You may have forgotten though that Essaouria was once called Mogador and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city. Who would want to miss seeing something with that much history behind it? Of course you will revel in the old 18th century town and take long, leisurely strolls through ancient Medina. Just think, this old town still showcases the ramparts and fortifications that once protected the city from invaders.

If architecture if your abiding passion, you will have died and gone to heaven in Essaouira where you will be surrounded by amazing carved wooden archways, stunning, yet simple homes featuring deep blue shuttered windows – the ambience is alluring and the scents in the air totally intoxicating.

The other things you will no doubt be unable to resist is a beach visit, and why not, the sun shines for 300 days of the year in Morocco. And if you’re into water sports, the waters near Essaouria are excellent for windsurfing. Imagine surfing the sparkling blue waters while admiring the stunning mountains in the distance.

Shopping is second nature on an Essaouria holiday and will take on a real air of adventure as you scope out the market place for carpets, jewelry and other unique items to take home as personal treasures of your vacation. Don’t forget to check out some of the more popular museums such as the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaire. And, if you love music, this Essaouria holiday will introduce you to some superb examples of African gnaoua music. Now, sit back, relax, and close your eyes and dream of your Essaouria holiday.

There are so many beautiful wonders to explore in a place like this. Whether it is simply a chance for you to get away from the family and find some peace or alternatively take the family with you, there is always something to suite you and the kids fancy. Enjoy!!

Ancient Sands Golf Resort is a luxury, international quality, off-plan residential golf development in situated the Red Sea’s leading luxury destination.

The buyers who purchase in the early stages of development will access to a one-time pre-launch opportunity, to secure their choice of the Hilltop Village first phase units with the cost of the properties during the pre-launch of this exceptional development being 10% lower than at launch, with additional price increases scheduled before Hilltop Village completion meaning that early investors will benefit from good capital growth.

The development is 22 km north of Hurghada International airport square meters, where the properties are set around an 18-hole Karl Litten designed championship golf course and golf club estate house.

You can choose from a selection of Luxury three, four and five bedroom villas all surrounding the golf course and fantastic lagoons that flow out to the Red Sea. The heart of the development, the Hilltop Village, is home to studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments and two bedroom townhouses.

These spacious homes have ample terraces that benefit from excellent views of the Coast and beautiful beaches as well as the stunning red tinted mountains and of course the lush Gold course and greens.

Ancient Sands Facilities & Amenities

18-hole Karl Litten designed championship golf course
Golf Club Estate House
Bars and Restaurants exclusive to the resort
Stunning swimming pools
Holistic 5 star Spa Centre
Children’s play areas & club
Library & Business Centre
Shops
Tennis School
Top class Quintessentially managed concierge

EL GOUNA
Today, El Gouna is home to 14 spectacular hotels, ranging from smaller cosy guest houses to deluxe five-star accommodation. The town is built along 10 kilometres of some of the best coast along the Red Sea and is spread across many islands, interlinked by beautiful lagoons. Neighbourhoods of attractive villas and apartments are a hive of activity with many interesting people from artists, sports enthusiasts and people from all over the world, bustle with the activity of entrepreneurs, artists, sports enthusiasts and families from all over the world, who have made El Gouna their home. For these reasons and many more El Gouna is one of the most sought after Egypt property destinations today.

El Gouna at A Glance

El Gouna occupies a land area of 36.8 million square metres, of which 10.8 million square metres are currently developed

The resort has some 20 islands surrounded by beautiful lagoons

There are two existing marinas with a new super yacht marina scheduled to open during 2008

El Gouna is currently home to 10,000 people

El Gouna is proud to have a Green Globe1 certification

The architecture has won awards and said to be some of the best in Egypt

You can enjoy dining in a selection of over 100 Bars, cafes and Restaurants

Ancient sands is a brand new Egypt investment property opportunity that has just been launched in El Gouna and as such is set to attract many international investors.

You are taken up to the top of the mountain, or drive in a hire car, to the car park at the visitor centre. The journey through the park is the start of the experience. It is described as being a lunar scene and that is honestly the im pression that you do get as you gaze across fields of solidified volcanic lava that have been untouched since they were laid down. The area is now a protected park to help preserve this landscape.

