AfrikBoutik Blog

Lanzarote: A gambler’s travel guide

In Lanzarote, the most eastern Spanish Canary Island, there is precisely one casino – the Gran Casino de Lanzarote.  The extremely classy casino caters to all tourists in Lanzarote by being affordable and accessible, including several dining options, but it maintains a high style of decorum at all times.  Just about all casino reviews here are positive, but English speakers may want to watch out – some of the younger workers, even dealers, may not understand English.  If this is the case, one should be very careful speaking English around the table to ensure that no one feels that English is being used by tourists to cheat the dealer.   Besides this obvious lingual barrier, casino reviews are consistently positive.

Meanwhile, tourists may wish to stay just across the street at the Apartamentos Playa Club.  This perfectly located 3-star hotel is right across the street from the casino and a short walk away from the longest beach in the city.  The apartment-style rooms look out onto private hotel pools and gorgeous ocean views.  Just another street away is a five star hotel, the Hotel Gran Melia Volcan Lanzarote.  This hotel also contains private pools and some incredible vistas of the ocean in addition to boasting of a more traditional hotel-style room.  Many other hotel s (most commonly with apartment-style rooms) are very near (ten within a kilometer of the casino) and most are able to provide transportation and advice to casino-goers. Be sure to talk with the front desk at your hotel to see how they can help.

When you actually get to the casino, there’s one casino strategy that’s always important to bear in mind, even though it’s one of the hardest lessons to learn.  Stop for a second and think about, say, going to a movie theater. When you wait in line for a ticket, you already know how much money you’re going to leave the theater with, but you don’t know how much you’ll actually enjoy the movie. You’re paying, basically, to see the movie, and liking it is just a bonus. Gambling is actually the same way. You aren’t going into a casino to win money. You’re paying the casino for the service the slot machines or poker tables provide, which is a fun way to socialize and spend money. Actually having fun, or winning money, is a bonus. So the most important casino strategy is to know that the money you take into a casino – that’s been spent, it’s gone. Don’t expect to cut yourself off before you spend it all, don’t expect to only spend half because of what your winnings will compensate you for. Knowing that your money is a payment, not an investment, is the most important casino strategy a casual player can have.

Réunion: A Hidden Island

One of the most interesting travel destinations in Africa, or even the world, is the island of Réunion.  Réunion is an absolutely tiny island – smaller than 1000 square miles – located off the eastern coast of Madagascar.  The island has belonged to France for hundreds of years and is designated as its own unique “overseas region.”  Réunion is a beautiful island with one extinct and one active volcano (which actually most recently erupted in January of 2010) and three calderas, essentially collapsed former volcanoes.  Calderas are notable in that most hot springs in the world are formed by being part of a caldera.  Réunion is also host to various species of animal and plant life that can be found in very few places in the rest of the world.

Réunion’s official and primary language is French, although English is present as well. Culturally, Réunion is extremely diverse and manages to blend French, African, Indian, and Chinese traditions and styles.  As a result, Réunion has a style of music (“Sega” music) that is unique to only a few similar islands in the world, and Réunion’s exact style is still unique from these other locations.  Réunion has many other unique cultural landmarks, such as an infamous church that stands closer to the active volcano of the island than any other building. In the larger eruptions since the church was built, lava flow has actually come within just a few feet of the church’s walls on multiple occasions, but it’s never actually damaged the building itself.

One of Réunion’s most fascinating features is its ecology. As mentioned above, Réunion has a diverse ecology with many creatures that cannot be found anywhere in the world.  Réunion additionally has an extremely tropical climate, and has actually set the world record for most measured rainfall over one day and over three days.  However, these periods of powerful rains are mainly constrained to the rainy season that begins in March, so it’s easy to plan around these downpours.

Réunion’s tourism industry is rapidly growing as people from the mainland of France, as well as visitors from all over the world, feel obliged to seek out and explore a new and diverse culture that’s almost unlike everything seen in the world today because of its unique cultural blends, blurring of modern lifestyles with traditional, rural jungle living, and willingness to attract new visitors to learn about its rich history.

