Relaxing colours, soothing comfort and the natural luxury of a five-star hotel in Austria. Our guests can expect all this and even more in our fantastic rooms. Absolutely everything our guest’s heart desires. From comfortable single bedrooms to our generously laid-out suites. The uniquely luxurious Crystal Bath Suite is our fairytale landscape for 1,000 and one magical holiday nights. Not only for crowned heads…

The Klosterbru stands for the culture of pure enjoyment. This is especially true of the multi-facetted culinary range we can offer you. The trendy creativity of the Klosterhof cuisine and the Ritter-Oswald-Stube was even awarded one Gault Millau trophie. The cuisine takes pleasure in seducing its guests entirely according to their preferences. Whether to the depths of the seas or to delicious specialities coming from Tyrolean alpine pastures or mountain streams.

Holidays are meant to improve your well-being and heighten your vitality and radiance. Seefeld Hotel Klosterbru’s unique wellness area is solely dedicated to this purpose. This is where guests will find gently vitalising baths, the meditative Rasul Grotto, a sauna, modern fitness facilities and a generously laid-out bathing landscape. Nowhere else will you find anything like the Beauty Comfort Oasis for the tender loving care you really need. Proven cosmetic products from Maria Galland, Thalgo or !QMS and individual natural cosmetic treatments are a heavenly relief for body, mind and soul.

Closeness to history and past is always a good starting point for up-to-date solutions. Within the century-old walls the quality of thinking acquires another dimension. Holding successful meetings also means to question yourself. The atmosphere of the house set on the idyllic plateau of Seefeld combines its past with most state-of-the-art seminar standards. Six rooms from the Kapuzinerkeller (the Capuchin Cellar) to the Augustinerchor (the Augustinian Gallery) will ensure your meetings bear first-class solutions.

As long as you desire. Passionate night owls will find a rich musical variety and live music until the early morning hours. Leading orchestras and first-class entertainers often star at the Klosterbru. Listen to classical bar music of the highest class from piano wizards and entertainers at the hotel bar, rock and pop evergreens from the 70s and 80s in the Siglu, the latest hits and top entertainment in the night club Kanne, in the Parkcafé or in the Brukeller. By the way, superstars like Al Bano Carrisi or Harald Juhnke have already given celebrated guest performances within our soundproof stone walls. The casino is only a few steps away from our Seefeld hotel.

The spectacular location of Africa called South Luangwa has been voted the leading place to safari in Africa. The region has been made famous in many years by the Uks greatest wildlife experts. Holiday makers will be able to find big groups of wild cats as well as charming hippos.

The wildlife park is well known for its super driving safaris and is a hit with all United Kingdom holiday makers. The changing seasons makes the safari park irrestible with a desert season during the whole of the winter and a green delightful jungle feel over summer. During the changes in season the exotic animals might well change giving tourists a different aspect.

Uncover the attraction of Africa with a walking safari vacation and be at one with nature. The astonishing rivers and big cats can make tourists feel alive with energy. You will be able to take large volumes of photographs and bring back the very best memories.

South Africa has legions of animals in its parks and you might often easily get the perfect photo of a zebra. If you are not used to a walking safari you might often go on a driving safari and see huge amounts of the country all within a short amount of time. When you have concluded your driving safari by day you might well then go back to your hotel to have dinner. Various hotel resorts are 4 star and outstanding. Find out about the different types of safaris and get upclose with the widlife.

Did you ever wonder why of all the holidays in the year, Christmas has more songs than any other holiday? And if you think you have to wait for Christmas Day or even Christmas Eve to hear all these great and not so great songs, there are radio stations all over the country that start playing Christmas songs right after Thanksgiving. Why wait?

The truth is, we can’t wait for that magical time to come around when the radio stations start playing our favorite Christmas songs. There are so many of them, performed by so many artists, that you can listen for days and not hear the same song more than once.

