Tourist Place

Happy Independence Day

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INDIA FLAG

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Nainital Vacation, India

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Capital of India's Lake district, Nainital was Jim Corbett's home for many years. Tough Nainital had expanded and the surrounding forests that once teemed with bears, tigers and deer, the soul remains the same. Nestled in the serene and peaceful hamlet of beautiful lakes and mountains, watch the sun rise and set over the mountains of Nainital. Move across the ravines and valleys, and see localized weather patterns appear over the higher peaks as winds are driven upward. Blessed with picture perfect and varied natural resources, Nainital is dotted with lakes. Nainital's attractions range from quiet walks in meadows the forests of pine and deciduous, the adventure sports as well as popular entertainment.

A perfect view

Naini Lake

Naina Devi Temple at the northern end of the lake is the exact spot where Shiva's consort parvati's eye is said to have fallen. The core beauty of Nainital is its beautiful lake. In the day, mirrored in its waters stand seven proud hills, fenced with lovely cottages and villas. The lakes looks more during the night, when the myriads of bulbs from the hill sides and quite a large number hanging near the lake's edge stab their magic light into its waters.

Snow View

The thrills for kids and adults alike is the rope way Aerial Express to Snow View. You get the majestic views of Himalayas around . You can also ride up to Snow View and back on the ponies or horse available at the north end of the Mall.

Cementry Tour

Lost in the time wrap are the grave yards of the British who lived and died in Nainital. The Old Church of Saint John in the Woods has one such Cementry that you could explore. The Church itself with its stained glass windows and ancient wood pews is a place worth visiting.

Calcutta Tourist Attractions

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Tourism in Kolkata is on its boom these days. There are lots of places to see in Kolkata. In this section, we will provide you with Calcutta tourist attractions guide.

There is a plethora of sightseeing places in Kolkata. We will brief you on the following popular places to visit in Calcutta

Fort William

Fort William is a must visit tourist attraction place of Calcutta. Situated at the banks of river Hooghly, it was named after King William III of England. Fort William of Kolkata, India, was established during the tenure of British Raj in 1696. It was the guardroom of this two-storied building, where the black hole tragedy took place. During the Plassey war in 1757, Siraj Ud Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal attacked on the fort and defeated the Britishers. This paved way for the construction of a new fort by British.

The new fort was initiated by Robert Clive, which got completed by 1780. The basic purpose of setting up Calcutta Fort William was to prevent attacks from Muslim invaders. The area that was cleared around the fort became maidan, where several exhibitions and fairs take place. The foundation of the old fort is still intact. Till date, it is a military area and the Arsenal inside it is worth watching, but for that prior permission of the commanding officer is required.

Victoria Memorial

Calcutta Victoria memorial hall is a fabulous museum that was established in the year 1921. The credit for designing and drawing the plan for this monument goes to Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of Architects. Victoria Memorial of Kolkata, India is a fantastic place that will take you into the world of past history, where you can view the photos and effigies of prominent personalities, who made an incredible contribution in the glory of India. Today, Victoria memorial is one of the finest art museums in Kolkata. It is a 184 ft tall edifice that was constructed on 64 acres of land. The museum houses a group of mind-blowing figures above the north porch that epitomize prudence, learning and motherhood.

Eden Gardens

Eden garden of Kolkata, India is one of the major tourist attraction places of the city of joy. Eden gardens is basically a cricket stadium, where people have witnessed the history of Indian cricket. It is the oldest cricket playground in the country and also the finest one. Calcutta Eden Gardens Cricket Club came into existence in the year 1864. The first ever first-class match that took place in the Eden Gardens was in 1917-18 and the first test match to be played here was in January 1934 against Douglas Jardine's MCC. It was in February 1987, when the first ODI match was hosted here. It has undergone a tremendous modernization and infact, today it boasts of its large accommodation that can capaticitate about 1,20,000 persons. Eden gardens of Calcutta definitely falls into the category of must see places.

Birla Planetarium

Birla planetarium of Kolkata, India is one of the largest museums in Asia. It came into existence in the year 1962 and the credit for establishing this wonderful center of science, communication & environment goes to Birla Education Trust. It is situated at the Eastern metropolitan bypass of Calcutta.

Birla planetarium provides a parlance where astronomical presentations take place. It provides useful piece of information about our solar system, galaxies, life span of stars, space, planets and other heavenly bodies in the most interactive manner via audio video aids. Usually the lectures are given in English, Hindi, and Bengali and occasionally in Oriya, Tamil & Gujarati.

Calcutta Birla planetarium is a single storied circular edifice designed in the typical Indian style. It is a must see place for those interested in astronomy. Its astronomy gallery maintains a huge collection of fine paintings & celestial models of renowned astronomers. It enables you to explore science outdoors.

Howrah Bridge

Howrah Bridge, located over the Hoogli River in West Bengal, India, is said to be the busiest bridge of the world. It got its name owing to the fact that it connects the city of Howrah to Calcutta. Hawrah Bridge in Kolkata, India, also known by the name 'Rabindra Setu', was set up in 1874. It stands on two 270 feet high pillars. Calcutta Howrah Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge that was constructed without using any nuts and bolts. Though, earlier it had a tram route, but presently, it is serving mainly as a Road Bridge. Howrah bridge has got two sister bridges also, namely, Vidyasagar Setu and the Vivekananda Setu that are situated at different points over the hoogly river. This bridge acts as an important symbol of Kolkata.

Marble Palace

Location: C.R. Avenue in north Calcutta at Muktaram Babu Street, Chorabagan

Year of construction: 1835

Marble palace of Kolkata, India is a must visit tourist attraction spot. Built in the year 1835 by Rajendra Mallick, it is an exquisite art gallery. Marble palace houses the marvelous objects of art, sculptures, pictures & oil paintings. Its major highlight includes the Reuben's masterpieces. You can also find the original paintings of Rembrandt, Reynolds and Van Goyen etc. Calcutta marble palace is the one of its kinds and consists of exquisite pieces of art. It also has a zoo, where you can find different kinds of birds and animals. Infact, it has a rare collection of birds.

Writers Building

The construction of Writers building began as early as in 1690. It got its name owing to the fact that it served as the dwelling place for the junior writers of the East India Company. The original Writers Building of Kolkata, India did not have any architectural beauty. It was on the same site that another Writers' Building was created later on. This Gothic structure came into existence during the tenure of Lt. Governor Ashley Eden (1877). The present Calcutta Writers' Building is located at the northern end of Dalhousie Square. Today, it serves as the Secretariat of West Bengal Government. This gigantic building is also known as 'Mahakaran', where all the important documents and other records of the West Bengal Govt are preserved.

Nicco Park

Calcutta Nicco Park, situated at Salt Lake, is an amazing amusement park. It can be said about the Nicco Park of Kolkata, India that, it is like the Disneyland of West Bengal with lots of wonderful games and rides. Its most recent addition is the Cave ride that is very interesting and adventurous. It is a spacious park covering about 40-acre land. It is one of the biggest amusement parks in the country and it was opened in the year 1991.

Nicco Park is more popularly known as Jheel Meel. It is the ultimate fun and entertainment destination for kids as well as adults. It draws huge crowds on the weekends, as it serves as the perfect place for relaxing mind, body and soul. It takes you into the world of fantasy and imagination. It provides wide choices of fun rides to choose from. To name a few, we have the Toy Train, Cable Car, Tilt-a-Whirl, Water Chute, Water Coaster, Flying Saucer, Pirate Ship and Moonraker.

For nature lovers, it is truly a feast for eyes. Its main highlights include the beautiful rose garden and the food park, where you can enjoy the mouthwatering yummy dishes. Popular cuisines include North Indian, Bengali, South Indian and Chinese fast food. Today, Nicco Park enjoys the status of being the first amusement park of the world that has obtained ISO 9002 certification from a famous European Certifying Authority.

Saheed Minar

Saheed Minar, situated near Esplanade on the Kolkata Maidan, was initially known as Octerloney Monument. It was named after its founder, Sir David Ochterlony. This magnificent monument was established in the year 1848 so as to mark the founder's victory in the Nepal War (1814-1816). The construction of Calcutta Saheed Minar follows an architectural variety. Its foundation is based on the Egyptian style, whereas the main Shahid Minar in Calcutta and its dome follow Syrian and Turkish designs respectively.

It was in 1969 that the Octerloney Monument got the name 'Sahid Minar'. It was renamed in the honor of those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of our country. Presently, the political parties convene meetings over here. Various rallies and seminars also take place behind the Sahid Minar Of Kolkata, India. The tradition of holding political meetings began in 1931, when Rabindranath Tagore presided over a convocation meeting held over there. If you stand at the top of the minar, you'll get an excellent view of the hub city of Kolkata.

National Library

National Library in Kolkata, India is the largest library of our country that is supported by the Dept of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. It is constructed on 30 acres Belvedere Estate in Kolkata. It was basically set up to collect, distribute and preserve material that is produced within the country. There are no special criteria for membership of Calcutta national library. Infact, any person who is above the age of 18 can become its member. However, to avail the facilities of reading room and lending, separate membership is required.

National library has a huge collection of books and periodicals received from different parts of the country. Here, you can find books in almost all the Indian languages. There are separate language divisions that process the information for their readers in their respective native languages. Some of the language divisions that maintain their own collection consist of Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Sindhi, Telugu and Urdu. Also, these language divisions help in solving the reference queries of their readers. There is a separate division for children that cater to their information and recreation needs

Tourist Attractions in Mysore

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Mysore is a traveler’s delight and is known for some of the finest palaces that were built here by the former rulers. This fascinating town of Karnataka is rich in culture and traditions and is thronged by travelers from the neighboring states and distant corners of India. Mysore is located at the foothills of the Chamundi Hills atop which the famous Chamundeshwari Temple is located. The huge and impressive statue of Mahishasura is the most famous landmark of this magnificent town. The tourist attractions of Mysore have their individualistic charm and have interesting incidents and stories associated with them.

There are many things to watch in Mysore. Some of the major ones are:

Maharaja's Palace:

This palace occupies a prestigious place among the tourist attractions of Mysore,. The magnificent structure was designed by an English Architect, Henry Irwin and is an architectural marvel featuring marvelously sculpted pillars, elaborately carved doors and golden howdah.

The Jaganmohan Palace:

Jaganmohan Palace was the other retreat for the royal family of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar and it is a magnificent building with three storeys. It features stained glass shutters and ventilators and also has a lovely garden setting that has now been transformed to an art gallery. Some of things this museum has on display are paintings, sculptures and musical instruments.

Chamundi Hills:

Mysore is located at the foothills of Chamundi Hills. On top of the hills there is Chamundeshwari temple that serves as a famous landmark. Nearby to the temple, there is a statue of Mahishasura, who was a demon killed by the goddess Chamundeshwari. You will also find the monolith Nandi, the bull, which is located near the temple.

St. Philomena's Church:

This church is a lure for the religious traveler and is a must watch among the tourist attractions of Mysore. This church is a Gothic structure whose structure is based on the Cathedral at Cologne. You will also come across the statue of St. Philomena on the altar who was a third century saint from Greece. This magnificent church is visited by a large number of tourists every year.

Mysore Zoo:

This is a magnificent zoo which was established in the year 1892, and houses a diverse collection of animals, including magnificent species kept in natural surroundings. There are various places of tourist interest in Mysore that will help you make your tour to Mysore an exclusive one. A look at its tourist attractions is the best way to learn about the history and tradition of the town.

Travel Attractions in Bhubaneswar

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Places to see

Bhubaneswar, "The abode of the Lord of the World" and the gateway to Orrisa, has slowly started to unbosom its mysteries for the past few years. Tour around the splendid Lingaraj Temple, ancient Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves and enjoy a superb boating experience at the Chilka lake and Taptapani excursions. Once called the Kalinga or Utkala, this city now boasts of cool avenues, upscale hotels, shopping malls and excellent dining out options.

Lingaraj Temple

Dedicated to the Lord Vishnu and Shiv Linga, the Lingaraj temple is one of Orrisa's famous temples, notable for the symmetrical sculptures carved on its 45m high spire. The deity of Lingaraj, is an uncarved block of granite 8 feet in diameter raised 8 inches above the ground and is bathed daily with milk, water and bhang (marijuana). Plan your trip during March-April to enjoy the joyous four-day chariot festival, when Lingaraj is drawn on his chariot to Rameswara temple.

Bindusagar

Bindusagar or "Ocean Drop" is a tank placed north of the Lingaraj temple and is said to contain water from every river, lake and holy stream of India brought by Lord Shiva. Taking a bath here and drinking the water of this pool is said to cure any disease of the stomach. A famous pilgrimage site for Indians, the tank is surrounded by numerous temples and shrines. The best time to come here is around sunrise.

Udaigiri Khandagiri Caves

These ancient caves which are over 2000 years old, are located at 8 km from Bhubaneswar. There are 44 caves carved out of sandstone nestling on two opposite hills. The Rani Gumpha (Queen's Cave) is a double storied structure, brilliantly festooned with carved sculptures. Besides, there is Hanthi Gumpha ( Elephant Cave) which is a favourite hot-spot among tourists.
The caves are open from 8 am to 6 pm and attracts vacationists from all over the world.

Chilka Lake

Situated south of Puri, this 1,100 sq. km shallow lake is Asia's largest salt water lagoon and is separated from the sea only by a narrow sand bar. The lake is peppered with many small rocky islands and is a vast reserve for aquatic flora and fauna. Hire a kayak and look for Irrawaddy dolphins along with Siberian cranes or you can hike through the jungles to discover white sand converging into blue water.

Taptapani

Visit the corner where city dwellers fear to go. Taptapani, home of the primitive Kutia Kondh tribe, the Dingaria Kondh tribe, Bonda and the Mali tribes. The residents are expert hunters, fiercely independent and worship numerous gods and goddess. Stay in lodges and get to know their lifestyle and unique tradition and cultural heritage. Taptapani also offers a hot water sulpher spring and is quite famous among tourists who visit here to revitalize themselves with the naturally medicated water.

Orrisa State Museum

This four storey building holds within itself numerous artifacts of state history. Displaying a massive collection of traditional dresses, ancient and medieval tools and weapons. Stuffed animals, musical instruments and hand looms and handicrafts of Orrisa, this museum is a must see for every tourist who is inquisitive enough to know more about this South Eastern state of the country.

Ekamra Haat

Located near the exhibition ground, this Haat ( Market place) is a hub for tourists who are interested to get some stuff with Oriya touch along with their unforgettable memoirs. Ekamra Haat is aesthetically designed to create a relaxed ambiance to browse through ethnic handlooms and handicrafts from all over the country. The walls are embellished with attractive terracotta sculptures and vibrant folk paintings. Stalls display marvellous array of artifacts created by the tribes whereas food stalls offer excellent traditional delicacies like Chhenna poda, Chakuli pitha and Mutton curry. The Haat also has an amphitheatre where folk and tribal dances are held.

Dhauli

About 8 km south of Bhubaneswar and to the right of the Puri road, is the Dhauli edicts. Carved by King Ashoka on a rock five meters by three meters, these 2000 years old inscriptions still bear the instructions of the great king, to his administrators. Horrified by the aftermath of the Kalinga war, the great legendary king, Ashoka, became a follower of Buddha and spent rest of his life spreading the Lord's messages across the globe. The site is also marked by a new peace pagoda and rock edicts at Jau Gada.

Switzerland

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Jungfrau Glacier

The Jungfraujoch is a saddle between the mountains Monch and Jungfrau in the Swiss Alps. It is known as the Top of Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here you look down upon the ice wilderness of swirling glaciers and across at 13,000 ft (4,000 m) high mountain turrets. On top of the Jungfrau is a global atmospheric monitoring station.

Visiting the Jungfraujoch's eternal ice and snow is a once in a lifetime experience as the annual two million visitors can attest. Riding the narrow cog railway to 11,300 ft (3,454 m) is a must. On the journey you pass by the foot of the notorious Eiger North Wall, through tunnels, past polar dog kennels, finally arriving at the heart of the glaciers. The longest glacier in Europe, the Great Aletsch Glacier - 14 miles (23km) - begins at Jungfraujoch, and you can see as far as France and Germany.

Mt Titlis

Permanent ice and snow at the top of the world and a revolving gondola lift to take you to the top of the mountain, chairlifts over deep crevasses and exploring a glacier cave... If any of these sound amazing - and they do - Mount Titlis is the place for you. There are also restaurants and breathtaking views for those of us who prefer to be amazed in comfort while sitting on top of the world at 10,600 ft (3,238m).

Titlis is Central Switzerland's highest mountain and the views are amazing. However, be prepared: it is a bit like a high altitude theme park. The ice cave has music and flashing neon lights and you can pose for a photo with a giant Toblerone. Still, the surrounding peaks like shark fins, the glacier and the sweeping views to pastures, cliffs and waterfalls should make you forget any crass commercialism.

Mt Pilatus

Mount Pilatus rises high above the city of Lucerne giving wonderful views of Lake Lucerne and the Swiss Alps. At 6,992 ft (2,132 m) high, it has 2 cable cars, the world's steepest cog-railway, hotels, restaurants and lots of outdoor activities. People come here to toboggan, sledge, mountain bike and for the excellent hiking. There is a Rope Park for treetop adventures.

Rumor has it that the mountain is named after Pontius Pilate who they say was thrown into a nearby lake and haunts the mountain. More likely is that the name comes from the Latin word for cloud-covered, pileatus. It was made famous by the composer Richard Wagner in the 19th century and Britain's Queen Victoria rode up here on horseback.

Mount Rigi

Mount Rigi is a mountain in central Switzerland, bordering Lucerne, and part of the Swiss Alps. It's also known as the "Queen of the Mountains.” Rigi offers stunning panoramic views and is famous for its beautiful sunrises. Nowadays, the mountain is easily accessible by public transportation. It offers many winter and summer excursions such as skiing, sledding, or hiking.

It has been popular with adventurous, romantic travellers for quite some time (before the advent of public transportation), including Mark Twain more than a century ago. The Rigi has been immortalized through paintings by JMW Turner, including "The Blue Rigi, Lake of Lucerne, Sunrise".

Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich is big: 25 mi (40 km) long and 1.9 mi (3 km) wide. At its deepest it reaches 469 ft (143 m). The water is very clean, coming off those Swiss mountains, and is used for supplying water to the cities around it. The largest of these is Zurich at around 360,000 residents.

The lake is used for boating and swimming, reaching up to 20 degrees Celcius (68 F) in summer. Along its edges are dotted swimming pools - these are floating pontoon decks with change rooms, sunbathing areas and usually saunas, massage and a cafe. They are open May-October. Parks line the lakeside and fill with people picnicking, roller-blading and sunbathing in summer. Even the police patrol on rollerblades!

Bahnhofstrasse

Bahnhofstrasse is THE shopping street in Zurich. Running from Bahnhofplatz outside the main train station all the way to the lake, it's full of luxury shops selling designer fashion, furs, porcelain, and, of course, chocolates, clocks and watches. Halfway along is Zurich's first, biggest and best department store Jelmoli. The basement food-hall is a must. Or if you want the best in Swiss chocolate, take a break at Cafe Sprungli, the epicenter of sweet Switzerland since 1836.

Bahnhofstrasse follows the line of the moat of medieval Zurich and is mainly pedestrianized, although watch out for the trams running along it. It runs parallel to the river Limmat and it's easy to punctuate your shopping with visits to churches and other important sites of Zurich dotted in the narrow streets between. Culture and consumerism: Zurich has them both.

Church of Our Lady (Fraumunster)

The 13th-century Church of our Lady, or Fraumunster, has an elegant blue spire which soars above the Zurich skyline. Situated right next to the lake, it is one of Zurich's key sights. Founded in 853 as a Benedictine convent, around the 11th century it was responsible for minting coins and collecting tolls making the then Abbess a powerful women indeed.

Inside the church are the famous stained-glass windows of 1967 by the famous artist Marc Chagall. The three main windows are: the blue Jacob window, with a ladder to heaven, the green Christ window, featuring Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, and the yellow Zion window depicting King David and Bathsheba being trumpeted into New Jerusalem. To the sides there are windows depicting the Prophets and Moses. Near the main exit is a window by another famous artist, Giacometti.

Hong Kong Attractions

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Lantau Island

Lantau Island is twice the size of Hong Kong Island, but only a fraction of the population live here, leaving its beaches, hills and national parks to visitors to enjoy.

The highlight is the Po Lin monastery and temple, reached by the Ngong Ping 360 cable car on the western side of the island. The temple’s amazing seated bronze Giant Buddha is the world’s largest.

Hong Kong Disneyland offers more familiar entertainment, and the island’s fishing villages, walking trails, beaches and seafood restaurants are also popular.

Macau

To discover another aspect to multifaceted China, take a day trip to Macau.

The former Portuguese colony mixes crumbling fortresses with glitzy casinos, baroque churches with cobbled backstreets, and spicy Macanese seafood with classic dim sum.

Macau’s exotic history and culture are evident at every turn, with eight squares and 22 historic buildings on the World Heritage List.

Take a walk down the main street to the baroque Church of St. Dominic, tour the Jesuit Monte Fort, with its exceptional Macau Museum, and don’t miss the evocative ruins of the Church of St. Paul, its free-standing baroque facade a Macau symbol.

A drive around the peninsula reveals yet more churches, beautiful colonial buildings, temples and gardens.

Aberdeen Harbour

Aberdeen Harbour is a busy harbor with floating restaurants, brilliantly illuminated at night. Jumbo is the most famous of these floating restaurants, along with its neighbor Tai Pak.

Recently refurbished, and outlined in colored lights, the double-storied Jumbo serves up a huge array of gourmet delights, highlighting fresh seafood and traditional Cantonese dim sum.

While you’re here, take a sampan tour of the harbor and its famous ‘floating village’ of junks, used for fishing, restaurants, sightseeing and also the home of Aberdeen’s boat-dwellers.

Victoria Peak (Tai Ping Shan)

Overlooking the Central district on Hong Kong Island, Victoria Peak (Tai Ping Shan) is one of the best vantage points for stupendous views of the harbor and high-rises. Rising 1,810 feet (552 meters), Victoria Peak is topped with the touristy Peak Tower complex of shops, restaurants and 360-degree Sky Terrace viewing platform.

Go for a stroll through the Victoria Peak Garden, follow one of the many nature walks on the mountain, and stay on for nightfall to see Hong Kong's spectacular nightly light show.

Peak Tram

For over 100 years, the Peak Tram has been inclining its way up the Peak mountain on Hong Kong Island. Taking a ride on the steeply angled tram is an essential Hong Kong experience.

The service began as a coal-fired tramway in 1888, and was electrically powered by 1926. Today, more than four million people take a ride on the Peak Tram every year.

At the top, you’ll find the ultra-modern Peak Tower with its restaurants and Sky Terrace viewing platform, the surrounding nature walks on the Peak and the Victoria Peak Garden.

