TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Victoria Falls - Witness the Matchless Aquatic Beauty

2010-08-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

The world's great waterfalls the grand Victoria Falls of South Africa has truly stolen away the lime light from the last many years. It has been one of the major tourist attractions of South Africa. People just love to view the exotic and spectacular natural beauty of these great falls. Most of the tourists from all across the world enjoy their vacations with their family members in the lapse of these huge water curtains. The great Victoria Falls of South Africa are one of the Seven Wonders of the World today.

These great waterfalls are located on the Zambezi River which lies in the Southern Africa. The grand Zambezi River lies between the two countries of South Africa and they are Zambia and Zimbabwe. These great waterfalls are also known as “Mosi-Oa-Tunya” by the local residents of South Africa which literally means the Smoke of the Thunders. The chilled water of the great Victoria Falls from a height of 1200 meters which make this water fall one of the highest waterfalls of the world. The water dances like a Ballet Dancer and falls from the top with a pretty good speed.

The water falls also includes the weathered rock pieces which crumble down into the Zambezi Gorge below. The falling water of these extremely gigantic curtains creates a cloudy atmosphere and a foggy appearance at a height of 450 meters above the sea level. This foggy view can be clearly observed by the tourists at a distance of 40 kms away from these falls and it mainly attracts the tourists towards itself.

The tourists can enjoy the mesmerizing splendor and beauty of these falls throughout the year. The temperature is mostly humid and moderate which is best suited to attract a large no of tourists towards its attractiveness. The cascading chilled water of these waterfalls depends on the amount of rain fall which took place throughout the year and it also depends on the catchment area of the River Zambezi. As the catchment area of Zambezi River expands, the amount of water in the river also increases.

These exotic waterfalls offer many attractions to the tourists like water surfing, river rafting and river boarding. The Victoria Falls along with the nearby landscapes have been declared as the world heritage site. It is really a captivating destination where you can seriously enjoy a couple of days and make your vacations memorable

A Visit To NASSAU

2010-07-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T01:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

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.

Capital Gate Tower is Four Times as Crooked as the Leaning Tower of Pisa

2010-06-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you thought the Leaning Tower of Pisa was messed up, get a load of the Capital Gate tower currently being constructed in Abu Dhabi. Actually, saying it is "messed up" is incorrect given that the 18 degree westward incline was completely intentional. In fact, the project's architects have submitted a joint application to the Guinness Book of Records to recognize the tower as the 'most inclined in the world.' In order to support the awkward angle of the 35-story structure, the design called for a foundation of extremely dense reinforced steel mesh and 490 piles sunk nearly 100 feet into the ground. We can only wonder how many slaves will die or get injured building that.

A Visit to Zermatt, Switzerland

2010-06-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

St Moritz may have the glamour, Verbier may have the cool, Wengen may have the pistes, but Zermatt beats them all – Zermatt has the Matterhorn. No other natural or human structure in the whole country is so immediately recognizable; indeed, in most people's minds the Matterhorn stands for Switzerland.

Emerging from Zermatt station is an experience in itself: this one little village – which has managed, much to its credit, to cling onto its old brown chalets and atmospheric twisting alleys – welcomes everybody, regardless of financial status, and the station square is where all worlds collide. Backpackers and hikers rub shoulders with high-society glitterati amid a fluster of tour groups, electric taxis and horse-drawn carriages. Everyone has come to see the mountain. Zermatt has no off-season – it's busy year-round – yet the crowds never seem to matter. You may have to shoulder your way down the main street, but the terrain all around is expansive enough that with a little effort you could vanish into the wilderness, leaving everyone else behind.

The small area around Zermatt features 36 mountains over 4000m, a statistic as enticing to summer hikers as to winter skiers. The skiing boom of the 1960s saw the hamlet double in size, but today it's still acceptably small and low-key, rooted to the valley floor in a natural bowl open to the south. The Gornergrat railway lifts you up to a spectacular vantage point overlooking the Monte Rosa massif, with its summit the Dufourspitze (4634m) – the highest point in Switzerland. The skiing is superb, but in many ways the hiking is better, with some of the most scenic mountain walks in the whole country within easy reach of the village.

Canada's Finest Four-Season Resort,Whistler

2010-06-01T11:07:00.001-07:00

WHISTLER, 56km beyond Squamish and 125km from Vancouver, is Canada's finest four-season resort, and frequently ranks among most people's world top-five winter ski resorts. Skiing and snowboarding are clearly the main activities, but all manner of other winter sports are possible and in summer the lifts keep running to provide supreme highline hiking and other outdoor activities (not to mention North America's finest summer skiing). It is a busy place, be warned – over two million lift tickets are sold here every winter, more than at any other North American resort. Fortunately it also has one of the continent's largest ski areas, so the crowds are spread thinly over the resort's 200-plus trails and twelve alpine bowls.

The resort consists of two adjacent but separate mountains – Whistler (2182m) and Blackcomb (2284m) – each with their own extensive lift and chair systems (but a joint ticket scheme). The mountains can be accessed from a total of five bases, including lift systems to both mountains from the resort's heart, the purpose-built and largely pedestrianized Whistler Village, the tight-clustered focus of many hotels, shops, restaurants and après-ski activity. The gondola (cable-car) for Whistler Mountain also leaves from the Village. Around this core are two other "village" complexes, Upper Village, about a kilometre to the northeast and the newer Village North about 700m to the north. Around 6km to the south of Whistler Village is Whistler Creekside, which has typically been a cheaper alternative but is now undergoing a fifty-million dollar redevelopment that will see its accommodation and local services duplicating those of its famous neighbour.

A Visit To Vail ,CO

2010-06-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Compared to most other Colorado ski towns, Vail is a new creation: only a handful of farmers lived here before the resort opened in 1952. Built as a relatively unimaginative collection of Tyrolean-style chalets and concrete-block condos, at least the town is a compact and pedestrian-friendly place, albeit pockmarked by pricey fashion boutiques and often painfully pretentious restaurants. Vail Resorts, which operates the ski area at Vail, also owns an even more exclusive gated resort, Beaver Creek, eleven miles further west on I-70. Lift tickets between the two are interchangeable, which – given the exceptional quality of the snow, and the sheer size and variety of terrain available – produces a formidable winter sport destination.

Worlds Largest Man Made Palm Island,Dubai

2010-05-26T22:59:00.001-07:00

The Palm Islands are artificial islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on which major commercial and residential infrastructure will be constructed. They are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab Emirates, who hired Belgian and Dutch dredging and marine contractor Jan De Nul and Van Oord, some of the world's specialists in land reclamation. The islands are the Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.

Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, and will have a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers. The Palm Islands are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add 520 kilometres of beaches to the city of Dubai.

The first two islands will comprise approximately 100 million cubic meters of rock and sand. Palm Deira will be composed of approximately 1 billion cubic meters of rock and sand. All materials will be quarried in the UAE. Among the three islands there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas.

The creation of the Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001. Shortly after, the Palm Jebel Ali was announced and reclamation work began. The Palm Deira, which is planned to have a surface area of 46.35 square kilometres, was announced for development in October 2004. Construction was originally planned to take 10–15 years, but that was before the impact of the global credit crunch hit Dubai.

The Palm Islands are artificial peninsulas constructed of sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf by the Belgian company Jan De Nul and the Dutch company Van Oord. The sand is sprayed by the dredging ships, which are guided by DGPS, onto the required area in a process known as rainbowing because of the arcs in the air when the sand is sprayed. The outer edge of each Palm's encircling crescent is a large rock breakwater. The breakwater of the Palm Jumeirah has over seven million tons of rock. Each rock was placed individually by a crane, signed off by a diver and given a GPS coordinate. The Jan De Nul Group started working on the Palm Jebel Ali in 2002 and had finished by the end of 2006. The reclamation project for the Palm Jebel Ali includes the creation of a four-kilometre-long peninsula, protected by a 200-metre-wide, seventeen-kilometre long circular breakwater. 210,000,000 m3 of rock, sand and limestone were reclaimed (partly originating from the Jebel Ali Entrance Channel dredging works). There are approximately 10,000,000 cubic metres of rocks in the slope protection works.

A Visit to Taos,NM

2010-05-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Still home to one of the longest-established Native American populations in the US, though transformed by becoming first a Spanish colonial outpost, and more recently a hangout for bohemian artists and New Age dropouts, Taos (which rhymes with "mouse") has become famous out of all proportion to its size. Just seven thousand people live in its three component parts: Taos itself, around the plaza; sprawling Ranchos de Taos, three miles to the south; and the Native American community of Taos Pueblo, two miles north.

Beyond the usual unsightly highway sprawl, Taos is a delight to visit. Besides museums, galleries, and stores, it still offers an unhurried pace and charm, and the sense of a meeting place between Pueblo, Hispanic, and American cultures. Its reputation as an artists' colony began at the end of the nineteenth century. Not long afterward, society heiress Mabel Dodge arrived and married an Indian from the Pueblo to become Mabel Dodge Luhan. She in turn wrote a fan letter to English novelist D.H. Lawrence, who visited three times in the 1920s; his widow Frieda later made her home in Taos. New generations of artists and writers have "discovered" Taos ever since, the most famous of all being Georgia O'Keeffe, who stayed for a few years at the end of the 1920s.

চল না ঘুরে আসি টাঙ্গুয়ার হাওর(A Visit To Tanguar Haor)

2010-05-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Tanguar haor (also called Tangua haor), located in the Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of Sunamganj District in Bangladesh, is a unique wetland ecosystem of national importance and has come into international focus. The area of Tanguar haor including 46 villages within the haor is about 100km2 of which 2,802.36 ha2 is wetland. It is the source of livelihood for more than 40,000 people. The Government of Bangladesh declared Tanguar haor as an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 considering its critical condition as a result of overexploitation of its natural resources. In 2000, the hoar basin was declared a Ramsar site - wetland of international importance. With this declaration, the Government is committed to preserve its natural resources and has taken several steps for protection of this wetland.

Tanguar haor plays an important role in fish production as it functions as a 'mother fishery' for the country

Every winter the haor is home to about 200 types of migratory birds. The haor is an important source of fish. In 1999-2000, the government earned 7,073,184 takas as revenue only from fisheries of the haor. There are more than 140 species of fresh water fish in the haor. The more predominant among them are: ayir, gang magur, baim, tara, gutum, gulsha, tengra, titna, garia, beti, kakia etc. Hijal, karach, gulli, balua, ban tulsi, nalkhagra and some other important threatened species of freshwater wetland trees are there in this haor.

Plant species like Hizol (Barringtonia acutangula), Clematis cadmia, Crataeva nurvala, Euryale ferox, Nelumbo nucifera, Ottelia alismoides, Oxystelma secamone var. secamone, Pongamia pinnata, Rosa clinophylla, and Typha species are threatened, rapidly disappearing and becoming rare

A Visit to South Lake

2010-05-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

In South Lake Tahoe, the lakeside's largest community, ranks of restaurants, modest motels, and pine-bound cottages stand cheek by jowl with the high-rise gambling dens of Stateline, just across the border in Nevada. If you happen to lose your money at the tables and slot machines, you can always explore the beautiful hiking trails, parks, and beaches in the surrounding area.

The Heavenly Gondola, in the heart of town, rises to an elevation of 9136ft (summer daily 10am–5pm; $30). From there, enjoy breathtaking views from East Peak Lake, East Peak Lookout, or Sky Meadows. Hikes are graded from easy to strenuous. Closer to the water, the prettiest part of the lake is along the southwest shore, at Emerald Bay State Park, ten miles from South Lake Tahoe, which has a number of good shoreline campgrounds. A mile from the parking lot, Vikingsholm is a reproduction of a Viking castle, built as a summer home in 1929 and open for hourly tours (summer daily 10am–4pm; $6). In Sugar Pine Point State Park, two miles north, the huge Ehrman Mansion (daily 11am–4pm; $6) is decorated in Thirties-era furnishings; the extensive lakefront grounds were used as a location in The Godfather II.

Another way to see the lake is to take a paddlewheel boat cruise on the MS Dixie II or Tahoe Queen, from Zephyr Cove.

A Visit to Sedona, Arizona

2010-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Sedona has evolved from a small agricultural community into an artist's sanctuary and a tourist's dream. Four major regions offer significant contributions to Greater Sedona. You'll find lovely accommodations and year-round comfort with more than 40 galleries, unique shops and countless attractions.

Village of Oak Creek/Chapel Area
Located on the southernmost end of Sedona is Oak Creek, a village that offers premiere galleries, shops and a superb shopping experience at the charming Tlaquepaque , a recreated Mexican village. The Sedona Golf Resort offers fine dining at the Grill at Shadow Rock . This area is also called the Chapel area, due to the proximity to the Chapel of the Holy Cross , designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Village area offers upscale dining, golf, tennis, shopping and accommodations including the Poco Diablo Resort, the suites at DoubleTree and Wildflower Inn .

The fiery-hued rock formations you'll find in this area include the famous Bell Rock , with its energy vortex , close to the Chapel of the Holy Cross .

Drink in fresh air and experience elevating surroundings while you continue up Highway 179 towards Sedona proper. At the "Y" junction of highways 179 and 89A, you'll find a Visitor Center nearby.

Uptown Sedona
Turn right onto Highway 89A, and you're headed to uptown Sedona. There are shops located in a major retail plaza along the highway that are within easy walking distance.

Rich in culture, the Uptown area offers the Sedona Arts Center , which includes a school and gallery, with works exhibited by various artists. Next, pay a visit to the Sedona Heritage Museum , the original farmstead of one of Sedona's founding families, the Jordans. Exhibits include written narratives, vintage orchard equipment and photographs, which depict the area's early history.

Outstanding accommodations in hotels and intimate bed and breakfasts are offered in Uptown. These include the European-style L'Auberge de Sedona . Rattlesnake sausage and a Pink Lizard to wash it down are featured at the nearby Cowboy Club .

Oak Creek Canyon
Follow Highway 89A North through one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in America, as noted by Rand-McNally. The tree-lined canyon offers quiet austerity and invites self-reflection as you meander through.

Many secluded spots here offer sanctuary and quiet rooms, with space to relieve your mind of daily stresses and anxiety. Charming accommodations may be found at locations like the Junipine Resort .

Hiking and fishing are two favorite pastimes in Oak Creek. Bring your fishing license during the warm months when the creek is well stocked. Take a seat on the sun-warmed rocks and contemplate the satisfying natural world.

Dappled sunlight reflects on the water at nature's playground in Slide Rock State Park . Bring your camera as children at play frolic down the 30 foot natural rock slide. Easy hiking surrounds the area, but wear comfortable shoes with traction, as the path is often slippery.

If you follow Highway 89A north, you will eventually see Steamboat Rock and arrive in Flagstaff, which features the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world. Just a few miles West of Flagstaff, off Interstate 40, you'll find skiing, and the original Route 66 running through the charming town of Williams. This is also the town where you catch the train to see the Grand Canyon National Park for a scenic day trip.

West Sedona
Wind your way back down Highway 89A to the 'Y' junction at Highway 179 in downtown Sedona. Travel through this intersection to enjoy the many faces of Sedona's west side. You will find interesting shops, fine dining, including Fournos Restaurant , grocery stores and quaint bed and breakfasts like the Lantern Light Inn .

Sedona's airport offers activities like barnstorming the canyon at the Red Rock Biplane Tours , or rising to meet red monoliths in an aircraft from AeroVista.

Growing by leaps and bounds, this area has acquired a beautiful new Cultural Park and Visitor Center , which opened in the summer of 2000. Featured at the hub of the park's 50 acres is the new Georgia Frontiere Pavilion . Home of the annual Jazz on the Rocks concert in September, and the Sedona Ecofest benefit event in October, this amphitheater features unique openwork architecture. From this vantage point, enjoy panoramic northern views of the Cockscomb, Chimney Rock and the majestic Coffee Pot Rock.

Drive a little further west, then head south down the Lower Red Rock Loop Road for a satisfying journey into the Red Rock State Park . Red Rock Park's fee area offers a picnic retreat at Red Rock Crossing . This is one of the most photographed locations in the world.

Many opportunities exist in the area for photography and study of the early indigenous cultures. Take a short ride to the pueblo ruins at Palatki and Honanki , which are closest to Sedona. A little further out you'll discover Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale . If you have some leisure time, be sure and take the wilderness train at Clarkdale for an enjoyable journey by rail through red-laced canyons. Jerome is nearby, which offers unusual charm. Its shops and homes are built on the sharp incline of a slowly sliding mountain slope.

A Visit to Shanghai, China

2010-04-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

After years of stagnation, the great metropolis of SHANGHAI is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen. The skyline is filling with skyscrapers; there are three thousand now, more than New York, and another two thousand are coming soon. Gleaming shopping malls, luxurious hotels and prestigious arts centres are rising alongside. Shanghai's 21 million residents enjoy the highest incomes on the mainland, and there's plenty for them to splash out on; witness the rash of celebrity restaurants and designer flagship stores. In short, it's a city with a swagger, bursting with nouveau riche exuberance and élan.

Shanghai is one of the few Chinese cities that rewards aimless wandering, but it does not, however, brim with obvious tourist attractions. Most of the sights lie to the west of the Huangpu River and its colonial waterfront, the Bund, the commercial hub of late-nineteenth-century European imperialism in mainland China. But the city's major landmark is on the east side, in Pudong – the rocket-like Oriental Pearl TV Tower, so high its antenna is often shrouded in mist. The best way to check out both banks of the Huangpu River and their sights is to take a splendid Huangpu River tour.

Nanjing Lu, reputedly the busiest shopping street in China, runs through the heart of downtown Shanghai towards Renmin Square, which today houses the excellent ShanghaiMuseum as well as a couple of decent art galleries. The other main sights lie about 1500m south of Nanjing Lu in the Old City, the longest continuously inhabited part of Shanghai, with the Yu Yuan – a fully restored classical Chinese garden – and bazaars at its heart. To the southwest of here lies the marvellous former French Concession, with its cosmopolitan cooking traditions, European-style housing and revolutionary relics. The energetic eating and nightlife centre of Shanghai, Huaihai Lu, serves as the area's main artery.

A Visit to Prague, Czech Republic

2010-04-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

The Czech Republic lies at the heart of Central Europe and at its center is the beautiful and historic city of Prague. With a population of some 1.3 million residents, the city lies on either side of the Vltava River in the middle of Bohemia that is one of the three historic Czech territories; the others being Moravia and Silesia. The city has seven "Chapter Divisions" or districts.

North & Western Suburbs
This is mainly an area of residential buildings and parkland, containing Prague's largest park — Stromovka . The park was originally a hunting ground and is now home to many attractions including the Vystaviste Exhibition Grounds , the Prumyslovy Palace , the Planetarium , and the Lapidarium.

A walk to the west of the park brings the visitor to the Royal Summer Palace (Letohrádek královny Anny) , a neo-Gothic building where the National Museum stores some of its treasures.

To the south of Stromovka lies Letna Park . A walk farther south brings one to a plateau overlooking the main city and river. Here, you will see the large Metronome that replaced the monument to Stalin—the largest in the world, which was destroyed on the orders of Krushchev in 1962. Other places of interest are the National Technical Museum and the National Gallery Collection of Modern & Contemporary Art . Walks through the residential areas will expose you to many styles of architecture here.

Hradcany
Situated on the hill overlooking Prague, Hradcany is made up of Prague Castle , St Vitus Cathedral and the Strahov Monastery —all places that are steeped in history. The Army Museum , the Royal Gardens and the Toy Museum are also nearby.

St Vitus' Cathedral was commissioned by Charles IV (1316-1378) and its foundation was laid in 1344. However, work on it went on for nearly 600 years before being finalized in 1929, which means that the architecture is from many different periods and in different styles. Attractions inside include the crown jewels, the crypt and the South Tower. The Strahov Monastery was founded in 1140 by the Premonstratensian Order, although its present day baroque appearance dates from the late-17th and 18th Centuries.

Mala Strana
Covering the area just below Hradcany and bordering the river, Mala Strana is just across Charles Bridge from the main city. Now home to many foreign embassies occupying a number of buildings built by the Catholic nobility, the area is full of palaces, gardens and baroque churches including the Church of St. Nicholas (Sv. Mikulas). Open daily, this is an example of Prague baroque architecture; it was built between 1702 and 1753 by Christoph Dientzenhofer and later also worked on by his son. Frequent concerts and recitals (both at lunchtime and in the evenings) are held here featuring the works of Mozart.

Josefov
Prague's Jewish Quarter can be reached by a short walk from Wenceslas Square or by taking the metro to Staromestska, Line A.

Dating back to at least the 13th century, this area is rich in history. Places to visit include the Jewish Cemetery , its five synagogues, the Jewish State Museum and the Jewish Ceremonial Hall with its Hebrew clock dating from the 15th century. The narrow cobbled streets lend a unique atmosphere to the area, especially at night. The Kafka Museum is located on the border of Josefov and Stare Mesto.

Stare Mesto
Prague's Old Town is centered around Old Town Square , the Jan Hus Monument and the Old Town Clock Tower featuring its astronomical clock dating back to the 15th century. The Old Town Hall is open daily. It is only a short walk away from Wenceslas Square.

There are several churches of note here including the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn as well as courtyards and numerous cafes, bars and restaurants catering to every taste.

Nove Mesto
This is Prague's main commercial and business district. It is based around Wenceslas Square at the top of which is the National Museum and the two main commercial streets—Na Prikope and Narodni. Running from these streets are many smaller streets and courtyards. Hotels, bars and restaurants abound in this area.

Walking along Legerova or Ke Karlovu (where you will find the Dvorak Museum ) will bring you to the Police Museum from where you can take a walk along the top of the Botic Valley towards the river.
Vysehrad & the Eastern Suburbs
Centered upon the ancient rocky fortress of Vysehrad (the Republic's most-revered landmark) and containing the Vysehrad Cemetery , a Romanesque rotunda and the Gothic church of St. Peter and Paul, this area stretches to the working-class suburb of Zizkov. It is home to the TV Tower (from which you can enjoy panoramic views of Prague) and the ancient Zizkov Hill, atop which stands a statue of Jan Zizka (a 15th-century army general) and the mausoleum in which the remains of the three Communist presidents of the Republic and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier can be found. The suburb of Vinohrady contains Prague's most modern church, the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord (Kostel Nejsvetejšího srdce Páne) , which was built in 1928.

