Open-air spaces aim for family-friendly vibe - Travel Weekly

The growing number of open-air spaces in Las Vegas is both a break from the city's standard building structures and a response to visitor expectations.

The city's megaresorts have long been known for their ability to contain people. Within any given resort complex, guests basically have everything they could possibly need — accommodations, restaurants, shops, shows, nightclubs, spa facilities and pools — and while Las Vegas visitors can escape the confines of a resort, it isn't always as easy as walking out the front door. After all, the standard design of these properties dictates that there are no windows or clocks, and signage leads guests across casino floors, unsure of where, exactly, they'll finally exit a building.

That is changing.

"Las xem them Vegas is known for reinventing itself and thinking ahead to how guests travel and what they're looking for in a travel destination," said Jenn Michaels, senior vice president of public relations at MGM Resorts International. "We know Las Vegas visitors don't want to be confined to one resort."

In response, some of Vegas' newest offerings, such as the Linq on the Strip and the Container Park in the downtown area, are pushing visitors out to the great outdoors. These new spaces are being billed as community districts and neighborhoods designed to slow down the rushed pace of life for which Las Vegas is known.

On the Strip, http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/vietnam-vacation-at-phan-thiet-on-the-beach-holidays/ where the vast majority of travelers stay and spend their time, Las Vegas visitors are enjoying a breath of fresh air at Caesars Entertainment's outdoor entertainment district, the Linq. Running one-third of a mile long, this is the Strip's first major outdoor venture, sprinkled with shopping, dining and entertainment venues and anchored with the High Roller, the world's tallest observation wheel.

Caesars Entertainment has also started construction on an On the beach holidays, Best beach holiday, Journey Mekong outdoor marketplace at Bally's, set to open this fall. The Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally's will open with more than 150 shops and is being designed as a 21st century bazaar patterned after shopping spaces found around the world.

This tham khao o day spring, the front facades of the Monte Carlo and New York-New York were also transformed into an outdoor plaza with pedestrian-friendly access to a variety of casual bars, eateries and retail destinations. MGM Resorts International also recently announced plans to create "The Park," an area between Monte Carlo and New York-New York connecting Las Vegas Boulevard with the 20,000-seat arena expected to open in 2016. This area will have restaurants and shops as well as shade structures, waterfalls and other natural features, transforming an otherwise urban space into a more serene landscape.

"Great cities have great public spaces, and Las Vegas is no exception as the Strip is one of the world's great boulevards," Michaels said. "Today's consumer is spontaneous and socially engaged, and they don't want to be encumbered by four walls. "

The changes are also in response to the changing face of the city's tourists.

"In recent years, Las Vegas has attempted successfully to attract family business," said Sylvia Hopper, owner of Globe Hopper, an independent agency of Avoya Travel. "I On the beach Holidays, Vietnam Tours, Vietnam Travel think that the trend in adding more open-air pedestrian spaces shows a move toward appealing to these traveler markets. These spaces create great alternatives for families who want to experience Las Vegas as a destination and its many attractions, while avoiding features, such as smoke-filled casinos, that aren't appropriate for children or families."

In downtown Las Vegas, the Fremont Street Experience has always embodied the idea that visitors can and should enjoy what Las Vegas has to offer in an exterior environment. Free outdoor concerts and historically liberal open-container laws have made it fun for guests to wander the length of this covered pedestrian walkway.

Most http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/vietnam-romantic-on-the-beach-holidays/ people On the beach holidays, Vietnam Beach holiday, Journey Mekong didn't venture beyond Fremont Street, though, until 2012, the "year of downtown" as billed by the City of Las Vegas. During 2012, $789 million worth of projects and attractions were renovated or debuted, drastically changing the face of downtown.

This renaissance also kicked off the development of Downtown3rd, a neighborhood spanning several blocks and consisting of restaurants and bars (many with outdoor seating) all centered around the Downtown Grand hotel.