Kowloon

Kowloon, on the mainland facing Hong Kong Island across Victoria Harbour, has a less formal, more domestic feel. Most Hong Kongers live in the crammed streets of Kowloon, and the focus for visitors is Nathan Road's hotels and shops on the waterfront at Tsim Sha Tsui.

Most people flock to what is known as 'the Golden Mile,' the neon-lit lower end of Nathan Road, lined with shops and businesses. If you need time out from the bustle, head to the trees of Kowloon Park.

Further north from Tsim Sha Tsui, you’ll find the popular night markets of Temple Street and Tung Choi Street. Take the lift to the 28th floor of the legendary Peninsula Hotel for cocktails and views at Felix Bar, and browse the upmarket stores of deluxe shopping malls like Harbour City and Festival Walk.

Hong Kong Island

The focus for shopping, eating and sightseeing on Hong Kong Island is Central and Causeway Bay.

Away from Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Island retains a surprising amount of greenery on the Peak and its mountainous interior, and its coastline is indented by a beguiling sequence of coves and harbors.

Explore the streets and shopping plazas fanning out from Connaught Road in Central, Harcourt Road and Gloucester Road in Causeway Bay. Shop for antiques in Hollywood Road, browse the Graham Street and Western markets and shop till you drop in upmarket malls like Pacific Place and Times Square.

At night the towering skyscrapers light up along the waterfront and at the famous Happy Valley Racecourse. Catch a wobbly double-decker tram from Des Voeux Road to Wan Chai, or ride the world’s longest elevator past shops and houses.

Symphony of Lights

Every night at 8pm, Hong Kong puts on a spectacular light show, highlighting the skyscrapers lining both sides of Victoria Harbour. The world’s largest light show, A Symphony of Lights, is free.

More than 40 skyscrapers shoot laser beams, colored lights and searchlights from their rooftops, in a choreographed sequence synchronized to music and a narration.

The best place to view the extravaganza is from a boat cruise or ferry ride on Victoria Harbour.

Tourist Attractions in Thailand

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Thailand has some of the most beautiful and lively cities and tourist attractions in the world. These sites not only play host to descending tourists and curious travelers, they also shield the raw beauty of unexplored regions and unique fests from the rest of the world. With TSI Holidays outbound tourist packages, you can explore the famous with the lesser known attractions and events on your tour to Thailand and its cities.

Tourist Attractions

Thailand is a place where the past meets the present and creates an ambience that is both charming in its Oriental appeal and exciting in its permissiveness. No matter where you travel in Thailand, you are bound to run into ancient palaces, shrines and Buddhist temples.

The islands and beach resorts in Thailand are a haven for water sports and adventure sports enthusiasts. The rainforests in Thailand hold the key to the heart of nature lovers with Koh Samet Marine National Park, Ao Phang Nga National Park, and Khao Yai National Park.

Islands

beach resorts in Thailand

water sports

adventure sport

rainforests

Koh Samet Marine

National Park

Phang Nga National Park

Khao Yai National Park

Events
Events and festivals in Thailand showcase the cultural heritage, natural resource, and progressive frame of mind. Bangkok International Film Festival, Chinese New Year Celebrations, Pattaya Music Festival, Toh Moh Goddess Shrine Festival, Samui Carnival, King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, Sukhothai Loi Krathong Festival, and Chiang Mai Flower Festival are just some of the festivals that blend Thailand's past with its present.

The Bangkok International Film Festival is one of the major annual events organized in Thailand that attracts large crowds of movie buffs and participants from all over the world. The main focus of the Bangkok International Film Festival is to promote Thai movies and South East Asian motion pictures in a big way.

Held in March every year, the Pattaya Music Festival offers you a rich medley of jazz, pop, rock and classical. Live band shows and musical extravaganzas is one of the most important features of this glorious festival that is counted among the most important annual events celebrated in Thailand.

The city of Chiang Mai brightens up with floral displays, sculptures, temple models and other interesting things made purely of colorful flowers during the annual Chiang Mai Flower festival held in February every year.

Among the most enchanting annual events that are celebrated with enthusiasm and fervor, the Samui Carnival is definitely an important event. Sponsored by Bangkok Airways, the Samui Carnival is a colorful cultural panorama that glistens with open-air parties, food stalls, folk performances, jam sessions and more. The main objective of the Samui Carnival is to raise funds for the local charities and environment conservation.

iifa awards 2011

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China

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Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses

Since Oct. 1st, 2010 the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses and the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum have been combined into one large tourist area, which also includes three other small sites that will be opened in 2011. A through ticket (CNY110) is adopted. The Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the nearby three unopened sites (namely the Museum of Terracotta Acrobatics, the Museum of Terracotta Civil Officials and the Museum of Stone Armor) constitute the so-called Lishan Garden. Besides, 30 free shuttle buses have been available for visitors' convenience to travel between the Lishan Garden and the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses from then on.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum in Lintong, Xian, Shaanxi Province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).

Yangtze River

Winding about 3,964 miles, Yangtze River is the largest river in China and the third largest in the world after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. Originating from the Tanggula Range in Qinghai Province in western China, the Yangtze River traverses eleven provinces and cities from west to east, including Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Finally it pours into the East China Sea at Shanghai.

Acting as the largest water system in China, Yangtze River is historically, economically and　culturally important to the country. Yangtze has numerous tributaries including Min River, Han River, Jialing River, Gan River and Huangpu River etc. The Three Gorges Dam on the river is the largest dam project and hydro-electric power station in the world. Generally, people consider the Yangtze River a dividing line between North China and South China. Areas to the north and the south of the river have many differences in climate, scenery, economics, culture and folk customs.

Forbidden City (Palace Museum)

Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built throughout 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient Chinese Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace. The Palace for the emperor on earth was so called the Purple City. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the empeor. Hence its name 'The Purple Forbidden City', usually 'The Forbidden City'.

Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat and a 10-meter-high wall are more than 8,700 rooms. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the east and west gates is 750 meters. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside.

The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide.

United States & Canada

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Best Family Friendly Vacations - United States & Canada

Orlando, Florida

Orlando offers opportunities to ricochet through a thrilling itinerary of roller coasters, resorts, dinosaurs and Disney amusements. Fantastic family fun plus shows and rides galore come courtesy of Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.

New York City, New York

New York's many zoos, museums and landmarks make the city a perfect destination for families of all ages. Explore Times Square or take the kids to FAO Schwarz, take a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty or an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, eat lunch at Carnegie Deli or picnic in Central Park - the choices are endless.

Chicago, Illinois

One of the best places to go with family in tow, Chicago absolutely teems with attractions. Choose from the fun of touristy Navy Pier and photo ops at the mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture to riding a tandem along the hem of Lake Michigan, the (free) zoo or the wonderful Shedd Aquarium.

Anaheim, California

Anaheim is ideally situated to take advantage of all Orange County's adventures, whether you plan on delving into the delights of Disneyland or basking on the bountiful beaches. Biplanes and hot-air balloons soar over O.C.'s aquariums, museums and restaurants. A visit to Nixon's Birthplace adds another element to family vacations.

San Diego, California

Beaches, fierce beasts and some serious splashes are just some of the sizzling hot family attractions in San Diego. The home of the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and LEGOLAND California's slew of more than 50 rides, holidays in San Diego are always hot commodities.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

With its beautiful beaches and scores of golf courses, popular Myrtle Beach offers plenty of great outdoor activities. And if the weather doesn't cooperate, there's a great hands-on children's museum, Alligator Adventure and outlet malls that are sure to please.
Also recommended for: Beaches & Sun

Washington DC, District of Columbia

D.C. diversity dazzles. Families find an endless variety of attractions to explore, from the buzz of Georgetown and funky Adams Morgans to more than a hundred monuments and museums, including the Smithsonian. And most are free! There's also a vibrant performing arts scene and major league sports excitement, courtesy of the Redskins and the Nationals.

Boston, Massachusetts

With its host of revolution-related sites and an eclectic range of attractions, from the Museum of Science to the Museum of Bad Art, Boston is an inspired choice for family vacations. Watery wonder is on offer at New England Aquarium and from a swan boat on Public Garden Lagoon.

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

Honolulu has more than history and tropical beaches. The entire family can delight in the astounding views from the short hike to Diamond Head crater, splash about in any of the water parks, investigate Hawaiian marine life in nature reserves and aquariums and indulge wonder in the many kid-friendly museums.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale calls itself the Venice of Florida, with frontage on the Atlantic Ocean, the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Families can journey through the Everglades, salt marshes and savannahs or relax on sunny, sandy beaches. Kids will especially love the Museum of Discovery and Science.

Maui, Hawaii

Whether on beautiful island beaches or volcanic craters, families will have a hot time enjoying all that Maui has to offer by foot, bike, car, helicopter or submarine. Kids will especially enjoy a Trilogy trip to Lanai, exploring Haleakala crater and visiting Maui Ocean Center's Turtle Lagoon and Hammerhead Harbor.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Boasting the world's longest pleasure beach, a renovated three-mile boardwalk and a plethora of parks--nature and themed--Virginia Beach is a perfect family getaway. You can escape the sun, but not the water; explore Virginia's largest aquarium or Ocean Breeze Water Park.

Nashville, Tennessee

Great country music may have put Nashville on the map, but other attractions are rapidly taking center stage. The nationally acclaimed zoo features the largest community-built playground in the nation, plus great animal exhibits. And the Adventure Science Center is perfect for all ages.

Kauai, Hawaii

The least developed of Hawaii's major islands, Kauai offers big fun to young families. Take a boat ride to Fern Grotto, explore the Children's Discovery Museum or go wild at the Makalani Playground and Lydgate Beach Park, wandering a labyrinth, snorkeling or swimming in pools safe enough for your littlest ones.

Los Angeles, California

The rejuvenated Hollywood Boulevard is sure to keep the family entertained with such historic sights as the Chinese and El Capitan theaters and Hollywood and Highland, the home of Academy Awards, plus visit the kitsch hot dog stand, Tail O' The Pup. Griffith Park offers great Hollywood Sign views.

Spain

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Best Beach Vacations - Spain

Tenerife, Canary Islands

Part of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is largely a resort island with brilliant man-made beaches of fine black shingle or golden sand. With calm, clear waters and an almost constant wind, Tenerife in a windsurfer's dream. You can also sunbathe, swim, snorkel and scuba dive along the beautiful coastline.

Marbella, Costa del Sol, Andalusia

On the southern coast of Spain, Marbella is a favorite resort town for beachgoers who want to see and be seen. Miles of sunny beaches, casinos and marinas circle the glamorous and cosmopolitan Costa del Sol. Enjoy sunbathing and every possible sporting activity.

Palma de Mallorca, Majorca, Balearic Islands

Palma, the economic and cultural hub of Majorca, is a delightful base for exploring the island's many beaches. Considered one of the best places in Spain to live, Palma offers you picturesque beaches of gold sand as well as alabaster-white beaches bustling with activity.

Malaga, Costa del Sol, Andalusia

A flotilla of decidedly different beaches line port city Malaga's coastline on the Costa del Sol. Stretching 25 miles and ranging from bustling city sand strips to remote strands, this Andalucian destination has been popular with British and German sun seekers since being developed in the 1950s.

Nerja, Costa del Sol, Andalusia

ositioned at the eastern tip of the Costa del Sol, Nerja boasts nearly 10 miles of powdery beaches featuring activities like water skiing, scuba diving and sailing. Although tourist-oriented, it hasn't been overtaken by high-rises, and its huge promenade delivers panoramic Mediterranean views.

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

Well-known as a fun and exciting place to party, Ibiza boasts more than 100 miles of coastline with some 50 beaches. Larger beaches offer restaurants, bars and an enviable array of water sports while more tranquil beaches let visitors relax in the sun or shade.

Cadaques, Costa Brava, Catalonia

Tiny, hidden bays line the coast around sleepy Cadaques, creating a series of private beaches near the French border. Thanks to their boat-only access, an afternoon of swimming and sunbathing without crowds is as simple as hiring a skiff and cruising the rocky shoreline.

Best Family Friendly Vacations - Spain

Barcelona, Catalonia

The winning combination of culture, coastline and a great climate make Barcelona a top choice for the whole family. Gaudi's astounding architectural creations amaze. Some appealing beaches provide daytime diversions. Sights such as the aquarium and Las Ramblas provide yet more entertainment
Also recommended for: Shopping History & Culture

Canary Islands

With their sandy beaches and appealingly priced family resorts, the Canaries are an inviting option for families. Tenerife offers a slew of fun attractions: Visit Europe's largest Aqua Park, Siam Park; meet the continent's largest parrot collection at Loro Parque. Hop on glass-bottomed boats to admire the islands' marine life.

Best History & Culture Vacations - Spain

Madrid

Madrid boasts some of the finest art collections in the world, but the city also has plenty of interesting historic attractions. The Royal Palace, the Convent of the Royal Barefoot Nuns, the Museo Naval and Puerta Del Sol trace Spanish history from the empire Francisco Franco's reign to the modern day.

Barcelona, Catalonia

You will not find any shortage of history in Barcelona, a city that is more than 2,000 years old. A trip through Europe's best-preserved Gothic Quarter turns the clock back to ancient and medieval times, and visually stunning churches and outstanding art museums also make excellent sightseeing.

Seville, Andalusia

Seville's Gothic cathedral was built in the 15th century on the site of a Moorish mosque and contains much of the city's history, including Columbus' remains. His magnificent tomb is worth a visit. Muslim and Jewish art can be seen throughout the Reales Alcazares - these two groups coexisted peacefully until the Inquisition.

Granada, Granada Province, Andalusia

The best of Spain's Moorish past is found in the famous Alhambra fortress, the spectacular Palacios Nazaries and the Alcaiceria (marketplace). The 16th-century Palace of Carlos V is one of the best works of Spanish Renaissance architecture, and Granada's Cathedral is Spain's only completely Renaissance church.

Best Romantic Vacations - Spain

Majorca, Balearic Islands

Attracting visitors from all parts of the world, Majorca is a dreamy island destination in the Mediterranean Sea, just off the south-east coast of Spain. There's something for every taste - beaches and coves, a spectacular mountain range, romantic fishing villages and a rustic countryside dotted with almond and olive groves.

Best Shopping Vacations - Spain

Barcelona, Catalonia

You'll be spoiled for choice in bargain-crammed Barcelona, where designer names jostle for attention in the city's thrilling array of stores. If you're in the market for some picnic shopping, trot to La Boqueria - a rambunctious market - and stock up on almonds, cherries and other tasty delights.

Madrid

Boasting a slew of intriguing boutiques - 50,000 of them, no less - Madrid can fulfill your every shopping desire and then some. El Centro teems with tempting opportunities. For intrepid shoppers and hagglers, El Rastro, which takes place every Sunday, is Spain's largest and most varied flea market.

Best Spa Vacations - Spain

Andalusia

Andalusia's Moorish past is captured in some of its fine hammam bathhouses. Cordoba's restored 10th-century Medina Califal Hammam, an exquisite Arab style bathhouse, provides an enticing Moorish spa experience for both men and women and a fantastic way to sink into the idyllic pace of life in the region.

Italy

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Art and culture

Italy, a land of art and history

Italy is a synonym for culture, art, and history. Artistic wonders can be found everywhere, and every corner of the country holds countless and wonderful surprises. Our artistic and cultural heritage is one of the most valuable in the world. Italy has more cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country. Rome, Florence, Assisi, Venice, Siena, Pisa, and Naples are its most renowned cities of art, but the whole country can boast towns of breathtaking beauty, as these numbers demonstrate: 95,000 monumental churches, 40,000 forts and castles, 30,000 historical residences with 4,000 gardens, 36,000 archives and libraries, 20,000 historical cities and towns, 5,600 museums and archaeological sites, and 1,500 convents.

Tourists can explore and discover the private residences of ancient and noble families; visit world famous museums such as the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Capitoline Museums in Rome, or the Brera Art Gallery in Milan; explore impressive archaeological sites, such as Pompei and Herculaneum, to immerse themselves in an exciting, grandiose past. That is by no means all - there are numerous cultural, artistic, and musical events that animate Italian life.

Italy offers a rich combination of masterpieces from different areas, blending landscape and culture, history and art, architecture and city planning - it offers an exciting journey through time, from the Ancient Greeks and Romans to the present day, which is also filled by a wealth of art and culture.

Well-being and health

Italy, a land of well-being

Feeling good in Italy is easy. This country boasts the largest number of thermal spa centres in the world, with a tradition of body and soul treatments that dates back thousands of years - to ancient Rome. Throughout the country, from north to south, it is possible for visitors to experience a unique vacation centred on general well-being l at our numerous natural thermal springs. These places are renowned for their therapeutic properties and for their excellent aesthetic treatments. There are ancient baths that have remained intact for centuries and take visitors back in time, offering a primitive sort of appeal, with their natural saunas, hidden caves surrounded by vegetation, and hot steam with a pleasantly ferrous scent - excellent spots for reinvigorating the body and treating the skin.

A thermal spa vacation is always revitalizing, thanks to effective treatments and a wide range of services, but, most importantly, thanks to the enchanting natural landscapes in which they are located. Italy has various world famous thermal spas: Saturnia, Montecatini, San Gimignano, Abano, Salsomaggiore and Ischia, to name just a few for a holiday devoted to health, beauty and physical well-being, in quiet resorts with all mod cons. Special consideration should be given to the wide array of options available at the wellness centres in Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria and Tuscany. Their facilities are specifically equipped to make use of the latest apparatus and techniques, with innovative treatments that provide guests with a vacation dedicated to physical well-being and relaxation.

Business and study

Italy, the country of excellence

Italy is the ideal destination for business tourism: many international airports, appropriate infrastructures and breathtaking landscapes. It’s no wonder that the “Bel Paese” stands out as the favourite place for congressional tourism. Its amazing regions offer a wide range of choices throughout the year: both large and small cities have new, high-quality structures for national and international fairs, making it possible to discover the charm of Italy in the time not strictly dedicated to business.

The "Bel Paese" is an excellent choice of location for congresses, meetings and conventions. The Italian territory boasts numerous congress centres suitable for any kind of event, with modern and prestigious structures equipped with everything you need to make your congress successful: hotels, and specialized infrastructures and services that guarantee high-quality service. Italy provides the best backdrops for a great congress: from the capital, Rome, to the exciting Milan, without forgetting other cities such as Turin, Rimini, and its many cities of art, to name but a few. That is not all – meetings can also be organized in the many locations around the wonderful Italian lakes, rivieras, or mountain sites. As a choice Italy is an all round winner.

Italy offers prestigious structures and innumerable events throughout the year. Its art, culture, and scenery , provide the perfect backdrop for motivational trips that are enriched by its beauty and comfortable facilities.

Italy’s industrial archaeology attracts many tourists who want to discover its economic, productive, technical and scientific history. . This country is an extraordinary repository of fascinating resources that are of great interest for this type of tourism, and help in understanding the historic evolution of individual areas. .Its big industrial centres, situated both in North and in South Italy, are concrete evidence of the economic history of Italy and the Mediterranean: the tourism sector devoted to industrial archaeology is growing rapidly, and . Italy, with its many types of industry, is an ideal destination to be explored and discovered.

Of all the destinations proposed for study tours, Italy certainly stands out for the immense variety of programmes and for the quality of its hospitality . Every year, numerous Italian Universities welcome thousands of students from all over the world, organizing courses at various levels and encouraging participants to learn the language or explore the vast, fascinating world of Italian art and culture. The typical Italian hospitality is of great help to foreigners who want to learn the language, including its common expressions and colloquial speech. Italy is the ideal place for a vacation dedicated to education and fun, because it gives visitors an experience full of cultural, but also personal, enrichment.

Culture and entertainment

Italy, a land of culture

Italy is a nation that hosts unique and fascinating events of international resonance throughout the year, providing innumerable opportunities for experiencing intense emotions.

Art exhibitions are inspired by over a thousand years of heritage, and events such as the Venice Biennial with its design and contemporary art focus, are flanked and alternate with theatre and ballet performances. For classical music lovers, the festivals and operatic seasons offered by Milan’s La Scala and the Verona Arena are unique. Italy is a synonym for music and art in every form. But that’s not all. It offers a wide range of traditional and modern cultural events, such as the many Carnivals held, most notably in Venice, but also in many other regions, and the various historical and religious representations that fill Italy with fantasy and vitality throughout the year.

Italy is also a natural film set. Its beautiful scenery make it the perfect background for every kind of film production: From its metropolises, to its Renaissance palaces, and amazing natural landscapes.

Italy is an ensemble of art, culture, natural landscapes, traditions, magic…in a word, diversity. Enjoy Italy and its daily, countless events!

Religion and spirituality

A land of religion and spirituality

As the heart of one of the world's most significant religions , Italy has always been a destination for those who have made their faith a way of life and who wish to explore the roots of a world that has produced art, architecture, and objects of inestimable value.

Italy is a land of pilgrimage - one of the foremost in the world - and is home to countless places of devotion and worship: San Giovanni Rotondo, the city where St. Padre Pio of Pietralcina lived and worked; Assisi, the city of St. Francis, with its magnificent Basilica and Holy Convent; and the Sanctuary of Loreto, one of the most prominent spiritual and cultural centres in Europe. But the ultimate destination for religious pilgrimages is undoubtedly Rome, the Capital of Christianity and Seat of the Papacy, where one can find St. Peter's Basilica, the largest Christian church in the world. Another of the countless destinations is Turin, site of the Shroud of Turin, a relic bearing the everlasting image of Christ after the crucifixion, which can only be seen during scheduled exhibitions.

Italy is an unparalleled and mandatory destination for anyone wishing to travel the historical roads of Christianity , such as the Via Francigena, or explore the numerous places of worship in every region, or simply take a spiritual trip to admire the artistic, cultural, and religious heritage of this country.

Lakes

Italy, a land of lakes

Italy has many lakes; in fact, there are over a thousand , renowned for their incomparable beauty and each is characterized by distinct features. Lakes Garda, Maggiore, and Como, now well-known throughout the world, have become ideal destinations for spending some time in the sun and in close contact with nature. Italy’s major lakes are fully equipped and offer a range of accommodation facilities. The beaches provide all the comforts and are suitable for bathing. In addition to relaxing, visitors can have fun testing their skills with a variety of outdoor activities. Several water sports are offered: water skiing, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving, and even fishing, with national level competitions. Sports such as golf, horseback riding, and mountain biking are also offered almost everywhere. A lakeside holiday also allows tourists to discover the surrounding areas, which are full of history and traditions

Italy's lakes create enchanting landscapes thanks to the extraordinarily prosperous ecosystems that have developed over the millennia, and the evolution of the many and various plant and animal species. Small Alpine lakes, which are quite common in high-altitude areas, are excellent destinations for exciting hikes to explore breathtaking landscapes. Visitors have a world of emotions to explore, following their instinct and their passions, savouring fragrances and tastes. A lakeside vacation gives guests the rare opportunity to discover and enjoy Italy's charm, reflected in cool, pristine waters.

