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Kaanapali, Hawaii

2009-08-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Kaanapali, Hawaii

Kāʻanapali is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 1,375 at the 2000 census.

Kāʻanapali's famous beachAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,375 people, 537 households, and 380 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 282.8 people per square mile (109.2/km²). There were 1,775 housing units at an average density of 365.1/sq mi (141.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 80.07% White, 0.95% African American, 0.15% Native American, 7.42% Asian, 2.04% Pacific Islander, 1.96% from other races, and 7.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.55% of the population.

There were 537 households out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 16.3% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 33.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 111.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $79,288, and the median income for a family was $86,647. Males had a median income of $48,393 versus $41,625 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $48,506. About 1.6% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen or sixty-five or over.

Iao Valley State Park - Iao Needle

2009-08-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Iao Valley State Park

Towering emerald peaks guard the lush valley floor of Iao Valley. Located in Central Maui, this peaceful state park is home to one of Maui's most popular landmarks, the 1200-foot Iao Needle. This iconic rock peak overlooks Iao stream and is an ideal attraction for easy hiking and sightseeing.

Aside from its natural tropical beautiful, sacred Iao Valley has great historical significance. It was here in 1790, at the Battle of Kepaniwai, that King Kamehameha clashed with Maui's army in his quest to unite the islands. Kamehameha defeated Maui's forces in a ferocious battle that ultimately changed the course of Hawaiian history.

There is a well-marked path from the parking lot to view Iao Needle and the ridge-top lookout provides incredible views of the valley. The Needle is often covered in clouds, so an early start is your best bet for a good view. Families can also take a rainforest walk or explore interactive exhibits at the Hawaii Nature Center, which is also located within Iao Valley

Honolulu, Hawaii

2009-08-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Honolulu,Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital of and the most populous census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Although Honolulu refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and the county are consolidated, known as the City and County of Honolulu, and the city and county is designated as the entire island. The City and County of Honolulu is the only incorporated city in Hawaii, as all other local government entities are administered at the county level. The population of the CDP was 371,657 at the 2000 census, while the population of the City and County was 909,863. In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter."

Hilton Waikoloa Village

2009-08-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hilton Waikoloa Village

Hilo, Hawaii

2009-08-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hilo, Hawaii

Hilo is a coastal town in the State of Hawaiʻi. It is the largest settlement on the island of Hawaiʻi, and the second largest settlement in the state. The population was 40,759 at the 2000 census.

Hilo is the county seat of Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, and is situated in the South Hilo District. The town overlooks Hilo Bay, and is near two shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, considered active, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano upon which some of the best ground-based astronomical observatories are placed.

Hilo is home to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, as well as the Merrie Monarch Festival, a week-long celebration of ancient and modern hula, which takes place annually after Easter. It is also home to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, one of the world's leading producers of macadamia nuts. It is served by Hilo International Airport, inside the CDP.

Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

2009-08-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, is a United States National Park located in the U.S. State of Hawaiʻi on the island of Hawaiʻi. It displays the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct Ancient Hawaiian culture. Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the most massive, offer scientists insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and visitors' views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987.

The volcanic activity generated in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park helped create Kalapana (now covered by lava from recent eruptions) and other black sand beaches. Within the park boundaries are the Thurston Lava Tube, a lava tube approximately 540 years old with a short hiking trail running through it, and the Kīlauea Caldera, skirted by the Volcano House Hotel, and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory which operates the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum.

Hanauma Bay, Hawaii

2009-08-01T09:46:00.001-07:00

Hanauma Bay, Hawaii

Hanauma Bay is a marine embayment formed within a volcanic cone and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oʻahu (just east of Honolulu) in the Hawaiian Islands. Hana means 'bay' and uma means 'shelter,' rendering "Shelter Bay" The "Bay" is a tautology: Hawaiians simply call this feature "Hanauma". Hanauma is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Island and has suffered somewhat from overuse (at one time accommodating over three million visitors per year). In the 1950s, dynamite was used to clear portions of the reef to expand the area available for swimming.

Hana,Hawaii

2009-08-01T09:37:00.001-07:00

Hana,Hawaii

Hāna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 709 at the 2000 census. Hāna is located at the eastern end of the island of Maui and is one of the most isolated towns in the state. It is reached mainly via the Hāna Highway, a long, winding, 52 mile long highway along Maui's northern shore.

Near Hāna are several swimming holes in the Haleakalā National Park.

The Hana Airport offers flights with regular service to the Big Island, Kahului and Oahu.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

2009-08-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Haleakalā National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaiʻi. The park covers an area of 30,183 acres (122.15 km2), of which 24,719 acres (100.03 km2) is a wilderness area.

Hawaii Tourist Attractions

2009-07-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hawaii popular Tourist Attractions

Haleakala National Park
Hana
Hanauma Bay
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hilo
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Honolulu
Iao Valley State Park - Iao Needle
Kaanapali
Kailua Kona - Ahu'ena Heiau
Kalalau Trail
Kalaupapa
Kamuela - Parker Ranch / Puopelu
Laie
Lawai - National Tropical Botanical Garden / McBryde and Allerton Gardens
Lihue - Kauai Museum
Maui - Hana Road / Highway
Maui Ocean Center
Mauna Kea
Munro Trail to summit of Lanaihale Mountain
Na Pali Coast State Park
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park
Sea Life Park
Shipwreck Beach
Waikiki
Wailua
Waimea Canyon
Waimea Valley Audubon Center (formerly Waimea Adventure Valley, Arboretum, Botanical Garden and Falls Park)
Waipio Valley and Overlook

Hawaii Tourist Attractions

2009-07-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu. The most recent census estimate puts the state's population at 1,283,388.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest, and is often called the "Big Island" or "Big Isle" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. This archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania.
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Haleakala National Park

area of 30,183 acres (122.15 km2), of which 24,719 acres (100.03 km2) is a wilderness area.

Hana, Hawaii

Hāna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 709 at the 2000 census. Hāna is located at the eastern end of the island of Maui and is one of the most isolated towns in the state. It is reached mainly via the Hāna Highway, a long, winding, 52 mile long highway along Maui's northern shore.

Near Hāna are several swimming holes in the Haleakalā National Park.

The Hana Airport offers flights with regular service to the Big Island, Kahului and Oahu.

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay (pronounced "ha-NOW-mah", in Hawaiian) is a marine embayment formed within a volcanic cone and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oʻahu (just east of Honolulu) in the Hawaiian Islands. Hana means 'bay' and uma means 'shelter,' rendering "Shelter Bay" The "Bay" is a tautology: Hawaiians simply call this feature "Hanauma". Hanauma is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Island and has suffered somewhat from overuse (at one time accommodating over three million visitors per year). In the 1950s, dynamite was used to clear portions of the reef to expand the area available for swimming.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, is a United States National Park located in the U.S. State of Hawaiʻi on the island of Hawaiʻi. It displays the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct Ancient Hawaiian culture. Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the most massive, offer scientists insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and visitors' views of dramatic volcanic landscapes. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987.

The volcanic activity generated in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park helped create Kalapana (now covered by lava from recent eruptions) and other black sand beaches. Within the park boundaries are the Thurston Lava Tube, a lava tube approximately 540 years old with a short hiking trail running through it, and the Kīlauea Caldera, skirted by the Volcano House Hotel, and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory which operates the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum.

Hilo

Hilo is a coastal town in the State of Hawaiʻi. It is the largest settlement on the island of Hawaiʻi, and the second largest settlement in the state. The population was 40,759 at the 2000 census.

Hilo is the county seat of Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi,[1] and is situated in the South Hilo District. The town overlooks Hilo Bay, and is near two shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, considered active, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano upon which some of the best ground-based astronomical observatories are placed.
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USA Travel Locations

2009-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

More USA Travel Locations
Times Square

Looking south towards One Times Square (center) from Duffy Square at the intersection of 7th Ave. (foreground, left) and Broadway (foreground, right).
Times Square at night.Times Square is a major intersection in Manhattan, a borough of New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. The Times Square area consists of the blocks between Sixth and Eighth Avenues from east to west, and West 40th and West 53rd Streets from south to north, making up the western part of the commercial area of Midtown Manhattan.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston

Faneuil Hall ,located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of Boston National Historical Park and a well known stop on the Freedom Trail. It is sometimes referred to as "the Cradle of Liberty".

Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately 3.8 mi (6.1 km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada. A small portion of The Strip lies in Las Vegas, but most of it is in the unincorporated areas of Paradise and Winchester. Most of "The Strip" has been designated an All-American Road.

Many of the largest hotel, casino and resort properties in the world are located on the world famous Las Vegas Strip. Nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels by room count are on the Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms.

Fisherman's Wharf/Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California, U.S.

It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. It is best known for being the location of Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, Forbes Island and restaurants and stands that serve fresh seafood, most notably dungeness crab and clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl. Some of the restaurants, like Pompeii's and Alioto's #8, go back for three generations of the same family ownership. Nearby Pier 45, there is a chapel in memory of the "Lost Fishermen" of San Francisco and Northern California though it might not always be open every day. Once a year, the chapel has a service for the lost fishermen.

Transportation to Fisherman's Wharf can be provided in a variety of ways. The F Market streetcar runs through the area, the Powell-Hyde cable car lines runs to Aquatic Park, at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf, and the Powell-Mason cable car line runs a few blocks away. Other popular areas in San Francisco, such as Chinatown, Lombard Street and North Beach are all located in proximity to Fisherman's Wharf.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in the United States.[2] On its route from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the center of the park. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940.[3] It encompasses 814 square miles (2,108 km²), making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. The main park entrances are located along U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) at the towns of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead National Recreation Area is located in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The centerpieces of the National Recreation Area are its two large reservoirs: Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. These lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while the surrounding desert rewards hikers, wildlife photographers, and roadside sightseers. Three of America's four desert ecosystems — the Mojave desert, the Great Basin desert, and the Sonoran Desert — meet in Lake Mead NRA. As a result, this seemingly barren area contains a surprising variety of plants and animals, some of which may be found nowhere else in the world.

Temple Square,Salt Lake City, Utah

Temple Square is a ten acre (40,000 m²) complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon or LDS Church). In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square proper are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument and two visitors' centers.

Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Waikīkī or Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City & County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī.

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USA Tourist attractions

2009-07-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

The United States of America (commonly referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to its east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories, or insular areas, in the Caribbean and Pacific.
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Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the majority of which lies on the Canadian side of the border, and American Falls on the American side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island.

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Grand Canyon

A map of the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas, circa 1908.Longstanding scientific consensus has been that the canyon was created by the Colorado River over a six million year period. The canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6.4 to 29 km) and attains a depth of over a mile (1.83 km) (6000 feet).[1] Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. The "canyon began in the west, followed by another that formed in the east. Eventually, the two broke through and met as a single majestic rent in the earth some six million years ago. [...] The merger apparently occurred where the river today bends to the west, in the area known as the Kaibab Arch."

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty, officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World , is a monument that was presented by the people of France to the United States of America in 1886 to celebrate its centennial. Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans traveling by ship. The copper-clad statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and was given to the United States by France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue and obtained a U.S. patent for its structure. Maurice Koechlin—chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower—engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper in the statue's construction and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side.

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, also known as the Gateway to the West, is an integral part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and the iconic image of St. Louis, Missouri. It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. It stands 630 feet (190 m) tall, and is 630 feet (190 m) wide at its base, making it the tallest monument in the United States.[3] Construction of the arch started on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965. The monument opened to the public on July 24, 1967.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot (1,010 m) long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $90 million today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and city planner Daniel Burnham and his associates. As Municipal Pier #2 (Municipal Pier #1 was never built), Navy Pier was planned and built to serve as a mixed-purpose piece of public infrastructure. Its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for lake freighters, and warehouses were built up and down the pier. However, the pier was also designed to provide docking space for passenger excursion steamers, and in the pre-air conditioning era parts of the pier, especially its outermost tip, were designed to serve as cool places for public gathering and entertainment. The pier even had its own streetcar. It was known as a romantic spot for young lovers.

National Mall and Memorial Parks

National Mall and Memorial Parks (also known as National Capital Parks-Central) is an administrative unit of the National Park Service encompassing many national memorials and other areas in Washington, D.C. They include:

Disney World's Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The first park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1971. The park saw an estimated 17 million visitors in 2008, making it the most visited theme park in the world.[1]

Designed and built by WED Enterprises (now known as Walt Disney Imagineering), the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.
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Source Text :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

China Tourist Attractions

2009-07-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

China is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia.

The last Chinese Civil War (with major combat ending in 1949) has resulted in two political entities:

People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as China, has control over mainland China and the largely self-governing territories of Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999).
Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, has control over the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu.
China has one of the world's oldest and continuous civilizations, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia.[citation needed] It has the world's longest continuously used written language system,[citation needed] and is viewed as the source of many major inventions. Historically, China's cultural sphere has extended across East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems being adopted to varying degrees by neighbors such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The first evidence of human presence in the region was found at the Zhoukoudian cave and is one of the first known specimens of Homo erectus, now commonly known as the Peking Man, estimated to have lived approximately from 300,000 to 550,000 years ago.

Source text :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; it lay farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty.

Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army are the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BCE, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include strong warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

Yangtze River

The first turn of the Yangtze at Shigu , Yunnan Province, where the river turns 180 degrees from south- to north-bound.

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang , Tibetan: 'Bri-chu, is the longest river in China and Asia, and the third-longest in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America.

The river is about 6,385 km long (3915 mi) and flows from its source in Qinghai Province, eastwards into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It acts as a dividing line between North and South China, although geographers generally consider the Qinling-Huai River line to be the official line of geographical division. As the largest river in the region, the Yangtze is historically, culturally, and economically important to China. One of the dams on the river, the Three Gorges Dam, is the largest hydro-electric power station in the world. The section of the river flowing through deep gorges in Yunnan province is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas: a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Silk Road

The ruins of a Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) Chinese watchtower made of rammed earth at Dunhuang, Gansu province, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road

The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. In recent years, it has also come to be used for the maritime as well the overland routes.

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.

Li River

Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. It was named after Mount Potala, the abode of Chenresig or Avalokitesvara.[1] The Potala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India, after an invasion and failed uprising in 1959. Today the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese.
The Li River or Li Jiang is a river in Guangxi Province, China. The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an county and flows through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle, down into the Xi Jiang, the western tributary of the Pearl River in Wuzhou, its course of 437 kilometers is flanked by green hills. Cormorant fishing is often associated with the Lijiang. Its unusual karst topography hillsides have often been compared to those at Halong Bay, Vietnam.

China Tourist Locations

2009-07-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

NewYork Travel Locations

2009-07-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

New York , officially the City of New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. As host of the United Nations headquarters, it is also an important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as New York City to differentiate it from the state of New York, of which it is a part.

Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2007 estimated population exceeds 8.3 million people, and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km2),New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States.The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest, estimated at 18.8 million people over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2).

New York is notable among American cities for its high use of mass transit, most of which runs 24 hours per day, and for the overall density and diversity of its population. In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city and 36% of its population was born outside the United States.The city is sometimes referred to as "The City that Never Sleeps", while other nicknames include Gotham and the Big Apple.

Source Text :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty ,officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World, is a monument that was presented by the people of France to the United States of America in 1886 to celebrate its centennial. Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans traveling by ship. The copper-clad statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and was given to the United States by France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution.Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue and obtained a U.S. patent for its structure. Maurice Koechlin—chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower—engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper in the statue's construction and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretching 5,989 feet (1825 m) over the East River, connecting the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Upon completion in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, the first steel-wire suspension bridge, and the first bridge to connect to Long Island.

Hudson River

The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. It rises at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains, flows past Albany, and finally forms the border between New York City and New Jersey at its mouth before emptying into Upper New York Bay. Its lower half is an estuary, experiencing tidal influence as far north as Troy. The river is named for Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who explored it in 1609.

