Jetsettersblog

North Africa’s smallest nation, Tunisia, may be mightily overshadowed by near neighbours Morocco and Egypt in the current property press; however the country is set to make a big impact.

North Africa’s smallest nation, Tunisia, may be mightily overshadowed by near neighbours Morocco and Egypt in the current property press; however the country is set to make a big impact. Property prices are low, even as low as Morocco was five years ago, and the bonus is that unlike some far-flung destinations a property in Tunisia is both a good investment as well as being close enough, just three hours direct from London, to actually hop on a plane and enjoy.

Tunisia lies directly south of Italy’s Sardinia and, thanks to a sharp right-angle turn on its Mediterranean-facing shoreline, has 1,400km of coastline to enjoy. The sandy beaches front an impressive infrastructure of luxurious hotels, modern international airports, chic boutiques and jet-set marinas whilst the barren south has long-been the chosen setting for blockbusting films including Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Minghella’s The English Patient. These assets, together with its strategic location, have propelled the nation on to the global stage and attracted considerable foreign investment, particularly from the Middle East.

As tourism becomes more important, leisure facilities are springing up at a significant rate, particularly around the honeypot resorts of Hammamet and Monastir, and Tunisia now boasts six golf courses, two of which have 27-holes, international diving centres and plenty of yachting clubs. Two significant projects currently underway, Mediterranean Gate ‘Century’ City and Tunis Sports City, both funded by Dubai investment at 25 billion USD and 5 billion USD respectively, will bring further golf courses and marinas, world-class sporting academies, Olympic grade facilities, business and leisure hubs as well as thousands of residential units and hotel beds.

With so much to offer and a decades-old tourism industry, why isn’t Tunisia a regular on the international property market? Samuel Mond, GEM Estate’s Tunisia Expert explains, “The Government prevented foreigners from participating in Tunisian property until national home ownership was as high as 80%, that’s higher than even the UK. The rationale was to stop foreigners pricing the locals out of their own market. Now this has been achieved some, although not all, nationalities are welcome to purchase and the bonus is that the affluent home-owning Tunisians can now form part of an exit strategy. Similarly, with the purchasing power to take regular holidays within their own country, Tunisians, plus neighbouring Algerians, will also boost rental occupancy.”

For The Dunes Golf & Spa Resort, gross rental yields have been forecasted as high as 14% per annum, and a combination of factors from location to facilities make this possible. Set midway between two of Tunisia’s busiest airports, Hammamet and Monastir, this beachside development is also on the doorstep of Tunisia’s most exclusive purpose-built marina resort, Port El Kantaoui, complete with two 18-hole golf courses. This sets the tone for what’s in store at The Dunes Golf & Spa Resort.

Comprising studios, one two and three bedroom apartments, The Dunes Golf & Spa Resort fronts wedding-white sandy beaches and has five star on-site facilities to include a Thalasso Spa centre with indoor swimming pool, sauna, gymnasium, Turkish baths and massage and treatment rooms. Or perhaps you’d prefer your massage al-fresco on the private beach exclusively for residents. Fully gated, The Dunes Golf & Spa Resort offers 24-hour security plus concierge, restaurant, snack bar, convenience store, bank and bakery. The on-site rental management company will help to maximize those rental yields charging a nominal 10% fee.

The freehold properties themselves are finished to top European standards with Italian-style kitchen with appliances, pre-installation for air-conditioning, fine Tunisian marble flooring and satellite television with over 5,000 channels. Two outdoor pools, one suitable for children, a poolside cabana bar, whirlpool Jacuzzi and underground parking complete the offer. Laundry and cleaning services are available for as little as one euro per hour whilst a showflat is in place ready for viewing.

Off-site owners at The Dunes Golf & Spa Resort can avail themselves of a 20% discount at Port El Kantaoui’s golf courses whilst watersports from diving to fishing and boat excursions are available in the year-round sunshine. Many restaurants offering local and international cuisine, traditional and Medina shopping plus water and theme parks as well as camel and horse riding are all very accessible.