A Look at African Arts by Country

One of the most interesting aspects of African art is how powerfully it varies among regions.  For example, African tribes from Cote d’Ivoire often focus on making art through wood-carving and rarely focus on other techniques such as painting or music.  This is because a great part of these tribes’ tradition revolves around the idea of masks as sacred representations and manifestations of deity.  Because these people believe that the wooden masks they create are crucial for their religious practices, it’s pretty obvious as to why they would focus on wood for all of their art.

Another interesting type of African art is that of the Dogon tribe.  Again, the Dogon tribe’s art originates more in their religious tradition, and as a result, it is heavily influenced by religious thought. Dogon art is primarily seen through sculpture. These sculptures are bold and use lots of powerful and readily apparent shapes and angles in their work.  Until recently, it was considered taboo for the layperson to even view many of these religious sculptures. While a great resurgence in anthropological interest has led to rediscoveries of many religious sculptures, in many cases the exact process by which the sculpture was made and any additional consecrations bestowed upon it once it was completed are entirely unknown.  While anthropologists are still studying these forms of art, it may very well remain a mystery.

The most immediately apparent and commonly thought of form of art is of African practical art, such as woven baskets or small jewelry items, but these really show up primarily in Kenya.  Kenyan art focuses on more practical (and less religious in nature) forms of art, including highly stylized clothing in addition to jewelry and tools such as baskets.  This art is most associated with African culture and is definitely the most easily recognizable of any form of African art.  This might be because while many other cultures have art forms such as sculpture or woodworking, Kenyan usage of tools as art stands out in comparison.

Looking at African art by region leads to some interesting conclusions because one can see significant differences in the art style of the region.  This helps to underlie the important geological differences that exist between African countries – consider, for instance, the jungles of Southern Africa when compared to Egypt’s location in the Sahara desert.  Hopefully, this short primer on African art and its importance by location will help you to consider how strongly the geographical differences of a region may influence its culture.

To be guided, or to trailblaze? The pros and cons of a travel guide explained!

When you’re traveling to some of Africa’s more historically exciting locales (most notably Egypt, although people don’t necessarily associate Egypt with Africa), there will often be a time where you and your travel partners must decide if you are going to use a travel guide for the entire trip.  Companies like EF Tours provide large, group tours that include travel to all parts of a country or point of interest as well as interesting cultural experiences, such as travel by train or boat instead of more conventional methods such as bus or plane.  Additionally, travel guides know exactly what they’re talking about, at least in terms of fulfilling the itinerary.  As far as I can tell, it seems to be completely random as to whether or not a travel guide has just memorized the spiel for each particular location or if they’re passionate scholars on the subject, but either way, the information presented in the tour itself will be interesting.

Another obvious benefit of a travel guide is safety.  While working with a travel guide, their company is essentially liable for you – if you were to be hurt while following a travel guide, your family could sue on your behalf because the company essentially led you into a dangerous area.  Obviously, travel companies would rather avoid these lawsuits, and they’ll do their best to make sure you only go to places where they feel confident they can maintain local security.  As a result, while you’re actually with your tour guide, you can be pretty sure that you’ll be safe, but don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security while you’re traveling.

These advantages of having a tour guide have to be weighed against the significant disadvantage of feeling like you’re tied to a schedule and a chaperone. This drives a lot of people completely crazy and they do everything they can to get away, while others feel like they don’t have to sweat the small stuff of their trip, so it’s a lot less stressful. Personally, I love me some unguided adventure, but I’m a lot more comfortable doing it on my own home turf, like for local trips. When traveling somewhere new, especially internationally, I’d rather sit back and let someone else show me the cultural hallmarks. I’m not afraid to admit I’m in unfamiliar territory, and to me, a travel guide is an easy way to learn the ropes.  Whatever your preference, though, just be sure to learn as much as you can about the culture and stay safe.

Save yourself the pain: Travel light!

The ultimate in packing light can be found in many “survival kit in a ____” items online.  These include survival kits that fit in water bottles, tobacco tins, or even in film canisters. On an ordinary vacation, only taking a survival kit with you is a little silly, no matter how well equipped, but packing light and efficiently is always a good idea. Not only does it make it easier to carry luggage, but it’s harder to lose things when they’re always close at hand.

