Phoebettmh Travel

(Iran) – Kandovan: Iran's Incredible Village Carved Out of Stone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:21:00 -0700

Kandovan (also spelled Candovan) is a tourist village in the province of East Azarbaijan, near Osku and Tabriz, Iran. Its fame is due to its troglodyte dwellings. Some of the houses are at least 700 years old and are still inhabited. Kandovan is also known for its scenic beauty. A popular resort, it offers hotels and restaurants to serve tourists. Its mineral water is also popular with visitors and is believed to be a cure for kidney disease.

(Iran) – Kandovan: Iran's Incredible Village Carved Out of Stone

Kandovan is a tourist village in Iran that is not only famous for its scenic beauty, but also its uniqueness that comes from the fact that many of its homes have been made in caves located in cone-shaped rock-formation. Thus making the complete village look like a gigantic termite colony.

Houses carved inside rocks are so peculiar; you would definitely want to visit them once. Some of these houses are at least 700 years old and still inhabited. Most of the houses are two to four storeys high. Legend has it that Kandovan’s first inhabitants moved here centuries ago to escape the invading Mongol army.

High in the northwestern Iran near Osku and Tabriz, the architectural history of Kandovan dates back to the 13th century. In this unique village, the homes are not just built on the mountain, they are carved into it. Built out of volcanic ash and debris spewed during an eruption of Mount Sahand, these rocky structures were compressed and shaped by natural forces into cone-shaped pillars containing pockets. They have been eroded by the elements over the years into their current shapes.

(Iran) – Kandovan: Iran's Incredible Village Carved Out of Stone

Despite the village’s isolated nature, tourists from around the world can be found wandering in narrow streets, impressed by this old place. Those not necessarily wanting to stay in caves don’t have to worry about their stay - this rocky village has a five-star-rock hotel called Laleh Hotel. It is decorated with traditional Iranian furniture and is the third 'rocky' hotel in the world. This 40-room hotel is inspired by the traditional building methods of Kandovan. You will be amazed to have a bed, a TV room Kitchen and even Jacuzzi, all inside a rock.

(Iran) – Kandovan: Iran's Incredible Village Carved Out of Stone

Far away from pollution and noisy metropolitan cities, this stone village helps people relax. It makes us believe that cave living is by no means uncomfortable. A quiet place for those who are looking for peace and comfort.

(Iran) – Kandovan: Iran's Incredible Village Carved Out of Stone

(Wikipedia, Environmental Graffiti, Photo)

(Montenegro) – Visiting pearl of the Mediterranean

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 2 Feb 2013 07:34:00 -0800

Montenegro, the pearl of the Mediterranean, unique in many ways, is situated in the south of the Adriatic. Nowhere else can you find, so much natural wealth, beauty, mild beaches, clear lakes, fast rivers, and gorgeous mountains in such a compact area as in Montenegro. In the morning you can wake up along the beautiful Adriatic coast, have lunch on the banks of Skadar Lake, and enjoy an evening walk in the Montenegrin mountains. Montenegro cannot leave you indifferent.

(Montenegro) – Visiting pearl of the Mediterranean

Not only an excellent choice for holidays, Montenegro has many other remarkable characteristics: history, culture, tradition, good weather conditions, clean air, beautiful nature, the blue Adriatic Sea.... Everyone should visit Montenegro. This little country combines features of both the Balkans and the Mediterranean, near Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy and Albania. Despite its small size, Montenegro offers great diversity and abundant natural beauty. Don't forget to take your camera to capture the dream-like grandeur of every view in Montenegro. You won't need to stage your photos; just click and capture the most beautiful photos from your holidays in your album.

(Montenegro) – Visiting pearl of the Mediterranean

Montenegro is certainly one of the most interesting spots in the world. Even though it covers only 14,000 km2 and has about 670,000 citizens, its contribution to the cultural heritage of the world is impressive, considering its size.... Montenegro is a southern European and Mediterranean country. It is one of the most southern European states, adjacent to the southern Adriatic Sea. About 500 km from Rome; 1,500 km from Paris, and Berlin; and about 2,000 km west from Moscow; Montenegro lies on the Balkan Peninsula in the very heart of Europe.

(Montenegro) – Visiting pearl of the Mediterranean

Top 5 must visit places in Montenegro

1. DURMITOR - NATIONAL PARK

There is 4 National Parks in Montenegro, but one of them attract many tourist, because of amazing nature beauty. This is National Park Durmitor. On the North part of Montenegro, Durmitor represent untouched nature, with many attractions and possibilities for active tourism.

(Montenegro) - Durmitor - National Park

Hiking, Biking, Mountaineering, Walking, Swimming, Skiing, Bungee Jumping, Rafting, ... are only part of the activities in which you can enjoy in Durmitor. Domestic food and specialties are also part of offer in which you will enjoy the fresh evenings.

(Montenegro) - Durmitor - National Park

2. Tivat - Porto Montenegro

Borne out of the vision of its chief investor, Canadian businessman Peter Munk, Porto Montenegro‟s state-of-the-art marina utilises the existing infrastructure of the former Yugoslav naval facility upon which it is built. It will feature 630 berths for yachts, including the largest superyachts, and will provide the highest level of service and amenities for vessels of all sizes – including nearby dry-dock and repair facilities. In addition, the development will create a vibrant coastal community of waterfront residences, hotels and restaurants, shopping, water sports and leisure facilities.

(Montenegro) - Tivat - Porto Montenegro

But this is just a part of the story – the rest is the destination itself. Porto Montenegro lies within one of the world‟s most idyllic nautical playgrounds: the Bay of Kotor. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Bay of Kotor is Europe‟s southernmost fjord and the largest natural harbour in the eastern Mediterranean.

(Montenegro) - Tivat - Porto Montenegro

"Yachts are getting bigger and bigger and people are complaining that they can't find proper berths for them. That's no problem in Tivat. It used to cater to warships." Peter Munk, Chief Investor, Porto Montenegro.

(Montenegro) - Tivat - Porto Montenegro

Tivat and Porto Montenegro will provide high level tourism service, and you will for sure enjoy in NEW "Monaco" on the Mediterranean.

(Montenegro) - Tivat - Porto Montenegro

3. Perast - Boka Bay

Perast is one of the most beautiful little places in Boka Bay, few kilometers from Kotor. Perast is a wonderful old town, with wonderful old architecture. You will enjoy in many old churchs, but one of the biggest attraction is for sure : Our Lady of the Rock (Gospa od Skrpjela), little island in Boka Bay, with amazing church and museum. Every few minutes, there is small taxi boats that will take you to this unforgettable place.

(Montenegro) - Perast - Boka Bay

Many small restarurants on the Perast coast will offer you great fish specialities. This is for sure, one of the TOP places in this part of Europe. You will enjoy the magnificent natural beauty of the southernmost fjord - Bay of Kotor. Amazing mountains that surround the bay, the old architecture, the smell of the sea, ... Perast is MUST visit place for every tourist who visit Montenegro.

(Montenegro) - Perast - Boka Bay

4. Skadarsko / Skadar Lake - NATIONAL PARK

Skadar/Scadar/Scutari Lake is located in the so called Zeta-Skadar valley that partly belongs to the municipality of the city of Bar and partly to the municipality of the city of Podgorica. Indescribable and in many ways unique, with the size of 391km2, it is the larges lake on the Balkan Peninsula. Driving through the newly build Sozina tunnel, the lake is only a short 20 minute drive away from the Adriatic Sea. The river Bojana creates a connection between Skadar/Scadar/Scutari Lake and the Adriatic Sea though a large mountain massive that separates the two. Two thirds of the lake belongs to Montenegro, while one third belongs to the Republic of Albania. The Montenegrin part of the lake, at a size of 40000 hectares, was declared a National Park in 1983.

(Montenegro) - Skadar Lake

The region of Skadar/Scadar/Scutari Lake is an area the visitors and tourist to Montenegro must come to see to believe that such a place of natural beauty indeed exists. It is a very attractive destination because of its natural richness, ease of access both from land and sea, and because the conditions are here to meet all types of tourism throughout the entire year: bird watching, excursions to visit cultural-historical monuments, speleologist research, sport-recreational, events and festival, cruising and many more. The sea, the lake and mountains are all located in a circumference of 150km, and offer a variety that can accommodate the tastes and wishes of all guest and tourist.

(Montenegro) - Skadar Lake

5. Sveti Stefan - Budva

One of the most famous and prestigious places in Montenegro – Sveti Stefan (St Stephen) is located only 15 minutes drive from Budva. Sveti Stefan is certainly one of the tourist icons of Montenegro. It's no wonder, when you visit this beautiful place you'll immediately feel why Sophia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Queen Elizabeth II and many other celebrities, just chose Sveti Stefan for your favorite place to vacation.

(Montenegro) - Sveti Stefan - Budva

It's a place that will take your breath away.

(Montenegro) - Sveti Stefan - Budva

(Montenegro Travel, Visit Montenegro)

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:18:00 -0800

Moorea is a high island in French Polynesia, part of the Society Islands, 17 km (roughly 9 mi) northwest of Tahiti. Moorea means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian. An older name for the island is “Aimeho, sometimes spelled “Aimeo “or “Eimeo” (among other spellings misunderstood by early visitors with no knowledge of the language). Early Western colonists and voyagers also referred to Moorea as York Island.

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

Because of its stunning scenery and accessibility to Papeetē, Moorea is visited by many western tourists who travel to French Polynesia. Especially popular as a honeymoon destination, Moorea can often be seen in advertisements in American wedding magazines. Arthur Frommer declared in Frommer's travel guide that he considered it the most beautiful island in the world.

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

In addition to its high and scenically dramatic interior mountains, Moorea is unique among the Society Islands in having magnificent expanses of both white and black sand beaches. It is no stretch to say that the beaches of Moorea Island can be rated among the worlds finest.

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

Filled with Polynesian history and lore, Moorea is one of the most fascinating and completely relaxing places you could dream of vacationing. On a hilltop lookout high up in the interior mountains, between shark toothed Mount Rotui and towering Mount Tohivea, there is a view once reserved only for the gods...

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

On one side lies exquisite Cook's Bay, and the other a deep and equally entrancing Opunohu Bay. Their waiting arms reach up to embrace you. Which way do you go? There is only one way to make the choice... come to Moorea and experience the magic!

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

What to Do

6 categories for Moorea activities include:

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

1. WATERSPORTS: with a special section for Scuba Diving, plus, Sailing, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, jetskiing, swimming, kitesurfing.

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

2. RELAXATION: motu picnics, nightlife, circle island tours, glass bottom boat, private lagoon tours, sunset cruises, massage

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

3. ADVENTURES: 4x4 safaris, parasailing, deepsea & sportfishing, shark & ray feeding, hiking & climbing

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

4. ISLAND FUN: eco, cultural, & nature touring, lagoon excursions, horseback riding, light tackle fishing, Aquascope, Aquasafari, Lagoonarium, camping, flightseeing

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

5. RECREATION: casual walking, bicycle riding, tennis, volleyball, billiards, massage.

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

6. SHOPPING, SERVICES & RESTAURANTS: local art galleries & studios, Black Pearls & jewelry, giftshops, boutiques & more.

(Polynesia) – Moorea – Island of love

(Wikipedia, Moorea island)

(Philippines) - Travel to Palawan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 05:47:00 -0800

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Puerto Princesa and it is the largest province in terms of land area. It is considered as the last frontier of the Philippines.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Climate

The weather in Palawan is at its best from late February to about mid May. This is when the oceans are calmest and visibility for snorkeling and diving is best. Tubbataha dive trips only run during this period. Very few typhoons cross Palawan due to it lower latitude. The monsoons bring most of the rain to Palawan and they can develop very quickly, unleashing torrential downpours. The south west monsoon, "habagat", is from late May to October. The north east monsoon, "amihan", is from November to late February. The weather is always hot and humid. Wear the lightest possible cotton clothes to beat the heat. I recommend shorts, sleeveless shirt and sandals – no shoes and socks. Remember to always bring your hat, umbrella, insect repellant, sun-block and sunglasses.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Central and Northern Palawan

Puerto Princesa City - Puerto Princesa City has a population of about 200,000 and is the Capital of Palawan. Puerto Princesa City and the Underground River are the most popular Palawan destinations for Filipinos. This is partly because of the large number of discount flights coming into the city every day, plus the relatively cheap accommodation available for large family groups with tight budgets. The typical Puerto Princesa two-night-three-day dash includes a one day snorkeling tour of Honda Bay, usually with pickup straight from the airport (need an early flight for this), a day trip to the Underground River on day 2 and a Puerto Princesa city tour on day 3, ending just before the late afternoon departure back to Manila.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

There are 9+ daily flights into and out of Puerto Princesa. The route is served by all of the major airlines with Cebu Pacific having the most flights. Although the majority of flights are to Manila, there are some to Cebu, Coron (Busuanga) and Boracay (Caticlan).

The Underground River at Sabang - The road from Puerto Princesa City to the Underground River in Sabang is almost completely concreted now and it takes less than two hours to travel the 80 km. The bus or jeepney will take up to three hours because it will continually stop to pick up passengers and cargo. Sabang is the village from where the boats ferry the tourists to the underground river, about 15 minutes away. If you can fit it into your itinerary, consider spending at least a night in Sabang. There is plenty of accommodation there to choose from. The beach is nice for swimming but there is a strong undertow sometimes. Also try to fit in the 1 hour mangrove tour.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Port Barton (in the Municipality of San Vicente) - Not as popular as El Nido or the Underground River, but one of my favorite places in the Philippines. The main activity there is island hopping, beach lazing and snorkeling. The islands in the vicinity of Port Barton are being newly developed into high end tourist resorts, but the impact of them has yet to affect the town of Port Barton. The road to Port Barton is now passable all year round with the very worst it having been cemented. During the typhoon season it is still recommended that your van or car be a 4 wheel drive. Port Barton is only a few hours from Sabang by boat and this is the preferred method of traveling between the two towns during the peak tourist season between December and May. Getting from Sabang to Port Barton is more complicated by road as there is no direct road linking them.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Also consider a night or two at Coconut Garden Island Resort on Cacnipa Island, just a short boat ride from Port Barton town.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Taytay - You will pass through Taytay on your way to El Nido when traveling by road. Taytay was once the capital of Palawan and is most famous for its 17th century Spanish garrison, Fort Isabel. Taytay is rarely on anyone's itinerary because the place is not well promoted. I like Taytay and go there often.. Tourism infrastructure is not as well oiled as in other major Palawan destinations. Don't let that put you off. There is plenty here to beguile the intrepid backpacker - and me also. Island hopping and snorkeling are the main activities around Taytay: bird watching at Lake Manguao (also called Lake Danao), the largest lake on Palawan, dolphin watching at Malampaya Sound and swimming in the refreshing Canique Water Fall. The best thing about Taytay is that there are very few tourists here, especially since the nearby Club Noah ceased operations recently.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

El Nido - El Nido is located near the northern tip of Palawan and is a very popular island hopping destination and famous for its breathtaking seascapes. The high cost of flying into El Nido or the long trip from Puerto Princesa keeps many Filipinos away. ITI, a private charter airline, has 3 flights a day into the privately owned airstrip at El Nido but the first preferences for seats go to patrons of the high cost island resorts of Lagen and Miniloc. During the peak season, SEAIR also has several flights a week into El Nido, but I am told that they have been known to cancel flights at the last moment if there are not enough passengers. Daily buses and vans go from Puerto Princesa City to El Nido and the trip can take between 7 and 9 hours, depending on weather conditions. By far the best way to get to El Nido is by boat from Sabang or Port Barton. There are daily schedules from December to May. Regular boats to El Nido also leave from Coron.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

There is a common misconception, especially amongst Filipinos, that El Nido is a very expensive destination. What is not realized is that the island resorts can be very expensive, but accommodation in El Nido town is no more expensive than that of Puerto Princesa City, although it may be difficult to get cheap accommodation for a large family group.

Calamian group of islands

This group of islands is part of the Province of Palawan and is located above the main Island of Palawan. The larger islands are Busuanga, Culion, and Coron islands. There are also some 95 lesser coral isles and islets.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Coron - The town of Coron (not to be confused with the island of Coron) is on the island of Busuanga and is the principal city - population about 40,000. It is about 300km SW of Manila. There are no sandy beaches in Coron town so you would need to stay on one of the islands to get the “beach” experience. Until recently, Coron was mainly a destination for sea wreck scuba divers who dive on the many sunken World War 2 Japanese wrecks. Because there are now four low cost fights into Coron each day, it has also become a popular destination for Filipinos, expats and Asian tourists who want to do some island hopping, snorkeling or kayaking but have only a few days to spare.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Southern Palawan

Apart from possibly a day trip to Estrella Falls, I would not recommend Southern Palawan unless you have lots of time on your hands and are prepared to travel a long way over some bad roads. I have toured Southern Palawan twice in my 4 wheel drive Suzuki. The first time was to Quezon and Brooke’s Point via the east coast road. That was in June 2009. On the second trip, which was on the Easter weekend in April 2010,I traveled via the west coast road, passing through Rizal and returning via the east coast road via Bataraza. Infrastructure for tourism in South Palawan is poor and it’s difficult to get information about places to go, road conditions, etc. It would probably be much more difficult without you own transport. South Palawan is probably for the more adventurous tourists, but the west coast circuit is also popular with 4x4 drivers and trail bike riders. The traveling distances for both of my trips was about 550km.

Buses, jeeps and vans leave regularly from the San Jose terminal in Puerto Princesa going to Quezon and Brooke’s point. There are connecting jeepney services that can take you anywhere in Palawan.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Estrella Falls, Narra - The Estrella Falls is a popular destination for locals and Filipino family groups visiting Puerto Princesa and can be an ideal picnic outing day trip. There are huts for shelter and BBQ facilities for cooking your own food. The falls are great to swim in and both adults and children should have a fun day in and around the water. Without local knowledge, it may be difficult to go the falls by public transport because it is about 8km from the main road. Best way to do this trip would be to hire a van and driver and do it as a day trip. The van can accommodate up to 12 people and the price is P3,900 (fixed price) which includes all costs. Take all of the food and drinks you need. Perhaps purchase it from one of the Puerto Princesa markets on the way. Grill your food at the falls and don't forget to buy charcoal. Traveling time to the falls from Puerto Princesa City is about 2.5 hours for a distance of 95kms. Stop at the Aborlan market on the way for a snack or second breakfast.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Transport around Palawan

There are no flights around Palawan except from Puerto Princesa to Coron. The main methods of transport are jeepney, bus, van, hire van (with driver), rental motorbike or boat.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Jeepneys, Buses and Vans - Jeepneys are the cheapest way to travel, and for the adventurous types, you can sit on the roof if you don't want to be squashed in like a sardine.. The buses and vans are also usually packed to capacity but the vans have the advantage of being air-conditioned and are faster as they do not stop to pickup/drop-off people and cargo. Vans are slightly more expensive than buses or jeeps. None of the buses are air-conditioned so you can get quite dusty during the dry months.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Hire Car - The only company I know of in Palawan that rents cars without a driver is Pitstop Bike and Car Rental. They are based in El Nido but you can also pick up from Puerto Princesa. All their vehicles are 4-wheel-drive.

