World Travel Guide Blog

North America at a Glance

2009-11-07T00:23:00.000+05:30

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts. The issue of reconciling Quebec's francophone heritage with the majority anglophone Canadian population has moved to the back burner in recent years; support for separatism abated after the Quebec government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October of 1995.

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Thedeveloped in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000 as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

Europe at Glance

2009-11-07T00:09:00.000+05:30

The old world is really quite old. Every other town in Europe is packed with monuments dating back several centuries. Little Village were once the capitals of a kingdom. The countries are small, but most of them were once the center of an empire that embraced the whole world.

Travelling in Europe seems to be underestimated, especially by the younger generation and budget travelers. To say it clearly: Europe offers more than most other regions in the world. There is hardly anything that cannot be found in one of the megacities, like London, Paris, Rome or Berlin.

Southern Europe offers great beaches and "Dolce Vita": good food, good weather, beautiful people, charming towns and cities. It is hardly surprising that Portugal, Italy, Spain, Greece and France are always top of the bill when it comes to most popularholiday destinations

Since 1989 Central and Eastern Europe has become a very popular destination as well.

Magnificent cities such as praque , Minsk, Budapest, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Moscow, Yerevan and St_Petersburg all attract many visitors.

In the heart of Europe you'll find Germany , the most populated country of Western Europe. It has romantic castles, beautiful nature, fast paced life in big cities such as Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt and great highways.

South of Germany you find the Alps. Great for skiing, but Austria and Switzerland have a lot more to offer. Vienna, the capital of Austria, for example rates as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The North of Europe is not as cold as you might think. In summer cities like Copenhagen and Helsinki are among the most pleasant places to be. The people are easy going and very friendly and cultural life is rich.

The United Kingdom, Ireland, The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have that special island mentality that keeps you coming back. The Celtic spirit is still very much part of life in Scotland, Ireland, The Isle of Man and in Cornwall whilst the spirit of the Druids is ever present in Wales. The Channel Islands reflect their proximity to and history with Normandy & Brittany although the culture and food tends to be very British.

Travel in Europe, especially in the rich North West, is not particularly rough or demanding, with the exception of the Belarus, Balkan, Russia and the Caucasus. In Western-Europe things are well taken care of, it is easy to get from A to B, but all this comfort has a drawback: you pay for it. However, despite the high price of Europe there are still many affordable ways of stockholm having a good time without breaking the bank. Take a train from Denmark to Switzerland for less then 25 Euro with the whole family for example. But at the same time hardly any region in the world is so easy to hitch-hike like Central Europe: with the help of Germany's highways you can make with a bit of luck 1'000km per day!

India at a Glance

2009-11-06T23:44:00.000+05:30

India (Bharat), in Hindi, To know about this country for traveller, let us divide it into 5 regions and throw some insight about each region. If on one side we have snow clad mountains, to the other there is a hot desert and if on one side we have the mountain ranges then we have coastal plains too.

If one can look beyond the dirt, pollution and the poverty,one can find that it is a country of profound vibrations with centuries of austerities practiced, a thirst quencher for the spiritual seeker, the nature lover, and for those, who come here for a beautiful, yet, a unique experience.

First to the North, we have Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand which are at the foot of Himalayas. Known for scenic beauty, flowers, gardens, lakes, snow covered hill stations like Shimla (Simla), Kullu, Manali and Missouri.

There are plenty of opportunities for snow games like skiing. Also river rafting, mountaineering, trekking are some other sports of interest. Apples, saffron (flower) and apricots are grown in this

Other Northern states are Rajasthan , Punjab, De lh i and Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan is mostly a desert and temperature running to 50 degrees Celsius during summer. Even to this day, camels are used for transportation. Jaipur, called the Pink city, Udaipur, Ajmer are places of interest. Jaipur is called the Pink City because a variety of Pink Stone is used for the Palaces constructed by the olden days Kings. Udaipur is called the City of Lakes. People are called Rajputs here.

Punjab is rich and fertile. Chandigarh, a well planned city with Nek Chand's Rose Garden and a park /sculptures made of broken porcelain/glass pieces are worth seeing. Mostly the people here are Sikhs. Amritsar, the Golden Temple is situated in this state which is a holy place to Sikhs like Mecca to Muslims.

