Duration : 8 Hours, Daily departure at 8 am
A day of breathtaking scenery heading through the hilltop town of Tomohon, known locally as the “city of flowers” sits in a saddle between two volcanoes Mt. Lokon and Mt. Mahawu. Our first visit is to the local market sells vegetables, rats, bats and dogs (ingredients in the notorious local cuisine). Then we will hike to Mahawu Volcano (1490 meters above sea level), Inside the crater is a steaming, emerald-green lake ringed with yellow sulphur deposits. From the summit you can see neighbouring Mount Lokon with its ever-present plume of smoke. On the clear day you can also see both the Sulawesi sea on the west and to the Maluku sea to the east. On the way up will see the variety of the terraced vegetable gardens. Then our trip continues to lake Tondano where a delicious lunch will be served at a local restaurant. From here we will drive to sulphurous lake Linow and last stop at Woloan village to see the center of Minahasa wooden house building.
Price per person based on US dollar $ 50 per person
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tangkoko Nature Reserve Tours
Duration : 8 Hours, Daily departure at 1 PM
Departing Manado at 1 PM heading for Batu Putih village in the east of Bitung region where one of the most impressive Tangkoko Nature Reserve is located. Here you will hike to explore the spectacular jungle with excellent possibilities to see the unique tiny “Tarsius” known as the smallest primate in the world. If we are lucky in the afternoon we might see also the big group of monkey known as “The Black Macaca Nigra, Hornbill birds & Cuscus.
Price per person based on US Dollar
$ 60 per person ( min. 2 persons )
Departing Manado at 1 PM heading for Batu Putih village in the east of Bitung region where one of the most impressive Tangkoko Nature Reserve is located. Here you will hike to explore the spectacular jungle with excellent possibilities to see the unique tiny “Tarsius” known as the smallest primate in the world. If we are lucky in the afternoon we might see also the big group of monkey known as “The Black Macaca Nigra, Hornbill birds & Cuscus.
Price per person based on US Dollar
$ 60 per person ( min. 2 persons )
Manado White Water Rafting
Duration : 6 Hours, Daily departure at 9 AM
Departure from Sultan Tours Office or any Hotel In Manado and we wil drive through the south of Minahasa region then you will experience the adventure and rapids of Nimanga river. This white awter journey will stun you through the river segment with fantastic different classes of rapids ranging from intermediate to advance. You will be accompanied by friendly and professional Note: Please bring a change of clothes, towel, T-shirt, short pants for rafting, sport shoes or sandals for your feet.
Price : U$ 75 per person (daily exchange rate apply)
Departure from Sultan Tours Office or any Hotel In Manado and we wil drive through the south of Minahasa region then you will experience the adventure and rapids of Nimanga river. This white awter journey will stun you through the river segment with fantastic different classes of rapids ranging from intermediate to advance. You will be accompanied by friendly and professional Note: Please bring a change of clothes, towel, T-shirt, short pants for rafting, sport shoes or sandals for your feet.
Price : U$ 75 per person (daily exchange rate apply)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Trips to Togian Islands 4 Days / 3 Nights
DISCOVER TOGIAN ISLANDSThe Togian islands are renowed for their outstanding beauty above and below the water. Islands with exquisite white sand beaches and sandstone cliff cloaked in virgin rainforest, surrounded by pristine coral reefs and emerald seas. Tomini Bay is the epicenter for the most coral diversity in the world. The Togian islands offer extordinary opportunity to explore all three types of coral reefs; Fringe, Barrier and Atoll. The marine life is equally diverse and dramatic. Also there is unique change to dive on a B24 Bomber Wreck from WWII in perfect condition. The reefs are a paradise for divers and snorkeler alike. Togian also offer the culture of the local Bajo people(sea gypsies), try fishing local style or simply relaxing and sunbathing in an untouched paradise.
