January 12, 2010 by sacuanjoche.

Published Date: 12 January 2010

By Janet Christie

Whether it’s the spectacular mountains of Nepal, the excitement of the World Cup in South Africa, hanging with the jet set in Marrakech or the thrill of exploring the ‘beating heart’ of the Amazon, make sure you visit one of our top ten in 2010

1 KYOTO World leaders have a habit of meeting in picturesque places so it’s no surprise the city that gave the world the Kyoto protocol on climate change is one of the prettiest. Its spot in the headlines has also given a boost to what was already one of Japan’s most popular destinations.

The centre of Japanese culture for centuries, this ancient city is full of lantern-lit alleyways, elegant machiya-style houses, gardens, shrines and temples. February is a great time to visit as local restaurants join in a Winter Special event and the Setsubun festival, where beans are scattered to drive away demons that symbolise illness and disaster, also takes place. In March ‘Hinamatsuri’, where dolls are decorated in hope of the healthy growth of girls, provides the entertainment and in July, the Gion festival, with its decorated floats, shinto rituals and costumes, is an annual draw.

For accommodation, try Matsubaya Ryokan (www.matsubayainn.com), first opened in 1885 and completely rebuilt in 2008 with Japanese-style rooms costing from £90 a night, or the Hiiragiya Ryokan (www.hiiragiya.co.jp), with rates from around £100 per person.

Fly Edinburgh to Osaka with Air France (www.airfrance.co.uk) from £449, then it’s under an hour by rail to Kyoto.

2 MOROCCO Cheaper than other North African countries, Morocco offers excellent value. Marrakech, with its minarets and bazaar, is big on atmosphere, while the nearby Atlas mountains provide an insight into village life.

Or follow in the footsteps of Jimi Hendrix and enjoy the more relaxed vibe of Essaouira, a fishing port on the Atlantic coast where the windy climate has made it a mecca for windsurfers and water sports fans. June is a good time to visit to catch the Gnawas Music Festival, a celebration of the music played by people in the south of the country, and the town is a haunt for local artists.

If you’re Naomi Campbell or equally minted, why not check in to the Kerzner Mazagan Beach Resort (www.mazaganbeachresort.com) 90km south of Casablanca, opened by the supermodel last year and an oasis of pampering and golf.

See Imaginative Traveller (0845 077 8802, www.imaginative-traveller.com) for a selection of Moroccan trips that include those tailored for families.

3 SOUTH AFRICA This is South Africa’s year, especially if you love the beautiful game, as it plays host to the World Cup in June. From Polokwane in the north to Cape Town in the south, the nine host cities have a wealth of attractions besides the footie, where any of the eight seeded teams could carry off the cup, although tickets for outsiders Ivory Coast or Chile are also worth having, according to former German coach Jürgen Klinsman.

Polokwane offers the chance to explore the Ndebele village where the women adorn themselves and their homes, Durban has the Beachfront fan park with its huge screen and one of the world’s top ten family beaches according to the latest edition of Lonely Planet’s Travel With Children, while Cape Town has Table Mountain, Robben Island and some of the finest vineyards in the Cape. See www.fifa.com for information on the host cities as well as the games. Flights from Scotland start from around £500 with various airlines.

4 BULGARIA Bulgaria is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets thanks to four decades of communism preceded by five centuries of Ottoman rule. However, a member of the EU since 2007, it has now come in from the cold. Massive foreign investment has sparked a building boom that, along with fears of overdevelopment in environmental quarters, has also seen increasing numbers of foreign tourists.

With forested mountains in the west sweeping down to endless coastlines in the east, it has both winter and summer holiday potential. Skiing is cheaper than in the Alps, while the east has both purpose-built and traditional seaside resorts and some of the best beaches in Europe. East meets West in this fascinating part of the Balkans. For families there are beach resorts, such as the purpose-built Thomson Holidays’ Sunny Beach at Borgos (www.thomson.co.uk); city breakers can enjoy the culture of its cosmopolitan capital Sofia; and hikers flock to the trails and horse-riding routes through the lush mountains that are still home to bears and lynx.

In Sofia, onion-domed churches, Ottoman mosques and Red Army monuments rub shoulders with shiny new shopping centres and hotels and clubs. It isn’t the cleanest, most organised city in Europe, but if you want to party there are 300 bars, restaurants, discos and cafes in a radius of less than 2km and the Metropolitan Hotel (www.metropolitanhotelsofia.com), where doubles are around £79 a night. Flights from Edinburgh with Air France (www.airfrance.co.uk) start from £244.