The great lakes , Lakes Como, Maggiore and Garda, are the largest lakes in Italy, they have always been a major holiday destination, and their fame has never stopped growing.

Eating and drinking

Italy, a land of flavours.

Italy has always been a synonym for "good food," offering an unmistakable explosion of flavours, scents, and aromas. Aside from having one of the most famous cuisines, it also proposes an immense variety of different regional dishes and recipes.

Visitors cannot miss the food and wine itineraries - journeys through Italy's gastronomic culture, in search of ancient recipes, genuine products, and simple food inspired by classic Italian cooking and innovative creations. World renowned products such as Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, Parma and San Daniele ham, Modena balsamic vinegar, Genoa's pesto, buffalo mozzarella from Campania, Alba truffles, and cured meats are just some of the symbols that make Italy the land of good food. And how could anyone forget pasta and pizza, universal synonyms for Italy?

Italy’s wines, those noble ambassadors of Italian excellence throughout the world, must not be neglected. The pleasure of tasting a fine wine in its native environment is unparalled - a glass of Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, of Barbera or Barolo in Piedmont, of Prosecco di Valdobbiadene in Veneto, of Lambrusco in Emilia Romagna, or the Sicilian wines or the white wines in Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige, or the great reds of the Valtellina, just to provide a few renowned examples. Italy has a world of flavours to taste and tempt the palate , eyes, and heart!
Italian wines

The Ancient Greeks used to call Italy “Enotria”, in deference to its renown for producing extraordinary wines. It would be impossible to list all of the features of Italian wines, world famous for their variety and quality.

Beaches

Italy, a land of coasts and beaches

Italy is the ideal destination for a seaside vacation. It boasts around 8,000 km of coastline, lapped by the waves of the Adriatic, the Tyrrhenian, the Ionian, the Ligurian, and the Sardinian Seas. From north to south, stretches of sandy beaches alternate with jagged shorelines and sheer cliffs that plunge into the sea - a land full of picturesque, fascinating seaside locations and islands with spectacular natural views that are well worth visiting. The wide variety of landscapes makes it possible to choose from different kinds of vacations, combining rest and entertainment, privacy and leisure.

The vast, sandy beaches on the Tyrrhenian coast are the ideal location for families, while the steep, rocky coastlines and small inlets of the Ionian and Sardinian Seas are perfect for those who are looking for a more isolated, “wild” atmosphere. The Adriatic Sea is calm, with long sandy beaches sloping gradually down to the water. It is an ideal setting for children to play in and have good, safe fun.

Wherever you go , there is a wide range of accommodation facilities - from luxury resorts to clubs that offer entertainment, activities, and all types of sports, to family hotels that mix comfort with hospitality in picturesque coastal areas, quaint fishing villages, or small towns built on the cliffs with breathtaking panoramic views of harbours and inlets. These vacation spots ensure visitors an intense, magical experience and offer young people the chance to enjoy nights out in the many different clubs that populate the Italian rivieras.

The Ligurian Sea is divided into the Riviera di Ponente (Western Riviera), with famous tourist destinations such as Bordighera, San Remo, Alassio, and the Riviera di Levante (Eastern Riviera), characterized by the Tigullio Gulf: Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Portovenere are some of its main towns.

Mountains

Italy, a land of mountains Immense valleys surrounded by green fields, amazing mountain spires emerging through white clouds, clean waters…these are the Italian mountains. The perfect scenario for a vacation in any season. Italy boasts a charming environmental heritage to enjoy throughout the whole year and many tourist destinations where it is possible to live the extraordinary experience of coming into contact with nature. F

rom the Dolomites in Trentino-Alto Adige to the Alps of Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta and Lombardy, from the Alps of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia to the Apennines of Emilia Romagna and Tuscany, eventually reaching the impressive profile of Etna, Sicily. A mountain vacation is an unforgettable experience. Italy has high-quality tourist structures, perfect for family vacations as well as the more active holidays preferred by nature lovers.

There is a wide array of options that meet everyone's needs: hotels of various ratings, wellness centres, chalets, apartments, apartment hotels - everything you need to have an enjoyable mountain vacation surrounded by an extraordinary landscape.

Nature and wildlife

Italy, a land of nature

Wildlife parks boasting untainted beauty offer an ideal setting for those who decide to spend their vacations in contact with nature, discovering Italy’s flora and fauna, visiting its sunny islands and surrounded by the typical Mediterranean landscape.

Tourists can enjoy an unforgettable experience exploring Italy's rough and wild environment. There are many national parks well worth exploring : the Gran Paradiso, Circeo, Stelvio, Dolomiti Bellunesi, Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga, Cilento and Vallo di Diano, and Gargano National Parks, the parks of Calabria and Aspromonte, not to mention the Maddalena and Tuscan Archipelagos, the Vesuvius, the Cinque Terre National Parks, and many other protected areas, nature reserves, and marine parks.

Italy's lush and diversified environment provides many ideal settings for vacations in close contact with nature, for a natural rush of energy. There are many welcoming country tourist locations offering a relaxing and intimate atmosphere, the chance to taste genuine food, and discover local history and traditions. A perfect vacation in any moment of the year, revealing a different, and in many ways, secret Italy.

Sports and adventure

Italy, a land of sport and adventure

Italy offers endless and amazing opportunities for those seeking a vacation dedicated to sports and physical activity - for those who want to be in close contact with nature both during the summer and the winter, surrounded by breathtaking scenery and unique landscapes.

There are qualified and well-equipped facilities to assist guests and meet their every need. Italy's countless marinas and ports, and various tourist organizations offer opportunities to indulge in water sports, such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, swimming, sailing, and waterskiing.

For mountain lovers, there are infinite options. During the summer: biking, walking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and kayaking along streams and rapids, fishing in the pristine waters of rivers and lakes, paragliding and hang gliding over spectacular landscapes. During the winter, the mountains become a paradise for those who wish to practise winter sports. There are also several options for cyclists - from mountain biking to downhill and street biking with scenery boasting undeniable beauty and challenging hills to tackle. A number of bike-tour itineraries provide a range of ability levels and include the option of lodging in comfortable and practical bike hotels equipped to accommodate aficionados of this sport.

Whatever the season, whatever the passion, Italy is the place for a sports-related vacation beyond compare! Italy is the perfect background for cycling, rafting, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding along amazing bridle paths…and many other outdoor sports.

Tourist Attractions in France

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France has some of the most beautiful and lively cities and tourist attractions in the world. These sites not only play host to descending tourists and curious travelers, they also shield the raw beauty of unexplored regions and unique fests from the rest of the world. With TSI Holidays outbound tourist packages, you can explore the famous with the lesser known attractions and events on your tour to France and its cities.

Tourist Attractions

The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Church, museums and galleries, walks along the canals, houseboat cruises, beach sports, water sports, island tours, winter sports in the Alps and Pyrenees, a game of boules on the street, walks through the Paris streets are just some of the attractions that draw people to France. The rolling slopes and vineyards of Champagne, the farmlands of Normandy, the historic sites at Lorraine and Strasbourg, the Celtic heritage of Brittany (a coastal town), the Gothic Cathedrals and green pastures in the medieval town of Burgundy, the châteaux and churches in the volcanic city of Auvergne, the French Alps of Rhone and the grand palaces and gorge in the Loire Valley are some other places that you may visit with TSI Holidays outbound packages for France.

Eiffel Tower in Paris

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is the most famous tourist attraction in France. The amazing Eiffel Tower was designed and built by an intelligent French engineer Gustave Eiffel for the world exhibition of 1889, commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. One of the greatest engineering masterpieces in the world, the Eiffel Tower rises to 300 m /984 ft (320/1,052 ft. including the FM and TV antenna) above the ground, weighing about 7,000 tons. At the time of its construction it was the tallest structure in the world.

The Eiffel Tower has three platforms: the first at a height of 57 meters, the second at 115 meters, and the third at 276 m, all of them providing stunning views of Paris and the surrounding Ile de France region. The pre-sunset view of Paris from its third floor is truly a breathtaking one, indeed an unforgettable experience for tourists.

The Eiffel Tower also has two well-maintained restaurants- Altitude 95 on the first platform, and the extremely expensive Jules Verne with a private elevator on the second floor. The top platform of the Eiffel Tower has a bar, a souvenir shop, and the erstwhile office of Gustave Eiffel. To reach the Tower's summit, one needs to cover a staggering 1,665 steps.

French Alps in Rhone

Located in the eastern France, the French Alps in Rhone is one of most enchanting and picturesque moutain landscapes in the world. The French one Rhone Alps are known for their diverse landscapes, consisiting of scenic mountains, lush valleys, lively rivers, and enchnaitng waterfalls and lakes. Lyon, the third largest city of France, is the capital of the French Alps region. Home to the highest mountain of Western Europe- Mount Blanc (4,807meters), the French Alps offer excellent conditions for skiing and hiking, using Chamonix and other skiing resorts in the area as a base.

The French Rhone-Alps region has some of the largest and most famous skiing resorts of the world, including Chamonix, Megève, Avoriaz, La Clusaz and Courchevel. Besides world-class skiing resorts, the French Alps also has many important historical regions and nature reserves of France, including Ain, Drome, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, and the famous Vanoise Nature Reserve. Visit the French Alps in Rhone to explore the diverse attractions of this strikingly beautiful region of France with TSI Holidays. Take a refreshing breath in the pristine and breathtaking surroundings of the French Alps. Drive deep in the Ardeche or Drome gorges; visit the fascinating cities of Lyon, Chambéry and Annecy; or explore the fascinating countryside of Haute-Savoie region. Discover the great museums, roman ruins and some of the finest restaurants at Lyon, or explore the rich and diverse flora and fauna of the Vanoise National Park- the first and one of the only seven national parks in France.

The real charm of the French Alps in Rhone lies in its 180 skiing resorts in 15 mountain ranges. Thousands of skiers from all over the world throng to internationaly renowned resorts of Alpe d'Huez, Chamonix, Courchevel and the Trois Vallées. Besides skiing, you can also enjoy other thrilling activities like hiking, mountain biking, horse safari, white- water rafting, angling, summer skiing, mountain climbing, caving, bungee jumping, and many more.

Annual Film Festival in Cannes

world, held annually at the fascinating beach resort of Cannes in France. Started in 1939, in response to the leading Venice Film Festival, which was apparently being run by Fascist Italy, the Cannes Film Festival could screen only one movie in 1939 due to starting of the World War II. The first complete Cannes Film Festival was organized in 1946 at Cannes, and since then, the Festival is held annually in May every year.

The Cannes Film Festival is a non-public festival, primarily attended by people from the world of movies. The Festival draws hundreds of movie stars from all corners of the world and provides a good platform for movie producers to launch their new films and sell them to the eager distributors. The Cannes Festival is also popular for its starlets on the beach, on yachts, and fractious bunfights over controversial screenings. Most of the events are organized at the enchanting Palais des Festivals and are strictly by invitation only, there are film screenings open to the public, all over the town.

The Golden Palm (Palme d'Or) is the most prestigious award given out at Cannes for the best film. Other awards, including the Grand Jury Prize (the second most prestigious award) are decided by the jury of the festival, comprising of a group of internationally renowned movie professionals. Visit Cannes during the famous Cannes Film Festival and see the starlets on beach and enjoy screening of some of the most beautiful movies of the year from all over the world, with TSI Holidays.

Thorens Glières' Castle

Located near fascinating medieval town of Annecy, Thorens Glières' Castle is one of the major tourist attractions in France. Built on an 11th century AD fortress, the beautiful Thorens Glières' Castle is made of hypogeum and secret dungeons. The invincible Thorens Glières' Castle commands the entrance of the famous plateau des Glières region- a key stronghold for the resistance and a World War II battle site. The Castle is a must visit attraction for those who want to get an insight into the rich and fascinating history of France.

The Thorens Glières' Castle is known for its valuable Salésian treasure, consisting of the 12th-17th centuries ornaments, ministerial furniture, Episcopalian documents, and amazing tapestry work related to Tobie. Thorens was also the country estate of Camille de Cavour, the founder of the Italian unity, and houses many interesting art collections and souvenirs related to him. The Castle also houses the beautiful chalet of Saint François de Sales, a renowned 17th century Saint, who was Bishop of Geneva and Annecy, and the author of "L'introduction a la vie dévôte," considered the most read book after the bible. A visit to the Thorens Glières' Castle promises to take you through a thousand of years of history of the region.

Thorens Glieres is also known for its enchanting mountain scenery, and the place also provides excellent conditions for hiking the Alps Mountain, sailing on the lake, skiing, wakeboarding, paragliding, mountain biking, cycling, and nature walking. Visit the beautiful Thorens Glières' Castle on your France Tour with TSI Holidays and get enchanted with the fascinating charm of the place that never fails to impress its visitors.

Wine Tours in Burgundy

Located in the eastern France, Burgundy is world-famous for its red wines, and is the second largest wine producing regions in the country, after Bordeaux. Burgundy has some of the finest vineyards in France on its picturesque slopes of the Cotes de Nuits and the Cotes de Beaune, producing excellent red wines. Burgundy wines are among the most sought-after wines in the world, and the most expensive, including those of Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Besides its wines, Burgundy is also known for its enchanting scenic beauty and fascinating cultural charm, which never fails to impress its visitors.

TSI Holidays brings to you exciting and unforgettable Burgundy Wine Tours. Visit this wine lover's paradise, going from one vineyard to another, passing lush and picturesque grape farming villages and tasting their best wines along the way. Besides wine tasting, you'll also discover the natural and architectural beauty of the region, including the world-famous Côte d'Or. Stay in the finest luxury hotels with their breathtaking views of the vineyards in Champagne. Meet the world-class winemakers and discuss about the process of wine making on your Burgundy Wine Tours with TSI Holidays.

Paris Museum Tour

Paris, the capital city of France, is not only known for its towering Eiffel Tower packed, but the city also houses some of the most renowned museums in the world, including the Louvre Museum, known for its world's largest collection of art. Paris houses more than 80 museums and over 200 art galleries, and a visit to Paris for the museums alone is well worth it. Visitors can also purchase a La Carte pass, providing free admission to 60 national and municipal museums in Paris. Visit and explore these world-famous Paris Museums with TSI and discover the amazing collections of arts and artifacts, including dome of the finest paintings and sculptures in the world.

The Louvre Museum, the biggest museum in the world, is the most famous museum in Paris. The museum displays the art from Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, and the western art from the Middle ages to 1848, consisting of some of the finest paintings, drawings, and sculptures in the world, including the world-famous painting of Mona Lisa (La Joconde). Other famous museums, which you can visit on your Paris Museum Tour, include the Rodin Museum- famous for its bronze and marble sculptures by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917); the Maillol Museum- known for its amazing collections of modern art; the Cluny Museum with some of the finest medieval European tapestries, and the Orsay Museum with a superb collection of the 19th and the early 20th century art.

Other worth visiting museums in Paris include the famous Advertising Museum, Picasso Museum, Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, Institut du Monde Arabe, Musée National des Arts et Métiers, Musée National d'Art Moderne and the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle.

Events

Events in France showcase its diversity in terms of geography, culture and cuisine, beyond the three major cities of Paris, Lyon and Marseilles.

Sports Events
Monaco Grand Prix, Tour de France, Paris Marathon and Kandahar-Alpine Skiing World Cup bring out the sporty side of the French, otherwise considered to be eternal romantics.

Carnivals and Popular Festivals
Dunkerque and Nice Carnivals, Nativity at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Cannes International Film Festival and the Bastille Day Celebrations are some of the popular events that reflect the cosmopolite character of the French.

Art and Culture Fests
The International Film Festival, Jazz Under the Apple Trees (Normandy), Summer Solstice and Musical Festivals (nationwide), and International Festival of Theatre, Music and literature (Limosin) reflect the average Frenchman's partially for music and art.

South Africa Travel

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South Africa Attractions and Destinations / South Africa is one of the most diverse and enchanting countries in the world. Exotic combinations of landscapes, people, history and culture offer the traveller a unique and inspiring experience. South Africa is a heady mix of third and first world cultures - along with the best and least crowded beaches in the world. Throw in wildlife parks such as the Kruger National Park, Eight World Heritage Sites, beautiful natural scenery, a great infrastructure and a stable post-apartheid environment and you have a great destination waiting to happen.

Select the province or region you plan to visit below to view South Africa Tourist Attractions and Destinations in that region or select from the detailed lists below:

South Africa Attractions & Destinations

Western Cape / Cape Town

Cape Town's Attractions are plentiful and varied. The Western Cape is one of South Africa's premier tourism destinations and for good reason. The Cape province is renowned for the world-famous landmark Table Mountain, its vast Cape Winelands and the most exquisite coastline. The Western Cape is made up of 10 distinct regions, 3 popular tourist routes and offers many 'must-see' attractions.

Destinations / Regions of the Western Cape

Cape Town and Peninsula

With its majestic icon Table Mountain backdrop and pristine beaches, Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful, culturally diverse cities in Africa. Between the high-rise office blocks, Edwardian and Victorian buildings have been meticulously preserved .

Cape Helderberg

The Cape Helderberg includes Somerset West, Strand and Gordon's Bay. The region is comfortably close to Cape Town and the Cape Winelands, and is the perfect stop-over for tourists visiting the Cape Overberg or Garden Route. Famous for its seaside resorts .

Cape Overberg

The Overberg includes Swellendam, Arniston, Caledon, Hermanus and L'Agulhas. It is the most southerly region in Africa and is surrounded by mountains and ocean. The holiday-friendly Cape Overberg shoreline is famed for whale watching, shipwrecks, lighthouses ...

Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas, or the place where two oceans meet, lies at the furthest tip of Africa, a region that includes the towns of Arniston, Bredasdrop, L’Agulhas, Napier, Elim and Struisbaai. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors ..

Cape West Coast

The Cape West Coast area includes Darling, Langebaan, Saldanha, St Helena Bay and Yzerfontein. The beautiful coastal wild flower reserves unravel across green hills. Famous for seaside resorts, flower displays, the West Coast National Park, fynbos, watersports .

Olifants River Valley

The Olifants River Valley includes the towns of Clanwilliam, Lamberts Bay, Citrusdal and Vredendal, and comprises one of the largest citrus producing areas in South Africa. It is also known for its awe-inspiring scenic beauty and the fascinating distorted rock formations of ... olifants river valley information
(includes) The Cederberg

The beautiful Cederberg, a wilderness area dominated by a craggy mountain range and a nature reserve that stretches from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal to just north of the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam - over 70 000 hectares of .

Cape Winelands

The rich, fertile soils along the Breede River and especially the areas of Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, have become world famous for their whites, reds, sherries, ports and brandies. It is the Mediterranean climate and winter rainfall of the south-western .

Breede River Valley

An area of panoramic landscapes and towering cliffs which provide magnificent views of its valleys. It is the largest fruit and wine producing region of the Western Cape and includes Montagu, Ceres, Bonnievale, Worcester and Tulbagh. The wineries and cellars of the .

The Swartland

The main town of the Swartland, Malmesbury, lies at the centre of one of the country's most important wheat-producing areas. Lush fruit plantations, expansive protea farms and indigenous veld flowers complete the picture. The region is also known for its Khoi-San rock art

Klein and Central Karoo

The principal towns of the little Karoo are Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, De Rust, Uniondale, Beaufort West and Prince Albert. Famous for the Cango Caves, ostrich farms, the Karoo National Park, hiking trails, the Voortrekker Monument, Swartberg Pass, Gamkaskloof .

Garden Route

The Garden Route runs between Heidelberg and Storms River, parallel to a coastline featuring lakes, mountains, tall indigenous forests, amber-coloured rivers and golden beaches. Meandering trails are followed by hikers, the forests invite leisurely drives, and lakes and rivers .

Western Cape Attractions and Destinations

Popular Tourist Routes

Cape Wine Routes

When one reflects on the splendours of the Cape - lush green valleys, rugged mountains, azure seas and sky - then the Cape’s winelands are usually top of the list. Visitors pour into the Western Cape to experience our viticulture, restored Cape Dutch farmsteads with their distinctive gables and thatched .

Route 62

Travelers headed for the Garden Route will find that Route 62 offers a better alternative to the dull N2 motorway between Cape Town and George, being more scenic and slightly shorter. This well-maintained blacktop highway meanders from Worcester, by way of the Breede River Valley and the Klein Karoo, on to George and .
Cape Whale Coast

The coming of the whales to the Western Cape's southern coastline, also known as the Cape Whale Coast, every year between June and November, not only creates a stir, but brings to our shores a large, intelligent and remarkable giant of the sea and the only mammal to have adapted to life in the open oceans .

"Must See" Attractions in the Western Cape

Table Mountain

Since the first person laid eyes on Table Mountain, it has exerted its powerful and charismatic pull, enchanting and drawing any and all who fall under its spell. The way to the top has never been easy, and for many centuries only a handful of bold and enterprising people could say ... more information and photo gallery

Robben Island

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, 12 kilometres from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment. It was here at Robben Island that rulers sent those regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society. During the apartheid years Robben Island ... more information

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants. The Kirstenbosch estate covers 528 hectares ... more information

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

One of Cape Town's biggest tourist attractions, the Waterfront evokes images of the early activities of the harbour. Much of its charm lies in the fact that this busy commercial harbour is set in the midst of a huge entertainment venue with pubs, restaurants, specialty shops, craft markets, theatres and movies ... more information

Cape Point

Bartholomeu Dias, the Portuguese seafarer, was the first to sail around the Cape. This was in 1488. On his return voyage, which must have been particularly stormy, Dias stopped at the south-western tip of Africa, and named it Cabo Tormentoso, or Cape of Storms. King John of Portugal later gave it the name ... more information

Cape Town Beaches

The Mother City has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and something to offer everyone. It is no surprise that South Africa was one of the first countries outside of Europe to earn blue flag status for some of her beaches - there are three on offer in and around Cape Town. The blend of ... more information

Cango Caves

Almost 30 kilometres outside of Outshoorn in the Klein Karoo, and certainly one of the main reasons for placing this little town on your itinerary, other than the prospect of riding an ostrich, lie the Cango Caves, some of the biggest stalagmite formations in the world set in Precambrian times ... more information

Garden Route

The Garden Route is a coastal corridor on the western coast of South Africa, where ancient forests, rivers, wetlands, dunes, stretches of beach, lakes, mountain scenery and indigenous fynbos all merge to form a landscape of restorative beauty.

