Posts Tagged ‘South’

Oliver Stone fires back at critics of his latest, ‘South of the Border’

Oliver Stone fires back at critics of his latest, ‘South of the Border’
LOS ANGELES — It’s a Monday night in Los Angeles , and Oliver Stone is causing trouble.

Read more on Boulder Weekly

The Advantages of Helicopter Charter in South of France

The South of France has always been a popular tourist destination for visitors since decades because of its beautiful sunny weather, its glamorous lifestyle and its beautiful beaches. However, travelling from one destination to another can be a real problem especially if you only have a limited number of vacation days. With the help of a helicopter charter all of your problems would be solved.

The Locations in South of France

Some of the most popular tourist destinations in the south of France are Monaco, Geneva, Nice, St. Tropez and Cannes. All of these locations have something different to offer to visitors and almost everyone has them on their wish list for an ideal holiday. These locations are known for their chic stores, their classy restaurants and of course, the sun and the sand.

However, you do not really have to waste precious hours from your vacations worrying about long queues at the airport, delays in flight timings and the constant travelling that comes with it. If you get the services of a good helicopter company, you would be able to do without all the unruly passengers and fly to the location of your choice, from Monaco to Nice or any other location that you want in a comfortable manner.

The Main Advantages

Chartered helicopters would be able to provide you with plenty of benefits for those who want to take advantage of their services. You would be able to make the most of your short trip to France by visiting as many places as you want since you would save plenty of time on travelling.

Given below are some of the main benefits of helicopter charter:

One of the biggest benefits of travelling this way is that it allows you to enjoy privacy. You do not have to worry about sharing your cabin with anyone else and if you want you would also be able to plan for a special flight for a special occasion.

Chartered services always offer you personalized services. You would be able to enjoy a whole new way of air travel, something which you wouldn’t have experienced before.

You would be able to arrive at your destination in good form and on time so that you never have to miss on any fun at all. You do not have to risk being late when you are travelling on a tight schedule.

Another benefit is that you can avoid any unnecessary overnight stays. With a helicopter company offering you its service whenever you want, you can reach your destination whenever you want.

You would also be able to visit multiple sites in the South of France within one day which is otherwise not possible.

You can travel according to your own time table.

These were some of the main benefits of using the services of a helicopter charter in South of France. The South of France has plenty of destinations to discover. You no longer have to waste your precious vacation time on air travel when you can travel at your own time, in total comfort and style.

Great Things To Do in South of France

Nice Airport Car Rental

Things To Do in The Var Region in France

The Var has an ever-changing landscape, from beautiful coastline with pastel-coloured villas to fertile plains of vineyards and olive groves or spectacular gorges and lakes or rugged back country with old medieval villages perched on hillsides.

The Var has 430km of coastline with many beautiful beaches and bays. One of the most beautiful bays of the Riviera has to be the Golf of St Tropez with its very famous village of the same name.

Ste Maxime is situated on the other side of the bay at the beginning of a spectacular coast road leading to Fréjus with its Roman ruins and the seaside resort of St Raphaël.

Just inland are the villages of Gassin, an ancient fortified village, Ramatuelle, a typical Provençal village and Grimaud with its feudal castle.

Beyond these villages are the Maures Mountains, rich in cork oaks and chestnut trees. The Maures are dotted with traditional villages such as La Garde Freinet, Plan de la Tour and Le Luc.

The Argens Valley runs along the centre of the Var with several Provençal villages, each with its own charm. The medieval village of Les Arcs, Brignoles with the Palace of the Counts of Provence, Draguignan with its war cemetery and interesting museum of Provençal trades and customs, Taradeau, renowned for its excellent rosé wine, and Lorgues with one of the longest avenues of plane trees in Provence.

The Upper Var region has many picturesque villages worthy of a visit. Here, the pace of life is slower and gentler than on the coast and theway of life has unchanged little over the years.

Tourtour, nicknamed’ the village in the sky’, Cotignac, home to many artists, Salernes, capital of hand-made tiles and further east to the hilltop villages of the Fayence region. Fayence is Europe’s largest gliding centre, Montauroux, Mons, Seillans, Bargemon, Claviers and Callas have all preserved their former charm and have a rich cultural and historical heritage.

Things To Do in Alpes Maritimes Region in France
The Alpes-Maritimes has had a turbulent history, with Nice belonging to Italy until 1860. Although it is renowned for its stunning coastline, 80% of the department is mountainous, offering great skiing in the winter, yet only an hour’s drive from the Mediterranean. The landscape changes radically from the coast with turn-of-the-century mansions and luxury villas to craggy peaks and winding roads.

Nice, the capital, is a bustling city with quaint old quarters and a delightful flower market and is set in the beautiful ‘Baie des Anges’ which you can view strolling along the ‘Promenade des Anglais’.

Menton, on the Italian border, is famous for the Lemon Festival, Eze is perched on a hillside with wonderful views of the Mediterranean, Biot and Vallauris are known for their pottery and glasswork, Antibes has its own harbour and hosts the Picasso museum.

Nearby is the Cap d’Antibes with its sumptuous properties and panoramic sea views.

