Falls is on the other side of the Loop 360 Access, and as its name implies usually has a little more running water than Zilker or the Loop; Spy Glass Access and Gus Fruh Access are other convenient points and are situated between Zilker and the Loop.

Wherever you enter, you’re sure to have a great hike, but don’t think that’s all you can do. Bikes are allowed on the paths, too (although no motorized vehicles), and if you’re interested in climbing, there are more than enough walls throughout the park. In fact, it’s rare that day doesn’t seem various Austinites grabbing their gear and journeying to Barton Creek for an afternoon climb. Now, if you’re new to climbing, it’s important that you take all the correct gear and choose wisely the wall you mount. Maggy’s Wall is the easiest with routes from 5.7 to 5.11, while the New/Great Wall has routes from 5.9 to 5.13. Gus Fruh essentially matches the New/Great Wall with routes ranging from 5.8 to 5.12. You must use your own gear on all walls, but don’t feel you need to get carried away with what you purchase. A 40-meter rope should do the trick, but to be on the safe side, a 50 would be ideal.

If you’re looking to camp, look elsewhere. The park is not open to campers, nor does it allow dogs off-leash. This ensures that the park stays as garbage free as possible (thanks to no overnight visitors) and as peaceful as possible (thanks to no free-wheeling puppies). Other rules and regulations apply, but are the standard for all natural parks within the country - don’t litter, don’t destroy the wildlife and don’t take away from the experience for others. Barton Creek Greenbelt is a rarity in cities - it is a natural oasis amidst an urban setting.

Enjoying Sports in Chester

History is one of the toughest suits of England's tourism, but when it comes to telling the episode of its folk, no one does it better than the roadways, walls, and architecture of Chester. This idyllic municipal is a minute pocket of experiences that introduces England in a whole new way. You never will know what Roman England is about until you have walked the boulevards of Chester. From red sandstone walls that catalog Tudor and Victorian edifices, to the shopping avenues in the city centre, you will find composite of England's history in illustrious fashion.

Chester is very proud of its glorious days gone by, but it also celebrates the present. As a Roman outpost, Chester has the mysteries that you will not find in other English large towns. Take past tours as you travel to the rampart Deva, a patch of wall designed to drive out the Welsh. There are also remnants of Viking invasion in the shores of Chester. English fortifications and castles that act as the medieval period abound, starting with the stronghold of Hugh the Wolf. Even the shopping area is memorable with shops peddling their goods as early as the 13th century.

When you swing by the River Dee, you can explore the borough in its significant form with traditional boating trips along the river. The river passes through the heart of the place. Once you have explored the Dee on Chester, you can alight near the place wall and take walks around the medieval municipality. The center walls are the most intact wall structure in Britain. You can walk on the footpath atop these walls, and go around the metropolitan area to view its majesty. After touring the center walls, head to the best shopping outlets in Chester's metropolitan area centre.

Mouth watering - a word that characterises the menu of Chester's finest restaurants. Chester believes in the quality of their local produce. Here, you can pick fresh fruits and vegetables ready to serve in your plate. If that is not enough, you can wait out until the Chester Food and Drink festival, which is a party of 80 restaurant exhibitors bringing together the best of what Chester has to offer. Notable restaurants in Chester include the Blackhouse Grill, the Dene Hotel, and Katie's Tea Rooms. The Watergate Street is the place to chill out and meet the friendly locals.

Chester has a spectacle of sports events and art exhibits that will fill up your day holiday in the center. For local football, you can watch the FC Chester in action. The football club plays in the Coca-Cola 2 league, a 4th-tier league in the English football scene. You can also watch the Chester Roman if you want a taste of American football. Chester also has a strong tradition of rugby, winning the Cheshire Cup a lot of times. Local pubs and bars have their TV sets pointed to the Chester Racecourse where you can bet on horse and dog races.

Chester has a little bit of everything, but it certainly has a lot of history and it shows. Wherever you go, the air in this metropolitan area is refreshing and alluring. From the dated walls to the newly manufactured edifices, Chester is a site for a perfect family holiday.