Playa del Carmen, QR

2010-04-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

PLAYA DEL CARMEN (known simply as Playa), once a soporific fishing village, has mushroomed in recent years to become, for tourists anyway, a trendy place touted as the next Miami Beach – from a local's perspective, a goldmine of employment in construction. Not only do Mexico City's elite pop in, but so do day-trippers from Cancún and passengers from cruise ships. As a result, the town's main centre of activity, Avenida 5 (also called La Quinta), a long, pedestrianized strip one block back from the sea, is often packed to capacity with tourists rapidly emptying their wallets in pavement cafés, souvenir outlets and designer-clothes shops. Nonetheless, Playa does retain a rather chic European atmosphere, due to a high number of Italian- and French-owned businesses, and compared with hyperactive, Americanized Cancún, it seems positively cosmopolitan and calm. The nightlife in particular is excellent, and you'll also find sophisticated cuisine, hotels for most budgets and diverse shops. Everywhere visitors will want to go is compact and very pedestrian-friendly – even a walk to the better beach on the north side of town, a broad expanse of silky sand, is an easy one.

A Visit to Phuket, Thailand

2010-04-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

Made up of 33 islands, Phuket covers an area of 570 square kilometers (354 square miles) and has a population of about 322,000 residents. Phuket Island, the largest, is linked to the mainland by a bridge. The country's main source of income is tourism, though agriculture also plays a key role. The island is divided into three districts: Talang in the north, Kathu in the west, and Muang in the south.

Muang District
This area provides a less expensive alternative to the west coast beach resorts. Phuket Town is the administrative center of the island and offers a multitude of affordable accommodation, shopping, and eating. The older quarters of town are dotted with 19th century buildings that are distinguished by their distinctive Sino-Portuguese architectural style. From the summit of Rang Hill (Khao Rang) in the northwest, there are views of Makham Bay, the offshore islands, and a bird's eye view of the town. Within this district there are also tons of things to see, including Phuket Aquarium , the Phuket Butterfly Garden and Aquarium and the Phuket Orchid Garden and Thai Village .

To the east lies Siray Island , home to Phuket's largest settlement of Sea Gypsies. About eight kilometers (five miles) south is Chalong Bay , Phuket's principal boat anchorage and the island's largest bay, which has a number of renowned seafood restaurants. At the northern end is Phuket Zoo and nearby Rawai Beach . To the southwest is the Phuket Sea Shell Museum , Laem Ka Beach, a Sea Gypsy village, restaurants, shops, hotels, fishing, and charter boats.

The prominent southern extremity of the island, Prom Thep Cape , is a great place to enjoy a stunning sunset. Just to the north is Nai Harn Beach , popular for swimming and as a yacht anchorage i n the dry season. The wide, curving Kata Beach also has ideal waters for swimming and snorkeling among the coral reefs. There are numerous accommodation options, restaurants, bars, and clubs, and a regular daylight bus service runs to Phuket Town and the other beach resorts. Karon Beach is the second largest of Phuket's principal tourist beaches and is a popular destination for tourists. Between Kata and Karon there is the crowd-pleasing Dino Park Mini Golf .

Within the Muang District a number of islands can be found, including Mai Ton Island, with its natural environment, white beaches, and clear waters. Kaew Island is small, but has a fine beach and incredible coral in the surrounding water. One of the main attractions on the island is the giant Buddha statue at Wat Phra Kaew. Lohn Island is large and mountainous, while Coral Island , is part of a marine reserve that draws travelers with its many hotels, restaurants and a variety of water sports. Raya Island is actually two islands that have crystal clear waters and excellent diving and fishing.

Kathu District
Renowned in this district is Patong Beach , the lively shopping and evening entertainment district that transformed a quiet fishing village into a bustling town in a short period of time. From bars to live music to discos, plus cuisine from all over the world available in its restaurants, every possible pass time imaginable can be found here. Not to be overlooked is the fine bay and four kilometer (2.5 mile) str etch of beach that promises excellent swimming, snorkeling and more.

Among the major attractions in the vicinity are Phuket Water-Ski Cableways , Kathu Waterfall, Loch Palm Golf Club and Tarzan Jungle Bungee Jump . In Patong, the famous Phuket Simon's Group's Cabaret Transvestite Show is a worthwhile after-dinner stop. Nearby is the Patong Go-Kart Speedway and to the south is the Phuket Country Club Golf Course .

At the northern end of Patong Beach is the wilder, undeveloped Kalim Beach , an adventurous stop for travelers looking to get away from the crowds. Further north lies Kamala Beach , a Muslim fishing village, with a beautiful two kilometer (1.25 mile) stretch of beach where buffalo herds often cool off in the afternoons by the sea. There are plenty of hotel options here and numerous traditional seafood restaurants. Nearby is Phuket FantaSea , Thailand's most popular water sports center.

Thalang District
Covering the northern half of the island, this district has a number of attractions, including Thalang National Museum , which has a display of ancient artifacts and exhibits relating to the famous 1785 Battle of Thalang. Nearby is the imposing Two Heroines Monument , erected in commemoration of the sisters who lead the people into battle during an invasion from Burma long ago. Also in the area is Wat Phra Tong , home of the golden statue of Buddha that emerged from the earth many years ago.

Some of the most picturesque scenery in this area can be observed at the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary , which covers 22 square kilometers of virgin rain forest and waterfalls that serves as one of Phuket's major fresh water sources. The Ton Sai and Bang Pae sites of the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project are also nearby.

Beaches on the west coast include Surin Beach and another fabulous sunset location, Laem Sing Beach , which is small but picturesque, with outcrops of huge granite boulders. Bang Tao Beach is mostly occupied by the massive resort development of Laguna Phuket. It is also home to the Banyan Tree Golf Club and Banyan Tree Spa . Nearby is the Phuket Laguna Riding Club and the Canal Village Shopping Center , which houses over 50 shops and restaurants.

North of Bang Tao, near the airport is Sirinat National Park , which stretches to the island's northern-most tip and includes the 13 kilometer (8 mile) &l t;a href="detail.html?detailID=221306">Nai Yang Beach. Often referred to as 'Airport Beach', this is where giant sea turtles can be seen and the National Park offices are located.

Wherever you are in Phuket, there are limitless opportunities to immerse yourself in local culture and tradition. There is more than enough opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches and unique environment.

A Visit to Orlando, FL

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Once a quiet farming town, Orlando now welcomes more visitors than any other place in the state. The reason, of course, is Walt Disney World, which, along with Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, and a host of other attractions, of varying degrees of quality, attracts millions of people a year to a previously featureless plot of scrubland. Most of the hotels are found along International Drive, Hwy-192 or in and around Disney World, all of which lie several miles south of the downtown area, which has the city's best nightlife.

Montreal, One of The Most Beautiful Place in Canada

2010-04-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

The hospitality with a distinctly French flavor - and what could be more appropriate for the second largest French-speaking metropolis in the world? But French is only one of 35 or so languages you will hear on the streets of this international island city of 1.6 million inhabitants.

Demographics show that Montreal residents come from 80 countries, forming an urban mosaic of vibrant ethnic communities and neighborhoods safe to walk in day or night. Visitors will detect a distinct British influence in parts of the city, inherent in the culture since the days when English merchants controlled the city's trade. All in all, it's easy to see why "cosmopolitan" is the adjective most used in describing Montreal.

Characteristically, there'is the famous joie de vivre - the ineffable combination of spirit and ambiance Montrealers exude without even trying. You will see it in the summertime cappuccino-sippers cramming sidewalk cafes; in the long lines outside Schwartz's , home to the city's best smoked meat; and in the lovers holding hands on Mount Royal , the city's parkland mountain rising 264 meters (866 feet). The same spirit can even be felt on an outdoor skating rink in the dead of winter, in the tuxedoed crowd listening raptly to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra,or when hockey fanatics at the Bell Centre scream and pump their fists in unison with every Montreal Canadiens goal.

What makes Montreal one of the world's truly great cities? It starts with its location. The island sits at the confluence of three rivers: the mighty St. Lawrence, the Rivière des Prairies and the Ottawa. Montrealers describe their streets as going north-south and east-west, but the island itself is askew, tilted to the northeast.

The Main
Splitting the city in half, both physically and psychologically, is Saint Laurent Boulevard - The Main , as it is affectionately known. It is here where waves of immigrants first settled upon their arrival in the New World. Reminders of the past still abound in family-run Polish delis tucked beside upscale restaurants and in dollar stores located next door to swank billiard emporiums.This is ground zero for the city's addresses and, historically, this was the demarcation line between English and French Montreal, with the French predominating to the east and the English to the west.

These days, the dividing line is no longer completely rigid, but there are still distinct English and French areas. You will find the English restaurant and bar scene concentrated on Bishop Street and Crescent Street ; the French on St-Denis Street and areas east in the Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) and Gay Village.The traditional French residential areas are tightly packed districts that stretch all the way to the Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve; English becomes more noticeable as you move west,culminating in the affluent suburb of Westmount.

Old Montreal
At the southern end of St-Laurent Boulevard, past, lies the historic district of Old Montreal, a major tourist attraction with its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn calèche rides and Old Port activities. This is where, in 1642, the city's first European settlers staked their claim to a land they thought was theirs by divine right. You can still see the remnants of their original fortifications, and you can check out artifacts from the period at the Montreal History Centre as well as the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of archaeology and history. Also found here are the oldest buildings in Montreal, with some, such as the Sainte-Sulpice Seminary, dating back to the late 17th Century.

Montreal Islands
Across the St-Lawrence River, the Expo 67 islands of Ste-Helène and Notre-Dame still glitter from when Montreal hosted the World's Fair in 1967. Today the site is home to La Ronde amusement park, the Gilles Villeneuve Racetrack and Montreal's world-class Casino.

Plateau Mont-Royal
On the other end of The Main is the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, unusual in that it encompasses both ethnic shops and restaurants on Parc Avenue as well as the hip Francophone crowd along St-Denis Street . This is Canada's most densely populated area, and its smaller streets, with their winding staircases and small BYOW restaurants, remain a picture of true Montreal life.

Little Italy
Just a little further north and you will hear Italian spoken on Montreal's streets over in the city's own Little Italy , the original home of the first Italian immigrants and now one of the liveliest areas in the city with its espresso bars, boutiques and authentic Italian cuisine.

Underground City
No visit to Montreal is complete without a visit to the Underground City - Montreal-above-ground has been described as the tip of the urban iceberg. Beneath it lies the world's most extensive system of interconnected pedestrian and Metro (subway) networks, linking buildings, boutiques, restaurants and even residential apartments. You could spend an entire winter in this subterranean city without ever once having to face the cold or snow.

The Metro system itself has lines running east-west and north-south (albeit, askew) to just about every part of the city. While you are down there, check out the 62 architecturally unique stations, each created by a different designer.

A Visit to Kyoto, Japan

2010-04-11T04:53:00.000-07:00

The capital of Japan for more than a thousand years, KYOTO is endowed with an almost overwhelming legacy of ancient Buddhist temples, majestic palaces and gardens of every size and description, not to mention some of the country's most important works of art, its richest culture and most refined cuisine. For many people the very name Kyoto conjures up the classic image of Japan: streets of traditional wooden houses, the click-clack of geta (traditional wooden sandals) on the paving stones, geisha passing in a flourish of brightly coloured silks, and temple pagodas surrounded by cherry blossom trees.

While you can still find all these things, and much more, first impressions of Kyoto can be disappointing. Decades of haphazard urban development and a too-visible industrial sector have affected the Kyoto landscape; in some areas you could be anywhere in Japan. However, new ordinances passed by the city government in 2007, limiting the height of new buildings and banning rooftop advertising, indicate that more serious thought is being given to preserving Kyoto's visual environment. Yet, regardless of all the trappings of the modern world, Kyoto remains notoriously exclusive, a place where outsiders struggle to peek through the centuries-thick layer of cultural sophistication into the city's secretive soul.

The vast amount of culture and history to explore in Kyoto is quite mind-boggling, yet despite this, it's perfectly possible to get a good feel for Kyoto even within just a couple of days. Top priority should go to the eastern, Higashiyama district, where the walk north from famous Kiyomizu-dera to Ginkaku-ji takes in a whole raft of fascinating temples, gardens and museums. It's also worth heading for the northwestern hills to contemplate the superb Zen gardens of Daitoku-ji and Ryoan-ji, before taking in the wildly extravagant Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji. The highlight of the central sights is Nijo-jo, a lavishly decorated seventeenth-century palace, while nearby Nijo-jin'ya is an intriguing place riddled with secret passages and hidey-holes.

A Visit to Jackson, WY

2010-04-09T00:13:00.001-07:00

More Mild West than Wild West thanks to an overflow of art galleries and high-end lodging, Jackson makes for an enjoyable base, tucked in at the end of Jackson Hole, five miles from Grand Teton National Park's southern boundary. Centered around a tree-shaded square marked by an arch of tangled elk antlers at each corner, the Old West– style boardwalks of downtown front boutiques, galleries, and a range of restaurants and bars. In winter, time is best spent visiting the 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge on the north edge of town (the source of the town square's antler arches), where you can take a horse-drawn sleigh ride among a 7000-strong herd of elk rides depart from the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center along US-26/89/191 several times an hour. Across the highway from the elk refuge, the National Museum of Wildlife Art houses an impressive global collection that trails only Cody's Buffalo Bill Historical Center for best museum in the region.

While busiest in summer with road-tripping national park visitors, Jackson remains a year-round draw thanks to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, a twenty-minute drive from downtown to Teton Village at its base. Justifiably famous, the resort's 2500 acres of terrain are some of the best in the US for confident intermediates and advanced skiers and boarders. Within town, Snow King is an affordable, family-friendly hill that's also lit for night skiing, while Grand Targhee Resort, an hour's drive away on the Wyoming/Idaho border, is renowned for fresh powder. Come summer, all three resorts offer limited lift-accessed mountain biking, along with a host of other outdoor activities, including hiking and paragliding.

A Visit to Interlaken, BE

2010-04-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

Don't be ashamed of being a tourist in Interlaken – that's what the place exists for. Interlaken is all that many visitors ever see of Switzerland, whisked through the country on a rapid lakes-and-mountains tour. The town is perfectly positioned as the gateway into the Oberland, and is a pleasant enough place, even if overly commercial and packed with Swiss-kitsch souvenir shops.

The town is situated on the Bödeli, a small alluvial neck of land between the twin lakes of the Thunersee and Brienzersee. It's one of the oldest resorts in the country, famed for its superb views towards the Jungfrau massif, which lies perfectly framed between two hills to the south of town. And that's pretty much the whole story: history, character and tradition take a back seat to the necessities of providing for the millions of trippers who pass through on their way to more dramatic backdrops. Many of the shops which cram the centre of town have prominent signs in Japanese; of Interlaken's tourists, fully a quarter are from Japan, as many as from around Switzerland.

A Visit to Helsinki, Finland

2010-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Finland's capital city, founded on June 12, 1550, is a multi-faceted town that is unique in many ways and has much to offer any visitor.

Helsinki is set apart from other big historical cities by two factors: the great physical presence of nature and the very clear grid pattern used to design the city's streets. Most big cities have a limited number of parks. In Helsinki, parks can be found behind almost every corner. Even in the most densely-built districts of the city center, significant parks liven up the landscape. Both the overwhelming presence of nature and the network of straight, symmetrical and wide streets, which make finding any address a simple task, are the creation of the city's two main designers, Johan Albrecht Ehrenström and Carl Ludvig Engel.

Helsinki is formally divided into a total of 54 districts, but more commonly the city is merely divided into the center and the suburbs. The southern districts are older (some would say more revered), and they contain most of the city's main tourist attractions.

Eira, Ullanlinna & Kaivopuisto
These three respected districts are full of parks, historical buildings and statues. Eira is known for its Jugend-style (Art Nouveau) houses, parks and beautiful boulevards. Eira centers around Engel Square, which is surrounded by beautiful buildings, including the Chinese Embassy. Ullanlinna, with its marine panorama and densely-built historical buildings is popular among stylish young adults, interior designers and architects. Kaivopuisto's lovely park features large, elegant houses and embassies and is popular among bankers and diplomats.

A Visit to Denver, CO

2010-04-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Its skyscrapers marking the final transition between the Great Plains and the American West, Denver stands at the threshold of the Rocky Mountains. Despite being known as the "Mile High City," and serving as the obvious point of arrival for travellers heading into the mountains, it is itself uniformly flat. The majestic peaks of the Front Range are clearly visible but begin to rise roughly fifteen miles west of downtown, allowing Denver plenty of room to spread out.

Mineral wealth has always been at the heart of the city's prosperity, with all the fluctuations of fortune it entails. Though local resources have been progressively exhausted, Denver has managed to hang on to its role as the most important commercial and transportation nexus in the state. Its original "foundation" in 1858 was by pure chance; this was the first spot where small quantities of gold were discovered in Colorado. There was no significant river, let alone a road, but prospectors came streaming in, regardless of prior claims to the land – least of all those of the Arapahoe, who had supposedly been confirmed in their ownership of the area by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851.

There was actually very little gold in Denver but the city survived, prospering further with the discovery of silver in the mountains. When the first railroads bypassed Denver – the death knell for so many other communities – the citizens simply banded together and built their own connecting spur.

These days, Denver is a welcoming and enjoyable city, with a fairly liberal outlook. Tourism is based on getting out into the great outdoors rather than on sightseeing in town, but somehow the city's isolation gives its 2.5-million population a refreshing friendliness; and in a city that is used to providing its own entertainment, there always seems to be something going on.

A Visit to Cancun, Mexico

2010-04-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

The area's tourism industry underwent rapid growth during the 1980s, made possible by enthusiastic foreign investment. Large hotels began to flourish - offering complete services and amenities, abounding in luxury and exclusivity. This also applied to shopping centers, which started incorporating some of the finest boutiques, jewelers and restaurants. These factors boosted the area's status. Already considered a paradise of sun and sea for the color of its waters, the delicate beauty of its powdered sand beaches and the exuberant vegetation of its ecological reserves, Cancún was still improving its reputation.

Cancún can be divided into three main areas: The Hotel District, the Town and the Ecological Reserve, blessed with incredible lakes and mangrove swamps.

Hotel District
The Hotel District is comprised of the so-called gran turismo hotels (four-and five-star luxury hotels). Hotels and shopping centers are distributed along the main Boulevard Kuculkán, which runs the length of the 21-kilometer (13-mile) island. This district undoubtedly generates the greatest revenue and has the greatest economic impact on the nation, as compared to the rest of the state. This area is where the trendiest, most popular discos, the finest international restaurants and the largest entertainment venues are situated.

Town of Cancún
The Town of Cancún changes the scenery, albeit not too drastically. Peaceful provincial life here is more picturesque, folkloric and the simplicity of some of the shops provides a stark contrast to the million-dollar hotel chains. Restaurants in this district serve typical local food and snacks, providing a real opportunity to taste some genuine homemade Mexican dishes. There are also a lot of shopping opportunities in town. For additional entertainment, theaters and cinemas are located on the main streets.

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Last, but certainly not least, the third district is in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve , where nature still reigns supreme in the history of this area. Occupying hundreds of kilometers, it constitutes Mexico's largest genuine ecosystem, home to a diverse number of plant and animal species. The government and non-profit organizations do their best to preserve this area as a wildlife refuge containing many species in danger of extinction.

Archaeological sites can be found in the vicinity, extending towards the four cardinal points. Structures tell the history of the settlements of the Mayan people on this peninsula, and just about every rock reveals traces of the historical and cultural legacy which these inhabitants left behind.

Cancún combines the elegance and gamut of entertainment choices in its Hotel District, the traditions and serenity of its pueblo, and the natural beauty of its ecological reserve, coral reef and history of its peoples. From a city brimming with all of this, what else could you ask for?

A Visit to Budapest, Hungary

2010-04-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

The importance of BUDAPEST to Hungary is difficult to overestimate. More than two million people live in the capital – one fifth of the population – and everything converges here: roads and rail lines; air travel (Ferihegy is the country's only civilian airport); industry, commerce and culture; opportunities, wealth and power. Like Paris, the city has a history of revolutions – in 1849, 1918 and 1956 – buildings, parks and avenues on a monumental scale, and a reputation for hedonism, style and parochial pride. In short, Budapest is a city worthy of comparison with other great European capitals.

Surveying Budapest from the embankments or the bastions of the Vár (Castle Hill), it's easy to see why the city was dubbed the "Pearl of the Danube". Its grand buildings and sweeping bridges look magnificent, especially when floodlit or illuminated by the barrage of fireworks that explode above the Danube every August 20, St Stephen's Day. The eclectic inner-city and radial boulevards combine brash commercialism with a fin-de-siècle sophistication, while a distinctively Magyar character is highlighted by the sounds and appearance of the Hungarian language at every turn.

Since the Communist system expired, Budapest has experienced a new surge of dynamism. Luxury hotels and malls, restaurants, bars and clubs have all proliferated – as have crime and social inequalities. While the number of beggars and homeless people on the streets has risen inexorably, politicians and the media prefer moral posturing on other issues, such as toning down the sex industry that has earned Budapest the nickname of the "Bangkok of Europe", or cracking down on refugees and illegal immigrants among the new ethnic communities formed in the last decade. Though many Hungarians fear the erosion of their culture by foreign influences, others see a new golden age for Budapest, as the foremost world-city of Mitteleuropa.

A Visit to Boulder, CO

2010-04-06T01:54:00.001-07:00

Boulder is one of the liveliest college towns in the country, filled with a young population that seems to divide its time between phenomenally healthy daytime pursuits and almost equally unhealthy night-time activities.

With an easygoing, forward-looking atmosphere and plenty of great places to eat and drink, Boulder makes an excellent place to return to each night after a day in the mountains. Downtown centers on the leafy pedestrian mall of Pearl Street, lined with all sorts of lively cafés, galleries, and stores – including several places where you can rent mountain bikes. The most obvious short excursion is to drive or hike up nearby Flagstaff Mountain for views over town and further into the Rockies.

A Visit to Anchorage, AK

2010-04-05T01:40:00.001-07:00

Wedged between the two arms of Cook Inlet and the imposing Chugach Mountains, Anchorage is home to over forty percent of Alaska's population and is the state's transport hub. A sprawling city on the edge of one of the world's great wildernesses, it often gets bad press from those who live elsewhere in the state and deride it as "just half an hour from the real Alaska." However, it has its attractions and, with its beautiful setting, can make a pleasant one- or two-day stopover.

Anchorage was born in 1915 as a tent city for Alaska Railroad construction workers. During the 1930s, hopefuls fleeing the Depression poured in from the Lower 48, and World War II – and construction of the Alaska Highway – further boosted the city. The opening of the airport established Anchorage – midway between New York and Tokyo – as the "Crossroads of the World," and statehood in 1959 and the 1970s oil boom brought in yet more optimistic adventurers.