New York City

japan tourism attractions

2009-07-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".

Japan comprises 6,852 islands making it an archipelago. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

Osaka,Japan

Skyline of West Umeda in Kita-ku, Osaka

Osaka Castle

Osaka is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū.

Osaka is a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture. Osaka has historically been the commercial capital of Japan, and is at the heart of Japan's second largest metropolitan area of Keihanshin (Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto), whose population is 18,643,915.

Buddhist temples, Mount Koya

Mount Kōya is a mountain in Wakayama prefecture to the south of Osaka, Japan, primarily known as the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.

Tokyo

Tokyo , officially Tokyo Metropolis is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totalling over 8 million people. The population of the prefecture exceeds 12 million. The prefecture is the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, the world's most populous metropolitan area with 35 million people and the world's largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$1.191 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2005.

Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama Park, Kyoto, Japan

Eitai Bridge,Tokyo, Japan

Panorama of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

Panorama of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, including the east garden as seen from the top floor of the Marunouchi Building. The tall buildings in the back are in Shinjuku. The National Diet Building is also faintly visible on the left.

East Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

India Travel Locations

2009-07-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi).It is bordered by Pakistan to the west; People's Republic of China (PRC), Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia in the Indian Ocean.

Home to the Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.Four major religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated there, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early eighteenth century and colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-nineteenth century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by widespread nonviolent resistance.

Source Text :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India

Taj Mahal,Agra, India.

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.[1][2] In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

Lotus Temple,Delhi,India

The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, is a Bahá'í House of Worship and also a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

Charminar,Hyderabad,India

Charminar is one of the most important monuments in the city of Hyderabad, capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. By extension, it is also the name of a massive mountain system that includes the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and other, lesser, ranges that extend out from the Pamir Knot.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest – also called Sagarmatha – is the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height above sea level of its summit, 8,848 metres (29,029 ft). The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in Asia, is located on the border between Sagarmatha Zone, Nepal, and Tibet, China.
Golden Temple

I am often asked what my favorite sacred places are in the world, among the many hundreds I have visited. I could not choose one in particular, but included in the top ten would certainly be the Golden Temple. It is a place of both stupendous beauty and sublime peacefulness. Originally a small lake in the midst of a quiet forest, the site has been a meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages since deep antiquity. The Buddha is known to have spent time at this place in contemplation.

The Bombay Stock Exchange, in Mumbai, is Asia's oldest and India's largest stock exchange.

Mumbai City

Mumbai , formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper is the largest city in India, and the second most populous city in the world with approximately 14 million inhabitants. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayandar, Mumbai forms the world's 4th largest urban agglomeration with around 19 million people. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. Mumbai's port handles around 60% of India's maritime cargo. It has been ranked as an Alpha world city, as of 2008. The 7 islands that came to constitute Bombay were home to communities of fishing colonies.

HITEC City

HITEC City stands for Hyderabad Information Technology Engineering Consultancy City, a major technology township which is at the center of the information technology industry in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

Argentina Travel Locations

2009-07-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Street tango on Florida pedestrian street, outside Galerias Pacifico, Buenos Aires. More Argentina Travel Locations

Buenos Aires - the third largest city in Latin America after Brazil's two - is not a place for grand sights or world famous buildings, it's more about the little urban experiences such as stumbling across a passionate tango display in the street [watched with as much appreciation, if not more, by locals as tourists], catching the purple jacaranda blooms in November, enjoying the occasional graphics and murals, trying not to notice tongue-entwined lovers on a bench while strolling a landscaped park, shopping for high quality local goods at very low prices, eating out at one of BA's sophisticated restaurants for the price you would pay for breakfast in Paris - it's best to avoid the older Argentinian eateries that are not so good - and starting to party at 3 a.m.

BA’s city-centre buildings are a mish-mash of elegant French and Spanish colonial interspersed with hideous concrete extrusions and nuevo dull glass towers, all sadly decaying as bankrupt government and businesses still struggle with the economic devastation caused by the peso crash of the early 90's, and traveller's walking the streets would be well advised to keep their eyes on the pavement [sidewalk] rather than taking pictures to avoid ankle-snapping holes that will be filled mañana, when Argentina's boat finally comes home - steered by an efficient and incorruptible captain who is not yet born.

BA's citizens, with a national unemployment rate of 17%, poor social services and 40% living below the poverty line in 2005 are, by-and-large, sadly disheveled and despondent after their fall from grace - the glory years of wealth, status and style when their economy almost equalled the USA's - but they manage to enjoy art galleries, theatre, music, regular sporting events, a lively night life and still give odd pesos to street entertainers like the tango twosome above.

An aerial shot of Buenos Aires, 2005.

Argentina's population in 2005 was 39 million, with about a third of those living in greater Buenos Aires and 3 million in the centre, the capital district.
The people are 85% from European stock which makes it easy for Anglo-Saxon travellers to slip into the background in order to reduce the chance of being targeted by thieves. Just keep the valuables out of sight and Argentinians will be asking you for directions in no time.
With a literacy rate of 95% and a keen interest in the world as well as local current events, local people are knowledgeable and keen talkers once you get past the stony city face, with soccer, rugby or politics as a natural starting point for a lengthy conversation, but remember that a pleasant greetings is a vital start.

Drinks in Café Tortoni, Microcentro, Buenos Aires.

Café Tortoni has been in business since 1858 and is Argentina's oldest traditional café. Still popular with just about everybody from tourists to bohemians, it's a must-try for a drink at least, or, even better chocolate con churros for breakfast, but the dinner and tango show event in the back room is good value too and in an appropriate atmosphere.

Tancat, Catalan tapas barstrong

One of the better subte [metro] trains, Buenos Aires.

While the capital's tube trains don't run everywhere, the lines that are available are efficient, regular, easy to use, cheap and safe, though they close down from 11pm to 6am.
They can be also quite entertaining...

Extraordinary tiling and superb flamenco music at Callao subte station, B line, Buenos Aires.

While the capital's tube trains don't run everywhere, the lines that are available are efficient, regular, easy to use, cheap and safe, though they close down from 11pm to 6am.
They can be also quite entertaining...

More formal but equally bizarre mythological tiling at Bulnes subte station, D line, Buenos Aires.

More Argentina Travel Locations

Argentina Travel Guide

2009-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Argentina, (officially Argentine Republic; Spanish "Republica Argentina") is a large, elongated country in the southern part of South America, neighbouring countries being Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay to the north, Uruguay to the north east and Chile to the west. In the east Argentina has a long South Atlantic Ocean coastline.

Understand
Argentina is the second-largest country in South America, and the eighth-largest in the world. The highest and the lowest points of South America are also located in Argentina: At 6,960m, Cerro Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the Americas while Salinas Chicas, at 40m below sea level, is the lowest point in South America.

At the southern tip of Argentina there are several routes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans including the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage as an alternative sailing around Cape Horn in the open ocean between South America and

Source Text :: http://wikitravel.org/en/Argentina More Argentina Travel Locations

The world's biggest road, Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires.

Where else would be so short of sights that the world's widest road, 20 lanes of gas guzzling madness [some lanes are not visible in this picture, they're on the other side of the trees to the left and right] running right through the city centre, and loaded with cars and stinking, roaring buses is a sight in its own right?
And on the subject of cars, don't even think of driving in this city, where taxis are brutal if you're driving, but dirt cheap if you're hiring, and parking is the usual nightmare, only in Spanish, and the police are famously - shall we say - unsympathetic and poorly paid.

Caminito, La Boca, Buenos Aires.

Probably the number one tourist sight in Buenos Aires is Caminito - in the La Boca barrio - a short, narrow block of cheap and ancient housing painted in effervescent colours, apparently begged off shipcrews docked nearby. Caminito is, however, something of a tiny tourist trap with buildings outnumbered by tourist buses and does not at all represent the city, nor does it take long to see. However...

Cementario de la Recoleta, Recoleta, Buenos Aires.