Hire car or van with driver - Probably the best ways to see Palawan is to rent a van or 4-wheel-drive with driver. You can rent a vehicle just to pick you up from the airport and take you to your destination, or you can rent it for your whole Palawan tour, including all overnights. Hiring a vehicle for your whole tour opens up a range of options which would be difficult to do with public transport. It is not expensive - you will pay about P20 per km plus P1500 a day. Therefore, a 6 day tour of Palawan may cost P20,000. Divide that by 4 to 10 people and it could be a very affordable way to travel. If you want to go off the beaten track a little, it is better that your van is a 4-wheel-drive. Note that if you want to hire a vehicle for a one way trip only, you will still need to pay for the return journey as there is very little chance of the driver getting passengers for it.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Motorbike Hire - There are lots of motorbike rental places in Puerto Princesa City, El Nido and Coron. Prices vary from about P600 to P1000 a day, depending on engine size and quality. Discounts are usually available for long term rental. Be sure to get a mechanically sound motorbike if you intend to go on a long journey, especially if you have a pillion passenger.

The Backpacker Route – a Two Week Itinerary for Mid November to May End

You can play around with the schedule but this is the Palawan tour that I recommend. It can also be done in reverse, of course. If you are going by private hire car or rental motorbike, the itinerary is the same but the travel from Sabang to Port Barton and to El Nido would be done by road and not by boat.

1 – Puerto Princesa – 1 night – Fly Manila to Puerto Princesa (1 hour) – consider two nights if you are not returning via Puerto Princesa.

2 – Sabang (Underground River) – 2 nights – go by jeepney from Puerto Princesa early in the morning (3 hours)

3 – Port Barton – 3 to 5 nights and consider a night or two at nearby Cacnipa Island – go by boat from Sabang to Port Barton (3 hours)

4 – El Nido – 3 to 5 nights – go by boat from Port Barton to El Nido (4 hours)

5 option A – Taytay – 1 to 3 nights. By Bus from El Nido (2 hours max). By bus to Puerto Princesa (5 hours), stay 1 to 2 nights - End of Palawan tour – fly to Manila or go onward

5 option B – Coron – 2 to 3 nights - El Nido to Coron by boat (7 hours) – End of Palawan tour - Fly to Manila or go onward

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Money, Foreign Currency Exchange, Credit Cards and ATM's.

ATMs - The only ATM machines in Palawan that take international cards are in Puerto Princesa. There are a couple of ATMs in Coron but they only accept Philippine cards. A wide range of ATM's can be found around the main entrance to NCCC, the largest supermarket and department store in Puerto Princesa. For international ATM cards, I always use the ATM from BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands), the largest bank in the Philippines and I have never had a problem with them. The NCCC ATMs are best to use because there are often power outages in Puerto Princesa and NCCC has a backup generator while most banks do not.

Do not leave it until the last moment to withdraw your funds because the ATMs are sometimes all offline and you may not be able to continue on with your journey for lack of cash. The limit of the withdrawal is usually P10,000 per transaction, with a maximum of two withdrawals per day from the same bank. If you require lots more than that, you may need to do it over several days of from different banks. On one of my trips north I decided to get my money at the last moment from a BPI bank on the main highway out of Puerto Princesa. On one occasion, the power failed at the very moment I was waiting for the ATM to return my card and dispense my money. The ATM kept my card and did not dispense any money. It was early in the morning, so I had to wait for the bank to open to get my card back. My overseas bank credited the money back into my account, so there was only the hassle of it all.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Some foreigners find themselves in a bind when their international ATM cards will not work in the Philippines. That is usually because their bank's security has blocked access to cards in developing countries. You may need to let your bank know in advance that you will be traveling in the Philippines. I have never had this problem myself.

Foreign Currency Exchange - the best place to exchange your foreign notes is in a bank in Manila. BDO gives good rates. Outside of Manila you may have trouble cashing anything other than US$ and then with bad rates and large fees. Try Western Union, their rates may be the best you will get.

If you need money sent to you in Palawan, there are several of Western Union branches. I know there is one in Puerto Princesa and another in El Nido.

Credit Cards - Unless you are staying in a hotel or high end resort, don't expect to be able to pay by credit card anywhere for anything. Also expect to pay all credit card charges which may be as high as 7%. There will be no problems or extra charges for paying for flights with credit cards, as long as you do it through the airline booking office and not through an agent.

Hazards

Sandflies - Some of the beaches, especially Palawan, have sandflies. I have been bitten on the Palawan beaches of Sabang, Port Barton and El Nido. Their bites can lead to tropical ulcers, or worse, unless you treat them correctly. I am talking from personal experience. Read my section on Sandflies.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Malaria and Filariasis (Elephantiasis) - Malaria, and to a lesser degree, Filariasis, are problems in some parts of Palawan, especially during the rainy season. The worst areas are in Southern Palawan and generally in the jungles and the small villages. I have been assured many times by locals that there is no malaria in El Nido or Puerto Princesa City. I had heard of cases in Sabang and Port Barton some years ago but have been told that there have been no recent cases.

Malaria is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito and it is considered endemic in Palawan. Recent efforts to control malaria have shown a progressive decrease in the number of cases diagnosed and treated. Unfortunately there is the emergence of resistant cases of malaria due to poor treatment practices of communities. The common practice within the communities is to self-medicate, resulting in an incomplete use of antimalarial drugs combinations or the use of inadequate doses.

Dengue Fever - This is another mosquito borne disease that is sometimes fatal, especially for young children. It is widespread throughout Palawan so take the same precautions as with Malaria. For tourists the risks are very low, but a little bit of care will greatly improve the statistics of you not catching dengue.

Rabies - Rabies is endemic in Palawan and many other parts of the Philippines. If you are bitten by a dog or any other animal, make sure you go to the nearest clinic for advice and possibly a rabies shot. This is called a rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. It must be done within 10 days of the bite but immediately after would be better. The treatment is very successful, but left untreated, you would eventually die.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

Visa Extensions in Puerto Princesa City

Renewing your Philippines tourist visa or any other visa is easily done in the efficient and friendly Palawan field office of the Bureau of Immigration. You will normally be in and out within 15 minutes. It is possible to renew a week or so before the expiry date but they may consider doing it much earlier if you have a valid reason for it. Most tourists can repeatedly extend for up to a year after which you must leave the country. Tourists and businessmen get a 21 day visa on arrival and it is stamped in your passport when you first pass through immigration. No need to get a visa before going to the Philippines. You can get a first extension that will allow you to stay for up to 59 days; each extension after that is for 2 month periods.

The first extension costs P2,030 and after that it varies between about P3,000 and P4,000. It is not the same amount for each 2 month extension.

The visa requirements are simple. You need your passport, a single photo copy of your main passport page and one of the page with your entry stamp on it. If you have renewed before, also include a photocopy of the page with your last visa extension if it is not on the same page as the entry stamp. No photograph required. The single visa form you fill out is straight forward. The photocopies cannot be done at the immigration office so you must bring them with you. There is a place somewhere across the road from the office that does photocopies and there are many more on the main street in the city center.

(Philippines) –Travel to Palawan

If you have overstayed on your visa there is no problems renewing but there will be a penalty of (I think) P110 if you are over by a few days. Better to fix it up at the immigration office rather than at the airport. Don't panic if you find that you are over the visa limit; it often happens and there is no "heavy scene" as this is a common mistake. I have met tourists who obtained their Philippines visa in their home country and misinterpreted the length of stay. The visa might say that it is "valid for 3 months" but that only means that you must enter within the three months and not that you can stay for 3 months.

The immigration office is located on Rizal Avenue, just a little over 200 meters from the airport exit heading into town and on the other side of the road. The actual office entrance is at the back of a building on the second floor. The dress code is as casual as you like, i.e. shorts, slippers and T-shirt, unlike the requirements in Manila. Open 5 days a week but not on public holidays. Closed for lunch between 12 and 1.

(Wiki Travel, Travel Philippines)

(Japan) – Let’s travel to Rabbit Island Ōkunoshima in the Inland Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:45:00 -0800

Ōkunoshima (大久野島?) is a small island located in the Inland Sea of Japan in the city of Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture. It is accessible by ferry from Tadanoumi and Ōmishima. There are campsites, walking trails and places of historical interest on the island. It is often called Usagi Shima (ウサギ島?, "Rabbit Island") because of the numerous wild rabbits that roam the island; they are rather tame and will approach humans. Despite its size, the island played a key role during World War II as a poison gas factory for much of the chemical warfare that was carried out in China.

(Japan) – Let’s travel to Rabbit Island Ōkunoshima in the Inland Sea

After the war, the poison was disposed of and the laboratory animals were set loose. With no natural predators native to the island, they quickly spread and now there are hundreds of tame rabbits roaming around.

(Japan) – Let’s travel to Rabbit Island Ōkunoshima in the Inland Sea

Cute, adorable, cuddly, sweet and lovable; you're likely to run out of adjectives while trying to adequately sum up this odd occurrence taking place on the Japanese island of Okunoshima.

(Japan) – Let’s travel to Rabbit Island Ōkunoshima in the Inland Sea

There is an estimated population of 300 rabbits on the island today. And, of course, that population is continuing to grow. The island is now also becoming something of a tourist destination as people from all points in Japan come to see the feral rabbits. Tourists bring cameras to take photographs and video cameras to film videos of the endemic creatures frolicking about.

(Wikipedia, Atlas obscura, Digital Journal)

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 04:00:00 -0800

Mustang (from the Tibetan mun tan (Wylie: smon-thang), meaning "fertile plain") is the former Kingdom of Lo. It now forms part of north-central Nepal, bordering China on the Tibetan plateau between the provinces of Dolpo and Manang. The culture is Tibetan Buddhist.

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking

Mustang, or Lo as it is known by the inhabitants, is a mysterious high plateau tucked behind the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Massifs in north central Nepal. The area is actually the top of a watershed, the headwaters of what becomes the mighty Kali Gandaki River, which then runs southward through the world's deepest gorge. In the rain shadow of the huge Himalayan peaks, though, this area is dry and windswept, ruggedly sculpted and mostly devoid of vegetation. The region offers dramatic and unique geography for those who only have seen the more familiar green, forested landscape of the rest of Nepal.

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking

With a cultural history that is as intriguing as the landscape, Mustang has piqued the curiosity of many Himalayan adventurers, and only recently was it opened for limited visitation. Historically a vital trading route between Tibet and India, the trail into Mustang is lined with the fascinating remains of forts that served as tax collection out posts. Settlements in Mustang were fortified, a testament to its turbulent history. More recently, in the late 1950s and 60s, the area was a center for Khampas, guerrilla's who were trained and armed by the US C.I.A. to resist the Chinese Army's occupation of Tibet.

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking

There are records that outline events stretching back to the eighth century, and from the writings of the Tibetan poet Milarepa it is known that the unique form of Buddhism called Sakyapa has been practiced here since 1073. This form of Buddhism lacks the more familiar metaphysical aspect; it is more worldly and practical, perhaps in response to the unforgiving environmental pressures in this area.

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking

Throughout recent decades, the Nepalese Government had maintained total restriction on visitation to this area. The democratic change of government of 1990 and the increasing international pressures for a more open Nepal have coincided to remove these restrictions. Since 1991, limited visitation has been allowed, providing the trekking party meets strict environmental requirements and pays a substantial amount for the entry permit. These conditions limit the number of visitors, minimize their impact, and generate revenues needed for future conservation efforts in this region.

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking

The Mustang Trekking route stays mostly on the valley floor, though it may traverse the ridge during the occasional rainy period, which raises the level of the river. The horses provide uphill assistance, but must be dismounted for descending. Without substantially high passes (nothing over 5.000 meters) this is not too physically demanding as a trek, and it has the added advantage of a very long season, due to the lack of monsoon rains or high pass crossings.

(Nepal) - Mustang Lo Manthang Tiji Festival

Mustang's capital "city" is Lo Manthang, a magical place imbibed with centuries of rugged history. Set on a broad plateau, the town deserves its name, which translates from Tibetan as "plain of inspiration". The Raja, or King, lives in his palace in the center, while the four major temples form the corners of town. Lo Manthang and the surrounding area are usually savored for a day or two before heading back down toward Jomosom.

(Nepal) – Mustang Trekking - Lo Manthang - capital of the kingdom mustang

(Wikipedia, Green Lotus Trekking)

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 01:00:00 -0800

The Geirangerfjord is located in the southwestern part of the county of Møre og Romsdal, north in Fjord Norway, approximately 100 kilometres from the town of Ålesund.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

The deep blue UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord is surrounded by majestic, snow-covered mountain peaks, wild waterfalls and lush, green vegetation.

Top things to do and see

1. Cruise and sightseeing trips on the Geirangerfjord

2. Kayaking on the Geirangerfjord

3. The famous viewpoints Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road), Dalsnibba and Flydalsjuvet

4. Mountain walks to Skageflå and Knivsflå mountain farms

5. Geiranger Fjord Centre

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

What to do and see

Fjord cruises

Experience the fjord and waterfalls such as Brudesløret (the Bridal Veil) and De syv søstrene (the Seven Sisters) from one of the many available sightseeing trips. You can take the ferry between Geiranger and Hellesylt, the longer ferry trip between Geiranger and Valldal, the one-and-a-half-hour sightseeing trip on board M/S Geirangerfjord Sightseeing, the Geiranger & Norway in a nutshell trip or the Fjord Experience trip.

Geirangerfjord Safari

FjordGuiding offers sightseeing trips in open RIB boats on the Geirangerfjord.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road)

Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road) is the name given to the steepest stretch of road up the mountain side from Geiranger towards Eidsdal on the road rv. 63. The road turns through 11 hairpin bends up from the Geirangerfjord to the highest point 620 metres above sea level.

At Ørnesvingen you can take in the magnificent panorama over Geiranger, the fjord, De syv søstrene and the alpine farm Knivsflå.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

The famous viewpoints of Dalsnibba and Flydalsjuvet

Dalsnibba (1,500 metres above sea level) and Flydalsjuvet are among the absolute favourite attractions in the area. Experience calm, raw nature and clean air combined with astonishing views.

Geiranger Fjord Centre

Offers a unique and rewarding insight into the history, the colourful people and the fabulous natural scenery of the Geiranger area. Geiranger Fjord Centre lies approximately one kilometre from the centre of Geiranger.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

Hiking and walking in the Norwegian fjord landscape

Choose between short easy walks or summit hikes offering you the most stunning view. Hiking is a must for everyone visiting the area. There is a wide variety of trails, all marked and with good maps available.

Many people who want an easy trip choose to walk along the fjord (2.5 kilometres) to the small place Homlong on the south side of the fjord. Here you will find a small, cosy café with great home-made food.

If you want to enjoy the beautiful nature in the Geirangerfjord area, you can drive to Westerås Farm (four kilometres from the centre of Geiranger). From there you have easy walks to view points or to the glorious Storseterfossen Waterfall where you can walk behind the waterfall.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

Kayaking on the Geirangerfjord

Get close to nature. Kayak rental is available in several villages along the Geirangerfjord, and in Geiranger you may join Coastal Odyssey for a guided kayak tour.

Fishing

There are fantastic fishing opportunities in the area. From fishing in the fjords, easily accessible rivers and lakes in the lowlands, to multi-day hikes in the mountains with a fishing rod in your backpack. Read more about fishing in the Geirangerfjord area and Trollstigen.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

What to do and see in the Geirangerfjord area

The Herdalssetra Mountain Farm

At this idyllic summer farm you may experience the manufacturing of goat milk cheese and caramels. And of course also meet the animals – goats, cows and sheep. Herdalssetra is located in Norddal within the UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Trollstigen Mountain Road

This road is one of Norway's most dramatic and most visited attractions. The mountains that encircle Trollstigen Mountain Road are enormous.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

Rafting down the Valldøla River

Feel the adrenalin rush in your body. Join a rafting trip on the Valldøla River in the village of Valldal.

Skiing

In winter, the region offers superb skiing experiences. Try skiing from the summits at around 1,500 metres above sea level down to the blue fjord. You can combine it with skiing at Stranda Ski Centre, Norway's powder paradise with fjord view.

During the summer you can go skiing on the Tystigbreen Glacier beside the scenic old Strynefjell Road. The popular Stryn Summer Ski Centre opens approximately at the end of May or beginning of June, depending on how much snow there is. Stryn Summer Ski Centre is located 50 kilometres (a one-hour drive) from Geiranger.

(Norway) – Visit The Geirangerfjord

Where to stay

Hotel Union Geiranger

Enjoy a stay at the family-run Hotel Union Geiranger which is situated on a hill just above the centre of Geiranger. From the hotel there is a fantastic view of the fjord and mountains.

Hotell Utsikten

From Utsikten Hotel & Restaurant you have a stunning view of the Geirangerfjord.

Juvet Landscape Hotel

This "landscape hotel", winner of the Norwegian Tourism Award in 2010 (Reiselivsprisen) aims to be different from other design hotels in that it showcases the nature that surrounds it rather than focusing on its own architecture. Stay at Juvet and you can almost feel the spray from the Valldøla River on your face.

Hellesylt Youth Hostel

For those on a budget, stay at Hellesylt Youth Hostel in Hellesylt at the outer part of the Geirangerfjord.

Facts about the Geirangerfjord

- Length: 15 kilometres

- Depth: More than 600 metres

- The Geirangerfjord is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site The West Norwegian Fjords. This World Heritage site includes two separate areas: The Geirangerfjord area and the Nærøyfjord area. Together they make up an area of 1,227 square kilometres, of which 107 square kilometres is covered by sea.

- The Geirangerfjord is visited by 150 - 200 cruise ships and more than 700,000 tourists each year

Getting to the Geirangerfjord and around

You can travel by car, bus or boat to the Geirangerfjord area. Travelling to the Geirangerfjord by car is a seven to eight-hour drive from Oslo, five to seven hours from Bergen and five to six hours from Trondheim. Read more about getting to the Geirangerfjord area.

(Visit Norway)

(Solomon Islands) – So Solomon, So Different

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:20:00 -0800

The Solomon Islands are a collection of nearly one thousand islands in Oceania that form a sovereign country. They lie to the east of Papua New Guinea in Melanesia and cover a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi). The country's capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal.

Solomon islands

With 300+ days of perfect weather, the Solomon Islands is a traveller’s paradise. Get active & trek to the top of waterfalls and volcanoes, or take it easy and relax under the shade of palm trees as you lie in a hammock with a cocktail in hand.

Solomon islands - Solomon map

Solomon islands

Explore the hidden paradise of this Pacific archipelago comprising of 992 islands; there is so much to see and do in the Solomon Islands - from the diver’s paradise of diverse marine life, to the wild interiors of local village treks.

Solomon islands

Things to see and do in Solomon Islands

Explore the wildlife

Visit the main islands of Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Malaita, New Georgia, San Cristobal and Santa Isabel. They are up to 200km (120 miles) long and up to 50km (30 miles) wide. The wildlife on the islands is of great interest, consisting of a mixture of introduced and indigenous species. Most islands are populated with a range of reptiles (including turtles), as well as marsupials such as flying foxes (fruit bats), phalangers and opossums.

Solomon islands

Go diving

Much of the best land-based diving located in the Western Province on or near the islands of Gizo (the capital of the Western Province) and New Georgia. Well-known dive sites in the area include Munda, on the Roviana Lagoon, 15 minutes by plane from Gizo; and Uepi Island, on the north side of New Georgia, across the famous Marovo Lagoon. Diving tours to the numerous WWII wrecks are also possible.

Solomon islands

Go fishing

Try a spot of fishing in the well-stocked waters. Enquiries may be made at the Point Cruz Yacht Club, which welcomes visitors.

Solomon islands

Guadalcanal

Go on an excursion around Guadalcanal and other islands. Popular tours include the battlefields of WWII, the Betikama carving centre, and Alite and Laulasi villages on the island of Malaita, where shells are broken, rounded and, after further working, strung together. They are used to denote status and as gifts and items of barter in inter-tribal deals. The strings of shells can be worn as bracelets, necklaces, belts and earrings.