This is a strip of land like no other in the world in terms of beauty, natural attractions and unique flora and fauna - hence its name. Three of South Africa’s top hikes take place here - the Otter Trail and the Tsitsikama and Dolphin trails and man’s footprint has made little impact on the rugged and sometimes inaccessible coastline. The Garden Route is a paradise for eco-lovers, bird watchers and solitude seekers and one of the most beautiful parts of the Western Cape. It lies sandwiched between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean and is on every tourist’s itinerary. The Garden Route is a popular holiday destination during summer and a tranquil hideaway during the winter months - both seasons are equally beautiful and attractive due to the largely Mediterranean climate of the Garden Route.

Garden Route Attractions and Destinations

Albertinia

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Albertinia

Albertinia, a peaceful little town lying at the foot of the Langeberg Mountain range, is known as the home of the Aloe. The indigenous Aloe ferox, or Cape Aloe, grows prolifically in the area and the leaves
Brenton On Sea

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Brenton On Sea

Lying on the other side of Knysna’s Western Head, nestled on the shores of the Indian Ocean in a quiet, lazy bay, residents describe Brenton on Sea’s beauty as the coast that Knysna doesn’t have, and in reality, Knysna .
Dana Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Dana Bay

Whilst often disregarded simply as a suburb of Mossel Bay, Dana Bay is in fact a conservancy, set in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, home to fine examples of coastal and limestone varieties of fynbos under threat .
Eersterivier

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Eersterivier

Easily confused with the other Eersterivier, which lies between Cape Town and the Cape Winelands close to Somerset West, the little holiday village of Eersterivier lies virtually unknown on the rocky coastline
George

Where to Stay: Accommodation in George

Lying in a fertile, rich valley, surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountains, forests, rivers and prosperous farmlands, George lies just 420 km from Cape Town and 320 km from Port Elizabeth,
Glentana

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Glentana

Just east of the Great Brak River, almost half way between Mossel Bay and George, lies the beautiful seaside village of Glentana, its beaches topped by fynbos covered cliffs that plunge precipitously into the Indian ..
Gouritsmond

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Garden Route

Just over an hour's drive from Still Bay, Gouritsmond lies on the Garden Route on the coast, at the mouth of the Gourits River - creating a wonderful water playground where river meets sea. Pretty little stone houses that date .
Great Brak

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Great Brak

Whilst the adjectives - peaceful and tranquil - have been bandied about when referring to holiday locations, when applied to Great Brak they take on new meaning. This little village, just a few kilometres from both .
Hartenbos

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Hartenbos

Between the towns of Mossel Bay and George lies a perfect holiday resort with an endless expanse of golden beach for walkers and anglers and a shallow, sandy lagoon that offers safe swimming and canoeing. Hartenbos ..
Herolds Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Herolds Bay

The beautiful, secluded bay called Herold’s Bay has held an allure for holiday makers since time of old. Sketches and photographs in the George museum tell of ox wagons filled with tents, goods and servants, camping out .
Joubertina

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Joubertina

Joubertina (pronounced Djou-ber-tina) lies nestled in amongst the Kouga, Baviaanskloof and Tsitsikamma mountain ranges, with accommodation provided mostly on nearby farms. Whilst the surrounds are gorgeous, the little town .
Keurboomstrand

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Keurboomstrand

The word 'keurboom' comes from the local Keurboom tree or choice tree (Virgilia oroboides), which produces pretty pink-mauve flowers from August to September and again in December. Keurboomstrand ... Keurboomstrand information

Knysna

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Knysna

Knysna is a natural paradise of lush, indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches. She nestles on the banks of a breathtakingly pretty lagoon, now a protected marine reserve that is home to the extraordinary .
Little Brak

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Little Brak

A tranquil little haven of sea, lagoon and river, virtually lost in time, wedged between Mossel Bay and Groot Brak on the Garden Route, is Little Brak River. Mainly a resort area, this part of the coast is renowned ... Little Brak information

Mossel Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay is a bustling holiday town and port, set on the sunwashed slopes of Cape St Blaize overlooking the expansive bay, against the blueblack backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains. Mossel Bay lies halfway between .
Natures Valley

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Natures Valley

Possibly the best part about staying in Nature’s Valley is that, despite its being on the Garden Route and in spite of its overwhelming beauty, it has managed to remain relatively ‘undiscovered’. The peaceful valley, .
Plettenberg Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Plettenberg Bay

The town of Plettenberg Bay lies almost on the border of the Western and Eastern Cape. Built on the hillside, most of the town is on a steep slope leading down to the sea, which means that regardless of where you find ..

Riversdale

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Riversdale

The lovely country town of Riversdale lies at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains, close to the towns of Still Bay and Witsand. Mountains feature predominantly in the village’s appeal and the well-loved Sleeping Beauty .
Sedgefield

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Sedgefield

Lying between George and Knysna on the Garden Route and 490 km from Cape Town, Sedgefield is a beautiful seaside village surrounded entirely by lakes, sand dunes covered in fynbos, pine plantations, the Swartvlei .
Still Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Still Bay

The little seaside village of Stilbaai or Still Bay lies just off the N2 between Mossel Bay and Riversdale on an estuary where the Goukou River meets the Indian Ocean. Essentially a retirement village and holiday ..
Tsitsikamma

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Tsitsikamma

The incredibly beautiful area of land that lies between the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the sea stretches west to the Bloukrans River and east to Eerste River, and is named after the San word that means ‘place of abundant .
Victoria Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Victoria Bay

Victoria Bay (or "Vic Bay" as it is called by those in the know) is one of the smallest bays on the Garden Route. Traveling along the N2 National Road, Victoria Bay is 3km off the N2 and situated between George and ..
Vleesbaai

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Vleesbaai

The pretty little seaside village of Vleesbaai (or Vlees Bay) lies virtually hidden between the bays of Stilbaai and Mossel Bay, just north of where the Gouritz River joins the sea at the western end of the Garden Route .
Wilderness

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Wilderness

Lying in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains in a region of incomparable beauty, Wilderness is an attractive holiday resort with beautiful beaches and numerous vantage points from which to watch the whales and ... Wilderness information

Garden Route Attractions and Destinations

Garden Route National Park

The new Garden Route National Park, established by SANParks and also known as GRNP, spans an impressive 121 000 hectares and includes the existing Wilderness and Tsitsikamma national parks, the Knysna Lakes area and roughly 52 000 hectares of newly proclaimed land. Still regarded as 'new' the .
Birds of Eden Bird Sanctuary

The world’s largest single span aviary, just a few kilometres east of Plettenberg Bay in the Garden Route, where birds are free to fly free provides an incredible experience for those who visit, and a wonderful way of life for over 2000 previously caged birds.The completely unique venture of Birds of Eden is...

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area lies in the beautiful Langeberg Mountains, over 14 000 hectares that is, in turn, part of the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. It is regarded as a hiker's domain, a great space in which to scale peaks to reach views that are virtually unsurpassable, if clambering up ..
Bungee Jump at Gourits River Bridge

Bungee jumping in South Africa has earned a global reputation for its claim to having the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. Positioned along the Garden Route, the Bloukrans Bungee Jump will send you plummeting 216m, headfirst, towards the bottom. Because of the extreme height of this .
Featherbed Nature Reserve

A Natural Heritage site, the Featherbed Nature Reserve in Knysna is an utterly unique privately owned reserve that lies on the Western Head of the famous landmarks known as 'The heads' in Knysna, accessible only by ferry. Many people make a day of it, catching the ferry across the lagoon, going on a drive or walk .
Formosa Nature Reserve

Just north of Nature's Valley, between the towns of Kareedouw and Misgund, the Formosa Nature Reserve lies inland of what is arguably the most beautiful stretch of coastline in the country - the Garden Route. The Formosa Nature Reserve probably got its title from Bartholomew Dias, as early as 1488, when .
Goukamma Nature Reserve

The glorious Goukamma Nature Reserve is one of those unrivalled hideaways that, despite being on the popular Garden Route, manages to remain relatively obscure and unknown - a treasure trove near the mouth of the Goukamma River. Goukamma Nature and Marine Reserve, just 20 kilometres west of Knysna.
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve

Lying in the heart of the Langeberg Mountains, roughly 22 kilometres north-west of Heidelberg in the Cape Overberg, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is exactly as its name denotes - a wonderful large section of forest - 250 hectares of the largest remaining example of indigenous forest in the Langeberg.
Keurbooms River Nature Reserve

Head off towards Nature’s Valley from Plettenberg Bay on the N2 and Keurbooms River Nature Valley lies roughly 8 km along the major route of the N2. The beautiful Keurbooms River nature reserve that stretches over a distance of 2500 hectares, is bisected by the Keurbooms River and overlooks the estuary.
Lakes Area National Park

Formerly this national park consisted of the Wilderness National Park and Knysna National Lake Area. Because of their proximity and similarities they are currently managed as a single unit. The Knysna National Lake Area is home to the endangered Knysna seahorse and a large diversity of marine.

Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary

Monkeyland is the worlds first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary. Monkeyland, is unique in that the sanctuary caters for several species of primate, and they are not caged, they are free to move about the forest, and do so in harmony. Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary is a modern primate sanctuary.
Outeniqua Choo Tjoe

One of the few remaining steam trains in the country. Steam enthusiasts are in their element and everyone enjoys the splendid views of lakes, forests, beaches and cliffs on the train's coastal route between George and Knysna. One-way 3 hour trip, Monday to Friday

Outeniqua Nature Reserve

Not far from George on the Garden Route, the Outeniqua Nature Reserve lies in the heart of the Outeniqua Mountains, its 38 000 hectares divided up over the impressively solid barrier that separates the high rainfall, and subsequent abundance of the Garden Route, from the miraculously contrasting and arid Little Karoo .
Rein's Coastal Nature Reserve

Pretty and remote Rein's Nature Reserve is a private nature reserve that lies between Still Bay and Gouritzmond on a section of rocky coastline that has managed to remain both incredibly unspoilt and beautiful, its 3550 hectares filled with pristine fynbos and a sense of peace and stillness .
Robberg Nature Reserve

Just outside Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route is a beautiful, remote rocky peninsula touted as the most popular walking destination in and around Plettenberg Bay. Robberg Nature Reserve is a charged booster of outdoor living - incredible scenery, views over shoreline and sea, a thriving Cape fur seal colony.

Eastern Cape Attractions

The second largest of South Africa’s nine provinces, the diverse Eastern Cape is situated between the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal, and bordered by the Orange River and Drakensberg Mountains.

The Eastern Cape is an interesting place to visit. Some of the country's most powerful political figures, like Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela, were born here and the capital city, Port Elizabeth, was a crucial center of the anti-apartheid movement. A number of very good tour operators offer excellent township tours that provide an insight into Port Elizabeth's role in South African history, as well as an introduction into traditional Xhosa rites and ceremonies.

Destinations / Regions of the Eastern Cape

Port Elizabeth

Where to Stay: Port Elizabeth Accommodation

Port Elizabeth is fondly referred to as "The Friendly City". The city offers a diverse selection of attractions as a family-fun vacation destination including eco-attractions, scenic nature trails, wildlife and cultural experiences

East London

Where to Stay: East London Accommodation

South Africa's only river port city is set on the broad Buffalo River and one of the most attractive stretches of the Eastern Cape seaboard. East London's sweeping white beaches extend for miles, unpolluted, uncrowded, unspoilt .
Sunshine Coast

Where to Stay: Sunshine Coast Accommodation

The Sunshine Coast incorporates more then a million hectares of malaria free game reserve. Stretching from Port Elizabeth in the west to East London in the east, it boasts hundreds of kilometres of shining beaches,
Wild Coast

Where to Stay: Wild Coast Accommodation

The Wild Coast incorporates more then a million hectares of malaria free game reserve. Stretching from Port Elizabeth in the west to East London in the east, it boasts hundreds of kilometres of shining beaches,
Karoo Heartland

Where to Stay: Karoo Heartland Accommodation

As an enviro-tourism destination, the Karoo is unsurpassed, with scenery that changes from dramatic, rugged mountains to arid, open plains. Malaria free game viewing, hunting, bird-watching, imposing historical buildings .
Frontier Country

Where to Stay: Frontier Country Accommodation

As an enviro-tourism destination, the Karoo is unsurpassed, with scenery that changes from dramatic, rugged mountains to arid, open plains. Malaria free game viewing, hunting, bird-watching, imposing historical buildings .
Greater Addo

Where to Stay: Greater Addo Accommodation

Greater Addo is far more than just elephants. The Sundays River Valley, which nestles in the crook formed by the Addo Elephant National Park as it skirts the edge of the valley, is one of South Africa’s major citrus producers .
Amatola

Where to Stay: Amatola Accommodation

The Amatolas stretch into the hinterland just north of Grahamstown and west of Stutterheim, their slopes covered in dense natural forests of white stinkwoods, yellowwoods, Cape chestnuts, and a myriad other indigenous .
Tsitsikamma

Where to Stay: Tsitsikamma Accommodation

The incredibly beautiful area of land that lies between the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the sea stretches west to the Bloukrans River and east to Eerste River, and is named after the San word that means ‘place of abundant .
Northern Ukhahlamba

Where to Stay: Northern Ukhahlamba Accommodation

Northern Ukhahlamba district, dominated by the mighty Drakensberg Mountains, is bordered by Lesotho to the north-east and by Limpopo to the north-west and forms a border with the Free State.
Baviaanskloof

Where to Stay: Baviaanskloof Accommodation

There is a gorge that lies in the valley, stretching for over 100 kilometres, between the Baviaanskloof Mountains to the north and the Kouga mountains to the south. Recently awarded World Heritage Site status this 192 000 hectare .

Eastern Cape Attractions and Destinations

Addo Elephant Park

Situated in a malaria free area the magnificently diverse Addo Elephant Park offers a wide variety of game viewing, outdoor adventure, accommodation and cultural experiences. You will be amazed at the variety of South Africa Wildlife that can be experienced in one easily accessible destination .
Nelson Mandela Museum

The Museum offers visitors an inspiring journey through the life of Nelson Mandela. Known affectionately as 'Madiba', he is loved and respected world-wide for his tireless energy to bring about a better life for all. Mandela has insisted that the Museum should not be a tribute dedicated to him, but should rather .
Hole In The Wall

The Hole in the Wall at Coffee Bay is a unique structure with a huge detached cliff that has a giant opening carved through its centre by the waves. The local Xhosa call this place "izi Khaleni", which means "place of thunder". During certain seasons and water conditions (high tide) the waves clap is such .

Shamwari Game Reserve

Shamwari Game Reserve is the southernmost, Big Game, private reserve in Africa - Malaraia Free. This ultimate African adventure stretches along the Bushman's river, halfway between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, and forms a natural extension to the famous Garden Route. The 25 000 hectare game reserve
Amakhala Game Reserve

Steeped in history and beauty, this 6000-hectare game reserve creates an ideal environment for an unforgettable safari and an intimate experience of the varied landscape, including breathtaking views of the Bushman's River. Amakhala Game Reserve offers ..
Eastern Cape Beaches

The Eastern Cape in South Africa boasts some of the world’s best beaches and 800 km of unspoilt picturesque coastlines where blue oceans tumble onto quiet beaches. The Eastern Cape coastline is a mecca to all water sports enthusiasts and has a popular and thriving surfing culture .
Seaview Lion Park

The Seaview Lion Park in Port Elizabeth has made, playing with lion cubs of varying ages, an experience open to the public. Located just 25km’s from the city’s center, the Seaview Lion Park provides what is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Depending on the age of the cubs when you visit, you’ll ...
Valley Of Desolation

The Valley of Desolation is a geological phenomenon; a sheer cliff face, declared a national monument that lies within the Camdeboo National Park - a unique Karoo landscape and ecosystem that surrounds the town of Graaff-Reinett, creating a type of oasis in the midst of the aridness of the ... more information

Camdeboo National Park

Formed hundreds of millions of years ago, the Karoo of South Africa is one of the great natural wonders of the world. Camdeboo National Park provides the visitor with insights into the unique landscape and ecosystem of the Karoo as well as splendid scenic beauty. The greater portion of the Camdeboo ..

KwaZulu Natal Attractions

KwaZulu Natal is a world in one province: to the North of Durban you will find the best of African game reserves and pristine beaches, to the West lie the majestic Drakensberg Mountains and temperate Midlands while to the South there await superb golf courses, fishing spots and miles of subtropical coastline.

Known as the Kingdom of the Zulu, KwaZulu Natal is a melting pot of African, European and Indian cultures. This province boasts two World Heritage Sites, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and the majestic Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park. KwaZulu Natal offers superb beaches, sunny weather, game reserves, rolling green hills, numerous sugar cane plantations and relics of the great battles in South African history. There are 8 distinct regions and numerous 'must-see' attractions.

Gauteng Attractions

Although it is the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces, Gauteng (the Sotho word for "Place of Gold"), is the commercial and industrial powerhouse of the country and indeed of southern Africa. Gauteng is a cosmopolitan, multicultural mix of people from all walks of life, from all corners of the world. Gauteng's main attraction is big business, but there is so much more ... museums, galleries, historical battlefields. Gauteng is also an entertainment playground offering world-class restaurants, shebeens, shopping malls and music venues.

Mpumalanga Attractions

Mpumalanga is one of South Africa's top tourist destinations. Know as "Paradise Country", few regions in the world can match the extraordinary beauty of the Lowveld and escarpment. Mpumalanga covers nearly 80 000 km² from rolling highlands to the lofty escarpment and the lush wetlands. The Mpumalanga Tourism Authority has created seven regions with specially marked routes that invite the visitor to the spectacular Mpumalanga province on an unforgettable journey of the seven regions of Mpumalanga and the "must-see" attractions.

Limpopo Attractions

Limpopo is the northern most province in South Africa, bordering onto Moçambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Limpopo offers a mosaic of superb scenic landscape, a fascinating cultural heritage, an abundance of wildlife species and many nature based tourism opportunities.

Limpopo is a land of legends and myths and of ancient civilizations ... Those in search of history will find many places of archaeological significance that yielded relics dating back millions of years.

North West Province Attractions

From untamed bushveld to the sophistication of 5 star luxury resorts, the North West Province provides the complete tourism package. Nature has blessed the North West with breathtaking scenic beauty, rolling fields of maize, golden sunflowers and vast plains of African bushveld.

When visiting the North West Province you can expect to be enchanted by magificent vistas, superb game parks (with the Big 5), magnificent golf courses and excellent sporting facilities.

Free State Attractions

Embraced by several of South Africa’s provinces and sharing a border with the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the Free State lies in the heart of the country, between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the south.

The Free State is a rural province of wide horizons and blue skies, with farmland, mountains, goldfields and widely dispersed towns. This tranquil land of the windmill is famous for its warm South African hospitality and a mix of culture which is clearly evident in street names, public buildings, monuments and museums. Dressed sandstone buildings abound the highlands, while beautifully decorated Sotho houses dot the grasslands. Some of South Africa's most valued San (Bushman) rock art is found in the Free State.

The Free State is divided into 5 distinct regions and offers many 'must-see' attractions. Select a region from the brief descriptions below to view in-depth information about each region and to see popular attractions and destinations in these areas.

Northern Cape Attractions

The Northern Cape boasts a colourful history and a variety of cultural tourist attractions and is particularly well known for its incredible annual floral display that takes place in Namaqualand. An utterly beautiful coastline and a number of unique national parks offer the tourist a very different experience of South Africa.

Mining has always defined the history in this part of South Africa and, when diamonds were discovered in Kimberley, unprecedented growth took place in the province. The last remaining true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the Northern Cape. The whole area, especially along the Orange and Vaal Rivers, is rich in San rock engravings. The province is also rich in fossils. The Northern Cape is divided into five distinct regions and offers many 'must-see' attractions.

Notable South African Attractions

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Africa

World Heritage Sites recognise and protect areas of outstanding natural, historical and cultural value. Given South Africa's diverse culture and history and her spectacular natural resources and wildlife, it is not surprising that South Africa boasts 8 World Heritage Sites.

What are World Heritage Sites?
Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:
• encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
• encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
• encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
• help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;
• provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;
• support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;
• encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
• encourage international co-operation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites
South Africa's World Heritage Sites

Cultural
• Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs (1999)
• Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (2003)
• Robben Island (1999)
• Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (2007)

Mixed
• UKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park (2000)

Natural
• Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (2004)
• Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park (1999)
• Vredefort Dome (2005)

South Africa's World Heritage Sites

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape WHS

Location: Northern Cape, South Africa

Inscribed as the eighth World Heritage Site in South Africa (2007), the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is a remarkable mountainous desert in the north-west of the country that is uniquely ... richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape

Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park WHS

Location: KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The ongoing fluvial, marine and aeolian processes in the site have produced a variety of landforms, including coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, swamps, and extensive reed and ... greater st lucia wetlands park

Cape Floral Kingdom WHS

Location: Western Cape, South Africa

A serial site in the Cape Province, South Africa, made up of eight protected areas, covering 553,000-ha. The Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants in the world. It represents less than 0.5% of the ... cape floral kingdom

The Cradle of Humankind WHS

Location: Gauteng, South Africa

The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs in Gauteng and North West Province. These sites have produced abundant scientific information on the evolution of the human being over the ... cradle of humankind

Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape WHS

Location: Limpopo, South Africa

Mapungubwe is set hard against the northern border of South Africa, joining Zimbabwe and Botswana. Mapungubwe developed into the largest kingdom in the sub-continent before it was abandoned in the 14th century ... mapungubwe national park

Robben Island WHS

Location: 12 km from Cape Town, South Africa

Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century ... robben island

Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park WHS

Location: KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park has exceptional natural beauty in its soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive dramatic cutbacks, and golden sandstone ramparts. Rolling high altitude grasslands, the pristine steep-sided ... ukhahlamba drakensberg

Vredefort Dome WHS

Location: Free State, South Africa

The Vredefort dome is the oldest and largest meteorite impact site (Asrobleme) in the world. Formed an estimated 2000 million years ago when a gigantic meteorite (larger than Table Mountain) hit the earth close to where ... vredefort dome

South Africa's National Botanical Gardens

South Africa has eight National Botanical Gardens which are managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The focus of the National Botanical Gardens is growing and conserving South Africa’s indigenous plants, conserving over 1,350 hectares of natural vegetation and associated biodiversity within their boundaries and promoting and raising environmental awareness in South Africa and abroad.

Tourist Places in Switzerland

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A tourist planning for a Switzerland Tour is always inquisitive about the tourist places to be visited during that Switzerland Tour. Fortunately in the whole of Western Europe, which is thronged by the travellers during the vacations, Switzerland is the most popular tourist country. The most popular tourist places within Switzerland are Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne, Zermatt, Interlaken etc. Apart from these, there are other ones too, though less popular yet picturesque. Switzerland Tourism Department is also active in the area of promoting travel and tourism in the country. Here under we are providing you the information valuable for you while your Switzerland vacation.

