A Visit To NASSAU

Originally known as Charles Town, NASSAU is the modern-day face of the Bahamas. Though dingy in parts, enough historical flavour has been preserved to make a stop worthwhile. Much of this atmosphere comes from its development during the so-called Loyalist period from 1787 to 1834, when many of the city's finest colonial buildings were built. Before this build-up, Nassau had largely been a rustic haven for pirates, privateers and wreckers. After alternating periods of decline and prosperity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the spike in trade and construction that followed World War II.

Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon is in part a narrow valley situated around 15 miles west of downtown Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) extends from just north of Mt. Potosi to the northern face of the Spring Mountains. Red Rock Canyon is close to downtown and the tourist areas and borders the western suburbs of Las Vegas. 'Red Rock' as it is known to the locals, gets its name from the red colored sandstone formation embedded in the mountains that form the western and northern margins of this small valley. Red colored layers of sandstone streak horizontally across mountains known as the Wilson Cliffs and can be seen from almost anywhere in Las Vegas valley.

While most of the Wilson Cliffs are visible from the Las Vegas Valley, much of Red Rock Canyon is nestled below them and out of sight from theIce Box Canyon city of Las Vegas. The red sandstone that makes Red Rock so unique, is part of the same geologic formation, the Navaho Formation, that is found in the Valley of Fire, Zion National Park and throughout many parts of the southwestern United States and southern Nevada. The contrast of red sandstone layered through gray limestone is impressive against the tall sheer cliff faces of - as high as - 600 meters or about 1,800 feet.

The structure of valley that Red Rock forms, is typical of the Great Basin north-south orientation found throughout Nevada and many parts of the Southwest.

The mountains that make up the western edge of Red Rock the Wilson Cliffs, are formed by several mountains, Bridge Point, Bridge Mountain, Rainbow Mountain, Mount Wilson, Indecision Peak and Sandstone Mountain.

On the north part of this small valley is the BLM Scenic Drive and Visitor Center. To most visitors this is the area thought of as Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas.

The eastern boundary of this valley consists of a series of low hills collectively known as Blue Diamond Hill. Between these mountains and hills is the valley that State Highway 159 runs through. From Highway 159, you can drive though the entire valley that Red Rock occupies.

In the southern part of the valley is Blue Diamond a mining community. This small hamlet is a great place to live because it is close to Las Vegas but is also in Red Rock.

There are a lot of things to do in Red Rock Canyon. If you like to hike, take spectacular pictures or if you want to learn more about the desert, plan to spend some time here. Red Rock Canyon has a lot to offer. Horseback riding at Bonnie Springs Ranch, picnicking at places like Willow Springs and rock climbing are very popular.

A Visit To Langkawi Island

Langkawi officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedahis an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. On July 15, 2008, Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as the capital and largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island

Geography
Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands separated from mainland Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca, is a district of the state of Kedah in Northern Malaysia and lies approximately 51 km west of Kedah. The total land mass of the islands is 47,848 hectares, while the main island of Langkawi itself has a total of 32,000 hectares. The main island spans about 25 km from north to south and slightly more for east and west. The coastal areas consist of flat, alluvial plains punctuated with limestone ridges. Two-thirds of the island is dominated by forest-covered mountains, hills and natural vegetation.

The island's oldest geological formation, Gunung Matchincang, was the first part of South-East Asia to rise from the seabed in the Cambrian period more than half a billion years ago. The oldest part of the formation is observable at Teluk Datai to the north-west of the island, where the exposed outcrop consists of mainly sandstone (quartzite) in the upper parts and shale and mudstone in the lower parts of the sequence.

Climate and Weather
A sunny, hot and humid, tropical climate with an average annual temperature of about 32 degrees Celsius. The rainy season is during August/September, although there are occasional showers throughout the year.

Demographics
Kedahan Malay made up the majority in Langkawi, followed by Chinese, Indians, and Thai. Other Malays include Pattani Malays
]Islam is practised primarily by the Malays. Other major religions are Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.


Population
Only four of the 99 islands are inhabited - Pulau Langkawi (the main island), Pulau Tuba, Pulau Rebak and Pulau Dayang Bunting. The population is approximately 65000 of which 90% are Malays. The other ethnic groups consist mainly of Chinese, Indians and Thais.