Solomon islands

Honiara

Head to Honiara, the capital on Guadalcanal, which has a museum, botanical gardens and Chinatown. There are relics of WWII in and around the town, and notice boards indicate major battles and incidents that took place during the battle for Guadalcanal. Villages and scenic drives are within easy reach.

Solomon islands

Tropical rainforests

Head out on an educational tour to the tropical rainforests that cover most of the archipelago and dormant volcanoes with the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau. Exotic orchids, ferns and palms are widespread and butterflies are abundant. There are more than 70 species of reptiles. A variety of trees and shrubs have been introduced along with fruits and vegetables.

Solomon islands

Volcanic islands

Explore the 900 volcanic islands and coral atolls spread across the blue tropical waters. The superb marine life makes the islands an excellent destination for swimming and cruising.

Solomon islands

(World Travel Guide, Visit Solomon, Wikipedia)

(Estonia) – Welcome to Tallinn City

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:24:00 -0800

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, only 70 km (43 mi) south of Helsinki. At the historical and medieval heart of the city is the hill of Toompea, covered in cobbled streets and filled with medieval houses and alleyways. The lower town spreads out from the foot of the hill, still protected by the remnants of a city wall. Around the city wall is a series of well-maintained green parks, great for strolling.

(Estonia) – Welcome to Tallinn City

The city's old town has been astonishingly well preserved and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997, it is now in better shape than ever, with the bigger roads converted into fashionable shopping streets reminiscent of Zürich or Geneva. Especially in summer, the Old Town is packed with tourists, with the traditional daytrippers from sister city Helsinki increasingly supplemented by Europeans taking advantage of cheap flights.

(Estonia) – Welcome to Tallinn City

Tallinn's atmospheric Old Town is an enthralling hodgepodge of medieval streets and spires. It's a small city, and the tourist areas are safe and easily explored on foot. Buy a Tallinn Card if intending to use buses, trolleys or trams. For a look into Tallinn's past, visit Rocca-al-Mare Open Air Museum's typical rural Estonian taverns, windmills and watermills, see the onion-domed 1900 cathedral or join the bustle in historic Town Hall Square. St. Olav's spire was once the tallest in the world.

(Estonia) – Welcome to Tallinn City

Attractions

Like most cities with an eight-hundred-year-old past, Tallinn is a patchwork of historic areas. The city's pride and joy is without a doubt its Medieval Old Town, but equally enchanting is the Kadriorg district, a throwback to the time when Estonia was ruled by the Russian Tsars. Other areas of Tallinn are perfect for those who want to get a glimpse of Soviet-era life, or just want to spend time in the great outdoors.

(Estonia) - Tallinn City - Fat Margaret tower

(Estonia) - Tallinn City - Tall Hermann tower

Some of the attractions that the Old City has to offer are Fat Margaret and Tall Herman, these are two towers, the first one being short and stout while the second one being the tallest in Tallinn and part of the city’s medieval fortifications. Alongside these you will find here the Maritime Museum as well as the Art Museum and the Dome Church.

(Estonia) - Tallinn city - Church - St Nicholas Church

(Estonia) - Tallinn city - Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

One other major point of interest is the Kadriorg Palace, built in 1736 for Peter the Great it features wonderful wooded grounds as well as a small cottage which houses the Peter the Great Museum. In a somewhat similar vein you might want to travel a bit west of Tallinn and visit the Estonian Open-Air Museum, this is where you will encounter rebuilt traditional homesteads and trade houses of old Tallinn. With a bit of lucky you’ll see a street performance of folk music or dance.

(Estonia) – Welcome to Tallinn City

When the sun goes down and you’re tired from all that sightseeing it is time to experience the city’s varied culinary offers and as far as food is concerned you will find pretty much everything possible from Indian and Mexican restaurants to the more traditional eateries.

(Estonia) – Welcome to Tallinn City

The city also has a series of popular nightclubs as well as beaches, despite its northern location, so there is something for everyone in Tallinn.

(Estonia) - Tallinn city - Toompea Castle

(Estonia) - Tallinn city - Tallinn festival

(Wiki Travel, Trip Advisor, Tourism Tallinn)

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:30:00 -0800

For almost 200 years, Hampton Court Palace was at the centre of English court life, politics and national history. Its most infamous resident was Henry VIII.

Today Hampton Court is an easy day trip for all visitors to London.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

Hampton Court Castle and Gardens are situated in the beautiful Herefordshire countryside between Hereford and Leominster. The Castle which dates back to 1427 is one of the most stunning Wedding Venues in the country and is also available for Corporate Events and Private Functions.

Hampton Court Castle is not a hotel but its 24 sumptuous bedrooms are available for use by those holding an event at the Castle.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

The 15th century Hampton Court Castle surrounded by 1000 acres of stunning parkland, pasture and woodlands with the river Lugg running alongside predates Hampton Court Palace by some 80 years.

The land was granted by King Henry IV to Sir Rowland Lenthall at the time of his marriage to Margaret Fitzalan, daughter of the Earl of Arundel, a cousin of the King.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

Lenthall built the original quadrangular manor house in 1427, 12 years after his Knighthood at the battle of Agincourt (1415). In 1434 he was granted licence to crenellate the house by King Henry VI.

The Castle

The Hampton Court Estate has a rich and fascinating history dating back to before the 15th Century.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

The estate was originally formed by the merging of the manors of Hampton Richard and Hampton Mappenor. It was granted by Henry IV to Sir Rowland Lenthall at the time of his marriage to Margaret Fitzalan, daughter of the Earl of Arundel and a cousin of the King. Lenthall built the original quadrangular manor house in 1427, twelve years after his knighthood at the battle of Agincourt. In 1434 he was granted a licence to crenellate the house by Henry VI.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

Sir Rowland was succeeded by his daughter who married the Baron of Burford and it was their grandson who sold Hampton to Sir Humphrey Coningsby in 1510.

Hampton remained in the Coningsby family, a prominent noble Herefordshire family, until the early 19th Century when the estate was purchased by Richard Arkwright, the son of the famous inventor. Richard Arkwright's son, John, then comissioned the remodelling of the house in the 1830's and 40's, the work being designed and carried out by Charles Hanbury Tracy, later Lord Sudeley. The Arkwrights lived at Hampton Court until 1912.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

The Gardens at Hampton Court

The Gardens at Hampton Court Herefordshire, recently completed, are one of the most ambitious garden creations of our time.

Original Victorian garden walls enclose stunning new flower gardens divided by canals, island pavilions and pleached avenues. The kitchen garden is an ornamental garden of fruit and vegetables. It is managed organically, supplying produce to the Orangery Restaurant for its seasonal menu.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

There is a maze of a thousand yews with a gothic tower at its centre. Climb to the top for a panoramic view of the gardens or descend underground to a tunnel that leads to a waterfall in the sunken garden. Beautiful herbaceous borders stretch out from a one hundred and fifty year old wisteria tunnel that leads to vast lawns and ancient trees beside the castle. Beyond the lawns are riverside and woodland walks.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

Adjoining the castle, in a grand conservatory designed by Joseph Paxton, is the Orangery Café. Here delicious lunches and teas can be enjoyed.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

The garden shop, in the garden bothy, sells plants from the garden, homemade produce from the castle kitchens and local crafts and gifts.

(England) – Visiting Hampton Court in London

(Hampton Court, London Toolkit, London Pass)

Best in Travel 2013 - Top 10 regions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0800

1. Corsica, France

Melting pot of Med to host Tour

Best for: Activities, events, food

Corsica, France - GR20 walking route on the ridge before the Asinao shelter in Corsia

Mixing the cultures of Italy and France yet fiercely Corsican, the French Mediterranean island of Corsica has a furious beauty. It is this epic beauty combined with its challenging topography that make it a spectacular choice to host the historic centenary of the initial stages of the Tour de France. Race organisers wanted the hundredth Tour to start in an enchanting location, and decided Corsica was the place; this will be the first time the race has braved its challenges.

2. The Negev, Israel

Desert in throes of transformation

Best for: Adventure, activities, off the beaten track

The Negev, Israel - Acacia Raddiana tree in the Negev desert

For decades the Negev was regarded as nothing but a desolate desert. But today, this region is a giant greenhouse of development. Think eco-villages, spa resorts and even wineries. In the next few years a new international airport at Timna is scheduled to open, followed by a high-speed railway to Eilat and more hotels. Time is running out to experience the desert as nature intended.

3. Mustang, Nepal

Last chance to see 'forbidden kingdom'

Best for: Activities, off the beaten track, culture

Mustang, Nepal - Tilicho Peak and Annapurna I from Tama Gaon

The completion of a road connecting Mustang to China in the north and the rest of Nepal to the south will make all the difference to this remote region. Lo Manthang, or Mustang as it’s usually called, has been dubbed ‘little Tibet’ or ‘the last forbidden kingdom’; though politically part of Nepal, in language, culture, climate and geography, it’s Tibet. Until 1992 nobody from outside was allowed in; for a while after that it was opened up to a few hundred a year, and these days anyone can enter, though the pricey trekking permit keeps the numbers down. Expect that to change.

4. The Yukon, Canada

Putting the 'wild' in wilderness

Best for: Activities, adventure, off the beaten track

The Yukon, Canada - Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli) in the Yukon Territory

This vast and thinly populated wilderness has a grandeur and beauty that can only be properly appreciated in person. But while few places in the world today are so unchanged over the course of time, change has started coming fast to the Yukon. In 2013 it is still one of the least densely populated regions on the planet (there’s almost 14.2 sq km/5.5 sq miles for each hardy local) but its tremendous mineral wealth is drawing new residents in a reprise of the fabled Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Climate change means that parts of the far north are actually dissolving into the Arctic Ocean and the glacier-clad parks are undergoing profound change.

5. Chachapoyas - Kuelap, Peru

Hidden gem of the Andes

Best for: Adventure, culture, off the beaten track

Chachapoyas _ Kuelap, Peru - Ruins of one of the 420 round houses inside Kuelap, Peru

Nestled in the northern Peruvian Andes, the placid mountain city of Chachapoyas is small, quiet and a pain in the neck to reach. But this charming agricultural centre sits amid some of the country’s most incredible cultural and natural treasures, including an entire river valley’s worth of pre-Inca ruins, the funerary site of Karajía, and one of the world’s tallest waterfalls. The glorious isolation isn’t going to last for long. For the past half-dozen years, the Peruvian government has been quietly paving roads and improving other infrastructure to make the area more visitor-friendly.

6. The Gulf Coast, USA

Coast on comeback trail

Best for: Activities, family, value for money

The Gulf Coast, USA - Mardi Gras 2011

An area that has become synonymous with the words ‘oil spill’ doesn’t sound like it’d be a vacation must-do. But a lot has happened since a deep-water drilling operation off the coast of Louisiana went fatally awry in 2010. The Gulf Coast – never a place to take disaster lying down – has rebounded. Rolling sand dunes once again sparkle and seasonal travellers are once again enjoying the Gulf’s tepid waters, not to mention its tender locally caught fish. The 'Redneck Riviera' is edging back to its best

7. Carinthia, Austria

Serene bargain nestled in Alps

Best for: Activities, family, value for money

Carinthia, Austria - Gothic Stadtpfarrkirche St. BartholomSus (12th and 14th century) and Hauptplatz (right) from Petersberg, Carinthia

With belts tightening across Europe, the Alps are fast becoming the exclusive preserve of the champagne set… but lesser mortals will find plenty to love about Carinthia. With ski resorts nestled on every mountain top, Carinthia is best known outside Austria for uncrowded slopes and après-ski where you don’t have to take out a second mortgage just to buy a beer. Backing onto Italy and Slovenia, the region dilutes the Austrian efficiency with Mediterranean laissez-faire. So where are the crowds? Check out Carinthia now, while peace and quiet reigns; it won’t stay like this forever.

8. Palawan, the Philippines

The ultimate archipelago for adventurers

Best for: Off the beaten track, adventure, culture

Palawan, the Philippines - Lake Kayangan , Coron Island, Palawan

Palawan incorporates thousands of sparkling, rugged islands and is fringed by 2000km of pristine coastline. So far Palawan’s natural marvels have only been sampled by plucky backpackers. Not for much longer. The trail these pioneers have blazed is set to explode, with regional airlines waking up to Palawan’s potential and clambering to schedule direct flights to the capital. Throw in the mushrooming growth of style-conscious boutique hotels normally found in places like Ko Samui or Bali, and you can feel that Palawan is ready to hit the big-time in 2013.

9. Inland Sea, Japan

Japan without the bells, whistles and bullet trains

Best for: Culture, activities, off the beaten track

Inland Sea, Japan - Dawn over the Kurushima Bridge across the Seto Inland Sea

Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji… the islands of the Seto Inland Sea? You’d be forgiven if the name of this vast stretch of water in Japan’s west doesn’t ring any bells. With the exception of Miyajima, with its oft-photographed vermillion ‘floating’ torii (shrine gate), most of the Inland Sea islands aren’t on the usual international-tourist hit list. Fair enough. They’re out of the way, and there’s just so much to do in Tokyo. But those who make the effort are rewarded. Many of the islands in this roughly 400km-long waterway offer the chance to experience a Japan without all the bells, whistles and bullet trains.

10. Campania, Italy

Old classic prepares for epic year

Best for: Culture, family, food

Campania, Italy - Chiesa di San Paolo Maggiore in Campania

Campania is home to Italy’s most sumptuous stretch of coastline (the Amalfi Coast), one of its most mind-blowing and ebullient cities (Naples), the menacing beauty of Mt Vesuvius, and the frozen-in-lava ancient Roman city of Pompeii. This year it is receiving an enormous injection of cash as part of its role in hosting the UN’s fourth Universal Forum of Cultures from April to July. Events will include art exhibitions from all five continents, music, cinema, dance, street artists and theatre, circus acts, food markets and workshops.

(Lonely Planet)

Best in Travel 2013 - Top 10 cities

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:30:00 -0800

1. San Francisco

Darling of America's west coast

Best for: Culture, events, food

San Francisco - Quirky shop front decoration, Haight Street, The Haight.

Famous for hills, earthquakes and a penchant for liberal politics, San Francisco continues to attract kindred spirits, eagerly embracing all newcomers to the bosom of its cultural mélange. If you need an extra incentive to get yourself to San Francisco, the city has an ace up its sleeve – the 34th America’s Cup is coming to fog city in 2013, and big changes and upgrades are afoot all along San Francisco’s heaving waterfront.

2. Amsterdam

Golden Age charmer prepares to party

Best for: Culture, events, food

Amsterdam - Lights along canal bridges along Herengracht near the famous “Golden Bend”

Amsterdam always cast a spell on travellers, but the party ramps up big-time in 2013, when more anniversaries than you can shake a herring at coincide. The famed canal ring turns 400 years old. It’s Vincent van Gogh’s 160th birthday and the 40th for his colour-swirled museum. The Rijksmuseum re-opens after a 10-year renovation. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra – often considered the world’s best – blows out 125 candles. Plus the Artis Royal Zoo and Felix Meritis cultural centre mark 175 years and 225 years, respectively. It all adds up to a slew of celebratory concerts, exhibits and street fests grooving throughout 2013.

3. Hyderbad

Old City recapturing past glories

Best for: Culture, food, value for money

Hyderbad - Vendor at street stall at foot of of the Charminar

Hyderabad was once the capital of a filthy-rich princely state. After India’s independence, the palaces and pleasure gardens were sold off, built over and looted, and you had to be really sharp to see the city’s beauty. But several palaces in Hyderabad’s Old City have recently been refurbished, including Falaknuma Palace, a seven-star hotel that was skilfully restored by the Taj Group and is now an exceedingly plush time capsule. Other monuments and buildings are being fixed up, but the city, and many of its architectural gems, are still off the radar – which keeps the masses at bay. Elegant and blossoming, but also weathered and undiscovered, Hyderabad’s Old City is ripe for exploration.

4. Londonderry/Derry

Packed calendar for UK City of Culture

Best for: Culture, events, family

Londonderry_Derry - You are now Entering Free Derry

Londonderry/Derry is the UK City of Culture 2013, which means this vibrant, historic walled city is undergoing a renaissance. The year will see a wealth of cultural events, including the 10-day All Ireland Fleadh, the world’s biggest Irish festival and it also plays host to the always-controversial Turner Prize. The city will buzz throughout the year with hundreds of other events, from pageants to music to contemporary dance. Derry also hosts lots of regular festivals, such as the Jazz Festival and Earhart Festival (in 2013 celebrating 80 years since American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart landed here), celebrations for which will all be cranked up a notch.

5. Běijīng

Capital on cusp of greatness

Best for: Culture, value for money, food

Běijīng - Artist painting in the Forbidden City

Běijīng remains as the cultural and artistic centre of China. While the 2008 Olympics may now seem like a distant memory, their effect is enduring – there are English street signs and a multitude of architectural gems such as the Bird’s Nest studded across the sprawling city. More recently, the Běijīng–Shanghai high-speed rail now connects the two cities in under five hours. Today, Běijīng tentatively balances a multitude of (growing) populations and subcultures. There’s a palpable sense of change in the air, though no-one quite knows what to expect. China is on the cusp of true greatness and one day, people will look back and say it all started here.

6. Christchurch

Rising from the rubble with flair

Best for: Culture, events, family

Christchurch - Pop-up shipping-container shopping centre in Cashel St

New Zealand’s ‘Garden City’ is rising from the rubble created by devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 with a breathtaking mix of spirit, determination and flair. With a unique opportunity to rethink urban form, Christchurch is bouncing back with a new energy and inventiveness. Foodies will be surprised by the variety of what is on offer, from Burmese to Turkish to local specialities, live-music venues have popped up all over the place, and innovative artworks fill empty demolition sites. 2013 will be an intriguing year to join the rebirth.

7. Hobart

Harbour town becomes hip

Best for: Events, culture, food

Hobart - Fishing fleet and their lobster pots moored in Victoria Docks, Hobart

The sleepy harbour town reputation attracts a solid ‘outdoorsy’ set, but the recent arrival of the world-class MONA museum has the waters rippling, hip tourists flocking and Hobart rousing from its slumber. 2013 will see the new kid on the block team up with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) for the Theatre of the World exhibition curated by Jean-Hubert Martin, former director of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. This year will also prove exciting for Hobart’s already burgeoning gastronomic scene as the city’s culinary credentials continue to rise.

8. Montréal

Mélange of cultures marries brains and beauty

Best for: Culture, events, value for money

Montréal - Le Vieux-Montréal

Having recently gained a high rank on city lists including the world’s happiest (Lonely Planet, 2010) and hippest (New York Times, 2011), this year Montréal’s angling for a top spot, showing off in Stephen Spielberg’s summer release Robopocalypse, and inviting everyone for drinks at the new urban beach. But Montréal’s got brains as well as beauty. Spring 2013 marks the launch of the new Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, rounding out the ambitious ‘Space for Life’ project. And Montréal’s social calendar is also bubbling over with the unveiling of the Grévin wax museum at the Eaton Centre, the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Place des Arts, and the new Point Zero hotel, owned by the eponymous fashion label.

9. Addis Ababa

Ethiopian metropolis evolving at pace

Best for: Culture, food, value for money

Addis Ababa - Portrait of jousting competitor at festival of Timkat, dressed in style of traditional Abyssinian warrior, with Gelada monkey headdress and embroidered cloak

Like the Ethiopian marathon runners, Addis Ababa (often shortened to plain ‘Addis’) is evolving at a fast pace. The fact that the country’s economic growth should reach almost 5% in 2013 helps create a feeling of confidence and stamina. Founded little more than a century ago, Addis Ababa, which in Amharic means ‘New Flower’, is not only the diplomatic capital of Africa and a thriving metropolis, but also a groovy city that takes pride in its multifaceted assets.