The Major Tourist Places in Switzerland

Geneva

Geneva is an anomaly, proving the idiom 'small is beautiful'. An international fame city yet nothing pompous within it. Geneva is little more than town-sized and exceptionally simple like its residents. About 38 percent of the population in Geneva is that of foreigners, basically US or French people. Located on a picturesque location, it is centred around the point where the River Rhône flows out of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French, Genfersee in German) flanked on one side by the Jura ridges and on the other by the first peaks of the Savoy Alps.

The Godfather of the city is the Reformer Jean (or John) Calvin, the inspiration behind Puritanism and Presbyterianism, who turned Geneva into a "Protestant Rome" in the 16th century. His parsimonious spirit made Geneva one of the richest cities in Europe. "The Republic and Canton of Geneva" is only nominally (4 kms) within Switzerland's borders, sharing a large territory (108km) with France all around. Most of the French residents get benefited from both a high Swiss salary and relatively low French living expenses, whereas the Genevois save money by doing their shopping in France.

Instead, Geneva has nowadays become the businessperson's city par excellence, unrufflable, efficient and tightly packed with hotels. The cobbled Old Town, standing high on its central hill, is atmospheric but strangely austere. At the heart of the city is the huge Cathédrale St-Pierre, and an array of museums, including the giant Musée d'Art et d'Histoire and an impressive gallery of East Asian art, the Collections Baur increasingly visited by the tourists. The residential lanes on both the banks of the Rhône, such as Les Pâquis and Plainpalais, offer more appealing wandering. A short way south of the centre is Carouge, an attractive 18th century suburb built in Sardinian style to be a place of decadence and freedom beyond Geneva's control; its reputation lives on in its high population of artists and designers. Last but not least, Geneva is the headquarter of many of the international organizations. Two of them - the United Nations' European headquarters and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the latter with an award-winning museum - allow visitors a glimpse of the veiled charisma of the city, the diplomatic and administrative confidence that has made Geneva the world capital of bureaucracy.

Zurich

Zurich is truely a wonderful place set among some of the most beautiful scenic vistas on the shores of Lake Zurich. Zurich is just a stone's throw from the Alps. Gentle hills, peaceful woods, the unpolluted lakes and rivers, picturesque villages, all provides an ideal starting point for all kinds of excursions from Zurich.

Take a walk through the old town, the glorious lake and enjoy the trendy new Zurich West district. There is so much to be enjoyed at Zurich that you may run short of time in Zurich. With over 50 museums and 100 galleries and operas in Zurich, ballet, theater premieres, shows, musicals and art exhibitions are a regular feature in the city. Zurich is a shoppers paradise. Enjoy an incredible shopping experience at the famous Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmatquai in Zurich. Above all, enjoy world class cuisines from all over the world. With over 1,700 restaurants and bars in Zurich serving both traditional Zurich and Swiss dishes as well as exotic specialities, its an experience in itself.

Winterthur is an important museum town - with 16 in all - and also offers a wide range of culture, sports and entertainment. The Rhine Falls, the biggest waterfall in Europe, is just a 20 minutes drive from Winterthur. Amongst the numerous night clubs and bars you will also find the only bar in Switzerland that opens 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Sports facilities in the Lake Zurich region offers many opportunities for sport around the year. Lake Zurich, with its many attractions such as the castle, the medieval old town, the historical wooden bridge and Knies Children's Zoo are very impressive. Equally impressive are other such family-friendly destinations such as the Alpamare water park and Atzmannig slide & trampoline paradise, the are just as much part of this .

Swiss Alps

Switzerland is located in Central Europe. Bordered by Germany to the north, Austria to the east, Italy to the south and France to the west, Switzerland covers a very small area. Switzerland has a temperate climate but with changes in altitude, the climate can be cold, rainy/snowy, cool and humid.

Covering an area of almost 60% of Switzerland, the Alps Mountain Range covers most of Switzerland extending from France and leveling out further into Austria. With the Alps mountain system in the south and the Jura in the northwest, mountains form the majority of the Swiss terrain causing The Alps Mountain to be known as Swiss Alps.

Dufourspise (15,203 feet), Dom (14,913 feet) and Matterhorn (14,691 feet) are the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps. Switzerland is home to thousands of glaciers covering over one thousand square miles. Some of the longest rivers in Europe such as the Rhine and the Rhone originate in the Swiss Alps. The other mountain range of Switzerland is the Jura, situated along the French border, north of the Alps. "Jura" in Celtic means "forest" and the mountain system is considerably smaller than the Swiss Alps. The area between the Jura and Alps is known as the Bernese Mittelland or "Middle Land". Covering an area of 23% of Switzerland, It is a central plateau consisting of rolling hills. The area is tempered with cold winds called "Bise" from the northwest and pronounced warm gusts from the south called "Föhn".

This is what makes Swiss Alps ideal for ice skiing, skating, water surfing and other adventure sports and the favourite of nature and adventure buffs.

Lugano

Lugano is one of the largest financial centres in Switzerland. Business and banking is very much a part of life in Lugano. But beauty and nature, architecture and heritage are also very much part of the city. Lugano a perfect blend of a world city and a small town, a place where business and pleasure, efficiency and work go hand in hand.

The city is considered as a cultural centre on account of the exhibitions organised here in the museums and the surrounding suburbs. The city presents a perfect blend of the Italian ambience and Swiss efficiency. The captivating features of the city include the sunny climate, towering mountains, shimmering lakes, tall buildings in the Lombardic style and the historic city centre.

Why Visit Lugano?

Mediterranean climate
Landscape encompassing lush vegetation
Numerous excursion and sports
A wide range of cuisine
Unique Exhibitions

Locarno

Locarno has a very pleasant climate and a lush subtropical vegetation. It turns enchanting at night when the arcades and portici , During the night, when soft tunes ooze out of city bars and restaurants and when city lights reflects upon the beautiful lake, the city takes on a surrealistic quality.

Piazza Grande is a wonderful place in Locarno. Just behind it lies the old Locarno, "la città vecchia." The old town was built during the Middle Ages and is one of the greatest architectural and cultural treasures of Switzerland. Within its inner courtyard lies beautiful churches, Castello Visconteo archeological museum and the beautiful town fortress. Locarno also plays host to the International Film Festival held here annually. With its grand open-air concerts, thrilling disco-nights, lake cruises and beach parties, Locarno has something for all.

Why Visit Locarno?

A variety of contrasting features
Climate, vegetation and Beautiful landscape
Charm, Tradition and Peacefulness
The International Film Festival of Locarno
Dolcefarniente while sipping a Cappucino at the Piazza Grande

Lucerne

Lucerne is easily accessible due to its central location. The town is a car free zone and small enough to be explored by foot. Have a walk around Lucerne and explore the picture perfect town.

One certainly feels at ease in Lucerne. Enjoy the town with a cup of coffee, visit Swiss Transport Museum, marvel at the "Kapellbrücke," the famous covered bridge across the river Reuss, board a steamboat and explore Lake Lucerne or one of the mountain railways that takes you high up to one of the surrounding pre-alpine summits. But there is lot more than just sightseeing that is there to be done at Lucerne. A welcome addition to this abundant variety has been the new Culture and Congress Center. Lucerne is a place which offers something for everyone...a place which offers the highest quality of life in Switzerland.

Why Visit Lucerne?

Picturesque lake surrounded by mountains

The medieval old town with its picturesque squares and towers, the Kapell bridge and the lion monument

Internationally known festivals and museums (Swiss Transport Museum with IMAX screen), to lively plays and high quality concerts

The jewels of modern architecture such as the Culture and Congress Center and the Hotel designed by star architect Jean Nouvel
The many excursions to nearby sites such as the Pilatus, the Rigi and the Stanserhorn mountains

St. Moritz

Located almost 6'000 feet high up in the Swiss Alps, the famed tourist destination of St. Moritz is a terrific place to be visited. St.Moritz enjoys more sunshine than any other place in Switzerland. When in St.Moritz, enjoy the pleasant climate and its wonderful cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Situated on the edge of a beautiful mountain lake, St. Moritz is best visited during the summers when it is at its most colorful. Its combination of a relaxed atmosphere, great shopping, sports and cultural activities makes it a must visit tourist location. With more than 150 events organised just in the winter, you will find yourself pressed for time in St.Moritz. Besides the traditional events, some other highlights are - the Downhill Skiing World Cup Races and the St. Moritz classic music festival "Snow and Symphony".

In addition to downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross country skiing, St. Moritz stages numerous attractions throughout the winter unlike any other place in the world: The Cresta Run, the bobsled run, the tobogganing run on Muottas Muragl, horse and greyhound races, as well as polo and cricket competitions on the frozen lake, the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, gems weeks, ski jumping, the famous Engadin Ski Marathon with over 13'000 participants, and many more.

Lausanne

Situated on three hills with the Lake of Geneva and beautiful vineyards surrounding it, Laussane is a very picturesque town. The striking Swiss Alps are also nearby.

Lausanne is a colorful medieval town with small alleys and boutiques, cafés and restaurants. One can have an easy and relaxed stroll in the vineyards or attend to the other nearest tourist excursions which are equally attractive for the tourists in Lausanne. The cultural hue of this place is also evident in the extensive and numerous festivals celebrated here in the city.

Why Visit Lausanne?

"Olympic Capital" since 1994. Home to the Olympic Museum, the most visited site in Switzerland.
Béjart Ballet of Lausanne is world-famous.
The town combines the lake, the mountains, parks and little, narrow alleys to form a picturesque whole.
Over 16 of its restaurants are listed in top-ranking restaurant guides.
Students from all over the world leave their mark on the life and culture of the University.

Locarno

Zermatt

Lying to the south-west of Switzerland, Zermatt is situated at an altitude of 1620 m. Zermatt is a unique place to visit as it is a car-free resort. Zermatt is situated in the canton of Valais in the Matter Valley. Zermatt offers wonderful vistas of 38 four-thousand-metre snow laden peaks to visitors and tourists.

Summer

Summers and Autumns are a good time to visit Zermatt when tourists can enjoy hiking and trekking, mountain biking, skiing and high-altitude tours. The mountains and valleys sorrounding Zermatt are home to more than a 1000 different floral species. Tourists can also enjoy summer skiing high up in the Alps from the beginning of July until the end of October. Six drag lifts and a cable-car serve the highest summer ski area in the Alps. A must see is the "hall of ice"... a natural Glacier Palace beneath the top station at the Klein Matterhorn. Situated at a height of about 3810 above sea-level, it gives tourists a very unique perspective into the fascinating world of snow and ice.

Winter

When in Zermatt, you can enjoy every king of high mountain sports be it skiing or snowboarding, sledding or hiking....but if you don't prefer high mountain adventure tours, tourists can also enjoy Snow and fun parks, walking tours with snowshoes, dog-sled rides, sledding runs and 30 km of specially prepared winter hiking paths.

Why Visit Zermatt?

Matterhorn Express: comfortable 8-person gondola from Zermatt via Furi to Schwarzsee
Casino with B-permit at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof
Free ski pass for kids aged 8 and under
Helicopter sightseeing flights with Air Zermatt
Glacier Palace in the eternal ice at Klein Matterhorn (height 3820 m)

Swiss Alps

Switzerland is located in Central Europe. Bordered by Germany to the north, Austria to the east, Italy to the south and France to the west, Switzerland covers a very small area. Switzerland has a temperate climate but with changes in altitude, the climate can be cold, rainy/snowy, cool and humid.

Covering an area of almost 60% of Switzerland, the Alps Mountain Range covers most of Switzerland extending from France and leveling out further into Austria. With the Alps mountain system in the south and the Jura in the northwest, mountains form the majority of the Swiss terrain causing The Alps Mountain to be known as Swiss Alps.

Dufourspise (15,203 feet), Dom (14,913 feet) and Matterhorn (14,691 feet) are the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps. Switzerland is home to thousands of glaciers covering over one thousand square miles. Some of the longest rivers in Europe such as the Rhine and the Rhone originate in the Swiss Alps. The other mountain range of Switzerland is the Jura, situated along the French border, north of the Alps. "Jura" in Celtic means "forest" and the mountain system is considerably smaller than the Swiss Alps. The area between the Jura and Alps is known as the Bernese Mittelland or "Middle Land". Covering an area of 23% of Switzerland, It is a central plateau consisting of rolling hills. The area is tempered with cold winds called "Bise" from the northwest and pronounced warm gusts from the south called "Föhn".

This is what makes Swiss Alps ideal for ice skiing, skating, water surfing and other adventure sports and the favourite of nature and adventure buffs.

Interlaken

Situated in Bernese Oberland, Interlaken is a striking tourist destination in Europe. The Interlaken resort region consists of the quaint villages of Iseltwald, Bönigen and Ringgenberg-Goldswil on Lake Brienz, Wilderswil at the entrance to the mountain valleys and the mountain villages of Beatenberg and Habkern.

Experience a memorable holiday at the extraordinary place of Interlaken between the lakes of Thun and Brienz, at the foot of the imposing mountain peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau!

Warm Summer

There are a number of first-rate tourist spots near Interlaken. Some terrific places around Interlaken are Jungfraujoch also known as the top of Europe as well as the Schilthorn peak, with its revolving restaurant. There are also numerous adventure sports facilities for such sports such as paragliding and river rafting. During summers, tourists can also enjoy an extensive range of hiking and biking paths around the region.

Chilling Winter

During winters, Interlaken has a lot to offer. Tourists can enjoy Skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing or just walk along snow packed trails. Interlaken can be reached from the Jungfrau Region or the Beatenberg which are just a few minutes by train or bus from Interlaken.

Montreux

The lovely little towns of Montreux and Vevey are nestled on the waterfront of a pristine lake. Enjoy the 15 km of lakeside where steamships ply up and down, the snow-capped mountains, the charming hotels and their many international celebrities.

The vine cultivation is a serious business in this region. The pleasant climate also makes Montreux and Vevey a very well-suited resort for a relaxing break or for weekend trips.

Why Visit Montreux?

To Adore the shores of Lake Geneva.
Warm Sunlight and Pleasant Temperatures
One of the finest panoramas in Switzerland
Intense cultural life with exhibitions, concerts and, above all, the famous Montreux Jazz Festival.
View vine cultivation

Wonders of india

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Sun Temple - Konark, Orrisa

The glorious Sun Temple is also known with names of Konark, Arkakshetra, and Konaditya. This beautiful monument was built by the King Narasimhadeva in the thirteenth century is one of the grandest temples of India.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal (also "the Taj"), the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, * Archeological Survey of India descriptionwas built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal.

Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib

The Harmandir Sahib (The abode of God) Golden Temple (main building) Complex with Akal Takht Sahib.completed in August 1604 AD.

Tawang Monastery

The famous Tawang Monestry located at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh was founded by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in the year 1680-81. The name Tawang means Chosen Horse.

Khajuraho - Madhya Pradesh

One of the most popular destinations among who want to experience the rich cultural heritage of India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture.

Jaisalmer Fort - Rajasthan

Jaisalmer Fort one of the well known place to experience the aesthetic ancient India. An name with which it is also known is "The Golden Fort". It was build by a rajput raja Rawal jaisal in Jaisalmer city of slightly Rajasthan in 1156 AD.

Red Fort - Delhi

Red Fort, Delhi was laid on the banks of the Yamuna River in the 17th century. The Red Fort also known as Lal Qil'ah or Lal Qila was the made by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Nalanda University - Bihar

Nalanda is the name of an ancient university in Bihar, India. The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 to 1197 CE.

Dholavira Site - Gujarat

The remains of Dholavira, a major city of the Harappan civilization, were discovered in 1967-68 by J. Joshi. Though hundreds of Harappan sites have been identified in Gujarat.

Meenakshi Temple - Madurai, South India

The Meenakshi Temple is nearly 2000 years old and is situated in the city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It is a splendid example of Dravidian style of temple architecture.

10 Wonders of the World

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Banaue Rice Terraces
Philippines

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe. Locals to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic “steps”, which need constant reconstruction and care.

Sigiriya
Sri Lanka

Sigiriya (Lion’s rock) is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos), which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiriya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha.

Tower of Hercules
Spain

The Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the centre of A Coruña, Galicia, in north-western Spain. The name Corunna is said to be derived from the ancient column. The structure is 55 meters (180 ft) tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of Spain. It is almost 1900 years old, was rehabilitated in 1791, and is the oldest Roman lighthouse still used as a lighthouse.

Toruń
Poland

Toruń is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. The first settlement in the vicinity is dated by archaeologists to 1100 BC. During medieval times, in the 7th-13th centuries, it was the location of an old Polish settlement, at a ford in the river. The Teutonic Knights built a castle in the vicinity of the Polish settlement in the years 1230-31. In 1263 Franciscan monks settled in the city, followed in 1239 by Dominicans. In 1264 the nearby New Town was founded. In 1280, the city (or as it was then, both cities) joined the mercantile Hanseatic League and was soon turned into an important medieval trade centre. As you can see from the photograph above, it is a beautiful medieval city and well worth visiting.

Ajanta Caves
India

The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BC, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art. By AD 480 the caves at Ajanta were abandoned. During the next 1300 years the jungle grew back and the caves were hidden, unvisited and undisturbed until the Spring of 1819 when a British officer in the Madras army entered the steep gorge on the trail of a tiger. Somehow, deep within the tangled undergrowth, he came across the almost hidden entrance to one of the caves. Exploring that first cave, long since a home to nothing more than birds and bats and a lair for other, larger, animals, Captain Smith wrote his name in pencil on one of the walls. Still faintly visible, it records his name and the date, April 1819.

Valley of Flowers
India

The Valley of Flowers is an outstandingly beautiful high-altitude Himalayan valley that has been acknowledged as such by renowned mountaineers and botanists in literature for over a century and in Hindu mythology for much longer. Its ‘gentle’ landscape, breathtakingly beautiful meadows of alpine flowers and ease of access complement the rugged, mountain wilderness for which the inner basin of Nanda Devi National Park is renowned. Valley of flower is splashed with colour as it bloomed with hundreds different beautiful flowers, taking on various shades of colours as time progressed. Valley was declared a national park in 1982, and now it is a World Heritage Site. The locals, of course, always knew of the existence of the valley, and believed that it was inhabited by fairies.

Metéora

The Metéora (“suspended rocks”) is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only “when the Lord let them break”.

Bagan
Myanmar

Bagan is an ancient city in the Mandalay Division of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma. Bagan was submitted to become a UNESCO heritage site[1] but many speculate of politics as partly the reason for the exclusion. UNESCO does not designate Bagan as a World Heritage Site. The main reason given is that the military junta (SPDC) has haphazardly restored ancient stupas, temples and buildings, ignoring original architectural styles and using modern materials which bear little or no resemblance to the original designs. Nevertheless, this is still a must-see wonder of the world.

Leptis Magna
Libya

Leptis Magna was a prominent city of the Roman Empire. Its ruins are located in Al Khums, Libya, 130 km east of Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the sea. The site is one of the most spectacular and unspoiled Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. The city appears to have been founded by Phoenician colonists sometime around 1100 BC, although it did not achieve prominence until Carthage became a major power in the Mediterranean Sea in the 4th century BC. It nominally remained part of Carthage’s dominions until the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BC and then became part of the Roman Republic, although from about 200 BC onward, it was for all intents and purposes an independent city.

Library of Celsus
Turkey

This is number one for strictly personal reasons. I love books, I love libraries, and this site is dedicated to knowledge (as are libraries). The library of Celsus (in Turkey) was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus (who had been consul in 92 AD, governor of Asia in 115 AD, and a wealthy and popular local citizen). The building is important as one of few remaining examples of an ancient Roman-influenced library. It also shows that public libraries were built not only in Rome itself but throughout the Roman Empire. In a massive restoration which is considered to be very true to the historic building, the front façade was rebuilt and now serves as a prime example of Roman public architecture.

7 Wonders of the World

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The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India
Symbol of Love & Passion!

This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

The Pyramid at (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Symbol of Worship & Knowledge!

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners ? can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.

Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Symbol of Welcoming & Openness!

This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world?s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China
Symbol of Perseverance & Persistence!

The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.

Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru
Symbol of Community & Dedication!

In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan
Symbol of Engineering & Protection!

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

The Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy
Symbol of Joy & Suffering!

This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.

Delhi

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The Capital City of India

New Delhi, the capital city of India, unwinds a splendor rich with cultural heritage. The successive seat of power, Delhi is adorned with powerful history, historical monuments, museums, galleries, panoramic gardens and cultural shows. Comprising into two distinct Delhi, the Old Delhi and the New Delhi,

The city is a travel hub of entire India. Narrating the city's Mughal past, Old Delhi, takes you through the narrow lanes of Chandani Chalk, passing through formidable mosques of Jama Masjid, just opposite to it lies the famous monument of Red fort. The imperial city of New Delhi highlights the monumental structures of India Gate, President House representing the colonial style of architecture. Besides its monumental heritage, Delhi is also a shopper's paradise and has most exciting nightlife in its disco-thecae, restaurants, and cinema halls

Famous Places of Delhi

Delhi was chosen as the throne of chivalry by successive dynasties. One of the most preferred destinations on tourist's itinerary, Delhi is endowed with plethora of attractions.
For its tourists, this buzzing capital has a lot in its store. The Red Fort, Qutab Minar, the Jama Masjid are some of the wonders of architecture that crown the honor of Delhi.
Besides, Delhi has a delightful nightlife in its various discotheques, nightclubs and pubs.

Delhi Temples

Birla Mandir

Also Known As Lakshmi-Narayan Mandir

Also Known As Birla Mandir

Strictly speaking, this structure is not part of the New Delhi Lutyens designed. Famous Birla Mandir in Delhi is essentially a Hindu temple which came up alongside with New Delhi and has therefore been pegged with it. Popularly known as the Birla Mandir, it is the first of the temples built across the country by the industrial family of Birla. Located just off Connaught Place on Mandir Marg, it is dedicated to Vishnu, the second of the Hindu Trinity of creator-preserver-destroyer, and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth.

¤ The Most Important Temples of Hindus

Built in 1938, famous Birla Mandir in Delhi was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Indian Nation) on the express condition that people of all castes and especially untouchables would be allowed in. (Refer to section People). Consequently a plaque at the gate reiterates that people of all faiths and classes are welcome. Till date, it remains one of the most popular temples in Delhi.

¤ The Architectural Brilliance of The Birla Mandir (Temple)

Birla Mandir is also famous for the festival of Janmashtami (birth of the Hindu deity Krishna). The festival is celebrated here with much goodwill and cheer.

The temple is designed in the Orissan style, with tall curved towers capped by large amalakas (circular ribbed motif at the summit of a temple tower). The exterior is faced with the white marble and red sandstone typical of Delhi’s Mughal architecture. The interior court is overlooked by two-storey verandahs on three sides; there are gardens and fountains at the rear. The profusion of sculptures, idols, spires and jalis, the Birla Mandir in Delhi is also considered as splendor in terms of its architecture.