Cannes became known to the English aristocracy during the mid 19th century as a popular holiday resort and has remained so ever since. Away from the coast, the old village of Mougins sits on a hilltop with splendid sea and countryside views.

Valbonne has a pretty main square with 17th century arcades, Sophia Antipolis is a modern technological and industrial centre, Grasse is the capital of perfume-making and is a picturesque town.

Nearby is the Loup Valley where the gorges rank among the most beautiful natural sights of Haute-Provence.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup is a fortified village with sweeping views down to the sea, St Paul-de-Vence is famed for its art galleries and medieval appearance of cobbled streets and ancient ramparts.

Further inland lie the ski resorts of Isola 2000, Valberg and Foux d’Allos.

Things To Do in The Provence Region in France
Provence has long been popular with all nationalities as a place to live or holiday in and one of its major attractions is the climate. Summers are hot, but spring and autumn are very pleasant with warm evenings. Even winter often offers the chance to have lunch on the terrace.

It is a land of contrasting landscapes, from its azur-blue sea and sandy beaches, to lavender fields, olive groves and vineyards, or ski resorts in the Southern Alps.

The Provençal cuisine is legendary, and the Côtes de Provence wines are light and abundant.

It hosts a range of sporting and cultural events, from the Grand Prix of Monaco and the Voiles de St Tropez to the internationally-acclaimed Cannes Film Festival and Nice Carnival to local village fêtes and jazz concerts.

French Car Rental

Travel the Garden Route South Africa

 

Our family simply love it, travel in South Africa is easy for us, we live here. From our base in East London, in the Eastern Cape, we have a short hop through Port Alfred and on to Port Elizabeth. The start (or end) of the Garden Route, it depends which way youâ??re coming from. For this travel article weâ??ll take you from Cape Town toward Port Elizabeth and try and give new visitors to the area an insight into this beautiful part of South Africa.

Many LOCALS RATE this region of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape as one of the prettiest in the South Africa. There are a few arguments perhaps as to where the actual Garden route begins and ends as many say the Garden Route begins as one leaves Cape Town and ends on entering Port Elizabeth, whilst this might be true, the real Garden Route, the most beautiful section anyway, starts from the town of Mossel Bay and ends in Port Elizabeth.

We’ll take you through the route from Cape Town as if you were driving through. The road winds it’s way along the excellent N1 National Road, you won’t see much of the sea until you start the downhill section toward the town of Mossel Bay, passing the Sasol oil refinery, approximately four to five hours easy travel from Cape Town. Mossel bay can be described as a small but historical fishing town, built  on the edge of a beautiful bay. Mossel Bay is currently being re-discoverred  and has re-invented itself as a travel destination. Recently completed additions are the Casino complex; the Pinnacle Point Golf Estate, many residential apartments and accommodation options around Diaz Strand and the recently upgraded Mossel Bay Golf Club. One can either by-pass Mossel Bay on the N2 or take the easy detour through the town. This detour can be extended through the holiday resort villages of Klein Brak and Groot Brak Rivers , popular holiday resorts with many holiday homes, busy over the Christmas season.

Not too far along the highway you will by-pass the George Airport, serviced by SA Express airline and also the town of George and the large Garden Route Shopping Mall, recently built and confirming the role of George as the commercial hub of the Garden Route. George has wonderful examples of South African architecture, illustrating the influence of the Dutch extending from the 1600′s, commonly referred to as Cape-Dutch Architecture. George is the home of the famous Fancourt Golf Estate, a golf and residential complex  where the Presidents Cup competition and many others have been played, if golf is your game, do not miss the more traditional George Golf Club, rated usually in the top ten in the country. If you intend heading for Oudtshoorn and the Karoo, this is where one can turn toward the North.

As you pass George you could take a turn to the right, a lovely little Bay, also a popular surfing spot, known as Victoria Bay and commonly referred to as Vic Bay by the locals, take a break and walk along the road in front of the houses, the writer was once fortunate enough to watch a cormorant (SA sea-bird) fishing a deep pool in chrystal clear water. Just after Vic Bay, some tight turns, a lovely section, through the Kaaimans Pass. Take it slowly and beware of speed restrictions through the turns and you will pop out over Dolphins Point, a great place for a view stop, look out for the schools of Dolphins but if you don’t see any, enjoy the vista of the Kaaimans River Mouth, the Indian Ocean and the Wilderness coastline.

Wilderness started off as a small resort village along one of the many rivers that link a series of lakes around the Wilderness town area and National Park, a nature reserve where water birds are abundant. Wilderness has since expanded with residential and accommodation developments between the N2 and the shoreline. The Wilderness can no longer be described as a small coastal area or resort town due to it’s expansion but it has succeeded in maintaining it’s natural beauty. For a little peace and quiet, particularly if you enjoy birding, walking or mountain biking, the Wilderness is a wonderful place to consider spending a night or two if you are touring or even longer for a family holiday. It is well situated with easy access to the rest of the Garden Route wich can be accessed by shorter day trips.