Togian Trips - 4 Days/3 Nights
Day 01 : Arrival Gorontalo - Ferry to Togian Islands (Kadidiri Island) Every Friday (Gorontalo) Arrival in Gorontalo to take the overnight Ferry to Togian Islands - Kadidiri. Day 02 –:Togian Islands Snorkeling trip. One day snorkeling to explore the Togian Islands based in Kadidiri Island.
Day 03 : Togian Halfday Snorkeling – Take a ferry to Gorontalo
Snorkeling in the morning and after lunch take the afternoon boat to Gorontalo.
Day 04 : Gorontalo – Next destination
SULTAN Tours price includes transportation, tour as per program, English speaking guide, soft drinks, full board meals & accommodation based on the above description.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Versace Mansion in South Beach begins tours
Impian Monalisa-For years, the iconic South Beach mansion best known as the place Gianni Versace lived and died was open only to the privileged few.
Before the designer’s death more than a decade ago, his celebrity friends stayed so often, rooms were outfitted with them in mind. After Versace’s murder and the house’s sale, it become home to another mogul with A-list friends.
But, slowly, 1116 Ocean Drive has opened its doors, first as an invitation-only private club, then allowing non-members to stay in its ornate rooms, and now to the masses -- or at least anyone willing to plunk down US$65 for a tour.
“It was just kind of a domino effect,” said Elisa Brinkworth, a spokeswoman for Casa Casuarina, as the 2,415-square-meter estate is allied. “The more people you let in the more that wanted to come in.”
The possibility of touring the villa and enjoying a meal there afterward -- or if you’re lucky enough, to stay in one of its 10 suites -- doesn’t come cheap. But it offers visitors a glimpse of a truly special place long kept from the pubic.
Outside, tourists flock to the cast-iron gates, taking pictures all hours of the day. It is not until you enter, though, that you truly sense its magnificence.
Pass through the limestone arch, into the courtyard of Casa Casuarina, and the fuss all makes sense. The trickle of water from a fountain, the shift of clouds above, the tickle of Atlantic breezes -- the simple beauty of each is enhanced by the home’s lavishness.
Every inch of this place, every detail, is full of thought and history and detail. And yet it feels intimate and generally not over-the-top.
Modeled after Alcazar de Colon, the Dinican Republic house built by Christopher Columbus’ family in 1510, Casa Casuarina is a three-story, Mediterranean-style home surrounded by a high wall on a fashionable stretch of Ocean Drive.
It was built in 1930 by Standard Oil heir Alden Freeman, later became a hotel, spiraled into disrepair, and was one point a hostel where rooms went for as little as $1 a night. Versace bought it in 1992, along with a hotel next door, and did massive renovations to make the estate what it is today.
The purchase of the neighboring hotel made room for Versace’s pool, a centerpiece of the tour, made of more than a million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces. Its design was inspired by a Versace scarf and was created in Italy, broken down, shipped in numbered sections and reassembled here.
Versace’s touches are everywhere, often in the form of his Medusa head logo, which is seen in gold, on gates and railings, in stone mosaics even on shower drains. And, of course, visitors will want to know where he spent his final moment that Tuesday in July 1997, which staff prefer not to speak about. He was shot by a serial killer who later committed suicide.
“We don’t like to talk about it, but it happened by the steps,” Brinkworth says. “We try to live out his legacy rather than his death and, obviously, when people come in the house you’ll start to see the beauty he left behind. It kind of takes away from the tragedy that happened outside of the gates.”
The home is no longer owned by the Versace family; it was sold in 2000 to telecommunications mogul Peter Loftin, who has slowly made the estate more public while maintaining all of the Versace touches.
The home is full of tapestries, sculptures and paintings. The smell of fresh flowers and sound of classical music fills the air. The roughly hour-long tour includes the central courtyard, dining room, lounges, the pool and a look at a marble toilet with a golden seat, billed as one of only three in the world.
While the downstairs of the home is exquisite, whether it’s worth the price of the tour depends on your interest in art and architecture, your desire to gain access to an exclusive place, and your level of disposable income.