There are songs from just about every era of music too. You’ve got your great Bing Crosby classic “White Christmas” from 1942 all the way to the 2005 classic “Christmas Time For The Jews” performed by Darlene Love on Saturday Night Live in one of the funniest and probably best segments they’ve done in many years.

Yes, the Christmas songs keep coming and coming. Every year we look forward to the new ones that come out in the hopes that a new classic will be born. But we still love the old songs, no matter how many times we hear them.

Some are very traditional and you come to expect their playing each year; songs like “Jingle Bells”, “Silver Bells”, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and other tunes along the lines of the ones we used to learn when we were in school. No, we weren’t very hip back then and you weren’t going to find any off the beaten track tunes coming up at a school Christmas concert.

But thanks to some very talented and odd people, we do have some Christmas songs that are not so traditional and also quite a few that are very strange to say the least.

Of the more talented and beautiful of these songs you need look no further than “Happy Xmas” as performed by the late John Lennon. Over 30 years after this song was recorded, a plea for peace in our world, this song is still played on radio stations all over the world.

For the more bizarre, you need look no further than “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” as recorded by Elmo and Patsy. This song become such a huge hit that they eventually made a cartoon movie out of it in the year 2000. Someday this song may fade into obscurity, but as of today it is one of the most requested Christmas songs each year.

Then of course you have your Christmas songs that you hear in Church on Christmas Even and Christmas Day service, such as “O Holy Night”, “Away In A Manger”, “Joy To The World”, “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” and of course “Silent Night”, which usually concludes most Christmas Eve services as we put out our candles.

Yes, Christmas music most certainly does make the holiday season that much more special. Hopefully, as the years go by, more and more great Christmas songs will be written to help remind us what a truly magical time Christmas really is.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Christmas

Fifes and drums festivals are among the many top tourist attractions to watch out for when visiting historic colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The military band follows the tradition begun in 1775, when colonists battled the British in a war for American independence. Fifers and drummers ages ten to eighteen were recruited to boost the morale of marching soldiers. To this day, members of the Fifes and Drums Corps, both girls and boys, start practicing at age ten and stay on the course until they are eighteen.

The town has successfully preserved many historic buildings. The restored and reconstructed buildings account for most of the important sites in Virginian historymore than 500 of them. The work was facilitated by hundreds of archaeologists, historians, and researchers. Much of the investment came from the government and generous wealthy benefactors. And this is to be expected, as Williamsburg played an important role in the shaping of the nation’s history and the values it upholds to this day.

With fully-restored houses, hotels, and parks, Williamsburg has gained back its colonial landscape that attracts tourists interested in the beginnings of American history and democracy. The tours are authenticated programs, ensuring that historical facts are preserved and passed on.

But colonial Williamsburg is not only a destination for tourists on historical trips. Williamsburg is also a great dining and shopping destination. The popular Historic Triangle is one of the best hubs of the local economy.

The next time you plan a vacation, head to colonial Williamsburg and travel back in time to see how the great founding fathers lived. Experience how history unfolded through the town’s many festivals, plays, and tour packages of historic sites. Lodging can be easily arranged through online or phone reservations.

There are a number of luxury hotels in Austin. They offer exclusive deals to their customers. The city of Austin has a number of upscale luxury hotels run by some of the leading hotel chains. What makes them luxurious is not just their carefully selected location but also fresh flowers, champagne bottles, stunning rooms, soaring ceilings, historic buildings and mesmerizing views. Most of the luxury hotels here also provide facilities for conferences and conventions. Their restaurants have a wide variety of cuisine, and many hotels also offer golfing facilities.

These luxury hotels also have exclusive suites which are very spacious and elegant. Some of the luxury hotels offer occasional discounts. One can take advantage of that to realize their dream of staying in a luxury hotel. Generally these luxury hotels offer free parking and free shuttles to and from the airport.

If you are planning to stay in one of them it is advisable to get your reservation well in advance. You can do it through your travel agent, over the telephone or online. Do not expect too many freebies in these hotels, though they do offer world-class services.