Prices at The Dunes Golf & Spa Resort start from 25,990 euros for a studio apartment and payment terms are 3,000 reservation, 50% on contract and 50% on completion scheduled for January 2011.

While buying a property in Tunisia may not be the obvious choice, expect nothing short of positive global headlines and economic fortune from Tunisia over the coming years, and your investment will be rewarded in spades.

Contact GEM Estates on info@gem-estates.com  visit http://www.gem-estates.com  or call UK Freephone 0800 036 0068, Irish Freephone 1800 211 462 or call the Spanish office on 00 34 952 799 286.

Paris just may be the sexiest place in the world. But for most visitors to the city, the source of its renowned naughtiness remains hidden behind closed doors – until now.

In NAUGHTY PARIS (Fleur de Lire Press; Paperback/$39, September 2008) author Heather Stimmler-Hall sheds light upon the City of Light’s erotic underside. As useable as it is fun, the book is a woman’s travel guide for planning a sexy getaway in Paris. Whether it’s with her man, with the gals, or simply on her own, the reader will find everything she needs between the covers of this handy guide.

Inside readers will discover:

• Intimate hotels, low-lit restaurants, and couples-only nightclubs
• Sizzling dance clubs and stylish cocktail bars for mingling with the locals
• Erotic museums, art galleries, and book shops
• Kinky cabarets, striptease shows, and insider tips on swingers’ clubs and fetish parties
• Female-owned boutiques specializing in naughty toys, lingerie and fetishwear
• Lessons in how to pole dance, perform a striptease, or give a sensual massage
• How to flirt like a Parisian and decode French pick-up lines
• The secret to capturing that elusive Parisian allure no matter where you live

Plenty of Paris guides are written with romantics in mind, but only NAUGHTY PARIS fills in the sexy blanks. Beautifully illustrated with 216 full-color photographs, NAUGHTY PARIS is a purse-sized coffee table book the reader will want to keep as a souvenir long after her Parisian adventures have ended.

Books will hit bookstore shelves in September; however, readers can pre-order signed copies of the book online at

http://www.naughtyparisguide.com

 Pre-orders will receive a 20% discount and will be sent in August.

About the Author

Heather Stimmler-Hall is a Paris-based journalist and tour guide who has written for Fodor’s, Michelin, Avalon, Time Out, ELLE, the Robb Report, easyJet inflight magazine, and her own Secrets of Paris newsletter (www.secretsofparis.com) since 1999.

About the Photographer

Kirsten Loop is a Canadian based photographer who lives outside of Toronto.

Naughty Paris
by Heather Stimmler-Hall
photography by Kirsten Loop
Fleur de Lire Press
Paperback/$39

ISBN: 978-2-9531870-0-7

Hostelworld.com Travel Editor, Colm Hanratty gives viewers an insider’s look at Dublin, Ireland in a new video titled “10 Things You Need to Know About Dublin.”

This glimpse inside the Irish capital is packed with information on what not to miss, the best deals when eating out and more. To find out which attractions are worth the trip, where to get the best meal for your Euro and how to find the most authentic Irish bars sans tourists, check out Colm’s video postcard here: at this link.

The release is the first in a series of “10 Things you Need To Know About…” videos produced by Hostelworld.com, a leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market.

It offers confirmed online reservations for over 18,000 hostels and budget hotels in 168 countries worldwide.

The site also offers budget travelers free podcasts, customized city guides, a travel social network and more. Hostelworld.com is headquartered in Dublin and is fully owned and operated by Web Reservations International Ltd (WRI).

If you’d like the file for the video please contact Stacy Nartker

at 617-337-9530 or

 snartker@thecastlegrp.com

The Dublin PassThe Dublin Pass gives you free entry to over 30 attractions in Dublin. Not only does the pass offer great value and convenience, it also allows you to be a VIP and skip the line at major attractions. From the minute you arrive at Dublin Airport, you can collect the pass and travel FREE to the city center. From there, experience the delights Dublin has to offer for a fraction of the cost.