10. Puerto Iguazú

Much more than just a waterfall

Best for: Family, activities, adventure

Puerto Iguazú - Iguazú Falls

It’s official: votes are in, and the Foz de Iguazú has won its place among the prestigious new seven wonders of nature, following a worldwide 2011 poll. That this phenomenal waterfall, spread-eagled along the Argentine–Brazil border, should make the final reckoning is no great shock. So tourism to these falls is set to morph: good news for Puerto Iguazú, the main tourist base hereabouts. ‘Iguazú’ – as locals call it – doesn’t just want to be the fall guy, though. After all, it offers some of the best hostels, top-end hotels and spas in the country, not to mention some stunning side trips.

(Lonely Planet)

(Cambodia) – Island hopping in Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0800

Cambodia's south coast has more than 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in the sapphire waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Easily reached from the coastal centres of Sihanoukville, Kep and Koh Kong, they're largely undiscovered with tourism taking its first tentative steps. If you stick to the local or small ex-pat run concerns, the Cambodian islands offer everything from palm fringed deserted beaches, traditional village life to the peaceful beach shack living found in Thailand 20 years ago.

(Cambodia) - Koh Rong Island

(Cambodia) - Koh Ta Kiev Island

Best for day trips from the mainland: Koh Ru

Approaching from Sihanoukville, the long gold beaches of Koh Ru (Bamboo Island) take the breath away. One of the first islands to capitalise on tourism, you might not be the only one on its two beaches, but you certainly won't be sharing with many. There's a small path through the middle of the island so you can hop between the two in only a few minutes should the crowds of 10 or so overwhelm you. If you decide you'd rather not drag yourself away at sundown, there are a few bungalows on both sides of the island, but it's better to reserve in advance as these can get booked up.

(Cambodia) - Koh Ru Island

Stay at: BimBamboo Bungalows, pretty turquoise painted bungalows on the beach (double rooms $12 (£8.65) a night) or Coaster bungalows (double rooms $10 a night). Koh Ru Bungalows on the south side have the added bonus of being quieter and it's the place to be for watching spectacular sunsets (double rooms $10 a night; bookings@barrusihanoukville.com).

(Cambodia) - Koh Ru Island - Bungalow

Getting there: Ana's travel agency in Sihanoukville will pick you up from your hotel ($15 for a day of island hopping including Koh Ru) or Coasters boat leaves every morning at 9.30am from Ochheuteal beach in Sihanoukville ($10 return to Koh Ru).

Best for diving and snorkelling: Koh Tang

The waters around the uninhabited Koh Tang island are known as the site of the infamous Mayagüez incident of 1975 in which the Khmer Rouge captured a US ship. They also offer world-class diving, unspoilt by crowds. Five hours from the mainland and best visited as part of a live-aboard trip, divers are rewarded with a stunning diversity of corals and rocky reef dives where you're likely to see barracudas, octopus and seahorses. Nearby Koh Prins has two wrecks to dive. If you don't fancy a live-aboard, head to Koh Rong Saloem, much closer to Sihanoukville. Here you'll dive with kingfish, moray eels and a wide variety of nudibranch. The island is pretty enough to warrant a few nights of post-dive chilling.

(Cambodia) - Koh Tang Island

Stay at: The sumptuous Lazy Beach (doubles rooms $25 a night) on Koh Rong Saloem for total relaxation or Eco Sea Dive has simple bungalows (double rooms $30 a night; +855 12 606646).

Getting there: Several tour operators based in Sihanoukville offer overnight trips. Try the friendly Dive Shop which has a stunning new live-aboard boat or the long established Dive Cambodia (Full day trip with two dives costs about US$85 (GBP41 or Euro58).

Best for traditional village life: Koh Sdach

Koh Sdach (King's Island) is a bustling fishing community off the coast of Koh Kong on the Thai-Cambodian border. Mostly made up of Khmers and Vietnamese, the village is centred around the rickety wooden dock you have to hop on to from the ferry. You can wander around the ramshackle town made up of huts on stilts or sit and watch the fishermen head out to sea in their long tail boats - and then enjoy their catch at one of the restaurants in the town. There's also some great snorkelling from the beaches.

Stay at: Mean Chey Guesthouse (double rooms $5 a night; +855 011 788 852).

Getting there: The Koh Kong to Sihanoukville ferry costs $20 and leaves every morning at 8am, stopping halfway at Koh Sdach (departs Sihanoukville to Koh Kong at 1pm).

Best for beachside bungalows: Koh Tonsay

Only 20 minutes by boat from Kep, Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) was Cambodia's premier resort in the 1920s, and is now inhabited by only half-a-dozen Khmer families who run the beach-side huts and restaurants. The two palm-fringed beaches both have shallow waters perfect for snorkelling and there's nothing more demanding to do all day but swing in your hammock with a cold beer. Generator electricity is available only between 6pm and 9pm, but that's all the better for listening to the night cicadas and gazing at the starry skies.

(Cambodia) - Koh Tonsay Island

Stay at: Nyan Voyet Mai bungalows (double rooms $5 a night; +855 (0)12 893 102). Guesthouses in Kep also arrange stays at the island, try Botanica Guesthouse (double rooms $10 a night) or the pleasant Kep Lodge (double rooms $30 a night).

Getting there: Boats leave from Koh Tonsay pier in Kep for $10 return.

Best for a deserted island experience: Koh Rong

If you want to be literally the only person on the beach, then head to Koh Rong. Two-and-a-half hours by boat from Sihanoukville, it's arguably the most magnificent island off the coast. Dumbbell shaped with a dense jungle interior, Koh Rong is a pristine island rarely visited by other travellers. The beach on the southwest side is known as "Snowdrift Bay" and for good reason, its talcum-soft sand squeaks under foot and goes on for miles. There's no path to it, however, so get dropped off there or charter a boat from the fishing village where there's a shop to stock up on supplies.

(Cambodia) - Koh Rong Island

Stay at: There are no guesthouses on the island, so take a tent, torch and provisions.

Getting there: Charter a boat from Sihanoukville ($50-$80 depending on bargaining skills) or hitch a ride with a dive boat ($40).

(Cambodia) - Koh Rong Island

(Cambodia) - Koh Russei Island

(Guardian, Beach Cambodia)

Best in Travel 2013 - Top 10 countries

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

1. Sri Lanka

Cut-price paradise back on the map

Best for: Culture, off the beaten track, value for money

Sri Lanka - Statue of Hindu deity at Koneswaram Hindu temple, Fort Frederick

Battered tragically by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and wracked by civil war from 1983 to 2009, many areas of the country have remained off limits to even the most intrepid traveller. Now the bitter conflict is over, investment is fuelling the tourism industry, and visitor numbers are steadily increasing. Prices are affordable, and with low-cost flights from the convenient travel hub of Bangkok, Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the planet’s best-value destinations.

2. Montenegro

Emerging superstar with wild beauty

Best for: Activities, adventure, off the beaten track

Montenegro - Old church on rocky mountain above town of Kotor

Nature has been prolific and creative in Montenegro, producing such iconic draws as the bewitching Bay of Kotor and the buzzy beaches along its Riviera. But be sure to pack a pair of hiking boots along with your swimsuit, for Montenegro’s beauty is no less intense in the wild and rugged interior. A new – and steadily growing – network of hiking and biking trails and improved infrastructure is making this glorious quilt of nature ever more accessible, while creating new employment for locals.

3. South Korea

Geared up for the Great Outdoors

Best for: Activities, events, off the beaten track

South Korea - People trekking on Mountain Halla

Without fanfare, South Korea has quietly developed into an outdoor recreation destination with untapped potential in golfing, hiking and fishing. Though not quite undiscovered, few people outside the country know about it. That anonymity will likely fade away in 2013 as it bursts onto the world stage hosting a series of major sporting events.

4. Ecuador

Reborn railways open up rainforest

Best for: Food, off the beaten track, activities

Ecuador - Domes of Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion on Parque Calderon

Ecuador's railway network is scheduled to radically revamp in 2013 with new lines linking increasingly cosmopolitan Quito and the coastal port of Guayaquil. Tracks will also connect Ecuador’s famed 5900m-high volcano Cotopaxi and the Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose), claiming the steepest (and most hair-raising) stretch of railway in the western world. Developers believe the gamble will pay off and pull in unprecedented tourist numbers.

5. Slovakia

Makeover for cultured corner of Europe

Best for: Culture, adventure, off the beaten track

Slovakia - Town of Nizne Ruzbachy by river

Two decades on from the Velvet Revolution, Slovakia has galvanised to form one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies, joined the EU and ranks right up there in Google searches for bargain ski packages and stag weekends. Now the tourism industry is keen to distance the nation from being all cheap pistes and piss-ups. The image overhaul has been overdue but it’s here, and in time for the inevitable party in 2013.

6. Solomon Islands

South Pacific as it used to be

Best for: Adventure, off the beaten track, activities

Solomon Islands - Children playing

Forget what travelling the Pacific used to be like – around the Solomon Islands it’s still that way. Forget mass-market or luxury retreats; think engaging eco-resorts, village homestays and some of the best scuba diving anywhere. In the past limited flights, difficult internal transport, a lack of infrastructure, a civil war and some particularly exotic strains of malaria all put travellers off. Today travel is much easier, the civil strife is off the radar and lately even the mosquitoes aren’t so threatening.

7. Iceland

Strange land inspires devotion

Best for: Activities, off the beaten track, value for money

Iceland - Hikers on the Thosmork-Landmannalaugar trail near Landmannalaugar

Ask any tourist during your trip to Iceland and you’ll quickly see that everyone develops an unconditional love for the little island nation, whether it’s for the mind-bending scenery, the platefuls of delicious lamb and fish dishes, or the sincere local hospitality. The currency crash – which effectively devalued the króna by 75% – also helped make a trip much more favourable to the wallet. As the global economy starts to heal, prices are climbing once more. The spoils of Iceland are no longer a secret, but they’re still yours for the taking – and in 2013 you’ll still be well ahead of the curve.

8. Turkey

Step off the beaten path

Best for: Off the beaten path, culture, food

Turkey - Aphrodisias Tetrapylon

New low-cost airlines are opening up the southeast of Turkey, and excellent bus services make getting around easy. Explore the historic old towns of Mardin and Midyat, feast on fantastic food in Gaziantep and see the recently uncovered ruins of Göbekli Tepe near Sanliurfa. Experience the Turkish section of the recently inaugurated Abraham’s Path walking trail, where accommodation is in simple Kurdish homestays, a long way from the tourist buzz of the coast or Istanbul’s Old Town.

9. Dominican Republic

The Caribbean's 'Next Big Thing'

Best for: Activities, value for money, events

Dominican Republic - Fishing boats on beach

In the first quarter of 2012 the Dominican Republic saw an 8.4% increase in tourism. With more airlines offering stops to the country’s eight international airports, as well as cruise ships adding the DR as a major port of call, more people are escaping to the land of sun, sand, and surf comparable to anywhere else in the Caribbean.

10. Madagascar

Noah's Ark rides out the storm

Best for: Activities, adventure, off the beaten track

Madagascar - Guitar player with homemade guitar

After years of political instability and uncertainty, which has hampered tourism development, Madagascar might finally be the verge of recovery. Presidential elections are scheduled for 2013, which could herald a move towards greater democracy (although they have been repeatedly postponed). For visitors, the time to go is now, before the country reappears in travel agents’ windows. Be prepared to be overwhelmed: in both fauna and landscapes, the world’s fourth-biggest island is otherworldly. To those seeking a place out of the ordinary, Madagascar cannot fail to delight.

(Lonely Planet)

(India) – Temple Hopping in South India

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 04:14:00 -0800

Walking along the beach south of Madras, I saw what looked like a rainbow rising out of the palm trees. In fact it was one of South India's famous modern temples covered with radiant stone deities. Each one was painted in flame-red and sky-blue and sea-green and hues I couldn't possibly name. The colors were so fresh I could smell them -- the sweet odor of new paint mixing with the smoky scent of incense and salt spray from the Bay of Bengal. I seemed to hear them as well, but soon identified the sounds as the pounding of drums, the clanging of a brass bell, and the singsong chanting that accompanies Hindu prayer services.

(India) - Ashta Lakshmi Temple

The Ashta Lakshmi Temple in the Madras suburb of Besant Nager is not one of the huge, important landmarks listed in the guidebooks, but I like its smallness and accessibility. Joining a stream of local people, I climbed narrow stairways all over the facade, pausing to meet the life-size deities face to face. Vishnu, the preserver god, was appropriately regal. His consort, Lakshmi, goddess of love, beauty and prosperity, looked very glamorous - raven-haired Indian film actresses are often compared to her -- as she smiled from the wall of a second-story terrace. Worshipers touched her green sari and pressed jasmine petals into her hands. Their approach to the deity was relaxed, informal, personal.

South India is like that, I discovered in June, as I left the city and headed down the coast of Tamil Nadu state with a car and driver toward the city of Pondicherry. This round trip of 100 miles is one of the most pleasant short excursions in India. Theoretically it can be done in a day, since the roads are good, but I took three days so I could stop and explore along the way.

The suburbs south of Madras are modern and upscale, but on the shore behind the marble-fronted apartment blocks I strolled along rural village streets lined with houses made of woven coconut-frond mats. Chickens roosted on the sloping thatched roofs. Girls in saris sat on the ground sorting trays of dried fish like silver jewelry. The handle of a pump creaked up and down as women gathered to fill shiny metal water pots. I stepped aside as a small boy led a loping, curly-horned buffalo down the lane.

Between the houses I caught glimpses of the surf where turbaned fishermen were poling a catamaran out into the water. Men sat on the beach mending nylon nets that lay on the sand like clouds of blue mist. Everyone was busy washing or cooking or selling something, but no one was rushing. A constant buzz of conversation seemed to make every task a social occasion.

I'd rented a car and driver from a Madras hotel for about $100 a day. We drove 15 miles south to Dakshina Chitra, a remarkable living museum of architecture, crafts and folk art. On an expanse of 10 acres, beautiful old brick and wood merchants' houses, rescued from the wrecker's ball, have been moved and reassembled, complete with furniture, paintings, utensils and toys -- as if the inhabitants had just stepped out. The guide described the life style of the owners in such vivid detail that I began to feel like a house guest in another century.

The Madras Craft Foundation sponsors many demonstrations for visitors: weavers making silk saris, potters working in clay, folk dancers performing dance-dramas, musicians playing traditional instruments. A sixth-grade class crowded around a Foundation volunteer, V. K. Deveka, eager to see how she fed tufts of cotton into a portable spinning wheel. It was just like the one that Mahatma Gandhi turned as he spoke to his audiences, she told the kids.

One continuous palm-fringed beach stretches from Madras to Pondicherry, and around Mahabalipuram, the approximate midway point, are a number of beautiful seaside resorts. The quiet little town itself, popular with young tie-dyed travelers, is full of modest restaurants and tiny family-run lodges. At one, the friendly Danussi Cottage, I rented a spotless room and a cot that I moved onto the roof so as to sleep under the stars and watch the sun rise over the bay.

The next morning I swam at the beach beside Mahabalipuram's Shore Temple, a delicate, seventh-century stone building so worn away by salt spray that it resembles a filigreed sand castle. Even older are the carvings on one enormous boulder that depict the hero Arjuna and a procession of animals from Indian folklore. The sound of chisels striking stone accompanied my walk around the town's sandy lanes. Sculptors in open sheds were busy carving images of deities. I bought an elephant-headed Ganesh that fitted into the palm of my hand; I could have bought a flute-playing Krishna that would have filled my living room.

Heading south again, I was enveloped by South India's greenness -- plantations of shaggy-headed coconut palms and irrigated rice paddies gleaming in the sunshine. The streets of one town ran blue as a stream of girls in blue saris poured out the door of a convent school. A man lovingly washed a motorcycle half-submerged in a stream. I left the car and walked into a field to get a close look at one of the equestrian terra cotta statues that potters make to guard their villages. This local folk-god seated on his white-painted steed wore a green sarong, a gold crown and a magnificent handlebar mustache.

An hour later we were driving into Pondicherry, where I had booked a room at a guesthouse. The city, an enclave that remained under French rule for nearly a decade after the British left India in 1947, retains some of the flavor of its colonial years in the streets east of the central canal. I rented a bicycle and pedaled past houses with graceful wrought-iron balconies, carved wooden trim below the slopes of tile roofs, and walls in pastel shades of aquamarine, amber and puce. A miniature Arc de Triomphe nestled beneath the palm trees in a park where families sat on the grass eating pakoras (spicy fried snacks) and Popsicles. Just off this square, the Pondicherry Museum was full of musty treasures: graceful Louis-something furniture, ancient Indian coins, endearingly awful paintings, fossils, a palanquin, and a picture of a tiger made entirely of painted noodles.

I inadvertently entered a main thoroughfare on my bicycle and found myself trapped in one of India's famous urban traffic crushes. A young policewoman in a white uniform and red beret casually raised her arm, and a thousand or so huge diesel trucks, packed buses, smoking cars, kamikaze motorcycles, plodding bullock carts and wobbly bicycles all screeched to a halt. A graceful wave of her hand released another thousand insane vehicles that honked, snorted, growled, rumbled, roared past the traffic island. Then it was our turn to surge forward. But I wobbled off down a side street into the city's botanical gardens, where nothing fiercer than a fallen coconut confronted me on the road.

Back in the colonial district, there were several attractive churches, including one dating from 1770. My favorite was a Sacred Heart Church built in 1902 that looked like a castellated cake covered in gleaming vanilla frosting with cheerful raspberry stripes and lime-green trim. Inside, the brightly painted images of saints bore more than a passing resemblance to the deities I had met at the Ashta Lakshmi Temple.

Along the seafront is a long, breezy promenade where Pondicherrians go to socialize in the evenings. At the south end is the Park Guest House where the large, comfortable rooms have balconies overlooking a flower garden. I went to sleep to the fluttering of fruit bats swooping past my window. On the back of the door was a notice that cautioned me not to smoke, consume alcohol, or invite a guest to my room. The edict was enforced by a big photograph over the bed: a white-bearded Indian man and an elderly European woman whose steady glare said ''Don't even think about it!''

These folks were Sri Aurobindo, a revered spiritual leader, and his partner, a French artist who became known as The Mother. In the 1920's they founded a noted ashram, which now owns the Guest House and other Pondicherry property. After Sri Aurobindo died, The Mother started Auroville, a 12-square-mile experiment in international living that I visited six miles north of the city.

European counter-culturalists moved to Auroville during the 1960's and the place prospered as an agricultural commune. But when The Mother died at the age of 97 in 1973, hostilities broke out between the Auroville residents and the ashram's hierarchy. One Aurovillian, insisting that I not reveal his name, told me that during this period the French devotees forcibly expelled Indian families, including his own, and consigned ''corrupt'' books at his school to a bonfire. Since that time the commune and the ashram have each preferred to ignore the other's existence.

Surrounding Auroville's residences is a beautiful park with tropical plants imported from many countries. The spiritual aura of the place began to waft over me -- until I saw, rising up out of the foliage, the Matrimandir. This three-story cement globe, pockmarked with hundreds of portholes, rests in an artificial crater like a giant bathysphere dropped from Mars. The whole edifice was empty, I discovered, except for one dark, chilly, empty meditation room containing an empty glass globe on a pedestal. Now I'm glad to have seen this -- possibly the most ludicrous building in the history of architecture -- but at the time it inspired me to beat a fast retreat to the world outside the commune.

On my way back to Madras, my spirits were lifted again at the Golden Sands Beach Resort, a family theme park built around a Pop version of Indian culture and religion. Everywhere I walked I saw statues of lions and elephants and superhero-like gods from Hindu folk tales that every Indian child knows by heart. Crossing a drawbridge over a moat, kids crowded through a miniature Mogul fort. Parents strolled around a big flower garden planted in the shape of India, each state outlined in hedgerows.