Additionally, the Container Park, an open-air hub with local boutique shops, restaurants, an outdoor performance space, a playground and ample places to sit and relax, recently opened and has become a place where locals and visitors alike hang out.

Creating welcoming outdoor areas in On the beach holidays, Vietnam Beach Vacations, Journey Mekong those parts of Vegas most visited by tourists changes the city's traditional landscape and character. It's also a response to the kind of experience visitors find in other destinations, perhaps enticing new travelers to consider Vegas for their next vacation.

"Outdoor plazas are common in many major cities across the country, providing locals and visitors alike an opportunity to enjoy spaces in a social, often interactive environment," Michaels said. "Taking the social experience outside, especially in a climate as favorable as ours in Las Vegas, creates a fresh, new way for visitors to explore Las Vegas for the first time or again and again."

Eat well when you travel

Jill Welch prepares a delicious seaside meal while traveling.

(Photo: Special to the Democrat )

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Traveling http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/family-holidays-cultural-holiday/ this o day summer? How do you usually plan travel meals while on the road? Whether you are taking a plane, bus, car or train you can still maintain good health while traveling.

I hope by now I’ve convinced you that healthy food does not equate to a lack of fun, pleasure or taste! In fact, if you break it down, you get more of all three of those when maintaining a healthy diet.

Traveling is no exception. Yes, of course you will probably eat a little differently than you would at home, and that is to be expected. However, in order to keep your energy up for traveling, it’s important to have a stockpile of delicious snacks that provide nutrients, flavor and energy.

If you are traveling by car, you can include foods that have to stay cold by bringing along a cooler. You also have the luxury of being able to cook if you bring along a single burner stove. On road trips I always do this. It makes stopping for meals and having roadside picnics much more fun.

With the small stove and my stainless steel espresso pot, I also have the benefit of making good organic coffee or green tea on the road, helping to keep my energy up while driving long distances. No more gas station coffee stops!

With a cooler and a stove you can do just about anything. My travel cooler is stocked with pre-made smoothies, salads, maybe a dip like hummus and dressing and some protein like smoked fish or bean burgers. For road trip snacks I like avocado, nuts and seeds, seaweed snacks and dried fruit.

A jar of natural peanut butter or almond butter and apple or bananas make a filling and satisfying snack for the trip. Don’t forget to bring lots of filtered water to drink. I typically fill leftover glass juice bottles with water, avoiding Family holidays, Great family holidays, Journey Mekong the need for plastic ones.

If Family holidays, Vietnam holiday, Journey Mekong you are going by plane, you will want to have food packaged in such a way that it is easy to get to and enjoy with very little preparation. Try a pre-made sandwich or a dip, with olives, carrot and celery sticks packed in a disposable (waxed cardboard, for example) container. Nuts and dried fruit are also a good choice.

I like to take along packets of greens powder to mix with water for a much-needed nutrient boost while traveling on an airplane. Staying hydrated is important. Be sure to either buy bottles of water before boarding or insist on multiple servings from the attendants.

Being food-prepared for a trip will increase your travel pleasure and enable you to maintain good health along the way. Try out this lemony hummus recipe on your next trip.

 

Jill Welch is a natural foods educator and chef with nearly 20 years of experience in helping people improve their diet and lifestyle. For more information, visit at TheKitchenGoddess.Com.

The Kitchen Goddess’ Chickpea Hummus

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (or try substituting raw zucchini)

1-2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Juice of 1-2 lemons (or to taste)

1-2 tablespoons sesame tahini

¼ Cup fresh parsley

¼ Tai day cup olive oil

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon umeboshi plum paste or vinegar to taste (optional, decrease salt if this ingredient is used)

Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust salt, Family holidays, Vietnam holiday, Journey Mekong lemon and olive oil. Serve on crackers, bread, rolled in a lettuce leaf or with vegetables.

