Chinese latern

There are numerous reasons why I love China as a travel destination and whatever your own interest when you travel, be it history, shopping, culture, beach or other interests, China being such as vast and diverse country, really has it all. So let us discuss the best options for a trip to China.

Shopping – If you love to shop, there are few cities in the world which match Beijing as a shopping location. The city boasts a wide and diverse experience for you as a consumer, which a fantastic mix of luxury products through to budget products. There are some wonderful traditional shops, in addition to stores with high tech gadgets and the latest consumer products.

When you think of shopping culture in Beijing and China in general, one of the things which pops to mind straight away is the markets. These have played a huge part in Chinese culture for thousands of years and are still a big part of life in this part of the world, both in the cities and towns. Some of the best areas for markets in Beijing are Hongqiao Pearl Market, the Xiushui Silk Market and Sanlitun Yashou Market. Many of the markets in Beijing have evolved into indoor, multi-storey affairs which will keep you entertained for hours.

One of the most popular streets for shopping in Beijing is Wangfujing Street. Here you can find a number of malls and shops on and around the street and you will be certain to find whatever it is you are looking for. With Beijing being a city centre the prices on the more fashionable streets are not cheap, so if its bargains you are looking for you are better to stick to some of the afore mentioned markets or other silk markets in the city. Another great feature of Wangfujing Street is that there are so many places to eat and drink, and once again, there is a choice of traditional Chinese cuisine and popular western brands.

5 Tours of China to choose from
The land of China is vast, diverse and exciting. The built up cities are directly contrasted by beautiful wilderness, with the cultures and way of life in these areas equally contrasting. Below are some of the tours you can go on to make sure you get the best from your visit to China.

Exploring Ancient China
Ancient China is one of the most fascinating aspects of the country, and we are fortunate that much legacy has remained to explore and enjoy. This tour takes you around the best areas in the country to explore the remains of ancient China, including Beijing, where you will visit the Forbidden City and perhaps the best known attraction in China – the Great Wall. Other attractions to be visited include Datong Yungang Buddhist Cave, Pingyao’s Ming-and-Qing dynasty architectures and the empire of Xian, China’s oldest city.

China Dreams Tour
The aim of this tour is to encompass the elements of China which everybody dreams of visiting. Over the course of 11 days visitors will see the top 3 cities in the country, the most historical sites and some of the most beautiful natural sites in the world, including the Li River. For those who are visiting China as a once in a lifetime opportunity this tour is a great way to see the best of all aspects of the country.

Essence of Beijing Tour From:
The capital city of China, Beijing, has so much to offer the visitor, so this tour of the city and the surrounding area is the perfect way to discover it all. The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and of course the Great Wall of China are all visited with local experts providing intriguing insights into them. Aside from the history, tourists will also visit the many modern aspects of the city as well as the more natural attractions.

Best of China Tour with Yangtze Cruise
The Yangze River is the longest river in China, so cruising along it will enable you to take in many of the countries sights along the river’s banks. Once the tour of the river is complete you can then enjoy then best of Beijing and Shanghai.

The Golden Triangle Tour
Beijing Xian and Shanghai are known collectively as the golden triangle, and are the three cities that most people want to visit when in China. Everybody knows of the delights that Shanghai and Beijing have to offer, but when you throw in the historical city of Xian and its 3000 year history this really is a magnificent tour.

Having gained even more popularity in recent years with the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing as the capital city of China, continues to gain interested as a serious holiday and vacation destination. There are a lot of reasons to visit Beijing and below five definite reasons why you might want to choose Beijing:1. Historical Sites – the city of Beijing, like the rest of the country, has a very rich and vibrant history.

There are a lot of historical sites which show us some interesting remains of the past. Beijing was the capital city for four important imperial dynasties. The most important historical sites in Beijing include Imperial College, Prince Gong`s Mansion, Yuan Dynasty City Walls Relics and the Yinshan Pagoda Forest. These are all unique historical locations and by visiting them you can learn some interesting things about the history of China.

Museums – Beijing has a large number of museums which display artifacts from the past of Chinese people, the Chinese culture and architecture. The most important museums in the city of Beijing include the Chine Bee Museum, China Printing Museum and the Exhibition Hall of Weapons. These are excellent museums and fascinating if you are interested in culture.

Parks and Lakes – on the territory of the capital city we can find a large variety of beautiful parks and lakes. These places are very popular amongst both tourists and local citizens. The well visited parks and lakes such as Lianhuachi Park, Hope Park and Zizhuyuan Park are excellent places to enjoy the outdoors in the capital.