I passed walls where a series of painted bas-reliefs depicted the evolution of transportation (from bullock cart to Ambassador -- an Indian-manufactured car) and the evolution of man (from an ape to a yuppie with sunglasses and tennis racket). Customers at the snack bar were entertained by costumed folk dancers. Statue-Man, a mime in demon's garb, delighted giggling children when he suddenly brandished his cardboard sword at them. A Ferris wheel revolved against the pink twilight sky.

Finally I joined the families relaxing on the beach. Fully dressed, they sat on the sand and stared out at the Bay of Bengal. ''So peaceful here!'' one father murmured to me, smiling. Indian cities are among the most congested on earth; I could understand why the people viewed all this vast open space with a kind of reverence. Evening crowds were beginning to fill the park behind me, but I was content where I was, listening to the quiet voices and the waves splashing against the sand.

Falling into the rhythm of life along the Bay of Bengal

Getting There

Many airlines fly from New York to Madras, including T.W.A., Delta, Lufthansa, British Airways and Air-India. The round-trip fare is about $1,600, depending on season and length of stay, but discount fares can go as low as $1,000.

Car Rentals

Most Madras hotels can arrange a government-approved car and driver. A three-day trip from the Connemara Hotel and back will cost $337, including the driver's allowance and gasoline. There are also independent rental agencies, like Gangai Cabs, (44) 641-2324, and Globe Tours (44) 641-4224. (The country code for India is 91.) Self-drive cars are available for a very large deposit, but I don't recommend visitors' driving, because traffic can be scary in and near cities, especially at night, when it's wise to stay off the road even with a driver.

Be prepared to pay for all the driver's meals and tea. Guidebooks may say tipping is unnecessary, but drivers' wages are low and tips are much appreciated. Most drivers prefer to sleep overnight in the car to guard against theft. I prefer the big, bulky Indian-made Ambassador sedans, which are undaunted by potholes and can be repaired anywhere.

Where to Stay

MADRAS : The city's oldest hotel (1875) is the Connemara, on Binny Road, (44) 852-0123, fax (44) 852-3361. A Taj Group hotel, it is very comfortable without being ostentatious and has a pool, restaurants, shops and a bar. It is also home to the Giggles Bookshop, containing every new book in print about India, run for 22 years by Ms. Nalini Chettur, beloved by all Madras writers and intellectuals. A double is $165 a night plus 30 percent tax in the off season (May through August) with fridge, TV and a basket of mangoes included.

By the way, Madras is also -- and increasingly -- known as Chennai, its ancient Tamil name.

MAHABALIPURAM : I enjoyed staying at Danussi Cottage, 47 Thirukulam Street, (4113) 42738, which has a guest book crammed with seven years' worth of wildly enthusiastic travelers' testimonials. A single costs only $2.50 a night, a double $3.

Two fancier places I looked at were the Hotel Tamil Nadu Beach Resort, (4113) 2235, where doubles are $12.50, and the luxurious Temple Bay Ashok Beach Resort, (4113) 65160, where air-conditioned doubles are $47.

PONDICHERRY : I stayed on Goubert Avenue at the Park Guest House, right on the Bay of Bengal, (413) 34412. Simple and spotless, it is run by the Aurobindo Society, and is a very good value at $9 a night, despite its ban on smoke, booze and room guests. Excellent breakfast and lunch cost 95 cents each. Free bicycles are available.

The Hotel Pondicherry Ashok, (413) 24-0468, a Portuguese villa-style hotel, is seven miles north of the city on the coast road and has a lovely beach. Rooms are $28 to $34.

Right in Pondicherry is the Hotel Mass, at Maraimamalai Adiagal Salai, (413) 37221, where deluxe rooms cost $13 to $15.

Where to Eat

Meals at fancy hotels in the Mahabalipuram area, like the Temple Bay Ashok Beach Resort mentioned above, are overpriced but tasty and served in attractive settings.

In Pondicherry I liked Seagulls Restaurant, 19 Dumas Street, which has a bar and a second-story open-air dining area overlooking the ocean. A big Indian dinner -- appetizers, rice, curry, dahl, vegetables -- cost me $5.

Although primarily a crafts and cultural center, between Madras and Mahabalipuram, Dakshina Chitra does make traditional meals available with advance reservations. Travelers should call its Madras office, (44) 491-8943, to find out what programs are being offered. Admission prices vary, depending on whether you are going for a meal, a performance, or just a tour of the buildings.

Theme Park

Golden Sands Beach Resort, a theme park in Mahabalipuram, (4113) 42245, charges 78 cents admission, which includes a complimentary snack. The resort has a swimming pool, and beach cottages rent for $31 a night.

Information

The Tamil Nadu Government Tourist Office in Madras is at 143 Anna Salai, (44) 84-0752. Visitors can book bus tours there and arrange to stay at the reasonably priced state-run hotels.

The Government of India Tourist Office nearby, at 154 Anna Salai, (44) 852-4295, has a reputation for being helpful. The American Express office is at Spencer's Plaza on Anna Salai at Binny Road, (44) 852-3628.

(New York Times – November 30, 1997)

(Myanmar) – A dream to the Buddhistic Region

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada tradition or the southern school. About 89% of Myanmar practices Buddhism. Adherents are most likely found among the dominant ethnic Bamar (or Burmans), Shan, Rakhine (Arakanese), Mon, Karen, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society. Among ethnic Bamar, Theravada Buddhism is practised often in conjunction with nat worship. Monks, collectively known as the Sangha are venerated members of Burmese society.

(Myanmar) – A dream to the Buddhistic Region

The importance of Buddhism in the history of Myanmar is evident from a landscape dominated by pagodas which is why the country is often called "the land of pagodas." The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is steeped in myth and legend, and represents the people's faith who have worshipped there for generations. Every village in Myanmar has a pagoda and a monastery, the traditional places for worship and education.

Besides, Myanmar also offers a variety of natural beauties and historical artifacts such as dazzling waterfalls, graceful lakes, enchanting caves, sparkling beaches, reverines, and the unique cultures of different ethnic groups in addition to the thousand year old golden pagodas scattered around Burma, especially in Bagan and Mandalay.

(Myanmar) – A dream to the Buddhistic Region

The people of Myanmar can be called Burman or Burmese. Burmese people are friendly, pleasant, and charming. According to our clients, one of Myanmar's most appealing perspectives is its people. Burmese people are kind and willing to help. One lovely feature of Burmese people is their hospitality and welcoming heart towards all guests. When they meet foreigners, they do not think how to make money out of them, but how they can be of help if asked. This is how Burma is different from other countries.

"MIN GA LA BA", the lovely traditional greeting way of Myanmar can be used to greet anyone at anytime of the day during your visit. It is the equivalent of "Sawasdee" in Thai. Another Burmese word you may need to know while your visit is KYAY ZU BE, pronounced JayZuBe means "Thank you".

(Myanmar) – A dream to the Buddhistic Region

In Myanmar, the Ayarwaddy River flows its way southward from the confluence of two small rivers in Kachin state in northern Myanmar. It is both the lifeblood and soul of Burma. Along the banks stand many ancient capitals of Burmese kings where existing historic monuments reveal their glorious greatness. Bagan, located in the heart of Myanmar consists of thousands of ancient pagodas, is recognized as one of the miraculous wonders of the world. It presents the rich cultural heritage of Burma and makes Burma one of the archaeological treasure houses in Asia and the world.

(Myanmar) – A dream to the Buddhistic Region

The infrastructure in Burma is now more developed currently, so travel to Myanmar is no longer an adventurous journey. Myanmar is one of the safest tour destinations in Asia opening her doors and stretching out her hands welcoming travelers around the world to visit Burma.

Attractions

Yangon

Yangon, the commercial capital, is the main gateway to Myanmar. Evergreen and cool with lush tropical trees, shady parks and beautiful lakes, Yangon has earned the name of "The Garden City of the East". Yangon was founded by King Alaungpaya on the site of a small settlement called Dagon when he conquered Lower Myanmar in 1755.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Yangoon Karaweik Palace on Kandawgyi Lake

When you visit Yangon, visiting Shwedagon Pagoda is a must. It is one of the most famous and interesting place to visit in Yangon. Sule Pagoda lies in the center of Yangon and can be easily visited. Other than pagodas, museums such as National Museum, Bogyoke Museum and Gems Museum display historical events of Myanmar.

Bagan

The main tourist destination in Myanmar is Bagan, capital of the first Myanmar Empire; one of the richest archaeological sites in South-east Asia. Situated on the eastern bank of the Ayeyawaddy River. The Magic of Bagan has inspired visitors to Myanmar for nearly 1000 years.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Bagan

Bagan is full of ancient architecture and ruins. Temples, pagodas, monuments, stone scripts, votive tablets, wall paintings, mural paintings, stuccos carvings can be found in many places in Bagan. The main 4 places to visit are Shwezigon, Ananda, Dhammayangyi and Thabbyinnyu Pagodas.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Bagan

Inle Lake

Inle is a vast lake located in the heart of Shan State which shares borders with Thai & Laos. And it climbs up to over 900 metres above sea level and outrageously beautiful. Inle Lake is located in the mountains so it is cooler than other areas. More than 30 hill tribes are living in the mountains.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Inle Lake

Phaungdawoo Pagoda is an amazing floating pagoda in the Inle Lake. The Phaungdawoo Pagoda festival, the boat racing competition are great experiences at such time to visit for tourist. The floating markets and the lifestyles of the Inthars are also a total different environment for visitors.

Ngapali Beach

It is famous for its natural and unspotted beauty up to this day. The beach stretches about 3 km with soft white sand fringed by coconut palms. Ngapali Beach is one of the loveliest places in Myanmar.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Ngapali Beach

Mandalay

Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar and was established in 1857. It lies on the east bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River and in the upper part of Myanmar. Mandalay has the Royal Palace of the last Konbaung Dynasty. Mandalay inherits many cultural heritage from the ancient Myanmar Kingdoms and beautiful places to visit.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Mandalay

Mandalay consist of five main townships namely Aung Myay Thar Zan, Chan Aye Thar Zan, Mahar Aung Myay, Chan Mya Tharzi and Pyigyi Tagun Townships. Mandalay Hill is a popular destination to visit while you are in Mandalay. The beautiful scene of the whole city can be seen from the hill. Royal Palace, Sanda Muni and Shwenandaw Monastery are a few more.

Mrauk U

Largely unknown to the Western world for much of its turbulent history, Rakhine played a pivotal role in the exchange of cultures and religions between India and Southeast Asia. For over a thousand years the region which now forms the Rakhine State, Myanmar was an independent state whose rich history is only slowly being paid the attention it deserves.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Mrauk U

Shittthaung Pagodas, Ananda Sandra Pillar, Andaw Thein temple, Yadanarpon temple, Dukkanthein or Htoke Kan Thein, Koe Thaung Pagodas, Pitakataik (or) the Library, Five Victory Pagodas, Palace Site, the ancient ruins of Mrauk U period, Mrauk U Museum showing information about the ancient Rakhine eras are the main places to visit in Mrauk U.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Mrauk U

Ngwe Saung Beach

Ngwe Saung Beach Resort, opened in the year 2,000, is one of the loveliest and most pleasant beach resorts in Myanmar. Located in the Ayeyarwady Division, some 48 kilometres from the town of Pathein, Ngwe Saung, with a beach frontage on the Bay of Bengal with its clear blue waters, its white crested waves, sandy beaches and unspoiled and pollution-free natural surroundings, is indeed one of the best places to select for a holiday interlude of rest and relaxation.

Nay Pyi Taw

Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital of the Union of Myanmar. Centrally located, it is 391 km from Yangon and 302 km from Mandalay, being easily accessible from all parts of the Union.

(Philippines) - Myanmar - Nay Pyi Taw

(Facebook, Buddhis travel, Travel Myanmar, Myanmar Travel Information)

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:28:00 -0800

Boracay is a tropical island surrounded by stunning white sand beaches about an hour's flight from Cebu or Manila just off the larger Philippines island of Panay.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

For beach connoisseurs it competes with the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific as well as neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. For those wanting to just lounge around and top up their tan, beach-front hotels usually have lounge chairs set up just a few steps away from the hotel entrances. The more active will appreciate water sports and activities such as sailing, wind surfing, snorkelling, diving and jet skiing. The fun in Boracay doesn't end when the sun sets. Boracay night-life pulsates with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink and fun until the dawn.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

How to get there and away

Air

The quickest (and most expensive) connection between Manila and Boracay via Caticlan is by Air Ads, Asian Spirit and Pacific Airways; the one-way fare is P1700.

Asian Spirit and Air Ads bookings can be made at the Red Coconut, Balabag.

Pacific Airways bookings can be made at the Dublin Rest house in Angol, the Red Coconut in Balabag and at the Boracay Tourist Center.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

The little PAL office is next to the Sea Resort in Angol. Apart from taking care of changes in itinerary and flight confirmations PAL also sells tickets for P150 for the air-con bus from Caticlan to Kalibo, which includes the boat trip from Boracay to Caticlan. The office is open from 8:30am to noon and 2 to 4pm. PAL flights also can be booked at the Boracay Tourist Center and at Pantelco, above the Pa-am Minimart near the Mistral Resort.

PAL flies from Manila to Kalibo on Panay and Tugdan on Tablas Island, in Romblon Province. The connection from Kalibo to Boracay via Caticlan is better than the one from Tugdan to Boracay via Santa Fe. After the aircraft arrives, there are air-con buses from Kalibo to Caticlan. PAL also flies from Cebu City to Kalibo.

The trip with a bus belonging to the companies Southwest Tours or 7107 Boracay Shuttle cost P150. Southwest Tours sells tickets at the domestic airport in Manila. The price includes the boat transfer from Caticlan to Boracay.

Boat & Bus

Many boats cruise along White Beach heading for Caticlan; just wait at one of the boat stations if you want to go there. The first boat comes along at about 6 am. There are three so-called boat stations on White Beach for boats to and from Caticlan 15; 30 minutes): Boat Station I at the Mila's Boracay Beach Resort, Boat Station 2 the tourist office and Boat Station 3 at the Sulu Bar. From June to November, during the south-west monsoons, the sea on the west side of Boracay can grow too rough for outrigger boats. They then have to leave from Tabon (to the east of Caticlan) instead of from Caticlan itself, and drop anchor on east coast in the bay near the Dead Forest, or near Bulabog.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

As almost all passengers have to wade through the water to get to the boats or back to shore, patent-leather boots and well-pressed long trousers are definitely not the things to wear.

On arrival in Caticlan, you can get a Jeepney or bus to Kalibo (two hours).

A bus leaves Caticlan for Iloilo City via Kalibo at around 6.30 am (six hours). Anyone wanting to take this bus will have to take either the first boat at 6 am or a Special Ride for about P175 from Boracay.

Air-con buses make special trips from m Kalibo airport, timed to catch the departures of PAL flights. Tickets for the Tours bus can be obtained at the PAL office on Boracay; the 7107 Boracay office is located near Boat Station 1.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

There are also shipping services between Manila, New Washington and Dumaguit, both are near Kalibo on Panay.

Getting Around

The island is so small that we can walk around on foot and see close up nature.It takes only one hour and half or so for come and go of 4 Km White Beach from one end to another. However you have to be tough to go around Yapak on foot, as it is hilly and you may seldom find shade trees. Direct sun light is especially strong from noon to around two p.m.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

Tricycles are motorcycles with sidecars for passengers.They are one of the most popular transports in the Philippines. The fare is from P5 to P20 per person. They cannot enter White Beach.It costs approximately P150 per hour to charter a tricycle.

Many resorts rent out bicycles.They cost about P50 per hour. Check up breaks and pedals first when you borrow a bicycle. Bicycles should run on the right. Beware of tricycles on roads.

If you want to lend motorcycles, ask your resort staying. Road conditions and driving manners might be different from your country's, so they are not recommendable for tourists.International drivers licence is required. It costs approximately P150 per hour to charter a motorcycle.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

Attractions

Every day seems to be a holiday on Boracay - all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourself. Just get up, make some coffee and decide whether to go sailing, windsurfing or perhaps snorkeling and looking at corals.

Mount Luho is the highest elevation on Boracay Island with 100 meters above sea level. For the uninitiated, it can be an excruciating ascent going there, but definitely worth the view. Once up there, a little kiosk serves cold water and soft drinks and one can take a rest in one of the hammocks between the trees.

The Bat Caves are on the north East coast of Yapak. It’s the home of cave bats and the giant fruit bats with a wingspan of up to four feet. The fruit bats fly regularly at twilight to their nocturnal hunt for food. Naturalists, photographers, spelunkers and brave souls willing to bear the intense stench in the cave can hire local guides, usually young children from the village, to lead them through the jungle-paths to the caves. Environmentalists, however, rather leave the fruit bats to their daytime sleep and wait for the sunset at the White Beach as hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bats take their nocturnal flight right over their heads.

(Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay

The Dead Forest next to the fishponds in the south of the island there are scores of dead trees. Their silhouettes jut eerily into the landscape in a horribly fascinating way (especially at the witching hour on the night of a full moon).

Museum The Kar-Tir Shell Museum in Iligan has a small collection of sea shells display as well as arts & crafts works various woven products to see.

(Wiki Travel, Facebook, Boracay Online)

(Turkey) – What to see and do in Antalya

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:52:00 -0700

Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It was the world's third most visited city by number of international arrivals in 2011, displacing New York, and had a population of 1,001,318. Antalya is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.

(Turkey) – What to see and do in Antalya

1. Konyaaltı Beach (Konyaaltı Plajı)

Konyaaltı Plajı (Konyaaltı Beach), on the west side of Antalya, Turkey, is a long strand of pebbles and rough stand backed by park, some hotels, and residential areas. It's closer to the center of Antalya than is Lara Plajı on the eastern side of the city.

Take the tram westward from Kalekapisı at the center of Antalya to the end of the line near the Antalya Museum and the Hillside Su and Rixos hotels, then walk downhill 10 minutes to reach Antalya Beach Park and the eastern end of Konyaaltı Plajı.

The easiest way to reach Konyaaltı from the center of Antalya at Kalekapisi is to step aboard the tram, pay the fare in cash, and get out at the last stop. Be sure you're boarding the westbound tram (toward the mountains).

(Turkey) - Konyaalti Beach - Antalya

2. Lara Beach (Lara Plajı)

Lara Plajı (Lara Beach) east of Antalya is a l-o-n-g beach of gentle waves, darkish sand, and some small pebbles. The real sand beach starts on the east side of the point and extends for several kilometers. The first major installation is Lara Halk Plajı, with beach services organized by the city of Antalya.

You can reach Lara Plajı from the center of Antalya by dolmush minibus (No. 18, 30 or 77). The minibuses run all the way along the beach to the end of the public access area. The ride from Antalya city center near Kalekapisi to the eastern end of the beach takes about 45 minutes, a few minutes less if you're only going as far as Lara Halk Plaji.

3. Kalekapısı (Antalya City Center)

The center of Antalya, "capital" of Turkey's Mediterranean coast, is an ancient stone tower in the old city walls marking Kalekapısı (KAH-leh-kah-puh-suh, Castle Gate). It's right next to the city's well-known symbol, the Grooved Minaret (Yivli Minare).

Kalekapısı is where Antalya's trams cross tracks in the middle of their run.

Because Kalekapısı is a pedestrian zone (except for the tram line), you must walk a block or two west, north or east to catch city buses.Two useful tram lines pass near Kalekapısı.