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Hovership holidays: North Korean architects shake up tourism | Art and design | theguardian.com

Cliffs of blue mirror glass plunge towards a waterfall, as space-age hoverships dock on glistening conical towers. Buildings shaped like spinning-tops nestle between lush mountainsides, connected by ski slopes, while a glass bubble train snakes through the valley. These could be scenes from a Dan Dare comic, showing the holiday hideouts of the Mekon and his chums. In fact, they are rare glimpses of how North Korean architects imagine their future.

“We gave them a completely open brief to dream up designs for what tourism might be like in their country,” says Nick Bonner, the Beijing-based curator and tour operator who commissioned the paintings, which are currently on show in the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale (which won the Golden Lion for best pavilion). “We asked them to go crazy, to see what they would come up with given absolutely no constraints.”

 

Woodland retreat … 'an aerial hotel where you are embraced by nature.' Photograph: Koryo Group

One scene shows plans for the Silk Co-operative, a high-tech, low-energy artisans' http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/halong-bay-cat-ba-excursions-3-days-2-nights/ commune, Excursions with circular buildings modelled on traditional Korean spinning wheels and wrapped in blue solar panels. In between these mirrored discs stand towers topped with wind-turbines-cum-helipads, rising above a watery landscape.

“The tourist benefits from being in the company of artisans, and the ability to learn new skills or just indulge in the beauty of the area,” write the architects. “They can travel by river, solar-train, or helicopter, then go on mountain walks.” It is a lavish dream in a country where transport is still limited and freedom of movement severely restricted. Despite the high-tech appearance of this new community, its architects are also keen to point out that the construction “uses natural stone, not concrete” – a strange claim, explained only by the fact that the country has yet to embrace reinforced steel.

 

Mountain conicals … 'featuring open-air parks attached to the buildings for rare mountain plants. The packed earth acts as insulating material slowly giving off heat.' Photograph: Koryo Group

Oozing retro Jetsons-style glamour and sprinkled with curious anachronisms, the paintings provide a fascinating window on what contemporary architectural culture looks like in a place cut off from the world since 1948, a land immune from the churning feedback loop of design blogs and glossy magazines. It is a quaint vision of a future that never happened, employing forms and materials that smack of World Fairs gone by, or the sets of Thunderbirds.

There are swathes of blue mirror-glass and bubble cable-cars, interiors lined with http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/nha-trang-da-lat-excursions-2-days-1-night/ tangerine paint and brown veneer – all drenched in a decidedly 1970s flavour. There is a pink boudoir worthy of Lady Penelope, with a swooping ceiling and a moulded side table – on which an old-fashioned dial-up telephone sits. The general aesthetic is as if Bjarke Ingels had travelled back in time and worked as an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, sci-fi cartoons inflected with a homely crafts sensibility.

 

Birdnest Excursions Riverside guesthouse … Bjarke Ingels meets Frank Lloyd Wright. Photograph: Koryo Group

There are also underlying hints of the social values of the DPRK and Juche ideology of collective self-reliance established by Kim Il-sung. The Bird's Nest villa is designed as a communal retreat, a cluster of interconnected pagodas for group Halong Bay Excursions holidays and corporate team-bonding trips. “We all are in the nest together and have to learn to be together harmoniously,” say the architects, explaining how the open interiors are “light, airy and fun”. Spurning the usual hotel corridor, the rooms are arranged around staggered atriums, “to allow you to come into visual contact with your friends much more naturally, which aids communication.” In the Democratic People's Republic, collective conviviality trumps solitude.

Elsewhere, there is the Woodland Retreat, described as “an aerial hotel room where you are embraced by nature”, which takes the form of a series of terraces held aloft on chunky columns – again hinting at the limits of North Korean structural possibility. Other designs are eerily prescient. There is a great bridge that mysteriously conflates two projects by Norman Foster (neither of which the architect would have seen), channelling the slender cable-stayed structure of the Millau Viaduct, in southern France, and the jaunty wobble of London's own Millennium Bridge. “Visitors walk across the morning mist as if on clouds connecting mountains, [and] experience the feeling of flight,” says the blurb. “[It is] a different kind of experience using modern constructional material. There is slight vibration and sway like the Korean swing, so you know you are in the air.”