The Bay of Cabo San Lucas, BS

2010-04-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

The bay of Cabo San Lucas, at the southernmost tip of Baja, was once a base for pirate vessels waiting to pounce on Spanish treasure ships. Even fifteen years ago, it was little more than a fishing and canning village occasionally visited by adventurous sports fishermen. Since then, it has earned a reputation for the marlin that can be caught here, and the bay is now full of sleek, radar-equipped fishing yachts. Multi-million-dollar second homes occupy the best vantage points, palms have been transplanted, golf courses have been laid, water has been piped in from San José and everywhere is kept pristine. It's more like an enclave of the US than part of Mexico, with almost all aspects of civilization geared to tourism – even a mammoth Wal-Mart has opened here, alongside Puerto Paraíso, an enormous mall on the marina, and future plans include an artificial island to sit in the bay, complete with restaurants and bars. Spending a day or two here can be fun; if you're looking to fish or dive, the allure will probably last a bit longer.

A Visit to Vancouver, Canada

2010-04-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is the city that has it all: natural beauty and cosmopolitan flair. Set between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains, it has a harmonious blend of nature and urban living. Gardens, parks, and beaches are as common here as heritage buildings, restaurants, and theatres.

While maintaining the laid-back attitude of North America's West Coast, Vancouver has managed to build an international spirit. As the third largest city in Canada, it shares an ethnic diversity and multicultural flavor with the rest of the country. It's young, lively, and the jumping-off point for many spectacular outdoor activities.

Downtown
Vancouver has vitality and style. Nowhere is this more evident than in the downtown core. Its first distinct feature is Stanley Park , located on the west end of Georgia Street. This 1000-acre park includes an 11 kilometre Seawall promenade, old-growth forests, hiking trails, and the Vancouver Aquarium .

Downtown is the city's largest shopping district. One of its main arteries is Robson Street , a highlight for both locals and visitors. It's brimming with fashion boutiques, coffee bars and trendy cafes.

Crossing Robson is Granville, a street that offers independent fashion stores and entertainment venues. Shops like John Fluevog Shoes and True Value Vintage are here, as well as the city's "Theatre Row," where concert, theatre and movie choices can be found. The Orpheum Theatre and the Commodore Ballroom are also on Granville, and are fantastic places to catch performances of live theatre and music. Overall, the area has restaurants to satisfy every palette, urban nightclubs, and a dizzying number of bars offering live entertainment.

Gastown
This is Vancouver's first community and a heritage zone. Red cobblestone streets, Victorian street lamps, and heritage architecture give the area its old-world atmosphere. Today, boutiques, restaurants and specialty shops, such as Hill's Native Art , Three Centuries Shop , and Salmagundi West , combine with its historic character to make it a special attraction. The Steam Clock at Cambie and Water streets goes off every 15 minutes and adds to the area's quirky cachet.

Chinatown
Vancouver's Chinatown is one of the largest in North America, and is second only to San Francisco's. The area's specialty shops, superb dining, and heritage buildings attract millions of visitors. The bustle here goes on day and night, from the summer's open-air Chinatown Night Market , to packed restaurants such as Hon's Wun-Tun House or Floata Seafood Restaurant .

Yaletown
Not long ago, Yaletown was just a collection of abandoned warehouses. Today, it is one of the city's trendiest areas, dotted with posh condominiums and converted historic warehouses. One popular establishment is the Yaletown Brewing Co. , and unique boutiques like Atomic Model and BoNaparte Designs are also worth checking out. Part of the area's popularity is its ultra-cool nightlife, and the exclusive Bar None is one hot spot.

Granville Island
A former industrial site, Granville Island has become one of the city's biggest and best attractions. Live theatre, pubs, and artist workshops converge here. The public market has one-stop food shopping, where you can select fresh produce and treats. La Baguette et L'Echalote , Edie's Hats , and the colourful Kids Only Market are favourites. Numerous festivals use the island as their headquarters, including the Vancouver International Writer's Festival , annual Vancouver International Comedy Festival .

Kitsilano
Located minutes south of downtown , Kitsilano is known for its active population, beaches and mountain views. The community has a profusion of eateries, bookstores, theatres, bars, open-air grocers and boutiques. Here, you'll find gems like the Naam , Sophie's Cosmic Cafe , Kidsbooks and the Hollywood Theatre . Vanier Park accommodates the annual Vancouver International Children's Festival in May, as well as the summer's open-air Shakespearean Bard on the Beach productions.

Point Grey
Just to the west of Kitsilano is Point Grey , another residential area. One of the wealthiest regions of the city, it boasts stately homes, miles of waterfront, and one of Vancouver's oldest parks. The area's beaches stretch from Jericho Beach to Spanish Banks , offering haunts to swim, sail and walk in. It also has a cluster of antique and collectible shops, and is home to the annual Vancouver Folk Festival .

West Point Grey Park provides one of the city's most dramatic viewpoints, with the University of British Columbia (UBC) just south of it. UBC has an expansive campus, featuring several of the city's best museums and attractions, including the Museum of Anthropology and the Nitobe Memorial Gardens .

East Vancouver
Vancouver's east side has always been known for its multitude of ethnic neighbourhoods and unconventional shopping and entertainment. Once dubbed Little Italy, the area on Commercial Drive , between Broadway and Venables, is often considered the city's hub for artists and counter-culture. Shops and cafes like Pupuseria Rinconcito Salvadoreno and La Casa Gelato help piece together this diverse community. You can also wander through the pockets of eclectic galleries and second-hand shops, such as Cosmopolis and Attic Treasures.

Another area to shop and dine in is Little India , located south of East 47th Street on Main Street. The Punjabi Market (Little India) has jewelery and fabric shops. This is also where flavourful Indian foods and spices are readily available. Some of the stores and restaurants here include Guru Bazaar, All India Foods, and Bombay Sweets.

West Vancouver
This suburb area northwest of downtown is one of the most prosperous communities in Canada. If you're looking for a place to shop, the large Park Royal Centre is the country's first shopping mall. Be sure to take time out to walk through Lighthouse Park . It's in an 80-acre old growth forest, and visitors might get a chance to watch seals lounging on the rocks near Howe Sound.

North Vancouver
Just next to West Vancouver lies North Vancouver. The lower Lonsdale area has heritage buildings and antique and specialty shops, while the Lonsdale Quay Market is a thriving waterfront treat. North Vancouver is the gateway for several of the area's ecological sites. Tourists will revel at Lynn Canyon Park , the thrill of the Capilano Suspension Bridge , and the splendor of the Fraser Valley. The year-round fun of Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain are also nearby.

A visit to Sydney

2010-04-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

The 2000 Olympics were a coming-of-age ceremony for Sydney, with fifty years' worth of development compressed into four years under the pressure of intense international scrutiny. The benefits are still being felt: Sydney has all the vigour of a world-class city, with the reputation of its restaurants in particular turning the lingering cultural sneers to swoons. It seems to have the best of both worlds: twenty minutes from Circular Quay the high-rise office buildings give way to colourful inner-city suburbs where you can get an eyeful of sky and watch the lemons ripening above the pavement, while to the centre's north and south are corridors of largely intact bushland where many have built their dream homes. During every heatwave, however, bushfires threaten the city, and sophisticated Sydney becomes closer to its roots than it might like.

It's also as beautiful a city as any in the world, with a setting that only Rio de Janeiro can rival: the water is what makes it so special, and no introduction to Sydney would be complete without paying tribute to one of the world's great harbours. Port Jackson is a sunken valley that twists inland to meet the fresh water of the Parramatta River, in the process washing into a hundred coves and bays, winding around rocky points, flowing past small harbour islands, slipping under bridges and lapping at the foot of the Opera House. Sydney is seen at its gleaming best from the deck of a harbour ferry, and a ride on one is an experience not to be missed.

It might seem surprising that Sydney is not Australia's capital and indeed, the creation of Canberra in 1927 – intended to stem the intense rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne – has not affected the view of many Sydneysiders that their city remains the true capital of Australia. In many ways it feels like it and the city has a tangible sense of history, with the old stone walls and well-worn steps in the backstreets around The Rocks an evocative reminder that Sydney has more than two hundred years of white history behind it.

A Visit to Yosemite National Park, CA

2010-04-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

More gushing adjectives have been thrown at Yosemite National Park ( than at any other part of California. However excessive the hyperbole may seem, the instant you turn the corner that reveals Yosemite Valley, you realize it's actually an understatement – this is one of the world's most dramatic geological spectacles. Just seven miles long and never more than one mile across, it is walled by near-vertical three-thousand-foot cliffs, streaked by tumbling waterfalls and topped by domes and pinnacles that form a jagged silhouette against the sky. At ground level, grassy meadows are framed by oak, cedar, and fir trees; deer, coyotes, and even black bears are often seen. Tourists are even commoner, but the park is big enough to absorb the crowds: you can visit at any time of year, even in winter when the waterfalls ice up and the trails are blocked by snow, and, excepting summer, the valley itself is rarely overcrowded.

Yosemite Valley was made by glaciers gouging through the canyon of the Merced River: the ice scraped away the softer granite leaving soaring cliffs. The lake that formed when the glaciers melted eventually silted up to create the present valley floor. Native Americans lived here in comparative peace until 1851, when the Gold Rush settlers of the Mariposa Battalion trailed the Native Americans into the foothills and beyond, becoming the first whites to set foot in Yosemite Valley. The native community was soon forced out to make way for farmers, foresters, and tourists. Thanks to the campaigning work of naturalist John Muir, in 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were set aside as America's first protected wilderness. A Scottish immigrant who traveled the entire area on foot, Muir spearheaded the conservation movement that led to the founding of the Sierra Club, with the express aim of preserving Yosemite. In 1913, the construction of a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley just north, to provide water for San Francisco, was a setback; but the publicity actually aided the formation of the present National Park Service in 1916, which promised – and has since provided – greater protection. Park entry costs $20 per vehicle, $10 per pedestrian or cyclist, and is valid for seven days. Bus passengers get in free.

A Visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina

2010-04-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Clearly defined in the popular tango — "Buenos Aires, la reina de la Plata" — Buenos Aires is the Silver Queen. Along the banks of the Río de la Plata, the city spreads out its eclectic culture of art, music and incomparable nightlife. Buenos Aires was born with its eyes looking toward Europe, and as a result, it displays a touch of Madrid and a touch of Paris. Some assert this mix of styles surpasses the originals. However, the city does reveal its own stamp as well: the tango districts, the ubiquitous colectivo buses, the magic of the coffeehouses, and above all, the dynamism of the proud inhabitants, the Porteños. In this city, there are the poor areas, the large accordians, the spirit of the tango and deeply-entrenched folklore throughout the place. The passage of time has brought urbanism, the avant-garde and tourism which has been caught up by the enchantment of a country that is capable of creating new scenes.

La Boca

Tourists favor this picturesque district for its rich history and vibrant colors: greens, yellows, reds and purples highlight the urban scenery. Genoese immigrants chose these colors for their classic conventillos or tenements. These colors also dominate the works of the painter Benito Quinquela Martín, who immortalized his beloved barrio. In La Boca , you can eat lunch in a picturesque cantina while enjoying a fine tango show. Other attractions of the district include the exhibitions organized by the Proa Foundation , and the Museo de Cera or wax museum. Up the street in the so-called Vuelta de Rocha area, one will encounter Caminito, the famous street that inspired the popular tango song of the same name. Every weekend Caminito hosts a craft fair where you can purchase anything from a painting to a typical Argentine mate drinking gourd. Also in the area is the soccer stadium, Bombonera , which is home to one of Argentina's finest soccer clubs, Boca Juniors.

Puerto Madero

Continuing down the riverbank, we find the recently transformed district of Puerto Madero . In this renewed space and social scene, Porteños have found yet another excuse to celebrate life and dine with friends in the innumerable restaurants, cafes and discos that populate this fantastic sector by the river.

Prior to its official inauguration in September of 1998, this section of the port had fallen into disrepair. Today, luxurious restaurants, offices and movie theaters have replaced the ancient brick silos, making this the city's most exclusive district, preferred by tourists and business travelers. All the streets of Puerto Madero carry the names of women. The Boulevard Azucena Villaflor directly connects the city to the river. Every Saturday and Sunday, another street, Calle Vera Peñaloza becomes a pedestrian-only zone, where the public can skate, ride bicycles or stroll. Nearby one will find the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur , a natural oasis in the heart of the concrete jungle.

San Telmo

This district preserves colonial-style houses along narrow cobblestone lanes, illuminated with pretty wrought iron lanterns. In San Telmo , one breathes the history of Buenos Aires. Visit the church of Santo Domingo or investigate the city's cultural heritage in the City Museum .

The Bohemian character of the district flourishes every weekend at the antique fair held in Plaza Dorrego and the picturesque cafes that surround it. There, one can buy anything from an antique wedding dress to a 1900 table setting, or one can enjoy the improvisations of the street performers. Also worth visiting are the Pasaje de la Defensa, an 1880 mansion converted into a commercial gallery, and the picturesque street Balcarce with its concentration of bars, restaurants and tango houses.

Monserrat

This is another historic district, where evidence of Buenos Aires' past surprises visitors at every turn. In colonial times, Monserrat was the political, economic, social and cultural center of the city. Here, the Porteños defended themselves against English invasions. One can still experience history in Monserrat today just by visiting a few of the buildings, streets and underground tunnels that traverse the district. Take a stroll through Manzana de las Luces , contemplate the architecture of the Iglesia de San Ignacio and pass by the Cabildo de Luján. Then take a rest in the historic Plaza de Mayo . Another option is to sit down for coffee in one of the many cafes. The more restless can learn the two-four rhythm in a tanguería.

Recoleta

Without a doubt, this is the city's most elegant district. The opulence of the houses and manors symbolizes the splendor of the Argentine aristocracy. The area is a meeting point for tourists and locals with an interest in international design and aesthetics.

During the day, take a stroll through the gardens of Plaza Francia , which fills each weekend with dancers, living statues, street artists and astrologers with the future in their hands. A world of possibilities can be found at the adjacent Buenos Aires Design , the traveler can find souvenirs and a plethora of fine restaurants. Other areas of interest located around Plaza Francia include the Centro Cultural Recoleta , the Palais de Glace , and the famous "City of the Dead."

Belgrano

During the middle of the 19th Century, this was the summer home of many local families. Today, it contains much of the city's social and cultural activity. Attractions include the Museo Histórico Sarmiento , the Museo Casa de Yrurtia and the Museo de Arte Español ¨Enrique Larreta¨ . And for those who prefer outdoor activities, there is the Barrancas de Belgrano, four hectares (ten acres) of undulating ground where one can sunbathe, jog or enjoy the dog show provided by the dog walkers.

Belgrano is one of the busiest, most dynamic areas of the city, with people coming and going by train, bus and subway, and with bars, cafes and kiosks everywhere. If you want to shop, Belgrano is a paradise for the modern consumer. Cabildo gives the impression of an authentic open-air market street. Chinatown is one of the area's newest attractions. In addition to the typical Chinese restaurants, there is a Buddhist monastery, and every February there's a celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Palermo

In Palermo, there is something for everyone. Here some of Buenos Aires' most expensive restaurants intermix with the bars of the Feria Plaza Serrano . On weekends, the Palermo Woods and Rose Garden are ideal spots for walking, playing soccer, and for boat rides. Other nearby attractions include the Jardín Zoológico , the Galileo Galilei Planetarium and the tea offered in the impeccable Japanese gardens.

A Visit to Cape Town, South Africa

2010-03-30T02:55:00.002-07:00

CAPE TOWN is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most visited city. Indeed, few urban centres anywhere can match its setting along the mountainous Cape Peninsula spine, which slides into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking – and famous – of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently shrouded by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city.

More than a scenic backdrop, Table Mountain is the solid core of Cape Town, dividing the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down its lower slopes. Standing on the tabletop, you can look north for a giddy view of the city centre, its docks lined with matchbox ships. To the west, beyond the mountainous Twelve Apostles, the drop is sheer and your eye sweeps across Africa's priciest real estate, clinging to the slopes along the chilly but spectacularly beautiful Atlantic seaboard. To the south, the mountainsides are forested and several historic vineyards and the marvellous Botanical Gardens creep up the lower slopes. Beyond the oak-lined suburbs of Newlands and Constantia lies the warmerFalse Bay seaboard, which curves around towards Cape Point. Finally, relegated to the grim industrial east, are the coloured townships and black ghettos, spluttering in winter under the smoky pall of coal fires – your stark introduction to Cape Town when driving in.

To appreciate Cape Town you need to spend time outdoors, as Capetonians do: they hike, picnic or sunbathe, often choose mountain bikes in preference to cars, and turn adventureactivities into an obsession. Meanwhile, Cape Town's rich urban texture is immediately apparent in its diverse architecture, an indigenous Cape Dutch style, rooted in the Netherlands, that finds its apotheosis in the Constantia wine estates, which were themselves brought to new heights by French refugees in the seventeenth century; Muslim slaves, freed in the nineteenth century, added their minarets to the skyline; and the English, who invaded and freed these slaves, introduced Georgian and Victorian buildings.

A Visit to Athens, Greece

2010-03-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

For all too many people, ATHENS is a city that happened two-and-a-half thousand years ago. It's true that even now the past looms large – literally, in the shape of the mighty Acropolis that dominates almost every view, as well as on every visitor's itinerary. Yet the modern conurbation is home to over four million people – more than a third of the Greek nation's population – and has undergone a transformation in the twenty-first century. The stimulus of the 2004 Olympics made it far more than a repository of antiquities, lifting it above the clichés of pollution and impossible traffic that have blighted its reputation in recent years.

A Visit to Berlin, Germany

2010-03-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

As heart of the Prussian kingdom, cultural centre of the Weimar Republic, headquarters of Hitler's Third Reich and a key frontline flashpoint in the Cold War, Berlin has long been a weather vane of European – and world – history.

World War II may have left the city devastated to such an extent that there was serious debate about leaving it in ruins, but in the following years the city did a remarkable job rebuilding. Reconstructions of its sixteenth-century core exist in the Nikolaiviertel, while nearby stand many rebuilt nineteenth-century buildings from the time when the city prospered as capital of the Second Reich. Little from the Third Reich has survived, and no one has cared to rebuild it, with the notable exception of the 1936 Olympic Stadium.

The rest of Berlin is the product of post-war rebuilding, when the city was divided – ideologically and physically – by the Berlin Wall. West Berlin became a capitalist showcase of subsidized experimental architecture – the Philharmonie and the Neue Nationalgalerie for example – while in the east vast projects such as the Karl-Marx-Allee apartment blocks and radical TV tower were hymns to socialism. On both sides the era also produced vast housing estates, soulless prefabricated dwellings that remain reality for thousands of Berliners.

During the Cold War, West Berlin's unorthodox character made it a magnet for bohemians who flocked here attracted by a military service loophole and huge West German subsidies that funded a cutting-edge arts scene. Non-Germans came too, lured to Germany by promises of work, and to Berlin by its tolerance. Turks, Greeks and Italians arrived in the 1960s making Berlin Germany's most cosmopolitan city – reflected in the excellent variety of cuisines on offer.

A Visit to Las Vegas , USA

2010-03-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Are You a traveller? Are you looking for visiting nice cities?Do you want to visit in USA?There are a lot of place where u can visit. A lot of tourists attractions are waiting for you. Different cities and towns have different outlook. One of the most tourist attraction in USA is Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is the most dynamic, spectacular city on the earth.At the start of the twentieth century, it didn't even exist; at the start of the twenty-first, it's home to well over one million people, with enough newcomers arriving to need a new school every month.

Las Vegas is not like other cities. No city in history has so explicitly valued the needs of visitors above those of its own population. All its growth has been fueled by tourism, but the tourists haven't spoiled the "real" city; there is no real city. Las Vegas doesn't have fascinating little-known neighborhoods, and it's not a place where visitors can go off the beaten track to have more authentic experiences. Instead, the whole thing is completely self-referential; the reason Las Vegas boasts the vast majority of the world's largest hotels is that around thirty-seven million tourists each year come to see the hotels themselves.
The telephone area code for all phone numbers in the text, unless otherwise indicated, is 702.

Each of these monsters is much more than a mere hotel, and more too than the casino that invariably lies at its core. They're extraordinary places, self-contained fantasy-lands of high camp and genuine excitement that can stretch as much as a mile from end to end. Each holds its own flamboyant permutation of showrooms and swimming pools, luxurious guest quarters and restaurants, high-tech rides and attractions.

The casinos want you to gamble, and they'll do almost anything to lure you in; thus the huge moving walkways that pluck you from the Strip sidewalk, almost against your will, and sweep you into places like Caesars Palace. Once you're inside, on the other hand, the last thing they want is for you to leave. Whatever you came in for, you won't be able to do it without crisscrossing the casino floor innumerable times; as for finding your way out, that can be virtually impossible. The action keeps going day and night, and in this windowless – and clock-free – environment you rapidly lose track of which is which.

"Little emphasis is placed on the gambling clubs No cheap and easily parodied slogans have been adopted to publicize Las Vegas, no attempt has been made to introduce pseudo-romantic architectural themes or to give artificial glamor or gaiety."
– WPA Guidebook to Nevada, 1940

Las Vegas never dares to rest on its laurels, so the basic concept of the Strip casino has been endlessly refined since the Western-themed resorts and ranches of the 1940s. In the 1950s and 1960s, when most visitors arrived by car, the casinos presented themselves as lush tropical oases at the end of the long desert drive. Once air travel took over, Las Vegas opted for Disneyesque fantasy, a process that started in the late 1960s with Caesars Palace and culminated with Excalibur and Lu xor in the early 1990s.

These days, after six decades of capitalism run riot, the Strip is locked into a hyperactive craving for thrills and glamor. First-time visitors tend to expect Las Vegas to be a repository of kitsch, but the casino owners are far too canny to be sentimental about the old days. Yes, there are a few Elvis impersonators around, but what characterizes the city far more is its endless quest for novelty. Long before they lose their sparkle, yesterday's showpieces are blasted into rubble, to make way for ever more extravagant replacements. The Disney model has now been discarded in favor of more adult themes, and Las Vegas demands nothing less than entire cities. Replicas of New York, Paris, Monte Carlo and Venice now jostle for space on the Strip.

The customer is king in Las Vegas. What the visitor wants, the city provides. If you come in search of the cheapest destination in America, you'll enjoy paying rock-bottom rates for accommodation and hunting out the best buffet bargains. If it's style and opulence you're after, by contrast, you can dine in the finest restaurants, shop in the most chic stores, and watch world-class entertainment; it'll cost you, but not as much as it would anywhere else. The same guidelines apply to gambling. The Strip giants cater to those who want sophisticated high-roller heavens, where tuxedo ed James Bond lookalikes toss insouciant bankrolls onto the roulette tables. Others prefer their casinos to be sinful and seedy, inhabited by hard-bitten heavy-smoking low-lifes; there is no shortage of that type of joint either, especially downtown.