Kali Bari Mandir

A stone’s throw from Birla Mandir to the right is the much smaller but quite popular temple devoted to the Goddess Kali. Especially dear to the Bengali community of Delhi, Kali Bari Mandir in Delhi is the centre of celebration during the festival of Durga Puja held every October. Since Kali is believed to be the manifestation of Durga in her most terrifying, warlike avatar, liquor is offered to the goddess in this temple.

The Kali Bari Mandir is rather small and very simple in design. From within the temple grows a huge peepul tree that pierces through the ceiling to shade the temple. The peepul is considered sacred by Hindus and red threads are tied around its bark when beseeching a boon.

Kalkaji Temple

Situated beyond the commercial complex of Nehru Place lies this temple dedicated to the goddess Kalka Devi. Its oldest section dates back to 1764 and additions were made in the mid-19 th century. However most of the building is modern. Thousands of pilgrims throng the temple, especially in October during the nine days of navratrey, when a huge fair is held here.

Lotus Temple - Modern Temple of Delhi

Lotus Temple - a modern of Delhi is one such temple that facilitates the Bhai's Faith of Worship. The Baha’i House of Worship is dedicated to the oneness of all religions and mankind. Subsidiary buildings that afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved and education to the ignorant will abound around the House of Worship.

There is no clergy in the Baha’i Faith and its service consists of prayers and readings of selections from Baha’i scriptures, and religious texts of the other faiths of the world.

¤ The Bahai's Faith

The Baha’is lay great emphasis on prayer and meditation. These, they believe are important instruments for the progress of the human soul, both in this world and the next. The Baha’is pray to one God, the Creator of the Universe.

The act of praying is described as ‘Conversation with God’.Meditation is perceived as the ‘Key for opening the doors of mysteries’. In that state, man withdraws himself from all outside objects and immerses himself in the ocean of spiritual life.

In the Baha’i Holy Writings, there are prayers for all occasions. Prayers can be offered individually or collectively. Great importance is given to prayers as is revealed in all the Scriptures.

However, the Baha’i Writings specify that the mere act of praying is not sufficient. The inspiration drawn from one's prayers must be translated into action that promotes the well being of humanity.

Delhi Mosques

Bara Gumbad Masjid (1494)

Towards the right, set a little back from Muhammad Shah's tomb is the Bara Gumbad. This is a square tomb with an all-encompassing massive dome, which leaves hardly any space for a roof. It is decorated with stuccowork and painting from inside, while the outside is a mix of grey, red and black.

Begumpuri Masjid

Begumpuri Masjid Jahanpanah, so lovingly planned and so carelessly given up by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq (1325-1351), is survived by painfully little today. Remaining buildings speak of grandiose and much planning; the idea was to encompass all the Delhis before it in one all-embracing fortress. However like most ideas of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq (see history) it defied all practical steps taken to make it a reality and Jahanpanah was left as it was when about halfway through.

¤ The Colossal Fort Walls

Whatever left of it has been swallowed up by grasping tentacles of the ever-expanding south Delhi. The walls of Jahanpanah are surprisingly huge; some even have rooms built into them to store provisions and war equipment. You can spot some sections of the wall at Satpula, near Khirkee Village.

¤ Begumpuri Masjid

The Begumpuri Masjid, which occupied the place of pride in the sultan's capital being bang in its centre, is so formal looking that you almost expect it to have a stiff upper lip. It was obviously built for majesty, what with its towering stature and striking profile. It was obviously meant to be, and was, much more than just a mosque. It was a social and communal hub – it housed a madrasa and a treasury. People met here for business and other transactions and the city's grain markets were often held just outside the mosque's entrance.
The masjid itself is built in the typically Spartan Tughlaq style. It frowns down on everyone from an elevated platform, which makes for an immense courtyard surrounded by arcaded cloisters. Its cool and breezy interiors were probably as quiet and serene then as they are now. One can imagine pious devotees spending time here in silent meditation, reflecting on Allah and His decrees.

¤ Attractive Canopy

As one climbs up to the masjid, its massive pointed dome suddenly pops out of the towering doorways that it had been hiding behind. There were originally forty-fur smaller domes too, however some of these have either fallen or are crumbling. These used to be atop the riwaq (cloister), strewn across the courtyard above the porticos.
An interesting façade of twenty four arched openings greets the visitor to this mosque. On either side of the mosque you will see tapering minarets which are characteristic Tughlaq material. Architecture freaks don't miss the core of the courtyard, which is akin to the Jaunpur Mosques and the only example of its kind in Delhi.
One wonders why this mosque was ever abandoned, considering that India is teeming with medieval mosques that still in worship. There are steps which can take you right to the top of mosque; you can get an excellent view of the Bijai Mandal next door.

Fatehpuri Masjid

Fatehpuri Masjid The red sandstone Fatehpuri masjid stands on the western end of Chandini Chowk. It is topped off by a dome and is flanked by tall minarets. It was built by one of Shah Jahan's wives Fatehpuri Begum in 1650.

Jama Masjid

¤ The Biggest Mosque In India

Near the Red Fort about 500m away is the Jama masjid, the biggest mosque in India. It was begun by Shah Jahan in 1650 and completed six years later and the whole cost about a million rupees. It is hard to imagine a building more suited to evoking the awe of the majesty of Allah in man. The mosque stands on a rocky elevation. Its huge gateway looks down at you like fastidious connoisseur from an immense platform which has steps that lead up to it.

Constructed in Sandstone and white marble, Jama Masjid can be entered from both the directions - North and the South Gates. The eastern gateway is supposed to remain open in Friday and was used by the emperor himself. Jama Masjid is cluttered by devotees who offer namaz, especially during Muslim Festival. For those who don't belong to non - Muslim community, a specified time is mentioned to enter the mosque.

Quick bytes
State : 1658
Constructed by : Shah Jahan in Delhi
Visiting Hours : October to March.
Number of People : 20,000 people
Eastern gateway : open only on Fridays

Beyond the intimidating entrance, is a vast courtyard measuring nearly 100msq. It is flanked by pillared corridors which run all along the courtyard and have domed pavilions in the middle on either side.

The prayer hall, measuring 61m by 27.5m, is quite a marvel. It is has a magnificent façade of eleven arches, the central one being higher than the others and serving as the entrance. It is topped off by three magnificent domes which are richly ornamented and have black and white marble stripes – much like the Nizamuddin Dargah.

Khirkee Masjid

¤ The Construction

The Khirkee mosque was built by Khan-i-jahan Junan Shah the prime minister of Feroze Shah Tughlaq in 1380. The mosque gets its name from its exquisite windows or khirkees.

Gordon Risley Hearn in his The Seven Cities of Delhi (1906) after describing the mosque as 'a very fine one' says:
In plan it is square and within the encircling wall there is a colonnade; but the interior, instead of being left open, as other mosques of the time were, has arcades in the shape of a cross; four courts are thus left open… the windows in the outer walls are closed by heavy sand stone grilles… (the) mosque is well worthy of inspection…

¤ The Great Interior Work

The inner courtyards, which attracted the attention of Hearn, are indeed very fascinating for an architecture and history student. Two covered passages go across it and intersect each other, bang in the middle, at right angles and so the courtyard is divided into four squares. The roof is supported by massive monolithic columns, which were typical of this period. The gateways and prayer niche are flanked by sloping towers.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid

¤ A Must Visit Site

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid can be a bewildering experience for those unfamiliar with its history. On one hand there is the beautiful, curvaceous Islamic calligraphy, the arabesque designs and then there are pillars with clearly pre-Islamic Hindu motifs. The reason is of course quite simple; the pillars were taken from the 27 temples of Qila Rai Pithora, the city of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan (see history). This in fact has been recorded by Qutub-ud-din in his inscriptions, who calls it the Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque) in his inscriptions.

¤ The Construction of The Mosque

The mosque was started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty (called so because the founder was once a royal slave). It was finished four years later. However the masjid, much like the Qutub complex itself, never stopped growing and many subsequent rulers, like Altamash in 1230 and Alauddin Khalji in 1315, added their own bits to it.

¤ The Exquisite Interiors

As soon as you passing through the entrance (watch out for the steep steps) of the poetically beautiful Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque the intricately carved temple ceiling catches your eye. In front of you will be the spectacular courtyard of the mosque which is lined by the rows of the profusely adorned pillars talked about earlier on both sides. Hindu motifs, like tasseled ropes, bells, tendrils, cows and leaves, frolic all over the mosque. The very first indication of the Islamic character of the building come from the elegant pointed arches with curvaceous and serpentine calligraphy of texts from Quran in Arabic crowning them, towards the west of the mosque.

A massive stone screen was erected in front of the prayer hall, with a central arch and two similar, though smaller, arches on either side; all of these are shaped like an 'S' (ogee-shaped). The prayer hall of the mosque stands to the west. It consists of a central arch which is over 6.15m (20ft) high and profusely carved, crowded with exquisite decorations and is one of the earliest and finest examples of the fusion of Hindu and Islamic art.

¤ The Extension of The Structure

Later Qutub-ud-din's son-in-law and successor, Altamash had the prayer hall screen extended, and added three more arches besides the original five. The difference between the two arches is interesting: the earlier arches are not really the 'true' arch which is such a hallmark of Islamic architecture, Altamash's arches were built by workmen from Afghanistan and are stylistically quite distinct. They use Islamic motifs such as geometrical shapes rather than naturalistic designs (which were frowned upon by the Muslim clergy) that Hindus used. Ala-ud-din Khalji added a courtyard to the mosquethe entrance to which is the amazing Alai Darwaza.

In the mosque compound is the small but pretty tomb of Imam Zamim, who was the Imam (head priest) of the mosque during Sikander Lodi's (1488-1517) reign.

Delhi Forts

Delhi Red Fort

¤ The Construction

Built during the reign of Shah Jahan, the Lal Qila (or Red Fort) has been a mute witness to innumerable conspiracies, scandals, battles..... Completed in a span of nine years, it cost about ten million rupees , with about half the sum going towards the building of palaces.

The fort is octagonal in shape, like most Islamic buildings in India. The north of the fort is connected to the smaller Salimgarh fort. The Red Fort is an intimidating structure. It measures 900m by 550m, with its rampart walls covering a perimeter of 2.41km. It towers at a height of 33.5m. On the outside, you can still see the moat that was originally connected with the Yamuna River.

¤ The Major Gateways

Besides the Lahori Gate, the entry point is the Hathipol (elephant gate), where the king and his visitors would dismount from their elephants. The other major attractions of the Red Fort are the Mumtaz Mahal, the Rang Mahal, the Khas Mahal, the Diwan-i-Am, the Diwan-i-Khas, the Hamam and the Shah Burj.

Every year, on the 15th of August, the National Flag of India is hoisted at the Red Fort by the Prime Minister , celebrating India's independence..

Purana Qila (Old Fort)

¤ Humayun- The Mughal Emperor Costructed The Fort

When the second Mughal emperor Humayun decided to make a city of his own he decided on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha. Humayun was quite a scholar with a fine grasp on such matters and so it is certain that the site was chosen deliberately. When his Sher Shah Suri overthrew him, he destroyed most of Dinpanah (refuge of the faithful) as the city of Humayun was called to make way for his own Dilli Sher Shahi or Shergarh. Incidentally, Humayun was probably the only emperor in history who built a city in Delhi and did not give it his own name – this was typical of Humayun's rather sophisticated and dreamy character. The Layout of The Massive Colossal

In plan the Old fort, now simply called Purana Qila by Delhites, is irregularly orbital. The walls of the immense Qila tower down on the road that takes one to Pragati Maidan from the height of 18m, and run on for about 2km. It has three main gates – the Humayun darwaza, Talaqi darwaza and Bara darwaza (which one uses to enter the fort today). The double-storeyed gates are quite huge and are built with red sandstone. of all the gates entry was forbidden from Talaqi (forbidden) darwaza, the northern gate. It is not clear why this was so. Other Attractions of The Fort

Sher Shah Suri and his successor could not complete the city, and when Humayun defeated Sher Shah's son to take back his city, he did not deal with Dilli Sher shahi as the latter had done with Dinpanah. In fact the Mughal emperor very handsomely completed the city and even used several of the buildings like the Sher Mandal, a rather pretty two-storeyed octagonal building. Humayun used this as his library and, then tripped to his death from its steps.

¤ Excavation of Grey Ware Pottery

Several excavations have taken place in the Purana Qila in an attempt to prove, or disprove as the case may be, whether it is indeed the site of Indraprastha or not. Diggings have yielded Painted Grey Ware pottery which has been dated to 1000BC. Similar stuff has been noticed in other sites associated with the epic Mahabharata as well, which seem to conclusively prove that this indeed was the place where Indraprastha once flourished. These excavation have also thrown up material, like coins, associated with the Gupta (about 4-5th century AD) and post-Gupta ages (700-800AD) of Indian history as well.

¤ Qila-i-kuhna Masjid

One of the most fascinating buildings, and also one of the few that still survive, in the Purana Qila is the Qila-i-kuhna masjid. Sher Shah Suri built it in 1541 (also see History) and he was obviously out to make a definite style statement. The mosque is quite a place; its prayer hall measures 51.20m by 14.90m and has five doorways with the 'true' horseshoe-shaped arches. Apparently the idea was the build the whole mosque in marble, but the supply ran out and red sandstone had to be used instead. But the builder used the material at hand very skillfully and the result is quite spectacular – the red sandstone and the marble contrast beautifully with each other to give the mosque a very distinctive air. The mihrabs (prayer niches) inside the mosque are richly decorated with concentric arches. From the prayer hall, staircases lead you to the second storey where a narrow passage runs along the rectangular hall. The central alcove is topped by a beautifully worked dome. In the courtyard at one time there was a shallow tank, which had a fountain. The mosque has an inscription which says 'As long as there are people on this earth, may this edifice be frequented, and people be happy in it.' A noble thought – amen to it.

Tughlaqabad Fort

¤ Fort Stands In Isolation

'Ya base gujjar, ya rahe ujjar.' (May [this city] be the abode of nomads or remain in wilderness.)

These words, with which the great Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya cursed Ghiyas-ud-din's city, seem to still echo all over the ghostly ruins of Tughlaqabad. The citadel frowns down ominously like some Gothic palace all over the Qutub-Badarpur road and seems to prefer its splendid isolation. Which is of course not exactly what Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq had in mind when he started out building it. It would have broken the old sultan's heart if he had seen just how swiftly the saint's curse went into action; soon after his death in fact.

¤ Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq Raised The City

It seems that even when he was far from being a king Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq had dreamed of raising his city, Tughlaqabad. Earlier, Ghiyas-ud-din had been a general (he rose to being the governor of an important province like Punjab, but that's another story) in Ala-ud-din Khalji's army. Once while on the road with Ala-ud-din, Ghiyas-ud-din, on spotting this area, mentioned to the sultan what an ideal setting it seemed to provide for a new city. Upon this the king indulgently (and, knowing Ala-ud-din, also perhaps patronizingly) replied, 'When you become king, build it.' Knowing full well, as every boss, that while he was around there was not a shadow of a chance of anyone else taking his place. After the death of Ala-ud-din various events conspired to put the general on the throne at last. Then he fulfilled his long-cherished dream.

¤ A Stratigical Layout of The Fort

Romanticism apart, Tughlaqabad also made perfect strategic sense. Those were the times the Mongols were a real menace to society and generally a pain in the neck for all the sultans of the Delhi Sultanate. Almost everything that the sultans built was aimed baffling the Mongols with sheer structural magnificence (read somewhere to duck in and hope for the best).

Tughlaqabad fort, situated as it was on high rocky ground, was ideally located to withstand sieges. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq helped matters along by putting up formidable walls which, though short on aesthetic value, are excellent examples of solid unimaginative masonry and not the type that any invading army could hope to scale in a hurry. Tughlaq put ramparts towering at heights of anywhere between 9m (30ft) to 15.2m (50ft), and rising up to 29.8m (98ft) around the citadel, between himself and the Mongols.

The fort is half-hexagonal in shape and Ghiyas-ud-din seems to have built defenses around and in it till he was blue in the face. The outer walls are built around the silhouette of the surrounding land and, what with their height and width, add formidably to the natural barriers. They were also well defended. On the north, east and west sides it is protected by trenches that go far down, and in the south a lake acts sentinel.

¤ To Reach The Inner Complex of The Fort

The parapets have small loopholes all over them from where Ghiyas-ud-din's soldiers to spot invaders quickly and start saying it with arrows. The fort has or at least had thirteen portals and the inner citadel has three more. If you could reach them that is, because it was defended in depth by three layers of battlements.

For all the defense, the city of Tughlaqabad hardly saw any warfare. Perhaps that is why it bears such an air of dejection – it could never fulfill the task it was built for. You enter the fortress by a highway, which was set one 27 arches, almost all of them have vanished now. Water being prized commodity (and allegedly one of the reasons why Tughlaqabad was finally abandoned) there was a huge reservoir to store rainwater in the fortress; you can still see it.

When one enters the fort, the first impression is of emptiness; the ruins begin registering later. It is difficult to imagine that if one was somehow transported a few centuries back, these very walls would come alive, with people brushing past you and if things got really lively one could even find oneself in the midst of a full-scale Mongol invasion.

As you enter, to the left, used to be the palaces and to the right still stand the ruins of the a tower (Bijai Mandal, not to be confused with the one in Jahanpanah; also see Bijai Mandal), several halls and a subterraneous passage that led to the Bijai Mandal in Jahanpanah. Just beyond was the city, with its streets (all laid out in a grid), houses, mosques, peoples and bazaars.

¤ An Excellent View

A walk up the walls is well worth the while and, well, one of the main reasons why people come here at all. The vista is glorious; the ruins inside the fort, Ghiyas-ud-din's tomb next door and remains of the Adilabad fort (built by Ghiyas-ud-din's son Muhammad) lay scattered in front of you like petty detail.
Walking along the southern side of the fortress next to the outer wall is a way out of the impregnable fortress which one supposes was reserved for dire emergencies in case of prolonged sieges. This was a standard practise all over India; a secret escape route was part of the building plan in any fortress. Don't feel tempted to try it, if you value your neck. Further towards the west there is an abysmal tank which you don't want to go falling into – it is called the road to hell (Jahannum ka raasta) and for obvious reasons.

For a place of its size, Tughlaqabad was built with surprising speed, just four years. and of course abandoned with equal speed in 1327. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, probably being one of those modern free thinking guys who didn't want to be known by his father's laurels, chose to make a city of his own called Jahanpanah. One of his first achievement being to do away with Ghiyasuddin by arranging one of those accidents that were so frequent in medieval ages; a pavillion built to welcome Ghiyas-ud-din fell on him, of all things.
Anyway, with the sultan's death, the city's short-lived glory to an abrupt end.

Nai ki Kot--The Fortresses of Adilabad

South of Tughlaqabad and once connected to it by a causeay is the fortress of Adilabad, which was built by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. In plan it is a smaller version of Tughlaqabad, with the trademark sloping walls of huge stone. Inside Adilabad was the legendary Qasr-i-hazaar satun or the Palace of a thousand pillars, which seems to have been a really popular idea back then (see Bijai Mandal). The palace had a huge audience hall, which was built on columns of varnished wood. Towards the southern gateway you can still see a vaulted corridor which used to be flanked by guardrooms. Adilabad has all the marks of a fine Tughlaq building with that style's typically austere walls, bare surfaces, corbeled arches and crenellation.

Outside the fortress towards the east is the Barber's fort. It is not known whether a barber actually ever lived in the tiny fortress of Nai ka kot (barber's fort), but it seems Ghiyas-ud-din certianly did. He used this place as a temporary residence when Tughlaqabad was coming up. It is built in the same style as Adilabad.

Delhi Monuments

Jantar Mantar

¤ An Observatory

The Jantar Mantar was built in 1710 by Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur (1699-1743) in Delhi. This is an observatory consisting of mason-built astronomical instruments to chart the course of the heavens. Jai Singh, who was a very scholarly king with a very keen interest in astronomy and astrology, had other observatories built too – in Ujjain, Jaipur, Mathura (which no longer survives) and Varanasi.

The first among these was this one in Delhi. The yantras (instruments, which has been distorted to Jantar) are built of brick rubble and plastered with lime. The yantras have evocative names like, samrat yantra, jai prakash, ram yantra and niyati chakra; each of which are used to for various astronomical calculations.

Alai Darwaza

The southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was extended by Alauddin Khalji in 1311. The Alai Darwaza is the first through and through Islamic building in character, architecture and ornamentation. Its construction is painstakingly accurate, the decoration are the politically correct geometric designs and is a typical Khali building. It displays a certain Seljuqian influence, like in the huge dome with a central knob, pointed arches shaped like horseshoes, and the 'lotus-bud' fringes of the arches.

¤ The Construction of Darwaza

The Darwaza is built of red sandstone with arched openings on all sides. It is topped off by a wide but shallow dome rising from an octagon-shaped base. The northern arch is semicircular, while the others have the pointed 'true' arch horseshoe shape. The arch frames are embellished with 'lotus-bud' designs, which are also seen in the perforated screens on the sides of the gate. The gateway is very skillfully decorated with complex carvings of the geometric patterns and white marble bands of calligraphy.

Alai Minar

The ambitious rubble Alai Minar started by Alauddin Khalji but the sultan lived to see it only the height of 24.5m. It was built to match the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam masjid (which was also Khalji's work). Today it is used more like an illustration, by parents, of what-happens-when-you-get-over-ambitious; viz the plans remain unfinished. Ambition has never really been encouraged as a virtue in India.

Qutub Minar

¤ Constructed As A Holy Minar
The world famous towering Qutub Minar, started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak (1192-98), breathes down the neck of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. There is a slight difference of opinion as to its purpose: it probably was a tower of victory, but then again it could have been built to be a minar (tower), attached to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, for the muezzin (priest) to climb up top for a prayer.

¤ Other Belief of Its Construction

Among Delhites there are lots of other theories about the origin of the tower. Some say it was the observatory of the great scientist Aryabhatta of ancient India, other claim that it was built by Prithvi Chauhan for his daughter to see the Yamuna. In fact everything short of an extraterrestrial origin has been attributed to it. The presence of the ancient non-rusting Iron Pillar within the complex further appears to add credence to the first theory. However the tower, its entire design and architecture are undisputedly Islamic and all the other theories are just matters of wild surmise.

Considering how shortchanged he was for time, it is doubtful that Qutub-ud-din got much further than a couple of levels of the minar, in fact many suggest that lived to see only the first storey complete. Altamash, his successor, completed the remaining tower.

