most best tourist destinations

South Bavaria, Alpine Royal Castle

2012-10-22T01:19:00.005-07:00

Neuschwanstein Royal Castle is situated on one of the Alpine cliffs, in 350 kilometers from Füssen town, South Bavaria, Germany. The castle built by Ludwig II is the most popular place of interest in Bavaria - more than a million people visit it annually!

The centre of Füssen. Here is a railway station and a big tourist information centre. Although the town is very cute, let us move the castle itself.

Here is a bridge, from which the most exciting views open.

One of the most popular and accessible views of the castle. The main disadvantage of visiting that place in winter, is that the castle is lit with sunlight only for a short period of time, and mainly stays in the shadow.

Birth of Indian Tea

2012-10-22T01:16:00.002-07:00

The first tea was brought to India from China in the middle of the 19th century. On the same occasion there was founded the first tea company to trade with England, and by 1900 India had become one of the main tea suppliers to the international market. Today India is the second world's tea producer after China, and Indian tea is characterized by its rich taste, but not as good as Chinese black tea.

Munara tea plantations are from the most high-mountain Indian plantations. They are situated on the heights from 1800 to 3000 meters above sea level. South Indian teas are a bit harsh, that's why they are often drunk with milk.

In Kerala, most of plantations belong to the famous Tata company, which is also the main car and metal producer of India.

Performance rate is at the same time awful - every worker has to collect 25 kilograms of tea leaves per day, and earns no more than $150 per month!

In these bags leaves are delivered for weighing.

Woman's hands...

Delousing spray treatment.

And here is the tea fabric itself. Here, on 75-year-old English equipment, Indian tea is made...

...and packed.

Searching For the Whitest Sand

2012-10-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

In the eastern coast of Australia are lots of various beaches. They are mostly similar to each other, but among them all there is quite a unique place named Jervis Bay...

It's located 20km to the south from Sydney. One part of it it belongs to New South Wales state and another - to Australian Capital Territory.

The population is bit more than 600 people.

More than 700 thousand tourists come here annually, mostly for New Year and in January. However even in this time there is no feeling of crowd here.

The bay is very rich in different fish and dolphins can be often watched right from the shore. Despite the summer heat, the water of the bay is never warm enough.

One of the beaches is marked in Guiness Book of World Records (Hyams beach) as a place with the whitest sand in the world.

Anglo-Zanzibar War August 27, 1896

2012-10-17T01:35:00.001-07:00

The Anglo-Zanzibar holds the distinction of being the shortest war in history, clocking in at 38 minutes.
When Khalid bin Barghash, the new Sultan of Zanzibar came to power in 1896, he wanted the country to be free from British control. One requirement by the British was for the new Sultan to seek permission for enthronement from a British consul. Barghash refused, which the British did not take lightly. They offered him a choice: leave the palace by his own free will or be removed forcefully.

When the appointed time came to make his decision, the Sultan responded by barricading himself within the palace and scrambling a defense force. Five British military vessels were in the harbor outside the palace and opened fire once the deal had expired.
Three Zanzibari ships were sunk, shore defenses were destroyed, and a handful of defending soldiers were killed. Although the fighting lasted less than an hour, over 500 Zanzibaris were killed or wounded, most from fires raging within the palace. British forces suffered one wounded and no deaths. After surrender, Sultan Barghash was deposed and granted political asylum in German East Africa while a new pro-British Sultan was installed.

Soviet-Japanese War August 9 – September 2, 1945

2012-10-17T01:34:00.000-07:00

Unknown to many, the Soviet army played a large role in the surrender of Japan. Stalin had agreed to join the fighting in the Pacific theater once Germany was defeated. On August 8, the day before atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and took them by surprise by launching three separate invasions into Manchuria only twenty-four hours later. The Kwangtung Army that was defending the region was largely destroyed and was forced to surrender.

After conquering Manchuria, Soviet forces launched an attack into northern Korea, but their aims of controlling the entire peninsula were defeated when the Japanese government surrendered to the Allied forces. With the Soviets quickly advancing through their territories and the imminent invasion of the mainland, Japan could no longer hold out.
In less than a month, the Soviet Union had managed to retake land lost during the previous Russo-Japanese War, crush a major Japanese army group, and liberate Manchuria.