Mountains and Forest Parks – Beijing is very rich with forest parks and mountains on the South and West parts of the city. The most significant nature and forest parks I can recommend and which I found stunning scenically and very relaxing are tge Yinshan Forest Park and Jiufeng Forest Park. The mountains around Beijing such as Baihua Mountain and Lingshan Mountain are also very much worth the effort to go and visit if you enjoy stunning scenery.

Valleys and Caves – the surrounding area of Beijing offers a large number of beautiful valleys and mysterious caves to the visiting tourists. The most popular valleys and gorges such as Taoyuan Fairy Valley and Gorge are unique places to experience and are a great secret for avoiding mass tourism and seeing some of China’s natural beauty. There is far more to Beijing than the crowded and polluted heart of Beijing with the areas around and just outside of Beijing worth visiting China for.

While perhaps not being the typical vacation destination, Ethiopia is the perfect place for travelers who are looking for something a little different from a holiday, individuals who are searching for that little bit more. The country’s historic sites are probably the most extensive in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa; in fact experts claim that approximately 95% of Ethiopia’s history still remains undiscovered.

Getting to Ethiopia

Not for the faint-hearted, it takes just under 17 hours to get to Ethiopia from the United States, a distance of just over 8,000 miles. Some airlines offer flights that go direct to Ethiopia, but some passengers may prefer to have a break in their journey and many airlines; for example, Lufthansa have a stop-over in Frankfurt, which is a great place to stretch the legs.

When to go

The best time to visit Ethiopia is undoubtedly during the dry season, which falls between October and March and as temperatures can vary between 15°C to 35°C, dropping to as low as 5°C during the night, clothing layers are recommended. The wet season is between March and September and whilst it does not rain all day, every day, it generally makes travelling more challenging during these months.

Exploring Ethiopia

There are many ways of exploring Ethiopia, but perhaps the best is to join one of the many organized tours that are available. Covering a wide range of areas and destinations, there is sure to be a tour to match anyone’s interests. Tours can last from eight to 25 days, depending on how much time is available. They include a historical tour, which takes in Addis Ababa and includes a visit to a market, the palace of Emperor Haile Selassie and to Lalibela to see the rock-hewn churches. For the more adventurous, there are mountain trekking tours through the Semien and Bale mountains. Ethiopia has a host of colorful festivals at various times throughout the year and the festival tour enables visitors to attend at least one of them, along with various historic sites.

Main attractions

Axum, which is Ethiopia’s most ancient city, is the location of the remains of this once great commercial center. Obelisks and monolithic stone still survive and just outside the town is the remains of an early palace, which common legend holds to have belonged to the Queen of Sheba.

Gondor was the capital during the 17th century and has a number of mediaeval castles and churches to explore, as well as the 18th century palace of Ras Beit and also the church of Debre Berhane Selassie, with its still distinguishable murals.

Natural attractions include the Blue Nile Falls, where millions of gallons of water plunge into a gorge, earning it the nickname of Smoking Water and creating incredible rainbows. There is also a complex of natural caves at Sof Omar, into which visitors equipped with torches and maps can descend to explore the extensive chambers and corridors formed by the flow of the Wabi River.

I’ve long heard about this city, which is famous world over for its breathtaking landscape, its laid-back beach culture and its annual carnival. Rio de Janeiro, commonly referred to as Rio, is situated on the southern shore of the magnificent Guanabara Bay on the South Atlantic coast, and has one of the most stunning settings in the world. The city wears a dazzling, festive look on the occasion of the annual Rio Carnival, and attracts millions of tourists from across the world.

The Rio Carnival 2013 will start on Friday, February 8 and ends on Fat Tuesday, February 12. The major highlight of Rio Carnival is the Samba Parade, which is essentially a show, a display and competition of the Rio samba schools. This has brought fame and made Rio Carnival world famous. The two most important days are Carnival Sunday and Monday. The second best option is the Champion’s Parade on Saturday, February 16, followed by the Access Group parading on Carnival Friday and Saturday (February 8 and 9).

I am longing to attend one of the Carnival balls. Whoever comes to attend the carnival doesn’t afford missing them. The City of Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, offers a selection of Carnival balls. One need not spend a fortune on these balls to have a great time. The tickets to most of the balls usually cost anything between $70 and $150.

I am just imagining how great it will be to have fun-filled moments at Samba Land, where you can have a bite and drinks in one of the 50 food stands, and listening to a big variety of music with live concerts on the stage. It will be a complete fun attending Rio Carnival 2013 and I’m just waiting for the great day when I reach in this stunning city of Rio de Janeiro.