LOST CITY FOUND UNDER WATER: Dwarka, India

I often wonder how many lost cities there actually are out there and especially ones that have sunken into the sea over time. We sometimes hear of these fascinating cities being uncovered by scientists, divers and even general members of the public.

The remains of a 9,500 year old city in the Bay of Cambay in India has been uncovered 120 feet underwater along with some human parts! The five mile long and two mile wide place known as Dwarka or The Golden City is believed to have been home to Krishna the Hindi god.

It was a just by a stroke of luck this find was discovered as oceanographers were actually conducting a survey of pollution.
This has thrown out all the research done by scientists that had findings from the area from 5,000 years ago. Going back another 4,500 years has forced them to think again about their theories on the history of civilization there.

The debris that was taken from the site were parts of walls, building material, pottery, sculptures, beads and human bones and teeth that exposed the site was 9,500 years old when carbon dated.

It is said the city was sank in the last Ice when the ice caps melted. As devastating as it all sounds doesn't it make you want to go back into time to see how it all happened and what the city was like when it was full of people?

SEARCH FOR CHEAP FLIGHTS, HOTELS & CAR HIRE

There are a lot of cheap flights providers out there, but do you often find yourself having to search on separate websites to find hotels, car hire and other travel information ?

You don't find many sites that offer an all in one service like this where you can search from one website. That's why I like WhichAirline.com.

From wherever you need to fly out to around the world whether it be USA to India, London to Paris flights or the hundreds of other locations across the globe you will be able to compare prices with all airlines.

That's another thing that draws me to this website is that fact that some of these companies will only give you prices for travel providers who have paid for placement to be included on their site. But WhichAirline.com shows you all of them so you can be confident you will be getting the best possible price.
Doing a search is simple just by selecting your destination and dates of travel. If you know the specific city you're travelling to and from or the actual airport you need it makes it easier for you. However if you don't a handy map will pop up that allows you to select up to 10 locations that you feel would be suitable and you can go on from there.

A summary list of matches will then come up in less than a minute where you will be able to view the times available for inbound/outbound flights, see if it's a direct flight or transfer(s), baggage allowance ,if onboard refreshments are available and more importantly the price which you can compare and filter by the lowest cost, flight duration, departure or return time.

Plus if you can be a bit flexible with your days you can always use the 'adjacent days' option to see if the price changes much. You could find a better deal for the day before or after you never know!

As well as the flight search you can use the useful tools on the website to search airlines if you have a particular one you prefer to travel with, see what hotels are available and check car hire prices.

I quite liked the idea of the airline search as each one you select gives you all the details you need to know about that company such as where they are based, the locations they fly out to and some even have photos of the planes, cabins and inflight refreshments available which I found to be really thoughtful as at least you know what to expect don't you?

Another useful section is the news tab where you can find out tips like how to avoid jet lag, lost luggage and information for people with disabilities amongst others.

Have a look at this cool information packed website to find out more. You can also follow WhichAirline on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe to their feed for the latest news and offers.

ABANDONED MEDIEVAL CITY: Mandu, India

If you're a lover of historical buildings and ruins then Mandu would be the perfect place to look around. Once home to a Royal family it's hard to imagine how anyone could bear to abandon this stunning place.

The ancient capital that's based south of Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Indiahas sat empty for about 400 years where royal palaces, mosques ,mausoleums, tombs, pavilions, gateways, lakes and rivers lie. In fact one of the buildings: The Tomb of Hoshang Shah was said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.

The Tomb of Hoshang Shah

Gypsy tribes now camp out and live on the hilltop plateau. And as well as being a popular tourist spot for travellers the The Nil Kanth Palace is a main pilgrimage point for those who worship the Hindu goddess Shiva.
It seems such a shame that the place was abandoned because the capital of Malwa was moved back to Dhar. It looks like it would have been a fantastic place to live in it's prime.

WIN TICKETS TO ROCK FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

In your best rock voice people ..."We will, we will rock you!" ... And with that I'm calling all the true rockers out there to let you know about the Rock en Seine festival.

