Places to Visit Before You Die

USA

2008-09-04T01:42:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada is a vibrant pulsating city and the largest adult playground in the world. It is a community that was created from the wastelands of the Mojave Desert in Nevada specifically to provide a gambling and entertainment oasis for the titillation seeking residents of post-war Los Angeles. Everything in Las Vegas has been done (or overdone) on a grand and spectacular scale. Along the Las Vegas strip, a black glass pyramid rises over a hundred meters above the desert with a larger than full sized replica of the Sphinx at its entry. Next to it, sits a larger than life castle with garishly colored turrets. Across the street, is a scaled-down skyline of New York City complete with a Brooklyn Bridge and a Statue of Liberty. Beyond that, you can see a half-sized replica of the Eifel Tower, a near full sized replica of the Piazza San Marco from Venice and a large volcano that erupts flames every thirty minutes. In Las Vegas, you often ask yourself, "Is this really a city, or am I visiting some futuristic amusement park on another planet?"

Luxor Hotel

On any given evening in Las Vegas, you will find hundreds of entertainment events such as the renown Las Vegas stage shows, world class sporting events, performances by world famous entertainers plus music, dance and comedy at large and small venues throughout the city. This city never seems to sleep. The frivolity continues long into the night and the serious gamblers continue their pursuit of riches until well after the morning sun has risen on a new day.

The city was created by a reputed gangster

In 1931 gambling was legalized in the barren desert state of Nevada while it remained illegal in the more populous neighboring state of California. As early as 1940, the first hotel casino named El Rancho Vegas was constructed on the outskirts of a sleepy desert community in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada known as Las Vegas. A second hotel casino named the Last Frontier was opened a year later. Both profited from their proximity to the large gambling population living in Los Angeles and other southern California communities. In December of 1946, Bugsy Siegal a reputed New York gangster, then living in Beverly Hills California, and managing various illegal gambling operations on the West Coast, built a lavish new hotel casino named the Flamingo. He dreamed of creating a whole new resort city in the desert dedicated to gambling and entertainment. Unfortunately, Bugsy was shot to death in his Beverly Hills home in 1947; so he never got to see his dream fulfilled; but the legacy of lavish hotel casinos controlled by gangsters persisted in Las Vegas for many decades to come.

Today, this desert gambling oasis is a thriving city with more than one million inhabitants and over 38 million visitors a year. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA, with up to 5,000 new residents settling there every month. It has fourteen of the fifteen largest hotels in the USA and over 130,000 rooms available to visitors. Gambling and entertainment are still its biggest attractions and its largest industries. Supposedly, all the mafia gangsters have been removed from the Las Vegas gambling scene, only to be replaced by large corporate owners. (Is that an improvement?) In 1999, Oscar Goodman, the flamboyant lawyer whose spirited defense of many reputed gangsters and criminals earned him the unofficial title of "mouthpiece for the mob", was elected mayor of Las Vegas. He seems to be a most appropriate character to lead the government of "Sin City" USA.

Las Vegas Boulevard is "the Strip"

Las Vegas is located in the southwestern corner of Nevada near the borders of California and Arizona. It is 275 miles (450 km) from Los Angeles and less than a four-hours drive on excellent interstate highway. The city is situated in a broad flat desert valley surrounded by barren arid mountains. It receives only about 2 inches (5 cm) of rain per year; yet the city is an oasis of green grass, flowers and palm trees all subsisting on imported water. A vast checkerboard of low suburban homes sprawls across the valley floor for dozens of miles in every direction with new tracts of houses eternally sprouting like fields of cactus in the surrounding desert.

Las Vegas Welcome Sign

All the action is centered on one broad avenue that stretches from the southern fringe of the city northward for a dozen miles until it reaches the heart of old downtown. This is Las Vegas Boulevard, commonly known as "the Strip". McCarran International Airport is located adjacent to the southern end of the Strip, and nearly all of the major casinos are lined up along its sides. A drive down Las Vegas Boulevard takes you past the pyramid of Luxor casino, the skyline of New York casino, the Eifel Tower of Paris casino, the great tent of the Circus casino and the lofty tower of the Stratosphere casino. Eventually, it takes you to downtown Vegas and Fremont Street, home of the historic old gambling parlors like Binyons and the Golden Nugget. Just driving down the strip past all these spectacular casino resorts is a fantastic experience. At night, "the strip" comes alive with miles of colored neon and millions of dancing, pulsating lights.