Once you arrive at the car park at the top of the visitor center there are plenty of uniformed guides to entertain you. They will demonstrate how a bucket of water emptied down into a bore hole erupts seconds later as steam, heated ashtonishingly quickly just by the temperature of the rocks below the ground. Another favorite demonstration is to place some brushwood into the rocks and then it is pulled out burning not long later. Again, this is just the heat of the rocks.

Also within the visitor centre is a fairly unique restaurant. There are no standard ovens. Instead the food is cooked from the heat given off by a hole in the rocks. The demonstrations of the heat given off from the subterranean rocks are certainly varied!

There is also a guided coach tour from the visitor center that shows tourists a little more of the area and the rock formations. All of this makes Timanfaya, Fire Mountain, worthy of a visit!

A favorite spot to visit, especially for my little girl, is the Cactus Garden, designed by local artist Cesar Manrique. There are a wide selection of cactus plants on show, well over a thousand species in fact, in this sunken display that can be sheltered from the hottest of the elements. There is also a restored white windmill to visit within the gardens, which includes the site’s café for a welcome refreshment or snack.

Also worth a quiet visit is El Golfo, a semi-circular volcanic crater. The crater has been half erroded by the sea, hence not being complete, and filled with sea water that has filtered through the black sand that separates the sea from the crater. The water in the crater has created a green lagoon, which is the result of the algae thriving in the water and it contrasts spectacularly with the surrounding black sand.

Another favorite, and the destination of many coach tours, is the Cave of Los Verdes. These are a complex of underground caves that were left in the lava some 3,000 years ago and were used as shelter to the early inhabitants when the pirates of old came sacking. They are well worth a visit, even if only to discover what the secret is of Lanzarote. You only get to see it by visiting the cave and I’m not about to tell you now!

Those words from the popular song evoke images of sandy beaches, sun splashed shores, fruit drinks and palm trees. Great holiday vision! But hey, a good holiday could be a trek up a mountain, a bike ride through the countryside, a stay in India learning other customs or a cottage at the beach.

The nice thing about holidays is that each one is a personal memory and a personal choice of what people want to do. It’s usually a decision founded on adventure, the thrill of seeing things not seen before, or just the idea of sitting in the sunshine with a drink, doing sweet nothing. Whatever motivates you for a holiday is simply and superbly just the right ticket for the moment.

Is there one place that would appeal to your heart more than another? Perhaps the mystery of the tombs of the pharaohs in Egypt? Or opt for the extreme contrasts of the Morocco landscape at various times of the year. Visit Kasbahs, see the camels, glory in the differences of the culture. Oh yes, consider it all when you’re planning to see the sights of some of the more exotic locations in the world.

What vacation would be a true vacation without going to places where the language is unusual, the weather is the polar opposite of your sub-zero home town and the people have the most interesting way of cooking – shall we say very different delicacies. These are the things a true vacation are made of, the things that give you a memory quilt in your brain when you get home. Revel in it. Your options for travel are limitless.

Just imagine if you were actually in that environment meeting all the different people and experiencing their culture, living their world and eating their food. Truly breathtaking to see how other people in the world live, the different contrast and how they experience life!

It is not always the financial aspects however that defines the difference between private and group tours. You may happily be able to afford either one so choose one in line with your preferences rather than in line with your wallet. The choice of tours can make a great difference to the quality of your trip. Get the choice wrong and you could be bickering with loved ones all the way, get it right and a magical vacation full of fun and entertaining tours will become apparent.

So what are the considerations to make when deciding between private and group tours for your vacation? Here are a few pointers for lost travellers.

The first reason to choose group rather than private tours is if you are travelling alone. Sometimes travelling alone can be ultimately fun, but if you feel that you may get bored or even feel lonely then group tours are the perfect solution to meet people and find great times. The people on your tour can be from all over the world giving you a microcosm of the globe all on one tour bus. In addition, women who are travelling to less well developed countries will benefit from the security that group tours bring over private ones.

For those with a logical mind group tours offer the best way to see all of the sites quickly efficiently. Tour guides will have a strictly laid out itinerary that must be stuck to, meaning that you as a traveller see as many of the sites as possible while on your vacation. While members of your party may well be photo happy, do not fear, you will not be held up by their incessant snapping; the tour guide will soon drag them along so they can adhere to the schedule.