Upstairs is off-limits to tourists. To get a glimpse, you must be a club member or a paying guest. But it, too, is stunning and steeped in a history dotted with familiar names.
There’s the bathtub -- the only one in a house full of showers -- put in for Madonna. There’s the uppermost area of the house, the observatory, where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reportedly enjoyed a three-hour dinner before getting engaged. There’s Versace’s sprawling cedar closet, one filled more recently, the host says, by Paris Hilton.
The name-dropping here doesn’t stop. The Wedgwood Suite was Cher’s favorite; the Safari Suite was Elton John’s. A photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton hangs in a cigar lounge; mentions of recent guests are made effortlessly.
Just stepping out on one of the balconies facing Ocean Drive and throngs of tourists makes you a celebrity, albeit briefly, too.
The bedrooms share many of the characteristics of downstairs -- elegant chandeliers and moldings; thick, rich drapes and bedding; and artwork on the walls. But they also often offer stunning views -- in the foreground, a fountain spouts water into the pool, and just off in the distance, behind the palms, soft ocean waters lap ashore.
The style of each suite is very different, though they may share the fact that they’re all out of your budget.
Three of the 10 rooms go for $1,200 during the peak winter season, plus 13 percent tax and 22 percent service charge. The others climb in price, up to the owner’s suite, which goes for $10,000 nightly. Prices are cheaper in summer, when the blistering heat chases many tourists away, and for members.
There is no way to sugarcoat the price, but it is worth noting that you could stay in one of the cheapest rooms and have room for several and that, given the exclusivity, a lower-end room could be considered a deal compared with other pricey South Beach hotel suites. In the Parrot Suite and the Wedgwood Suite, there are two full-sized daybeds in addition to a queen, meaning it could comfortably sleep four.
And, it is an once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Those who take the tour may stay for breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of day. But it, too, will come at a price. My colleague and I had salads, pasta and a bottle of water. It was sumptuous, but the tab was about $120.
No one expects the Versace mansion to be cheap; they do expect it to be special. And it delivers. In here, everything seems different, and a Tuesday afternoon is transformed from mundane to magical.
If You Go...
CASA CASUARINA: Gianni Versace mansion, 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; http://www.casacasuarina.com/ or 305-672-6604.
Call for tour reservations. Tours typically offered every other day during the peak tourist season, with times varying morning and afternoon.
Cost: $65. Those who take the tour can enjoy breakfast or dinner at Loftin’s 1116 Ocean, the in-house restaurant, at an additional cost.
Versace Mansion in South Beach begins tours
Impian Monalisa-For years, the iconic South Beach mansion best known as the place Gianni Versace lived and died was open only to the privileged few.
Before the designer’s death more than a decade ago, his celebrity friends stayed so often, rooms were outfitted with them in mind. After Versace’s murder and the house’s sale, it become home to another mogul with A-list friends.
But, slowly, 1116 Ocean Drive has opened its doors, first as an invitation-only private club, then allowing non-members to stay in its ornate rooms, and now to the masses -- or at least anyone willing to plunk down US$65 for a tour.
“It was just kind of a domino effect,” said Elisa Brinkworth, a spokeswoman for Casa Casuarina, as the 2,415-square-meter estate is allied. “The more people you let in the more that wanted to come in.”
The possibility of touring the villa and enjoying a meal there afterward -- or if you’re lucky enough, to stay in one of its 10 suites -- doesn’t come cheap. But it offers visitors a glimpse of a truly special place long kept from the pubic.
Outside, tourists flock to the cast-iron gates, taking pictures all hours of the day. It is not until you enter, though, that you truly sense its magnificence.
Pass through the limestone arch, into the courtyard of Casa Casuarina, and the fuss all makes sense. The trickle of water from a fountain, the shift of clouds above, the tickle of Atlantic breezes -- the simple beauty of each is enhanced by the home’s lavishness.
Every inch of this place, every detail, is full of thought and history and detail. And yet it feels intimate and generally not over-the-top.