The Bugcrew's favourite sight in Buenos Aires is less lively than Caminito, in fact it's the totally dead cemetery of the rich and arrogant in the Recoleta district, where wealthy, big-name families have invested staggering amounts of pud - doubtless torn from the hands of the poor, huddled masses over the years - in tombs to die for.
Gorgeous marble statues of weeping angels, powerful generals and stern fathers, gilded murals, stained glass and sculpted bronzes crowd this space, enlivened only by flowers and somnolent cats.
And the the prize for the most contentious tomb goes to...

Galerias Pacifico

Originally built in 1889 but redeveloped in 1992, Galerias Pacifico, off the popular pedestrian street Florida, is one of Buenos Aires' most popular shopping malls.

For those lucky few with money to spend Argentina is a shopping paradise, with high quality, sophisticated goods on sale for silly prices by European or North American standards. Leather goods are naturally a favourite purchase with all the steaks on tables out there, but also silver and gold jewellery, wonderful antiques and silverware in the San Telmo area, designer clothing in Palermo Viejo, and Avenida Alvear or Santa Fe for just about anything.
Guys may be especially interested in leather jackets and trainers, girls in matching shoe/handbag combinations.
And don't forget to ask for a bill and tax receipt [cheque de reintegro] for big ticket items so when you leave Argentina you'll get up to 16% of the 21% tax back at the airport's puesto de pago.

Boca Juniors soccer stadium

Club Atlético Boca Juniors, known also as Boca Juniors or simply Boca, is a popular Argentine sports club, best known for its football team. Its home base is the neighborhood of La Boca, in Buenos Aires, and their home field is Estadio Alberto J. Armando, better known as La Bombonera. They are the reigning holders of the Recopa Sudamericana title. Their main rival is River Plate, with whom they contest the Superclásico.

The riverwalk at the Rocha Bend of the Riachuelo.

More Argentina Travel Locations

New Seven Wonders of the World

2009-06-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders. A popularity poll was organized by the private New7Wonders Foundation, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Swiss-based New7Wonders Foundation claims more than 100 million votes were cast through the Internet or by telephone. Nothing prevented multiple votes, so the poll is considered "decidedly unscientific".According to John Zogby, founder and current President/CEO of the Washington-based polling organization Zogby International, New7Wonders Foundation drove “the largest poll on record”.

The program drew a wide range of official reaction. Some countries touted their finalist and tried to get more votes cast for it, while others downplayed or criticized the contest.After supporting the New7Wonders Foundation at the beginning of the campaign, with providing advice on nominee selection, The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has distanced itself from the undertaking in 2007.Many monuments were supported by dedicated websites or strong placements on national websites. National figures and celebrities promoted the New7Wonders campaign in many countries.New7Wonders has stated that it sees its goal of global dialogue and cultural exchange as having been achieved, thanks to the sheer number of votes cast and the geographical and cultural diversity of the voters registered.

The New7Wonders Foundation, established in 2001, has relied on private donations and the sale of broadcast rights and has never accepted any public funding or taxpayer money.After the final announcement, New7Wonders said it didn't earn anything from the exercise and barely recovered its investments.

In 2007 the foundation has begun a similar contest, called New7Wonders of Nature, with nominees solicited through December 31, 2008. The 21 finalists will then be the subject of voting until the summer of 2010.

Chichen Itza,Yucatán, Mexico

Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico.

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[1] The statue stands 30 metres (98 ft) wide and 38 metres (120 ft) tall with its pedestal. It weighs 635 tons (700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700 metres (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world. The statue of Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, is slightly taller, standing at 34.20 metres (112.2 ft) tall and 40.44 metres (132.7 ft) tall with its 6.24 metres (20.5 ft) pedestal. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.The statue of Christ the Redeemer is a very important symbol of Brazil's Christianity. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.

Colosseum , Rome, Italy

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Great Wall of China, China

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; it lay farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty.

Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Perú

Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire.

Petra, Cuzco, Perú

Petra is an archaeological site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor[1] in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture. Petra is also one of the new wonders of the world. The Nabateans constructed it as their capital city around 100 BC.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

Giza Necropolis, Cairo, Egypt

The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids, along with the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx. It is located some 8 km (5 mi) inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cairo city centre. One of the monuments, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Source Text :: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Seven_Wonders_of_the_World

Australia Travel Guide

2009-06-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast. Australia is the only single country to occupy an entire continent.

The Australian mainland has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and then European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was later claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, commencing on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established during the 19th century.

On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The population is just over 21.3 million, with approximately 60% of the population concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Botanic Gardens

Sydney's delightful Royal Botanic Gardens towards dusk.

Cockatoos

A small part of the Darling Harbour complex, enjoyed by ibis as much as tourists.

Although Australian wildlife is not generally as easy to find as one might imagine, birdlife flourishes everywhere, not least in Sydney, with ibis as common as pigeons and parrots, fruit bats and cockatoos screeching around the Royal Botanic Gardens, especially towards dusk.

Sydney Harbour

An aerial view of Sydney's best surfburb, Manly

Sdyney, Harbour Bridge

The iconic Harbour Bridge with grey-suited climbers visible mid-left and low right.

There are many who have climbed the Harbour Bridge who claim that the cost is extortionate and out of proportion to the experience, but others would disagree, especially if they managed top peak out on a good day around sunset time. Whatever, this picture was taken from the top of one of the bridge's support towers and provided quite enough height thank you...

Manly Beach's Typical Surf

Manly Beach, just 5 minutes walk from the ferry terminal.

Sydney Beaches: Sydney's water is not particularly warm, even in midsummer [Dec-Feb], and in winter you'd definitely need a wetsuit , a good chunky layer of subcutaneous fat or Russian-style anti-freeze in your veins.
There's swimming at a couple of beaches inside the harbour and lots of sailing but most of the action goes on outside where the South Pacific throws steady surf onto some superb beaches. Bondi and Manly are the closest suburbs for good beach experiences, with Bondi accessible from the centre by car or train/bus and Manly by ferry from Circular Quay. Both trips would take in the region of an hour, but south of Bondi and north of Manly there are plenty more fine strands of sand with increasingly few users.
Manly has a small inner-harbour beach devoid of surf for those with toddlers not ready for a pounding or lap-swimmers who don't want to go out beyond the surf line

Wild Koala

A koala digesting his lunch a couple of metres above the Great Ocean Road.

Trivia: koalas are the only critter with a brain that does not fit snugly into its skull. Since they more or less predator-free up a gum tree and eucalyptus leaves are highly toxic, nature decided to focus on digestion at the expense of intelligence, shrinking the brain down to a walnut surrounded by jelly and giving them slow reactions and a dozy 'thousand-yard stare' in the process

The Rocks Weekend Market

The Rocks Weekend Market

Old Victorian buildings visible in many places around Australia face off the Rocks market tents, a tourist souvenir hotspot, while the Harbour Bridge crosses in the background.

Brunswick Street

The Yarra Riverside

The Yarra riverside, loaded with eating places on the promenade to the right, servicing the city workaholics from across the river, left.

Like other major Australian cities Melbourne is park and water-oriented. The Yarra is the main focus with rowing and river cruises figuring high in things to do around the centre - apart from eating and drinking of course, while further downstream the Docklands provide a new focal point for more conspicuous consumption.
The Royal Botanic Gardens on the banks of the Yarra nearby are beautifully laid out, diverse and interesting, just one of the city's grand green spaces.
The suburb of St Kilda is a classic seaside resort with pier, pavilion, amusement park, market, beach and endless establishments to service the hordes that descend on the town on warm sunny days.

Brunswick Street with its funky shops and eateries.

Travellers seeking a more off-the-wall shopping and partying environment than central Melbourne should take the first tram to lengthy Brunswick St where weird needs are more likely to be met than elsewhere. Goth central, new wave, neo-hippies and such.

Not quite up to Sydney's delights as far as tourism is concerned Melbourne nevertheless offers a dynamic, hard working and cultured ambience. It's also the start of the Great Ocean Rd..

