Sierra Leone

• sept 07 brought about peaceful change of government via ballot box
• superb wildlife watching
• charming resorts in Freetown
• track elephants at Outamba-Kilimi National Park, primates at Tiwai Island wildlife sanctuary

Kyrgyzstan

• horsebound culture, trek out to see petroglyphs
• see kok boru (rugby on horseback, with a dead goat)
• "At Chabysh" horse racing festival held in Barskoon early November
• see Khan Tengri peak
• oral epic poem "Manas"
• alpine meadows of Tian Shan

algeria

• Fly 6/30 23:45 06:35+1 HKG to CDG
• 7/1 in Paris
• 7/2 07:30-08:45 CDG to ALG (2 hr 15 min)
• 7/2, 3, 4 in Algiers
• 7/4 18:55 arrive CDG 22:20
• Return 7/5 CDG to HKG 14:00 07:30+1
• desert oasis town to Timimoun (well set up for travellers, comfortable desert experience without tourist hordes of Morocco or Tunisia)
• Assekrem sunrise atop Tolkienesque atakor plateau
• March/April Fete du Tapis (in Ghardaia – carpet festival)
• go to Tamanraset's le tafsit (end April) celebration of Tuareg culture, camel races in Algeria's deep south
• Oran's festival national de la chanson du rai d'oran in August (world music)
• explore Hoggar mountains by 4wd in the Sahara
• millennia-old Saharan rock art rock art in Tassili N'ajjer (also see La vache qui pleure- the cow that cries, a carved masterpiece @ Tagharghart)
• dune skiing in grand erg oriental
• Roman city of Djemila
• casbah of Algiers (closer to Paris vs. Tamanrasset)
• stay
• Algiers: Hilton, or Sofitel

Kuala Lumpur KL treehouse

sekeping Serendah 45 min north of KL
www.serendah.com

hangzhou China

• Liangzhu Culture Museum 45 min drive from downtown Hangzhou, closed on Mon (a new museum in Hangzhou--showcase for ancient Liangzhu culture)

Longjing
DINNER FOR TWO $98
10 WAI JI LONG SHAN, LONGJING RD.;
86-571/8796-9230

Zhiweiguan
DINNER FOR TWO $100
83 REN HE RD.;
86-571/8701-8638

next trip go to Wuzhen clubhouse, other hotels in area to try: regalia resort suzhou, 4 seasons hangzhou, not in area but to try samatha resort zhangjiajie, Brilliant Resort Kunming, Crowne Plaza Lijiang

uluwatu - Bali's southern Bukit peninsula

• Alila Villas Uluwatu- cliff side property
• www.alilavillas.com $725

or try Alila Villas Soori
CX785 HKG 10:05 DPS 14:50 0 04:45
CX784 DPS 16:00 HKG 20:45 0 04:45

Brazil

Pantanal
http://www.fazendabarrancoalto.com.br/

• the Atlantic forest ( 1 of the richest, tallest & most impressive forests on earth) a haven for blue-chested parakeets, golden-headed lion tamarins & other endemic species
• stay at Ponta dos Ganchos (710 miles south of Rio de Janeiro)
• trekking, whitewater rafting, kayak, sail, snorkel
• www.pontadosganchos.com.br $620

another choice for 09 block leave
Uxua casa
http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/best-new-hotels-2009/8

UXUA Casa HotelHOTEL ABOUT UXUA

YOUR STAY

CASAS

SPA

QUARTZ POOL

GALLERY

HISTORY

DESIGN

WILBERT DAS

PRESS
BEACH BOOKING TRANCOSO TRANCOSO HISTORY

QUADRADO

BEACHES

THINGS TO DO

BARS & RESTAURANTS

GETTING THERE

WEATHER
Getting There
To reach Trancoso, fly to Porto Seguro (multiple connections leave from cities such as Salvador and Sao Paulo daily). From November through February, many charter flights fly directly to Porto Seguro from Europe.

Trancoso is approximately 24 kilometres from Porto Seguro airport, which translates as an hour’s drive due to the scenic, two-lane roads and a short river ferry crossing.