On the face of it, the city is supremely democratic. However you may be dressed, however affluent or otherwise you may appear, you'll be welcomed in its stores, restaurants, and above all its casinos. The one thing you almost certainly won't get, however, is the last laugh; all that seductive deference comes at a price. It would be nice to imagine that perhaps half of your fellow visitors are skilful gamblers, raking in the profits at the tables, while the other half are losing, but the bottom line is that almost nobody's winning. In the words of Steve Wynn, who built Bellagio and the Mirage, "The only way to make money in a casino is to own one"; according to the latest figures, 85 percent of visitors gamble, and they lose an average of $665 each. On top of that, most swiftly come to see that virtually any other activity works out cheaper than gambling, so end up spending their money on all sorts of other things as well. What's so clever about Las Vegas is that it makes absolutely certain that you have such a good time that you don't mind losing a bit of money along the way; that's why they don't even call it "gambling" anymore, but "gaming."

San Francisco, California

2010-03-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is quite small, yet its hilly terrain and patchwork demographic profile gives it more distinctly defined neighborhoods than a city five times its size. As a result, the sights, sounds and flavors of this community—and even its climate—can change within a single block.

Castro Street & Noe Valley
The center of San Francisco's gay community and a landmark for gay culture everywhere, the Castro is full of bars, dance clubs, restaurants, and one-of-a-kind shops, located in the commercial area around 18th and Castro Street. There's arguably more street life in the Castro than anywhere else in the city, especially on weekends. The gleaming neon sign of the Castro Theater greets visitors as they make their way down the street, with its Spanish colonial architecture and various blockbuster and independent film screenings. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence sometimes make an appearance at special events (they're really men in nun drag) such as the Castro Street Fair, and take it from us—this is the place to be on Halloween. Trek up Castro to Liberty Street to see exceptional Victorian homes. Over the hill lies Noe Valley and its main shopping strip, 24th Street. Cute and relatively quiet, Noe Valley has enough great restaurants and gourmet food shops to make it sophisticated, but not enough many chromed-up bars and Italian clothing boutiques to make it stuffy.

Chinatown
The greatest single concentration of Chinese people outside of Asia—a population of roughly 80,000—live in the approximately 24 square blocks of Chinatown , making it the most densely populated area of San Francisco. As you walk around, you'll be richly rewarded by the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this vibrant community. Grant Avenue is the decorative showpiece of Chinatown, each year hosting the Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair and the ever popular Chinese New Year Festival & Parade. The neighborhood is also known for its excellent Chinese dishes from freshly-prepared poultry and seafood, to the staple, Dim Sum.

Civic Center & Hayes Valley
Stately Beaux Arts buildings like the War Memorial Opera House and the domed, renovated City Hall are situated near the modern Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall and the Public Library's graceful Main Branch. The Asian Art Museum is also in the area, housed in the former Main Library building. Nearby Hayes Valley offers fine dining and apres-symphony toddies for concert-goers, as well as tastefully creative stores for clothing and gifts.

Cow Hollow & Union Street
The grand, imposing homes of Cow Hollow (so named for its original bovine residents) are nestled against the Presidio where Pacific Heights dives to the Marina. Spectacular views are the norm. Straight, single yuppies pack the Balboa Cafe , Sushi Chardonnay, and other bars and restaurants on Fillmore and Union Streets. Clothes hounds can easily fritter the day away in Union Street's many upscale and tasteful boutiques.

Downtown & Union Square
Union Square is the heart of San Francisco's bustling and stylish downtown shopping district. Posh department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Macy's ring the one-block square park. Hundreds of other exclusive stores, boutiques and shopping centers, such as the Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre , lie within a three-block radius of the square. If you've shopped till you've dropped, pick yourself up at an outdoor cafe in tiny Maiden Lane , and restore the soul at one of the many art galleries on Sutter and Geary Streets. This is also the home of San Francisco's modest Theater District.

Financial District & The Embarcadero
"The Wall Street of the West": Bank of America, Charles Schwab, and the Transamerica Corporation (in its landmark, 48-floor Pyramid ) are among the many banks and corporations headquartered here. The Embarcadero Center features dining, shopping, a fine art cinema, and a health club, while Justin Herman Plaza is the site of many New Year's Eve bashes. The Embarcadero itself fronts the Bay for miles on either side of the imposing Ferry Building Marketplace , modeled on the cathedral tower in Seville, Spain.

Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square & Aquatic Park
This area was once the thriving center of San Francisco's fishing industry. Many fishing boats still dock at the Wharf, but Fisherman's Wharf today is more of an extended tourist trap. Pier 39 is a great place to catch a view of the bay thanks to the delightful colony of sea lions. Aquatic Park features a beach, of sorts, and a long pier spiraling out into the Bay. Old sea-dogs will enjoy adjacent Hyde Street Pier, where several historic ships are docked, along with the Maritime Museum . Ghirardelli Square , a chocolate factory turned shopping and restaurant complex, features some of the city's better dining and views. This area is nice for an evening stroll.

Golden Gate Park
With 1000 acres of gardens, meadows, lakes, golf, archery, and internationally recognized art and science museums, Golden Gate Park offers endless recreational possibilities for visitors and locals. The DeYoung Museum and the Japanese Tea Garden are some of the main attractions of the famous park, drawing millions of visitors each year. At the western edge of the park, Ocean Beach, although unappealing for swimming, attracts hard-core surfers with its rough, frigid and unpredictable waves.

Lower Haight
At once, the area around Haight and Fillmore feels more bohemian and less unsavory than the Haight Ashbury to the west. The streets are usually packed with college-age inhabitants who tote guitars and well-worn paperbacks. Ethnic restaurants like Persian Aub Zam Zam , unpretentious cafes, and independent bookstores are mushrooming in this neighborhood. The street life is lively on nights and weekends at popular haunts like Nickie's and Toronado .

Nob Hill & Russian Hill
On impossibly steep Nob Hill , California's early industrialists built fabulous mansions that looked down upon the rest of San Francisco. While only the imposing Flood Mansion remains—now the Pacific Union Club—the area's five-star hotels bear the names of other Nob Hill denizens: the Mark Hopkins , the Renaissance Stanford Court Hotel , and the Huntington . Facing Huntington Park is Grace Cathedral , a 3/4 replica of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Adjoining Nob Hill is Russian Hill, where San Francisco's old money has a great view of the Bay. The "Crookedest Street in the World" resides here and snakes down Russian Hill for the 1000 block of Lombard Street . The traffic is generally impossible—walk it!

North Beach & Telegraph Hill
Originally settled by Italians, North Beach became a magnet for Beat Generation writers and poets in the 1950s. City Lights Bookstore and the cafes and shops on upper Grant Avenue still exude Beatnik funk. A new wave of entrepreneurial Italians has brought a sense of Roman style to exciting new restaurants along Columbus Avenue. On Broadway, barkers still pull tourists and sailors into charmingly seedy strip joints. Clapboard sea captains' cottages and mossy flower gardens seem to dangle in space from the cliffs of Telegraph Hill. Coit Tower , at 210 feet, commands a stunning panorama from the hilltop. The boardwalk Filbert Steps leads from the Tower down through the Grace Marchand Gardens to Levi's Plaza Park at the base of the hill.

Fillmore Street & Japantown
Fillmore Street, Pacific Heights' commercial spur, features noteworthy restaurants, epicurean food, and antique shops, all attended by a lively trade from young professionals. Fillmore and Geary has become a popular nightlife destination, thanks to John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Room and the Fillmore Auditorium . Be advised that the neighborhood gets a bit sketchy to the south and west of Geary and Fillmore. The Kabuki Cinema and neighboring Kabuki Springs & Spa are part of the Japan Center, the commercial heart of Japantown. A sort of miniature Ginza, the Japan Center features a 100-foot pagoda, bonsai gardens, sushi bars and other businesses. Each spring it holds the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival.

Pacific Heights & Presidio Heights
Stately homes and high-rent apartment buildings line the ridge high above Cow Hollow in old-money Pacific Heights. Genteel, renovated Victorians ring the peaceful Alta Plaza Park . Washington Street between Presidio and Arguello features exceptionally palatial residences. Those fortunate enough to live here shop for antiques and dine in quiet refinement on a few understated blocks of nearby Sacramento Street. San Francisco's largest synagogue, Temple Emanu-el , can be found on Arguello Street.

SoMa
Once an unglamorous stretch of warehouses with a seedy undercurrent, an exciting modern San Francisco has emerged in the area South of Market Street—SoMa. Conventions, art, and entertainment possibilities abound in the Moscone/YerbaBuena Center area. Locals can be seen at leisure at the South Park Cafe , Brain Wash (a cafe/performance space/laundromat), or other fashion-forward restaurants and watering holes.

South Beach/China Basin
One of the city's most popular residential areas for young professionals, South Beach arose from a virtual wasteland at the southern end of the Embarcadero and the western edge of SoMa. Apartment complexes and boat marinas squeeze together between the foot of the Oakland Bay Bridge and the San Francisco Giants' waterfront baseball stadium, AT&T Park . Warehouses and factories have either been converted into stylish lofts or are being razed in a swath of development extending down Third Street to the Mission Bay development.

Haight-Ashbury & the Panhandle
This small, but densely concentrated cradle of the hippie movement has tried to retain much of its flower-power, peace and love appeal. While real Summer-of-Love generation hippies may be hard to find, young people, dreadlocked, skinheaded, or skateboard-crazy have continued to come to the Haight to break boundaries. The colorful bars and restaurants of upper Haight Street, however, are always packed with professional twenty-somethings. The annual Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is quite a scene. Architecture buffs will want to take a look at the regal Victorians on the Panhandle—the grassy, tree-lined strip extends east from Golden Gate Park along Fell and Oak Streets.

The Marina District
Tanned, fit and energetic twenty-somethings run and rollerblade along the Marina Green, a vast expanse of grass fronting the Bay between two yacht harbors. Mountain bikers crowd cafes, restaurants, and brunch hangouts along busy Chestnut Street after Sunday morning rides to Mount Tamalpais. The graceful Palace of Fine Arts houses the Exploratorium , the one-of-a-kind, hands-on science museum—a must-see for those with kids. At the southern end of the Marina Green is Fort Mason Center , a waterside arts and cultural center.

The Mission District
The nexus of Hispanic culture, and a mecca for edgy bohemians, the Mission now houses increasing numbers of young professionals and their sport utility vehicles. Mexican and Central American businesses line teeming Mission Street. Visit popular La Taqueria , and be assured that the wait is worth it. Along the Valencia Corridor, one block to the west, bars, cafes, and restaurants of every description, notably Casanova Lounge , lead to the buzzing 16th and Valencia hub. Paxton Gate stands as one of the most unique among the array of shops in this stretch. The neighborhood draws its name from nearby Mission Dolores , founded in 1776. The dolled-up, postcard-perfect Victorians on Dolores Street are worth a look—in the daytime—from adjacent Dolores Park .

The Presidio
14,000 acres of forests and beaches, 75 miles of bicycle-friendly roads, a golf course, and scenic grandeur without end make this the jewel of the Fort Miley Golden Gate National Recreation Area . The Presidio was a military base from 1776 to 1994; antebellum Fort Point , under the Golden Gate Bridge , is a favorite for cannon enthusiasts, as well as for surfers, sailboarders, and Hitchcock aficionados (it's the site of Kim Novak's attempted suicide in Vertigo).

The Richmond District
Fog-bound and quiet residential streets stretch to the Cliff House and Sutro Baths at the ocean, with the occasional Irish pub along the way. Some of the city's best Chinese restaurants are to be found in "Little Chinatown" on Clement Street, and Cyrillic lettering fills store windows around the imposing, gold-domed Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Cathedral on outer Geary Boulevard. Exclusive Seacliff, home to Robin Williams and other celebrities, is next to Lincoln Park, site of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and a spectacular golf course.

The Sunset
A quiet and intensely foggy residential district, the principal attractions to the Outer Sunset are the San Francisco Zoo and the natural amphitheater at Stern Grove, where free concerts are held on summer Sundays. As well as being home to the Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens , the Inner Sunset features a lively stretch of shops on Irving Street, near 9th Avenue where students from nearby UCSF Medical School crowd ethnic restaura

Manila, Philippines

2010-03-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

Fourteen cities and three municipalities make up what is officially known as Metro Manila, referred to by most residents and visitors simply as MANILA, a massive, clamorous conurbation that covers 636 square kilometres and is home to almost 10 million people. To add to the confusion the old part of Manila – the area near the old walled city of Intramuros – officially remains the capital and seat of the Philippine government. In practice, the seats of government are all around Metro Manila, with the executive, administrative and judicial branches in Manila, the Senate in Pasay City and Congress in Quezon City.

At first sight Manila (in this book, the word refers to the whole conurbation) is intimidating: noisy, unkempt and with appalling traffic. There are few open spaces and only a handful of remarkable buildings. Signposting has improved in recent years, but is still woefully inadequate or misleading. Finding your way around is made even more difficult by the absence of significant modern or historical landmarks – most of the buildings are low concrete structures built in a hurry since the end of World War II. Skyscrapers have gone up in some of the business districts, but none is as notable as Hong Kong's Bank of China or Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers.

Manila has no proper city centre. To some Manileños, the central business district of Makati is the city centre, to others it might be Quezon City or the Roxas Boulevard/Manila Bay area. Each is a city in its own right. Roads run everywhere like capillaries, and suburbs act as connecting tissue between new centres of population. It is this apparent lack of order, though, that imbues Manila with character. Its flaws are what make the city human, giving it an anarchic charm that sweeps you along. Manila is also a city of striking emotional counterpoint. Frothy mansions belonging to tycoons and politicians fight for space with squalid shantytowns built along railway tracks. One of the problems Manila faces is the unceasing influx of provincianos, people from the provinces who believe the streets are paved with gold, most of whom end up squatting illegally on any spare scrap of land they can find. The fight for space is intensified by the city's apparently insatiable appetite for shopping malls.

To understand Manila completely, to get under its skin, you need a grasp of its complex and sometimes tragi-burlesque history. It has been razed by an earthquake, bombed, occupied, bombed again and rebuilt. It has expanded inexorably, but public services have not kept pace. The result is a rakish megalopolis that lives on its wits and maintains a frenetic pace 24 hours a day just so it can get things done. The roads are always busy and the buses always full, but in Manila you learn to go with the flow, never worrying about whether you'll be late or whether your taxi is going the wrong way down a one-way street. The Filipino maxim bahala na – what will be will be – applies as much to Manila as it does to life.

Despite its problems and troubled history, Manila is a sociable city, with a populace who take pride in their cultural affinities to the West and their embrace of all things American. Most tourists, however, use Manila as a transit point, a place to spend a day or two on the way to the islands and beaches of the south or the mountainous tribal areas of the north. A couple of days is all you really need to explore the key sights in and around Intramuros, the city's only notable historical enclave, its stone houses and grassy courtyards much as they were when the Spanish regime came to an end in the nineteenth century. If you've got a bit more time on your hands, take a wander through nearby Binondo – Chinatown – or head out of the city on a day-trip. There's plenty to see and do in the vicinity of the capital, from the Manila Bay island of Corregidor, a fascinating reminder of the horrors of war, to the rapids and waterfalls at Pagsanjan.

Manila also prides itself on the quality of its nightlife and the ability of its residents to kick up a good time. For many tourists, this will be their enduring memory of the place: funky bars and nightclubs in areas such as Malate and Makati whose attraction stems from their egalitarian nature. It doesn't matter who you are or what you are, you will have fun in Manila. All you have to do is take a deep breath and dive in.

A Visit to Paris, France

2010-03-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Long considered the paragon of style, Paris is the most glamorous city in Europe. It is at once deeply traditional – a village-like metropolis whose inhabitants continue to be notorious for their hauteur – and famously cosmopolitan. While such contradictions and contrasts may be the reality of any city, they are the makings of Paris: consider the tiny lanes and alleyways of the Quartier Latin or Montmartre against the monumental vistas from the Louvre to La Défense; the multiplicity of street markets and old-fashioned pedestrian arcades against the giant underground commercial complexes of Montparnasse and Les Halles; or the aristocratic wealth of the grand quarters against the vibrant chaos of the poorer districts.

At times, Paris can feel inhumanly magnificent, the arrogance of its monuments encompassing the chilly pomp of the Panthéon, the industrial chic of the Eiffel Tower and the almost spiritual glasswork of the Louvre pyramid. Yet it also operates on a very human scale, with exquisite, secretive little nooks tucked away from the Grands Boulevards and very definite little communities revolving around games of boules and the local boulangerie and café. And even as Paris's culture is transformed by its large immigrant and gay populations, even as extravagant new buildings are commissioned and erected, many of the city's streets, cafés and restaurants remain remarkably, defiantly unchanged.

In the great local tradition of the flâneur, or thoughtful boulevard-stroller, Paris is a wonderful city for aimless wandering. Relaxed quarters such as the vibrant Marais, elegant St-Germain and romantic Montmartre are ideal for street-browsing, shopping and café-sitting, and the city's lack of open space is redeemed by beautiful formal gardens, by the pathways and pavements that run beside the River Seine, and by endless hidden or unexpected havens. And everywhere you go, historic landmark buildings and contemporary architectural wonders remind you of the city's pride and grandeur – and stop you getting lost.

There are over 150 art galleries and museums in the city – few of them duds – and an uncounted number of cafés, brasseries and restaurants lining every street and boulevard. The variety of style and decor is hard to beat, ranging from ultra-modern fashion temples to traditional, mirrored palaces, and from tiny bistrots where the emphasis is all on the cooking to bustling Vietnamese diners. After dark, the city's theatres and concert halls host inventive and world-leading productions of theatre and dance, while many classical concerts take place in fine architectural setting

A Visit to New York City

2010-03-22T03:47:00.000-07:00

The most beguiling city in the world, New York is an adrenaline-charged, history-laden place that holds immense romantic appeal for visitors. Wandering the streets here, you'll cut between buildings that are icons to the modern age – and whether gazing at the flickering lights of the midtown skyscrapers as you speed across the Queensboro bridge, experiencing the 4am half-life downtown, or just wasting the morning on the Staten Island ferry, you really would have to be made of stone not to be moved by it all. There's no place quite like it.

While the events of September 11, 2001, which demolished the World Trade Center, shook New York to its core, the populace responded resiliently under the composed aegis of then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Until the attacks, many New Yorkers loved to hate Giuliani, partly because they saw him as committed to making their city too much like everyone else's. To some extent he succeeded, and during the late Nineties New York seemed cleaner, safer, and more liveable, as the city took on a truly international allure and shook off the more notorious aspects to its reputation. However, the maverick quality of New York and its people still shines as brightly as it ever did. Even in the aftermath of the World Trade Center's collapse, New York remains a unique and fascinating city – and one you'll want to return to again and again.

You could spend weeks in New York and still barely scratch the surface, but there are some key attractions – and some pleasures – that you won't want to miss. There are the different ethnic neighborhoods, like lower Manhattan's Chinatown and the traditionally Jewish Lower East Side (not so much anymore); and the more artsy concentrations of SoHo, TriBeCa, and the East and West Villages. Of course, there is the celebrated architecture of corporate Manhattan, with the skyscrapers in downtown and midtown forming the most indelible images. There are the museums, not just the Metropolitan and MoMA, but countless other smaller collections that afford weeks of happy wandering. In between sights, you can eat just about anything, at any time, cooked in any style; you can drink in any kind of company; and sit through any number of obscure movies. The more established arts – dance, theater, music – are superbly catered for; and New York's clubs are as varied and exciting as you might expect. And for the avid consumer, the choice of shops is vast, almost numbingly exhaustive in this heartland of the great capitalist dream.

A Visit to London,UK

2010-03-22T03:42:00.000-07:00

With a population of just under eight million, London is Europe's largest city, spreading across an area of more than 620 square miles from its core on the River Thames. Ethnically it's also Europe's most diverse metropolis: around two hundred languages are spoken within its confines, and more than thirty percent of the population is made up of first-, second- and third-generation immigrants. Despite Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolution, London still dominates the national horizon, too: this is where the country's news and money are made, it's where the central government resides and, as far as its inhabitants are concerned, provincial life begins beyond the circuit of the city's orbital motorway. Londoners' sense of superiority causes enormous resentment in the regions, yet it's undeniable that the capital has a unique aura of excitement and success – in most walks of British life, if you want to get on you've got to do it in London.

For the visitor, too, London is a thrilling place – and in the last few years, the city has been in a relatively buoyant mood. Thanks to the national lottery and the millennium-oriented funding frenzy, virtually every one of London's world-class museums, galleries and institutions has been reinvented, from the Royal Opera House to the British Museum. In the Tate Modern and the London Eye, the city can now boast the world's largest modern art gallery and Ferris wheel, and the first new bridge to cross the Thames for over a hundred years. Furthermore, following sixteen years of being the only major city in the world not to have its own governing body, London finally acquired its own elected assembly in 2000, along with a mayor who's determined to try and solve one of London's biggest problems: transport.

In the meantime, London's traditional sights – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London – continue to draw in millions of tourists every year. Monuments from the capital's more glorious past are everywhere to be seen, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. There is also much enjoyment to be had from the city's quiet Georgian squares, the narrow alleyways of the City of London, the riverside walks, and the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. And even London's traffic problems are offset by surprisingly large expanses of greenery: Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park are all within a few minutes' walk of the West End, while, further afield, you can enjoy the more expansive countryside of Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park.

You could spend days just shopping in London, too, mixing with the upper classes in the tiara triangle around Harrods, or sampling the offbeat weekend markets of Portobello Road, Camden and Greenwich. The music, clubbing and gay/lesbian scenes are second to none, and mainstream arts are no less exciting, with regular opportunities to catch brilliant theatre companies, dance troupes, exhibitions and opera. Restaurants, these days, are an attraction, too. London is now on a par with its European rivals, and offers a range from three-star Michelin establishments to low-cost, high-quality Chinese restaurants and Indian curry houses. Meanwhile, the city's pubs have heaps of atmosphere, especially away from the centre – and an exploration of the farther-flung communities is essential to get the complete picture of this dynamic metropolis.

A Visit to Miami, FL

2010-03-22T03:37:00.001-07:00

Far and away the most exciting city in Florida, MIAMI is a stunning and often intoxicatingly beautiful place. Awash with sunlight-intensified natural colors, there are moments – when the neon-flashed South Beach skyline glows in the warm night and the palm trees sway in the breeze – when a better-looking city is hard to imagine. Even so, people, not climate or landscape, are what make Miami unique. Half of the two million population is Hispanic, the vast majority Cubans. Spanish is the predominant language almost everywhere – in many places it's the only language you'll hear, and you'll be expected to speak at least a few words – and news from Havana, Caracas or Managua frequently gets more attention than the latest word from Washington, DC.