Great Ocean Road

One of the more attractive and watery parts of the Great Ocean Road which in fact doesn't spend a great deal of time beside the ocean.

The Great Ocean Road stretches from Torquay - one of Melbourne's little suburban seaside resorts - 200kms [125mls] west to Portland, though some drivers turn off a little earlier at Warrnambool, heading back to Melbourne via the Grampian Highlands and Ballarat, while others continue on to Adelaide, though the distance there is considerable and views en route few.
The Great Ocean Road was deliberately designed by the Victoria state government to be one of the world's greatest driving experiences and is certainly a successful marketing exercise though many would argue that GOR doesn't make it into the world's top roads, not compared to, for example, the US's Pacific Coast Highway, South Africa's Cape Town to Cape Horn drive, the Scottish Highlands or a dozen other classic routes around the world.
The problem is mainly that the road doesn't actually spend that much time cruising attractively beside the ocean and even the famous Twelve Apostles sea stacks are barely visible without a walk [not that there's anything wrong with a good leg stretch after hours at the wheel].
Fundamentally, to enjoy The Great Ocean Road you need to plan interesting diversions on the way, park and walk, park and surf, whatever. Just don't expect the road itself to provide endless entertainment, it ain't going to happen that way.

A hire car or a tour bus is probably the best way to travel this road as some parts are lengthy, hilly, and/or dull, making biking, for example, butt-grinding work, while public transport does not provide buses running the whole route and changes can be big time wasters.
Personal transport also allows the visitor more freedom to stop and take the necessary pictures as well as get in a bit of surfing, hill-walking, forest trekking, whale watching [in season] or animal tracking.

The early section of GOR offers some spectacularly good surf beaches, including perhaps Australia's best waves at Bell's Beach, near Torquay, while kangaroos can be spotted on Anglesea's golf course.
Koalas can be seen in the trees beside the road between Lorne and Apollo Bay, and Great Otway National Park provides some great hikes, treetop walkways and animal viewing.
The Twelve Apostles viewing platforms and walkways will be busy with tourists and may be less stunning than expected - unless you take time to walk down to the beach and see the stacks from sea level.

The Great Ocean Walk is also available to dedicated hikers, running from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles and taking about a week for the whole length, though just walking smaller sections is also an option. There are camp sites en route.
Also on offer are the Surf Coast Walk and Great South West Walk.

These Great Ocean Rd Photos later divide into two parts, one section showing the route back to Melbourne, the other continuing on to Adelaide.

Manly Beach

Manly Beach, just 5 minutes walk from the ferry terminal.

Sydney Beaches: Sydney's water is not particularly warm, even in midsummer [Dec-Feb], and in winter you'd definitely need a wetsuit , a good chunky layer of subcutaneous fat or Russian-style anti-freeze in your veins.
There's swimming at a couple of beaches inside the harbour and lots of sailing but most of the action goes on outside where the South Pacific throws steady surf onto some superb beaches. Bondi and Manly are the closest suburbs for good beach experiences, with Bondi accessible from the centre by car or train/bus and Manly by ferry from Circular Quay. Both trips would take in the region of an hour, but south of Bondi and north of Manly there are plenty more fine strands of sand with increasingly few users.
Manly has a small inner-harbour beach devoid of surf for those with toddlers not ready for a pounding or lap-swimmers who don't want to go out beyond the surf line.

Sydney from one of the Harbour

Sydney from one of the Harbour Bridge support columns, 2006. To the right of the Opera House is the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens and to the right is Circular Quay [the harbour's main ferry terminal] and the business district.

Sydney, New South Wales, is one of the world's great cities, well-organised and well-developed but still very relaxed with several fine green spaces - most notably the cockatoo-frenzied Royal Botanic Gardens.
Australia's main cities are all designed in the same vein: spacious, attractive waterfronts, plenty of greenery and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks but Sydney hit the biggest seam with the world's largest natural harbour - and absolutely gorgeous it is too.
Trivia: the world's second largest harbour? Poole, south England. And Botany Bay, Captain Cook's first landing point, is an industrial zone about 10kms south of Sydney.

A capital city: Some deluded folk think Sydney is Australia's capital, or possibly Melbourne. Not at all, it's a city in Australia's south-east that few tourists visit [Bugcrew included], Canberra, purpose built because politicians could not afford to give the title to either of the two serious contenders - Sydney and Melbourne - for fear of dreadful sanctions from the great and good of the losing city.
Still, Sydney - aka 'Sin City' by locals though we can't imagine why, the sinny side must be well hidden - is unquestionably the city that tourists have to see, along with Uluru and Cairns for a minimum Australia experience. Melbourne, it's true, is very pleasant, but it lacks the harbour and being further south the climate is cooler - some even liken it to Britain's dire weather.

Climate: And on the subject of weather...don't expect too much from Sydney. Rain is not uncommon in any season, nor sweater-inducing temperatures, though in all probability your shorts [short pants] will see considerable usage. Just don't wear tiny tight shorts like too many of Sydney's older, pot-bellied underclass males - unless you're a fit young female of course. And if you yearn for guaranteed sunshine then the central east coast is your best bet, where 300 days of sunburn is apparently the norm. Probably the best time to visit Sydney is March, April, Oct, Nov when temperatures are moderate and crowds are reduced by school terms, though if you are a show freak and organised enough to book ahead then January's Sydney Arts Festival month might suit you. Sadly, without a mad 'Fringe' Festival that Scotland's Edinburgh does so well, Sydney's event is rather staid, lacking in fire and not worth making a special effort to attend.

The Bugcrew preferred the larger and lower-key Manly beaches to Bondi. Manly has a small but well-supplied village feel to it, with plenty of bars and eateries, not to mention a lot of low cost accommodation near the beach and good surf gear rental places adjacent. Then there's the lovely ferry ride through the harbour to Manly from the city centre vs. the not very pretty urban train/bus ride to Bondi. On the other Bondi's beach folk are arguably more glamorous and the coastal path south is stunning, while Manly's walks are not so inspiring...Visit both but stay in Manly if you have the time?

Sydney Pictures: the few Sydney Pictures following, as usual are not attempting to capture every aspect of the city, merely to give a hint of the ambience.

Cuisine: Sydney is a fairly asian-oriented city with an extensive area in the centre where the anglo-saxon look is rare and sushi is menu du jour though in other areas rat coffins [meat pies] are an Australian quick-eat tradition. Generally seafood is big and white wine with oysters scoffed beside Circular Quay are a must, though Darling Harbour, a rebuilt-for-tourists dock area is where many travellers end up spending their dollars.

Outside the city and away from the surf-smashed beaches lie a good few National Parks though the #1 tourist target is the cool Blue Mountains with its canyons, cliffs, dense forests, waterfalls, good bushwalks and mad activities. A train from Central Station takes a couple of hours to travel the 109kms to the Blue Mountains' staging point, chilly and attractive Katoomba. But don't expect to see any 'roos leaping around!

Barossa Valley South

Australians metropolitan cities and coastal areas

Nearly three quarters of Australians live in metropolitan cities and coastal areas. The beach is an integral part of the Australian identity.

The Barossa Valley wine-producing region of South Australia. Fewer than 15% of Australians live in rural areas.

Federation Square

Melbourne, Federation Square's bizarre - but not unpleasant - collection of architectural styles.

Originally a gold-rush town in the mid 1800s, Melbourne is Australia's second largest city at 3.5 million, a cultured and cosmopolitan place on the banks of the Yarra river in the far south-east of the country.
The city's Victorian architecture is impressive and mostly blends well with some ultra-modern buildings, plentiful green spaces and picturesque riverside walks.
City activities, whether cultural, sporting or pure entertainment are creative, varied and interesting, bars are buzzing and restaurants are superb - especially for Asian cuisine, while both live music and club scenes are thriving.
Around Melbourne there's plenty of action too - massive beaches [one of them is 90 miles long] with fine surfing, excellent wildlife parks [e.g. Hall's Gap], the spectacular Great Ocean Road [GOR] driving route, great hiking in the Grampian Highlands and skiing in the winter.