The Bargains are often "off the Strip"

Most of the newest, grandest Las Vegas casino hotels are located along the southern end of the strip near McCarran Airport. Even the smallest of these newer casino hotels has over 2,000 rooms with MGM Grand offering more than 5,000 rooms. Each casino contains thousands of slot machines, hundreds of gaming tables, multiple restaurants, numerous shops, theaters featuring "Las Vegas Shows" plus numerous bars, cocktail lounges and smaller entertainment venues.

Along the northern part of the Strip, a few miles away from McCarran Airport, and also in the downtown area even further north, the casinos are older and a bit less spectacular. That means they usually offer their accommodations, their all-you-can-eat buffets, and their shows at bargain prices to entice you to come and gamble at their facility. There are also a few large casino hotels like Sam's Town and Boulder Station located well away from the strip. Those isolated casinos often offer some super-saver bargains.

Las Vegas Weddings

Las Vegas Wedding Chapel

Since the early days when Las Vegas was but a sleepy town in the desert, Nevada has had a reputation as a very permissive state that allowed legal gambling, legal prostitution and easy divorce. Many California citizens would drive across the state line to Las Vegas in order to obtain quick-and-easy divorces from their unwanted spouses. Since divorces were often instigated by the desire to marry a new mate, Las Vegas began offering quick-and-easy weddings to go along with the quick-and-easy divorces. Wedding chapels sprouted along the Strip to accommodate this unique industry of legal mate swapping.

Today, many other states offer quick no-fault divorces, so the "Las Vegas divorce" is no longer in great demand. The city has, however, kept its reputation for quick-and-easy marriages. The wedding chapels are still visible along the strip and in the downtown area near the Clark County Court House. Nearly all the major casinos have wedding chapels or wedding rooms. The City marriage office is open until midnight every weekday and open 24 hours a day from Friday until Sunday. If you suddenly decide you want to get married at 4AM on a Sunday morning, you can easily do it in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Entertainment

Since the time of Bugsy Siegel, Las Vegas has been renowned not only for its gambling, but also for its free flowing liquor, its fine dining and its extravagant entertainment especially at the Las Vegas Shows. All these original ingredients are still available in even greater variety and quantity in modern-day Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Entertainment

The famous old Las Vegas Shows were typically variety shows featuring headline entertainment, well known bands, scantily-clad dancing girls and ribald humor. You can still find some of those shows on the Strip. The afternoon performances and the early evening performances are usually toned-down family-oriented presentations, while the late night performances are more adult oriented featuing nudity, risque humor and adult themes. A typical old-time Las Vegas Show in family-oriented theme is held at the Stratosphere Casino every afternoon, and the admission is very reasonably priced.

Some of the newer shows are even more extravagant productions than the old-time ones. Cirque du Soliel runs about a half dozen fabulous productions in Las Vegas including: Mystere, Ka, O, and Zumanity. Each production is set in an immense specially-constructed theater with fantastic sets and technological marvels. The prices are fairly expensive, but they are certainly amazing feats of entertainment.

At least two or more Broadway-style productions of musicals or plays are constantly featured in Las Vegas. There are a number of Las Vegas "regulars" playing at Casinos throughout the city, and new famous, world renown entertainers appear for limited engagements nearly every week. In addition to all this, there are free shows and free entertainments available at many of the casinos nearly every day. There is certainly no lack of entertaining diversions in this town.