Just a century ago Miami was a swampy outpost of mosquito-tormented settlers. The arrival of the railroad in 1896 gave the city its first fixed land-link with the rest of the continent, and cleared the way for the Twenties property boom. In the Fifties, Miami Beach became a celebrity-filled resort area, just as thousands of Cubans fleeing the regime of Fidel Castro began arriving in mainland Miami. The Sixties and Seventies brought decline, and Miami's reputation in the Eighties as the vice capital of the USA was at least partly deserved. As the cop show Miami Vice so glamorously underlined, drug smuggling was endemic; as well, in 1980 the city had the highest murder rate in America. Since then, though, much has changed for two very different reasons. First, the gentrification of South Beach helped make tourism the lifeblood of the local economy again in the early Nineties. Second, the city's determined wooing of Latin America brought rapid investment, both domestic and international: many US corporations run their South American operations from Miami and certain neighborhoods, such as Key Biscayne, are now home to thriving communities of expat Peruvians, Colombians and Venezuelans.

Capt Cox's Bazar , Bangladesh

2010-03-16T03:58:00.000-07:00

In love with Nature, the winds and the waves. The blue waters reflecting the clouds that float by for the lovers eye. The playful mirth of the surf crashing onto a beach painted silver by the moon shining in the heavens.

The only word to describe the feeling on first glimpse is breathtaking. It's love at first sight. Hard it may be to comprehend, but it is the same feeling each time the rolling waves come into view. And it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this is unique to Cox's Bazar. One of the reasons could be the wide expanse of sandy beach leading onto the picture-perfect blue waves tossing the surf to the winds. Another reason, the cool blue radiance lifting off the waves, lifting the spirits. For a world in search of alternative medicine, the therapeutics of the wind blown music of the waves could be the magic.

It wasn't the magic though, that brought a young British Captain to this beautiful beach. Hundreds of years of internecine warring among the peoples of the region had finally ended in victory for the Burmese. They avenged themselves on the defeated Araknese in what todays' world has come to know as ethnic cleansing. The Moguls had given the British East India Company the right to govern Chittagong upto the Naf river. When Burmese king Bodhpaya's purges forced thousands of refugees to flee the land, they crossed the Naf river and sought refuge in Ramu and the southern coastal belt of Chittagong. This area now being the domain of the East India Company, they had little choice but to deal with the refugees. The East India Co appointed a superintendent for the rehabilitation of the Arakanese refugees. 1799 Capt Hiram Cox had arrived. In the land that still bears his name. This too is unique in a world where the fortunes of war or politics determine the name game. Earlier Capt Cox had been the company Resident in Rangoon and therefore familiar with the local cultures and conflicts. He had actually arrived in India in 1779 as a cadet. By 1796 his prowess in the Bengal Frontier Regiment Infantry got him promotion as Battalion Captain. But luck deserted him in Rangoon and he ended up in the malaria infested jungles of Chittagong. Tasked with the rehabilitation of the refugees Capt Cox Formulated a policy whereby the refugees could settle in one place and govern themselves according to their traditional laws. The company had earmarked the northern areas of Chittagong for refugee rehabilitation but Capt Cox allowed them to remain in the southern parts where they had already settled. The reasoning was based on sound ground. First the refugees would be with Arakanese who had settled earlier but most of all because they would clear the malaria infested jungles for cultivation. So the East India Co agreed to settle the refugees along the southern banks of the Bankkahli river. Not so, declared Sher Mustafa Khan, Kalli Charan, Saaduddin, Mir Chand Gouri Shankar and Shibchand Ray. These half a dozen feudal landlords, Zamindars, laid claim to the land. Capt Cox referred the matter to the Board of Revenue, requesting a Commission to determine ownership of the lands. The Company appointed Hiram Cox Superintendent and Commissioner and informed him that none but they had rights to the land. In typical British management fashion the new superintendent sought to create a road from Ramu to Ukhia Ghat ensuring quick access from the center. Obviously the Arakanese refugees would provide the labour, for which 3,500 spades were ordered by the Board of Revenue from the Dhaka Collectorate. Capt Cox had literally made inroads into the hearts and minds of the refugees. He then proceeded to distribute lands and almost a ton of foodgrains to each family of six all to be repaid in three years. The gratitude of the refugees was eternal.

The English countryside with rolling hills and dales, fields of daisies dahlias and daffodils is the prettiest of sights in spring. The beauty is fleeting at best, withered by a short hot August. 'If summer is here can winter be far behind' wondered Nancy as she stepped out of her dainty little cottage where she lived with her mother. Primroses decorated the doorway, carnations lined the walkway right up to the fence where the sweetpeas were already withering. No, Winter couldn't be far behind. But it wasn't winter yet and the fairs, fun and frollick rolled on. This could be anywhere in England, she knew, but what would a hot humid Burmese jungle be like? He didn't really have to go, but the British Raj made men of boys and strangely men always seemed to have a driving compulsion to prove they were men. Though this often triggered events which forced them onto currents beyond their thought regimes. Little did she suspect how the currents flowing down the Naf river would ebb out her own destiny. On this lovely English morning that was a river too far. Merriment was on hand and many young men too. The boisterous laughter of ladies young and old, as they grandiosed about their membership privileges in the colonies and the tales of the men mixing in, to make the exploited look ridiculous and brown, was common but yet with undeniable appeal. In the hot August sun the cool shade of a native holding up a frilled parasol was an inviting idea. Why stay with chilled lemonade when the peshta-sherbet was being wasted down the throats of debauch Nabobs and Rajas. Tales of the temptatious orient were all aglow with the splendor and magnificence of rubies, pearls, emeralds and diamonds; not just the right of the royalty but of all the British. Oh, add to that the right of the white to show both the kafirs and the Saracens the highway to heaven.

So it was really divine will that took Capt Cox and thousands like him to the Far East, to be joined at appropriate times by their adoring women. Nancy watched the administrative abilities of her man and basked in the glorious admiration of the administered. To the Arakanese Capt Cox had become a saviour fit to be worshipped.

In 1799 Superintendent of Immigrants Capt Hiram Cox set up a small colony of 10,000 Arakanese refugees in the village of Aung Sun Tha which came to be called Cox's Bazar.

This influence of Arakanese still adds an aura of the exotic orient to Cox's Bazar. The Rakhaines add another colourful hue to the windswept southern shores though they are hugely outnumbered by Bengalis. It is truly remarkable to see how a people so different in culture religion, language and food habits from the dominant local population could survive and retain their ethnicity. That the Rakhaine women do most of the work, is not intended as a another tourism technique but a continuation of a male dominated inequity. Its not a pretty sight to see men lazing around smoking while the women are tilling the lands, tending the babies and toiling over the fire. The colourful scarves and lungees woven and worn by the Rakhaine women are a reflection of their vibrant spirits. Moonlit nights call for merry-making with all it's ingredients, singing, dancing and drinking. The men sing interesting tunes.

Between the Bankhali river and the Bay of Bengal is the world's longest unbroken sea-beach, 125 kilometers, down to Teknaf, the southern-most tip of Bangladesh. Here even till today, in the compound of the police station is the well-known water-well of Ma-Thin, holding in its depths another lover's tragedy. Ma Thin daughter of the Magh King with her countries, would come and spend afternoons and evenings sitting beside the well. The officer-in-charge of the police station Dhiraj Bhattacharya, a hindu, fell in love with Ma Thin and married her. His infuriated father summoned him away to Kolkata. Ma Thin pined away refusing food and accepting water, only from the well, to perhaps drown her sorrows and finally died a tragic death. Just before Dhiraj returned. The ebb and tide of animosity between religions did not return Ma Thin.

A short drive down the beautiful beach is Himchhari. Development has put a concrete tourist bungalow on top of a beautiful hill. Nature has taken a 100 or so steps back in angry red scars cut into the hillside. But then the beauty is on the beach against the backdrop of green hill-forests is perhaps unique only to Cox's Bazar.

Another 8 km across the waters from Teknaf is the pristine island reserve of Narikel Zinjira. Thats what the local call the only coral island of Bangladesh. It is better known as St Martin's island, named after a governor of the British Raj. A veritable underwater aquarium, huge varieties of shells including mother of pearl, an equally large variety of fish including flying fish and dolphins inhabit the waters around the island. Living corals swaying tantalizingly can be seen even 5 or 6 meters deep, through the lovely lucid waters.

A hundred kilometers north near Ramu, Capt. Cox lost his fight against malaria. Born in 1759 in England, the saviour of the Arakanese died, aged only 39. His coffin draped in the colours of the Union Jack was placed on a dais. British soldiers under the command of Major Morgan paid military tribute. A 19-gun salute was fired. Half a dozen Zamindars placed floral wreaths on his coffin. The mahouts had their majestically decorated elephants trumpet with raised trunks. Magistrate John Stonehouse paid respect on behalf of the governor general of India. At this point the rebel leader of the Arakanese, Sin Piyan, came forward and requested that they be allowed to bid farewell to Capt Cox in their own traditions. In life Cox had been their messiah. In death he had achieved Nirvana. The Arakanese raised his coffin onto their shoulders, chanting their own mantras. Then at the behest of San Piyan the Arakanese refugees poured all their gold silver, gems and ornaments into the grave. The Englishmen watched in silent amazement. The refuges sang and danced. Cox was lowered into the grave and tears turned to cheers of joy. All except Nancy's. She stood weeping motionless with a bouquet of flowers to place on his grave, on the bank of the Bankkhali river. A place they had both loved to come to. To walk on moonlit nights. To talk under starlit skies. For a breath of fresh air even as malarial fever wracked his body. She placed her little bouquet and stepped back. Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder rocked the banks. Natures tribute? Then came the pouring rains. Sin Piiyan's soldiers stood guard. But in high tide and amid the torrential rains the whole bank of the river collapsed and raging torrents washed Cox's grave away to the sea. Folk tales had it that the sea always returned the bodies. Nancy came back day after day and stood still till the darkness of night hoping the sea would return the body of Capt Cox. It did not. A heartbroken Nancy left. Cox's name remained, despite the shifting sands of time.

Teknaf Sea Beach

2010-03-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

This bustling smugglers’ town is on the southern tip of the narrow strip of land adjoining Myanmar, 92km south of Cox’s Bazar. The Bangladesh–Myanmar border is formed by the Naaf River, a branch of which divides the town. Most of the town is a crowded area of narrow alleys.

It is illegal to cross into Myanmar from here, and since its army has planted minefields along the border to deter illegal immigrants and smugglers, it’s not wise to try.

Chittagong Hill Tracts

2010-03-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Decidedly untypical of Bangladesh topography and culture, the 13,180 sq km of the Hill Tracts comprises a mass of hills, ravines and cliffs covered with dense jungle, bamboo, creepers and shrubs.

About half the tribal population are Chakma; the remainder are mostly Marma (who represent about a third of the tribal population) and Tripura. Among the many much smaller groups, the Mru (called Murung by Bangladeshis) stand out as the most ancient inhabitants of the area.

The culture and lifestyle of the Adivasis (tribal people) are very different from that of the Bangladeshi farmers of the plains. Some tribes are matriarchal, and all have similar housing – made entirely of bamboo and covered by thatched roofs of dried leaves. In most other respects, the tribes are quite different, each having its own distinctive rites, rituals, dialect and dress, eg Chakma women wear indigo-and-red striped sarongs.

The women are particularly skilled in making handicrafts, while some of the men still take pride in hunting with bows and arrows.

The area, full of the flavours of Burma, is utterly fascinating and very beautiful. It also offers a chance to stretch the legs with some exciting hiking between tribal communities.

Satchari National Park

2010-03-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

About 60km southwest of Srimangal on the Dhaka–Sylhet Hwy is the small Satchari National Park (formerly known as the Telepara Forest Reserve). This 243-hectare park is part of a much larger protected region. Although less popular than Lowacherra, it is a superb slab of tropical forest with a higher diversity of plants and animals than Lowacherra, and with far less human disturbance.

There are a number of marked walking trails of between 30 minutes and three hours, seven streams, a population of hoolock gibbons, fishing cats, Phayre’s langur, jungle fowl, pygmy woodpeckers and oriental pied hornbills.

The Satchari National Park is on the south side of the main road, about 1km east of the Satchari bus stop and Telepara Tea Estate, where the highway takes a sharp left bend. You could get the driver of the Dhaka–Sylhet bus to drop you off here, if you don’t mind missing the early hours when bird-watching is best. Alternatively, get a bus from Srimangal and walk to the trail head 1km away. To return to Srimangal, flag down one of the Dhaka–Sylhet buses, or walk back to Telepara Tea Estate and catch one there.

A Visit to Kuakata

2010-03-13T21:42:00.001-08:00

This isolated beach at the southern tip of the delta, about 100km from Barisal, was named by the original Mogh (Rakhine) Buddhist settlers whose ancestors remain today. Kua means ‘well’, and kata means ‘dug’.

The river mouths east and west of the beach ensure that the sea is rather murky, and sharks drying on racks along the beach similarly don’t augur well for swimming. Though Kuakata isn’t the archetypal turquoise, tropical ocean, the vibe is right. The town suffered heavily at the hands of Cyclone Sidr in November 2007.

There is a Buddhist temple close to the Parjatan Motel, about 100m from the beach on a slightly raised mound. The ugly tin-walled shrine holds a much prettier 100-year-old statue of Buddha, said to be the largest in the country. The nearby forestry reserve is pleasant but succumbing to illegal logging. Some travellers report that hiring a fisherman to take you to nearby forested islands is a fun excursion.

Kaptai Lake

2010-02-06T23:47:00.002-08:00

Kaptai Lake is a man-made lake in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Kaptai Upazila of Rangamati District of Chittagong Division. The lake was created as a result of building the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River, as part of the Karnaphuli Hydro-electric project. The Kaptai Lake's average depth is 100 feet (30 m) and maximum depth is 495 feet (151 m).

History

Construction of the reservoir for the hydro-electric plant began in 1956. As a result, 54,000 acres (220 km2) of farmland in the Rangamati District went under water and created the lake.

The hydro-electric project was funded by the United States. The project was finished in 1962. International Engineering Company and Utah International Inc. received the contract for construction of the dam. The dam is 670.6 meters long, and 54.7 meters high. The dam has a 745 feet (227 m) long spillway containing 16 gates. Through the spillway 5,250,000 cusec of water can pass every second.

The land that went under water as a result of the dam construction, was 40% of the total arable land in the area. Along with that, 29 square miles (75 km2) of the Government-owned forest, and 234 square miles (610 km2) of other forest land went under water. About 18,000 families with a total of almost 100 thousand people were also displaced. The palace of the king of the Chakmas was also flooded and is now under water.

The National Shaheed Minar

2010-02-06T23:47:00.000-08:00

The Shaheed Minar is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate those killed during the Language Movement demonstrations of 1952.

On February 21, 1952, dozens of students and political activists were killed when the Pakistani police force opened fire on Bengali protesters who were demanding equal status to their native tongue, Bangla. The massacre occurred near Dhaka Medical College and Ramna Park in Dhaka. A makeshift monument was erected on February 23[1] by students of University of Dhaka and other educational institutions, but soon demolished on February 26[2] by the Pakistani police force.

The Language Movement gained momentum and after a long struggle, Bangla was given equal status as Urdu. To commemorate the dead, the Shaheed Minar was designed and built by Hamidur Rahman, a Bangladeshi sculptor. The monument stood until the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, when it was demolished completely during Operation Searchlight, during which the Pakistani Army estimates they inflicted 26,000 civilian deaths, while other organizations such as National Geographic estimate casualties numbering over 3 million.[citation needed] After Bangladesh gained independence, it was rebuilt.

Today, the Shaheed Minar is the centre of cultural activities in Dhaka. Every year, the Language Movement is remembered at the monument.

A Visit To Jaflong

2010-01-05T04:18:00.000-08:00

Jaflong is a natural tourist spot in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is located in Gowainghat Upazila of Sylhet District and situated at the border between Bangladesh and the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is just below the mountain range. Jafflong, famous for its beauty, boulders, betel nuts and is home of the Khasitribe. It’s about 60 km to the northeast of Sylhet town and takes two hours drive to reach there. Jaflong is also a scenic spot nearby amidst tea gardens and rate beauty of rolling stones from hills.

Nestled at the foot of the Khasia-Jainta hills, it is a place of pristine loveliness. The Piayin river slices through Jafflong and the river is woven tightly into the lives of the local people. A riverboat trip is one of the main attractions. Although the boatmen are used to fleecing tourists, and will charge exorbitant sums, a bit of haggling will get you an engine boat for Tk. 250. The whole family will fit in, and the clear waters of the Piyain will soon be rushing past as the boat heads towards the Zero Point -- the border between India and Bangladesh.

The Indian town of DaukiBazar can be seen on the mountain. Duing the rainy season torrents of water can be seen gushing down the mountain forming small waterfalls. Visitor also see a enormous beautiful waterfall on the way of Sylhet to Jaflong. But that are all in Indian side.

The spot where most tourists gather is called Bollar (boulder) Ghat. Boulders have become Jafflong's bane. With stone mining companies using heavy machinery to extract stones from the river and that treated Jafflong's natural beauty. Efforts are underway to preserve the area as an ecopark

Visitors who venture to the far side of the river can see the little Khasia villages or “Punjees”. The Khasia, the indigenous people of the hills, live in total harmony with Jafflong's idyllic beauty. The punjees consist of cute houses on bamboo stilts. A walk through the Khasia Punjees will take you through large plantations of Paan (betel leaf) and Supari (betel nut). The Khasia once practiced a pagan religion, and old records portray them as a fierce and warlike tribe. But nowadays the Khasia lead a simple and quiet life growing paan-supari and fishing. Many of them have converted to Christianty.

The forest walk will take you to the palace of the Khasia king. It's a modest wooden affair but in the grounds you can catch sight of one of Sylhet's vanishing attractions -- an orange grove.

Tamabil is the border area with India and is 05 km before Jaflong. If you intend to visit Shilong of India then you will have to cross this border by completing your customs formalities. To go to India you require valid Visa.

Sripur is another beautiful tourist spot where you can see the waterfall with great tide falling form the hills. Besides the enchanting views of the area, one can also have a glimpse of the waterfalls across the border of India. Very Big stones sometimes are coming in this waterfall in Sripur. After completion of visiting Jaflong and Tamabil you must visit Sripur on the way to go back to Sylhet. It's only 7-8km from Jaflong on the same road to Sylhet a sub road entered into Sripur waterfall. Here you can see the stone collection and orange garden if you go inside Sripur crossing the hills.

On the way back from Jafflong, don't forget to stop at Jaintapur. Jaintapur is famous for its megalithic archaeological ruins. Jaintiapur is only 5 km. from Jaflong, a scenic spot amidst tea gardens. Jaintapur was the capital of Jainta Kingdome at 18th century. Jainta Rajbari was the palace of Kings of Jainta, it's just adjacent of Jainta Bazar. Though the condition of this king's palace is already damaged enormously but a huge number of tourists visit here due to the historical background of Jainta Kingdom. At about 35 km. northwest of Sylhet town, linked by rail, road and river is Chhatak, the seat of Assam Bengal Cement Factory, Chhatak is famous for orange garden.

At Bollar Ghat there are local cottage industries that cater to tourists. Local artisans carve souvenirs out of stone, and shopkeepers sell everything from mementos to sarees. Despite the large number of people who flock to Jafflong every day there are no good places to stay and no restaurant worth its tablecloth. Visitors are well advised to carry their own food from Sylhet.

How to go: Sylhet city is roughly 230 km from the capital and it is a smooth 4-5 hour drive. First-rate highway restaurants along the way mean you can stop for a breather as often as you like. Train journeys take slightly longer, but can be fun as the line passes through the Lawachara national forest range Sylhet International Airport is half an hour's flying time from Dhaka, and most of the private airlines as well as Biman offer several daily flights. Transports are available form Syhlet town to Jaflong. Don’t forget to take food.

A Visit to Madhabkunda Waterfall

2009-12-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

Madhabkunda waterfall is one of the most attractive tourist spots in Sylhet division. Lots of tourists and picnic parties come to Madhabkunda every day for their enjoyment. You can go to Madhabkunda either from Sylhet if you go by road or from Kulaura if you go by train

From Kulaura rail station its about one hour journey by microbus to Madhabkunda. The journey to Madhabkunda itself is exotic. On the way you can see the greenish beauty of tea garden, the hills and the zigzag road through the hills will increase the joy of your journey. In madhyanagger you will see the great waterfall – falls of million tons of water form 200ft. height. Big bolder of stones and the black stones in giving a shape of care in Madhabkunda. There is a Parjatan Motel with a good restaurant for accommodation and fooding.

There is also a district council Bunglow for night stay. Here you can enjoy adventurous feelings to stay in a jungle. All you need to have a prior booking for the bunglow from Moulvibazar Zilla Parishad office

A Visit To St. Martins Island

2009-12-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

St. Martins Island is the most beautiful Coral Island where you will find live corals. Its only 30 km from Teknaf and you can go there by local motorboat, tourist boats, or sea truck

This small coral island about 10km (6mi) southwest of the southern tip of the mainland is a tropical cliché, with beaches fringed with coconut palms and bountiful marine life. There’s nothing more strenuous to do here than soak up the rays, but it’s a clean and peaceful place without even a mosquito to disrupt your serenity.

It’s possible to walk around the island in a day because it measures only 8 sq km (3 sq mi), shrinking to about 5 sq km (2 sq mi) during high tide. Most of island’s 5500 inhabitants live primarily from fishing, and between October and April fisher people from neighboring areas bring their catch to the island’s temporary wholesale market.

In this Island, you will find the beautiful Coral reef and long Coral beach and lots of coconut trees. The local name of the coconut is Narikel and the original name of this Island is Narikel Jinjira is derived from that. Accommodation in St. Martins Island is limited, so it is advisable to book accommodation before you plan to go to this Island. Motel Nijhum is one of the best hotels in St. Martins Island. To book in Motel Nijhum, confirm you reservation from Dhaka. You will hardly get a chance to stay in this hotel if you are a sudden visitor of St. Martins Island. The other good hotels are Prashad Paradise & Sraboni Bilash

Booking of these hotels are also possible from Dhaka. All these three hotels are situated adjacent to Seashore. From these hotels lobby or veranda, you can enjoy the Sea. There are some other motels and hotels established in St. Martins Island.