The easiest way to reach Kalekapısı inexpensively from Antalya's otogar (bus terminal) is to take the tram. Board an AntRay tram at the otogar and get out at the İsmetpaşa stop, just north of the intersection of İsmetpaşa Caddesi and Cumhuriyet Caddesi (map). Kalekapısı is only a block away, to the west.

4. Hadrian's Gate (Hadriyanüs Kapısı, Üçkapılar)

One of the many building projects of the great Roman Emperor Hadrian, this three-portal marble gate in the city walls is still an Antalya landmark.

(Turkey) - Hadrian gate - Antalya

5. Kaleiçi (Old Antalya)

Also known as Old Antalya, the small historic section called Kaleiçi (KAH-leh-ee-chee) at the center of the sprawling modern city was the Roman town, then the Byzantine, then the Seljuk Turkish, and finally the Ottoman Turkish town.

Kaleiçi surrounded and protected the old Roman harbor, which was Antalya's reason for being: even in Roman times, this was the outlet for the produce of the rich alluvial plain that stretches east from the city beneath the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains.

There are several entrances to Kaleiçi, but the most convenient is Kalekapısı, and the most picturesque and historic is Hadrian's Gate.

(Turkey) – What to see and do in Antalya

6. Broken Minaret Mosque (Kesik Minare, Korkut Camii)

Enter Kaleiçi through Hadrian's Gate, follow Hesapçi Sokak and soon you'll see this Antalya landmark. Built as a Roman temple, it was a church in honor of Mary, then converted to a mosque. Now it's just a picturesque ruin.

Antalya's broken wonder is the Broken Minaret (Kesik Minare) of the Korkut Mosque (Korkut Camii), which itself was built originally as a Roman temple in the 2nd century AD, and thus did not have a minaret at all.

(Turkey) - Broken Minaret Mosque - Antalya

7. Hıdırlık Kulesi (Old Stone Tower)

Antalya's Hıdırlık Kulesi is a landmark tower of tawny stone where Kaleiçi (Old Antalya) meets Karaalioğlu Parkı.

Its purpose is something of a mystery. Some think it was built as a tomb for a great leader, and bits of fresco within encourage this conjecture. But its situation is perfect to serve as a lighthouse of signal tower or lookout for shipping in Antalya's ever-important harbor, so that was probably its purpose.

This is a fine place to stop for a drink, a snack or a meal.

8. Karaalioğlu Parkı

Antalya's major park with the all-but-unpronouncable name is just east of Kaleiçi in the city center, easily reached on foot or by tram.

This is where Antalyalılar come in the heat of the day for shade and a breeze, or for a stroll in the cool of evening.

The mayor's office is here, and a city theater, but of more interest to visitors is the ancient fortress tower overlooking the Roman harbor, the falez (cliffs) and the broad blue expanse of the Gulf of Antalya.

9. Roman (Yacht) Harbor (Eski Liman)

Antalya was founded two millennia ago because of its good harbor. It became a major Mediterranean port of Asia Minor in Roman times.

The Romans strengthened the city's fortifications and improved the harbor's facilities. Through Byzantine times, and the empires of the Seljuk Turks and Ottomans, daily life in Antalya centered on the harbor.

Today the harbor is still at the heart of Antalya, at water's edge in the historic core of the city called Kaleiçi (Old Antalya). It's now surrounded by restaurants and cafes, and is a favorite place to gather in the afternoon or evening to sip tea, coffee or a drink, or to share a meal and conversation with friends.

The boats in the harbor now are not cargo ships but private yachts and the broad-beamed gulets that take visitors out into the Gulf of Antalya on fishing trips or day-long excursions along the coast.

10. Bazaar (Çarşı)

Just inland from Kalekapısı is the center of Antalya shopping, Antalya's old, historic bazaar (çarşı), with lots of jewelry shops. Here, at the beginning of Kâzim Özalp (Şarampol) Caddesi is also the place to find lots of bank ATMs and currency exchange offices.

Antalya's traditional market area (çarsi) is conveniently located just inland from Kalekapisi along Kazim Özalp Caddesi (formerly—and still sometimes nowadays—called Sarampol Caddesi).

(Turkey) – What to see and do in Antalya

11. Antalya Museum (Antalya Müzesi)

Board the westbound tram at Kalekapisi or Hadrian's Gate and take it to the western end of the line for Antalya's excellent archeological museum. Artifacts from the many rich cities in the region, including lots of Roman marble statuary and sarcophagi, are preserved here.

The excellent Antalya Museum (Antalya Müzesi) is a must-see for anyone interested in the rich archeological history of Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

The modern province of Antalya includes dozens and dozens of important ancient Hellenic, Hellenistic and Roman cities and towns, and other prime archeological sites, and the best artifacts from most of them have been brought here to form the museum's outstanding collection.

The museum is open daily except Monday.

An easy, inexpensive way to reach it from Kalekapisi is to take the tram westward (toward the mountains) to the end of the line.

12. Day-trips & Excursions from Antalya

Antalya is the most convenient base for excursions throughout the region, from Olimpos in the southwest to Alanya in the southeast.

Düden & Kurşunlu Waterfalls

Two of the easiest and most pleasant excursions are to these two cool, shady, green waterfall parks only a few kilometers northeast of Antalya. They may be crowded on summer weekends, however.

Perge, Side & Aspendos

Perge, only a few km from Antalya, has impressive Roman ruins. Side too, along with fine beaches and a resort atmosphere. Aspendos has the best-preserved Roman theater on the Mediterranean, still used for performances.

Termessos & Karain Cave

A perfect day-trip by car or tour from Antalya is to this breathtaking ancient ruined city high in a mountain aerie, so well defended that Alexander the Great passed it by. You can visit fascinating Karain Cave, inhabited for 25,000 years, on the same trip.

Bridge Canyon National Park & Selge

Bridge Canyon National Park (Köprülü Kanyon Milli Park) is a beautiful, dramatic river gorge spanned by a stone Roman bridge. At the top of the valley is the ancient Roman city of Selge. It makes a great day trip from Antalya whether you go white water rafting or not.

Kemer, Phaselis, Olimpos & Çıralı

Kemer is a modern seaside resort southwest of Antalya, but Phaselis, a bit farther down the coast, is an ancient port now in a national park, and Olimpos just beyond it is a strange and wonderful mix of forest tree-house camps, tidy small hotels, secluded beach resort and ancient ruins. At nearby Çıralı, the famed Chimaera natural eternal flame still burns as it has for millennia.

(Wiki, Turkey Travel Planner)

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 06:30:00 -0700

Flights to Myanmar and Yangon

A variety of airlines serve Yangon International Airport, which opened a large, spanking new terminal early 2007. The most frequent flights are out of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Singapore business collaborates with Myanmar in maintaining Myanmar Airways International (MAI, www.maiair.com), a part government, part private-owned operation that runs services into Yangon from Bangkok daily, Singapore three times a week and Kuala Lumpur four times a week.

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

MAI flies smaller Boeing 737s and two MD-82s, which are long narrow workhorses with a 3-2 seating configuration in economy and eight big leather business class seats clearly taken from somebody else’s airline.

MAI is a cheerful experience with expatriate pilots and overseas trained cabin staff who work with great courtesy and concentration. Food on board is generous and tasty if not exactly a sensation and the rich lubrication of the pork fillet with fried noodles was a useful preparation for Myanmar cuisine. Alternatively Air Bagan (www.airbagan.com) has a variety of aircraft – including an Airbus A-310 and a Fokker 100 jet – and flies an intricate domestic network, as well as to Singapore, Bangkok, Cambodia’s Siem Reap and Kunming in China.

The international airport sits in fields about 30 minutes out of the centre. Business Class passengers get their own bus for the 30-second drive to the terminal. You require a visa, which can be surprisingly fast to get from a Myanmar consulate. They are even available online (www.myanmarvisa.com). The consulate will also give you a form to be kept with it and presented to the immigration officer along with the landing form. These are neatly folded, put away somewhere, and you are let in very quickly for a maximum of 28 days.

Changing Money and Devilish Exchange Rates

There seems to be no requirement now to purchase US$200 of Foreign Exchange Certificates at the airport. This cumbersome interloper, after the old Chinese model, seems to be disappearing. We are now down to the two real currencies, the local kyat (pronounced “chat”) and the US dollar.

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

The kyat is divided into 100 pyas. On paper (and outside of Myanmar) the official exchange rate is approximately US$1 = 6.42 kyat, but farcically, this rate is not actually available in the country. Most places, including five-star hotels, will offer a much more reasonable “unofficial” rate, currently approximately US$1 = 1,250 kyat. You will often get a better rate for changing large US dollar bills, but these must be spotless. Even banks are reluctant to take notes with any mark or tear. Most substantial establishments like hotels and transport agencies take US dollars and more modest operations do too but you are likely to get change in kyat. You need a judicious mixture of both currencies in your wallet. Your hotel will help with this. Apart from in the major hotels, credit cards in Myanmar come from Mars.

Getting around Yangon

If you do not have a pick-up arrangement with your hotel, a taxi from the airport for the 30-minute drive into town should cost between US$5 and US$8 depending on negotiation and the presence of air-con. Although there is nowhere in Yangon you would want to go that is more than 15 minutes from anywhere else, you might look at the town in three segments. To the south is the grid-work layout of the old centre by the river. A little to the north, is a “midtown” around the Kandawgyi Lake and the Shwedagon Pagoda, the above all, must-see masterpiece of Yangon. A little further to the north is the semi-suburban recreational area around the larger Inya Lake.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Inle Lake

A fairly standard rate for a short taxi trip is US$1. From The Shwedagon down to the river it would be US$2 and from the river up to the Inya Lake possibly US$3. Car hire with driver (not a hotel limo) should be between US$35 to US$40 for a 10-hour day. The more days you hire for, the more negotiable this becomes. A knowledgeable driver, possibly recommended by a hotel, could be worth his weight in kyat.

Yangon shopping tips

Yangon specialises in precious stones, pearls, silver, handicrafts and lacquer ware. There are some fine specialist shops that hotel concierges will guide you to. The Strand has a printed recommendation list. To just plunge in, go to the BogyokeAung San Market or Scott Market of yore. It is a huge closed market surrounded by a cloister of small, mostly trendy shops selling fashion accessories. In the market proper, stalls sell stones, jewellery, handicrafts, ropes of pearls and antiques, some for real and some not quite. The place is wide, clean, cool and unhurried. One offbeat stall belongs to Zaw Win Ni (Samuel) who used to be a dentist in Hongkong and let his passion for Burmese animist spirit figures get the better of him. He is now in business there with these engaging items. He can explain them with great fluency at Evergreen, Stall No.103 in the Central Arcade (tel: 256-411).

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

Nightlife in Yangon

It exists, even for foreigners, be sure of that. Mostly you’ll find it in hotels from about 6pm to 11pm. Paddy’s Bar, an Irish pub with music and a lively crowd, is in the basement of the Sedona Hotel (tel: 666-900). The Kandawgyi Palace Hotel has its Disco Pub (tel: 2492455) and The Grand Plaza Park Royal has the Music Club, a place of some revelation. They say it is popular with diplomats. It is a big square bar with a Filipino band. There are an inordinate number of beautifully turned-out local women wandering around in urgent need of a drink. Don’t take the wife.

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

Open all day to midnight, the 50th Street Bar and Grill, behind an impressive colonial facade on 50th Street, is a big, well laid-out pub with its wall scrubbed down to the brick, a mixed Western and local clientele and live music at the weekends. It is a very easy place to hang out and snack. Mr Guitar on Sayar San Road is similarly popular with locals and foreigners, open from 7pm to midnight and features unplugged music, mega screens, installations by its artist-owner and an outside courtyard. In both you might get a decent conversation. A Mr Guitar 2 opened up a year or so back on ShweGon Dine Road – it is more of a restaurant (serving Thai hot pot and Chinese food) than a bar. Taking a different tack altogether is BME 2, an independent outfit watched over by the biggest Burmese lads in suits you’ve ever seen. It stands in a large lot next to the Summit Parkview Hotel at 350 Ahlone Road. There is a bar, attentive waiters, a big disco dance floor and of all things in Myanmar, a local girl rock band. And, again, a grazing herd of tightly clad young women without a drink.

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

Mandalay, Bagan and beyond

“Yangon is a gateway,” says George Ehrlich-Adam, general manager of travel agency Exotissimo. From it, he says, the standard travel pattern is a flight to Mandalay (the train can take up to 18 hours and so will a car), a boat to Bagan and a flight to Inya Lake. Visitors spend between five and 10 days doing this. To do justice to Bagan, you need a minimum of two days. To relax in a hotel on stilts on the lake and go back in time a bit, you need at least another two or three days. “So, if you’ve only got four to five days, you should drop Mandalay,” says Ehrlich-Adam. The city itself is worth half a day at best. The main historical point of interest is the deserted ancient capital around it.

A good travel agent in Yangon can arrange an itinerary for you within hours. If you are outside Myanmar, it takes a little longer but they can also arrange, through faxes, a visa on arrival. Top-end hotels in Mandalay are the Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel at the foot of Mandalay Hill and the fully serviced Sedona Hotel. In Bagan, you could stay at the beautifully landscaped Bagan Hotel or the Thiripitsaya Sakura, which has rooms and bungalows.

Myanmar Travel Agencies

Diethelm Travel. 1 Inya Road, Yangon. Tel: [95-1] 527-110, fax: 527-136, (e-mail: leisure@diethelm.com.mm or www.myanmar-tourism.com/diethelm.htm).
Tour Mandalay.Room 02-03, 2nd floor, Pearl Condominium, 1 Pearl Centre Kabu Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon. Tel. [95-1] 540-27, fax: 545-220, (e-mail: res@tourmandalay.com.mm).
Columbus Travel and Tours. 586 Strand Road, Yangon. Tel: [95-1] 221-881, (e-mail: tours@columbus.com.mm).
Exotissimo Travel. 0303 Sakura Tower, 339 BogyokeAung San Street, Yangon.
Tel: [95-1] 255-266, fax: 255-428, (e-mail: george@exotissimo.com or www.exotissimo.com).

Yangon Hotel Guide

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

DusitInya Lake. Tel: [95-1] 662-866, fax: 665-537, (e-mail: inyalake@dusit.com or www.dusit.com). From US$46.
Kandawgyi Palace Hotel. Tel: [95-1] 249-255, fax: 280-412, (e-mail:
fom@kandawgyipalacehotel.com.mm or www.kandawgyipalace.com). From US$80.
Grand Plaza Park Royal. Tel: [95-1] 250-388, fax: 252-478, (e-mail: enquiry@parkroyalhotels.com.mm or http://yangon.parkroyalhotels.com). From US$100.
Hotel Nikko Royal Lake. Tel: [95-1] 544-500, fax: 544-400, (e-mail: nikko@nikkoyangon.com.mm or www.nikkoyangon.net). From US$100.
MyaYiekNyo Royal Hotel and City Club. Tel: [95-1] 548-310/17, fax: 548-318/19, (e-mail: zayco@mptmail.net.mm or www.myayeiknyo.com). Double rooms from US$45.
Savoy Hotel. Tel: [95-1] 526-289, fax: 524-891, (e-mail: res-savoy@myanmar.com.mm or www.savoy-myanmar.com). From US$85.
Sedona Hotel. Tel: [95-1] 666-900, fax: 666-911, (e-mail: rsv@sedona.com.mm or www.sedonahotels.com.sg). From US$90.
The Governor’s Residence, Yangon. Tel: [95-1] 229-860, fax: 228-260, (e-mail: yangon@orient-express.com or www.governorsresidence.com). Rates from US$140, including breakfast and transfers.
The Strand. Tel: [95-1] 243-377, fax: 243-393, (e-mail: info@thestrand.com.mm or www.ghmhotels.com). From US$450.
Traders Hotel. Tel: [95-1] 242-828, fax: 242-800, (e-mail: thyn@shangri-la.com or www.shangri-la.com). From US$80.
Sedona Hotel Yangon. Tel: [95-1] 666-900, fax: 666-911, (e-mail: rsv@sedona.com.mm or www.sedonahotels.com.sg). From US$95.

(Myanmar) – Hanging on in Yangon (Rangoon) – Travel Tips

Mandalay Hotels

Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel. Tel: [95-2] 35638, fax: 35639, (e-mail: mdyhill@mptmail.net.mm or www.mandalayhillresorthotel.com). Rates from US$100.
Sedona Hotel Mandalay. Tel: [95-2] 236-488, fax: 236-499, (e-mail: bc.shm@sedona.com.mm or www.sedonahotels.com.sg).

Bagan Hotels

Rates from US$45, with junior suites from US$55 off-peak. Internet available at the business centre only.
Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel. Tel: [95-61] 600-48, fax: 600-33, (e-mail: thiri@myanmar.com.mm or www.bagan-thiripyitsaya-sakura-hotel.com). Rates from US$50 to US$100 for doubles, depending on the season.

(Smart Travel Asia)

Phoebettmh Travel

(Myanmar) –Travelling to Yangon (Rangoon)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 06:12:00 -0700

Yangon, the capital city of Myanmar, is so evergreen and cool with lush tropical trees, shady parks and beautiful lakes it has earned the name of "The Garden City of the East". Though with the atmosphere of a typical Asian city, It stands out in contrast as it is not yet overwhelmed with the global trends of modernity and is making its own progress at its own pace, in its own calm, civic culture. Being the main entrance to the country and principle seaport, it is the hub of business activities and government offices as well as non-governmental organizations.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Shwedagon Pagoda

It also serves as the center for higher learning as it abounds with educational institutions. The city represents a mixture of diverse communities and cultures, with respect to people, religion, business, and settlement. Yangon was founded by King Alaungpaya on the site of a small town called Dagon when he conquered lower Myanmar in 1755. He changed its name to Yangon, which means "End of Strife", but was anglicized as Rangoon by the British when they annexed Myanmar in 1885. The present day Yangon covers an area of 350 sq. km with a population of over 5 million.

The Shwedagon Pagoda

Towering to a height of 326 feet on Theingottara hill, dominates Yangon. Visitors to Myanmar are awe-struck on seeing the magnificence and splendor of this golden shrine. Ralph Fitch, the first Englishman to arrive in Myanmar's in 1558, comment: " it is called Dagon and is of a wonderful bigness, and all gilded from the foot to the topped - it is the fairest place, as I suppose, that is in the world." Rudyard Kipling inscribed "this most famous of all Myanmar shrines as a golden mystery lofty on the horizon, a beautiful wonder that blazed in the sun," in his letters from the east published in 1889. In his Gentleman in the Parlor, Somerset Maugham, at his first sight of the Pagoda was inspired to write that the superb, glistening, golden Shwedagon rising superbly upwards, was ". Like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul.The great golden Shwedagon Pagoda is the prominent landmark visible from miles around, where the holy hair relics of the Buddha were enshrined more than 2,500 years ago. It is one of the wonders of the world and the most venerable pagoda in Southeast Asia.