French Entree was launched in order to remove the confusion and hassles of buying property in France and also reduces the misuse of time and the financial risks of the buyer.

FrenchEntree was launched in 2003 in order to provide a reliable and independent source of information about France and French property. At FrenchEntree we realise that buying a French property can be a daunting and confusing experience for people who have never done so before, and our aim is to make the process as simple and risk-free as possible.

That is why we have created the FrenchEntree Property Buyers Club – to provide prospective buyers with information and advice to help you make an informed purchasing decision, saving time and reducing your financial risk. This is a completely FREE service which includes telephone help and a comprehensive information pack.

In order to guide you through the different steps of buying a property in France, we have put together a pack which contains some key information designed to help you at important stages of your French property purchase.

Our service also includes telephone help from our property consultants, an introduction to our FrenchEntree Premier Partners (approved and fully registered estate agents), applications and inquiry forms to contact selected specialists (legal advice, mortgage, removal, currency exchange, insuranceâ ¦), and savings on property purchase related services such as travel.

If you wish to join the FrenchEntree Property Buyers Club, you can contact us 24/7 on 0800 7836136 (or for non-UK +44 1225 463752) or email us your details and your request to become a Club member at propertysales@frenchentree.com

About French Entree :

FrenchEntree is a Bath-based leading website for people moving to France and living in France. With over 7,000 properties featured on the website and more than 50,000 pages of supporting information about living, holidaying and buying property in France, it is an authority site in the French property industry.

Five Years in a Row

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Park enthusiasts from around the world have voted LEGOLAND® California as the Best Children’s Park for the fifth year in a row. Amusement Today, a monthly trade newspaper, awarded the 128-acre family theme park in Carlsbad the esteemed Golden Ticket Award on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 during a ceremony at Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida.

Introduced in 1998, the Golden Ticket Awards have steadily increased in popularity to become the most sought after award by amusement industry players. The recipients of these awards are chosen from an international poll conducted by industry experts at Amusement Today. Surveys were sent to a cross-section of educated and well-traveled amusement park aficionados.

“It’s a great honor to be distinguished as the Best Children’s Park five years in a row,” said John Jakobsen, Managing Director LEGOLAND Parks and General Manager of LEGOLAND California Resort . “We are constantly striving to make LEGOLAND California an incredible adventure for families with children 2 to 12 years old. This year we created a completely new interactive musical show and introduced three rides in the new Land of Adventure in March, which means we have more than doubled the amount of rides since we opened in 1999. Next year is our ten-year anniversary and we’re excited to host the 2009 Golden Ticket Awards here at LEGOLAND California Resort. “

Land of Adventure features four new attractions, more than 75 new LEGO models created out of nearly half a million LEGO® bricks and the Park’s first-ever dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure. Symbolizing the essence of LEGOLAND, the popular new area has something for every member of the family and is extremely interactive.

Land of Adventure is just one part of a $20 million dollar investment by Merlin Entertainments into LEGOLAND California Resort this year. North America’s first SEA LIFE™ Aquarium, geared specifically to educate children on creatures under the sea, opened in August as a separate admission adjacent to LEGOLAND California. The two-story 36,000 square foot aquarium features 36 displays holding more than 250,000 gallons of water.

Merlin Entertainments is the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator with 58 attractions in 12 countries across three continents. Since Merlin acquired the four LEGOLAND Parks in 2005 the company has invested heavily in LEGOLAND California making it an even greater destination for family fun.

“Merlin Entertainments Group is delighted at just how well the new developments at LEGOLAND California have been received, at the team’s commitment to customer service and to ensuring every visitor has an exciting and memorable experience.

Last year I challenged them to win this prestigious title for a fifth year in a row and I’m proud to say it’s ‘mission accomplished!’” says Nick Varney, Chief Executive Merlin Entertainments Group. “The California team has done an excellent job and gone above and beyond my expectations for them. I have no doubt the Resort will continue to go from strength to strength and the team already has their eye on year six! Success here is particularly important as North America is a vital growth market for Merlin. As well as the expansion here in California, two other new Merlin attractions opened in the U.S. this year – Madame Tussauds in Washington D.C. and a LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Chicago with several others already in development.”