One of the most obvious things that should come to mind when packing efficiently, especially before a journey by plane, is to not take along any checked baggage.  While this seems at first extremely difficult, especially considering the miniscule amount of space airlines offer underneath a seat, it’s certainly not unreasonable.  You can fit a professional travel backpack under those seats, although it’s a tight fit.  From here, roll up all your clothes as best you can and put the heavier stuff in the bottom.  Toiletries can go on top, but remember that you can find travel size kits in the airport you arrive in and stock up there, as opposed to taking it all the way with you.

Another trick is to roll up underwear and putting them in an extra pair of shoes, if you’re bringing another pair along.  Finally, the actual number of clothes you should bring? Well, that varies.  Some people think that you should pack very lightly and try to buy clothes at your destination. This will help ensure you have seasonable clothes, but it might be tricky to bring them all back.  Personally, I figure it’s actually easier to pack while you’re at home and have time to think, so I like to pack old and ratty clothes (especially socks or undershirts) and throw them away when I’m done using them so I don’t have to worry as much about packing on the way home.

However you travel, it’s best to at least keep efficiency in mind so you have less luggage, weight, and responsibility.  If you can fit all of your things in a single carry-on backpack, good for you – you made your life a lot easier.  If not, don’t worry too much about it. At least you aren’t living out of a sardine can.

Balancing uniqueness with classic style in your home decor

One of the most impressive things in home decoration is something homemade and original.  Something that you made yourself shows creativity, passion, focus, and persistence, as well as your great sense of taste!  But unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to find the time, energy, or creativity to create these works of art yourself.  For a little while, it was possible to buy wooden items that looked hand-carved or decorations that looked like they were made out of other, easily available pieces.  However, these are getting more and more common and more noticeable.  Now, if you want to make your home decor look unique, people will call you out on any products that “look” homemade.

Instead, right now it’s actually better to choose designs that are obviously not homemade, as long as they show a classy and refined taste.  Being able to show thought and creativity in arranging tasteful and carefully chosen items is just as impressive as designing items yourself, and people won’t think you’re trying to look as though you’re making items yourself, which is considered tacky nowadays.

When considering how to arrange items to decorate your home, strongly consider following “patterned” ideas of decoration, such as traditional folklore ideas or more complicated methods such as Feng Shui.  Again, this may seem a little unoriginal, but sometimes other people will have a difficult time telling  if you were trying to being original, or if you just had bad taste in your decorations.  By using an established method, people know that you have some idea what you’re doing.  From there, feel free to make small additions to the style to make the whole house feel like your own.

Home decoration is a very intimidating process because it’s challenging to combine your own personal ideas and creativity while maintaining a sense of style that shows guests you aren’t just throwing your random thoughts out there. However, with a little bit of advice from your friends, you can find a happy medium between stylish and original!

A primer to symbolism in African art

African art is renowned for being both beautiful and meaningful.  Because art has always been a primary means to express ideas and culture in African society, a proper understanding of symbolism is key to understanding African art and culture.  One of the most readily apparent symbols that recurs in African art is the use of animals as symbols of particular ideas or emotions.  Animals are a great place to start because they’re very easily noticeable to even the most casual of viewers and they still manage to hold strong and interesting connotations and descriptions.

One of the animals most readily called to mind when a person thinks of Africa is that of a lion.  Lions, to most people, are associated with ideas such as courage and power.  While this is certainly true in African art as well, it’s not quite that simple.  African artists observed the lazy tendencies of male lions and felt that this greatly expanded upon the type of power that a lion possesses.  Because lions are able to be so powerful while spending their day-to-day lives in a very casual manner, African artists felt that lions also symbolized pride, rightful authority and royalty, and strength and protection.  However, another key concept of African culture and art is the concept of duality.  Unlike many Western traditions, Africans do not favor the idea of good versus evil, but instead see each thing that exists in the universe as a duality of both positive and negative aspects.  As a result, the lion can be associated as the benevolent, relaxed, but calmly powerful ruler, or as arrogant, lazy, or as a bully that uses his strength to enforce unreasonable demands.