5 ISTANBUL Turkey’s biggest city bridges Asia and Europe, physically and culturally. One of the largest cities in the world with around 15 million inhabitants, it’s a bustling sprawl of a place on both sides of the Bosphorus and is this year’s European Capital of Culture.

Any visit must include Istanbul’s most important Byzantine monument, the Church of the Holy Wisdom, with its 30m dome and a cruise along the river to admire the skyline, a wander round the Grand Bazaar, followed by a massage at 18th-century Cagaloglu Hamami.

For accommodation with a differnce, stay at the Four Seasons Hotel (www.fourseasons. com), formerly the infamous Sultanahmet prison that featured in Midnight Express, at £200 a night, although those with an overactive imagination might prefer the boutique Anemon Galata (www.anemonhotels.com) with its elegant Ottoman suites and excellent views at £90 a night. Flights from Edinburgh to Istanbul with Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) start from £166.

6 NEPAL One of the most spectacular places on earth, the mountain kingdom of Nepal is rightly famous for its peaks but it’s not all about trekking as the land at the top of the world is also the land of festivals, with over 50 celebrated each year. The population is made up of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims so there’s a lot to pack in, and the million visitors the country hopes to attract this year won’t be stuck for something to do.

In February the new year of the Tibetans and Sherpas of Nepal is celebrated with the monasteries of Kathmandu being decorated with prayer flags, followed by the festival of water and colours, when people throw water balloons and dye at each other. March sees the festival of the horses, in May there are eight days of dancing and feasting for the festival of Lord Indra and in September 15 days of celebration to Dashain.

It’s not all festivals either, with ten world heritage sites, seven of them in Kathmandu, including Durbar Square with its cluster of ancient temples, palaces, courtyards and streets dating back to the 12th and 18th centuries, and Swayambhunath temple with its monkeys. Then there are the national parks with mountains, glaciers and deep valleys where visitors might spot rare species such as the snow leopard and the Bengal tiger.

In Kathmandu, stay at the Park Village resort (ktmgh.com/parkvillage) from £40 per night or, at the other end of the scale, the Acme Guest House (www.acmeguesthouse.com), for £2.50.

Flights from London and Manchester to Tribhuvan International Airport with Gulf Air, Etihad Airways, BMI and others start from around £800.

7 EL SALVADOR Civil war and violence have given it a bad name but the fighting here ended two decades ago and the gang rivalry is internecine, rarely spilling over to affect tourists. This small country in Central America is safer to visit these days and provides the opportunity to visit some of the best beaches in the world.

As well as a gorgeous coastline, near-deserted forests, lakes and active volcanoes, there are the contrasting hip bars and shanty towns of the capital, San Salvador, plus the intriguing city of Bahia, where the music, food and dance of the descendants of African slaves has been preserved. Revisit the horrors of the civil war in the haunting Museo de la Revolución Salvadoreña in Perquín or hand around La Libertad’s popular surf beaches.

The dry season runs from November to April, with the wet season best avoided. The tourist infrastructure is still developing, so this is really a destination for independent travellers with a spirit of adventure. For those who make the effort, El Salvador has a lot to offer.

Stay in the western suburbs for peace of mind, with the affordable luxury and beach club of the Alameda Roosevelt (43 Avenida Sur) worth a look at £25 to £38 a night, or the conveniently located Florida (Pje Los Almendros, Urb Florida) for a roof terrace with city views at £16 to £25 per night. BA flights in March start from around £600 return (www.britishairways.com).

8 NICARAGUA After 17 years as a free market country, Nicaragua’s economy is growing and according to the Inter-American Institute on Human Rights, it’s the safest country in Central America, with a reported crime rate lower than that of Germany, France and the US. The next jet-set destination, it’s worth visiting for the pleasure of staying in the country’s first all-suite boutique hotel, the Orquidea del Sur (www.orquideadelsur.com), in San Juan Del Sur.

Located on Yankee Beach, renowned for its surfing, deep-sea fishing and kayaking, the hotel’s five suites have queen-sized beds, kitchenette, spacious bathroom and covered patios with ocean views. Not that you’ll be cooking much as the restaurant serves up Nicaraguan specialities such as seafood, mango and papaya. Three hours’ drive from Managua, the hotel also has an infinity pool and whirlpool, fire pit, lounge and library and offers in-room spa treatments, all from £110 per night (minimum stay three nights).