Modeled after Alcazar de Colon, the Dinican Republic house built by Christopher Columbus’ family in 1510, Casa Casuarina is a three-story, Mediterranean-style home surrounded by a high wall on a fashionable stretch of Ocean Drive.
It was built in 1930 by Standard Oil heir Alden Freeman, later became a hotel, spiraled into disrepair, and was one point a hostel where rooms went for as little as $1 a night. Versace bought it in 1992, along with a hotel next door, and did massive renovations to make the estate what it is today.
The purchase of the neighboring hotel made room for Versace’s pool, a centerpiece of the tour, made of more than a million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces. Its design was inspired by a Versace scarf and was created in Italy, broken down, shipped in numbered sections and reassembled here.
Versace’s touches are everywhere, often in the form of his Medusa head logo, which is seen in gold, on gates and railings, in stone mosaics even on shower drains. And, of course, visitors will want to know where he spent his final moment that Tuesday in July 1997, which staff prefer not to speak about. He was shot by a serial killer who later committed suicide.
“We don’t like to talk about it, but it happened by the steps,” Brinkworth says. “We try to live out his legacy rather than his death and, obviously, when people come in the house you’ll start to see the beauty he left behind. It kind of takes away from the tragedy that happened outside of the gates.”
The home is no longer owned by the Versace family; it was sold in 2000 to telecommunications mogul Peter Loftin, who has slowly made the estate more public while maintaining all of the Versace touches.
The home is full of tapestries, sculptures and paintings. The smell of fresh flowers and sound of classical music fills the air. The roughly hour-long tour includes the central courtyard, dining room, lounges, the pool and a look at a marble toilet with a golden seat, billed as one of only three in the world.
While the downstairs of the home is exquisite, whether it’s worth the price of the tour depends on your interest in art and architecture, your desire to gain access to an exclusive place, and your level of disposable income.
Upstairs is off-limits to tourists. To get a glimpse, you must be a club member or a paying guest. But it, too, is stunning and steeped in a history dotted with familiar names.
There’s the bathtub -- the only one in a house full of showers -- put in for Madonna. There’s the uppermost area of the house, the observatory, where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reportedly enjoyed a three-hour dinner before getting engaged. There’s Versace’s sprawling cedar closet, one filled more recently, the host says, by Paris Hilton.
The name-dropping here doesn’t stop. The Wedgwood Suite was Cher’s favorite; the Safari Suite was Elton John’s. A photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton hangs in a cigar lounge; mentions of recent guests are made effortlessly.
Just stepping out on one of the balconies facing Ocean Drive and throngs of tourists makes you a celebrity, albeit briefly, too.
The bedrooms share many of the characteristics of downstairs -- elegant chandeliers and moldings; thick, rich drapes and bedding; and artwork on the walls. But they also often offer stunning views -- in the foreground, a fountain spouts water into the pool, and just off in the distance, behind the palms, soft ocean waters lap ashore.
The style of each suite is very different, though they may share the fact that they’re all out of your budget.
Three of the 10 rooms go for $1,200 during the peak winter season, plus 13 percent tax and 22 percent service charge. The others climb in price, up to the owner’s suite, which goes for $10,000 nightly. Prices are cheaper in summer, when the blistering heat chases many tourists away, and for members.
There is no way to sugarcoat the price, but it is worth noting that you could stay in one of the cheapest rooms and have room for several and that, given the exclusivity, a lower-end room could be considered a deal compared with other pricey South Beach hotel suites. In the Parrot Suite and the Wedgwood Suite, there are two full-sized daybeds in addition to a queen, meaning it could comfortably sleep four.
And, it is an once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Those who take the tour may stay for breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of day. But it, too, will come at a price. My colleague and I had salads, pasta and a bottle of water. It was sumptuous, but the tab was about $120.
No one expects the Versace mansion to be cheap; they do expect it to be special. And it delivers. In here, everything seems different, and a Tuesday afternoon is transformed from mundane to magical.