 

Mount http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/nha-trang-da-lat-excursions-2-days-1-night/ Myohyang Tourism Bridge … Foster's Millau viaduct meets the wobbly Millennium Bridge in London. Photograph: Koryo Group

The paintings are a rare commission to have emerged from the notoriously secretive country, the result of four years' work by Bonner and his team. They have been produced by architects at the Paekdusan Construction and Architectural Research Institute, an http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/unique-beauty-excursions-of-the-north-4-days-3nights/ anonymous machine from which most of the state's major projects are issued, by people trained at the country's main architecture school, the Pyongyang Construction and Building Material University. It is a place where architects are weaned not on Corb and Koolhaas, or Mies and Morphosis, but on a diet of ancient Korean buildings and socialist architecture with Korean influence, alongside classes in western classical architecture and proportion – and declarations from their late “Dear Leader,” Kim Jong-Il.

“There cannot and should not be a modern form of architecture that is devoid of national characteristics,” writes Kim in his 1991 treatise, On Architecture, a 170-page guidebook-manifesto full of mangled aphorisms and strangely familiar archispeak. “Architecture that has been created to reflect the people's requirements in a new age, in keeping with the modern aesthetic feelings and modern civilised life,” he adds, “is architecture that embodies modernity, namely, modern architecture.”

 

Birdnest Riverside guesthouse interior … Thunderbirds glamour of Lady Penelope's boudoir. Photograph: Koryo Group

Elsewhere, he appears to http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/halong-bay-cat-ba-excursions-3-days-2-nights/ draw on the Vitruvian triad of “firmness, commodity and delight,” declaring the four demands of the masses to be “convenience, cosiness, beauty and durability” – although it is hard to say that many of the megalithic monuments over which he presided look all that cosy.

So would he have approved of the buildings imagined here? Given the hypocrisy of his treatise, it's hard to tell. In one breath, he argues for the importance of originality, before summoning words that could come straight from Prince Charles' personal architectural manifesto: “We must combat and promptly do away with fame-seeking, formalism, art for art’s sake, imitationism, and all the other unhealthy creative attitudes that find expression among architects.” Whatever the case, given that Pyongyang now sports a glistening rocket-ship hotel, it can only be a matter of time before inhabited spinning wheels and high-tech tree-houses become reality.

• Utopian Tours forms part of the Korean Pavilion, Crow's Eye View: the Korean Peninsula, at the Venice Biennale's Giardini, until Sunday 23 November. Koryo Tours is organising a seven-day architectural tour of North Korea in October. For more information and itinerary click here.

Michal Kwiatkowski's non-altitude training for the Tour de France

While his rivals were flying high, Michal Kwiatkowski took a different approach to train for the Tour de France.

“I’ve never trained at altitude. Maybe I’ll do it later in my career, but right now, I’m sticking to what works,” said Kwiatkowski, 11th overall in the Tour last year.

“Have I tried an oxygen tent? No. I don’t know how altitude could help me or how I would react. It’s a risk to try something new before the most important race of the year.”

Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador trained at 2165 metres in Tenerife, Spain, in the last month. Others went to Mount Etna and Sierra Nevada. Team Omega Pharma-QuickStep‘s 24-year-old, however, went home to http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/day-trips-robinson-tour-phu-quoc/ Poland tai day and previewed some of the Tour de France’s stages.

“If I were to try altitude training, maybe I’d go in August or at another point in the year.”

This spring, Kwiatkowski succeeded in improving in the Ardennes Classics. Instead of the cobbled classics, he raced the traditional Ardennes warm-up race, the Tour of the Basque Country. After finishing second overall in the tour, he placed fifth in the Amstel Gold Race, third in La Fleche Wallonne and third in Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

He continued to the Tour of Romandy and two days later, beat Froome and won the prologue. Afterwards, he took a break to get ready for the Tour de France.

 

“I click here went home to Poland for two weeks and went seven days without touching my bike.”