As you leave the Wilderness area, you will still feel part of the lake region as you travel the short hop, perhaps half an hour, toward the resort town of Sedgefield. Sedgefield is situated toward the end of the lakes and is a small holiday village that stretches out along the edge of the various waterways. Populated by many holiday homes and serviced by a shopping area along the N2, keep a look out for some local shops of interest, the whole area is home to forests and also some extremely able furniture manufacturers that have remained long after the last tree was ever brought down, this no longer being the practice.

A drive along the N2 for approximately twenty km’s takes one along the shores of Lake Pleasant to the turn off to Buffels Baai, or Buffalo Bay. As you drive along look out for the Outeniqua Choo Choo as it’s known, one of the last operating steam trains which plies the route daily between Knysna and George. Just a few minutes from the N2 along a tar road is the resort village of Buffels Baai where a lovely beach, one of the nicest along the Garden Route, lies shelterred in a small bay. An ideal stop over for a swim break, a lovely shop and reataurant and a long beach walk if you need to stretch your legs.

The next town is one of the reasons that makes the Garden Route a destination of choice. As you leave Buffels Baai and return to the N2, you will go up and over steep hill and cross the long bridge over the Knysna River, to your left the hilis and the River, on top of the hill you will see the Simola Golf Estate in the distance , to your right the full expanse of the famous Knysna Lagoon. A lovely scenic road takes one into the Knysna village, once the home of the timber industry in the region, now one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa. Knysna, with it’s Knysna Waterfront; Thesen’s Island; the Heads and Leisure Isle is an exciting holiday town with much to offer the visitor. certainly a good place to make your base as you tour the Gardeb Route. Accommodation options include many Hotels ; Guest Lodges and Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

The short area between Knysna and the next town, Plettenberg Bay has many quaint farm stores selling an assortment of local wares, there are also restaurant and accommodation facilities for those wanting to take their time along this section. One actually turns off the N2 into the holiday mecca of Plettenberg Bay, known to many as the Nice , Cannes, and even the French Riviera of South Africa, Plett, as it is commonly referred to, is the chosen holiday resort of many a well known South African businesses person, teeming with luxury homes, fine restaurants and a lovely, up-market shopping area. Add the mix of two good golf courses, Plettenberg Bay and Goose Valley, the beach, the polo fields and arguably the best weather along the coast and Plettenberg Bay has simply got the recipe just right for an African beach holiday.

One leaves Plettenberg Bay, having perhaps made a visit to the nearby Keurbooms River and lagoon along the N2 toward the Tsitsikamma forests and Nature Reserve. Either take the toll road or if you are not in a hurry, take the older road that passes through the forest and natural terrain, it is suggested you have a map with you, this is certainly the more picturesque route through the village of Natures Valley. At a small village called the Craggs, is the Bird’s of Eden, the largest under cover aviary in the world, set aside and hour or two for this and it’s sister attraction, Monkeyland, both well worth the visit, you must remember to take off your shiny articles, such as earings, some of the birds are a little too playful, a lovely experience not to be missed.

Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve is home to the Storms River Mouth area, camping, chalets and very well positioned along the rugged and exciting coastline. Storms River offers visitors nature walks, some exciting adventures such as tubing on the Storms River, scuba diving in the reserve, abseiling and quad biking for the young at heart.

As you wind your way toward Port Elizabeth, consider stopping over at Jeffries Bay and St Francis, both popular seaside resorts with many holiday homes available for rental.

 

 

YOUR INPUT IS CRITICAL��.. Please send any travel tip or travel idea to info@staysa.co.za  help fellow travellers to enjoy safe and happy travelling. We will gladly assist with travel information or visit the site at www.staysa.co.za where you will find comprehensive travel and accommodation information.

 

 

Alan Hawkins â?? CEO

www.staysa.co.za

Property for Sale South France

At Leapfrog Properties, we have a wide selection of property for sale in Southern France. Whether you are looking for a straightforward investment property in the South of France or a dream home to retire to, take a look at our list of property for sale in the South of France now.

Leapfrog Properties have a great deal of knowledge and expertise in buying property abroad and our specialist advisors are on hand to talk you through the whole process. We have close links with a number of estate agencies across France with a huge choice of affordable property for sale in Southern France.

Why not consider the glamorous Cote D’Azur, famous for its fabulous climate, beautiful beaches and ‘joie de vivre’? Here you will find many new builds in holiday resorts, complete with swimming pools and all mod cons – or more stately ‘fin de siecle’ (turn of the century) apartment buildings on the seafronts of Cannes and Nice. Travel west to the Provencal regions and the property styles change again with medieval fortified villages and rugged country ‘gites’ or cottages, equally popular with tourists.

Our property advisors can talk you through the legal requirements and regulations in purchasing property in the South of France, which can alter from region to region, and can even advise on building work and tradesmen in the area.

If you are searching for that special property for sale in Southern France, call us now for a free, no obligation chat with one of our advisors. Better still, come for a visit to view hundreds of properties on our books and talk to someone face to face.

Browse our website “http://www.leapfrog-properties.com/” to Find and Buy Your Property in France then Search our extensive database now for your ideal property in France then contact us with any further questions or to book a 1-1 consultation.