If you want to bring a pet, bear in mind there are some hotels which do not allow pets. You can check these rules and regulations online. Also, there might be extra charges for valet parking even though self-parking is not free, either. But don’t forget to look out for rebates and discounts, as many of them might be offering some.

Pick pocketing is one of the world’s oldest professions and each year thousands of travelers fall prey to this crime. While the majority of trips to foreign countries are incident free, the potential for becoming a target for pickpocketing does exist. Keep in mind; this is a crime of opportunity. Using a little common sense and educating yourself on how criminals operate can minimize the risk.

Travelers make attractive targets, especially when traveling overseas because pickpockets know travelers typically carry more money than locals. They generally focus on the public during times when they might be carrying more money than usual, such as during store sales, at fairs, carnivals, horse races, gambling casinos or near banks. Criminals also know that even if they are caught, they still have a good chance of avoiding prosecution because travelers very seldom return to their vacation destination to give testimony.

Another problem with pickpocketing is even if you see or feel what is happening, you have no evidence. The criminal will usually claim he or she accidentally bumped into you or someone shoved them into you.

Pickpockets are not the unsavory characters one might visualize. They look just like you and I and are experts at blending in. These individuals can be male or female, children or grandmothers, and sometimes they even dress as tourists.

How Pickpockets Operate

Contrary to what most people think, professional pickpockets do not place their hands all the way into the victims pockets. Rather, the expert criminal reaches into the top of the pocket, takes up a pleat in the lining, and then makes a dozen or so more tiny pleats, folding the lining with swift dexterity between his fingers. The shortening pocket lining moves the valuable upward so that they emerge at the mouth of the pocket. The entire act takes place in a few short seconds.

Sometimes pickpockets deliberately bump or jostle an unsuspecting person because in order to remove a wallet from someone’s pocket or purse the pickpocket has to actually touch the victim or something close to the victims body. In congested or crowded locations, it’s not uncommon for individuals to press up against you, so you don’t even notice something pressing against your pocket or purse. In most cases, the victim has no knowledge what has taken place. In some instances, pickpockets carry jackets or newspapers to conceal their hands while they operate.

Another favorite trick of the pickpocket is to knee the victim just below the wallet and, at the same time, he raises the wallet so that the top protrudes from the pocket. He then grabs the tip of the wallet that is showing, and holds it while the mark walks away from it. Most of the time, it slips right out of the victim’s pocket without his knowledge.

The pocket slice is also a common technique. The pickpocket holds the razorblade between his fingers and slices the back pocket so that the wallet simply falls out or drops in their hands.

While some pickpockets work alone, many work in teams. A team may consist of the following:

• Stall- distracts the victim by stopping in front of him or stirring up a conversation.

• Dip- actually goes into the pocket and removes the wallet.

• Shield- prevents anyone else from seeing what the dip does.

• Dish- is handed the wallet from the dip and leaves the area.

Pickpockets rely heavily on distraction when committing this crime. Remember, all it takes is a few seconds to separate you from your wallet. Listed below are some of the common distractions that pickpockets use.

Scams

• Children as thieves- In this scenario a group of children run up to you poking and jabbing you with newspaper or cardboard while asking you for money, However, this is a diversion. While you only feel the jabs of the newspaper or cardboard, they remove anything of value from your purse or pockets. The newspaper is used to shield their hands from your view.

• Bump and Run- A pickpocket team sandwiches the victim between them, one in front of you and one behind you, then as you are walking the “stall” in front of you suddenly stops so that you bump into him or her. The accomplice then pretends to accidentally bump into you from behind and apologizes while removing your wallet.

• Intoxicated woman- an attractive woman pretending to be intoxicated grabs or hugs an unsuspecting male victim and steals his wallet while he is distracted.

• Warm welcome- in some countries a member of the pickpocket team approaches the victim with open arms and a warm friendly smile on their face. As he or she embraces you, an accomplice strikes you on the back, creating enough distraction to steal your wallet.