¤ Measures Taken To Keep The Minar In Perfect Shape

It is clear that the tower was very close to the sultanate's heart, since repeated efforts were made to keep it in perfect shape. In its long career, the tower got hit by lightening twice – something that, of course, with its height it was literally asking for. Once during the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, who very decently repaired the ensuing damage. The next time was in the indefatigable builder Feroze Shah Tughlaq's time, when the topmost storey got damaged. Feroze Shah, who of course couldn't well leave things alone, not only repaired the floor, but also sneaked in another level.

The result of this combined effort is an interesting mix in styles that is clearly discernable all over the tower. Each of the original three storeys has different designs. The base storey has alternate angular and circular flutings while those of the second one are round and the third one has only angular flutings. Their alignment is mercifully similar, so giving the tower a rhythmic harmony. The pretty projecting balconies have a very interesting pattern, with icicle-shaped pendentive (an intricate design in which triangular pieces of vaulting spring from the corners of a rectangular area and support a rounded or polygonal dome) type of brackets. The attractiveness of the balconies is heightened by the bands of sonorous inscriptions. The diameter (at base) of the Qutub Minar is 14.32m and about 2.75m at the top.

¤ The Attraction of Crownig Cupola

The tower had a crowning cupola on the top at one time, however this was struck down sometime in the early 19th century, an earthquake felled it. This was replced by a well meaning English engineer Major Smith. However it must have looked quite an eyesore for when Lord Hardinge was Governor-general of British India, he had it removed. You can see it now on the spruce lawns of the Qutub complex. Come to think of it, it must have been eyesore – it's called Smith’s folly.

Delhi Tombs

Humayun's Tomb

¤ The Construction of the Massive Tomb

The construction of Humayun's tomb was taken up by the grief-stricken wife of Humayun, Hamida Banu, also known as Bega Begam in 1565. Legend has it that the design of the Taj was inspired from this tomb's. In pure architectural sense, this building is probably superior and much more beautiful that the stunning Taj. Sacrilege? But really, the only thing this building lacks is the showy marble.

¤ A Magnificent Architecture

The complex took nine years to complete and the tomb itself is a dazzling landmark in the evolution of Mughal architecture in India. Hamida Begum is said to have spent one and a half million rupees on it and you just have to see it to know that every penny was worth it.

¤ One of The Planned Structures

The plan of the building is simply brilliant and very mathematical. The tomb is set bang in the middle of large square-patterned typically imperial Mughal-style garden which is neatly divided into sub-squares by paved lanes. There fourth side of the tomb is not walled; simply because the river was supposed to make up for the wall, but it flows there no more. The high arches and double dome that became so associated with Mughal architecture make their debut here. The place is studded with fountains which were extremely popular in those days – a Mughal might have been poor in many things, but never in fountains. The intricate and delicately beautiful latticework on the tomb remained the trademark of Mughal architecture right down the ages.

Jamali Kamali Tomb

Further down is the Jamali Kamali masjid and tomb, which has recently been renovated by INTACH, an autonomous cultural organization. Jamali was the alias of the Sufi saint Shaikh Fazlullah, who was also known as Jalal Khan. The saint had a prodigious life – he lived right through Sikander Lodi's reign, the famous battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur and died during the lifetime of Humayun. Who Kamali was remains a tantalizing mystery.

¤ The Construction

The tomb and mosque bearing their names lie within yards of each other. They were started in Babur's time in about 1528 and finished in Humayun's reign by 1535-36.

¤ The Tomb

The tomb lies immediately behind the mosque and is a smallish chamber. Small but not humble. Upon entering it your eye is immediately caught by the richly ornamented ceiling and walls. They are covered with tiles of various hues and patterns in incised and painted plaster. Several verses compose by Jamali are also inscribed on the walls.
The beautiful and spruce lawns of Jamali Kamali make it a popular picnic spot for Delhites.

The Tombs of Sheikh Alauddin and Sheikh Yusuf Qattal

On way to the masjid, a short distance away you'll probably spot the tombs of Sheikh Alauddin (died 1541-42), descendant of the famous Sufi saint Shaikh Faridu'd-din Shakarganj and Shiekh Yusuf Qattal (died 1527) who was a disciple of Qazi Jalaluddin of Lahore.

¤ The Artistic Work

Both the tombs are somewhat similar in design. They are small pavillions with domes that rest on twelve pillars. The pillars have some magnificent red sandstone latticework screens between them. However there are some individual features. The tomb of Sheikh Alauddin is somewhat more ornate than that of Yusuf Qatal. It has coloured and chiseled plaster symbols on the arches and the parapets. Bands of intricate written inscriptions run on the ceiling of the dome. The tomb of Yusuf Qattal is comparatively smaller, but enchanting nonetheless and its dome is encircled by encaustic tiles.

Sultan Ghari’s Tomb

About 8km from the Qutub Minar, on road from andheria More, is Sultan Ghari's tomb. It was built by Altamash in 1231 for his son and heir-apparent Nasiruddin Mahmud, who died in battle in 1229 in Lakhnauti (Lucknow). It is built in the same style as the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and is assembled from assorted destroyed Hindu temples and other buildings.

¤ The Insides of The Tomb

You approach the octagonal tomb-chamber from a raised courtyard. Under a rubble-built platform the tomb is built like a crypt (ghar). The platform is encompassed by rows of columns on the east and west sides and the other sides are plain walls. These together with the domed parapets on the corners make the tomb look more like a fortress.

It is possible that the corridors of this tomb were at one time used as a madrasa. In the centre of the western wing there is a marble prayer niche which is richly and profusely embellished all over with verses from the Holy Quran.

¤ Other Attractions

Th exterior of the tomb had been grey sandstone to begin with, but Feroze Shah Tughlaq (1351-88) changed all that and had it faced all over with marble. Next to the Sultan Ghari tomb, lie the tombs of the other two sons of Altamash Ruknuddin Feroze Shah (died 1237) and Muizzudin Bahram Shah (died 1241), who occupied the throne of Delhi for very brief periods, before and after the sultan's favorite child and heir Raziya Sultana.

The Tomb of Altamash

In the same complex is the tomb of Shams-ud-din Altamash (1211-36), the son-in-law and successor of Qutub-ud-din Aibak.
Altamash is widely regarded as the real founder of the Delhi sultanate and had a very successful reign (see history).

His tomb was built in 1235 and is quite an interesting example of Islamic architecture in India. It marks the phase when the sultans had stopped spare parts from broken temples for their buildings. The building was made from foundation up and not assembled.
It seems that there had been plans to cover the tomb chamber with a dome, as is obvious from the squinches which make their first appearance in this building. It is said, once the dome fell but was replaced by Feroze Shah Tughlaq and then again fell down, beating even his patience for it was not replaced.

Inside the tomb there are three mihrabs (prayer niches). The central one of these is located higher than the other two and is profusely decorated with marble. The tomb itself is quite simple, but its entrance is intricately carved with geometrical and arabesque patterns. There are some Hindu motifs too though – like wheels, the lotus, diamonds and so on.

The Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq

South to the fortress of Tughlaqabad is the tomb of its builder, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. A once fortified causeway lead to the tomb compound, which at one time stood within a large reservoir. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq was obviously a man of set ideas – while he was about fortifying everything in sight, he fortified his tomb as well. What against is hard to say; probably Mongols who took the term happy hunting grounds too literally.

The reservoir is no longer stores any water and the bridge over it has been broken off in the middle to make way for an extremely busy road. The tomb is based roughly on a pentagon in plan and its entrance is guarded by massive portals.

¤ Simple Architecture

The mausoleum itself is very simple, very much the warrior's tomb. Simple with the same sloping red sandstone walls which are Tughlaq hallmarks. Each wall has arched gateways decorated with the inevitable, but beautiful, latticework and white marble. The dome is entirely of white marble and is quite striking indeed. This rather severe tomb does allow itself a few inscribed panels, arch borders, latticework screens and 'lotus-bud' edges which decorate it.

Towards the left of the entrance, in the corridor, there is a tiny grave which is said to be that of the sultan's favorite dog; which is not exactly a typical thing for a Muslim, who consider dogs unclean, to do.

¤ The Family Mausoleum

The mausoleum is quite a family affair. In here sleeps not only Ghiyas-ud-din but also his wife, Makh Dumai Jahan and his second son Mahmud Khan, who died with him under the pavilion. Near the northern side of the tomb there is an octagonal tomb with an inscribed slab over its southern door, according to which Zafar Khan lies buried here. Who this Zafar Khan was is not recorded, but this was the first tomb to be built here and gave Ghiyas-ud-din the idea of building his own mausoleum here too. The top of the enclosed walls offers excellent views of both Tughlaqabad and Adilabad Forts.

Delhi Churches

Cathedral Church of the Redemption

¤ Location

Crowning the northern vista from the Jaipur Column and west of Sansad Bhawan is the Cathedral Church of the Redemption built in 1927-35. Designed by H A N Medd it appears, from all records, to be the result of an architectural competition. One wonders how as there’s nothing remarkable about the building – the British have made finer churches in India. For those familiar with Lutyens’ work in Britain, it is strikingly reminiscent of his Free Church in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

¤ A Simple Layout

Built in coursed rubble masonry with split red sandstone, it lacks both beauty and gravitas. What the architect has achieved to perfection, however, is the softening of the harsh Indian sunlight with the help of small, recessed openings. The moving force behind the church’s construction was Lord Irwin. He presented the picture at the east end and a silver cross as a thanksgiving for his escape from an attempt to blow up his train in 1929.

Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart

Here’s another church designed by Medd and by an odd coincidence, again the result of an architectural competition.
Across the road from Bangla Sahib Gurudwara just off Connaught Place, the Sacred Heart Cathedral stands between two of Delhi’s finest schools, St Columba’s and Convent of Jesus and Mary.

Built in 1930-34, it closes the vista from the North Secretariat at a strategic intersection between Connaught Circus and Raisina Hill. It is a bold, elegant design in the Lutyens tradition with an Italianate south front enriched by an oval mosaic cartouche of St Francis. In the same colour scheme as Medd’s earlier Cathedral Church of the Redemption, this one is a definite improvement!

Colonial Architecture

India Gate

¤ All India War Memorial

India Gate is constructed as a memorial and was built in the memory of 90,00 soldiers who laid down their lives during world war I. Located at Rajpath, India Gate is 42 m high and is popular relaxation area during the summer evenings. India Gate also act as popular pinic spot during winter. Also known as the All India War Memorial, India Gate was designed and constructed by Lutyens. He was the who is considered the chief proclaimer in designing the New Delhi plans.

¤ The Architectural Marvel.

A tour of Lutyens’ Delhi just has to kick off with the stately India Gate at the east end of the broad Janpath (earlier Kingsway) that leads to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Another additional 13,516 names engraved on the arch and foundations form a separate memorial to the British and Indian soldiers killed on the North-West Frontier in the Afghan War of 1919. The foundation stone was laid by HRH the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and the monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added much later after India had said goodbye to its imperial rulers. It is in the form of a flame that burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who perished in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.

The entire arch stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to a huge cornice, beneath which are inscribed Imperial suns. Above on both sides is inscribed INDIA, flanked by MCM and to the right, XIX. The shallow domed bowl at the top was intended to be filled with burning oil on anniversaries but this is rarely done.
Quick bytes
Location : New Delhi
Famous As : All India War Memorial
Designed By : Edwin Lutyens In 1921
Height : 42m

¤ The Breathtaking View of India Gate

Nowadays, if you drive down the smooth wide expanse of Rajpath on a midsummer night, you might be excused for assuming that a huge glittering carnival is in progress at India Gate. The entire boulevard up to the monument is lined with cars, scooters, motorcycles and what-have-you. In fact all of Delhi seems to have converged to the emerald lawns of India Gate. The air is thick with chatter, laughter and the cries of assorted vendors peddling their wares. You can snack on anything from fruit chaat (fruit salad with hot, spicy dressing), through bhelpuri (a snack of puffed rice, spices and hot, sweet and sour chutney), chana jor garam (spicy chickpeas), dal ka pakodas (fried lentil-flour dumplings), potato chips to ice cream, candy floss and aerated drinks.

¤ A Perfect Place For A Halt

Most of the revellers come equipped with balls, Frisbees or just a pack of playing cards. But India Gate has lots to offer in the name of entertainment. You can watch monkeys perform, enjoy a camel ride, blow soap bubbles all over the lawns, play with balloons and even get your insides turned inside out on a ferris wheel.

But if you ask us, the best thing to do is to loll on the cool lawns, lick a bar of ice candy and watch the floodlit arch and the fountains nearby that seem magically lit up with coloured lights.

The Supreme Court of India

The apex court is one of CPWD’s most splendid architectural achievements. It came up in 1958 and is located on Tilak Marg. The Supreme Court of India functioned from the Parliament House till it moved to the present building. It has a 27.6 metre high dome and a spacious colonnaded verandah. For a peek inside, you’ll have to obtain a visitor’s pass from the front office.

The Residency Period

¤ British Started Spreading in India The British began trickling into Delhi in the late 18th century. By then the East India Company was already firmly entrenched in Calcutta while Delhi was merely regarded as a northern outpost of little importance. Lieutenant William Franklin was dispatched to Delhi by the directors of the East India Company ‘to survey the then unknown heartlands of the empire of the Great Mughal’. Franklin’s account was published in 1795:

The environs are crowded with the remains of spacious gardens and country-houses of the nobility. The prospect towards Delhi, as far as the eye can reach, is covered with the remains of gardens, pavilions, mosques and burying places. The environs of this once magnificent and celebrated city appear now nothing more than a shapeless heap of ruins British Occupying Delhi

This was the twilight zone in the history of Delhi when Mughal power was fast plummeting while the Company’s star was on the ascendant. The clincher came with the Battle of Delhi when Company troops led by General Lake defeated the Marathas on the banks of the Yamuna. Here’s Oswald Wood’s account of the British occupation of Delhi: On 11th September 1803 the Mahrattas were defeated and three days after, the English entered Delhi as the real masters of the Mughal. The arrangements made for the maintenance of the King Shah Alam were ‘that a specified portion of the territories in the vicinity of Delhi situated on the right bank of the Jamna should be assigned as part of the provision for the maintenance of the Royal Family. That these lands should remain under charge of the Resident at Delhi and that the revenue should be collected and justice should be administered in the name of his Majesty Shah Alam under regulations to be fixed by the British Government…’

¤ The Coming Up of Residency

In one fell swoop, Shah Alam was reduced to a figurehead with the reins of Delhi firmly in the hands of the British. The emperor promptly granted Dara Shikoh’s Library near Kashmiri Gate to the British and that’s where the Residency came up. The first resident of the Delhi territory was Sir David Ochterlony. The early representatives of the Company in Delhi were nothing like the arrogant, racist, stuffed shirts that one commonly associates with the British Raj. Men like Ochterlony and William Fraser embraced many Indian customs, habits and often had a haremful of Indian wives. Delhi in the late 18th and early 19th centuries was innocent of racial and cultural prejudice. Without Victorian memsahibs to curl the upper lip at ‘natives’, Delhi was full of eccentric yet learned Scotsmen who genuinely loved and respected India. This period, though shortlived, was perhaps the only time when Indians and the British struck a bond of affection.

The Northern Ridge, the Civil Lines and the area around Kashmiri Gate became the centre of much hectic building by the British. It’s such a surprise for the first-time visitor to find British Architecture in a sea of Mughal monuments. Hire a taxi, find a good guidebook and charge into North Delhi for some close encounters of the Raj kind.

¤ British Residency

The Residency stands along Lothian Road and has been for many years part of the Delhi College of Engineering. It also has an office of the Archaeological Survey of India. Given the fate of most government buildings in India, it is no surprise to discover that the erstwhile Residency has fallen on hard times. Signs of this are discernible even as you approach Lothian Road, one of Old Delhi’s most impoverished parts.

Till about 65 years ago, this road was a thriving and fashionable shopping area frequented by the British and Anglo-Indians. Unfortunately, when Lutyens’ Delhi came up in the 30s, most of the area’s middle class migrated to the new metropolis.

The residency is a yellow-coloured mansion surrounded by a compound wall. Neem and ashok trees line the front, partially obscuring it from view. Its front is formed by a flat colonnade of classical pillars and chiks (wickerwork slats) are fitted between them for shade. A small flight of stairs leads up, through a shady verandah, to the front door. This edifice is not very remarkable in itself. What makes it so is the fact that it was built on the site of Dara Shikoh’s (Shahjahan’s favourite son) library.

When Shah Alam granted the British the ruins of the library, Sir David Ochterlony saw no reason to demolish it – he just carried out repairs and ordered a colonial façade to be built around it. This came to be the Residency. Ochterlony, its first occupant, lived here like a nawab surrounded by khitmatgars and 13 Indian wives. He dressed like a nawab, smoked the hookah and hosted lavish nautch parties.

Unfortunately this first symbol of British power in Delhi is in a state of disrepair now. The government even contemplated demolishing it in the 1980s but it was saved due to the efforts of conservationists. Noted travel writer William Dalrymple records his disappointment and disillusionment at the fate of the historic edifice: ‘Dusty filing cabinets stand where the nautch girls once danced. Doors hang loose on their hinges. Everywhere paint and plaster is peeling. So total is the transformation that it is difficult to people the empty corridors with the bustling Company servants, glittering Mughal omrahs (noblemen) and celebrated courtesans.’

¤ Lothian Cemetery

Netaji Subhash Marg runs past the Red Fort, down a hill and under Lothian Bridge, a railway bridge. Just after it, Lothian Cemetery lurks on the right, its gate beneath a grey crenellated tower. Graves are scattered within the compound and its assortment of gravestones includes a grand sandstone one to Thomas Dunn, erected by James Skinner.

¤ British Magazine
Netaji Subhash Marg branches off into a Y-junction as you travel farther from Lothian Cemetery. Take the branch on the right called Lothian Road. You’ll soon find an arched ruin in the middle of it – these are remains of the British Magazine. This huge ammunition storehouse was deliberately blown up on May 11, 1857 when the nine men defending it could not hold out any longer. To prevent it from falling into the hands of the Indian freedom fighters, who had mutinied in Meerut the previous day, Lieutenant Willoughby determinedly set it afire. The bang was said to have been heard at Meerut, 50km away. Over the central gate is a memorial to Lieutenant Willoughby and his fearless men. In the southeast corner of the rear are the steps by which the survivors escaped.

¤ Telegraph Memorial

The grey pillar beyond the Magazine is the Telegraph Memorial from which the Anglo-Indian operator warned the British army of what was going on.

¤ Flagstaff Tower

This would have remained just an ordinary watch and hunting tower if the 1857 Mutiny had not happened. What makes it historically important is the fact that British women and children – survivors of the Delhi massacre – gathered here on the fateful day of May 11, 1857 before fleeing to Karnal. The tower stands tall on the highest part of the Northern Ridge just where Flag Staff Road intersects Magazine Road. Flagstaff Tower was one of the first substantial buildings to be constructed by the British on the Ridge. It was probably built when the army cantonment was moved in 1928.

¤ University office

To the west of the tower, along Vishwavidyalaya Marg, is a large house now used as the office of the University of Delhi. It was built for the Coronation Durbar in 1903 for use by the Viceroy, and was used as the Viceregal Lodge till New Delhi was inaugurated in 1931.

¤ Vice Chancellor’s office

The University of Delhi Campus has some lovely buildings from the Residency period. The vice-chancellor’s office was used as a circuit house or official guesthouse for the British officers in the Civil Lines area. Did you know that it was in a room in this building that Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India, proposed to Edwina Ashley, the future Countess Mountbatten? A plaque has been put up in the room to commemorate the event.

¤ Mutiny Memorial

On the way down from the Ridge, along Rani Jhansi Road is a strange Gothic tower that is a poor copy of the Prince Albert Memorial in London. This is the Mutiny Memorial – an octagonal, tapering tower built to commemorate the British and the Indians who fought on their side in 1857.

In panels around its base are recorded the 2,163 officers and men who were killed, wounded and went missing between 8 June and 7 September 1857. Against a list of the encounters in 1857 are three columns: killed, wounded and missing. All the officers and soldiers have further been categorized as Native and European

The Mutiny memorial was renamed Ajitgarh on the 25th anniversary of India’s freedom and aptly converted into a memorial for the Indian martyrs who rose against colonial rule. A new plaque on the site attempts to set the record straight:

The ‘enemy’ of the inscriptions on this monument were those who rose against colonial rule and fought bravely for national liberation in 1857. In memory of the heroism of these immortal martyrs for Indian freedom, this plaque was unveiled on the 25th anniversary of the nation’s attainment of Freedom, 28th August 1972.

¤ Coronation Durbar Site

North of Old Delhi, way beyond any residential colony, is Delhi’s very own junkyard of history. Most of the statues erected by the British have been unceremoniously dumped in this park. Getting here needs some doing but a visit can be quite rewarding for true-blue Raj fans. Drive past the Civil Lines and Kingsway Camp to reach the Coronation Memorial site, now no more than an abandoned park with wild grass and weeds.

This was the site of the three Durbars enacted in Delhi and a lone obelisk is a poor memorial to that. It was here in 1911 that King George V was declared Emperor of India and announced the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi. If you look closely you can still see a statue of him rise ghost-like out of the bushes nearby, where it was dumped after being removed from the canopy near India Gate. It depicts King George V in the coronation robe he wore on the occasion. Other imperial dignitaries can be spotted keeping the King company. Do go and say hello to Lord Willingdon and Lord Hardinge who were lovingly been placed on red sandstone plinths.

King George V Memorial

¤ The Attraction of Cenotaphs

Facing the elephantine arch of India Gate is a classical version of the chhattri or cenotaph so dear to Hindu kings and the sure symbol of regality in India. Lutyens perhaps designed it as a token gesture to keep the King who wanted oriental features happy. But chances are he would still have preferred to describe it as an open cupola or a baldachino.

¤ The Construction

Made of cream and pink stone, it is set in a rectangular pool with fountains and once contained an excellent marble statue of King George V by C.S. Jagger. However thanks to Indian politicians, who frequently break out into a rash of wanting to undo history or more aptly its reminders, the statue was dispatched to Delhi’s junkyard of history – the Coronation Memorial Park beyond Kingsway camp.
The canopy of course stands unmolested and is decorated with allegorical sculpture and symbols of kingship. The nautilus shells symbolize Britain’s maritime prowess – Britain was, after all, at one time the undisputed queen of the seas. The canopy is a pleasant counterpoint to the bulk of India Gate and you can frequently spot pigeons perching on it.

Parliament House of India

¤ Also Known As Sansad Bhawan - A Large Legislative Assembly

If it were not for the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms of 1919, the Parliament House may not have been built. It’s corny how the building most indispensable to modern Indian democracy came up as an afterthought. Earlier called the Circular House, it was added to the layout at a later stage following the reforms which created a large Legislative Assembly.