Karaweik Hall

Karaweik Hall is one of the landmarks of Yangon, standing in the Kandawgyi Lake(Royal Lake ). This modern architecture is built in the shape of the mythical creature Karaweik bird. It has 3 floors including a ceremonial hall. This wholly gilded building is about 20 years old.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Karaweik Hall

The colonial buildings in and around Yangon

In Yangon there remains quite a number of old buildings built in the time of British occupation. These remind us of formerBritish’s presence in Myanmar. They were constructed in the middle of 19th century, before the Second World War in 1940. The colonial residences are substantial castles built of brick, masonry and wood with the multi-gabled roofs, verandas and the porches. These English Style houses are seen in the shady and tranquil compounds in the downtown areas. The Yangon City hall , next to Sule Pagoda faces the Mahabandoola Park . To the East is the building of the Supreme Court. Painted in red, yellow color equally. That Victorian building was constructed between 1905 and 1911. A short distance to the west is the famous Strand hotel constructed in 1901. In those days the Oriental hotel in Bangkok and the Strand hotel in Yangon were among the best hotels in is the south Asia . Later, it was restored and furnished with modern facilities.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Colonial buildings

Advance to the west is the Office of Myanmar Harbor authority with an uprising tower in the Pansodan Street . And the Yangon Division court resembles Queen-Ann-Style English architecture. Other remarkable colonial style buildings are the Yangons station decorated with typical Myanmar traditional arts, the Mee Ya Htar building (used to be Myanma railway office) built of red brick in colonial architecture, the Bogyoke Aung San Market and the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral in the typical English colonial style painted in dominantly red color. All these structures are on Bogyoke Aung San Street , as is the Yangon General hospital, which was the first public building in Myanmar and was constructed in 1911. Constructs red brick equalized with yellow, this enormous structure characterizes a lot of large arches and appearing to turrets indistinctly. The other indubitable English time public building is Ministerial office, which occupies the whole block of land surrounded by Anawrahta, Thein Byu, Mahabandoola and Bo Aung Kyaw streets.

Bogyoke Aung San Market

It is a fantastic prewar structure in Yangon known as Scott Market before. It is the most famous shopping place in Yangon . Myanmar arts and handicrafts are best souvenirs available there at reasonable price. Lacquer wares, wood and ivory carvings, tapestries, silverware, brassware, silk and cotton fabrics, and shoulder bags as well as jewelry are some of the most favorite items it has to offer.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Bogyoke Aung San Market

Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda

Located 10 minutes away from downtown, and 5 minutes from the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, the 72 meters long reclining Buddha image is the biggest colossal reclining Buddha image in Myanmar. Originally built in 1907, it has suffered damage due to climate over the years. In 1957, it was demolished and rebuilt to this structure and completed in 1966. The uniqueness of the image is the glass mosaic on the sole of its feet representing the 108 special characteristics of the Buddha.

(Myanmar) –Yangon (Rangoon) - Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda

Botataung Pagoda

It is a shrine with hollow passages inside to walk through. The name Botataung means "a thousand military leaders". This pagoda was named after the 1,000 military leaders who escorted the sacred hair relics of Buddha, brought from India over two thousand ago. Inside the pagoda, there are glass showcases containing many ancient relics and donated artifacts sealed but visible inside the shrine. The original shrine was destroyed during the World war II bombing. Present day structure is built over the old original one. Above this interesting interior, the golden pagoda spire rises to 132 feet (40 meters).

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Botataung Pagoda

Hlawga Wildlife Park

Hlawga Park is about 45 minutes drive from downtown. The park covers 1,650 acres of land including the Hlawga Lake , which is a home for over 70 kinds of herbivorous animals and 90 species of birds. It has a museum of the replica of Myanmar traditional buildings and a small zoo with rock garden. Flocks of migratory birds frequently visit the park. It is an ideal place for picnickers, naturalists, botanists and bird-watchers. Visitor can also enjoy elephant rides, boating and fishing in the park.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Hlawga Wildlife Park

Htaukkyant war cemetery

Located at Htaukkyant, about 32 km from Yangon on the road to Bago, there is a memorial cemetery of Allied soldiers who died in the Burma Campaign during World War II. The cemetery's beautifully kept compound has 27,000 tombstones of fallen Common Wealth and Allied soldiers.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Htaukkyant war cemetery

Bogyoke Aung San Museum

A two-story -building where Burma ’s national independence leader General Aung San lived with his family until the time of his assassination was turned into museum in 1962. The furniture, dresses, books, the car and his family photos are kept in the same condition, as he was alive in his memory.

Natural history Museum

Situated near the Kandawgyi Lake, the Natural History Museum has a notable collection of Myanmar's geographical, biological and archaeological diversity including flora and fauna, forest products, minerals and rocks.

National Museum

Located on Pyay Road, about a few minutes away from downtown, the newly built five-storied museum will let you know the glory of Myanmar. It exhibits the Lion Throne of the last Myanmar king, royal regalia of 19th century Myanmar kingdom, artifacts of various ancient periods, articles of cultural heritage and archaeological value, art and craft articles, weaponry, musical instruments and paintings.

Myanmar Gems Museum

Located on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road , Mayangon, Yangon . This Gems Mart display the whole range of Myanmar ruby, sapphire, Peridot and a variety of assorted colored stones, jade, pearls in lots or embedded in exquisite jewelry, gold ware, silverware and jade figurines. Out of 100 counters altogether, only two counters on the ground floor are occupied by the Myanmar Gems Enterprise and Myanmar VES Joint Venture Co., Ltd. The other 30 on the ground floor and 34 counters each on the first and second floors are run by private. These are sold in Myanmar Kyats, US$ or foreign exchange certificates (FEC).

Strand Jetty

The jetty is situated in front of the famous Strand Hotel. From there, you may observe the daily lives of people who came across the river from the other side of the city for working or selling their local products. You can cross the river by ferry boat, which takes about 10 minutes to return.

Sule Pagoda

The landmark at the Yangon City center and symbol of downtown Yangon is situated right at the heart of the city. The Sule Pagoda is said to be over 2,000 years old, enshrining a hair relics of the Buddha. The golden pagoda is unusual in that its octagonal shape continues right up to the top terrace. It stands 46 meters (152 feet) high and is surrounded by small shops of all the familiar non-religious services such as astrologers, palmists, photo studios and watch repair. From there, you may observe the atmosphere of the Yangon center with crowed people from all walks of life in various trades, and busy traffic.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Sule Pagoda

Kabar Aye Pagoda (World Peace Pagoda)

Locates about 20 minutes drive to the north of downtown. Built by U Nu, one of the earlier prime ministers of Myanmar not long after her independence from the British, in 1954 in dedication to the Sixth Buddhist Council (1954-56). This 111-feet-high pagoda measures 34 meters around the base.

Kyauktawgyi Pagoda

Lawka Chanthar Arbayar Laba Muni Buddha Image craved from the one piece of white is marble rock was done in year 2000 CE, which is flawless and of hight quality measuring 37 feet long, 24 feet wide and 11 feet thick was found at Sakyin Hill, Madaya Township, Mandalay Division. This huge Image is now at Mindhamma Hill, Insein Township, Yangon Division. This Buddha Image will be the highest and biggest of all in the world.

Zoological Garden

Located near the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, the Yangon Zoo is noted for its collection of wild animals from around the world, rare species, flora and fauna, which have been collected over the years since it was opened in 1906. On weekends and public holidays, snake dance and elephant circus are performed for visitors. The Zoological Garden Amusement Park is also a well-known spot for children and teenagers.

Thanlyin (Syrium)

Once the center of foreign trade for all lower Myanmar. In 16th century Syrium was home to trading port of Portuguese, Dutch, French and British merchants. Later the Portuguese adventure de Brito established his own private kingdom. The ruin of a Catholic church built by an Italian missionary in the 18th century can still be seen today. During the colonial days the British have imported some one millions of Indian for rice cultivation. Syrium still host a great numbers of Indian population though Myanmar citizen but their customs and way of life are still very much determined by the Hindu religion.

Kyeikkhauk Pagoda

Yele Pagoda (a pagoda on a small island) at Kyauktan are worth visiting. You may also observe the local ways of making ceramic products at Bogyoke Village.

Twantay

24 km from Yangon, reachable by road in an hour or by boat in about two hours on the Twantay Canal. The boat trip provides a view of the life along the canal while Twante itself provides interest as a center of pottery and hand-woven cotton cloth. There are over fifty pottery works. This craft has been handed down from generation to generation and is still carried on in the time-honored tradition. Twantay pottery is recognized and distributed throughout the country. Thousands of water pots flower pots, basins, jars of from 5 to 25 viss capacity are produced daily.

(Myanmar) –Yangon (Rangoon) - Kandawgyi Lake

Let-Khok-Kone Beach

Located 30 km from Yangon, Let-khok-kone beach is the nearest beach and is therefore a popular weekend picnic site. It is reached by a ferry boat ride to Dallah followed by a 3 hours' drive. This beach can get very busy at times, especially on public holidays.

(Myanmar) – Yangon (Rangoon) - Inle Lake

(Journeys Myanmar)

Phoebettmh Travel

(Turkey) - Top 10 Attractions in Marmaris

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:35:00 -0800

Marmaris is just one of those places that can boast about anything, fine beaches, excellent sailing, adventure sports, top class restaurants, intense nightlife with world class discos & nightclubs, sumptuous local wines and Mediterranean sunshine. Not to mention the history. There can be few places on earth with such historic beauty.

(Turkey) –Top 10 Attractions in Marmaris

Below are the Top 10 Best Attractions & Things to Do in your Marmaris holidays.

(Turkey) –Top 10 Attractions in Marmaris

1. A day out at the Icmeler Beach

Icmeler is a beautiful beach resort only 8 kilometers from the large and vibrant resort of Marmaris. This pine forested heaven is infused with all the atmosphere of both the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas and is truly picturesque against the backdrop of magnificent Taurus Mountains. Drifting away amongst palm trees and Eucalyptus on the stunning Icmeler beach may well be your idea of the perfect holiday, but if that’s not enough, a wide range of sporting and cultural activities and excursions will ensure that there’s always plenty to do.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Icmeler Beach

This olive and honey farming community is home to the best plant for producing oxygen in the world, the Sigla (or Gunnuk), which only found here and in California. This plant and the pristine forests and the beach (which has been given the Blue Flag eco-award) create one of the most revitalizing surroundings for a beach holiday. Icmeler’s exemplary tourist facilities, which include a great many water sports, are harmoniously incorporated into the natural habitat of the area. The nightlife is vibrant and there are plenty of restaurants, bars and nightclubs to choose from, and just down the road, the many Marmaris nightclubs provide nights not far off those found in Ibiza.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Icmeler Beach

2. Daily Boat Trip to Dalyan, Caunos

Dalyan is a popular resort located on the 80 kilometers southeast of Marmaris. Dalyan can be considered as a wonder of nature where the sea and the lake come together. The region is famous with the golden beach of Iztuzu, the sea turtles (CarettaCaretta), healthy mud bath and the ancient city of Kaunos. A must see place for the holiday makers.

(Turkey) - Marmaris- Dalyan

Dalyan has variety of beautiful lakes. The labyrinthine canals and natural beaches fascinate the visitors. A road shaded with aromatic frankincense trees leads to the village of Dalyan on the inland waterway. The maze of channels are easily explored by small boats. The Dalyan Delta, with a long and golden sandy Iztuzu Beach at its mouth, is a nature conservation area and a refuge for the sea turtles (CarettaCaretta) and the blue crabs. Besides the CarettaCarettas, the Nile Turtles (TrionyxTringulus) also live in the region by the lake.

(Turkey) - Marmaris- Dalyan

Dalyan's very famous mud bath is another great attraction for the visitors. Dalyan's hot springs and mud bath is very healthy for the patients having the diseases such as rheumatism, sciatica and calcinosis.

(Turkey) - Marmaris- Dalyan

High on the cliff face, at a bend in the river, above the fascinating ancient harbour city of Kaunos and the magnificent tombs are carved into the rock. Kaunos is located nearby the Candir Village, on the west side of the Dalyan Creek. Dalyan is a great tourist area with its history, turtle beach and thermal mud. Kaunos is inside the region and worth seeing. Kaunos was a Caria city in the 4th century BC. The area is very huge with terrace Temple, seaport Agora, theatres, rock tombs and bath. The remnants are from the eras of the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and the Byzantium. The rock tombs really worth seeing.

(Turkey) - Marmaris- Dalyan

3. A visit to the Sedir Island - Cleopatra Beach

Cleopatra Island (Sedir Island-Cedrae) is located on the 18 km. north of Marmaris. Cleopatra Island is also known as Sedir Island or City Island. Cleopatra Island is famous with its golden sandy beach known as Cleopatra Beach and the ancient city of Cedrae. The remnants of the city walls can be seen. It is famous with its huge beach and ancient theatre ruins. There is an interesting beach on the small bay on the northwest of the island where it is believed that Cleopatra swimmed here.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Cleopatra Island

According to the legend, Cleopatra and Antonius swimmed here and the sands have been brought by the ships from North Africa. It's been said that this type of the sand can only be seen in Egypt.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Sedir Island

The ruins on the east part of the island stands for the era of Romans. Theatre area is in good condition. On the east part of the island there is an Agora. According to some epigraphs, athletics festivals have been organized in this area for the honor of Apollon.

4. Marmaris Aqua Parks

If you’re on a family holiday in Marmaris, take a day out to visit the Marmaris Water & Aqua Parks, which is packed with enough thrilling water-rides, chutes and bumper boats to make both kids and adults want to come back another day for more.

Water parks in Marmaris are very popular with its fascinating environment; it takes the attraction of the most teenagers and children.

There are two big water parks in Marmaris. One of them, also the biggest and the most popular one is Aqua Dream Water Park and the other one is Atlantis Water Park.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Marmaris Aqua Parks

Also most resorts and hotels also have their own small aqua parks.

If it’s more slippery and exciting adventure you want, then try the Marmaris Aqua Parks & Water Parks, this is a must for the both adults and the kids.

The aqua parks have loads of different kinds of water slides, bumper boats, the zipping kamikaze ride, and the terrifying black hole, etc. An excursion to the Marmaris Water Parks in your Marmaris holidays is a must.

5. Jeep Safari Tour

Marmaris Jeep Safari Tour is one of the most popular attractions and daily excursions in Marmaris. You may experience the travelling on dirt, dust and stone paved roads, having the adventure of safari in the company of the heaven nature and tracks on a Jeep Safari in Marmaris. Jeep Safari is organized by 4 to 8 people (in one jeep) with the 4x4 terrain vehicles.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Jeep Safari Tour

If you want to take as much advantage as possible of the incredible countryside views, Marmaris surroundings and nearby villages, cascading waterfalls and breathtaking scenery, than head out on a Marmaris jeep safari.

The tours generally start early in the mornings and go on with the forest, village and stream tracks. You are having great lunch in the local villages.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Jeep Safari Tour

The jeeps follow a thrilling route up and down narrow roads which wind around the pine forested mountains, and also through wide mountain rivers to find the most breath-taking views of the surrounding rolling hills.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Jeep Safari Tour

Along the dusty trail, get out of the jeeps to have a refreshing dip in waterfalls hidden deep in the forest. Jeep Safari Tours mostly take place in the Bozburun Peninsula and the shores of Gokova Gulf, Orhaniye-Kizkumu, Hisaronu, Bozburun, Ciftlik, Turunc, Akyaka and Akbuk regions.

6. Marmaris Castle & Museum

Marmaris Castle

It is believed that Marmaris Castle was first built by the Ionians (1044 BC) and later on repaired during the era of the Alexander the Great. The Castle was rebuilt and widened by Suleyman the Magnificent during his campaign for the Greek island of Rhodes in 1522. Suleyman the Magnificent used the castle as a military base for his troops. During World War I, the castle was cannon fired by the French Fleet and had a huge damage. Till 1970s, the castle has been an accommodation area. There are 18 houses, a fountain and an arc inside the castle area. Finally, the castle was restored during the years 1980-1990 and became a museum in 1991. Marmaris Castle has seven indoor areas; two of them are organized as an archaeology lounge and one of them is organized as an ethnography lounge. Remaining areas are used as art galleries and storage.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Marmaris Castle

Marmaris Castle has an outstanding landscape. Highly recommended for a daily trip and see the Marmaris panorama both during the day and night.

Marmaris Museum

Marmaris Museum is located in the Marmaris Castle on the hills behind the marina. After the restoration at the castle during the years 1980-1990, the area started to serve as a museum in 1991. Marmaris Castle & Museum has seven indoor areas; two of them is organized as an archeology lounge and one of them is organized as an ethnography lounge. Remaining areas are used as art galleries and storage.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Marmaris Museum

In the archaeology lounge; amphoras belonging to the Helenistic, Roman and Byzantium era and earthenware, glassware works, coins and ornaments from the diggings of Knidos, Hisaronu and Burgaz region are exhibited. In the ethnography lounge; weaving works, carpets, furnitures, copper kitchen pieces, weapons and ornaments belonging to the Ottoman era are exhibited. Remaining areas are used as art galleries and storage. Marmaris Castle has an outstanding landscape. Highly recommended for a daily trip and see the Marmaris panorama both during the day and night.

Marmaris Castle & Museum is open for visitors every day except Monday from 08.30-12.00 and 13.00-17.00 LMT.

7. A Visit to the Turunc Village & Resort

The Turunc village is a gorgeous and picturesque beach resort of Marmaris hidden away in a wonderful bay on the southern coast of Marmaris. A must see destination. 20 km. south of the large tourist resort of Marmaris and 120 km. from the airport of Dalaman, this village has steadily grown to accommodate holidaymakers, but has somehow still kept it’s relaxed and charming atmosphere of the small fishing village it once was. It has a superb Blue Flag (ecologically sound) beach nestled in between rolling forested hills and mountains and has an azure and calm sea, over which more hills can be seen on the other side of the bay.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - The Turunc village

The crooked road with ramps and downhills to Turunc is very exciting with the forest area, hills and beautiful landscape along the Marmaris Gulf. After an half an hour trip you will suddenly see Turunc behind the hills by the seaside with a wonderful view. The sea has all variations of the blue color. The hills behind the village are covered with pine trees. The region also has a huge variety of fruits and covered with pomegranate, berry, fig, plum, locust and sour orange trees. "Turunc" is the Turkish name for "Sour Orange" and the village's name comes from its quality of sour oranges.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - The Turunc village

Being an old fisherman village, Turunc, is also a very popular pit-stop for the yachts and blue voyagers. You may see lots of anchored yachts and boats in the night and the restaurants are full of visitors. The Turunc Cove has a blue flag which means the beaches and the sea are in great condition, has infrastructure for the yachts and clean.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - The Turunc village

8. Scuba Diving

Marmaris is an important town for the diving tourism in Turkey. There are 52 diving locations in and around Marmaris.

Daily diving tours for diving in Marmaris are being organized for the professionals and for the beginners from the central Marmaris port. Boats are full equipped with quality licensed instructors.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Scuba Diving

If you want to take as much advantage as possible of discovering the crystal clear underwater world of the Aegean & Mediterranean Seas, than we recommend you to experience the diving adventure in the beautiful Marmaris bays and underwater environment.

Below are the popular diving locations in Marmaris.

Baca (The Chimney) Cave

Baca (Chimney) Cave is the most famous diving point in Marmaris. Baca Cave is mostly interesting for the underwater photographers. There is a depth of 5 to 50 meters and very suitable for both beginners and professionals. On the cape, there is a conical shaped cave looking like a chimney. The depth is 14 meters at the point you enter the cave but on the exit the depth decreases to 4 meters and that is why the region is interesting and named as "the Chimney Cave". It is possible to see lots of red and white striped cardinal fishes and little shrimps.

Sari Mehmet Cape

Sari Mehmet Cape is located between Turunc and Icmeler. The cape and the bay is a nice diving point for both the professionals and the beginners. There is a depth of 5 to 21 meters and the environment is rocky. The area is very popular for the diving tour operators. It is possible to see octobus, moray, sea bream and melanur in every diving. Theare is also very convenient for night diving. There is no stream in the region and underwater environment is outstanding with high peaks standing perpendicular to each other. There is also a cove named "Cathedral Cave" in the area.

KeciAdasi (Goat Island) Lighthouse

KeciAdasi (Goat Island) Lighthouse is located by the lighthouse leading to the open seas. There is a depth of 8 to 38 meters and area is very exciting for the professional divers. It is possible to see variety of big fishes including octobus, moray and the red cardinal fishes. Plenty of amphorae pieces are exciting to see. There happens a soft and changing stream during the beginnings of the moon periods.