To contrast with the complex symbols that surround the lion is the image of the leopard.  The leopard holds a similar place in African art, but is a lot less of a hassle.  Leopards are always associated with viciousness and aggression as well as the idea of courage.  As a result, one could view a leopard as the active and angry side of a lion.  Also, keep in mind the idea of duality!  Seeing the image of a leopard in a work of African art may inspire the viewer to think of hostile and aggressive tendencies, but it could even represent bold, fearless courage; imagine using a leopard to represent how powerfully a mother wishes to protect their child, for instance.  The leopard is a very distinct and powerful symbol in African art because it represents the most pure form of brutal force.

The third most common animal to be featured in African art is the elephant.  One obvious reason for the elephant’s consistent use as a symbol is that it’s overwhelmingly noticeable and distinguishable from other pieces of the artwork.  Additionally, elephants were historically used by some rulers of African nations as a means of transportation for the royalty.  Partially because of this fact, the elephant often represents royalty or dignity. Because of the long age and careful attitude toward learning that an elephant depicts, elephants also often represent dignity, patience, and intellectualism.  Duality can apply to an elephant by either showing a person who is cautious, considerate, and noble-spirited or a person who is lazy, pompous, or too preoccupied with scholarly pursuits to actually enjoy the real world.  Generally speaking, the elephant is used in its positive aspect, where it can enjoy a unique status as a symbol of power through wisdom, in contrast to the strength of creatures such as the lion.

While African art is incredibly, almost frustratingly diverse in its use of images, patterns, and symbols, animals tend to hold to a fairly consistent set of emotions and associations.  This makes them a great starting point for a viewer to understand the emotional context of a scene.  Despite this, one must keep in mind the African idea of duality and remember that there is no such thing as pure good or evil in African ways of thought.

Amazing Africa Cruises 2011

Africa Cruise

Africa, the most magnificent of all the world contestants and the homeland of the world really is a must see for anyone that has never graced its lands. With such a great diversity of cultures and of course the stunning and world renowned wildlife! The plantation is vast with a great deal of flora and fauna to deal with; the “Dark Continent” is truly an unforgettable place you have to experience. Many cruise ships will go there but from experience travelling on the Africa tours from great ships is the way to go, you will cruise down from North to South Africa in leisurely time giving you weeks to take in this wonderful and unique continent.

Africa has been the setting for romance as well as mystery for centuries. This incredible continent has drawn hunters, adventures explorers, missionaries, and thrill-seekers from across the world ever since man found a way to sail across the seas.

North Africa makes you think of resilient desert residing tribes, snake charmers, spices and great pyramids. Right at the other end is South Africa, a country that has a great wealth of different places to visit from hustle and bustle and buzzing night life of Cape Town with its beautiful mountain, to great tranquil areas to relax, in quaint little towns, and all sorts of sports, to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal with its year-round summer weather, fantastic waves and great vibe.

African cruises will take you down beautiful Suez Canal. You’ll get to see the splendid Ancient African Pyramids and relax on the long stretching beaches of the Indian Ocean islands. You should also visit one of the many different game parks throughout Africa to experience the really wild wildlife.

Kruger National Park; Then there is Tanzania with its numerous national wildlife parks where big game is as much part of the ground as the dirt; or visit the excitingly beautiful Kruger National Park in South Africa, home to a fantastic variety of big game, including lion, rhino and great African elephants, the ones with the Big Ears to keep cool in the beating African sun. Come and gaze at Table Bay at the top of one of South Africa’s most impressive natural assets, Table Mountain, or unwind at a pub in the lively Long Street while listening to some live music with the bands that play down there. Don’t forget to stop at the Cafe Royale in Long Street for a tasty gourmet burger and sweet potato fries. Trust me it will be the best burger you’ll ever eat!

I whole heatedly recommend taking the African cruise and cruising all the way from the UK down the whole of Africa from top to bottom to really understand and appreciate this wonderful continent. Hope to see you sipping a cool real lemonade or cocktail in the African sun soon.