Swansea

There are plenty of different kinds of Swansea attractions that one can enjoy during a visit to this city in Wales. As well as some medieval castles, you will find that there are plenty of parks and gardens that one can enjoy as well.

One such castle and which sits in the very heart of this city is Swansea Castle. Although it is now surrounded by more modern architecture it may be a little difficult to imagine what the area of would have looked like back then. Although the castle you see now was built in the 13th Century another was previously built in its place back in 1106.

But although the castle is now a ruin it is a wonderful place where you can while away a few hours on a pleasant sunny day. To further enhancement, your enjoyment on a visit to the castle why not take a picnic with you as well.

However, if you would like to do something that is a little more interesting during your time in Swansea make time to visit the Egypt Centre. This centre is to be found in Swansea University and houses a great collection of Egyptian archaeological pieces relating to this ancient civilization. The centre has been devised to try and help bring to the life what ancient Egypt and the people who lived there were like.

But if you would prefer to be doing something a little more exciting then take a trip out to Horton Beach. This is a very clean and sandy beach, which is favoured by water sports enthusiasts, especially surfers and windsurfers. But along with these water sports, one can enjoy snorkelling, wakeboarding and kayaking, plus you may even want to give kite boarding a go whilst you are there.

However, it is important to remember that there is only a lifeguard facility on the beach during the summer months. Plus you will also find that there are shops, cafes and toilets close by. But again, if you are visiting during the off-season not all of these may be open.

Another place that one should visit during your time in Swansea is the Market, which is one of the largest indoor ones to be found in Wales. Here you will find more than 100 stalls selling a variety of different of different Welsh foods. From local cheeses and breads, you will find that there is meat and fish that has only been caught early that morning. But along with the food, stalls there are stalls selling local crafts, which would make superb presents for friends and family back home.

As you can see from above there are plenty of Swansea attractions to keep you amused during your stay in the city. So you may find that a couple of days there is not enough time to see everything that you want.

There are many different places to stay when you visit Swansea. These range from small bed and breakfasts right the way up to large hotels. You'll find Swansea accommodation is available to suit all budgets.

Swansea

There are plenty of different kinds of Swansea attractions that one can enjoy during a visit to this city in Wales. As well as some medieval castles, you will find that there are plenty of parks and gardens that one can enjoy as well.

One such castle and which sits in the very heart of this city is Swansea Castle. Although it is now surrounded by more modern architecture it may be a little difficult to imagine what the area of would have looked like back then. Although the castle you see now was built in the 13th Century another was previously built in its place back in 1106.

But although the castle is now a ruin it is a wonderful place where you can while away a few hours on a pleasant sunny day. To further enhancement, your enjoyment on a visit to the castle why not take a picnic with you as well.

However, if you would like to do something that is a little more interesting during your time in Swansea make time to visit the Egypt Centre. This centre is to be found in Swansea University and houses a great collection of Egyptian archaeological pieces relating to this ancient civilization. The centre has been devised to try and help bring to the life what ancient Egypt and the people who lived there were like.

But if you would prefer to be doing something a little more exciting then take a trip out to Horton Beach. This is a very clean and sandy beach, which is favoured by water sports enthusiasts, especially surfers and windsurfers. But along with these water sports, one can enjoy snorkelling, wakeboarding and kayaking, plus you may even want to give kite boarding a go whilst you are there.

However, it is important to remember that there is only a lifeguard facility on the beach during the summer months. Plus you will also find that there are shops, cafes and toilets close by. But again, if you are visiting during the off-season not all of these may be open.

Another place that one should visit during your time in Swansea is the Market, which is one of the largest indoor ones to be found in Wales. Here you will find more than 100 stalls selling a variety of different of different Welsh foods. From local cheeses and breads, you will find that there is meat and fish that has only been caught early that morning. But along with the food, stalls there are stalls selling local crafts, which would make superb presents for friends and family back home.

As you can see from above there are plenty of Swansea attractions to keep you amused during your stay in the city. So you may find that a couple of days there is not enough time to see everything that you want.

There are many different places to stay when you visit Swansea. These range from small bed and breakfasts right the way up to large hotels. You'll find Swansea accommodation is available to suit all budgets.