Comparisons are inevitably made with Sydney, particularly since the two cities were such equal contenders for the title of Australia's capital in the early 20th century that the government was unable to decide which was more suitable, so they built a new capital in the middle of nowhere - Canberra.

Just about everything in Melbourne is cheaper than Sydney, tourist herds far less obtrusive and there's a free circular tram. Melbourne is more dynamic, Sydney more relaxed. Melburnians claim that their city is one of the world's most liveable; could that imply that Sydney may be one of the most visitable?
Sydney certainly outshines Melbourne in two tourist areas. It has a more immediate, unique charm due to its wonderful harbour setting and those world famous icons - the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, while the climate is somewhat better. Winter in Melbourne is colder than Sydney though both cities can have excessively hot summers.
On the other hand, Melbourne is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road...

Golf

Anglesea Golf Course complete with loafing caddies. Click on the image for more Great Ocean Road Pictures or here for more.

One of the more surprising aspects of driving the Great Ocean Road is the amount of wildlife that is visible if you keep your eyes open. Kangaroos on this golf course are well known, but wallabies standing dumbly beside the road chewing the cud, koalas hanging like fat furry fruit in roadside eucalypts [with intellects about equal to a ripe apricot], parrots, cockatoos and many other birds are a pleasant distraction from the substantial distances this drive requires.

Cities

* Sydney - Australia's oldest and largest city, famous for its picturesque harbour. Sydney is the capital of New South Wales.
* Melbourne - Australia's second largest city and the nation's first capital city. Melbourne is a large sporting and cultural capital, known as a shopping destination in Australia. Melbourne is regarded as Australia's most European city in style.
* Adelaide - the City of Churches, a relaxed South Australian alternative to the big eastern cities
* Brisbane - sun-drenched capital of Queensland, fastest growing city in Australia (and the Southern Hemisphere) and gateway to beautiful sandy beaches.
* Perth - the most remote continental capital city on earth, on the south-western edge of Western Australia
* Cairns - gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree National Park, and many beautiful beaches and resorts. A great place for people to getaway to and relax.
* Canberra - the purpose-built national capital of Australia
* Darwin - Australia's smallest and northern-most capital, at the top of the Northern Territory
* Hobart - small and quiet capital of Tasmania

Wide open spaces
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world - only two people per square kilometre.

Little Beauties
Australia produces 95 per cent of the world's precious opals and 99 per cent of black opals.

Beaches galore
Australia boasts over 10,000 beaches - more than any other nation.

Golden city
Kalgoorlie in Western Australia is not only Australia's largest producer of gold, but has the world's largest political electorate - covering amammoth 2.2 million square kilometres.

Opal capital
Coober Pedy in South Australia is known as the opal capital of the world. Its population is made up of more than 40 nationalities and, with year-round extremes in temperature, more than 50 per cent of the population live in below-ground 'dugouts'.

Aussie icon
The kangaroo is unique to Australia and one of our most easily recognised mammals. There are more kangaroos in Australia now than when Australiawas first settled. Estimates suggest around 40 million.

Merinos en masse
Australia's 101 million sheep (mostly merinos), found on around 53,000 properties, produce more than 70 per cent of the world's wool.

Beef exports
With 27 million head of cattle, Australia is the world's largest exporter of beef.

Flourishing flora
Australia supports at least 25,000 species of plants, while Europe only supports 17,500.

dead straight for 478 kilometres.

Long drive
The Eyre Highway at Caiguna in Western Australia has the longest stretch of straight road in Australia - 148 kilometres. Crossing the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, it is the only sealed road from Perth to Adelaide, a 2700 kilometre drive.

Long haul
The longest stretch of straight railway track in the world crosses the Nullarbor Plain. From Nurina in Western Australia to near Watson in South Australia, the track is

Long fence
The world's longest continuous fence known as the 'dingo fence', runs through central Queensland for 5,531 kilometres. It is 1.8 metres high and is designed to keep sheep safe from Australia's native dog.

Regions

New South Wales
Welcome to New South Wales. Australia's oldest state is packed full of amazing attractions, places of spectacular natural beauty, unique history and a bunch of fun activities for all to enjoy.

Queensland
With regions such as the Gold Coast and Whitsundays, it's little wonder that Queensland brings to mind lazy days on sunny beaches. It's true, the perfect climate and seaside towns show relaxed Australian culture at its best.

Victoria
For a small state, Victoria has some of the best sightseeing and most fascinating places in the country. From the heady Gold Rush days to the dramatic scenery, there are surprises around every bend.

Tasmania
Tucked away at the far south of the country and across the untamed waters of Bass Strait, lies Tasmania, a place rich with heritage and spectacular natural history.

Australian Capital Territory
Welcome to the nation's capital. It's full name is a bit of a mouthful so the state is known simply as the ACT. You could easily miss it on the map as it's far smaller than the state of New South Wales that completely surrounds it.

Western Australia
Western Australia has a rugged and beautiful outback & a history tied to the ocean. From the vast open plains of the Nullarbor to the colourful marine wonderland of Ningaloo Reef, WA provides the best of both worlds.

Northern Territory
A land of contrasts, the Northern Territory is rich with striking scenery. From the lush rainforests of Kakadu and Katherine to the arid red plains of the Red Centre in Alice Springs and the great rock, Uluru, the land is full of surprises.

South Australia
Wine connoisseurs won't be disappointed, with regions such as the Barossa, Clare Valley and The Limestone Coast, South Australia's large selection of acclaimed wineries will satisfy your every tastebud.

Text Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia

Most Beautiful Beaches in the World

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Copacabana Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Copacabana is a borough located in the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, famous for its 4 km beach.

The district was originally called Sacopenapã until the mid-18th century. It was renamed after the construction of a chapel holding a replica of the Virgin of Copacabana, the patron saint of Bolivia. It was incorporated into the city on July 6, 1892.

Copacabana begins at Princesa Isabel Avenue and ends at Posto Seis (lifeguard watchtower Six) near the Forte de Copacabana (Fort Copacabana). Beyond Copacabana, there is the small Arpoador beach, followed by the famous borough of Ipanema.

According to Riotur, the Tourism Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro, there are 63 hotels and 10 hostels in Copacabana.

Waikiki, Hawaii.

Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City & County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikiki and one of the best known beaches in the world.

The neighborhood extends from the Ala Wai Canal (a channel dug to drain former wetlands) on the west and north, to Diamond Head on the east. The name means spouting fresh water in Hawaiian for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikiki from the interior. Waikiki has long been a place of relaxation. In particular, the area was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s.
Today the neighborhood and beach are considered the center of the tourist industry in Hawaii, with an abundance of both high-rise resort hotels (including the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Halekulani hotel, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, and the Sheraton Waikiki) and historic hotels dating back to the early 20th century (such as the Moana Surfrider Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel).

As seen in the picture, Waikiki Beach is noted for its magnificent view of Diamond Head. The frequently visited tourist beach, easily accessible by an alley next to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, is actually fairly short, with half of it marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, although there are numerous rocks on the bottom, so waders should watch where they put their feet. As with most ocean beaches the waves can have some force, particularly on windy days.

The beach has had its problems with erosion, leading to the construction of groins and beach replenishment projects. For example, in the 1920s and 1930s sand was obtained from Manhattan Beach, California, and transported via ship and barges to Waikiki.

Since 2001, there have been free movies on the beach. Many tourists from around the world can view a movie on an outdoor 30 foot screen. This particular free movie event in Waikiki is called "Sunset on the Beach". Sunset on the Beach typically shows movies of no higher than a PG rating. Recently, they showed Enchanted.

Cancun, Mexico.

Cancún is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula best known as the Mexican Caribbean or at the northern section of the Mayan Riviera; however Cancun does not share a similar climate or topography to the Mediterranean.

It is the municipal seat of Benito Juárez municipality and a world-renowned tourist resort. The city center is located on the mainland which connects over the Nichupté and Bojórquez lagoons to a narrow "7" shaped island where the modern beachfront hotels are located. The island of Isla Mujeres is a nearby island located off the coast and is accessible by boat from Puerto Juarez or Punta Sam.