Instead of an altitude camp, Kwiatkowski stayed in the team’s hotel in Calpe, Spain, and travelled to France to recon part of next month’s race.

He returned to racing o day in the Criterium du Dauphine yesterday. He said that he went too hard too soon and paid on the climb mid-way into the 10.4-kilometre time trial in Lyon.

The next stages, including the Col du Beal summit finish today, should indicate if his training approach is paying off. After the race ends, he will preview the Tour’s stages in the Alps.

“Froome has just http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tours/day-trips/ one goal. He prepared specifically for the Tour and previewed even the Pyrenean stages,” said http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/halong-bay-tours-day-trips-deluxe/ Kwiatkowski.

“I don’t compare myself to him. He’s at the same level with Contador. I’m on another level and I’m looking at my own progression. I believe in my chances and have support from the team.”

Michel Day trips from hanoi, Day trips Kwiatkowski in the Prologue of the 2014 Tour de Romandie

Michal Day trips to Nha Trang, Day trips Kwiatkowski wins Tour de Romandie prologue

• April 29, 2014

Michal Kwiatkowski has won the Tour de Romandie prologue to take the first yellow jersey of the race that Chris …Continue reading »

 

Michal chi tiet tham khao Kwiatkowski looks ahead after Amstel Gold Race disappointment

• April 21, 2014

"He will be there again to fight with the biggest riders" says Omega Pharma-QuickStep sports director Tom Steels …Continue reading »

 

 

Here are 3 things to do to stretch travel budget

Call Classic tours, Vietnam classic tour, Journey Mekong 12 for Action has a team of volunteers that works to help people resolve disputes with companies.

(Photo: azcentral)

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Vacations Journey Mekong, Classic tours are something to look forward to. But as we all know, they can cost a lot of money.

So if you've made a point to budget a certain amount for that trip, you want to stay on target and stay as stress-free as possible.

SmarterTravel.Com made a list of "9 secrets to a Happy Vacation" and, no surprise, they mostly revolve around planning ahead of time.

When you do, you can save and be less stressed tham khao o day because you're not surprised by fees or charges that you didn't account for as you booked your trip.

Here are three things to consider before you leave:

• Read up on your airline's baggage policy so you can budget for fees.

The rules may have changed since the last time you flew.

• Plan for how you'll get around while you're at the destination.

Taking a taxi, compared with public transportation or walking, can make a big difference to your wallet.

Since you're spending all of that money on a vacation, it can be an investment.

So here's one more a tip about deciding on travel insurance.

"Really think about something like travel insurance at the time of purchase, because you're thinking about money," said Anne Banas, executive editor for SmarterTravel.Com.

"You're thinking about your budget. That's when you're going to see all the fine print. So if you do it at that time and make a decision, I think that's going to be your best bet."

What else do you make sure to budget for when you travel? Send a tweet Classic tours, Journey Mekong to @stacia_naquin. Watch for more consumer stories and headlines on 12 News o day Today from 5 to 7 a.M. Monday through Friday.

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Beer For tourism big in WNC

Asheville breweries, such Adventure Tours, Vietnam Tours, Vietnam travel, Journey Mekong as Wedge, draw a crowd of tourists and regulars. Numbers are expected to increase with the opening of Sierra Nevada’s Mills River brewery and the arrival of New Belgium’s brewery in West Asheville. Matt Rose / Special to ac-t

(Photo: Matt Rose, Special to ac-t)

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Tourism tham khao o day has long been a powerful economic force in the mountains, but more and more, beer is helping to fuel that engine.

Craft beer drinkers have been coming here for years to sample the city’s nationally famous brew scene. But even bigger crowds are expected this summer with the opening of the new Sierra Nevada brewery in Mills River and several notable new beer festivals. Next year, New Belgium will open its massive $175 million brewery in West Adventure Tours, Vietnam adventure tours, Journey Mekong Asheville along the French Broad River, likely revving up even more beer tourism.

