The world’s 10 most happening holiday destinations – to party, unwind and dance the night away!

PART FOUR:

Fasano, Rio de Janeiro

Everywhere you look at Fasano Rio de Janeiro, it’s a feast for the eyes. The hotel nods to the Rio of yesteryear with details such as 1960s-style furniture and vintage uniforms. A visual treat awaits on Fasano Rio de Janeiro’s rooftop deck, whose pool overlooks the delicious curve of Ipanema Beach.

The 3-year-old Fasano — a from-scratch concept of celebrated hotel design architect Philippe Starck — has made the fashionable Ipanema beachfront of Rio de Janeiro an even more desirable place-to-be–seen.

The Fasano’s charisma stems from its storied public spaces — lounge/bar Baretto-Londra (an edgy yet elegant homage to London, owner Rogério Fasano’s favourite city); see-and-be-seen Mediterranean-inspired seafood restaurant Fasano Al Mare (helmed by the former chef of a three-star Michelin Florentine eatery); and a rooftop swimming pool, steam room, and January 2010-debuted spa.

Together, they serve as a superlative microcosm of the Brazilian party capital’s legendary and seductive revelry. Party hotel den Baretto-Londra’s leather-clad aesthetic and exposed red-brick walls provide a glam-packed haven for chic Cariocas (Rio residents) and jet-setters, where classic rock tunes, weekend DJs, and the occasional live show supply the beats.

It’s the exclusive, guests-only rooftop scene that is Fasano’s coup de grace, though, where free-flowing bar service and a sexy infinity pool overlooking Rio’s iconic beachfront landscape define the city’s most coveted perch for sunsets and stargazing — of both kinds (P. Diddy, Madonna, and Beyoncé count among past patrons).

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Essential Medical Information When Travelling Abroad

If you become seriously ill or injured abroad, your country’s consular officer can assist in locating appropriate medical services and informing family or friends.

If necessary, a consular officer can also assist in the transfer of funds from your home country. However, payment of hospital and other expenses is the responsibility of the traveller.

Before going abroad, learn what medical services your health insurance will cover overseas. If your health insurance policy provides coverage outside your country, REMEMBER to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof of such insurance and a claim form.

Although many health insurance companies will pay “customary and reasonable” hospital costs abroad, very few will pay for your medical evacuation back home. Medical evacuation can easily cost $10,000 and up, depending on your location and medical condition.

To facilitate identification in case of an accident, complete the information page on the inside of your passport providing the name, address and telephone number of someone to be contacted in an emergency.

A traveller going abroad with any pre-existing medical problems should carry a letter from the attending physician, describing the medical condition and any prescription medications, including the generic name of prescribed drugs.

Any medications being carried overseas should be left in their original containers and be clearly labelled. Travelers should check with the foreign embassy of the country they are visiting to make sure any required medications are not considered to be illegal narcotics.

For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. The WHO also provides travel health information at http://www.who.int/ith.

U.S. embassies and consulates abroad maintain lists of hospitals and physicians.

You can visit U.S. Embassy and Consulate web sites around the world at http://usembassy.state.gov/.

Top Ten Things To Do In Los Angeles PART

Visit Opulent and Perfect Beverly Hills

In Beverly Hills things are so perfect there are no ugly telephone poles or cables spoiling the view – they’re all underground. That’s the kind of luxury taxpayer money buys in the world’s most famous postal code, where to simple walk down the street is to experience intricately manicured yards, massive multi-storey houses and utter suburban perfection. The shopping district around Beverley Hills is something to be seen as well, if Prada, Gucci and Dolce Gabbana are one’s thing. A worthwhile place to see (for those who aren’t the envious type).

Watch a TV Show Being Taped

Perhaps the best way to get close to a celebrity in Los Angeles is by attending the live taping of a TV show. Best of all, this activity is usually free – audience wannabe’s just need to book in advance, with Networks keen to fill seats. Visit websites like TVtix for more information on free audience tickets to programs like ‘The Tonight Show’, ‘Deal or no Deal’ and ‘The Price is Right’.