If You Go...
CASA CASUARINA: Gianni Versace mansion, 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; http://www.casacasuarina.com/ or 305-672-6604.
Call for tour reservations. Tours typically offered every other day during the peak tourist season, with times varying morning and afternoon.
Cost: $65. Those who take the tour can enjoy breakfast or dinner at Loftin’s 1116 Ocean, the in-house restaurant, at an additional cost.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Lights Camera Amour
Impian Monalisa-In this month of love, Paris is a dream destination for any couple. The Jakarta Post draws inspiration from some of the most romantic movies ever as a guide to the city of love.
Amélie (2001)
The iconic location of this delightful movie is Café des 2 Moulins, where our leading lady works. In Montmartre, one can ask any local where it is; just utter the words ‘Amélie Poulain’ (pronounced poo-lane) café and they’ll point you in the right direction.
See where Amelie worked her charm and take pictures over in the cigarette corner (where most conversations in the movie occur), the toilet (for a reminder of the infamous sex scene) and the seat where Amélie peeks at Nino from behind and first falls for him.
Other memorable scenes take place at the Gare de L’est train station, where the game of cat and mouse between Amélie and Nino begins. Note that Gare de L’est is also the gateway to voyages between Paris and other European cities.
When tracing the path of Amélie, one shouldn’t forget to stop by the Montmartre Carousel, where she tricks Nino into a ride. Located just below Sacre Coeur, it costs 2 euro a turn. A favorite spot for Parisians, the Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic Basilica, stands tall at the highest point of the city. Linger a while here for sweeping views of Paris.
To conclude Amélie’s adventure, shop for groceries at L’épicerie in Monsieur Collignon on the Rue des Trois Frères, skip stones in St. Martin’s Canal and pay a visit in Notre Dame, where Amélie remembers her mother’s accident. Spare a lazy weekend for this whimsical tour, following in the footsteps of a whimsical girl named…Amélie.
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Set in 1899, in the Montmartre area of Paris, this Academy Award winning film stars Nicole Kidman as Satine, a dancer in the famous cabaret club, Moulin Rouge, who falls in love with Christian (Ewan McGregor).
The club remains a major tourist attraction. With its iconic red windmill (the English translation of Moulin Rouge) lighting up every night, Moulin Rouge draws audiences from around the world to its colorful cabaret show.
Feerie, a new vaudeville show with four different segments, has over 60 songs altogether and lasts for 2 hours. The show plays twice nightly at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Though Feerie has no Romeo & Juliet storyline, like the Spectacular! Spectacular! show featured in the movie, film fans need not worry. Similar to Baz Luhrman’s movie, it’s a feast for the eyes and features the performance of the legendary Moulin Rouge dancers (nicknamed Doriss Girls), who bring the traditional can-can dance to life.
Add glitzy costumes, acrobatics, comedy shows performed by clowns and magicians and a night spent at Moulin Rouge is simply splendid.
Before Sunset (2004)
This film brings two souls, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), from Before Sunrise back in Europe. Instead of Vienna however, this time they wander through the streets of Paris.
Reconstruct their tour by browsing through the extensive collection at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in the vibrant Quartier Latin. The homey bookstore is the famous flop house of over 50,000 visitors, including celebrated writers like Henry Miller, James Baldwin, and Lawrence Durrell, just to name a few. Book and history aficionados shouldn’t miss this historic institution.
Avoiding the clichés of the city’s more famous Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens, the film used the Promenade Plantée, which runs from the Bois de Vincennes to Bastille. The 4.5 kilometer long elevated park makes for an easy afternoon walk or intense tête-à-tête, just like Jesse and Celine’s. Followed it up with coffee for two at the Pure Café (14 Rue Jean Macé) where visitors can imitate the movie by chatting over café au lait.
In one of the film’s more tender moments, Jesse and Celine take a river cruise (the couple uses the Canauxrama service) to see the city from the wonderful Seine. It’s the perfect way to see Paris’s gorgeous cityscape in an hour. Take the cruise right before sunset to view the city at its best, when all the lights come on.