Uttar Pradesh, though no longer a visitors paradise, is still Home to India's most seen tourist spot, the 'Taj Mahal'. Uttar Pradesh is also the heritage heartland of India, with many Hindu pilgrim spots.

Then we move on to the Western region of India, with major states like Gujarat. Ahmadabad , the capital of Gujarat...is a flourishing business centre with the people belonging to a very rich community. It is famous for textile industry. Dwaraka, is the place of Lord Krishna, Surat is the city of cloth manufacturing and Ship building makes this State very rich in resources. Perhaps these are the richest community in India.

Maharashtra the financial hub of India and is also famous for its film Industry in the state capital Mumbai (Bombay). Bollywood, the Indian version of Hollywood is the world's largest film Industry by number of movies made every year, many times more than Hollywood. It is popularly known as the Hollywood of India.

It is said that people who come to this city never return empty handed because Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, resides here. The beautiful Marine Drive is also called as the Queen's Necklace is worth seeing in the night when it is lit. There are many island caves near Mumbai. Elephanta caves are very famous in this regard. Konkan region in Maharashtra has got tremendous tourist potential. Ratnagiri district in this region has come on to the world becuase of its Alphonso mango. Many beaches including religious places attracts many tourists all over the world to Konkan region.

Goa is a small state which was ruled by portugese until 1961 and so one can find their influence on every street of this state. Known for its beaches and churches, Goa , the name itself is a boost for tourism.

Then we move on to the Eastern part of India. We have states like Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Most of these states are rich with tea plantations. Kolkata (Calcutta) in West Bengal, the capital is the first city where the British established their East India Company. Even to this day, we can see the buildings in British Style on many streets of Kolkata. Darjeeling, with its a century old narrow-gauge train is one of the main attraction hill stations. Then we have thick forests with rhinos, tigers and one will be surprised to find that the grass in these forests are more than 7 to 8 feet, almost covering vehicles on the move. Sikkim is a land of Buddhists with many monasteries while the other smaller states like Tripura, Mizoram have Christians. Manipur was called the "Switzerland of India" by Lord Irwin, a viceory of India in the 1920s. This small state has the largest freshwater lake in eastern India, called Loktak. And the world's endangered brow antlered deer plays in the world's only floating park Keibul Lamjao. The state is famous for the Ima Keithel or "Mothers' Market where more than 3, 000 women controls the daily market to sell vegetables, fruits, fish and other essential products. Two well tended Commonwealth War Graves Cemetries are located built in memory of soldiers fought in World War II.

Bihar (birthplace of Buddhism), Jharkhand and Orissa are other states in Eastern India. Puri in Orissa, is a holy place for Hindus with Lord Jagannath's temple, the Konark Sun God temple and a vast stretch of beaches. Asia's largest lake called the Chilka lake is in Orissa where many birds migrate from other parts of the world. Rourkela in Orissa is another place of huge tourist interest as it holds a 74ft. high statue of Lord Hanuman and also Khandadhar Falls(India's 4th highest waterfall).

Now the Central India. here, we find the Vindhya mountain range across three states comprising parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Vidharbh (North Eastern Part of Maharashtra).

Finally, to the Southern part comprising of the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Tamilnadu is famous for many stone sculptured temples. Karnataka is once again a land with greenery and a combination of Hindus, Muslims and Jains. Being the largest producer of Sandalwood, Mysore is called the city of sandalwood. Then we move on to Kerala, the land of coconuts, backwaters, beaches and ayurvedic centre for medical treatment and health spa.

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, also known as one of the twin cities, the other being Secunderabad. This part of the country is dominated by Muslims who live in utter harmony with the Hindus. Hyderabad pearls are world famous. Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateshwara is here and it is this temple which brings in the most revenue in comparison to any other place in India. It is actually the second richest religious organization in the world after the Roman Catholic Church of Vatican.

There is too much to see in India to speak of in this brief introduction. In order to make the information more easily accessible, we have divided India into regions according to the 25 states of India. Check out the different states for the most interesting places and set out on a trip that gives you a touch of everything for the time being and be willing to accept your defeat: you’ll have to come back to India again and again to understand this beautiful country of vividity.