The older section of the city, known as "El Centro" follows the original master plan, consists of neighborhoods called "supermanzanas" (superblocks) that are formed by the intersections of the boulevards and traffic circles (roundabouts). This area is characterized by winding streets with cul-de-sacs that tend to keep out the main flow of traffic, including market places such Xel Ha. They usually have one or more parks, green spaces, paseos (pedestrian walkways) and various national historical monuments. Ave. Tulum is the main north-south artery (connecting downtown to the airport some 30km to south). Tulum is bisected by Ave. Coba (pronounced Koh bah). East of Ave. Tulum, Coba becomes Ave. Kukulcan which serves as the primary road that runs through the long "7" shaped hotel zone. Ave. Tulum is terminated on the north side by Ave. Paseo José López Portillo which connects to the main highway to Chichen Itza and Merida. Another major north-south road is Ave. Bonampak which runs roughly parallel to Ave. Tulum. The main ferry to Isla Mujeres is located off Bonampak.

The original master plan was repeatedly modified and, on the mainland, often ignored. To save on the cost of installing sewage systems and other public services, the design of much of the rest of the city reverted to the grid plan after Hurricane Gilbert (1988). The newest upper-middle-class residential areas reflect the original plan, but are much less intimate. Less expensive developments are comprised almost entirely of identical one- or two-story small row houses, sometimes built around interior plazas. Almost all buildings on the mainland are under four stories high.

YALONG BAY, CHINA

At the same latitude as Hawaii, Hainan is where mainland Chinese come to get that Waikiki feeling without leaving home. While Yalong Bay, near Sanya on Hainan's southern tip, may lack Polynesia's heaving surf and swaying skirts, its broad white beaches are better than many in Hawaii. Fishing villages and rice farms once rimmed Yalong Bay's 7km strand. In their place, quality resorts harvest the disposable incomes of China's leisure class.

CHINA BEACH, VIETNAM

China Beach, on Vietnam's central coast near Da Nang, is 30km long and has numerous resorts and restaurants, especially around Bai Non Nuoc. The specific section of the China Beach of Vietnam War and television series fame is known locally as Bai Tam My Khe. Here, you can see fishermen paddle out through its breaking waves in flimsy wicker coracles and then, after fishing, surf right back in again.

Surfer's Paradise, Australia.

Surfers Paradise is a suburb on Australia's Gold Coast in Queensland. Colloquially known as 'Surfers', the suburb is famous for its many high-rise apartment buildings and wide surf beach. The central feature of the Surfers Paradise central business district is Cavill Mall, which runs through the centre of the main shopping precinct. Cavill Avenue, named after Jim Cavill, an early hotel owner, is one of the busiest shopping strips in Queensland, and is the centre of activity for night life and 'schoolies' trips.
Text Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise

Negril, Jamaica.

Negril is a large beach resort located across parts of two Jamaican parishes, Westmoreland and Hanover. Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island. Downtown Negril, the West End cliff resorts to the south of downtown, and the southern portion of the seven mile beach are in Westmoreland. The northernmost resorts on the beach are actually located in Hanover. Both parishes are part of the county of Cornwall. The nearest large town and capital of Westmoreland is Savanna-la-Mar.

DUNGUN, MALAYSIA

The east coast of Malaysia is a sleeping secret. Macaque monkeys swing like tiny Tarzans through a tree canopy that borders the South China Sea. Beyond the trees, Dungun, an empty swoop of beach, is one of Malaysia's least-exploited shores. Offshore is Tenggol Island, part of Terengganu Marine Park, where you can snorkel and scuba dive amid gin-and-tonic clear waters alive with turtles, grouper, wrasse and jacks.

OCCHEUTEAL, CAMBODIA

Sihanoukville (aka Kompong Som) on Cambodia's pretty south coast is home to five fine beaches, even though the best one, Sokha, is reserved for a private hotel's guests. Sokha's neighbour, Occheuteal Beach, comes a close second with its long stretch of white sand lined with pine trees. Popular with Cambodians and travellers alike, Occheuteal's far northern end has become a backpacker hangout.

South Beach, Florida.

South Beach is the section of Miami Beach, Florida that encompasses the southernmost 23 blocks of an island separating the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. This area was the first section of Miami Beach to be developed, starting in the 1910s, thanks to the development efforts of Carl G. Fisher, the Lummus Brothers, John S. Collins, and others. The area has gone through numerous man-made and natural changes over the years, including a booming regional economy, increased tourism, and the 1926 hurricane that destroyed much of the area.
Text Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Beach

Phi Phi, Thailand.

The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands, is located at [show location on an interactive map] 7°44′00″N, 98°46′00″E. Both Phi Phi Don, and Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, are administratively part of Krabi province, most of which is on the mainland, and is located at 8°02′30″N, 98°48′39″E.

Ko Phi Phi Don ("ko" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants, although the beaches of the second largest island, Ko Phi Phi Lee (or "Ko Phi Phi Leh"), are visited by many people as well. There are no accommodation facilities on this island, but it is just a short boat ride from Ko Phi Phi Don. The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.

Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.

Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal.

Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission.

MAE NAM, THAILAND

Ko Samui's east coast strands are almost too well known. Head up to the north coast to snoozy Mae Nam, where the sands may be narrower, but you're not sharing them with the crowds. The water is clear and calm, the palm trees shady. In the distance you can see a flotilla of blue-grey islands that drifts just north of Samui, including Ko Phangan and Ang Thong Marine Park, where the beaches are truly empty.

CALANGUTE, INDIA

"Christmas in Goa" was the mantra for heliotropic (and psychotropic) hippies on the 1970s "Overland Trail". Calangute's palm-fringed shoreline was annually invaded by some of the most upbeat and beat-up minds of their generation; today it is simply built-up. Over-development hasn't been kind to Calangute's little fishing hamlets, but its Arabian Sea full moons are as spellbinding as ever.

KENTING, TAIWAN

The semi-tropical landscape of southern Taiwan is a surprise until you remember that the island's earlier Portuguese name, Formosa, means "beautiful". The name still fits. Unhurried and warm, Kenting, at the rugged southernmost tip of the island, has reasonable beaches for swimming, diving and surfing, plus an 18,000-ha national park.

Boracay, Philippines.

Boracay is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.
Text Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay

Tenerife, Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago. The archipelago consists of seven major islands, one minor island, and several small islets. They are of volcanic origin and can be found in the North Atlantic Ocean. These islands are located just off the coast of the north-western portion of the African continent/mainland, nearest the political divide of Morocco and Western Sahara. They form the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands were formed by the Canary hotspot. The status of capital city is shared by the two cities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Text Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands

Natadola Beach, Fiji.

James Bond Beach, Jamaica

Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

Most Beautiful Flowers In The World

2009-06-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

Rose

Cherry Blossom

The unofficial flower of Japan, the spectacular display of blossoms that arrive in the spring are celebrated by festivals both in Japan and the U.S. The most popular colors are white and pink. They are beautiful while on the trees and remain a stunning sight even after carpeting the ground.

Blue Bells

In spring, many European woods are covered by dense carpets of this flower; these are commonly referred to as “bluebell woods”. It is thought that they were named by the romantic poets of the 19th century, who felt they symbolized solitude and regret.

Canna

Cannas not only feature pretty blossoms, but also beautiful leaves (often likened to that of the banana plant) that come in a variety of stunning colors. Popularized in Victorian times, Cannas are popular garden plants.

Plumeria

Lotus

Mums

Dahlia

Mussaenda erythrophylla (Ashanti Blood, Red Flag Bush, Tropical Dogwood)

These plants are native to the Old World tropics, from West Africa through the Indian sub-continent, Southeast Asia and into southern China. The beautiful red and yellow petals are a real showstopper. A favorite of not only of gardeners, but also butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

Begonia

The first Begonia was introduced into England in 1777. Now one of the most popular flowers grown in the United States, Begonias are prized for their flowers as well as their leaves. This versatile plant can be grown either inside or out.