Paris,Je T’aime (2006)
The endless different ways to explore the romantic city are summed up in 18 different stories in this movie. One of our favorites is the Cohen Brothers’ Tuileries, in which a tourist’s (Steve Buscemi) idea of colorful Paris is ruined by an experience on board the city’s popular metro. But despite the seemingly unnerving scene, we say take the Metro to see the real Paris.
Skip Tuileries, the station portrayed in the movie, and instead head for the most fascinating station, Louvre-Rivoli. The station leads to the world’s most legendary museum (The Louvre) and boy, didn’t the city council do something about it. Magnificent replicas of famous artifacts are mounted on the Metro’s walls.
While you’re at it, jump into the train (see also Walter Salles’ segment, which stars Catalina Sandino Moreno, or Natalie Portman’s scene in the part directed by Tom Tykwer) where locals, backpackers and immigrants interact with each other in different languages. Personally, we like hearing the French words uttered in unison in that confined space of the train. It just feels, yeah, romantic.
Another place in the movie that’s worth visiting on a trip for two is the Père Lachaise (Wes Craven directed this section) where Oscar Wilde, Chopin and Marcel Proust are buried. It’s an eccentric choice but a necessary for the admirers of world’s late maestros.
Arguably the best segment in the movie, Alexander Payne’s 14th Arrondissement brings Margo Martindale, playing an American tourist, to Paris. Practicing her heavily-accented French, the new comer strolls through 14th Arrondissement’s Parc Montsouris and Montparnasse tower. Sure it’s not the Eiffel, but at 210 meters high, the Montparnasse tower has the advantage of being the tallest building in the city and gives fabulous views of the Parisian skyline.
As the film rolls to the end, Martindale’s character is filmed eating a baguette in beautiful Montsouris Park, as she watches the day go by. That very second, she realizes how she has fallen in love with the city during her trip and, most importantly, how Paris has returned the affection.
Lights Camera Amour
Impian Monalisa-In this month of love, Paris is a dream destination for any couple. The Jakarta Post draws inspiration from some of the most romantic movies ever as a guide to the city of love.
Amélie (2001)
The iconic location of this delightful movie is Café des 2 Moulins, where our leading lady works. In Montmartre, one can ask any local where it is; just utter the words ‘Amélie Poulain’ (pronounced poo-lane) café and they’ll point you in the right direction.
See where Amelie worked her charm and take pictures over in the cigarette corner (where most conversations in the movie occur), the toilet (for a reminder of the infamous sex scene) and the seat where Amélie peeks at Nino from behind and first falls for him.
Other memorable scenes take place at the Gare de L’est train station, where the game of cat and mouse between Amélie and Nino begins. Note that Gare de L’est is also the gateway to voyages between Paris and other European cities.
When tracing the path of Amélie, one shouldn’t forget to stop by the Montmartre Carousel, where she tricks Nino into a ride. Located just below Sacre Coeur, it costs 2 euro a turn. A favorite spot for Parisians, the Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic Basilica, stands tall at the highest point of the city. Linger a while here for sweeping views of Paris.
To conclude Amélie’s adventure, shop for groceries at L’épicerie in Monsieur Collignon on the Rue des Trois Frères, skip stones in St. Martin’s Canal and pay a visit in Notre Dame, where Amélie remembers her mother’s accident. Spare a lazy weekend for this whimsical tour, following in the footsteps of a whimsical girl named…Amélie.
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Set in 1899, in the Montmartre area of Paris, this Academy Award winning film stars Nicole Kidman as Satine, a dancer in the famous cabaret club, Moulin Rouge, who falls in love with Christian (Ewan McGregor).
The club remains a major tourist attraction. With its iconic red windmill (the English translation of Moulin Rouge) lighting up every night, Moulin Rouge draws audiences from around the world to its colorful cabaret show.