This edifice is the brainchild of Herbert Baker and was much criticized in comparison with Lutyens creations. An article by Robert Byron in Architectural Review, January 1931describes it thus: "The Council Chamber has been Sir Herbert’s unhappiest venture. Its effect from a distance has been described. It resembles a Spanish bull-ring, lying like a mill-wheel dropped accidentally on its side.
Quick bytesState : Delhi
Location : On the northwest of Vijay Chowk, next to the Secretariat buildings at the end of Parliament Street (Sansad Marg).
Time to Visit : Entry into Parliament House requires official permission, whether Parliament is in session or not. Visitors can enter the public galleries of the Indian Parliament with prior permission, after receiving an official pass.
Famous as : The place where the Indian Parliament meets and the world's largest democracy functions.
Admission Fee : Free, but prior permission required (foreigners/citizens: from their embassies or High commissions/ from the reception office on Raisina Road)
Photography charges : nil (prior permission required)

¤ The Massive Structure

To the northwest of Vijay Chowk, this huge circular, colonnaded building comprises three semicircular chambers for the Legislatures and a Central Library crowned by a 27.4m high dome. It is 173m in diameter and covers 2.02 hectares in area, with colonnaded verandahs enclosing the entire circumference. The three semi-circular areas were designed for the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State and the Legislative Assembly. Today they house the chambers of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and the library. A verandah with 144 columns surrounds the three chambers. The boundary wall has blocks of sandstone carved in geometrical patterns that echo the Mughal jalis.

An entry pass to the library can be obtained from the Visitor’s reception on Raisina Road by providing a letter of introduction from a Member of Parliament. The library working hours are from 1000-1800. To obtain a visitor’s pass to Sansad Bhawan, Indian nationals should apply to the Parliament Secretariat. Foreign nationals should apply through their embassies or high commissions.

The Regal Building

¤ The Attractions

This was one of the first buildings to come up in Connaught Place and houses a popular cinema hall. Jackals and wild pigs still roamed the area when it was being built. Initially Regal Cinema could not attract many patrons but soon it became very popular with Delhi’s rich elite. There used to be a bar in the lobby for gentlemen and a special matinee show for ladies.

Unlike any other cinema hall in Delhi, Regal has a porch which is forever plastered with colourful, sometimes lewd, film posters. The pavement has been taken over for all manner of activity. There are booksellers, ice-cream vendors, curio shops, music shops, lottery ticket booths and weighing machines – all pressed together cheek by jowl. Regal has fallen on bad times since its glorious heydays. It is a rather seedy, ill-kempt theatre that often shows semi-porn movies to titillate its essentially working class clientele.

Apart from the cinema, the building is home to shops and restaurants too. One of the earliest stores in the block was the Army and Navy Store which has now closed down. and in its place stand the Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan. But one place that’s a must is the Standard Bakery which turns out excellent softies, pastries and masala kulchas (a type of spicy bread).

Rashtrapati Bhawan

¤ Rashtrapati Bhawan (Viceroy Palace)-Best Known Monument of British Empire

The Viceroy Palace remains Lutyens most significant achievement. It is befittingly the crowning glory of the British Empire and architecture in India. Today, it is perhaps India’s best known monument after the Taj Mahal and the Qutub Minar. Bigger than the Palace of Versailles, it cost a whopping £12,53,000 and now houses the President of India. It is unquestionably a masterpiece of symmetry, discipline, silhouette, colour and harmony. of course, it has come in for much criticism too but that has mostly been limited to the imperial intent behind it rather than its architecture.

¤ Picturesque Location

Better known now as the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the sprawling palace straddles the crown of Raisina Hill and is the focal point of New Delhi. The majestic Rajpath (earlier Kings Way) leads up to the palace on Raisina Hill and here comes into view the one fatal flaw in design. Lutyens and Baker had a major showdown about the height of the slope approaching the palace which was at that time caricatured as the ‘War of the Gradient’. Lutyens wanted the palace to come into view as one climbed Raisina Hill. Unfortunately, Baker miscalculated. The palace disappears from sight till only the copper dome is visible. Furious with Baker, Lutyens said he had ‘met his Bakerloo’.

The palace is flanked by the two Secretariats and the three together, open into a huge square called the Viceroy’s Court where the Jaipur Column stands tall. The Viceroys Court, which frames the main entrance to the house, has lateral entrances on the axis of the Jaipur Column. Here the levels were reduced artificially and cascades of steps are flanked by huge sandstone elephants and ranks of imperial lions modelled by the sculptor C.S. Jagger.

¤ The Attractions of The Palace

The main entrance is approached by a broad flight of steps which lead to a 12-column portico. Do notice the enormous projecting cornice or chajja, a Mughal device, which blends so effortlessly with the classical style of the monument. Lutyens’ ability to smoothly incorporate light oriental touches is all the more remarkable given his active and profound dislike for Indian architecture.

The most outstanding feature of the House – you can spot it while you are still a kilometre away – is the huge neo-Buddhist copper dome that rises over a vast colonnaded frontage. Beneath the dome is the circular Durbar Hall 22.8m in diameter. The coloured marbles used in the hall come from all parts of India. The Viceroy’s throne, ceremonially placed in this chamber, faced the main entrance and commanded a view along the great axial vista of Kingsway (now Rajpath). At present the hall is the venue of all official ceremonies such as the swearing in of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Members of Parliament. It is in this very chamber that the President annually confers the Arjuna Awards for Excellence.

The columns at the front entrance have bells carved into their capitals. Lutyens reasoned that ‘the ringing of bells sound the end of an empire and stone bells never sound’. Despite this, the empire came to an end a brief 16 years later.

¤ The Great Interiors

The principal floor comprises a magnificent series of state apartments. The State Drawing Room is barrel-vaulted and plainly treated with domestic fireplaces. The State Ballroom is enriched with Old English mirror glass. The State Library is based on the form of Wren’s St Stephen’s, Walbrook. The State Dining Room is lined with teak panelling enriched with the star of India. The concept of Imperial order and hierarchy permeates the entire house.

Marble staircases flanking the Durbar Hall provide access to the private apartments above. There are 54 bedrooms together with additional accommodation for guests. Lord Irwin, its first occupant, ‘kept losing his way’ but insisted that "in spite of its size, it was essentially a liveable-in-house."

¤ Mughal Garden

To the west the palace overlooks an enormous Mughal garden designed by Lutyens. Here the principles of hierarchy, order, symmetry and unity are extended from the house into the landscape. A series of ornamental fountains, walls, gazebos and screens combine with scores of trees, flowers and shrubs to create a paradise so delightful that Indians called the garden ‘God’s own Heaven’. The Irwins supervised the planting of the garden which grew in tropical profusion softening the formal pattern of lawns and waterways. Popularly known as the Mughal Garden, it is open to public every spring but be prepared for the tight security check.

¤ The Glory of The Palace

After India became independent, the sheer size of the building overwhelmed its new keepers. Mahatma Gandhi suggested it be turned into a hospital. Thankfully, nobody took him seriously. The Durbar Hall served as a museum for several years till the building which now houses the National Museum was completed.

Here’s what Mark-Bence Jones remarked about life at the Viceroy’s House in his book Palaces of the Raj. Do note the then-and-now comparison he makes on a later visit to the palace, long after the British had gone.

"Then there were the banquets held during sessions of the Chamber of Princes, when every other guest at the long table was the ruler of a State. The gold plate glittered in its crimson-lined niche, the lustres glinted, the scarlet and gold khitmagars moved deftly against the teak-panelled walls, and from an adjoining room came the music of the Viceroy’s band."

"In India that replaced the Raj, Lutyens’ Palace has managed to keep some of its glory. …As the home of a modern democratic President, it is certainly on the large side, but the Indians have been wise enough to maintain a Presidential establishment worthy of the setting. Scarlet-clad guards still sit on their chargers beneath the stone sentry boxes, khitmagars in white, red and gold line the corridors."

Museums

Dolls Museum

¤ Shankar’s International Dolls Museum

Curator: Shanta Srinivasan
Nehru House
4, Bahadur Shah Zafar marg
New Delhi 110002.
Open 1000-1800 hrs; Closed; Monday.

¤ Collection of Dolls From All Over The World

Set up by the renowned political cartoonist, K Shankar Pillai (1902-1989), Shankar’s International Dolls Museum has one of the largest collections of costume dolls anywhere in the world. Housed in the Children’s Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, the museum has a floor area of 5,184.5 sq ft and occupies a portion of the first floor. A separate entrance, a stately winding staircase, leads up to a foyer. Inside, the museum is divided into two halves. The two sections have over 160 glass cases, 1,000 ft long, mounted on walls. One section displays exhibits from European countries, the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Commonwealth of Independent States, other Asian countries, the Middle East, Africa and India.

¤ Main Attractions

In the pageant are characters from India’s unique classical dance, Kathakali, with its splendid costumes. Other dolls of special interest are Boys and Girls Festival dolls from Japan, replica Dolls of the Queen’s collection (UK), Maypole Dance from Hungary, Kabuki and Samurai dolls from japan, Flamenco dancers from Spain, Women’s Orchestra from Thailand, and Kandy Pehara from Sri Lanka.
There are also special displays besides a representative collection from the over 150 kinds of authentic Indian costume dolls made at the dolls workshop attached to the museum. Indian dolls made at the workshop are exchanged for gifts received from abroad as well as sold to collectors and museums in India and abroad. Each doll is handcrafted after meticulous research into the physical attributes, dress and jewellery of individual characters.
The museum started with a thousand dolls. Between 1965 and 1987 another 5,000 were added – a vast majority coming as gifts. Today the volume has increased to 6,500 exhibits from almost 85 countries, truly giving it an international character.

Crafts Museum

¤ Pragati Maidan

Bhairon Road,
New Delhi 110001.
Open 1000-1730hrs; Closed: Monday
Entry free; Guided tours for groups arranged upon prior request.

¤ Main Attractions

The institution of the museum, aimed at housing objects of antiquity and curiosity, is of western origin. Indians themselves did not have a tradition of setting up museums of fragmented sculptures, rusted swords and out-of-context paintings. Broken images were immersed in holy water, worn out metal objects were melted down to cast new ones, and terracotta votive objects were left to decay and merge with the very earth from which they were created.
The core collection of the Crafts Museum was actually put together to serve as reference material for the craftsmen who were increasingly losing touch with their own traditions in terms of materials, techniques, designs and aesthetics of their arts and crafts due to the sudden changes caused by modern industrialization. Here the craftsman feels free to confine to his tradition or to innovate in response to his new contemporary environment.

¤ Collection of Unique Item of Tribal Arts

The large permanent collection of 20,000 items of folk and tribal arts, crafts and textiles is housed in a concrete, but almost ‘invisible’ building. Charles Correa, the architect, had a challenge before him – on the one hand to provide a pucca building for safe preservation and display of the rare art objects, but on the other, not to let the building be so imposing that it would belittle the humbler objects collected from village homes. The scale and appearance of the building had to be such that it would not attempt to upstage its ancient neighbour, the Purana Qila on the one side and the Village Complex of the Museum on the other.
Consequently the low-lying building has old carved wooden doors and windows from Gujarat and Rajasthan, central courtyards having champa trees, tulsi shrines and a monumental temple-car coexist in this ‘modern’ building not as revivalist ethnic chic exercise, but as a contemporary juxtaposition of past traditions in a modern building meant for a modern Indian Crafts Museum.

¤ Other Marvelous Artifacts

The museum’s collection, built over a period of thirty years, comprises bronze images; lamps and incense burners; ritual accessories; utensils and other items of everyday use; wood and stone carvings; papier mache; ivories, dolls, toys, puppets and masks; jewellery; decorative metalware including bidri work; paintings; terracotta; cane and bamboo work and a large number of textiles, from different regions of India.
Galleries of folk and tribal arts and crafts, aristocratic objects, and that of traditional Indian textiles, display selected objects within these categories which are unavoidably overlapping as the culture itself. Moreover, there is a ‘Visual Store’ for reference, comprising about 15,000 objects which can be used by scholars, designers, craftsmen and interested public for study and research. While brief captions provide basic information about the displayed objects, for further information the Museum’s catalogue could be consulted.
The Crafts Museum Shop on the premises sells books, picture-postcards and a whole range of exquisite contemporary handicrafts. The objective of the shop is to sell original creations of the finest Indian craftspersons and not to market mechanically replicated souvenir.

Rail Museums in Delhi

Shanti Path
Chanakyapuri.
New Delhi 1100

Open: 0930-1230, 1330-1730; Closed: Monday; Good guide books also available.

The RTM is a train buff’s delight and one of Delhi’s best museums. The collection includes 26 vintage locomotives, 17 carriage and saloons including the four-wheeled saloon used by the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) in 1876 and the Maharaja of Mysore’s saloon of teak, gold and ivory.

Patna

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The best season to visit Patna is from October to March. The city lies at an altitude of 53 mts and receives a rainfall of 120 cm throughout the year. The maximum temperature in summers is around 40°c and minimum 21°c, and in winters the maximum temperature is around 20°c and minimum is 6°c. So if someone is planning to visit the city in summers should carry cotton clothes and for winter heavy woolen clothes.

Religious place

Har Mandir Takht

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, was born in 1660 in Patna. The Har Mandir Takht, is one among the four sacred shrines of the Sikhs. The temple was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and it also contains belongings of Guru Gobind Singh and Sikh holy text.

Historical monuments

Golghar

Golghar was built by Captain John Garstin as a huge granary for british army in 1786, after famine of 1770.

The massive structure is 29 m high and the walls are 3.6 m wide at the base.

The winding stairway around this monument offers a brilliant view of the city and the Ganga flowing by.

Martyr's Memorial

The Martyr’s Memorial is a memorial to seven freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the Quit India Movement August 1942. The Martyr's Memorial is a modern sculpture facing the Secretariat, where they were shot in their attempt to host the national flag.

Gandhi Setu

Gandhi Setu is Asia's longest roadway bridge situated in Patna.

Kumhrar

Kumhrar, is the site of the ancient city of Patliputra, lies 5 kms from Patna railway station. Archaeological findings in this area establish Patna's claim to over a thousand years of political glory - 600 BC to 600 AD. The place contains the ruins of the ancient city Patliputra. Very little of this grandeur remains though, except for the remains of a huge Mauryan hall supported by 80 sandstone pillars dating back to 300 BC.

Sher Shah Suri Masjid

Sher Shah Suri built this mosque in 1545 to memorialize his reign. Built in the Afghan architectural style, it is one among the beautiful mosques in Bihar, and one of the impressive landmarks of Patna.

Pathar ki Masjid

The Pathar ki Masjid lays Adjacent to Har Mandir Sahib, on the bank of the Ganga. This beautiful mosque was built by Parwez Shah, son of Jehangir, when he was the governor of Bihar. It is also called Saif Khan's mosque, Chimmi Ghat mosque and Sangi Masjid.

Old opium warehouse

The old opium warehouse in Gulzarbagh is located in a walked compound on the river bank. This opium warehouse was constructed by the East India Company and is now used as the government printing press. The visitors can enter the three long portioned buildings, from where the opium was packaged before being sent by boat to Kolkata

Other attractions

A major centre of Islamic learning is situated at Maner which is 30km west of Patna. It has the fine 16th century sandstone mausoleum of the Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdum Yahya Maneri set in a tranquil park. Maner is also famous for its laddoos, made up of gram flour and molasses.

Museums

Patna Museum

The Patna Museum contains all the remarkeable treasures like the First World War cannon, metal and stone sculptures of the Mauryan and Gupta periods, Buddhist sculptures and quaint terracotta figures.

A 16 m long fossilised tree is one of its special features.

Jalan Museum

Jalan museum was built on the foundations of Sher Shah's fort. Also known as Qila House, the museum’s electric collection is gathered by a 19th century ancestor of Jalan family. The museum contains an impressive private collection of antiques, including a dinner service that once belonged to George III, Marie Antoinette's Sevres porcelain, Napoleon's four-poster bed, Chinese jade and Mughal silver filigree. It is a private collection, and prior permission is required for a visit

Sadaqat Ashram

The Ashram is the headquarters of Bihar Vidyapeeth, a national university. India's first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad lived here after his retirement and there is a small museum here showcasing his personal belongings.

Biological Park

The biological park is a famous zoo in the state and is also known as Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park

Library
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library

The khuda Baksh Oriental library was founded in 1900. The library is a magnificent one collection of rare Arabic and Persian manuscripts, Rajput and Mughal paintings, oddities like the Koran inscribed in a book only 25mm wide and an assortment of old and new books from the University of Cordoba, Spain. It is one of the national libraries in India. The library also contains the only books to survive the sacking of the Moorish University of Cordoba in Spain.

Other attractions

Sonepur Mela

The Sonepur Mela takes place at the town Sonepur which is 22km from Patna. One of the most astonishing cattle fairs to be held in Asia in terms of its size and scale. The Mela takes place on Kartik Purnima, a fortnight after Diwali , and people from all over the world get together to participate in this huge festival and is enjoyed by all.

Modern Planetarium

Indira Gandhi Science Complex is one of the must visiting places in Patna. This is among few Planetariums’ (Taramandal) in India.

How to Reach

Patna is well connected by airways, roadways and railways to other parts of the country.

Deoghar

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Deoghar is also known as the house of the god.
Deoghar is famous for the Baidyanath Dham located in this city. The place is a popular health resort. It is an important center of Hindu pilgrimage as the ancient temple of Lord Shiva – Baidyanath Dham is here, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India

A month long Mela takes place in the month of Shravan (July/August) and at that time the place is visited by many devotees, who want to offer holy water to Baba Baidyanath. The pilgrimage is said to be complete when worship is also done at Basukinath temple which is 43 km from Deoghar.

Religious place

Baidyanath Temple, Nandan Hills,Naulakha Temple, Kundeshwari Temple, Nav Durga Temple, Satsang Ashram, Mahadeo Falls, Harila Joria (8 km), Tapovan(10 km), Trikut Hills(17 km) are major tourist attractions.

Other places of interest are Mandar Hills (69 km) which is believed to have been used by the Gods to churn Oceans and Sultanganj (100 km) which is situated between the two banks of the holy river Ganges.
PagalaBaba Temple (7kms), Ramkrishna Mission Ashram (4kms), Arogyaa Bhavan (5 kms).

How to Reach

The nearest airport is at Patna 281 km from Deogarh. By rail one can come up to Jasidih and from there take another rail to deogarh, or from jasidih a person can hire private taxi, and can also go by bus. Deogarh is connected by road to various other parts of the state.

Nalanda

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Nalanda, is one of the famous ancient place of learning and was founded in the 5th century AD. The ruins of the world's most ancient university lies here which is 62 km from Bodhgaya and 90 km south of Patna. Though the Buddha visited Nalanda several times during his lifetime, this famous center of Buddhist learning shot to fame much later, during 5th-12th centuries. Nalanda flourished until AD 1199, when it was looted and destroyed by the Turkish raider, Bakhtiar Khalji. The ruins of its temples and monasteries convey a stunning impression of the peaceful and ordered life of meditation and learning that prevailed here.

Museums

Nalanda Archaeological Museum

Nalanda archaeological museum is just opposite the entrance to the ruins of the university and houses. In the museum there is a small but beautiful collection of Buddhist and Hindu bronzes and a number of undamaged statues of the Lord Buddha that were found in the area. Two enormous terra-cotta jars of the first century stand intact behind the museum in a shaded enclosure. The collection includes copper plates and stone inscriptions, coins, pottery and samples of burnt rice (12th century AD) found among the ruins here. Open during 10.00 to 17.00. The museum is closed on Friday.

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is devoted to study and research of Pali Literature and Buddhism. This is a new institute, where students from foreign countries also study.
Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall

A new construction in memory of the great Chinese traveler, Hieun Tsang.
Other attractions
Nalanda University Ruins Archaeological Complex

The total area of the excavation is about 14 hectares. All the edifices are of the red brick and the gardens are beautiful. The buildings are divided by a central walk way that goes south to north. The monasteries or "Viharas" are east of this central alley and the temple or "Chaiyas" to the west. The Vihara-1 is perhaps the most interesting with its cells on two floors built around a central courtyard where steps lead up to what must have been a dais for the professors to address their students. A small chapel still retains a half broken statue of the Lord Buddha.

Silao

In between Nalanda and Rajgir, there is a village namely Silao where very a popular local sweet "KHAJA" is prepared.

Surajpur Baragaon

Surajpur Baragaon is a lake with its temple of Surya, the Sun God, is a pilgrim destination twice a year in "Vaishakha" (April-May) and in "Kartika" (October-November) during the Chhath Puja or Sun worship.

How to Reach

The nearest airport is at Patna 89 km. For railways a person should prefer Gaya railway station which is 95 km. Nalanda is connected by road to other parts of the state.

Kerla

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A charming state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, Kerala borders the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to its east and northeast and the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives to its west and south respectively. A major hit among tourists all over the world in modern times, the state has contributed immensely to the country’s economy as Kerala tourism has been particularly on the upward trend for the past few years.

Backwaters and wetlands; hills and mountains; forts and monuments – Kerala has it all. Kerala cruises are perhaps the most entertaining activities in this state. It is almost like you mention Kerala and you visualize the houseboats on green waters past tall trees, bushes, thickets and shrubs. Cruises in the Alleppey, Kuttanad, Kollam and Kochi are the major options for adventure lovers. One of the prime tourist attractions in Kerala, the backwater cruises in Kerala are dream experiences on houseboats or kettuvalloms that are specially designed with open lounge, one or two bedrooms with attached bathrooms and a kitchenette.

Apart from the backwaters, Kerala brings to your mind some of the most elegant forms of art – the classical dances, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. These dances are some of the cultural representations that present India as a classic country. A recital of any of these genres during your tour to Kerala will be really rewarding.

Exploring the temples and monuments of Kerala is another major tourist attraction in this state. Bekal Fort, Edakkal Caves, Guruvayoor Temple and Napier Museum are some of the places of interest that deserve visits by the tourists.

Some of the wildlife reserves are among the must visits in Kerala. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary occupies the region on either side of the Marayoor - Udumalped road, and is home to endangered giant grizzled squirrel of India, Marayoor sandal forest and the beautiful Thoovanam waterfalls. Eravikulam National Park to the north of Munnar was established primarily to protect the Nilgiri Tahr. Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary in the Idduki district is spread over Thodupuzha and Udumpanchola taluks. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary on the banks of the Vembanad Lake is a bird lover’s paradise.

You cannot end the tour to Kerala without sampling the famous Keralite cuisine. The tastes of Malabar Biriyani, Puttu, idlis, Thorans, Avials, Appams and rasam will have you craving for more.

Last but not the least, Ayurveda treatments are some of the greatest lures in Kerala tourism. Evolved around 600 BC in India, this medical form, over years, has been a specialty, helping one rejuvenate bodily as well as mentally. Undergo a session of Ayurveda services at any of the resorts and you will feel yourself all new and recharged.

The Important tourist spots in kerala is given below :