LEGOLAND is geared towards families with children ages 2 through 12 with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. For the most current information, log on to www.LEGOLAND.com  or call 760-918-LEGO.

For a complete look at the Golden Ticket Award winners for 2008, challengers and complete survey results, visit www.amusementtoday.com

Tradewinds Club launches with an introductory offer of $1000+ in savings

Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has announced a Grand Opening Package to celebrate the debut of the Tradewinds Club, the resort’s new ‘hotel-within-a-hotel’ creating an exclusive and luxurious Aruba vacation experience for guests.

The Tradewinds Club is a boutique hotel concept, ideal for travelers looking to be pampered with exclusive services, luxurious accommodations, deluxe amenities and personalized attention from a trusted brand name resort.

The Grand Opening Package includes reduced rates, a fifth night free and a $100 food and beverage credit – a savings of more than $1000. Rates start at $374/night and the offer is available now through December 19th, 2008 and requires a five-night minimum stay. Enter promotional code S3Q at www.arubamarriott.com to book this vacation package.

Additionally, for guests looking for a shorter vacation getaway, special Grand Opening Rates are available at $374/night offering up to 24% off nightly rates. Enter promotional code NEW at booking. Rate is valid through December 19th with no minimum stay required.

“During our $50 million renovation the top floor of the hotel was transformed in to the Tradewinds Club to provide travelers the best of both worlds – boutique style services and resort style amenities,” said John Woolley, director of sales & marketing. “This introductory offer provides our guests the chance to be among the first to experience the new Tradewinds Club and to do so at a special rate.”

Tradewinds Club provides privileges and special services including private check in, plush robes and deluxe bath amenities, free internet access, private lounge with five complimentary food & beverage services daily, an evening open-bar, packing and unpacking services, a pillow menu and more.

Aruba Marriott Resort has completely redesigned all 411 guestrooms, the lobby, lounge and bar, and both main dining restaurants, La Vista and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

To book the Grand Opening Package or Grand Opening Rates visit www.arubamarriott.com  or call 800.223.6388.

The Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino boasts 411 newly renovated guestrooms — the most spacious on the island, each with large, private balconies overlooking lush landscape and the sparkling waters of the Caribbean Sea. On property, seven restaurants and cafes provide fare from light to elegant, while a 6,500 square-foot Mandara spa, free-form swimming pool with cascading waterfalls, the largest casino in Aruba and high-energy health club offer entertaining diversions.

THE PEAT INN is a destination restaurant with a warm welcome and a reputation that extends well beyond Fife. Situated just 6 miles from the famous golfing and university town of St Andrews, The Peat Inn has been a food lover’s institution for many years and, as of last year, is now owned and run by Chef and food columnist Geoffrey Smeddle and his wife Katherine.

The husband and wife team took over the iconic 5 star Scottish restaurant with rooms from previous owners David and Patricia Wilson in June 2006. David and Patricia built up the reputation of The Peat Inn over three decades, transforming it from an isolated rural pub into a culinary retreat. Geoffrey and Katherine adopt a similar philosophy and approach to their predecessors, which has already won over long-standing regulars and reignited interest from those who appreciate good food, fine wines and a warm welcome.

Geoffrey uses local seasonal produce combined with a classical French training, to create an imaginative and exciting menu, reflecting the best of Scottish ingredients. Prior to taking over the Peat Inn, Geoffrey was Head Chef at Sir Terence Conran’s étain restaurant in Glasgow, where he won Best City Chef 2005 in the Scottish chef awards and the restaurant was also awarded Restaurant of the Year 2005-6 in the AA Restaurant Guide.

A few steps from the restaurant lies The Residence providing luxury accommodation in eight luxurious suites, each individually styled, with en-suite marble bathrooms and views over the private gardens and surrounding farmland. Seven of these suites are split level, with a separate sitting room area upstairs, away from the bedroom.