Feerie, a new vaudeville show with four different segments, has over 60 songs altogether and lasts for 2 hours. The show plays twice nightly at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Though Feerie has no Romeo & Juliet storyline, like the Spectacular! Spectacular! show featured in the movie, film fans need not worry. Similar to Baz Luhrman’s movie, it’s a feast for the eyes and features the performance of the legendary Moulin Rouge dancers (nicknamed Doriss Girls), who bring the traditional can-can dance to life.
Add glitzy costumes, acrobatics, comedy shows performed by clowns and magicians and a night spent at Moulin Rouge is simply splendid.
Before Sunset (2004)
This film brings two souls, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), from Before Sunrise back in Europe. Instead of Vienna however, this time they wander through the streets of Paris.
Reconstruct their tour by browsing through the extensive collection at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in the vibrant Quartier Latin. The homey bookstore is the famous flop house of over 50,000 visitors, including celebrated writers like Henry Miller, James Baldwin, and Lawrence Durrell, just to name a few. Book and history aficionados shouldn’t miss this historic institution.
Avoiding the clichés of the city’s more famous Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens, the film used the Promenade Plantée, which runs from the Bois de Vincennes to Bastille. The 4.5 kilometer long elevated park makes for an easy afternoon walk or intense tête-à-tête, just like Jesse and Celine’s. Followed it up with coffee for two at the Pure Café (14 Rue Jean Macé) where visitors can imitate the movie by chatting over café au lait.
In one of the film’s more tender moments, Jesse and Celine take a river cruise (the couple uses the Canauxrama service) to see the city from the wonderful Seine. It’s the perfect way to see Paris’s gorgeous cityscape in an hour. Take the cruise right before sunset to view the city at its best, when all the lights come on.
Paris,Je T’aime (2006)
The endless different ways to explore the romantic city are summed up in 18 different stories in this movie. One of our favorites is the Cohen Brothers’ Tuileries, in which a tourist’s (Steve Buscemi) idea of colorful Paris is ruined by an experience on board the city’s popular metro. But despite the seemingly unnerving scene, we say take the Metro to see the real Paris.
Skip Tuileries, the station portrayed in the movie, and instead head for the most fascinating station, Louvre-Rivoli. The station leads to the world’s most legendary museum (The Louvre) and boy, didn’t the city council do something about it. Magnificent replicas of famous artifacts are mounted on the Metro’s walls.
While you’re at it, jump into the train (see also Walter Salles’ segment, which stars Catalina Sandino Moreno, or Natalie Portman’s scene in the part directed by Tom Tykwer) where locals, backpackers and immigrants interact with each other in different languages. Personally, we like hearing the French words uttered in unison in that confined space of the train. It just feels, yeah, romantic.
Another place in the movie that’s worth visiting on a trip for two is the Père Lachaise (Wes Craven directed this section) where Oscar Wilde, Chopin and Marcel Proust are buried. It’s an eccentric choice but a necessary for the admirers of world’s late maestros.
Arguably the best segment in the movie, Alexander Payne’s 14th Arrondissement brings Margo Martindale, playing an American tourist, to Paris. Practicing her heavily-accented French, the new comer strolls through 14th Arrondissement’s Parc Montsouris and Montparnasse tower. Sure it’s not the Eiffel, but at 210 meters high, the Montparnasse tower has the advantage of being the tallest building in the city and gives fabulous views of the Parisian skyline.
As the film rolls to the end, Martindale’s character is filmed eating a baguette in beautiful Montsouris Park, as she watches the day go by. That very second, she realizes how she has fallen in love with the city during her trip and, most importantly, how Paris has returned the affection.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wakatobi Target 300% Tourist
Kendari, the Government of Wakatobi Regency, Sulawesi Tenggara, install target visits overseas and domestic tourists in this year, up 300%.
Regent Wakatobi Hugua, Jakarta, Thursday (4 / 3), the projection tourist visits to the maximum of the breakthrough the Government the support of all communities.