This is a 3 day event just 10km outside Paris where you an your mates can camp out, perch yourself at the bar, eat all the snacks you like and of course jump up and down to your favourite act (best not to on a full stomach mind ha ha). Big names like The Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys The Kills, The Wombats, Miles Kane, Deftones amongst others will be entertaining you throughout the day from about 14.30pm till after 23.30pm, so you may want to take a packed lunch or three if you're one of the full-dayer's!
If you're thinking yes yes that's so me - tell me more!, you will be pleased to know French music information provider's Francophonik and sponsors Eurolines are holding a fantastic competition at the moment, where you can get exclusive tickets for free as well as other events. And it's so easy to enter. All you have to do is like the Francophonik Facebook page, go to the competition area and tick the box of the event that you want to enter.

The festival will run from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th August so gives you plenty of time to get your camping gear and spends together. If you're not really feeling the whole camping experience you could always check into one of the nearby hotels. Also you can get one day passes for a less hardcore experience! But I personally think the 3 day passes would make a fun weekend away for any music fan. You may only get the opportunity to do this once before you decide 'I'm too old for all this now' as my mom would say!
The Rock en Seine festival has been going strong since 2003 with last year selling out, so I'd get in there as fast as you can.

iPhone and Android owners can download a Rock en Seine application to get all the information on the festival and download a map of the venue including the different scene stages, toilets, bar and snack areas (essential stuff that!).

From the Facebook fan page you can also see tips, news and offers about whats happening in France and where the best places are to be at music wise like french gigs in the UK and festivals in France as well as any upcoming sports, arts events and more.

Ooh this gives me little tingles thinking about the festival and the competition. I love The Foo Fighters! What if I win? What if you win? Will you go anyway if you don't win? All this excitement is too much. I best start sorting my camping gear out of the loft!

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SEARCH FOR THE BEST HOTELS IN LONDON

Some people end up having bad experiences in hotels if they haven't booked it themselves. Going through an agent is great for some but I like to be able to book online to choose my own hotel and not a package deal.

London is a place I enjoy visiting often. But for how popular the city is you can imagine how many hotels there would be. So when I'm looking for the best hotels in london I like to go to online hotel reservation provider Horse21.

From here once you've found the hotel you like you can book it instantly and you will find that the rates are lower than if you were to book at the hotel direct as special rates are given by many hotels to Horse21 customers.

The summary list easily lets you select the hotels that catch your eye as they are listed by a star class rating and price. And once you click into them for more information you will be shown all the hotels facilities, nearby locations of interest such as motorways/landmarks, a map of the area, see starting prices, check the availability and read reviews from previous occupants.

You can even put any special wishes you require for your room in the comments field when booking.

FIVE STAR CANADIAN BC RESORTS

How does the idea of fishing in world famous salmon-filled waters, getting up close to dolphins, sea lions, bears and riding ocean rapids sound to you ?

This is just a few of the fun adventures BC Resorts can offer you on their luxury Canadian resort. Its that good it was voted in first place for trip Adviser's Travellers' Choice 2011 Awards.

The all inclusive wilderness lodge accommodation and facilities are all five star rated and with its award winning Storey Creek Golf Course and world-class spa services and treatments you can really take the time to relax and indulge yourself here.

LONDON APARTMENT FINDING SPECIALIST

London is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United Kingdom so there will be plenty of different london apartments and other accommodation to choose from.

If you're planning to stay here for a short break instead of looking around your typical hotel booking sites that list everything (even the worst rated hotels) try the London & Worldwide Apartment Booking Service for a more personal experience.

You can expect to get a free one to one service with special rate offers coming from people who have an extensive knowledge of London and can find you the best centrally located london apartment to suit your needs.

UNUSUAL ASPEN MAGIC MUSHROOM VACATION HOME

There seems to be many beautiful unusual homes around the world and this Aspen Magic Mushroom home in Colorado can easily be added to the list.
Building started work on the 5 bedroom 12 level home by it's original owner Andre Ulrych in1973 using moss rock, rustic wood and stained glass. The design was inspired by a nautilus shell. There are several stairways and ladders that lead to the different spaces.
To get to the master bedroom you would have to climb through a four an half foot rock wall opening. Then once inside there is a round water bed, soaking tub, a shower that can be seen from the above bedroom balcony and carpet stapled to the ceiling.
The house is now a vacation home for Peter and Patty Findlay. The previous owners were Playboy model Barbi Benton and her husband and it's known for being a bit of a love pad! Looks lovely doesn't it? I wonder if they rent out to the public? - Probably not, would you?