Local breweries are also feeling the bump. “I would say that 75 percent of the people who are coming to our bottle release days are not local,” said Wicked Weed Brewing co-owner Walt Dickinson. “They are from Charlotte and Raleigh and Richmond and we’ve had people come from Chicago. People are willing to travel for craft beer.”

Asheville’s newest brewery, One World, which just opened off Pack Square, has fielded inquiries from around the country, said owner Jason “Jay” Schutz. “People have been calling from Colorado, Kansas, Connecticut, Michigan and Florida,” he said.

The summer beer season may hinge on two big festivals. Sierra Nevada will host its Beer Camp Across America festival on Aug. 3 at Mills River. Sierra is doing seven big festivals nationwide, but the Mills River event is the only Southeastern date, said brewery spokesman Ryan Arnold. It’s the first public peek at the brewery and could pull up to 5,000 visitors.

In Brevard, the Oskar Blues Brewery will host the Burning Can beer fest July 5, the first beer festival in that town, company spokeswoman Anne-Fitten Glenn said. It might draw 1,000 fans or more, she said.

Asheville click here Beer Week festivities, now underway, are also drawing visitors, said organizer Mike Rangel. The May 31 Beer City Festival will pull a crowd of 2,200, he said. “Asheville already had the table set,” he said. “It has been a tourist destination since the 1800s and we have this infrastructure of hotels and restaurants. And now people will come to Sierra and New Belgium and discover all these gems. It’s a game-changer for sure.”

Sierra Nevada is “bouncing around” ways to handle visitors to Mills River, said Arnold. He didn’t know if tours would be offered at the Beer Camp festival. “Having 5,000 people on the site, we are still determining if (tours are) feasible,” he said. But sometime this summer, the brewery will open a small tasting room where tour groups can sample beer. Later this year the brewery hopes to open a big restaurant and pub.

At Sierra’s Chico, Calif., Plant, tours are a key part of the operation, he said. “Asheville and its breweries have made such a name for themselves and since we are joining that community, we would love for (tourists) to come down and visit us. We anticipate a good number of visitors here.”

Oskar Blues will offer brewery tours during its smaller Burning Can festival, which will showcase read more canned craft beer, Glenn said. “About 40 percent of the visitors who come through the taproom are visitors, especially during the http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/hidden-northwest-tour-12-days-11-nights/ summer,” she said. “We send a lot of them to Brevard Brewing downtown, near Adventure Tours, Adventure Travel, Journey Mekong the restaurants.”

Asheville’s Brews Cruise tour service has built its business around visitors looking to explore local breweries. Last year, it took 5,000 passengers on brewery tours and general manager Shawna Hart said that will grow greatly this year. “When I started, we had one 12-passenger van and now we have two 32-passenger buses and one 14-passenger short bus,” she said. “We fill up almost every seat on the weekends. Every time I talk with out-of-towners, they ask when Sierra will be opening (for tours),” she said. “People are coming here just for the beer.”

Wedge Brewing in the River Arts District will be a neighbor to New Belgium’s big brewery. “We are definitely seeing more tourists,” said owner Tim Schaller. “And we will get even more when New Belgium gets here.”

Highland Brewing, which sells beers in nine states, can grow bigger sales through beer tourism, said vice president Leah Wong Ashburn. “Having that personal Adventure Tours, Adventure Tour, Journey Mekong connection with any product is a good thing,” she said.

Beer tourism has become a statewide movement, said Margo Knight Metzger, executive director of the N.C. Brewers Guild, who previously worked with the state Department of Commerce’s tourism http://www.Journeymekong.Com/tour/combined-adventure-tours-northern-landscapes/ division.

“We are seeing it in pockets across the state,” she said. “(Beer) might not be the number one reason people visit North Carolina, but more and more are visiting craft breweries while they’re here.”

The arrival of Sierra and New Belgium is making North Carolina a beer “Mecca,” she said. “And that can only help the existing breweries.”