Overnight staying in St. Martins Island is really an exotic feeling where you will feel and listen the sound of Sea. If you are lucky enough then you can spend the exotic moonlit night at St. Martins Island. The beauty of Full moon in St. Martins Island cannot be expressed, if you are not there at.

A Visit To Nijhum Dwip

2009-12-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

The name 'Nijhum Dwip' itself contains a romantic connotation about the place; it gives one a sense of silence and natural splendour unsullied by human exploration. Which it really is? The island is situated between Noakhali and Bhola under Hatiya upazila Upazila in Noakhali District. It covers a total area of 16,352 hectares. With proper facilities this Island could be prime tourist spot after St. Martins Island.

At one time it was called Char Osman. It is the southern most island of Bangladesh that confluence of the Meghna estuary on the Bay of Bengal.

A surreal vision grows on traveler eyes when they enjoy sprinkling moment with uncovered nature. It’s really rural reflection of Bangladesh but Natural refreshment. No standard restaurants, road even electricity there. The population in Nijhum Dwip in 2001 was 10,670. At high tide a significant potion of the island becomes covered in water, apart from the cultivated, inhabited areas. Their main occupations are cultivation, fishing and livestock farming. The island produces vegetables in large quantities. People live here together amidst natural calamities. Life in the island is hard and risky but very plain in mind.

There are different species of animal surround of you. Spotted deer, Migratory birds, Monkeys, Estuary reported to harbor the Ganges River Dolphin include Clawless Otter, Fishing Cat, Snakes, Tortoises and Turtles. During winter, thousands of migratory birds visit the islands and around a dozen of which are considered to be globally critically endangered, enhancing its splendour even further.

The forest department of the government of Bangladesh created mangrove forests in Nijhum Dwip and the main attraction in these forests is the herd of about 5000 spotted dear. You must be capture picture of deer. That perhaps makes Nijhum Dwip one of the unique tourist spot in Bangladesh.

The most important type of tree planted in the island is Keora, also known as Kerfa, which has fast growing roots holding the sandy land. The plant also supplies pillars for houses, materials for making boats and agricultural implements, and fuel for domestic use. In 2001, the government of Bangladesh declared Nijhum Dwip forests as National Park. Part of what is now Nijhum Dweep National Park was originally proposed as a Sanctuary for the conservation of a wide variety of waterfowl, including the migratory shorebirds, and a large number of mammals. The area includes a cluster of islands, mainly Ballar Char, Kamlar Char, Char Osman and Char Muri.

Visitor takes remarkable experience of boat journey in the canal which covered the island like net. Visitor invented themselves in silence, their eyes and ears intent on hearing every rustle of the nature. It's a surreal situation, tour boats had to go under thickets hunched over the canal, known and unknown birds chirping all over the island. On both sides of the canal are forests of kewra. The sky seen through the bush looked too blue to be true.

How To go There:
From Dhaka take a launch from Shadar ghat toTamaruddin of Hatiya Dweep. From there youcan get to Nijhum Dweep by local motor boat. Or you can take a bus or train to Chittagong, from there youneed to go to Hatiya island by motor boat or Sea Truck. From there you can go to Nijhum Dweep by local motorboat. In Hatiya, you will have to go to Jahazmara Bazar by tempo or jeep. From there you can go to Amtali Ghat or Katakhali Ghat by rickshaw. Engine boats are available there to take you to Nijhum dweep. These boats run depending on the wave and tide of sea.

Places to Stay and Eat
Accommodation is very limited for the tourists in this Island. You can take foods from local restaurants but be careful about the quality of foods. If you stay overnight at Hatiya, there are some boarding hotels. Among them, the best is Monir Chairman's boarding. Accommodations are not good at Nijhum Dweep and are few in number. Forest Department and District Parishod have Guest Houses in the island, which need prior permission. Both these places provide food.

A Visit to Jahangirnagar University

2009-12-16T01:08:00.000-08:00

Jahangirnagar University is one of the prominent and old universities at Bangladesh. It’s also the one and only residential university in the country. Jahangirnagar University began its journey at a time when the country was going through a political upheaval that ultimately led to the birth of our nation - Bangladesh. This university was established as a residential university in 1970 under the Jahangirnagar Muslim University Ordinance, 1970. Later, it was renamed Jahangirnagar University in 1973. Its first Vice-Chancellor took up office on September 24, 1970. The first batch of students, a total of 150, was enrolled in the first year Bachelor (Honors) classes in four departments: Economics, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics. However, classes started on January 4, 1971.In 2008 the university had a total of 7,000 students, 672 teachers, 206 staffs and 1,200 other employees.

The insignia of the University has a Shapla, the national flower, with three petals standing erect on its stem. It is bordered on all four sides by four strips of traditional alpana design of the same size and pattern. The name of the University written in Bangla characters hangs below in semicircle like a wreath of flowers. Designed by Kalam Mahmud, the insignia is rooted deep in our folk culture and is reminiscent of our struggle for independence which gave the Shapla its status as national flower. The three petals in the flower may be taken to symbolize learning, truth and progress and the firm stem, which holds the petals fast and erect, may by taken to symbolize the determination with which these goals are pursued.

The university stands on the Asian Highway, popularly known as the Dhaka-Aricha Road, and is only 32 kilometers away from the capital city. Spread over a land area of 697.56 acres the campus lies between the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) and the Savar Cantonment, on the north of which is the National Monument. The topography of the land, with its gentle rise and plains, is soothing to the eye. The bodies of water sprawling around the campus make an excellent habitat for the winter birds that flock there every year by the thousands, making bird-watching a favorite pastime for many visitors, students and staff.

The beauty of this university campus attracts people. It has two kinds of beauty. This landmark is well decorated by human creature like others institution. Some important and famous monuments are situated here[shangsaptak, amar ekushe, shahid minar]. Its remarkable natural beauty attracts everyone. This campus is dazzling with different species tree and birds. Travelers enjoy this same campus in different flavor in every individual season.

There are number of Lakes all around the campus. Every year guest birds arrive at the JU lakes from comparatively cooler regions of the world including Siberia, Kashmir, Himachal province of India and locally from Sylhet. More than two and a half thousand birds including Sarali, Khanjna, porchard, Jalpipi, Chamot thuti, and ducks were found in the lakes, most of which came in November and will stay till the middle of March. Every year held here bird fair, organized by university and other bird watcher organization.

In the winter morning this campus looks like a mysterious fairy land. Traveler finds the scene of traditional Bangladesh.

In summer, campus colored especially by kisnachura. A radish reflection catches you on everything. The university is also famous for national flower shapla. In rainy and autumn seasons all the lake blooming with shapla. It’s charming scenery. Different colored shapla refresh you eyes and heart. And whole the year you breathe in fresh air. So, busy citizen spend your remarkable youthful moment at the campus.

Transports [luxurious counter service] are available from motizil, shahbag, farmgate, shymoli, college gate and gabtali [around 30 to 50 tk].

Travelers full his stomach to take varieties of bangle dish. Especially different kinds of Varta are available here. And price? You must be strange. We don’t say, just take a taste. The popular food shop stays in the place called battola. You can also take taste of variety of local fruit.

Nearer tourist spot: jatiya smriti sodho [the National Monument], military dairy farm, nandan park, fantasy kingdom etc.

Travel Health News(Human Swine Influenza)

2009-12-14T02:14:00.002-08:00

The World Health Organization has declared the human swine influenza (swine flu) outbreak a global pandemic. Confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in many parts of the world, including Hong Kong.

Human-to-human transmission has occurred in the present swine flu outbreak. The symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain and headache. Some people infected with swine flu may also have vomiting and diarrhoea.

Advice
Strict adherence to personal and environmental hygiene is essential for prevention of swine flu. Department of Health reminds travellers to watch out for the latest developments in the swine flu outbreak when planning travel. Travellers should prepare adequate face masks and alcohol-based handrub and take the following precautionary measures:

* During the trip: maintain good personal hygiene, wash hands or use handrub frequently and avoid contact with sick people.
* Before returning: do not get on board an airplane when influenza-like symptoms develop. Put on a mask and seek medical attention where you are.
* After returning: avoid going to crowded places and pay close attention to your health. Seek medical consultation from public clinics or hospitals right away if influenza-like symptoms appear.

USA Travel Maps

2009-12-14T02:03:00.001-08:00

The United States of America or USA lies in western hemisphere of the earth as part of the North American continent bordering Canada in the North and Mexico in the south. The country of USA is recognized as one of the most technologically developed and economically successful nations of the world. With a population of more than 300 million people, USA boasts of a rich ethnic diversity and a unique conglomeration of cultures. USA is home to some of the most advanced cities of the world like New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and also boasts of the world's most successful cinema industry situated in Hollywood. Dotted with numerous attractive travel destinations, USA ranks among the world's topmost travel destinations. The USA Travel maps on this page would be especially useful to the tourists in finding location and other detailed information on thea airports and hotels in various states of the country. The road maps of USA present highly detailed information on road routes in each of the states in the country meant to be of assistance to tourists and residents alike

Travelocity

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Travelocity is an online travel agency. Travelocity is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corporation, which was a publicly traded company until taken private by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group in March 2007. Travelocity is based in Southlake, Texas, with additional offices in New York City, San Francisco, San Antonio and abroad.

According to Sabre Holdings, Travelocity is the sixth-largest travel agency in the United States and the second-largest online travel agency. In addition to its primary US consumer site, Travelocity operates a full-service business agency, Travelocity Business, and comparable websites in Canada, Germany, France, the Scandinavian countries, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom. Sister sites include lastminute.com in Europe and Zuji in Asia. Other brands include World Choice Travel, a travel affiliate marketing program.

Travel Guide in USA

2009-11-12T01:06:00.000-08:00

The United States of America or USA lies in western hemisphere of the earth as part of the North American continent bordering Canada in the North and Mexico in the south. The country of USA is recognized as one of the most technologically developed and economically successful nations of the world. With a population of more than 300 million people, USA boasts of a rich ethnic diversity and a unique conglomeration of cultures. USA is home to some of the most advanced cities of the world like New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and also boasts of the world's most successful cinema industry situated in Hollywood. Dotted with numerous attractive travel destinations, USA ranks among the world's topmost travel destinations. The USA Travel maps on this page would be especially useful to the tourists in finding location and other detailed information on the airports and hotels in various states of the country. The road maps of USA present highly detailed information on road routes in each of the states in the country meant to be of assistance to tourists and residents alike

Travel and Leisure

2009-11-12T01:04:00.000-08:00

Travel & Leisure Group,
is the largest independent Timeshare Resale brokerage in Europe, with seventeen years in the resale business at an international level.
A family owned company, with the owners having been in Timeshare since 1985 we have a first class reputation within the industry.
With a staff of 25 speaking the main European languages, we offer an international network to sell your Timeshare quicker and a wide choice to our buyers. Although working very closely with various resorts, we do not own
or are bound to any.
A financially sound Company with our own large premises in Sudbury (Head Office), a small office in London and offices in Oslo, Norway, we provide a safe environment in which private individuals can buy and sell timeshare interests with monies held by an independent lawyers firm in Escrow. With Travel & Leisure Group you are in safe hands.

American Museum of Natural History

2009-10-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most important museums of natural history. It has over 40 rooms. The most spectacular themes are: technology shows about the Earth and Space, African mammals, biodiversity and the dinosaurs.

Annapurna Mountain

2009-10-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

Nepal's most popular trek begins at the lakeside town of Pokhara and leads six or seven days north-west around the Annapurna Massif, through dramatic changes in landscape, climate and culture to the high village of Jomsom, near the isolated land of Mustang. Trekkers often continue on to the sacred shrine of Muktinath, near the 5,415-meter Thorang-La pass and down into the lovely valley of Manang. The route through Manang circles the Annapurna back to the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway. The Annapurna circuit takes one through terraced hills, forests and alpine pastures and through the villages of a number of different cultures. North of Pokhara is an area protected by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, tucked beneath the southern slopes of the Annapurna Massif. The Sanctuary is an easy trek from Pokhara and takes one through some of Nepal's most lovely rhododendron forests to the Annapurna base camp. There are also numerous one or two day treks out of Pokhara town, where one can have views of Dhaulagiri, the Annapurna range, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal

Mt. Everest

2009-10-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Khumbu region of Nepal is one of the best-known treks in the world. This is the land of the Sherpa people and the world's great 8,000 meter peaks. Many trekkers walk in from the roadhead at Jiri, through the lovely rolling hills of the Solu region. Others fly in to the village of Lukla to start their trek. A few days above Lukla is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park and the town of Namche Bazaar, where most trekkers take a day to acclimatize to the high altitude. From here one may branch towards the village of Thame or continue on to take on of the two main Khumbu routes, to Gokyo Lake or towards the Everest base camp. Beyond Namche Bazaar is the Sherpa village of Khumjung and further on the famous monastery of Thyangboche. Here the Mani Rimdu festival of dances is celebrated every year

Travel Tourism and Hospitality Management

2009-09-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) can be a business major in either a Bachelors of Science, Bachelors of Commerce or a Bachelors of Arts.

Graduate students graduate with a Masters of Business Administration, a Masters or Science, or a Doctorate of Philosophy in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

It is a focus that is studied by individuals that are intending to work in the Hospitality Industry, examples of which are; Hotels, Resorts, Casinos, Restaurants, and Events.

Within the HTM concentration there is generally:

Food Management and Operations (Examples: Food Science, Food Selection and Preparation, Food and Beverage Operations)
Lodging Operations (Examples: Hotel Operations, Resort Management, Lodging Management, Financial Management and Cost Control for Hospitality Organizations)
Global Tourism (Examples: Travel and Tourism Management, Tourism Analysis, Hospitality and Research Methods)
Sustainable Tourism (Examples: Natural Destination Management, Responsible Tourism, Green Tourism and Eco-Tourism, Alternative and more Environmentally friendly ways of working within the whole Tourism industry)
Tourist Attractions Management (Examples: Heritage Attractions, Arts and Cultural Attractions, Industrial Attractions, City Based Attractions, Retail Attractions, Natural Attractions)
Entertainment Management (Examples: Theme Park Management, Theatre Management, Cinema Management, Museology, Live Music and Music Festival Management).
Event Management (Examples: Hospitality Sales, Catering Management, Hospitality Marketing Management)

Several large corporations such as Hilton Hotels have summer internships in training programs for students majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management, to help students get valuable work experience.

Travel in USA :Las Vegas

2009-09-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

Shimmering from the desert haze of Nevada like a latter-day El Dorado, Las Vegas is the most dynamic, spectacular city on earth. At the start of the twentieth century, it didn't even exist; at the start of the twenty-first, it's home to well over one million people, with enough newcomers arriving to need a new school every month.
Las Vegas is not like other cities. No city in history has so explicitly valued the needs of visitors above those of its own population. All its growth has been fueled by tourism, but the tourists haven't spoiled the "real" city; there is no real city. Las Vegas doesn't have fascinating little-known neighborhoods, and it's not a place where visitors can go off the beaten track to have more authentic experiences. Instead, the whole thing is completely self-referential; the reason Las Vegas boasts the vast majority of the world's largest hotels is that around thirty-seven million tourists each year come to see the hotels themselves.
Each of these monsters is much more than a mere hotel, and more too than the casino that invariably lies at its core. They're extraordinary places, self-contained fantasylands of high camp and genuine excitement that can stretch as much as a mile from end to end. Each holds its own flamboyant permutation of showrooms and swimming pools, luxurious guest quarters and restaurants, high-tech rides and attractions.
The casinos want you to gamble, and they'll do almost anything to lure you in; thus the huge moving walkways that pluck you from the Strip sidewalk, almost against your will, and sweep you into places like Caesars Palace. Once you're inside, on the other hand, the last thing they want is for you to leave. Whatever you came in for, you won't be able to do it without crisscrossing the casino floor innumerable times; as for finding your way out, that can be virtually impossible. The action keeps going day and night, and in this windowless – and clock-free – environment you rapidly lose track of which is which.
Las Vegas never dares to rest on its laurels, so the basic concept of the Strip casino has been endlessly refined since the Western-themed resorts and ranches of the 1940s. In the 1950s and 1960s, when most visitors arrived by car, the casinos presented themselves as lush tropical oases at the end of the long desert drive. Once air travel took over, Las Vegas opted for Disneyesque fantasy, a process that started in the late 1960s with Caesars Palace and culminated with Excalibur and Luxor in the early 1990s.
These days, after six decades of capitalism run riot, the Strip is locked into a hyperactive craving for thrills and glamour. First-time visitors tend to expect Las Vegas to be a repository of kitsch, but the casino owners are far too canny to be sentimental about the old days. Yes, there are a few Elvis impersonators around, but what characterizes the city far more is its endless quest for novelty. Long before they lose their sparkle, yesterday's showpieces are blasted into rubble, to make way for ever more extravagant replacements. The Disney model has now been discarded in favor of more adult themes, and Las Vegas demands nothing less than entire cities. Replicas of New York, Paris, Monte Carlo and Venice now jostle for space on the Strip.
The customer is king in Las Vegas. What the visitor wants, the city provides. If you come in search of the cheapest destination in America, you'll enjoy paying rock-bottom rates for accommodation and hunting out the best buffet bargains. If it's style and opulence you're after, by contrast, you can dine in the finest restaurants, shop in the most chic stores, and watch world-class entertainment; it'll cost you, but not as much as it would anywhere else. The same guidelines apply to gambling. The Strip giants cater to those who want sophisticated high-roller heavens, where tuxedoed James Bond lookalikes toss insouciant bankrolls onto the roulette tables. Others prefer their casinos to be sinful and seedy, inhabited by hard-bitten heavy-smoking low-lifes; there is no shortage of that type of joint either, especially downtown.
On the face of it, the city is supremely democratic. However you may be dressed, however affluent or otherwise you may appear, you'll be welcomed in its stores, restaurants, and above all its casinos. The one thing you almost certainly won't get, however, is the last laugh; all that seductive deference comes at a price. It would be nice to imagine that perhaps half of your fellow visitors are skilful gamblers, raking in the profits at the tables, while the other half are losing, but the bottom line is that almost nobody's winning. In the words of Steve Wynn, who built Bellagio and the Mirage, "The only way to make money in a casino is to own one"; according to the latest figures, 85 percent of visitors gamble, and they lose an average of $665 each. On top of that, most swiftly come to see that virtually any other activity works out cheaper than gambling, so end up spending their money on all sorts of other things as well. What's so clever about Las Vegas is that it makes absolutely certain that you have such a good time that you don't mind losing a bit of money along the way; that's why they don't even call it "gambling" anymore, but "gaming."
Finally, while Las Vegas has certainly cleaned up its act since the early days of Mob domination, there's little truth in the notion that it's become a family destination. In fact, for kids, it's doesn't begin to compare to somewhere like Orlando. Several casinos have added theme parks or fun rides to fill those odd nongambling moments, but only ten percent of visitors bring children, and the crowds that cluster around the exploding volcanoes and pirate battles along the Strip remain almost exclusively adult.

USA Travel Insurance

2009-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Visiting the USA can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can become very unpleasant and challenging when sickness or injury occurs and medical services or medical evacuation is needed. Medical care is excellent in most parts of the US, but it can be very expensive and even astronomical for cases of critical illness. Many travelers purchase supplementary international medical insurance or travel insurance to avoid the staggering costs that might result from serious sickness or injury on their trip.

When you are planning your trip, it is a good idea to contact your primary healthcare provider or insurer in your home country to determine if you are covered and under what circumstances and to what extent while traveling abroad. You may be surprised to find that your health care provider offers little or no protection while traveling in the USA. If this is the case, it might be wise to purchase international travel insurance.

Many people are familiar with flight accident insurance, which pays you a large sum of money if you are killed or seriously injured in an air accident. This type of insurance policy normally does not cover any medical expenses resulting from illness or other types of accidents while traveling.

Travel agencies frequently offer travel protection plans or trip cancellation insurance. These usually cover the cost of travel expenses should you be forced to cancel your vacation due to accident, illness or certain other causes. They often cover travel assistance services, protection for lost or damaged baggage and limited medical coverage. There may or may not be a deductible or co-pay for covered medical expenses.

International Medical Insurance is short or long term insurance designed to reimburse you for medical expenses incurred while traveling or living in a foreign country. Maximum policy coverage is usually large enough to cover major medical expenses such as emergency surgery and extended hospital stays. "American Style" of international medical insurance coverage is usually subject to a specified deductible and co-insurance or co-pay. Plans may include emergency evacuation, reunion, and repatriation benefits as well as other travel assistance services. The plan coverage may be single trip, multi-trip or renewable.

Travel Safety Tips for USA

2009-09-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Some precautions when driving in the US

You can take a few precautions. Remember that the USA is a car-dependent country. Public transportation outside of large cities is non-existent or unreliable. You should rent a cell telephone for your travels. Call 911 for the police and emergencies services anywhere in the USA. If you have no cell phone, carry a large sign that says, "Call Police-Send help" in case of a breakdown. Remember to lock your car doors, store valuables in the trunk, and do not stop for strangers. Police officers who stop drivers for traffic violations will always be in a marked police car and will be in uniform.

Carjacking and Bump and Rob attacks are rare

You should be careful about a "bump and rob" attack. Although it is rare, some criminals steal cars and valuables by bumping a target car. When the driver gets out to assess the damage and exchange information, the thief and his companions rob the victim. If you are bumped by another car, pull into a well-lit area with other people around before getting out. If you are uncomfortable with the situation, call 911 on your mobile phone.

Carjacking tends to be a crime of opportunity. Don't give criminals a chance. Keep your car doors locked and don't drive in bad neighborhoods late at night. Check your maps before setting out. Carjackers look for cars which slow down or stop to ask directions. It is best to park in well-lit, heavily traveled areas. Always check with local residents to find out which parts of town are unsafe.

You won't find many tourist offices in the USA

You will not find many Tourist Information Offices to assist you. If you are a member of your own national Automobile Association, obtain information on the American Automobile Association before you leave home. Many foreign automobile clubs have reciprocal courtesy arrangement with the AAA. The "Triple A" can help you find lodging and car repair services.

The International Youth Hostel Association also has a few facilities across the United States. If you are an IYA member, get a guide to services in the USA before leaving home. Finding the right place to stay is the most important step that you can take to have a safe happy trip.

Try to plan your accommodations in advance!

Sleeping in train stations or bus stations is generally not accepted in the USA. In some train stations, the police will wake you. Safe travel through the United States requires planning --- getting off a bus or a train at night and seeking lodging may not be a good idea. Try to plan your accommodations in advance. You can usually find motel rooms along major interstate highways without a reservation. Do not sleep in your car at highway "rest areas."