Aleutian Islands Campaign 1942 – 1943

2012-10-17T01:32:00.002-07:00

The Aleutian Islands Campaign of World War II is a little known but important campaign, as it saw Alaska (a then territory of the United States) invaded by Japanese forces. The Aleutian Islands are a chain of islands off the southwestern coast of Alaska, part of the “arm” of islands that stretches into the Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese invasion began with an attack on Dutch Harbor followed by a strategic retreat, then another attack further west on the island of Adak. American forces there were defeated, allowing the Japanese to capture the islands of Kiska and Attu unopposed. Within the month American forces staged a counterattack and over the next fourteen months, American and Canadian forces slowly beat back Japanese infantry and ships, successfully retaking islands.
A grim series of incidents took place when the Allied forces retook Kiska. The island was found to be abandoned. Unbeknownst to the Americans, Japanese forces had evacuated almost three weeks prior. However, many friendly fire incidents occurred once infantry landed on shore. Coupled with frostbite and Japanese booby traps left behind, 313 men lost their lives retaking an empty island.

Indian and European Front American Revolution – 1778 – 1783

2012-10-17T01:31:00.000-07:00

Many would think the fighting in the American Revolution would take place, well, in America. However, the American Revolution was fought as far away as Europe and India, with France and Spain leading those fronts.

Besides lending aid in American lands, French and Spanish forces “ran interference” all around the world. France had an alliance with the anti-British Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. French soldiers and ships stationed in India helped the Mysore Kingdom fight the British in the simultaneously occurring Second Anglo-Mysore War.
Spain used Britain’s fighting in the Americas to their advantage. While Spain sent soldiers and money to help the Americans, they also saw Britain’s vulnerability in Europe and decided to launch attacks to retake lands captured by the British during the Seven Year’s War. Spain fought the British on the islands of Gibraltar and Minorca, throughout the West Indies, and in mainland America.
France and Spain’s aid proved to be invaluable to the rebelling Americans, with both allies playing key roles in the defeat of Britain.

Sonderbund War November 3 – 29, 1847

2012-10-17T01:29:00.002-07:00

Switzerland is often thought of as being a country that remains neutral and does not get involved in armed conflicts. In 1847 Switzerland found itself in a war with an unusual enemy: itself. Civil war broke out in November 1847 when several Catholic cantons (administrative divisions) formed the Sonderbund and broke off from the rest of the largely Protestant cantons to prevent the formation of a centralized government.
The fighting between the Swiss government and the rebelling cantons lasted only twenty-six days and ended with the surrender of the rebels. Throughout the month of fighting, only eighty-nine were killed. Several months later a new constitution was enacted, ending the independence of the cantons and transitioning Switzerland into a federal state.

First Barbary War 1801 – 1805

2012-10-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

The First Barbary War was the first war fought between the United States and the Barbary States (modern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). Barbary pirates had been raiding ships along the African coast and in the Mediterranean, and taking the crews of the merchant vessels hostage to ransom back to their home country.

Diplomatic talks with the Barbary States fell through, resulting in Tripoli declaring war on the United States. The first battle of the war occurred on August 1, 1801 when the USS Enterprise captured the corsair Tripoli. Over the next three years, the American fleet blockaded Barbary ports and attacked enemy fleets.
In the spring of 1805 American marines and hired mercenaries attacked by land and captured the city of Derna. As Tripoli continued to be attacked by sea and now had enemy forces pushing ever closer by land, the United States and Tripoli signed a treaty to end the war, which included a payment of $60,000 to the Barbary States to release all American prisoners.

Third Punic War 149 BC – 146 BC

2012-10-15T04:44:00.000-07:00

While none of the Punic Wars are well-known, the third war was of particular importance for Rome. The Second Punic War is likely most prominent. Even if you’ve never heard of the war itself, you’ve probably heard the tale of Hannibal’s terrible idea of marching an army of elephants through the Alps in an effort to take the Romans by surprise.

Carthage was a major power of North Africa and had been a thorn in the Roman Republic’s side for some time. While the first and second Punic Wars had been fought all throughout southern Europe and northern Africa, the Romans decided to take the fight to Carthage in 149 BC. Roman forces laid siege to the city of Carthage for three years until the city and their empire fell. This was a major victory for Rome, giving them a foothold in Africa and control of a large part of the Mediterranean Sea.
One interesting tidbit about the Third Punic War: Due to there being no record of any official declaration to end the war, the mayors of Rome and Carthage met in 1985 to ceremonially make peace. This meeting brought the Third Punic War to an end after 2,134 years.