One-Stop Destination for Travel Brochures

Trees are turning green, the sun is peeking from behind the clouds, and days are growing longer. Summer planning is just round the corner. Whether you are dreaming of destinations for families or pining for romantic retreats, tourism brochures are a good place to start. Forget searching dusty displays. You can now order free travel guides online, and you get to choose everything you need from only 1 website.

Perhaps exotic vacations are out of the question this year, but there are likely many destinations inside a short drive from your house. In this case, arm yourself with travel leaflets and select a few places that
Interest you. Then plan day trips or short stays that fit your position. You might check out information about campgrounds and festivals close by. State Parks are also a good idea.

On the other hand, this may be the year to see the US or take the kids to Disney
World. While Internet sites are beneficial,
there’s nothing quite like families
sitting around the kitchen table taking a
look at printed visitors
guides together. Besides, if you’re like me, you’re probably in front of the computer twenty four
seven. Do you
need to sit in front of the same dusty screen at the end of the day
while you dream of a calming evening out with
the family? Potentially not, right?

Travel
leaflets are great method to have the
info you want to take on your trip without
wasting a large amount of toner from your
printer cartridge. If you wish nevertheless , they
might be downloaded to your
personal computer immediately – a
good option if you are in a hurry to receive them.

When it comes to holidays, travel brochures andvisitor’s guides are a practical addition to word-of mouth and web info. In a snap, you can easily gather recent information on old classics or find new locales you never imagined. Better yet, the guides can be quickly sent to your mailbox with no delivery charges ; And no credit card is required. Remember, though, that you can always download
further leaflets after you
get to your destination. If you order the right
travel leaflets or visitors guides, summer planning should be
easy.

A Guide To Your Holiday To Lanzarote

Being on a budget while you are on a holiday does not limit you to just sunbathing and strolling. In fact, there are several of activities that you could surely enjoy for a very low price if you just know where and how to spend your money. This is guaranteed for you to have an exciting holiday break despite the fact that they are just cheap. One of these destinations is Lanzarote Island which is located in the northeastern Canary group of islands. With the surprisingly increasing amount of travels and tourism offering cheap flights and accommodation, Lanzarote is a great option for a cheap holiday.

Different kinds of hotels can be found on the island, which really make an impact on how much you are spending. You could even save more if you would stay on a local apartment and you will also have a chance to taste their local delicacies. The same goes for food, you may want to consider self catering as it can often save you ample amount of money in the long run for you to spend them more on other activities. Another way to save money initially when you book is to go to a budget airline and see what they are offering on flights to Lanzarote.

Talking more about the accommodations in Lanzarote, it has a large number of holiday villas available on rural and urban areas. Villas are indeed a bit pricey. For those who still want greater privacy and a more local experience than a hotel could provide, Lanzarote also has many holiday apartments available for lease at a very reasonable price. A choice is also available here: in addition to resort-style complexes with all the usual facilities close at hand, there are also apartments in more local environments where you can soak up more of the real “island vacation” atmosphere.

If you are looking for a change from the beach or poolside you have many options available to you. One of what I would say to be the best attractions on the island is Timanfaya national park, where you can witness cold water being thrown down a newly dug hole erupt back seconds later in a flurry of steam. The temperatures in this volcano covered landscape reach up to 600°C just below the surface! In fact a very unique local restaurant “el Diablo” takes great benefit of the nature of the place by providing grills directly over the hole from the ground.

However, if you prefer swimming and would really love doing it then I would suggest the Playa Grande beach which is situated right in the centre of Puerto del Carmen. This beach resort is Lanzarote’s most lively resort for it has a great place for night party just inside the resort. This busy beach is over one kilometre long and has convenient shower and changing facilities. Along with their good amenities, they also offer pedalos and banana boat if you want a more exciting stay. If you are staying in the end of Puerto del Carmen closer to Matagorda and Los Pocillos, they also have a beach with lots of sun beds available to hire and wind-breakers to stop you getting sand blasted.

By: Jessica Nielson