Disney World

Disney World is a huge resort complex

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is not just a theme park, but a huge resort complex covering 47 square miles. The resort contains four separate theme parks, three water parks and 99 holes of golf on several different courses. Miles of outdoor recreation are available including hiking, biking, boating and swimming. It has three separate areas containing shopping, dining and entertainment facilities as well as a fourth area with nightclubs. A fairly new addition to the resort is the state of the art sports complex where Disney hosts a wide variety of sporting events. Finally, there are about 18 Disney owned and operated hotels and several non-Disney hotels in the resort. All this combined with many other attractions in the Orlando and central Florida area can be quite overwhelming.

Cinderella's Castle

No other Disney Park equals Disney World in Florida

No other Disney resort comes close to the size and diversity of Disney World Florida. If you have previously visited one of the other Disney resorts such as Disneyland California, Disneyland Paris or the new Disneyland Tokyo, you should still visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida. All other Disney resorts consist of a single theme park and are quite small compared to the massive resort complex in Florida. Each of the other parks are no larger than the Magic Kingdom theme park in Disney World, which is only one small part of the complex. Remember, that only the resort in Orlando, Florida is referred to as Disney World or Walt Disney World. The other parks are usually called Disneyland. The size and diversity of the Disney World resort ensures that it will probably remain the number one vacation destination in the world for years to come.

The main attractions at the resort are divided into four theme-parks

Magic Kingdom, the first theme park built at the resort, has rides, shows and attractions divided among seven fantasy areas. This is the place to find all your favorite Disney characters and attractions.

Epcot, the second theme park built at the resort, is divided into two areas: Future World and World Showcase. The attractions in Future World are based on modern and futuristic advances in communication, transportation, energy, agriculture and much more. World Showcase allows you to explore culture, cuisine, shopping and entertainment from many countries including Canada, UK, France, Japan, Morocco, US, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico.

Light Parade

The Disney-MGM Studios offers behind-the-scenes looks at the making of movies and popular TV shows and provides live original shows. There are also a number of thrilling rides or attractions based on blockbuster movies, which provide exciting stunts and amazing special effects.

Animal Kingdom is the newest and largest theme park to open in the Disney World resort. This 500-acre park is divided into three areas: The Real, The Mythical and The Extinct. The Real area features live animals in exotic landscapes and provides a safari-like experience. In The Mythical area, guests come face-to-face with magical and make believe creatures. In the Extinct Area, dinosaurs come to life.

Disney Transportation

The Water Parks are a great way to cool off

The four theme parks are the heart of Disney World, but there are many other attractions including three full-sized water parks. Typhoon Lagoon is a tropically landscaped 56-acre water park based around a huge wave pool that covers 2.5 acres and holds 2.75 million gallons of water. At certain times the pool is even used for surfing. Blizzard Beach is Disney's newest and largest water park and the most interesting. It is made to look like a snow-covered ski-resort and offers the most slides and the most thrilling attractions. River Country, the first water park built at Disney World, is actually a roped-off section of Bay Lake and is designed to give the feeling of "an old swimming hole." It is the most tame and relaxing. Spending a day at one of the Disney World water parks can be a pleasant break from the theme parks as well as a great way to cool off from the hot Florida sun.

There are many recreational activities

Disney World offers lots of outdoor recreation. It has five challenging 18-hole golf courses as well as a 9-hole beginner's course and a 36-hole miniature golf course for family fun. If you prefer tennis there are many courts throughout the resort including Disney's Contemporary Resort Racquet Club. Water sports are plentiful including water-skiing, parasailing, fishing and many types of boat rental. For the extremely adventurous, there is the Richard Petty driving experience where you can drive an actual Nascar racing car. The car has about 600 hp and can attain speeds of up to 160 mph.

Disney World even offers cruises and education

Disney World has still more vacation options such as the Disney Institute and the new Disney Cruise Line. The Disney Institute offers many great hands-on classes designed for fun and education. It is located in the Disney World resort so you are still close to all the other attractions as well. The Disney cruise line combines a Disney World resort vacation with a Caribbean cruise. You stay at the resort in Florida for several days, then board a Disney cruise ship and sail to Disney's own private-island resort in the Bahamas.

Los Angeles, California - Overview

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 spread across a coastal plain

Los Angeles Freeway
Photo Credit © Corel

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.