The Peat Inn captures the best of small country house hotels but with an unpretentious atmosphere.

In autumn of 2006 The Peat Inn was awarded 5 stars by VisitScotland as a restaurant with rooms, is one of Joanna Blythman’s, columnist for The Herald, choices in a list of the top seasonal restaurants in Scotland and is also one of the AA’s Top 200 rated hotels. The Peat Inn is about the whole dining experience: the warm atmosphere in the restaurant, the extensive wine list on offer and the friendly elegant service.

Dishes at the Peat Inn might include terrine of duck confit and foie gras with homemade toasted brioche; Anstruther lobster with lime, vanilla and mango; Roast monkfish with oxtail tortellini; Daube of beef with parsnip puree and glazed onions; warm milk chocolate and hazelnut fondant with espresso ice cream. http://www.thepeatinn.co.uk

“Give me your fiery red color/ take back my wintry shallowness.” The Red Wednesday, counts among the only two extant one of those fire-connected festivities. It is an annual ritual which is held on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian year.

Tehran, Iran, – From among the Aryan festivals and feasts, some of the most important ones pertained to fire, the symbol of good health, cultivation, light, and purity to the Iranian. Chaharshanbe-Suri, “The Red Wednesday”, counts among the only two extant one of those fire-connected festivities.

It is an annual ritual which is held on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian year. It is believed that the ritual guarantees the dissipation of the misfortunes and evils, and of course, the materialization of people’s hopes and desires for the next year.

It dates back to before the Arab Conquest of Iran; when the Iranian year was made up of 360 days with 5 extra days during which the Zoroastrians would build fires to invite their ancestors’ ghosts to their homes. On the other hand, we know that the Arabs believed that Wednesday was inauspicious. So, the people shifted their ritual to the eve of Tuesday (in the Arabian calendar, a day begins and finishes at dusk) to save the custom against the ill will of the Arabs. The ritual is composed of different rites:

Bute-Afruzi (Bush-igniting)

Bush-igniting is the principal ceremony of the night. Before the dusk, seven, as a symbol for the seven Zoroastrian angels (Amshaaspandan), heaps of bushes (of weed) are gathered before the house-gate or on the roof of the house -some visible place for the “ghosts” to guide. After the night has fallen on, the heaps are kindled and the uproarious tumult begins.

Everybody, ranging from the old to the children and the women, is excited into a passionate, memorable night. Now it is time for everybody to leap over the bonfires. They dance and sing merry notes. The traditional song of the night is: “Sorkhi-e man az to/ Zardi-e to az man”, literally “my redness from you/ your yellowness from me”, but figuratively it means “Give me your fiery red color and take back my wintry sallowness”.

In small cities and villages, the ash of the blaze traditionally is cast off in a stream or some crossroad, due its ill omens, because people have thrown off their former pain and misfortunes into it ( of course, in the northern parts of http://www.irpedia.com/_Iran

, such as Gilan province, people put this ash at the foot of the trees as fertilizer). The girl or woman, who had assumed the errand, on returning is asked for her identity and she would say, in response, that she is getting back from a wedding ceremony, fetching good health and good luck with her.

Qaashoq-Zani (Spoon-hitting)

Very much like Halloween and in full disguise, usually a veil (chador) covering the entire body, longing youths go to seven different houses and make a noise by hitting a bowl with a spoon to signal the household residing in the house. Being presented, by the household, with some treat betokens a positive omen, and vice versa.

Faal-e-Gusheneshini (solitary telling of the fortune)

Young women longing for a spouse make a wish, then having hidden themselves in some invisible dark corner of a passage, listen to the passers-by’s talks, according to which they decide whether their wish will or will not be fulfilled; passers-by’s positive talk signifies good omens, and unpleasant words point to some ill portent.

Kuze-Shekani (earthenware jar-shattering)

The household put some coal, as the sign of ill omen, and some salt, standing for evil eye, plus a cheap coin, signifying poverty, inside an earthenware jar. They turn the earthenware jar around their heads one by one. Then, one of them throws the jar over the roof onto the alley. Thus, ill omen, evil eye and poverty are driven out of the house.