In some European countries private tours can cost as much as double as the group ones. While those travelling in large families may find it a cost effective measure to go private, smaller families and couples will definitely find group touring a more appealing option.

Despite the increased cost, there are many travellers who use private tours for a variety of reasons.

One of these is that a private tour will enable you to control your itinerary, laying out exactly what sites you want to see and schedule for this sightseeing. Going private does not necessarily mean that you are a control freak; it just means that you like to have flexibility in the way you travel. It may be an option, if you cannot afford private tours to look into the different group schedules to see how much flexibility is available to you.

If you prefer to avoid the usual tourist traps a private tour guide is the ideal solution to seeing unique attractions, and even the chance to sample the local pass times. Another benefit of private tours are that they enable you to enjoy your vacation without having to put up with other members of the group that you may dislike, for those with a short temper this can be considered a powerful lure.

So wherever you are vacationing weigh the benefits of private and group tours. Whether you are looking for a totally unique trip or just want to see the sights as quickly as possible both can fulfil a need. While cost may be a factor, it is worth remembering that your vacation time is of high value to you, do not miss the chance to relax and enjoy yourself, no matter how you decide to tour your destination.

The official name of South Africa is the Republic of South Africa. This country shares its borders with Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland. It is also surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. South Africa is a proud member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It has the largest economy in the whole of Africa and is the twenty fourth largest in the whole world. All these things make South Africa the most economically, infrastructural and socially developed country in Africa.

South Africa is also known as the tourist paradise as it has many tourist attractions. It has a natural beauty including mountain ranges, beautiful beaches and the parks are simply stunning. If you are planning to spend your holidays in this country then you are going to have a great vacation. You can choose to stay in a holiday villa by the beach, rent a self catering holiday apartment in the city or even rent a lodge in one of South Africa ’s game reserves.

You can start your trip in the world famous Kruger National Park. This park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Africa and tourists are enchanted by its natural beauty. It is famous for its wild animals and tourists can see lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes. The park also offers some of the most stunning scenery in Africa. Many holiday makers then visit the Sabie River that flows just next to the park.

South Africa has some amazing water falls and one of the most visited is the Augrabies Falls. The Augrabies Falls is set in a beautiful location and the best time to visit is in the Spring as at that time the fall has a lot of water. Most tourists love this place and then choose to visit the Blyde River Canyon afterwards. While there they can relax and admire the natural beauty of the region.

Garden Route is known as the paradise of South Africa. This route starts from the Mossel Bay and reaches Port Elizabeth. Tourists like to go there and admire the beautiful scenery and natural vegetation. There are several opportunities for hiking available in almost every park in South Africa. But the only think that you need to take care of is the high temperature. Here, you can also enjoy some adventure sports like mountain climbing and tracking.

Your South African trip is incomplete without a visit to Durban. This place offers you a lot of opportunities to enjoy the sun and the beach. When in Durban you can rent a holiday villa by the beach or if you want a more hectic pace of life you can rent a self catering holiday apartment in the city itself.

When you get tired of beaches, you can try your hand at surfing in South Africa. Jeffrey Bay is a very popular place with surfers and it is well worth a trip there to try your hand at surfing. There are also some great holiday homes available to rent in this area during your stay in South Africa.

South Africa is a great country to visit for a holiday and has so much to offer tourists. There are some great holiday homes throughout South Africa that can be rented as holiday accommodation. Many tourists come to South Africa and rent a holiday villa and say that it was one of the best holidays that they have ever had.

Egypt offers unique investments opportunities and very good capital appreciation potential in a real estate market which is still in its infancy.

Egypt is in a privileged geographical location, at the juncture of Africa and Asia. It occupies an area of just under one million square kilometers and has a population of over 85 million. The weather is hot in the summer and mild in the winter although the summer is long which equally longer rental periods through out the year.

It is along the[/spin] Red Sea coast that is seeing a large amount of tourist demand and touristic property resorts and Egypt investment property aimed at the overseas investors.