Los Angeles is composed of many interconnected communities

In order to commute between these widely dispersed neighborhoods, Los Angeles has constructed a remarkably efficient road system of broad streets, avenues and 10-14 lane wide freeways. These roadways enable people to quickly navigate across the vast metropolitan complex at most times; however, avoiding the freeways between 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM, when millions of cars clog the roads during the rush hour commute, is recommended. Air pollution caused by all of these cars on the roadways combines with the moist air from the Pacific Ocean to form a dirty gray haze known as Los Angeles Smog.

Unlike most cities, Los Angeles does not have a distinct urban center. It is a collection of individual communities tied together by a complex network of roads and freeways. Each community offers a uniquely different character. Together, they make up this huge metropolitan complex called Los Angeles.

Hollywood Hills
Photo Credit: © Corel

Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the Beaches

Along the Pacific shore, Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey and Palos Verde are high-class residential beach communities. Venice Beach, on the other hand, is known for bikini clad roller bladers, muscle-bound weight lifters and an odd assortment of slightly off-beat characters. Long Beach is a thriving seaport with a vibrant commercial district and oil wells. Laguna Beach houses a large artist's community.

Hollywood is the historic home of the old movie studios, and Beverly Hills is still the home of the movie stars. Here you can drive along the western terminus of historic Route 66 on Santa Monica Boulevard. You can stroll along famous Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. In nearby Burbank, you can visit many modern movie and television studios. In Anaheim, you can see the original Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm.

Downtown Los Angeles is certainly a commercial district, but it is no more the urban center of the city than many other neighborhoods. Near the downtown area are ethnic neighborhoods with large Asian populations called, Korea Town, China Town and Japan Town. Nearby are several predominately Afro-American neighborhoods and many predominately Hispanic-American neighborhoods.

Los Angeles is served by four major airports

Los Angeles has four major airports: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Burbank-Glendale Airport, John Wayne Airport and Ontario International Airport. In addition, the Orange County Airport is less than one hour from the city and San Diego International Airport is within a two-hour drive.

San Francisco, California - Overview

San Francisco is on the coast of California about 400 miles north of Los Angeles. It is situated along the shore of a large bay sheltered behind the California Coastal Mountains. The city is renown for its steep streets with panoramic views of beautiful San Francisco Bay and the surrounding mountains. It has a very moderate climate with warm summers and chilly winters but without extremes. Constant breezes off of the Pacific Ocean keep the summers from becoming too hot and also prevent freezing winter weather. Take a sweater, as the evening breezes can be quite brisk all year round!

Cable Car
Photo Credit: © Corel

San Francisco was built by "forty niners" with gold fever

Oakland and Berkeley, California lie just across the bay from San Francisco and are easily accessible via the Bay Bridge. The more famous Golden Gate Bridge spans the narrow inlet that extends from the Pacific Ocean into the bay. The Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco with a mountainous peninsula called the Marin headlands that is primarily known for beautiful scenery and expensive homes with spectacular views. Sausalito, a small village on the bay shore of the Marin headlands is famous as a local artist's community. Alcatraz Island with its abandoned prison is situated in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The city of San Jose lies about 30 miles south of San Francisco at the southern tip of this extensive bay. The area near San Jose and Santa Clara is known as "Silicon Valley", home of the largest concentration of electronics and computer firms in the USA.

San Francisco was founded in 1776 when father Junipero Serra constructed the mission San Dolores to Christianize the local native Indian population. At the same time, Spanish troops constructed a Presidio, or fort, to protect this colony for the Queen of Spain. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the village of Yerba Buena, consisting of whalers, traders, adventurers and pirates, occupied the present site of San Francisco. In 1848, gold was discovered in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 100 miles to the east. By 1849, San Francisco was inundated with "forty-niners" as the gold seekers were commonly called, and the population of the city exploded. Ever since, it has remained the center of commerce, entertainment, culture and tourism for Northern California.

Cable cars on steep streets overlook a turquoise San Francisco Bay

San Francisco is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the USA. Steep streets lined with Victorian era houses, a great turquoise bay surrounded by low mountains, and antique cable cars that still shuttle passengers up and down the city slopes all make San Francisco one of the most picturesque cities in the US.