If cities are more your style, Managua is not for the faint-hearted but the markets, museums and 6,000-year-old footprints at Huellas de Acahualinca are worth a visit. Hotels range from £33 to £100 a night and flights from Glasgow to Managua start from around £620 in March with Continental Airlines (www.continental.com).

9 SURINAME South America’s smallest country is big news thanks to its diversity. With three-quarters of its half-million population descended from Chinese, Javanese and Indian labourers who arrived in the 18th century and West African slaves in the 17th, plus indigenous Amerindians and Lebanese, Jewish and Dutch settlers, Suriname is a fascinating melting pot of cultures with a cuisine to match.

Bordering French Guyana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south and the Atlantic coast to the north, this tiny country has dense jungle and a fascinating capital city, the Dutch-colonial Paramaribo. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2002, 90 per cent of the country’s population live there and it’s a lively, chaotic place while the interior, with its meandering rivers, extensive rapids and abundance of flora and fauna, has earned it the nickname of ‘beating heart of the Amazon’.

Try the Hotel La Petite Maison (www.hotellapetitemaison.com), which has doubles from £56. Flights from London with KLM start from £980 (www.klm.com).

10 ICELAND Before the credit crunch, it was one of Europe’s most expensive destinations but prices have tumbled in Iceland. Now it is possible to read a menu without gasping and the days of paying £6 for a small beer are over (it’s more like half that price).

Visit now to see the Northern Lights, go snowmobiling, four-wheel driving and splashing in the geothermal pools or wait till summer when it’s round-the-clock sunshine and you can explore the raw, breathtaking landscape.

With Reykjavik just a short flight away, this fun, fashionable city is a credible weekend destination and hotel prices range from £40 to £144 (breakfast is usually included). The Radisson Blu hotel (www.radisonblu.com) occupies one of the city’s most historic buildings, and for families, a multitude of summerhouses, farms and campsites offer alternatives and a chance to see more of the island (www.icetourist.is).

The landscape is a big draw, but the capital will also interest fashionistas as designer labels abound. And always take a bathing suit, as you’re never far from a thermal pool.

Fares from Glasgow to Reykjavik with Iceland Air (www.icelandair.co.uk) start at around £95 while Iceland Express (www.icelandexpress.com) from London airports start at around £60, both in March.

This article was first published in Scotsman on Sunday on 10 January, 2010.

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December 11, 2009 by sacuanjoche.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua — Today, like every day, begins with a smoothie: a blend of pineapple, melon, banana, passion fruit, papaya, yogurt, nuts and pitaya, a Central American delicacy responsible for the bright magenta coloring of the drink in Bob Schmidt’s hand.

“One of these will fill you up and keep you going through lunch,” Mr. Schmidt, 63, said while setting aside a creased paperback and gazing out from his second story to a view of the Pacific Ocean. Surfers flitted along the surface of a neatly groomed groundswell 50 yards below his tiled-floor home, which might pass for a beachfront palace in Malibu but for the wooden plaque on the wall reading “Bienvenidos a mi hogar” (“Welcome to my home”) and the sporadic power outages typical of rural developing countries.

Mr. Schmidt and his wife, Sheri, 62, are among the estimated 3,000 foreign property owners in this country, which, starting in the early part of this decade, followed Costa Rica’s lead as an affordable paradise for second- and retirement-home owners. When the Schmidts bought their property here in 2005, paying $200,000 for an oceanfront lot and spending about $80 per square foot in construction costs, the Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega had not yet reclaimed the presidency, and Nicaraguan real estate was booming; asking prices were selling prices.

Much has changed since then. The global economy has tanked. Mr. Ortega has not only regained power, but also won a disputed ruling by the Nicaraguan Supreme Court in November that could enable him potentially to extend his reign; that and a series of unconvincing municipal elections have catapulted Nicaragua, Latin America’s poorest country (the per capita gross domestic product was $1,123 in 2008, according to the United States State Department), back into the periphery of international concern.

Mr. Schmidt takes another drink of his fruit shake. The tropical flavors, and the atmospheric intangibles of a Sunday morning on the white sands of Hacienda Iguana, one of Nicaragua’s fastest-growing southern beach communities, help to make the world’s worries seem very far away.

“Once I saw this place and this beach, that just was it,” said Mr. Schmidt, who is originally from Southern California but worked as a livestock farmer with his wife outside St. Paul for 36 years. The couple first bought a second home on the beach at Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, in 2002 for $150,000, calling the impulse buy “a total fluke,” and migrated to Nicaragua after his wife’s retirement in 2006.