Quasi-War 1798 – 1800

2012-10-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Although France had played a major role in helping win the American Revolution, the United States and France soon found themselves as enemies in a naval war. Two key factors led to the Quasi-War. During this time France was at war with Great Britain during the War of the Second Coalition, and the United States had officially declared their neutrality. Despite this, the United States still traded with Great Britain; an act that in France’s eyes, broke their neutrality. Also during this time the French Revolution had occurred, resulting in France becoming a Republic. This caused the U.S. to stop debt repayments to France, as they claimed their debt was to be paid to the French monarchy, not to the French Republic.

In response to this situation, the navy of France and numerous privateers began to seize American trading ships headed towards Britain, and the French government refused to negotiate. As American trading took a huge hit over several months, Congress authorized attacks on French warships. A fleet of 54 American ships were dispatched to patrol the Pacific July 1798 with orders to destroy or capture French privateers.
Losses on both sides were light. In 1800 France and the United States came to an agreement to stop hostilities and resume free trade.

War of Jenkins’ Ear 1739 – 1748

2012-10-15T04:38:00.003-07:00

The War of Jenkins’ Ear was fought in the Caribbean and what is now Georgia and Florida between Great Britain and Spain. This conflict was part of the larger War of the Austrian Succession, a war which involved nearly every country in Europe. Its unusual name was born from a naval incident in the West Indies: Captain Robert Jenkins’ boat was boarded by Spanish forces. The Spanish captain accused the British vessel of piracy and as a result, cut off Captain Jenkins’ left ear.
Some accounts say Captain Jenkins presented his severed ear as he delivered his story to the House of Commons. Regardless if this was actual true, the boarding action by the Spanish was enough to be an act of war. The War of Jenkins’ Ear proved to be a fruitless effort, as there were no territorial changes in the Americas for either Britain or Spain once the main war in Europe had come to an end.

Northern Crusades 1147 – Roughly 1290

2012-10-15T04:36:00.000-07:00

Many are familiar with the Crusades in which Christian forces clashed with Muslim forces in an effort to regain access to Christian holy sites around Jerusalem. However at the same time Crusades were underway in the Holy Land, the Northern Crusades were occurring in Scandinavia. In these Crusades, the goal was to eliminate the various pagan groups and their followers.
The Northern Crusades began with the Wendish Crusade in 1147. The Kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden, the Teutonic Order, and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (the latter two being religious military orders) invaded what is now northeast Germany in an effort to subdue the region’s pagan peoples. Following this military success, Pope Celestine III officially called for a crusade against the pagans in 1195. The Northern Crusades lasted into the late 1200s and resulted in the military conquest of north Germany and the Baltic States and the spread of Christianity to these lands.

Petra By Night

2012-10-10T02:50:00.002-07:00

Back again we are in wonderful Petra. But today we'll tell you about a night show that is reguarly held in Petra.

The most famous construction of Petra - the treasure house that meets all tourists who come out of the kilometer-long canyon leading from the entry to the ancient city ...

This is how it looks in the daylight. Pay attention to the man to feel the dimensions...

At night it's dark here, and inside the canyon such paper boxes with candles are placed.

And thus they light up all the canyon more than for one kilometer long!

If there are no tourists around, you will feel that all this is unreal.

Occasionally the road is paved.

And so many stars in the sky.

Here is the place where many tourists will come soon and be treated with tea. Some guy will be playing the ancient bedouin instrument, and people will be discussing how unique Petra is.

Mount Everest

2012-10-07T02:00:00.001-07:00

Sure, it’s predictable, but it’s on the list for a reason. Most kids have daydreamed at one time or another about being “the one who climbed Everest” and made it to the top in a spectacular snowstorm. The view can’t be beaten, and everyone will look at you with fresh respect when they hear that you made it. That is, if you don’t join the trail of frozen bodies up to even the first overnight base camp. While you’re not likely to die from military conflict, that won’t make you feel better as you quickly (or, more likely, slowly) freeze to death.

Pakistan - Who likes outdoor trekking will enjoy the scenery

2012-10-07T01:56:00.003-07:00

Gorgeous mountains? Check! Rush Peak will offer you unprecedented views of the second-highest mountain in the world, K2. You can go back in time in the villages of Baltistan, and anyone who likes outdoor trekking will enjoy the scenery. You might not enjoy the presence of multiple terrorist groups, tribal clashes, and suicide bombings as much, though. With political instability that makes violence against Westerners quite likely, you’ll probably die from a bomb attack or talking about religion the wrong way.

The natural attractions to Zimbabwe

2012-10-07T01:52:00.001-07:00

Big game parks, wildlife reserves and forest preservation, and the famous Victoria Falls are some of the natural attractions to Zimbabwe. The problem is the political climate that can flare up at any time, leaving you stranded in a foreign country that has openly talked about how much it dislikes tourists. You might die from the extremely dangerous driving habits of the taxis – and you thought New York City was bad! – or discussing politics, or even from stepping on an unexploded land mine.

Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand

2012-10-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Haad Rin Beach is located in Koh Phangan, and has earned its reputation as the hot spot for hedonistic nightlife in Thailand, due to the fact that a party is held every time there’s a full moon. It is rumored that the Full Moon Party tradition started with a local throwing a farewell party for his Australian friend.

It proved to be such a popular concept that it now attracts anything from 8,000 to 30,000 party-goers every month. This is hardly surprising due to the white sandy beach setting, alcohol by the bucket and an amicable, bohemian attitude shared by all.

Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, China

2012-10-02T22:37:00.001-07:00

The Chinese New Year is a lively affair where millions fill the streets to celebrate peace and happiness. It generally starts with a banquet which includes significant dishes, for instance prawns represents liveliness and happiness, whilst traditionally red clothing is also worn as this is intended to warn off any evil spirits.
In Hong Kong a spectacular fireworks display lights up the evening sky, and for New Years Day there are floats and traditional performers complimented by music and dragon dancers. Victoria Harbor, with its world-famous skyline, lends itself to the ideal backdrop for experiencing this oriental event which is steeped in heritage and a must-see!

The Festival of Light in Amritsar, Punjab, India

2012-10-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Festival of Light, Diwali to the indigenous people, marks the commencement of the New Year for Hindus. This five day festival celebrates good over evil, light over dark. Each day of the festival brings its own meaning. The third day is where the ‘Festival of Light’ title has emerged as lamps and candles are lit, and fireworks are set off. Traditionally gifts are exchanged between the nearest and dearest.

Diwali is a celebratory event which demonstrates the warm and considerate nature of an entire culture. Amritsar, where the Golden Temple is located, is a great place to witness the third day of Diwali. The Temple is a site to behold on its own, although is enhanced to a phenomenal spectacle during the Festival of Light where you can experience a foreign culture at its best.

The Burning Man Festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

2012-10-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

The Burning Man is an annual event which places emphasis on community, creativity and self-reliance. The community turn up and create ‘Black Rock City’ which lasts for one week, after that the ‘citizens’ are proud to depart without a trace.
The community welcome all newcomers with open arms. Their ethos believes that the more active the participant is the more they will gain from the event.

This is a surreal phenomenon which sees the birth of a city and community, in a peculiar location, only to be returned to its original form just seven days later. This festival is all about the experience and to truly benefit from it you must throw yourself wholeheartedly into it.

The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain

2012-10-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

Known to the locals as The Festival of San Fermin, due to the location. This internationally recognised event has grown massively since its believed origins back in the 13th century, and now attracts tens of thousands who wish to run with the bulls.

The running of the bulls allegedly originated from men using fear and excitement to hurry the process of taking cattle to market, although this quickly turned into a competition amongst them. Nowadays though the event is a lot more organised and isn’t just limited to farmers, in fact thousands now run through a barricaded course being chased by a thundering herd of bulls!

Iraq - Ancient wonders abound in this country of holy

2012-09-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ancient wonders abound in this country of holy and historical sights ranging from Islamic wonders to Babylon itself. No foreign troops remain, which might seem perfect if you want to get to mosques or see palaces, but you risk being kidnapped for a very high price that most governments won’t pay – after all, you were foolish enough to travel there despite no tourist visas being offered. Minefields are a very real danger, and people might just overhear you speaking English and decide you’re a good target. Terrorism or kidnapping will probably be your cause of death.

The statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2012-09-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn’t recognize the statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? You have beautiful rainforests, the annual Carnival of colors, sounds, and spectacular sights, and even more lovely beaches to enjoy – not to mention the 2016 Olympics. You’re probably not going to get stabbed for bringing your iPhone to the beach in Miami, though. The murder rate in Brazil is four times that of the USA, and muggings, gang violence, and other types of violent crimes are so commonplace that every Brazilian has a good story to tell. You’ll probably die resisting abduction as someone tries to force you to drive to an ATM and take money out.

Angel falls in venezuela

2012-09-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

With Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world and a truly stunning work of nature, tropical archipelagos, and flora and fauna ranging from manatees to thousands of species of orchids in the cloud forests and rainforests, what’s not to love? Maybe the fact that it’s a common stop on the drug trafficking route that brings cocaine to America. The capital city, Caracas, has the second-highest homicide rate in the world and most of them aren’t solved, so you’ll probably die mysteriously from exploring the Venezuela-Colombia border.