SUMMER BEER EVENTS

May 31: Beer City Festival, Asheville Beer Week

July 5: Oskar Blues Brewery Burning Can beer fest, Brevard

August 3: Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp Across America festival, Mills River

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Source : Citizen Times

Where to hear Okinawa music | CNN Travel

There’s something about islands and music.

Jamaica and Cuba spring to mind.

Not as globally recognized, but every bit as interesting, is subtropical Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost littoral.

You can find music on the smallest of islets in the Okinawan chain, but Naha, the prefectural capital, remains the epicenter of musical activity.

At times, it feels as if melodies are escaping from every doorway along Kokusai-dori, Naha’s main tourist and entertainment strip.

Considered by many the greatest living female Okinawan signer, Misako Oshiro performs at her club, Shima Umui.

Clubs here cater to tourists looking for a night of drinking and carousing, but they also provide a useful initiation into shima-uta, the term for Okinawan music and its modern derivatives.

With its emphasis on half-step intervals and variations on pentatonic scales, the rhythms and phrasings in Okinawan music distinguish it from the folk music of mainland Japan.

More on CNN: Okinawa: Family holidays, Vietnam holiday, Journey Mekong Which island is for you? 

Embodying hints and tints of its Asian provenance, the music is played at festivals, to celebrate births and weddings, petition the gods for good harvests and even for social commentary and political protest.

An ever-evolving genre, successful collaborations between Okinawan performers and well known foreign musicians Family holidays, Vietnam Tours, Vietnam Travel, Journey Mekong include those with pianist Geoffrey Keezer and guitar legend Ry Cooder.

Few places uphold local musical traditions like Okinawa, where tribute is paid to both past masters and new styles.

For an evening of authentic traditional music, Shima Umui, a cozy basement club owned by the great Okinawan singer Misako Oshiro, is the place to start.

On a good night, the music and awamori (Okinawan liquor) flow until the early hours of the morning.

More on CNN: Awamori: A guide to Okinawa's tropical drink of choice

Experiencing Okinawa music

The Far Side Music website is one of the best places to shop for Okinawan sounds.

All-female Homestay, Homestays, Journey Mekong band Nenes performs at Shimauta, a club along Kokusai-dori.John Potter’s book, "The Power of Okinawa: Roots music from the Ryukyus," is a fine introduction to the subject.

Almost every island has a bar or two where live music is performed, but Naha is to Okinawan music what Nashville is to country.

Live performances usually start between chi tiet 7 and 9 p.M.

Here are some of the best places to catch an Okinawan music concert.

Chakra

This well known club is run by legendary singer-composer Kina Shokichi, who can be seen performing on weekends.

Chakra, Naha-shi, Makishi 1-2-1, Mall Vie Bldg. 5/F; +81 098 869 0283

Shimauta

This one is overseen Vietnam family holidays, Family holidays, Journey Mekong by Sadao China, an influential musician and producer who created the all-female group Nenes, who perform regularly here.

Shimauta, Naha-shi, Makishi 1-2-31, 3/F Okinawaya Honsha Bldg; +81 098 863 6040

Shima Umui

This small club is run by Okinawan signer Misako Oshiro.

Shima Umui, Naha-shi, Higashimachi 4-6; +81 098 866 0234 

Lyra

A good venue to see young performers and new acts. There are three evening sessions; you can stay for as many as you like.

Lyra, Naha-shi, Makishi, 2-1-1-BF1; +81 098 941 5003

Kalahaai

Located in Chatan, a little north of Naha, this is the base for the Rinken Band, one of the best-known Okinawan acts. Other artists perform here.

Kalahaai,  Nagagami-gun, Chatan-cho 8-11; +81 098 982 707

Bashofu

Run by seasoned musicians Takashi and Chiyoko Hatoma, a warm welcome awaits visitors who make it to Ishigaki, an island in the southern Yaeyama chain.

Bashofu, Ishigaki-shi, Misaki-cho 12-12; +81 0980 82 7765

More on CNN: Five must visit Okinawa castles 

CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy

Source : CNN travel