Bed and Breakfasts in the European tradition do not exist in the United States. In the USA, Bed and Breakfast establishments are often expensive, exclusive places that can break your budget. However, you will find an array of hotels to suit every budget. Many chains run specials with double rooms costing as little as $29.95. Check with your travel agent, airline, or car rental company for more information.

Stay off private property!

Do not camp on private land and do not camp beside the highway. You can be arrested for camping on private property, even worse --- the property owner could shoot at you. Private property in the United States of America is very private indeed, public footpaths do not cross fields, and there isn't always a right of access available to reach lakeshores or other desirable places. Use only public beaches, marked trails and State or National Parks. Consult a guidebook for designated wilderness areas where free camping is permitted. In most areas, you will also find commercial camp grounds.

Travel in USA

2009-09-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States of America. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles (120km) north of the Mexican border and 400 miles (600km) south of San Francisco The original name of the city was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles" or "The Village of Our Lady the Queen of Angels", but the name was shortened for obvious reasons.

Los Angeles is situated on an irregularly shaped coastal plain about 30 to 60 miles across. It is bounded on the west by nearly 60 miles of Pacific Coast beaches and ocean cliffs. The San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains form a 2500-meter high wall to the east. The Santa Monica Mountains define its northern limit and the Santa Anna Mountains define the southern.

Los Angeles natives inhabit the entire plain, from the local hills to connecting valleys to the slopes of the mountain ranges. The city now covers over 1000 square-miles composed of dozens of interconnected communities. High-rise buildings only exist in a few isolated clusters. From nearly every vantage point, you can gaze across miles of low rooftops with palm trees towering above.

What is Medical Tourism?

2009-09-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Once associated with cheap cosmetic surgery and fringe medical therapies, medical tourism (also known as health travel, medical travel, or global health care) is now rapidly gaining acceptance by both the American public and the medical community at large (the latter if somewhat reluctantly), as a real solution to the high cost of healthcare in the United States. In fact, the American Medical Association recently issued guidelines and recommendations for medical tourism patients traveling outside the U.S. for medical care.

So what is medical tourism and why does this catchy term seem to be popping up in the media so often these days? First off it may be helpful to define what medical tourism is not. It is not a vacation package sold to doctors, nor is it a pastime for folks who like to tour hospitals. It is also not strictly tourism per se, although many aspects of tourism are engaged to some degree or another.

Simply put, medical tourism can be defined as the act of traveling outside one’s own area of residence for health care. This can take the form of a two hundred mile drive to your parent’s birthplace, or it can mean flying half way around the globe to an exotic culture you know nothing about. For people without insurance or those needing medical procedures that insurance won't cover, medical tourism offers an attractive alternative to rising healthcare costs.

Traditionally medical tourism has been associated with elective procedures (procedures not seen as strictly necessary) such as cosmetic dental and plastic surgery. Destinations such as Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico have long catered to North American body worshippers in need of a nip or a tuck. Over the last few years however, non-elective procedures such as knee and hip replacements, cardiac procedures and neurosurgery have rapidly been gaining ground and are soon expected to overtake seemingly “trivial” pursuits such as searching for the perfect smile.

Asian nations such as India, Thailand and Singapore have taken the lead in marketing their hospitals and countries to this new wave of medical tourists, most of whom are baby boomers hailing from countries in North America, Europe and the Middle East. Not to be left behind, other countries in Asia, Latin America, and Europe are now catching up and have begun to successfully attract many of these same markets with enticing offers of cheaper prices, shorter flights and cutting edge technology.

Travel Health Information

2009-09-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Diseases such as yellow fever, malaria and rabies are all common illnesses in some parts of the world. You can reduce your exposure to these illnesses by planning for your trip and following a few precautions while you’re travelling.

Water Safety

Don’t drink or brush your teeth with tap water in countries with poor sanitation: use filtered or bottled water instead.

Don’t put ice in drinks. Bottled drinks with an unbroken seal are usually safe, as are drinks made with boiled water.

Food Safety

Avoid salad, fruit and vegetables that have been pre-peeled and cut. Always wash fruit and vegetables yourself before eating.

Don’t eat food that has been kept at room temperature in hot climates, or that has been uncovered or exposed to insects.

Don’t drink unpasteurised milk, cheese, ice cream or other dairy products

Don’t eat raw or uncooked seafood

Insect Bites

Avoid going to places where there are a lot of insects

Try to be indoors between dusk and dawn, as this is when Malaria mosquitoes are most likely to bite

Research suggests that insect repelling products that contain the chemical DEET are the most effective and safe when used appropriately

As mosquitoes can bite through tight clothing, wearing loose-fitting trousers and long-sleeved tops in the evenings can reduce the chance of being bitten

Sleep under a mosquito net to avoid being bitten during the night. Make sure you have a small sewing kit in order to repair the net in case holes develop.

Should I still take precautions if I’m a UK resident returning to my country of origin?
Yes. You should also be vaccinated and take the above precautions with regards to water safety, food safety and insect bites as you may no longer have immunity to some of the illnesses in your country of origin.

What are the Top 10 illnesses of concern to travllers?
The Top 10 illnesses of concern to UK travellers are as follows:

1) Travellers’ Diarrhoea
This is most common in travellers from the UK to developing countries and is caused by contaminated food (usually that has not been thoroughly heated, or that has been left out at room temperature) or water.
People with travellers’ diarrhoea should drink (bottled water) to avoid dehydration. It should only last a couple of days and can be prevented by following the food and water hygiene practices highlighted above.

2) Malaria
This is a serious illness which sometimes proves fatal. It is spread at night by mosquitoes that carry a parasite called ‘plasmodium’. Most people catch malaria because they don’t take any tablets, or take the wrong tablets for the area they are visiting. You should contact your GP or go to a travellers’ clinic for advice that is specific for the country you are visiting.

3) Dengue
This is spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes that usually bit during the day. Risk areas include South-East Asia, the Caribbean and South America, and symptoms include fever, headache, muscle/joint pain, and sometimes a rash. Dengue usually lasts a few days and rarely has serious complications. There is no specific treatment, and the best way to avoid it is to avoid mosquito bites.

4) HIV and STIs
Travellers engaging in unprotected sex may expose themselves to HIV and STIs such as Chlamydia or Syphilis. Avoid sex with an unknown partner and always use condoms. If you are travelling to a developing region, it may be better to carry condoms bought in the UK.

5) Hepatitis A
This is a virus carried through food or water that is contaminated by human faeces (poo). Foods such as strawberries, or lettuce that grows close to the ground may be higher risks. Oysters and clams that live on the seabed may also be a risk. Those infected with Hep A can pass on the virus to others. Early symptoms include malaise, loss of appetite, sickness and fever, leading to jaundice. Hep A vaccines are available and should be considered by most travellers.

6) Hepatitis B
This is a common global virus, but also a major cause of chronic liver disease or cancer. Symptoms are flu-like and include loss of appetite, sickness, diarrhoea, abdominal pains and jaundice. Hep B is spread through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, contaminated needles and poorly sterilised medical/dental equipment. High risk regions include Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands. A vaccine is available.

7) Typhoid
This is a potentially fatal disease caused by the bacteria ‘Salmonella typhi’, and is spread through contaminated water or food in areas of poor contamination. Symptoms include sudden fever, severe headache, sickness, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, constipation or diarrhoea. The area with the highest risk of typhoid is the Indian Sub-Continent, and a vaccine is available for travellers visiting high-risk areas.

8) Yellow Fever
This is a viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes in regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Early symptoms include aching, fever, headache, anorexia, and sickness. In severe cases this can lead to organ failure and death. The disease can be prevented by vaccination, and may even be a condition for entry by some countries.

9) Rabies
This is a virus that attacks the central nervous system, and when it reaches the brain it causes swelling, inflammation and death. It can be found in the saliva of infected animals such as dogs or bats, and can be passed to humans by bites or scratches. High risk areas include Africa, Asia and South America. Vaccination is advised. If you get a bite or scratch from a potentially infected animal, wash the wound with soap and water and seek urgent medical attention.

10) Meningitis
This is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal column, and can be caused by different bacteria and viruses. Symptoms include sudden fever, intense headache, nausea and vomiting. The germs are passed from human to human by coughing, sneezing and kissing. High risk areas include Sub-Saharan Africa where there are annual outbreaks. Vaccines are available to travellers to high risk zones. Vaccination against meningitis is required for pilgrims attending the Hajj or Umrah.

Travel Health Tips

2009-08-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Travelling to different climates and environments abroad can expose you to disease and health risks. You should be aware of the dangers and how to stay healthy.

Diseases which aren’t present in the UK such as yellow fever, malaria, rabies and dengue fever are common in some areas of the world.

Vaccinations and immunisations

Visit your GP as soon as possible to check if you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures (such as malaria tablets).

Remember, these treatments aren’t usually available as NHS prescriptions.

General travel health tips

You should also make extra preparations if you have an existing medical condition.

take out adequate Travel Insurance or you could face a huge medical bill if you fall ill and need treatment
get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to entitle you to free or discounted healthcare in European countries
check the health section of our country travel advice before you travel
drink plenty of water in hot climates to avoid dehydration
be safe in the sun - use a high-factor sunscreen and avoid excessive sunbathing between 11am - 3pm
find out the local emergency services numbers and the number of the local hospital
practice safe sex - take condoms with you as quality varies in different countries. HIV and Aids, and other sexually transmitted diseases can be caught worldwide.

Long-distance journeys

don’t wear tight clothing on long-distance journeys
do regular stretching exercises such as flexing and extending your ankles to avoid circulation problems
walk round at regular intervals on long flights
drink plenty of water on flights and avoid drinking too much alcohol.

Consult your doctor before long-distance travel if you:

are pregnant or have given birth in the last 6 months
have a history of blood disorders, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
are taking hormonal medication (including the contraceptive pill)
have cancer, heart problems or have recently had surgery.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition

tell your travel insurer about your condition
ask your doctor how the trip might affect you
check local conditions such as climate and pollution levels and consider how you might be affected
carry a doctor’s letter and a copy of any prescriptions
ensure your medication is legal in the country you are visiting – the British Embassy can advise you
learn key words and phrases in the local language for your condition, medication and emergency help
take the same precautions you normally would in the UK if you weren’t going to be at home for a while
if you suffer from a mental illness you should be aware that facilities and local attitudes to mental health problems may differ from those in the UK. Do some research before you go.

Travel Insurance

2009-08-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses and financial (such as money invested in nonrefundable pre-payments) and other losses incurred while traveling either within one's own country, or internationally.

Temporary travel insurance can usually be arranged at the time of the booking of a trip to cover exactly the duration of that trip, or a more extensive, continuous insurance can be purchased from travel insurance companies, travel agents or directly from travel suppliers such as cruiselines or tour operators. However, travel insurance purchased from travel suppliers tends to be less inclusive than insurance offered by insurance companies.

Travel insurance often offers coverage for a variety of travelers. Student travel, business travel, leisure travel, adventure travel, cruise travel, and international travel are all various options that can be insured.

The most common risks that are covered by travel insurance are:

Medical expenses
Emergency evacuation/repatriation
Trip cancellation/interruption
Accidental death, injury or disablement benefit
Overseas funeral expenses
Curtailment
Delayed departure
Loss, theft or damage to personal possessions and money (including travel documents)
Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)
Legal assistance
Personal liability and rental car damage excess

Common Exclusions:

pre-existing medical conditions
war or terrorism - but some plans may cover this risk
injury or illness caused by alcohol or drug use

Usually, the insurers cover pregnancy related expenses, if the travel occurs within the first trimester. After that, insurance coverage varies from insurer to insurer.

Travel insurance can also provide helpful services, often 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that can include concierge and emergency travel assistance.

Typically travel insurance for the duration of a journey costs approximately 5-7% of the cost of the trip

Dubai City at Night

2009-08-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Glitzy, glam, over-the-top and a little overexposed, Dubai lives for attention. On the surface it’s materialistic beyond anyone’s wildest dreams and by treating every visitor like a VIP, visitors respond by spending like VIPs, only to need resuscitating when the next month’s credit-card bill arrives. But this is the whole idea. We’re talking about a city that virtually invented the ‘shopping festival’ (Dubai Shopping Festival, or DSF), the simple premise of which was to get people to travel to Dubai and spend money. With myriad shopping malls, flamboyant hotels, a dizzying array of dining options and hip clubs and bars, it’s all just too easy. Driven by Sheikh Mohammed, a leader who doesn’t understand the word ‘no’, visitors and potential residents are flocking to this Middle East metropolis in increasing numbers with the promise that Dubai is like no other city on earth. And Sheikh Mohammed is delivering. However, whether you end up loving or loathing its ostentatious nature, under the surface another Dubai exists. Head to the Heritage Village during Ramadan or the DSF and you’ll witness a different Dubai, where local Emiratis take joy in their songs, dance and traditions. Spend a few fascinating hours by the creek, watching the dhow (traditional wooden boat) traffic and the abras weave along the waterway while smoking some sheesha. Walk the streets of the tranquil, restored Bastakia area or take a stroll through multicultural Karama or Satwa. You’ll find this Dubai a million miles removed from the credit-card frenzy of the five-star hotels. Whatever you end up preferring, Dubai is a fascinating experiment and a city-state that’s like no other.

London Tour

2009-08-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

London stands on both banks of the River Thames, in the south-east of England. Founded in the time of the Celts and the Romans, the city which was once known as Londinium has grown to become a vast and commerical trade centre. With an area of approximately 720 square miles, it is together with New York and Tokyo, one of the three largest cities in the world.

The city is blessed with its geographical position on the River Thames and is a chief entry point to England from mainland Europe. The London docks are visited by ships from every part of the globe, making London a great distribution centre. Today great lines and modern roads branch out in every direction from London, serving all parts of the United Kingdom. London is also a great financial centre and is home to many of the world's leading banks and insurance institutions.

As well as being the capital of England, London is the seat of government of the United Kingdom- The Palace of Westminister situated on the north bank of the Thames River is home to both the houses of the British Parliament.

Buckingham Palace, the Queen's official residence, is one of many important landmarks found in the capital. London is also a great centre of culture and education. The University of London and its many colleges attract students from all over the Commonwealth and the world. The vast history and culture of the city is visible by its many museums and galleries, containing collections of neverending interest.

London also contains many churches, the majority of which were designed by the architect Sir Christopher Wren following the destruction of the city after the Fire of London in 1666. Two of the country's most famous churches, St Pauls' Cathedral and Westminister Abbey are found in the London region

British Museum, London

2009-08-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. From the beginning it granted free admission to all 'studious and curious persons'. Visitor numbers have grown from around 5,000 a year in the eighteenth century to nearly 6 million today.

The origins of the British Museum lie in the will of the physician, naturalist and collector,Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753).

Over his lifetime, Sloane collected more that 71,000 objects which he wanted to be preserved intact after his death. So he bequeathed the whole collection to King George II for the nation in return for a payment of £20,000 to his heirs.

The gift was accepted and on 7 June 1753, an Act of Parliament established the British Museum.

The founding collections largely consisted of books, manuscripts and natural specimens with some antiquities (including coins and medals, prints and drawings) and ethnographic material. In 1757 King George II donated the 'Old Royal Library' of the sovereigns of England and with it the privilege of copyright receipt.

The British Museum opened to the public on 15 January 1759 . It was first housed in a seventeenth-century mansion, Montagu House, in Bloomsbury on the site of today's building. Entry was free and given to ‘all studious and curious Persons’.

With the exception of two World Wars, the Museum has remained open ever since, gradually increasing its opening hours and moving from an attendance of 5,000 per year to today's 6 million.

Milan Tourist Attraction, Italy

2009-08-26T01:54:00.000-07:00

The origins of the British Museum lie in the will of the physician, naturalist and collector,Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753).

The gift was accepted and on 7 June 1753, an Act of Parliament established the British Museum.

With the exception of two World Wars, the Museum has remained open ever since, gradually increasing its opening hours and moving from an attendance of 5,000 per year to today's 6 million.

Brussels Tourist Attraction

2009-08-26T01:28:00.000-07:00

Amongst Europeans, Brussels is best known as the home of the EU, which, given recent developments, is something of a poisoned chalice. But in fact, the EU neither dominates nor defines Brussels, merely forming one layer of a city that has become, in postwar years at least, a thriving, cosmopolitan metropolis. It’s a vibrant and fascinating place, with architecture and museums to rank among the best of Europe’s capitals, not to mention a superb restaurant scene and an energetic nightlife. Moreover, most of the key attractions are crowded into a centre that is small enough to be absorbed over a few days, its boundaries largely defined by a ring of boulevards known as the “petit ring”.

Tourist Spot in China: The Great Wall

2009-08-26T01:25:00.001-07:00

The Great Wall is the world’s longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles)from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. It is also the largest human-made structure ever built in terms of surface area and mass. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army’s defeat by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper-hand over the Mongols after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a new strategy to keep the nomadic Mongols out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging the Mongol control established in the Ordos Desert, the wall followed the desert’s southern edge instead of incorporating the bend of the Huang He.

Tourist Spots in India: Rajasthan

2009-08-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan is the desert state of India and is famed for the glorious history of the Rajput kings and warriors. It is home to magnificent forts, palaces, temples, lakes, lake palaces, shrines and mausoleums. The places worth visiting in Rajasthan include Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Ranthambore and Jaisalmer etc. Jaipur, the Pink City is home to the famous Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal etc. The tourist attractions of Jodhpur are Jaswant Thada, Umaid Bhawan Palace and Mehrangarh Fort along with many more. Udaipur is famous as the Lake City and the major tourist attractions include City Palace, Lake Palace, Saheliyon ki Bari, Lake Pichola and Jagdish Palace etc. Rajasthan has many tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries like Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird sanctuary and so on. The heritage hotels in Rajasthan are wonderful places and they also form perfect venues for lavish weddings. Ajmer is famed for the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

Tourist Spots in India: Goa

2009-08-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

Goa is famous all over the world for its dazzling beaches and beautiful coastline. The major tourist destinations in Goa are Panaji, Mapusa, Margao, Ponda, Bicholim, Mormugao, Tiracol etc. The tourist attractions in Goa include the St Francis Church, Mangeshi Temple, Miramar Beach, Dona Paul, Colva and Calangute Beach in addition to many more.

Tourist Spots in India: Kolkata

2009-08-26T01:03:00.000-07:00

Kolkata is West Bengal’s capital and the tourist attractions here include Howrah Bridge, Belur Math, Kali Temple, Victoria Memorial, Alipore Zoo, Millennium Park and Birla Planetarium etc.

There are many more world heritage sites in India like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves of Aurangabad, Khajuraho Temples, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi etc.

Tourist Spot in India: Agra , (Tajmahal)

2009-08-26T00:59:00.001-07:00

Agra is famous for being the home of the world famous and world heritage site the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Other tourist attractions in Agra include the Agra Fort, Jama Masjid, Sikandara, Itmad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb and Fatehpur Sikri. Taj Mahal is a magnificent building made of white marble, built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Tourist Spots in India: Delhi

2009-08-26T00:50:00.000-07:00

Delhi is India’s capital city and is a well developed and modernized city with a pulsating and happening lifestyle. Most of the tourists start their tour of the country from this city. Delhi has always been the home of the highest seat of power and administration since long ago. Even today, it is the political and administrative nerve center of India and is home to the highest offices of the government. Delhi was the capital of Mughal Empire and thus has many Mughal buildings with typical Mughal architecture. The places of tourist interest in Delhi are the Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Chandani Chowk, Hauz Khas, Safdarjung’s Tomb, Lodhi Gardens, Raj Ghat, India Gate, Old Fort, Zoo, Nehru Planetarium, Pragati Maidan, Doll’s Museum, Birla Mandir, Jantar Mantar Lotus Temple, Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhawan etc. All the Mughal buildings are impressive structures made of red sandstone with marvelous carvings. The places for shopping are the Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Connaught Place, South Extension and Sarojini Nagar Market and so on.

The largest continuous block of mangrove forest in the world: Sundarban

2009-08-25T22:06:00.004-07:00

The Sundarbans - the largest continuous block of mangrove forest in the world - covers an area of 5770 sq. km of land and water. It is a part of the world's largest delta, which has been formed from sediments deposited by the great rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra that converge on the Bengal basin. The western part of the forest lies in India and the rest (about 60%) in Bangladesh. About one third of the total area of this forest is covered by river channels and tidal creeks, varying in width from just a few meters to 5 kilometers in some places! All parts of the Sundarbans forest are subject to tidal inundation during spring tides. The Bangladesh part of the forest is dominated by a high mangrove forest cover. The climate is mainly tropical maritime with lots of rain, most of which falls during the monsoon. The monsoon season (May – October) is hot and humid, while winter (October – February) is mild and dry. During January temperatures can fall as low as 4°C.

The entire National Park area is covered by mangrove forest. There are small patches of brackish marshes on emerging islands and riverbanks, and sandy areas with grass and low shrubs on some of the outer islands. The two dominant mangroves are Sundori (Heritiera fomes) and Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha).

Sundarbans is home to many different species of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and fishes. Over 120 species of fish and over 270 species of birds have been recorded in the Sundarbans. The Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangeticus) is common in the rivers. No less than 50 species of reptiles and eight species of amphibians are known to occur. The Sundarbans now support the only population of the Estuarine, or Salt-Water Crocodile (Crocodylus parasus) in Bangladesh, and that population is estimated at less than two hundred individuals.

About 32 species of mammal are still found in this forest. Among these are Rhesus Macaques, Clawless Otters, Leopard Cats, Fishing Cats and Spotted Deer. The entire Sundarbans Forest comprises the largest remaining tract of habitat for the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris)

Cox's Bazar: The Longest Sea Beach In the World

2009-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

152 km south of Chittagong, connected by a good road, lies Cox's Bazar. The beach, sloping gently into the Bay of Bengal stretches over a length of nearly 120 km. It is claimed to be the longest natural beach in the world!

Cox's Bazar itself has a lot to offer; such as the silvery sands, towering cliffs, surfing waves, rare conch shells, colorful pagodas, Buddhist temples, variety of tribes, early morning fish market, etc. There are also a few very old wooden Buddhist temples at Ramu, a few kilometers from Cox's Bazar, well worth visiting.

A drive to Teknaf, which is the southernmost tip of the mainland of Bangladesh, is a memorable journey. A day trip to either Moheshkhali or Sonadia, the deltaic islands nestled among the gentle waves of the Bay of Bengal, will also be really interesting.

St. Martins Island, reached by boat from Teknaf, is the only place in Bangladesh where you can observe living coral. It is a small island without any rickshaws and cars.