The Government continues with the community berbenah themselves, both terms of physical and social sympathy to attract tourists to visit the Wakatobi region is 97% water.
Promotion potential of marine tourism and culture Wakatobi to attract tourists also have been done in some European countries in the world, among others, the UK, Barcelona, United States, the Netherlands, and France,
"With the operation Matahora Airport Wakatobi tourist visits will spur so optimistic target 300% achieved," said Regent Hugua accompanied Kadis of Syarifuddin.
Tourist visits in 2008 in the district 750 species of coral reef recorded 3000 people.
On 3 March 2009, the PT Merpati Air Lines already established cooperation with the government operating Wakatobi Regency perform testing landing fokker 25 aircraft types in the Airport Matahora.
Test landing aircraft as one of the operational requirements of the permit issuance Dephub who witnessed thousands of people take mulus.
Tourism Kadis, Hasirun Ady, said that until February 2009 have been registered tourists reached 708 people. "With the operation Matahora Airport target 300% optimistic tourist visits reached. The other supporters continue to be addressed also," he said. [Tma, Ant]
Helm enjoy via Virtual Safari
LONDON - Want to experience the adventure safari to Africa, but not enough to make nyali? Patient, in a time not long, you can try it without the need to experience trouble landing on the Continent is Black. Wait the coming of the Virtual Coocon, virtual helmet that will bring the sensation safari in Africa while you simply berselonjor sofa or in the terrace house.
Helm is currently in development by a group of scientists from various universities in the UK who work under the project titled’’towards Real Virtuality’’.
’’The idea is basically to produce a virtual portable equipment that you can use in the most comfortable in your own house,’’said Professor Alan Chalmers from Warwick University, one team member, told The Daily Telegraph yesterday (4 / 3).
Virtual Cocoon using the five senses tool will ensure that users bring to the virtual world may senyata. In fact, the headset is able to help the smell the smell, feel the heat, hear, and see places such as the Masai Mara in Kenya when they relax, relax in the sitting room chair. Hopefully, these helmets could have been released to the public within three or four years.
The findings that will be a step forward in the virtual world. Merging functions’’five senses that will make sensasinya as truly significant. This helmet will not be like that before,’’said Chalmers.
Headset device is also expected to make the users feel very real with the show scene, sound, and aroma from the day-to-day life of the community groups in Africa. Life at the time of ancient Egypt, for example.
Virtual Coocon’’will be very useful not only for the purposes of entertainment, but also education and training,’’the light of Chalmers.
The designers predict that peranti virtual helmet in the price range of GBP 1,500 (about Rp 24 million). Indeed, it’s a little expensive, but is still far cheaper than the need to come directly to Africa. (smack / does)
Helm is currently in development by a group of scientists from various universities in the UK who work under the project titled’’towards Real Virtuality’’.
’’The idea is basically to produce a virtual portable equipment that you can use in the most comfortable in your own house,’’said Professor Alan Chalmers from Warwick University, one team member, told The Daily Telegraph yesterday (4 / 3).
Virtual Cocoon using the five senses tool will ensure that users bring to the virtual world may senyata. In fact, the headset is able to help the smell the smell, feel the heat, hear, and see places such as the Masai Mara in Kenya when they relax, relax in the sitting room chair. Hopefully, these helmets could have been released to the public within three or four years.
The findings that will be a step forward in the virtual world. Merging functions’’five senses that will make sensasinya as truly significant. This helmet will not be like that before,’’said Chalmers.
Headset device is also expected to make the users feel very real with the show scene, sound, and aroma from the day-to-day life of the community groups in Africa. Life at the time of ancient Egypt, for example.
Virtual Coocon’’will be very useful not only for the purposes of entertainment, but also education and training,’’the light of Chalmers.
The designers predict that peranti virtual helmet in the price range of GBP 1,500 (about Rp 24 million). Indeed, it’s a little expensive, but is still far cheaper than the need to come directly to Africa. (smack / does)
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