Hayitli Cape

Hayitli Cape is located on the opposite side of the Keci (Goat) Island Lighthouse. The area is easy for anchoring so that named as "the reef" by the divers. The area is mostly used for beginners' diving practices and also by the professionals as well. There is a depth of 5 to 38 meters and the environment is rocky. It is possible to see large fishes if you go deeper to 30 meters. You may also see few pieces of amphorae.

Ince Cape Lighthouse

Ince Cape Lighthouse is located by the Yildiz (Star) Island heading through Marmaris. Visibility underwater is not so clear regarding to the other open sea diving locations. There is depth of 3 to 40 meters and the underwater environment is like the real tropical underwater with lots of peaks. It is very interesting for the underwater photographers especially at the end of summer with variety of fishes and sponges. It is possible to see the sea rabbits with variety of colors and sizes of 1 to 4 cm.

Abdi Reis Cove

Abdi Reis Cove is located by the Yildiz (Star) Island heading through the open seas. The area is very popular with its bright waters. So that the area is named as "Aquarium" by the divers. The area is very convenient for the beginners and also very enjoyable for the professionals. There is depth of 0 to 33 meters. Due to its being close to the Phosphorus Caves, sea traffic is high in the area.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Scuba Diving

Yazih Rock

Yazih Rock is also located by the Yildiz (Star) Island heading through the open seas. The area is very suitable for the morning diving. There is a depth of 3 to 32 meters. There are big rocks and walls around the region so that it makes shadow in the afternoon times. It is possible to see lots of sea bream and blacktaill.

Aksu Cove

Aksu Cove is again located by the Yildiz (Star) Island heading through the open seas. It is exciting to see the change of the color into deep blue while you go deeper and deeper. The Cove is suitable for all beginners, professional and yacht or boat swimmers. On the cape, there is a big wall of 40 meters and there is a Byzantium amphorae with a circular hole on the heart.

Kutuk Cape

There is a depth of 0 to 52 meters and the underwater environment is very fascinating. Divers should keep their limits as the underwater environment mesmerizes them. There happens a changing stream during the beginnings of the moon periods.

Kadirga (Galleon) Cove

Kadirga (Galleon) Cove is located on the farthest point to Marmaris nearby the rocky area on the opposite side of the Kadirga Lighthouse. There is depth of 0 to 40 meters. It is a unique point for both the beginners and the professionals. In front of the lighthouse building, there is a field of amphorae and a remnant of a sunk ship belonging to the Hellenistic ages. Hundreds of amphorae are stuck to the rocks as the region is very rocky. The area is also very interesting for the underwater photographers.

9. Marmaris Grand Bazaar - Carsi Market

In between lying in the sun, falling off a banana boat and enjoying the thrills and spills of your Marmaris holidays, take some time to do some shopping and find some souvenirs, as there are markets and shopping facilities right behind the beach.

Bargaining is rife here, so be prepared to haggle. You can find a range of traditional Turkish items here to take back as souvenirs, such as onyx vases, bowls and ashtrays, mosaic lanterns, Turkish clothes, metal wares, leather, carpets, shoes, bags and jewellery.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Carsi Market

Marmaris offers wide range of products for the holiday makers. The biggest public shopping centre, Marmaris Grand Bazaar (Carsi Market) is located by the centre square and every kind of products is offered.

There are lots of shopping centres in Marmaris. Jewelry, leather, carpets, clothing, local food and drinks, fishing equipments and souvenirs are the most popular quality shopping items in Marmaris.

World class jewelry, leather and carpet shops worth visiting in your Marmaris holidays.

Also you may find every kind of embroidery traditional handicrafts made by the women in the area.

Marmaris is also popular with its local jam and honey.

You're also able to attend to a shopping tour made to theIcmeler Market (Wednesday); Marmaris Market (Thursday) and Armutalan Market (Tuesday).

10. Gulet Cruising - Blue Voyage

Marmaris is the best blue voyage centre of Turkey. In Marmaris, you are able to find a good one way charter trips to Karacasögüt (Gulf of Gökova, Bodrum, Göcek and Finike. There are a lot of opportunities for a Blue Voyage trip with different sailing routes.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Blue Voyage

What is Blue Voyage?

Blue Voyage is a type of tourism and holiday particular to Turkey made by the traditional Gulets (Schooners) unique to Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean turquoise coasts. The very long coastline is a surprise of nature in the company of isolated bays, wonderful beaches, historic scenes and wonders of nature. Most travelers thinking of a different type of vacation rather than staying in their hotels and enjoying the sun and the sea prefer to take a blue voyage trip in their vacation plans. You are able to find quality Yacht and Cabin Charters in your Marmaris holidays.

(Turkey) - Marmaris - Blue Voyage

The Mediterranean and Aegean coastline of Turkey is a treasure-chest of coves, inlets, bays and beaches. The yachtsmen may easily find a anchoring or mooring area for every night. Blue voyages also offers activities such as swimming in the crystal clear waters, fishing, water-skiing, wind-surfing and diving for the true sea lovers. The ancient cities of Knidos, Kaunos, Telmessos, Antiphellos, Myra, Olympos, Phaselis and the rock-tombs in the Lycian cities await you for a wonderful experience. As a summary, travelers are attending to a one to seven days (or more) trips with gullet yachts and are enjoying the turquoise waters, beaches, bays and coasts.

(Marmaris town)

Phoebettmh Travel

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:25:00 -0800

Marmaris is a coastal town, a port city and a tourist destination on the southwest Mediterranean coast of Turkey, in the Mugla Province. Marmaris is one of the Turkey's most popular holiday towns and largest resorts on the Aegean coast.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

With its surroundings, long coastline, outstanding landscape of pine-covered hills, isolated bays and inlets, wonderful beaches, ancient cities, marinas and every kind of attractions; Marmaris welcomes about 400,000 people during the tourism season. Marmaris can be considered as the Mediterranean paradise. Marmaris is also a major center for yacht tourism and blue voyage. Marmaris has easy and well built connections to the nearby airport in Dalaman, and on the road to Mugla, Datca and Fethiye. Transportation in the town is very well organized.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

Marmaris offers a great opportunities for the holiday makers with its luxury Marmaris hotels and Marmaris apartments, restaurants, nightclubs and shopping centres. Marmaris is a beach holiday resort teeming with a wide range of hotels, so you’ll most likely find a hotel which suits your budget. It’s really no surprise Marmaris has grown in popularity with its sandy beaches, lively nightlife and great facilities for families, couples and groups alike. Holidays in Marmaris can be as active or relaxed as you like, the beaches provide several water sport activities as well as the close by aqua park which provide affordable entertainment for all ages.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

Icmeler is a beautiful beach resort only 8 kilometres from the large and vibrant resort of Marmaris and mostly considered together. This pine forested heaven is infused with all the atmosphere of both the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas and is truly picturesque against the backdrop of magnificent mountains.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

There are many fine sandy beaches and spectacular bays in and around Marmaris. Daily boat trips are organized for the isolated bays and for Dalyan. The yacht marina is one of the biggest one in Turkey and there are regular ferry services to the Greek island of Rhodes.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris - Icmeler

Most places for accommodation are located at the seashore. Hundreds of seashore and luxury restaurants, world class discos and bars attracts thousands of travellers. For some traditional Turkish food, the wide selection of mezes (starters), olive oil drizzled kebabs and dough based deserts such as "baklava" and "kunefe", all which are infused with a mixture of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Central Asian influences are available from the many Turkish restaurants, grills and taverns.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

Eating out in Marmaris is also fantastic. Marmaris is full of quality restaurants and cafes. Most Marmaris restaurants and cafes are located beside the seaside and the Marmaris Castle area. You are able to find every kind of food & beverage & world cuisine for your taste. Netsel Marina region is very ideal for a romantic dinner with its calm scenery and luxury restaurants. There are live music and cafe-bar opportunities for the couples or groups after dinner as well.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

Nightlife in Marmaris is vibrant and there are plenty of bars, discos and nightclubs to choose from. The many Marmaris nightclubs provide nights not far off those found in Ibiza. You may find every kind of music for your taste. Crazy and wild nights of Marmaris are centered on the Bar Street and Uzunyali Beach. There are also many quality small cafes & bars along the waterfront.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris - Marmaris nightlife

Shopping areas are well built and offer great brands and opportunities to their guests. Leather, jewelry, brand clothing, carpets, handicrafts, Turkish delight and souvenir shops are the main interests in Marmaris shopping.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris - Marmaris Castle

Marmaris Castle, located in the center is worth seeing. There are a lot of historic places and ancient cities to see as well. Marmaris has always been an important coastal town and trade center for centuries, due to its location on the intersection point of Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. History of Marmaris starts when the first settlement begun with the arrival of a tribe to the region in from 3400 BC. Although it is not certain when Marmaris was founded but in the 6th century BC the city was known as Physkos and it was part of the Caria.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris - Marmaris Castle

Marmaris has a typical Aegean & Mediterranean climate. Summer is hot and winter is rainy. The hottest months are July and August. Marmaris takes so much rain in fall and winter.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris - Dalyan

Marmaris provides a myriad of fun and exciting activities for groups, couples and families. A calm or an adventurous kind of a holiday, crazy or calm nightlife, accommodation in luxury resorts or budget apart hotels, yacht tourism, sports tourism, ecological tourism or diving tourism... Marmaris holidays are a perfect choice especially for holidaymakers from UK, Scandinavia, Netherlands and Russia.

(Turkey) – Getting to Marmaris

(Marmaris town)

Phoebettmh Travel

(Jordan) – Amman – A modern city built on the sands of time

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0800

Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley.

(Jordan) – Amman – A modern city built on the sands of time

In the commercial heart of the city, ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans' workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city’s much older past.

Jordan map

(Jordan) – Amman – A modern city built on the sands of time

Due to the city’s modern-day prosperity and temperate climate, almost half of Jordan’s population is concentrated in the Amman area. The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined streets and avenues flanked by elegant, almost uniformly white houses in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone.

(Jordan) – Amman – A modern city built on the sands of time

The downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewellery to everyday household items.

(Jordan) – Amman – A modern city built on the sands of time

The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well-educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city.

(Jordan) – Amman – A modern city built on the sands of time

(Visit Jordan)

Phoebettmh Travel

(Philippines) – Discover Tagaytay

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0800

The City of Tagaytay (Filipino: Lungsod ng Tagaytay) is a second class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only 55 km (34 mi) away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano. The city is a popular summer tourist destination because of its cool climate due to its high altitude.

(Philippines) - Discover Tagaytay

Tagaytay is a city of scenic contrasts .Wildflowers line paved winding roads, panoramic views of the Taal Volcano nestled in Taal Lake, and orchards of fresh home grown fruits, all amidst modern convenient facilities and amenities including the Casino Filipino Tagaytay.

Tagaytay is home to Taal Volcano, which is reputed to be the world's smallest and yet most active. It stands on its own island amid a landscape of ash and cinder. The breathtaking views of Taal volcano and Lake is a MUST SEE for everyone visiting Asia. It is truly a once in a life time experience and we recommend a visit in the strongest possible way.

(Philippines) - Discover Tagaytay

Tagaytay, considered as the country's second summer capital because of its crisp and cool climate all year around, is a treasure box of pleasure points in by itself. At nightfall, one sees the lake sparkle with the pinpoint lights of fishing boats. It is a perfect picnic spot. Here, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Tourism Authority built Picnic Groove, a public park in the city which generates public patronage through user fees and the sale of low priced goods, thus contributing to the industrial growth of Tagaytay.

Tagaytay, however, is more than a picnic haunt. The place has given rise to many congregational houses and retreat centers. It is also conductive to spiritual meditation, that is earned yet another title for being the "Center of Spiritual Retreat."

(Philippines) - Discover Tagaytay

Thus, the masterpiece of nature that is Tagaytay is a not to be missed item in a tourist itinerary. It should always include a visit to the Volcano Island, and its enumerable side spots.

Tagaytay City, located 2,500 feet above sea level enjoys a cool and invigorating climate characterized by a relatively low temperature, low humidity, and abundant rainfall. Average temperature is 22.7 degrees Celsius. For this reason, Tagaytay with its cool weather, balmy winds and foggy mists is called the "second summer capital" of the country after Baguio City.

(Philippines) - Discover Tagaytay

How to get there

By bus or auto - 1 hour drive from Manila. You can hire what's called an "FX" (a taxi like van with air-con as the locals call air conditioners,) for an all day trip for about Pesos 2,500 plus gas and tolls (around US$50 in total) if you're a good haggler. This way you can check into your Tagaytay hotel, then have your FX or automobile driver take you around to as many of the local sights that you can handle in one day.

(Philippines) - Tagaytay - Taal Volcano

(Wiki & Tagaytay)

Phoebettmh Travel

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0800

Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan and the capital of the province of Sindh has been much adored since the British times for its economic potential. Today, Karachi is the most populous city in the world and a major shipping seaport to the otherwise landlocked country of Pakistan. The love meted out by the people of Karachi to Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder and Father of the Nation is visible in various monuments, building and landmarks associated & named after him. Karachi is also well-known for its archaeological sites at Thatta, Mohenjodaro and KotDiji. The city knows well how to blend the past with the present to protect its heritage for the future generations to come.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

Getting Around in Karachi

The cheapest way to get around in Karachi is to use the buses. But on the flip side, they are dangerous because of reckless driving and overflowing passengers. Rather than endangering your life, its better to hire a taxi or car in Karachi. If you are travelling alone, wave for an auto rickshaw that is comparatively cheaper to a taxi. Though noisy, these three wheelers can easily steer through traffic jams and narrow lanes to help you reach the destination quickly. If you intend to travel to other parts of Pakistan then Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by the Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Railway Station are the two main railway stations of departure/arrival.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – St. Patricks Cathedral

Bus System

Local people in Karachi use minibuses, coaches, and large buses as means of transport to travel within the city. Tourists should be aware that these buses are often overflowing with people. Although not advisable, travelling in a bus could provide an insight into the daily lifestyle, tradition and culture of the locals. Travel at your own risk.

Taxis

The best way to traverse Karachi using public transport is to simply wave a taxi. However, before you start off with the taxi ride, make sure that the cab meter is working and if not, negotiate the fair for the destination beforehand. Yellow cabs are quite popular in Karachi but for slightly lower fares you can hire the bulky black & yellow taxis that have larger seating & luggage capacity.

Car Rental

Hiring a taxi in a busy town as Karachi can be quite frustrating. They are often expensive and inaccessible in crowds. Also, there is big chance of getting ripped off if you fail to notice the cab meter. However, if you own the confidence to navigate the roads of Karachi behind the steering wheel, then hiring a car is the right choice. Driving a car in Karachi is a dare devils job considering the roads and traffic sense. Essentials like stopping at signals and positioning your car for turns is not necessarily followed. But the safety and independence derived from rental car driving is one of its kind. Best is to hire a car with a driver.

Railways

Almost all parts of Pakistan are well-linked by rail operated by Pakistan Railways. Karachi is home to two important railway stations - Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Railway Station. Tourists can travel to various Pakistani cities such as Multan, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar, and Islamabad by rail.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

Fast Facts

Airport

Karachi Airport, commonly known as Jinnah International Airport is a strategically located gateway to the Far East and Europe. The airport provides facilities for almost 6 million passengers, with over 50,000 annual aircraft movements and contributes Rs. 3 billion in economic benefits to the region.

Visas

All foreigners coming to Pakistan need a valid passport. Tourists from the following countries do not need visa to enter Pakistan for the period specified as under;

1. Iceland, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, Zambia and Mauritius, for 3 months.

2. Hong Kong, Nepal and Western Samoa, for 1 month.

3. Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, for unlimited period Landing permit/transit visa for 30 days shall be given at entry points/airports, by Pakistan Immigration, free of cost, to genuine tourists/ businessmen.

Currency

Basic unit of currency is Pakistani rupee which divides into 100 paisa. Currency notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees are in use.

Credit Cards

American Express is the most widely accepted card. Master card and Visa are also good. Dinner club and other cards have more limited use.

Tipping

Generally hotels and restaurants add on a 5 – 10% service charge to the bill, but tipping or what is locally known, as baksheesh is an accepted norm.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

Useful Numbers

Police: 15

Ambulance: 115

Fire: 16

Hospital: (92-21) 7729719

Time: 14

Weather: (92-21) 4572811

Electricity

220 V, 50 Hz AC.

Health Risks

Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers arriving from endemic zone. Vaccination against cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and polio is recommended. Malaria risk exists in Pakistan throughout the year. All foreigners coming to stay in Pakistan for over one year, require AIDS free certificate.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

Time Zone

Standard Time is GMT plus 5 hours.

Business Hours

Office Hours: 9 am to 5 PM with one hour break from Monday to Thursday and with two hours break on Fridays, Saturday is half working day from 9 am to 1:30 PM without break. Sunday is off.

Holidays

2008

19 Jan Ashoura.

20 Mar Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).

23 Mar Pakistan Day.

14 Aug Independence Day.

2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).

9 Nov Allama Muhammad Iqbal Day.

9 Dec Eidul-Azha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

25 Dec Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

2009

7 Jan Ashoura.

9 Mar Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).

23 Mar Pakistan Day.

14 Aug Independence Day.

20/21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).

9 Nov Allama Muhammad Iqbal Day.

27/28 Nov Eidul-Azha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

25 Dec Quaid-e-Azam's Birthday.

Climate

Karachi has a sub-tropical and temperate climate, with sunny, blue skies expected most of the year (occasional monsoon rains in summer).

Clothing

Light woolen in winter and light tropical in summer.Women, in public places, should wear long skirts or pants and full sleeve blouses.

GDP Growth Rate

5.5%

Inflation

2.9% (2000 est.)

Imports

Machinery, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals, transportation equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour.

Exports

Textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn)

Trading Partners

Hong Kong, UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US, Japan, Malaysia

Industries

Air Conditioners, Chemicals, Cement, Ship-Building, Shoe Making, Printing Paper, Tyre& Tube, Hosiery, Oil Refining, Textiles.

Government

Pakistan is an Islamic republic with its capital at Islamabad. It has four provinces: Balochistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Punjab and Sindh. Their respective capitals are Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. In addition to provinces, are the Federal Administered Northern Areas (F.A.N.A) and Federal Administered Tribal Areas (F.A.T.A). Pakistan has a federal structure. Parliament consists of National Assembly and the Senate. Members of the National Assembly are directly elected on the adult franchise base and there term of office is five years. The National Assembly determine the major policy issue and passes annual budget and legislation. It elects the Prime Minister from among its members. The Prime Minister forms his / her cabinet from among members of the Assembly and Senate. Provinces have their own elected legislative Assemblies and Chief Ministers. Majority of the members, of the upper house are elected by the Provincial Assemblies.

(Pakistan) – Karachi – Fast Facts

Geography

Karachi, the largest and the most popular city of Pakistan presents an interesting and colorful combination of the old and new. The narrow twisting lanes and alleys of the old city throb with life alongside wide metallic roads and elegant modern buildings. Within the city, talented artisans with age-old skills produce handicrafts of exquisite beauty. Karachi offers a variety of pleasant attractions: wide sunny beaches, deep-sea fishing, yachting, golf and horseracing all year round. It restaurants cater to a wide choice of Pakistani and western cuisine. Its markets and bazaars offer an endless variety of exciting shopping including indigenous handicrafts, particularly rugs and carpets of rare design and beauty.

Population

Pakistan: 164.7 million

Ethnic Groups

Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)

Languages

Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%

Literacy

42.7%

Religion

Muslim (97%), Hindu (1.5%), Christian (1%) and several other minorities.

(Karachi)

Phoebettmh Travel