The Red Sea in Egypt occupies an area of 270,000 Km2 and has a coastline of 1930 Km and the highest mountain in Egypt ‘Mount Sinai” (2285m/7500ft). The Red Sea is a basin enclosed in the north by the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba and in the south by the strait of Babel- Mandeb which separates it from the Indian Ocean.

One of the newest Egypt property development just launched in one of Egypt if not Egypt top end resort along Egypt’s Red Sea called El Gouna is The Ancient sands Resort.

Ancient Sands

Ancient Sands Golf Resort offers a variety of exclusive properties, carefully positioned in its beautifully designed and landscaped gardens comprising of studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments and two bedroom townhouses as well as luxury three, four and five bedroom villas which are surrounding the golf course and beautiful lagoons that flow to the sea.

These spacious homes are built with ample terraces and balconies with superb views across red tinted mountains, lagoons, clear waters of the Red Sea and the fairways of the championship golf course.

The Ancient Sands Golf Resort is a gated development with a wide range of facilities which include an 18-hole Karl Litten designed championship golf course, Holistic first class Spa Centre, exclusive restaurants and bars as well as swimming pools, tennis academy, children’s play area and much more. Located in the world famous town of El Gouna, one of the Red Seas premier leisure destinations, El Gouna property is very desirable and most developments have a waiting list especially for luxury villas.

The development is being built by a proven team of developers, planners, architect and contractors ensuring build and stature blend in with the surrounding scenery. The unique buildings are arranged with Nubian style domes, tower features and terraced galleries.

Ancient Sands really is a superb new resort in an excellent position and is set to be one of the best [spin]Egypt property investment opportunities today.| new property investment opportunities currently available in Egypt.

The resort boasts an excellent Aqua centre for water sports including a diving centre with diving school, equipment rental and safari-trips. The resort also has a dock for private boats & diving and a marine footbridge for swimmers.

The central area of the development itself has 3 spacious swimming pools surrounded by nice green and lush landscaped gardens as well as a children’s playground.

The resort also offers private gardens, a gym and a range of retail units including a supermarket, restaurants and cafes. The resort also has 24 hour medical facilities and a pharmacy as well as all the usual amenities like a laundrette.

This is an excellent Egypt property investment opportunity, the main investment points as of November 2008 are as follows.

Investment points

Fantastic capital appreciation
High rental income up to 1400 per week anticipated
Easy payment structure
10% initial payment
100% repatriation of funds
0% inheritance tax
Income tax reduced to 10% – 20%

Hurghada
Hurghada, known in Egypt as Ghardaga, located 440km from Cairo was at one time just a simple fishing village. But now, with its crystal clear water, untouched reefs and a number of shipwrecks , it has become one of the best Egyptian tourist destinations, frequented by travellers from most of thye main western European countries and some eastern European including Russia.

Hurghada town centre features traditional bazaars, mosques and the lively atmosphere reflects typical Egyptian life.

Hurghada is world famous as a centre for a selection of the world’s best diving. Within a couple of hours from your apartment you will be within a group of islands that are the home to dive sites guaranteed to astound even the most experienced divers.

Type of properties
The resort offers 3 types of Hurghada properties, 3 bedroom villas, studios & 1 bedroom apartments.

3 bed villa
The 3 Bedroom Villas are very luxurious and have 3 floors, the ground floorhas a lush garden leading to the main entrance of the villa where you will find the living room, kitchen, laundrette, guest bathroom, and multipurpose room.

On the first floor is where you will find the master bedroom with on suite bathroom along with another two bedrooms and a bathroom with additional shower cabin.

The third floor features open air environments including a Solarium, Barbeque, and Pergola.

One Bedroom Apartment
The Waterhouse one bed apartments are situated on a private beachfront location with the total access to all the resorts facilities including 3 swimming pools, spa & gym, games room and landscaped gardens.

Studio apartment
The Waterhouse studio apartments are also situated in a prime location with good access to the private beach and the full range of resort facilities.

The waterfront project is one of the newest and finest Hurghada properties to be released onto the market and offer potential holiday markers and property investors an excellent opportunity to own a premier property right on the Red Sea in a superb location.