Golden Santa Monica Beach

Another L.A. cliché is the sun, sand and surf of the coastal regions that run alongside the city. One of the city’s more famous beaches, Santa Monica, is a great place to visit when the weather’s right, with golden shore and sapphire sea just two of the sights worth viewing. A great chance to visit a great beach.

Chinatown and Downtown L.A.

Los Angeles is renowned as a melting pot of cultures, with strong residential representation by people from both Central America and Asia. Chinatown in downtown L.A. is a pertinent symbol of this crucial cultural integration, and, furthermore, the area is a spectacular site of colour, culture and life. A visit to the area still has a Hollywood element about it; the colourful Asian backdrop of the district was used in the Jackie Chan film ‘Rush Hour’. At the end of the day though, a visit to Chinatown is a great chance to immerse oneself in the day-to-day life of Los Angeles, while experiencing some of the diversity that makes the city memorable. Plus, the food is great, if another excuse is needed.

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Top Ten Things To Do In Los Angeles PART 2

Universal Studios Theme Park

There are many theme parks in and around Los Angeles, including the famous Disneyland in Anaheim. For visitors looking for a park easily accessible from central Los Angeles, Universal Studios is one of the best; an unforgettable day out for tourists who want a mix of exciting rides, characters, games and shops. Universal Studios has a slant towards the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of film-making, with performances focusing on visual effects and pyrotechnics, to name a few. Great adult fun, with much to entertain the kids as well. Now includes ‘The Simpson’s’ ride.

Kodak Theatre Tour

The theatre, on Hollywood Boulevard, where the Oscars are presented at a red carpet event each year in March, is a must for any fan of quality films. A tour of the theatre takes visitors past the inner workings of the theatre on Oscar night; from the bars where the stars hang out to the backstage waiting area to the stage and auditorium. A must for film fanatics.

Tour of the Stars Homes

Walk down Hollywood Boulevard and there’s dozens of guys trying to sell bus tours (or limo tours) past celebrity houses in Los Angeles and the Hollywood hills. While this activity might seem a little tacky, there’s an element of excitement in the possibility of star spotting around L.A. And hey, a tour of stars homes is a rather typical Hollywood thing to do, cliché maybe, but cheap fun nonetheless.

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Top Ten Things To Do In Los Angeles PART 1

The city of Angels is an ever-sprawling metropolis where getting from A to B can be a real challenge. This list narrows down the sights, making manoeuvring much easier.

A visit to Los Angeles on California’s sunny coastal stretch is all about immersing oneself in a world of fame, money and opulence in the city famous as the home of Hollywood. Most first impressions of L.A. will be of a surprisingly unremarkable city of unremarkable suburban life. The magic of Hollywood and the extravagance of Beverly Hills are not apparent everywhere in the city; this list tries to narrow down the typical L.A. experience into ten items that will thrill thrill-seekers and entertain almost everyone.

Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

One of Los Angeles most famous sights, the Walk of Fame is in the tourist-centre of the city, on Hollywood Boulevard, near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Kodak Theatre and Sunset Boulevard. While this ‘attraction’ may just be a few hundred red, black and gold stars on the pavement, it is kind of exciting to stand where so many famous celebrities have, on a site known worldwide.

Take a Walk Down Sunset Strip

The Sunset Strip, a section of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, may have lost some of its charm these days, but there’s so much of Hollywood’s history along this section of road that it’s not to be missed. It’s a great place for celebrity sightings, and nearby are such locations as the ‘House of Blues’ Club, The Viper Room, the Walk of Fame, the Kodak and Grauman’s Theatres to name a few of the notable landmarks. The Strip is a little run-down looking now, but that doesn’t prevent it from being a lively night spot full of restaurants, clubs and interesting shops.

The La Brea Tar Pits

While ‘Tar Pits’ may not have a romantic Hollywood ring about it, this sight is actually pretty unique and fascinating. When the Tar Pits were uncovered in Los Angeles, thousands of bones of long-extinct creatures such as mammoths and mastodons were discovered, opening up a long-forgotten part of the regions past. There are few locations like this in the world, where visitors get the chance to see the remains of long-extinct creatures in an amazing museum sitting alongside the famed Tar Pits.

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