Diversity is the hallmark of southern India. Traditional palaces, gardens,temples and churches built over thousands of years will attract anyone. http://www.india.com

New Zealand at a Glance

2009-11-06T23:34:00.000+05:30

New Zealand is situated in the south pacific ocean, between latitude 34'S and 47'S. The country runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. Its two main islands cover 266,200 sq km (103,735 sq miles), about the size of Japan or California and slightly larger than Great Britain. Comparable in size and/or shape to Great Britain, Colorado and Japan, New Zealand has a population of only 4 million - making it one of the world's least crowded countries.

There is an uneven split between both islands with 3.2 million in the North but only 800,000 in the South. It is a haven for those seeking peace, rejuvenation and relaxation as well as a playground for thrillseekers and adventurers. A temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation makes it a year-round holiday destination.

New Zealand's spectacularly beautiful landscape includes vast mountain chains, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines, deeply indented fiords, and lush rainforests.

New Zealand's separation from other land masses for more than 100 million years has allowed many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. Complementing our unique flora and fauna is a landscape that contains an unrivalled variety of landforms. In a couple of days' drive it is possible to see everything from mountain ranges to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, glaciers and fiords and active volcanoes.

Auckland, New Zealand's largest and most cosmopolitan city, is a great starting point for exploring the north of the country. Known as the "City of Sails" for its numerous yachts, and with its beautiful harbour and sandy beaches, Auckland is at its prime in the summer. Auckland's Sky Tower is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

Wellington is the capital city, and is located at the southern tip of the North Island. Increasingly referred to by locals as "Wellywood" due to the huge success of film director Peter Jackson [Lord of the Rings Trilogy], Wellington regularly plays host to international films stars. The capital also boasts a symphony orchestra, opera house, several live theatres, the excellent Embassy Cinema and the national museum Te Papa. There are also regular daily ferry services to the South Island.

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and is often called the "Garden City". It is most likely the most European of New Zealand's cities. Many activities can be organized from here. Trekking to Mount Cook is just one of the many things you can do.

Australia at a Glance

2009-11-06T23:24:00.000+05:30

Australia is a land of contrasts - topographical, cultural, physical, meterological and visual. About 40,000 years ago, the Aborigines were the first to settle. They lived as hunters and gatherers for this entire time, living with a close link to nature, although backburning and other poor agricultural techniques have since been realised to have caused significant deforestation, salinification of the soil and elimination of much of the natural diversity of the landscape. Such a poor ability to interact with nature, despite it being so important, helps explain why much of Australia is now unsuitable for sustaining life. Interestingly, this provides one of the few examples of where the native population damaged the land more than later waves of settlers. Their way of living developed into a complex culture based on oral tradition and intricate social bounds, which was almost destroyed by the second wave of settlers, who were able to populate the land with much more success.

In the 15th century, explorers from the Netherlands and possibly from parts of the Arabic world and other European countries are believed to have landed in the far North and West of the country. However, due to the severity of the climate, the poor soil and the complete absence of conditions required for living, gave up and went somewhere better. In 1770, Captain James Cook landed in Botany Bay, which today is part of Sydney. (in fact Sydney Airport juts out into Botany Bay) This commenced with the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove (now Sydney Harbour, near Circular Quay railway station) on 26th January 1788. The British government decided to use convicts to tame the newly discovered continent and did not care a lot for the people that were already there (for example, the land where Melbourne now stands was sold by the aborigines for a handful of beads). Deportation to Australia lasted for about eighty years. After this all immigrants went more or less voluntarily.

Australia became an independent nation on 1 January 1901. The British Parliament passed legislation allowing the six Australian colonies to govern in their own right as part of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1986 history was made again when parliament passed legislation that ended the power for the Britsh Partliament to legislate for Australia.

Today a growing proportion of Australians were born overseas. Their combined cultural heritage makes the Australian culture a real global one. However, most cultural groups tend to live in enclaves with little interaction and real multiculturalism such as in London, New York or other major cities does not exist. Australia has also discovered the value of the Aboriginal culture and uses it to sell trinkets to a strong tourist market.

While Australia is a nation in its own right, it is also a technically a continent, with large differences between regions. It has a reputation as a land of leisure, with sun, sea and an enviable 'Crocodile Dundee' outdoor lifestyle, but this is just a very narrow conception of a continent. The reality however, is that most people work all day, and then spend the weekend running around trying to pack life into the 2 days on the weekend. Only the homeless and tourists have time to sit around on the beach, or laze away days watching sport on TV.