Ixora

Ixora flowers, also commonly called West Indian Jasmine, are often used in Hindu worship, as well as in Indian folk medicine. This plant has traditionally been associated with enhanced sexuality and the re-kindling of passion. Who wouldn’t want that as a gift!

Epiphyllum

Oriental Poppy

This perennial poppy has a delicate and striking color. After flowering in the spring, their foliage dies back entirely, only to grow new leaves once again with the autumn rains. The Oriental Poppy is the flower of The Wizard of Oz.

Lantana

These delicate flowers, with their pink and yellow petals, are butterfly magnets. The bush can grow to be quite large and the color of the petals change as the plant ages. Beware - Lantana is considered a weed by many that is quite difficult to get rid of.

Bleeding Heart

These whimsical, almost fairy-like blossoms are a traditional favorite in shady gardens. The flowers are either red, pink or white and appear in April-June.

Calla Lily

While visually stunning and elegant, this beautiful flower is actually a member the poisonous species, Zantedeschia. All parts of the plant are highly toxic, with the capability to kill livestock and children if ingested.

Lily of the Valley

A delicate and fragrant sign of spring, the Lily of the Valley has inspired a number of legends. One such Christian legend explains that the tears that Mary shed at the cross turned to Lilies of the Valley, prompting the flower to sometimes be referred to as “Our Lady’s Tears.” Another legend tells of Lilies of the Valley springing from the blood of St. George during his battle with the dragon.

Hydrangea

Magical snowball puffs in fall: gorgeous. The clusters of star-shaped blossoms, often found in delicate pastel hues, embody innocence. They are popular in wedding bouquets and as garden flowers.

Red hibiscus

Most Beautiful Cars of 2009

2009-06-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

1. 2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

2. 2009 Aston Martin DBS

3. 2009 Maserati GranTurismo

4. 2009 Aston Martin V-8 Vantage

5. 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe

6. 2009 Audi S5

7. 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

8. 2009 Porsche Cayman

9. 2009 Audi R8

10. 2009 Lotus Elise/2009 Ariel Atom

Most Beautiful Photos

2009-01-01T18:36:00.001-08:00

Some Internet Most Beautiful Pictures

Singapore Pictures

2008-11-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

Singapore, formally the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state and the smallest country in Southeast Asia. It is located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Malaysian state of Johor, and north of the Indonesian Riau Islands. It lies just 137 kilometres (85 miles) north of the Equator.

The name Singapore is derived from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which were themselves derived from the Sanskrit words सिंह siMha and पुर pura. Hence, Singapore is also known as the Lion City.

Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island itself. There are two connections from Singapore to the Malaysian state of Johor — a man-made causeway known as the Johor-Singapore Causeway to the north, crossing the Tebrau Straits, and Tuas Second Link, a bridge in the western part of Singapore that connects to Johor. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's many smaller islands. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, with a height of 166 metres (538 ft).

City Hall MRT

Esplanade Theatre
Closeup

Night view of Singapore

Raffles City Shopping Mall

Most Beautiful Indian Roads

2008-11-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ahtong - Sikkim

Patratu valley-Jharkhand

Ooty- Tamilnadu

Nainital-Uttaranchal

Manali Pass

Corbert Park Pathway

Almora - Uttaranchal

Cute Rabbit

2008-11-27T13:52:00.001-08:00

Lop-Eared Rabbit

2008-11-27T13:50:00.002-08:00

Beautiful Flower Bouquets

2008-11-27T13:50:00.001-08:00

Sea Love

2008-11-27T13:49:00.001-08:00

Beautiful Butterflies

2008-11-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Photo of Flying Birds

2008-11-27T13:46:00.001-08:00

Beautiful Wedding Flower Bouquet

2008-11-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Burning Sky Photo

2008-11-27T13:41:00.002-08:00

Halloween Picture

2008-11-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

beautiful sky pics

2008-11-04T16:01:00.001-08:00

world fastest train photos

2008-08-07T17:33:00.001-07:00

Tourist Attraction - eiffel tower,France

2008-08-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

beautiful peacock photos

2008-08-07T17:18:00.001-07:00

Great wall of China

2008-08-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

beautiful spring flower photos

2008-08-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

7 Wonders of the World Taj Mahal

2008-08-07T16:59:00.001-07:00

Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada

2008-08-05T16:55:00.001-07:00

Beautiful lake Photos

2008-08-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Lake in the Canada

2008-08-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

most beautiful rose in the world

2008-08-05T16:41:00.001-07:00

A rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colours. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. It is a common error to refer to roses having thorns. Thorns are modified branches or stems, whereas these sharp protrusions on a rose are modified epidermal tissues (prickles). Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance.

colorful roses

2008-08-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Red Roses

2008-08-04T14:57:00.001-07:00

Beautiful and Colorful roses

2008-08-04T14:50:00.001-07:00

Photos Taj Mahal Best Tourist Attraction in india

2008-07-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Photos Christmas eve

2008-07-30T19:18:00.001-07:00

Photos Snow fall in america

2008-07-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Big Shopping Complex Woodfield Mall,Schaumburg,Chicago

2008-07-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

Photos liberty statue Best Tourist Attraction in new york

2008-07-30T18:33:00.001-07:00

Photos new york brooklyn bridge

2008-07-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tourist Place Singapore

2008-07-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Michigan lake,USA

2008-07-29T18:13:00.001-07:00

Photos Tourist Attractions Singapore

2008-07-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Tourist Place Delhi Lotus Temple

2008-07-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Srirangam Vishnu Temple in india

2008-07-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Tourist Place Amritsar Golden Temple in india

2008-07-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Tourist place Jokhang Temple

2008-07-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

tourist place in India Varanasi Ganga River

2008-07-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Tourist Place Varanasi Indian Temple

2008-07-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Spain Tourist place Wat Rong Khun

2008-07-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

niagara tourist scenes

2008-07-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

sea photos

2008-07-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

Under Water Sea Photography

2008-07-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Seahorses

Sharks & Rays

Coral Reefs

Fish Portraits

Great China Wall 1

2008-07-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Great China Wall

2008-07-28T18:08:00.001-07:00

The ten Most Beautiful Places in America

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Most Beautiful Places in America

1. Red Rock Country (Sedona, Ariz.)
2. Nighttime view from Mount Washington in Pittsburgh
3. The upper Mississippi River
4. Hawaii's Na Pali Coast
5. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
6. Grafton, Vt.
7. Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
8. From Key Largo to Key West in Florida
9. Clingmans Dome along the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
10. The squares of Savannah, Ga.

Niagara Falls Photos 2

2008-07-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

Niagara Falls Photos 1

2008-07-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Cool Swimming Pools

2008-07-28T17:31:00.001-07:00

Top American Recipes

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1 - Burgers
2 – BBQ Baby Back Ribs
3 – Buffalo Chicken Wings
4 – Chili Con Carne
5 – Pizza
6 – Macaroni and Cheese
7 – Caesar Salad
8 – Fried Chicken
9 – Pancakes
10 – Apple Pie

Few World Best Hotels

2008-07-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Oberoi Udaivilas, Rajasthan, India

Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa

The Peninsula, Hong Kong

Burj Al Arab, Dubai

Taj Mahal Reflection

2008-07-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Taj Mahal (One of the Most Beautiful Place in the world)

2008-07-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Taj Mahal 1

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beautiful animals 4

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beautiful animals 3

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beautiful animals 2

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beautiful animals 1

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beautiful forest 3

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beautiful forest 2

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beautiful forest 1

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himalayas everest

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himalayas Mountains

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niagara falls2

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niagara falls1

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niagara falls

2008-07-26T18:40:00.001-07:00

Bird painting

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Beautiful bird

2008-07-26T18:36:00.001-07:00

smoky mountain river 1

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Smoky Mountain River

2008-07-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Birthday Greeting

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Beautiful flower(Dutch red tulip)

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Beautiful flowers

2008-07-24T17:42:00.000-07:00