World Renowned Destination
The Red Sea Riviera is a world renowned destination for tourists from around the world with a unique combination of history along side all of the attractions of a modern holiday resort.

Oasis Marina
One the best Egypt investment property developments’ currently being marketed and sold to overseas investors is Oasis Marina.

Oasis Marina is a luxury new beachfront development located in the rapidly emerging Al Ahyaa area between Hurghada and El Gouna. Oasis Marina is to operate as a holiday resort and investors can choose from a selection of luxurious fully furnished and spacious studio, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments with spectacular sea views.

Concept
Unique lifestyle for unique people. A concept blended between contemporary and Egyptian architecture inspired by its surroundings and upon completion will be a flagship of luxury and sophistication.

This brand new beachfront development will include luxurious and spacious studios, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments each having a unique design to fit perfectly into the master plan and delicately located to take advantage of the stunning sea views.

The main focal point is the fifty thousand sq.m private beach area at the front of the resort whilst the sprawling swimming pools positioned within the resort will form safe pedestrianised islands within the lush landscaped gardens.

The resort also has a state-of-the-art spa centre with indoor heated pool, spa, solarium and massage giving property owners and guests ample opportunity to relax in a magical atmosphere of pampering and indulgence.

You will also find a range of quality and trendy shops as well as excellent restaurants, cocktail bars and a stage for night time entertainment which all adds to the adds to the exceptional variety of recreational amenities available.

Night time arrives and for the more adventurous a trip to the local shops, restaurants, bars and clubs and a even a stroll along the beautiful and tranquil sea front is sure to please completing the truly unique lifestyle experience.

Luxury Holiday Destination
Situated in the fast developing Al Ahyaa district to the north of Hurghada, just 3km from the luxury resort of El Gouna, with its famous lagoons, world-class golf courses and superb Marina. These Hurghada properties are being developed in answer to the vision of a luxury holiday resort on this magnificent stretch of coastline within close proximity to Hurghada International Airport.

Oasis Marina is ideally located to benefit from the privileged setting overlooking a newly zoned promenade stretching around the spectacular bay, Oasis Marina stroll along the beach for miles enjoying the spectacular views knowing that there luxury apartments is minutes away.

Tunisia has long been established as a tourist destination with many direct and indirect flights from the UK and Europe it kind of makes sense to open up the real estate market to foreign nationals. It offers some of the finest pristine beaches on the Mediterranean especially for a small country. The north, particularly near Ain Draham, has large oak forests and lakes, making it feel more like Europe than Africa.

Tabarka is emerging as the flagship resort in the north of Tunisia , while the charming old port town of Bizerte is currently thinking about whether or not it wants to become a thriving tourist resort or keep its quaintness and remain a sleepy fishing town.

For more than 3000 years, Tunis, the which is the capital city of Tunisia has been one of the great cities of the Mediterranean and it still has plenty to offer.

Carthage is one of the best known of Tunisia’s archaeological sites on the outskirts of the capital. Founded in 814 BC by the Phoenicians, by the fourth century BC, Carthage had become the centre of their vast maritime empire. In 146 BC it was destroyed by the Romans who only 25 years later began rebuilding on the same site to become the 3rd largest city of the Roman empire. Today ancient ruins still remain and are a firm favourite with visiting tourists.

Here is a list of the some of the main factor attracting investors:

• Established and thriving tourism market
• Ranked as the 32nd most competitive economy in the world 2008
• Most politically and economically stable country in all of Africa
• The level of inflation is stable and low
• Tunisia is receiving a good high level of DFI (Direct Foreign Investment)
• Dubai’s largest property developers have just started to massive investments in Tunisia
• The transportation and infrastructure is excellent
• Tunisia is only 3 hours away from the UK and less than 2 hours from Europe
• Tunisia has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU
• Being an emerging market in its infancy the price of property is still very low
• High Rental Yields
• The most stable country on the
• Very cosmopolitan society
• Modern thinking nation
• Superb all year round good weather
• Tunisia has seven international airports
• New airport under construction which will be the largest in Northern Africa and scheduled for completion in 2009

In our opinion Tunisia property investment has a lot of potential and is extremely attractive and worth further investigation. New developments are about to be launched which will put Tunisia well and truly on the international property investment map.