Bangladesh: Flora and Fauna

2009-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Flora and Fauna

Bangladesh cover about 10% of the country and fall distinctly into three regional varieties: the forest in the tidal zones along the coast, mostly Sundarbans (often mangrove but sometimes hardwood); the forest of Sal trees (hardwood) around Dhaka, Tangail and Mymensingh; and the forests of tropical and subtropical evergreens in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and parts of Sylhet. Half of the remaining forest is in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and a further quarter in the Sundarbans, with the rest scattered in small pockets throughout the country. Even away from the forests, Bangladesh is a land of trees. Lining the old Grand Trunk Road in the west are huge rain trees, and every village is an arboreal oasis, often with spectacular Banyan or Ashot trees. The red Silk-cotton or Kapok tree is easily spotted throughout the countryside in February and March, when it loses its leaves and sprouts a myriad of red blossoms. Teak was introduced to the Hill Tracts in the last century, and the quality approaches that of Myanmar and is much better than Indian teak.

Each season produces its special variety of flowers in Bangladesh; among them, the prolific Water Hyacinth flourishes. Its carpet of thick green leaves and blue flowers gives the impression that solid ground lies underneath. Other decorative plants, which are widely spread are Jasmine, Water Lily, Rose, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Magnolia, and an incredible diversity of wild orchids in the forested areas.

Bangladesh is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and others of the cat family, such as leopards and the smaller fishing and jungle cats. Tigers are almost exclusively confined to the Sundarbans, but their smaller relatives prey on domestic animals all over the country. There are three varieties of civet, including the Large Indian Civet which is now listed as an endangered species. Other large animals include Asiatic elephants (mostly migratory herds from India), a few black bears in Chittagong division, wild pigs and deer. Monkeys, languor, gibbons (the only ape in the subcontinent), otters and mangooses are some of the smaller animals. Wild buffalo and rhinoceros were recorded in Bangladesh, but all became extinct in the last century.

Reptiles include the sea tortoise, mud turtle, river tortoise, crocodile, python, king cobra and a variety of other poisonous snakes. The voluble gecko lizard is appropriately known here as tik-tiki. Marine life includes a wide variety of both river and sea fish.

Bangladesh can boast of being the habitat to more than 650 species of birds, almost half of those found on the entire subcontinent. Tucked in between the Indian subcontinent and the Malayan peninsulas, Bangladesh attracts both Indian species in the west and north of the country, and the Malayan species in the east and south-east. It is also conveniently located for the migratory birds heading south towards Malaysia and Indonesia and those moving south west to India and Sri Lanka. In addition, there are a number of Himalayan and Burmese hill species, which move into the lowlands during winter. Despite the fact that many of these species are rare or localized and that the overall number of birds has rapidly declined in the past two decades, bird watching in Bangladesh is very rewarding.

Not far from Dhaka, in the Modhupur Forest, is an extremely important habitat under national protection. This area is great for a variety of owls, including the popular and rare Brown Wood Owl, wintering thrushes and a number of raptors. The Jamuna River floods the area regularly and provides winter habitats for water fowl, waders, and occasionally the Black Stork from December to February.

Lying close to the Himalayas, the Sylhet area has extensive natural depressed lands locally called ‘haors’ (pronounced ‘howers’, wetlands). During the winter season they are home to huge flocks of wild fowl. Outstanding species include the rare Baer’s pochard and Pallas’ fishing eagle, along with a great number of ducks and skulkers. Other important habitats are the remaining fragments of evergreen and teak forests, especially along the Indian border near the Srimongal area. The blue-bearded bee-eater, red breasted trogan and a wide variety of forest birds, including rare visitors, are regularly seen in these forests. One of two important coastal zones is the Noakhali region, with emphasis on the islands near Hatiya, where migratory species and a variety of wintering waders find suitable refuge. These include large numbers of the rare spoonbilled sandpiper, Nordman’s greenshank and flocks of Indian skimmers.

The Sundarbans, the second and most important coastal zone, is the richest area for all kinds of wildlife and the most difficult to penetrate. With its miles of marshy shorelines and brackish creeks, it supports a great number of wetland and forest species, along with large populations of gulls and terns along the south coast. Nine varieties of kingfishers have been recorded here including the brown-winged, white-collard, black-capped and the rare ruddy kingfisher.

Abundance of Bangladesh's bird life makes it an ornithologist's paradise. Of the 525-recorded species, 350 are resident. Among them are bulbul, magpie, robin, common game birds, cuckoos, hawks, owls, crows, kingfishers, woodpeckers, parrots and myna. A wide variety of warblers are also found. Some of them are migrants and appear only in winter. The migratory and seasonal birds are pre-dominantly ducks.
Of the 200 species of mammals, the pride of place goes to the Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sunderbans, the largest block of littoral forests spreading over an area of 6,000 sq. km. Next comes the elephants found mainly in the forests of the Chittagong Hill Tracts districts. South Himalayan black bear and the Malayan bear are also seen here. Six types of deer are found in the hill tracts and the Sunderbans. Of them the spotted deer, barking deer and sambar is the most familiar. Clouded leopard, leopard cat, mongoose, jackal and rhesus monkey are also found. Among the bovine animals, three species- buffalo, ox and gayal- are found. There are about 150 species of reptiles of which the sea turtle, river tortoise, mud turtle, crocodiles, gavial, python, krait and cobra and common. About 200 species of marine and freshwater fish are also found. Prawns and lobsters are available in plenty for local consumption and export. In the shallow water of the floodplains, ponds and swamps of the country various hydrophytes and floating ferns grow in abundance. Tall grasses present a picturesque site near the banks of the rivers and the marshes. Around 60% of the Gangetic plain is under rice paddy and jute cultivation. The village homes are usually concealed by the lush green foliage of a wide variety of trees, thickets of bamboo and banana plants. A characteristic feature of the landscape is the presence of a variety of palm and fruit trees.
Each season produces its special variety of flowers in Bangladesh; among them, the prolific Water Hyacinth flourishes. Its carpet of thick green leaves and blue flowers gives the impression that solid ground lies underneath. Other decorative plants, which are widely spread are Jasmine, Water Lily, Rose, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Magnolia, and an incredible diversity of wild orchids in the forested areas. Lying close to the Himalayas, the Sylhet area has extensive natural depressed lands locally called 'haors' (pronounced 'howers', wetlands). During the winter season they are home to huge flocks of wild fowl. Outstanding species include the rare Baer's pochard and Pallas' Fish Eagle, along with a great number of ducks. Other important habitats are the remaining fragments of evergreen and teak forests, especially along the Indian border near the Srimongal area. The Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Redheaded Trogon and a wide variety of forest birds, including rare visitors are seen in these forests. One of two important coastal zones is the Noakhali region, with emphasis on the islands near Hatiya, where migratory species and a variety of wintering waders find suitable refuge. These include rare viitors like Spoon billed Sandpiper, Nordman's Greenshank and flocks of Indian Skimmers.
The forest cover of Bangladesh is only about 9 percent. The thickest forests are in the coastal Sunderbans and the hill tracts in the northeast. Extensive areas of Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Kushtia are under mango, litchi, sugarcane and tobacco cultivation .

Medical Guideline for Airline Travel

2009-08-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

Each year approximately 1 billion people travel by air

on the many domestic and international airlines. It has
been predicted that in the coming two decades, the
number of passengers will double. A global increase in
travel, as well as an increasingly aged population in
many countries, makes it reasonable to assume that
there will be a significant increase in older passengers
and passengers with illness. Patients frequently ask
their physicians whether or not it is advisable for them
to travel, and if so, what precautions they should take.
Consequently, physicians need to be aware of the environmental
and physiological stresses of flight in order
to properly advise their patients. In addition, because
international travelers can fly to the four corners of the
world in just hours, a basic understanding of vaccinations
is requisite.
Two caveats are brought to the attention of the
reader. First, if inflight illness or even death has occasionally
been reported by the airlines, the event was not
necessarily caused by airline travel or the stresses of
flight. The physician must be mindful that, with so
many passengers spending so many hours inflight, flying
and the medical event may be coincidental rather
than causal. Second, the guidelines described herein are
just that– guidelines, and not rigid criteria or hard and
fast rules. Like all patient management, these guidelines
must be individualized and tempered by the physician’s
clinical judgment.
This publication was prepared by the Aerospace
Medical Association Medical Guidelines Task Force.
The information contained herein is for primary care
and specialist physicians so they will be better prepared
to advise patients who are contemplating air travel.
(The reader is cautioned that the material applies only
to passengers and not to airline crews or cabin attendants.)
The authors sincerely hope that this publication
will educate the physician and contribute to safe and
comfortable flight for passengers.
Stresses of Flight
Modern commercial aircraft are very safe and, in
most cases, reasonably comfortable. However, all
flights, short or long haul, impose stresses on all passengers.
Preflight stresses include airport tumult on the
ground such as carrying baggage, walking long distances,
and being delayed. Inflight stresses include lowered
barometric pressure and partial pressure of oxygen,
noise, vibration (including turbulence), cigarette
smoke, uncomfortable temperatures and low humidity,
jet lag, and cramped seating (64). Nevertheless, healthy
passengers endure these stresses which, for the most
part, are quickly forgotten once the destination is
reached. In general, passengers with illness (i.e., stable
illness) also usually depart the destination airport none
the worse. However, there is always the potential for
such passengers to become ill during or after the flight
due to these stresses.
The primary difference between the aircraft environment
and the ground environment relates to the atmosphere.
Contrary to popular belief, modern aircraft are
not pressurized to sea level equivalent. Instead, on most
flights the cabin altitude will be between 5000 and 8000
ft (1524 m and 2438 m). This results in reduced barometric
pressure with a concomitant decrease in partial
pressure of oxygen (PO2). While the barometric pressure
is 760 mm Hg at sea level with a corresponding PaO2
(arterial O2 pressure) of 98 mm Hg, the barometric
pressure at 8000 ft will be 565 mm Hg with PaO2 of about
55 mm Hg. If these last data are plotted on the oxyhemoglobin
dissociation curve, we obtain a blood oxygen
saturation of 90%. Although most healthy travelers can
normally compensate for this amount of hypoxemia,
this may not be true for coronary, pulmonary, cerebrovascular,
and anemic patients. Because these patients
may already have a reduced PaO2 on the ground, further
reduction in aircraft cabin pressure will bring them to
the steep part of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve
with a resultant very low saturation, which could cause
distress and/or exacerbation of their illness (Fig. 1).
The hazards of cigarette smoking, active and passive,
are well known and need not be recounted here. There
is a worldwide movement to ban inflight smoking, with
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
having asked all member States to comply. U.S. air
carriers prohibit smoking on all flights. As a result,
there has been vast improvement in cabin air quality
and commensurate crew and passenger comfort. (For
passengers with the potential for inflight nicotine withdrawal
symptoms, nicotine gum or patch might be
considered.)
Today’s aircraft have very low cabin humidity, usually
ranging from 10-20%. This is unavoidable because
the air at high altitude is practically devoid of moisture.
As a result, there can be a drying effect of airway
passages, the cornea (particularly under contact lenses),
and the skin.
Jet lag or circadian desynchronosis results from the
desynchronization of the body clock with surroundingenvironmental cues. It may not only be an annoyance
for healthy passengers, but it can also complicate the
timing of medications, such as insulin (See Jet Lag and
Diabetes sections).
On commercial flights, regardless of aircraft type,
many passengers sit in small, cramped spaces. This is
not only uncomfortable, but also reduces the opportunity
to get up, stretch, and walk about the cabin. Sitting
for long periods is tolerable for most passengers, but for
some there is the potential for exacerbating peripheral
edema, cramps, and other circulatory problems. Of particular
concern are deep venous thrombosis and, even
worse, the potential for pulmonary embolus (See Deep
Venous Thrombosis section).

Important Place in Dhaka

2009-08-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

DHAKA
the capital the capital of Bangladesh is Dhaka with its exciting history and rich culture, known the world over as the city of mosques and muslin; it has attracted travelers from far and nearer throughout in all the ages. It has a history dating back to earliest time. But the exact date of its foundation is not known. However, according to recorded history it was founded in 1608 A.D. as the seat of the imperial Mughal Viceroy of Bengal. Dhaka as the capital of Bangladesh has grown into a busy city of about seven million people with an area of about 815 sq. km. Having a happy blending of old and new architectural trends, Dhaka has been developing fast as a modern city and is throbbing with activities in all spheres of life. It is the centre of industrial commercial, cultural, educational and political activities for Bangladesh. At Tongi, Tejgaon, Demra, Pagla, kanchpur, the industrial establishments turn - out daily necessities. Motijheel is the main commercial area of the city. Dhaka's major waterfront Sadarghat is on the bank of the river Buriganga and is crowded with all kinds of river craft, batches, country boats, motor launches, paddle-steamers, fishermen's boats all bustling with activity. Colourful rickshaws (tricycle) on the city streets are common attractions for the visitors. Some of the outstanding tourist attractions of Dhaka are: Mosque: Seven domed Mosque (17th century), Rose Garden (Rajbari), Atia Mosque (Mugal Element), Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Star Mosque (18th century). Hindu Temples: Dhakashwari Temple (11th Century), Ramkrishna Mission. Churches : Armenian Church (1781). St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Church of Bangladesh or former St Thomas Cathedral Church (1677) at Tejgaon. Lalbagh Fort : It was built in 1687 A.D., by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. The fort was the scene of bloody battle during the first war of independence (1857) when 260 sepoys stationed here backed by the people revolted against British forces. Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh Fort are the tomb of Pari Bibi (Fairy lady), Lalbagh Mosque, audience hall and Hammam of Nawan Shaista Khan now housing a museum. 1857 Memorial (Bhahudar Shah Park): Built to commemorate the martyrs of the first liberation war (1857 - 59) against British rule. It was here that the revolting sepoys and their civil compatriots were publicly hanged. Ahsan Manzil Museum: On the bank of river Buriganga in Dhaka the pink majestic Ahsan Manzil has been renovated and turned into a museum recently. It is an example of the nations rich cultural heritage. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka and a silent spectator to many events. Today's renovated Ahsan Manzil is a monument of immense historical beauty. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen from miles around. It now has 23 galleries in 31 rooms displaying portraits, furniture and household articles and utensils used by the Nawab. Curzon Hall: Beautiful architectural building named after Lord Curzon. It now houses the Science Faculty of Dhaka University. Old High Court Building: Originally built as the residence of the British Governor. It illustrates a happy blend of European and Mughal architecture. Dhaka Zoo: Popularly known as Mirpur Zoo. Colourful and attractive collections of different local and foreign species of animals and birds including the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger are available here. National Museum: Centrally located, the museum contains a large number of interesting collections including sculptures and paintings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim periods. Botanical Garden: Built on an area of 205 acres of land at Mirpur and adjacent to Dhaka zoo. One can have a look at the zoo and the botanical garden in one trip. National Park: Situated at Rejendrapur, 40km. north of Dhaka city. This is a vast (1,600 acres), national recreational forest with facilities for picnic & rowing etc. Central Shahid Minar: Symbol of Bangladesh nationalism. This monument was built to commemorate the martyrs of the historic Language Movement of 1952. Hundred and thousands of people with floral wreaths & bouquet gather on 21 February every year to pay respect in a solemn atmosphere. Celebrations begin at zero hour of midnight. Buddhist Monastery: Kamalapur Buddhist Monastry. National Poet's Graveyard: Revalutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam diend on the 26 th August 1978 and was buried here. The graveyard is adjacent to the Dhaka University. Suhrawardy Uddyan (Garden): Popular Park. The oath for independence of Bangladesh was taken here on the 7th March 1971. The place is famous for its lush verdure and gentle breezes. Mausoleum of National Leaders: Location at the south western corner of Suhrawardy Uddyan, it is the eternal resting place of three great national leaders, Shree - Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haque, Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy and Khawja Nazimmuddin. Banga Bhaban: The official residence of the President, located in the city. One can have a outside view. Baldha Garden: It has a rare collection of botanical plants and flowers. Ramna Green: A vast stretch of green garden surrounded by a serpentine lake near the Sheraton Hotel. National Assembly: Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament House) at Shere e Bengla Nagar, designed by the famous architect Louis, Kahn, has distinctive architectural features. It may be called an architectural wonder of this region. Science Museum: Located at Agargaon, the Museum is a modern learning centre related to the latest scientific discoveries. National Memorial: Located at Savar, 35 km. from Dhaka city. The memorial designed by architect Moinul Hossain, sacred memory of the millions of unknown martyrs of the 1971 war of liberation. Sonargaon: About 29 km. from Dhaka. Sonargaon is one of the oldest capital of Bengal. A Folk Art and Crafts Museum has been established here. Other attractions in and around Dhaka include the institute of Arts and Crafts with its representative collection of folk art and paintings, handicraft shops, Aparajeya Bangla monument, picnic spots at Chandra and Salna, industrial estates of Tongi, Narayanganj Demra, Tejgaon: cruising by country boat in the nearby river or a visit to a village to see jute cultivation, weaving and pottery making. Last but not least travel by a horse driven cart or rickshaw along busy Dhaka streets is a rewarding experience.

About Bangladesh

2009-08-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh is a large delta laden with bounties of nature. The borderland along the north-east, east and the south-east is evergreen forested hills with wondrous wildlife.

All her six seasons vibrate with fairs and festivals, mirth and merriment.

Though Bangladesh is one of the world's smallest countries, she has the world's longest sandy sea-beach along the Bay of Bengal at Cox's Bazar and the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest, the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, sentinel of the south.

Bangladesh is heir to a rich cultural heritage. The archaeological treasures of Mahasthangarh, dating back to 3rd century B.C., the 8th century Paharpur Buddhist Vihara, a world heritage site and Salbana Vihara at Mainamati of the same period and the 15th century sixty-domed grand mosque at Bagerhat, also a world heritage site, the Hindu temples of Chandranath at Sitakund, Adinath at Moheshkhali and Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka bear testimony to its devotional past.

Location and physical Features

Located in the north-eastern part of South Asia, Bangladesh lies between 20°34' and 26°36' north latitude and 88°0 I' and 92 °41' east longitudes. The mighty Himalayas is to the north, while the southern frontier is guarded by the Bay of Bengal. To the west lies the expansive Gangetic plains (west Bengal) of India and on the eastern frontier lies the forest of Myanmar and India (Tripura & Assam Hills). These picturesque geographical boundaries delineate a low lying plain of about 1,47,570 sq. km. criss-crossed by innumerable brooks, rivulets and streams and rivers like the Padma (Ganges), the Brahmaputra Oamuna), the Meghna, the Karnaphuli.

Much of the country's land area has been built up from alluvial deposits brought down by the major rivers. The country is mostly flat except for a range of hills in the south-east. It is characterized by wooded marshy lands and jungles with deep forest regions in Sylhet, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban Hill Districts, Sundarbans (the world Heritage site), Mymensingh and Tangail.

Bangladesh has a variety of attractions for visitors, tourists and holidaymakers including archaeological sites, historical mosques and monuments, resorts, beaches, anthropological communities, forests, flora and fauna. Bangladesh offers tourists ample opportunities for angling, rowing, jungle trekking, sun and seabathing and above all for being in pristine Nature.

Demography

Bangladesh has a population of 147.4 million making it the most densely populated country of the world. 85% of the population lives in rural areas. Density of population is about 900 per sq. km. There are about 2 million people of 23 tribes. They dwell mostly in Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban and in parts of northern districts.

Language

The state language and mother tongue is Bangla. English is widely spoken and understood with some young people learning other languages like French, German, Spanish, Japanese etc. for utilizing in their professional fields.

Religion

Bangladesh is a land of religious freedom, harmony and tolerance. People of all castes and creeds live here in perfect harmony. The percentage distribution of population to religions is as follows:

Muslim 88%, Hindus 10%, Christians, Buddhists and others 2%.

Government

The country is officially known as The People's Republic of Bangladesh and has a parliamentary form of Government. The president is the head of the state while the Prime Minister is head of the Government. The country is divided into 6(six) divisions namely Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna. There are 64 districts, 464 Upazilla (small administrative unit) and 85,650 villages under the six divisions.

Bangladesh has a 345-seat parliament called Jatiya Sangsad. Three hundred members of Jatiya Sangsad are directly elected by the electoral college and 45 seats are reserved for women, nominated proportionately by the members of different parties in parliament. They are designated as Member of the Parliament.

Economy

The economy is characterized by a large subsistence agricultural sector, which contributes to some 85% of the country's population and a small modern industrial sector. The total cultivable area is around 24 million acres and there are a little more than 15 million cultivators. Tea, leather, readymade garments, frozen shrimp, jute and jute products are major foreign exchange earners. Export of handicrafts is booming fast. Remittances from Bangladeshis employed abroad are also contributing significantly towards foreign exchange earnings.

History of Travel

2009-08-24T10:46:00.001-07:00


Throughout the Middle Ages, when Europe's roads are little more than tracks, wheeled vehicles are used only for the laborious process of carting goods from place to place. When going on a journey, the able-bodied ride; the infirm are carried in a litter. This changes in the 17th century, when there is some improvement in the paving of roads. Carriages are available for hire in the streets of London from 1605. By the second half of the century there are traffic jams. Samuel Pepys, conscious of rising in the world, considers it embarrassing in 1667 to be seen in London in a common hackney carriage which anyone can hire. The next year he happily acquires a coach and a liveried coachman of his own.		kwb

Coaches gradually become more comfortable. The most common design, developed in Germany in about 1660, is known as the berlin. The compartment for the travellers has the shape of a shallow U, with a protective roof above. There is a door on each side and the coach can seat four people, in pairs facing each other. The coachman, driving the horses, sits above the front wheels. From 1680 glass windows keep out the weather, where previously there were only blinds. The first simple suspension, protecting the occupants against the bumps of the road, consists of leather straps on which the compartment hangs from the framework. The berlin introduces curved metal springs, which absorb the shocks more effectively.		kwc

A much lightier and racier two-wheeled vehicle, the gig, is introduced in Paris during the late 17th century. Relatively cheap, pulled by a single sprightly horse, driven by its owner and alarmingly easy to overturn, the gig is the first type of carriage to make driving an enjoyable activity. At the other extreme from the gig, the more sedate citizen in 17th-century European capitals often uses human rather than animal power for short journeys. He hails a sedan chair and is carried, in elegant comfort behind glass windows, to his next destination. A sedan with wheels, known in Paris as a brouette, is pulled through the streets in the same way as a rickshaw in the east today.		kwd

The sedan chair soon goes out of fashion, but the carriages introduced in the 17th century evolve into the wide range of vehicles - many of them extremely beautiful - which are familiar on the streets of Europe and America until they are finally replaced in the 20th century by the car. Among the best-known of such vehicles, featuring as they do in so many prints of the era, are the lumbering stage coach and its more effective successor, the mail coach.