• Soiled Clothing- one member of the pickpocket team soils your clothes- using a condiment such as ketchup or mustard, ice cream or a spilled drink. Then, another member of the team brings it to your attention. At this point another accomplice appears and begins assisting you in removing the stain from your clothing while another member of the pickpocket team picks up your purse or other valuables that you have laid down while you assisted with removing the stain.

• Snatch and Run- snatch and run thieves are usually teenagers who grab a purse, wallet or fanny pack and take off running or speed away on a motorcycle.

Other common scams involve making a scene, such as fighting or faking an accident or injury, an attractive woman stopping a male target and asking for assistance, or a thief dropping money on the ground and asking whether it belongs to the potential victim.

Pickpockets have also been known to use ploys to locate your wallet. For example, sometimes pickpockets will post signs that read, “beware of pickpockets” or someone might yell, “somebody just stole my wallet” in a crowded area. The general response of most people is to make sure they still have their own wallet and/or valuables, so they’ll pat whatever pocket it’s in. This tells the pickpocket just where to look.

Prevention

General

• Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid looking lost, confused or distracted. Individuals who seem sure of themselves and aware of their surroundings make less attractive targets.

• Consider carrying a “dummy” wallet in your purse or pocket, to confuse the pickpocket and make him or her believe this is your real wallet.

• Be careful in crowded areas, pickpockets have been known to deliberately bump or jostle an unsuspecting victim in a crowd. This may be a distraction technique.

• Avoid carrying valuables in a backpack or fanny pack. Anyone can easily reach into a backpack without alerting you. If you choose to wear a fanny pack, only wear it in the front and make sure the buckle is near the pouch in front so a pickpocket would have a more difficult time getting to the latch without your knowledge. Also consider using a safety pin or paperclip fastened to a rubber band around the belt strap or string, anything to make opening the zipper more difficult.

• Don’t flash your money, pickpockets observe potential victims when shopping and then later know exactly where to lift your wallet.

• Dress down; don’t attract thieves by looking wealthy.

• Remove unnecessary credit cards from your purse or wallet prior to leaving for your destination.

• Do your homework, find out where the bad parts of the city or countryside are before you get there, and ask the hotel staff for more specific information once you arrive.

• Be careful at banks and automated teller machines, pickpockets have been known to hang around banks and ATMs at airports and shopping malls. After victims make cash withdrawals, the criminals can see exactly where your wallets or purses are stored and steal them later.

• Walk with confidence and make eye contact to discourage pickpockets.

Men

• Avoid carrying your wallet in your back pocket if possible. Front pockets are safer.

• Place your wallet in your pocket sideways or place a rubber band around it. This makes it more difficult to get the wallet out of your pocket.

• Don’t “pat” your pocket to see if your wallet is still there. This alerts the pickpocket of the location of your wallet.

• Divide your cash up and place it in various locations such as socks or other pockets so if your wallet is stolen, you still have some money.

• Consider carrying your valuables in a money belt under you clothing.

Women

• Avoid drawstring purses. A purse with a zippered compartment works best.

• Carry your purse in front of you.

• If your purse has a flap, wear the flap against your body.

• Avoid hanging your purse on the back of a chair in a public place. Place it in your lap.

• Never leave your purse unattended.

• To avoid having your purse stolen, walk away from the curb and against traffic. In some countries, thefts are common by backseat motorcycle riders.

Don’t let a pickpocket spoil your trip. By familiarizing yourself with the typical scams thieves use to rob travelers and recognizing the scenarios ahead of time, you will recognize situations to avoid, and keep you attention focused on your valuables, and not on their intentional distractions.

Johnny May, is an independent trainer/security consultant who specializes in protecting individuals and organizations from identity theft. He is also the author of Johnny May’s Guide to Preventing Identity Theft and the featured expert in the video production Identity Theft: How to Protect Your Money, Your Credit and Your Good name. For more information visit http://www.identitytheftinfo.com or e-mail at secres@prodigy.net