JEEP CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY WITH NEW CAR & CHALLENGE

Its been an impressive 70 years since car manufacturers JEEP started trading giving us road worthy cars that can handle the hardest on and off tracks. And now they want to show they are better than ever by celebrating their anniversary with a new model: The Jeep ® Wrangler Unlimited Sahara and by sponsoring Alex Bellini's LA - NY Footrace 2011 challenge.

Alex on the 8th stage of his run from Needles to Kingman, Arizona

If you didn't know Alex is an Italian athlete who will be travelling across the USA joined by 20 competitors on a 5,000 km race journey from Los Angeles to New York. The 70 stage race has already began on June 19th and will run through (get it run through!?) to August 27th, 2011. They will be up against the tough Nevada desert heat and freezing New Mexico temperatures. Just in case you didn't know how hard this is each stage is its about 70 km - meaning that's around 120 marathons in just 2 ½ months! Someone is going to need some much needed rest after that! You can find out more and follow the progress of the challenge including pictures and videos (one video featured at bottom of this post) via The newJeep ® Portal website http://www.jeep-people.com. From here you can also find out about Jeep's history and even submit your own challenge idea. Have you got the J Factor you think?

Of course the challenge wouldn't be right without a support team following along in the sponsor's Jeep ® Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. After all the brand and challenge represent each other perfectly by promoting adventure, freedom, authenticity and passion.

The unique 4x4 has an open air design that makes the outdoor experience extra special, a powerful 3.8 V6 petrol engine, automatic temperature controls, a premium sound system and custom tread Rubicon 32-inch BFGoodrich® off-road tires for battling against all weathers and those sharp rocks. Just looking at the pictures here makes me want to get in and drive it already!

To get more updates on the challenge, cars and the latest news you can follow Jeep's Twitter Page and 'like' Jeep on Facebook.

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STRANGE THINGS FOUND IN HOTEL ROOMS

Shark in a bath tub

A guest went fishing and caught a shark. Instead of putting it back he kept it and put it in the hotel bath tub without thinking it actually needed sea salt water. The shark became weak and the guest fled. Luckily the shark survived and was put back into the sea.

False Teeth

A UK holiday maker left her false teeth in a Barcelona hotel and asked for them to be sent back recorded delivery.

A book with a secret compartment

A Cyprus hotel found a book with a strange blank cover and an unusual language written inside. There was also a locked box inside which appeared to have no keyhole.

Artificial Legs

A couple of British hotels have found several artificial legs in their rooms over the years.

Corpse

A UK hotel discovered a human body in the hotel room wardrobe leaving the guest that checked out non surprisingly under suspicion!

Dog

The poor thing was left behind at the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte near Pisa.

Cockatoo

The cockatoo was left in its cage in a luxury Tenerife hotel. It was later returned to its owners on a private jet paid for by the owners.

20,000 euros

The stash of cash was found in the hotel room drawer. The couple who were about to check into their flight were contacted in time and returned - abandoning their flight and ended up staying an extra night at the hotel.

PHILIPPINE HOTEL & TRAVEL GUIDE

There are plenty of hotel booking sites and travel guides for different places around the world. But I prefer to look at specific destinations and a website that just features hotels in that particular country.

For instance the Philippine Hotel & Travel Guide that has information on Boracay, Manila, Puerto Galera, Tagaytay hotels and more. From here you can search for hotels to suit your needs and budget and even book online right from the website.

Tagaytay was particularly interesting to me. I had heard a lot about it and wondered what the fascination was. Just looking at the pictures of the hotels and surroundings alone makes it seem so beautiful. I was fascinated to learn there is the Taal Volcano nearby and that the climate is cool enough to enjoy your holiday without feeling too hot - especially in the Summer.

Searching for a suitable hotel is easy just by putting in your dates of arrival and number of people travelling. You are then presented with a list of hotels - each one having various pictures and details on the accommodation, facilities, map of the area, local points of interest and any promotions, deals or events the hotel is having.

The accommodation can be anything from discount to 5 star hotels making it ideal for people on different budgets.