Gereh-Goshaee

Similarly, women yearning to tie the knot or persons who have run into some problem, make a knot at the corner of a handkerchief or some other garment and request the first person whom they come across to undo it. The personâ s willingness will signal a hopeful portent.

Shaal-Andazi (shawl-dropping)

In some parts of the country, young boys, who are engaged, drop a shawl or wraparound down from the roof of their fiancà e’s house and she would present him with some confection or other present. Along with these rites, there are also others such as making soup for the sick, discarding the outworn furniture, etc. In some areas, the young get their horses out and make a performance on it before the night falls on.

Keepmedriving.com and Richard Nelson Solicitors launch new comprehensive information website and legal service to assist those with private and commercial driving and road traffic problems. The aim is to become a first port of call for those with motoring offence related problems.

WEST MIDLANDS, UK, – Launched on Monday (15-09-2008) Keepmedriving is a new web site and legal service designed to assist all drivers, both private and commercial, who encounter problems with road traffic legislation or who fall foul of the UK’s ever more complex driving laws.

Provided by multi-office firm Richard Nelson Solicitors, the service aims to provide both online guidance and advice as well as offering motorists a range of other methods for getting the most practical and up-to-date advice as quickly as possible.

Speaking about the service, Richard Nelson said “The chances of losing your licence are far greater today than they have ever been – and often it is not the inconsiderate or reckless driver who suffers, but simply the ordinary man in the street who has been caught on a speed camera or who simply was not aware of the rules which applied. We intend that our web site will become a source of information to those who may not be aware of the complex laws which affect driving and act as a conduit through which they can get timely, and often much needed, advice.”

Recent surveys show that four out of every five drivers admit to speeding on motorways and as many as two thirds speed on other roads.

Meanwhile, government statistics show that 12.7 million road traffic offences were committed during 2006. Cameras provided evidence for 1.99 million speeding offences (95 per cent of all speeding offences), 164,900 were mobile phone related offences and 186,00 for careless driving.

Jonathan Wright, solicitor at the Richard Nelson Solicitors Cardiff office, and the person heading up this initiative, said “Losing a driving licence by being disqualified can be a devastating blow – not just for the driver but for their whole family. Loss of a licence can mean loss of a job, reduced mobility and an increase in family pressures. Our aim is to help drivers avoid this”.

Jonathan said “Many drivers don’t realise that having points on your licence can increase your insurance costs. We aim to help them avoid getting those points and, in the worst case scenario, losing their licence”.

The Keepmedriving web site, which contains a wide range of driving law information and guidance, has already received a substantial number of hits and is being backed up by a radio advertising campaign. It will continue to be developed so as to act as a first port of call for those seeking information and assistance in relation to road traffic offences and other driving law related matters.

Those with driving related problems can also contact

www.Keepmedriving.com on 084 4804 4804

PIERRE, S.D.—Maps of South Dakota’s public lands have gone interactive on the Game, Fish and Parks Department Web site. Users interested in finding public lands for hunting, fishing or outdoor recreation will find a wealth of information at  this link.

“This Web site serves a dual purpose,” according to Chris Marsh, habitat biologist/GIS specialist for GFP. “It works as a tool for the department’s land managers and it also provides valuable information for citizens who are interested in the state’s public lands.”

At the Web site, users can view maps of South Dakota’s public lands, zooming in to the point where an aerial photo is displayed. A variety of tools are available to help visitors use the maps as well as an extensive tutorial on how to use the site.

“Hunters will be particularly interested in the detailed information available about the state’s Game Production Areas,” Marsh said, “A user can select a GPA and learn about the size of the area, the type of wildlife typically found there as well as the habitat in that particular GPA.”

Maps on the site can offer a variety of specific information about the location of highways, roads, railroads, cities, waterways, township and county lines, sections and lakes. The maps also delineate federal and state lands as well as state hunting units and Walk-In Areas.