“By the time I was ready to retire, it had already gotten so touristic down there that we just wanted to go somewhere else,” Ms. Schmidt said of Costa Rica. “And Bob wanted to be on a surf break. So here we are.”

Some might see an element of financial risk in the Schmidts’ purchase of the sort of property that one segment of buyers view as an investment, but Mr. Schmidt said that he and his wife were not driven by the profit motive. “We came down here really not as an investment per se,” he said. “It was more of a lifestyle change.” Life at Hacienda Iguana, a gated development about 20 miles northwest of San Juan del Sur with 250 home lots and over 70 condos already built, moseys along at a paradisiacal, watch-dissolving pace. Tidal swings and sunsets mark the day’s most important events.

“I think our buyers now are end users,” said Zach Lunin, a co-founder of Aurora Beachfront Realty in San Juan del Sur. “The people who are buying with us and investing here are people who want to spend time here. Bottom line is most of the people that we’re seeing are not the flippers. Nicaragua is a heart buy for most people, not that it doesn’t make sense on paper. But people come here and they fall in love with the country, and that’s why they buy property.”

Considering that Nicaragua scored an underwhelming 2.5 out of a possible 10 for honesty in the Worldwide Corruption Perception Index of 2009 (the United States was at 7.5, Canada at 8.7 and Mexico at 3.3) as tallied by Transparency International, the romance may include a few speed bumps. (“If you drive to Managua, it is very unlikely that you won’t be pulled over,” Mr. Schmidt said of the incessant traffic shakedowns and bribery attempts performed on gringos by police patrolling the roads.) And while Nicaragua’s coming 2011 presidential election is a reminder of the country’s political uncertainty, not all foreigners are so easily deterred.

“Nicaragua kind of acts like a natural filter,” Mr. Lunin said. “It’s not everybody who gets on a plane and says, ‘Let’s go down to Nicaragua,’ whereas it is everybody who gets on a plane and goes to Costa Rica.”

The impression that Nicaragua is inherently unstable has unquestionably slowed development, but it has also made an investment in “the New Costa Rica,” more affordable and appealing to the adventurous segment of aspiring second-home owners. In many cases the numbers support the gamble. In 2008 tourism brought in an estimated $944 million (nearly one-sixth of the G.D.P.), and it has grown by 8.2 percent in the past year, with almost 24 percent of visitors hailing from the United States.

Oceanfront lots in gated, rural communities like Hacienda Iguana are selling for around $250,000, and according to some real estate agents, prices have dropped as much as 40 percent in the last two years.

Unlike in many countries, property laws afford foreigners the same land rights as Nicaraguan citizens, and while the Coastal Law of 2009 prevents the purchase of land within 50 meters of the high tide line and oceanfront lots are eligible for purchase only if registered before a 1917 agrarian reform law, land acquisition in Nicaragua is a relatively straightforward process — albeit with a few notable concerns.

Because the Sandinista regime confiscated nearly 28,000 properties between 1979 and 1990 in the name of land redistribution, acquiring undisputed titles has become a central issue for foreign investors. “Most of my clients want title insurance, and I recommend it to them, because it gives them added peace of mind,” said Byron Mejia, a real estate lawyer in Managua. “Whatever we miss, the title insurance company picks up, so we don’t leave any stone uncovered. Sometimes if there’s a problem with the title, you stop right there.”

Aside from potential title disputes, aspiring second-home owners may have to consider the muddled process of constructing their getaways from afar. “We’ve watched some of the people who have had to rely on somebody else to supervise,” Ms. Schmidt said. “It’s a difficult process, and things aren’t done the way you might think they would be done. You can’t take anything for granted.”

The “out of sight …” principle applies not only to construction, but also to protecting and maintaining the asset, so hiring security and caretakers is essential. “It’s common sense,” Mr. Mejia said. “Let’s say you have a home — oceanfront property you visit three or four times a year. If you leave it unattended, it’s like New York City. Someone’s going to break in.”

While there may be fewer potential buyers than at the height of the real estate boom, those still in the hunt say they are realistic about Nicaragua’s political situation. “I don’t think we’ll bury ourselves in research on how stable it is,” said Charles Brooks, an insurance executive from Virginia who is considering the purchase of a lot in a development inland of Hacienda Iguana called Iguana Hills.

“I think we’ll take a leap of faith,” he said. “It’s money that’s at risk, perhaps, but not any more risky than watching your 401k. And it’s a lot more fun. There’s truly an upside to it.”

Source: NYT

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March 10, 2007 by sacuanjoche.