Vienna Valentine Package with Airfare from $599, Top Ten Vistas, and Magic Waters in Karlovy Vary

If you are having trouble viewing this e-mail, please click on this link. To ensure you receive your National Geographic e-mails, please add ngs@newsletters.nationalgeographic.com to your address book now. February 6, 2008 WELLNESS MECCAS 1. Magic Waters in Karlovy Vary "I have a bathrobe now, a schedule. I'm a patient in search of a cure, and quickly I fall into a pattern of life that hasn't changed much since Goethe visited," writes P.F. Kluge in "Magic Waters," in Traveler's March 2008 issue. "Big troubles drift away—e-mail messages, phone calls, the International Herald Tribune—and little things become very important: what bench to sit on, what walk to take, whether to take my afternoon cake and coffee at the Grandhotel Pupp or at the Café Elefant, where the apple strudel is world-class and the omnipresent Goethe celebrated his 37th birthday. To nap or not to nap and, if so, when, that is the question. And I suspect, the beginning of my antistress cure. The early morning hours are the most precious time at Karlovy Vary. Old accounts are filled with praise for the pine-scented morning air, 'morgen luft.' At first light, I'm walking along the river on the Goethe Path, past his statue. Dozens of plaques are riveted into stones along the path, testimonials in several languages."Check out our list of the 50 top worldwide wellness destinations, or take our Wellness destinations quiz ULTIMATE TRAVEL LIBRARY 2.Don George's Inside China "With business booming and Beijing Olympics-bound, China is hotter than ever," writes Don George in his current TripLit column. "Two sumptuous new coffee table books offer decidedly different insights into the enigmatic colossus. China: People, Place, Culture, History is encyclopedic in scope and in tone. The book marries photos and art reproductions with short, educational texts. The subject selections are intriguing and illustrative: The people chapter, for example, includes portraits of a day in the life of a tea picker, a retired teacher, and a Buddhist monk. In contrast to this tome's scrupulously impersonal text, Basil Pao's China Revealed weaves a highly personal and engaging narrative through a striking, eclectic portfolio of photographs. Acclaimed photographer Pao was born in Hong Kong, but moved to England to attend high school. Almost 40 years later, he returned to China to embark on a year-long 'tour of reconciliation'; this photo-text package is the inspired and illuminating record of that journey. Wonderfully complementary, these two books present the yin and yang on China old and new." Read more from our travel book expert about new reads on Morocco, India, and Israel. INTELLIGENT TRAVEL 3. Surf's Up England Here at IT, we like surfing. Apparently in England they do, too. The developers of Silvertown Quay recently unveiled plans to create Venture Xtreme, an extreme sports venue and surf center in London. Upon completion, the center will house London's largest permanent outdoor beach and surf pool. The thing is, it's not even a real beach. Tagging itself as the U.K.'s first "artificial surf experience" (and a "world's first" project of this size), the complex (scheduled to be complete in 2011) will feature 365 days of "perfect waves" ideal for everyone from beginners to professionals. The extreme sports complex will include an indoor wave rider, climbing wall, scuba dive tank, and ropes course. Not a fan of warm-weather activities? Not to worry. The complex will also have an ice-climbing wall, snow room, and ice bar. Click here for more from Intelligent Travel, Traveler's blog about sustainable and authentic travel. INTELLIGENT TRAVEL 4. A Road Paved with...Robbie Williams? As you know, we're all for eco-friendly practices here at IT. And when a green initiative pokes fun at a former boy band member and has a travel angle? To be honest, we can hardly stand our good fortune. So imagine our delight upon reading the news that unsold copies of Robbie Williams' latest solo album will be recycled to pave Chinese roads. Indeed, British record label EMI has announced plans to ship upward of one million unappreciated Rudebox CDs to China to be crushed and repurposed in street lighting and road projects. Trudging through China's streets has never been so satisfying. Take that, smog! Read more from Intelligent Travel. THE REAL DEAL 5. A Week in Hong Kong from $1,519 per Person A great introduction to the dynamic "Pearl in the Orient," Ritz Tours offers travelers the "Hong Kong in a Week" package featuring round-trip airfare on Cathay Pacific from Los Angeles or San Francisco (starting at $1,619 from JFK in New York); accommodations for five nights at the Kowloon Hotel or InterContinental Grand Stanford; daily breakfast at the hotel; round-trip airport-hotel transfers; and a half-day sightseeing tour with stops at Victoria Peak for panoramic views of Hong Kong and its harbor, Repulse Bay, and Aberdeen's Floating community. The itinerary allows for a generous amount of free time so travelers can immerse themselves in the city's vibrant culture, world-class shopping and eclectic cuisine. The tour is available until the end of December. For more information call 800 900 2446 or go online. 1. Grand Canyon, Arizona 2. Niagara Falls, United States and Canada 3. San Francisco Bay, California 4. Florence Cityscape, Italy 5. The West Coast of Ireland 6. Versailles, France 7. Amalfi Coast, Italy 8. The Serengeti, Tanzania 9. Manhattan Skyline, New York 10. Hong Kong Harbour Click here to read more about these tips, or buy The 10 Best of Everything and save 15 percent. "At one point a gale blew Thompson's [glaciologist Lonnie Thompson] tent, with him inside, toward a precipice—until he jammed his ice ax through the floor. 'I don't understand,' he once remarked, 'why anyone would want to climb a mountain for fun.'" —Mark Lynas, from the book Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet Click here for more from National Geographic Books. OUR SPONSORS U2 3D National Geographic Entertainment presents U2 3D, a groundbreaking 3D film that puts viewers within the pulsing energy of a stadium concert given by the world's most popular band. Click here to find a theater near you. HAWAI`I'S ISLAND OF ADVENTURE Hawai'i's Big Island offers 266 miles of spectacular coastline, including black and green sand beaches, lush rainforests, obsidian lava fields, oceanfront resorts and over 20 magnificent golf courses. Explore it! Puerto Rico, For your Zest of Adventure Explore top nature and adventure sites for leisurely drives and walks to serious hiking, rock climbing, spelunking and kayaking. The nature lover and adventure traveler can find it all here, with no U.S. Passport required! See America by rail and discover the nicer way to travel. Take Amtrak® for leisure or business to over 500 destinations across the country. Find fares and check out current special offers now at Amtrak.com. To unsubscribe from all future National Geographic e-mails, click here. View our privacy policy. You received this editorial/commercial e-newsletter from National Geographic because the information for your account indicates that National Geographic may contact you via e-mail. 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