The city has developed a unique character from its mixture of diverse cultures including Native American Indians, Spanish colonials, gold seeking adventurers and numerous European, African and Asian immigrants. This is reflected in the great San Francisco cuisine found in the many fabulous restaurants of the city.

Among the many attractions of San Francisco are the ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown and Japantown with their traditional shops and restaurants. Each of these communities houses a large population of Asian immigrants and has a unique oriental character. North Beach is renown as an Italian neighborhood, the Mission District as a Hispanic community and Castro Street for its gay and lesbian population.

Excursion boats from Fisherman's Wharf visit Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge
Photo Credit: © Corel

The Embarcadero, a broad avenue along the bayfront, is now lined with shops, restaurants and tourist attractions including several piers that have been converted to specialty shopping malls. Most famous is the historic Fisherman's Wharf which still hosts a fleet of working fishing vessels as well as fish markets, seafood restaurants and gift shops. Excursion boats and ferries depart from piers near Fisherman's Wharf. They are a great way to see the sights around the bay. The Alcatraz tour takes you to "The Rock" and allows you to visit its abandoned prison. This trip usually fills up, so it is best to make your reservations at least one day ahead. You can also take a ferry to visit the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier Museum in Oakland, or you can ride a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon for some sightseeing and shopping.

A cable car line terminates a few blocks from Fisherman's Wharf, and many tourists congregate there to watch the motormen manually rotate the cars. This is a good place to photograph the cable cars but not a good place to board one as the wait can be long. It is easier to take a bus or taxi to the downtown area where you can quickly board a passing cable car. Golden Gate Park and Seal Rocks, along the Pacific side of the city are worth visiting.

Wine Country, Big Sur and Yosemite are not far away

Other California tourist attractions are located near San Francisco. Across the Golden Gate Bridge, the first pullout on the right provides a nice view of the city from across the bay. If you follow the small road under the highway and climb the mountain behind the bridge, you will be rewarded to some spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay area. From the top of the mountain the road continues high above the Pacific Ocean with pullouts at many scenic vistas and hiking trails. This road eventually leads to Stinson Beach, a popular Pacific Ocean swimming and surfing area, and to Muir Woods, an impressive reserve of Giant California Redwood trees.

Beautiful Monterey Bay is an hour-and-half drive south along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway and Big Sur extends about 100 miles further. Napa and Sonoma valleys, in the heart of California Wine Country, are just an hour drive north of San Francisco. The Sierra Nevada Mountains and exquisite Yosemite National Park are within a half-day drive to the east.

New York City

New York City is the "Big Apple"

New York City is located on the eastern coast of the United States about 1000 miles north of Florida and 200 miles South of Boston. It is situated at the mouth of the Hudson River, and is divided into five districts called boroughs. Long Island stretches almost 100 miles to the east of New York City and the state of New Jersey lies just across the Hudson River to the west. The "Big Apple", as the city is often called, is the largest city in the US with over 7 million residents. It is filled with a diverse mixture of inhabitants including immigrants from many countries. Some of its many neighborhoods, such as Chinatown, Little Italy, and Spanish Harlem reflect the rich ethnic heritages of the resident's original homelands.

Manhattan and Central Park

Manhattan borough, the business and commercial center of New York City, is situated on a large island in the middle of the Hudson River. Just south of it, across the main harbor, lies the borough of Staten Island, a large residential community. Across the East River branch of the Hudson, the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are situated on the western tip of Long Island. The borough of Bronx is on the mainland to the north. New Jersey lies across the Hudson to the west.

Manhattan Island is the heart of New York City

Manhattan Island is about two miles wide and over 12 miles long. It contains most of the business, economic, entertainment and cultural sights of the city. A four-miles long by half-mile wide Central Park, located at the very center of the island, neatly divides the city into sectors. The southern part of the island is called "Downtown" and the section directly south of Central Park is called "mid-town". Everything from the middle of the park to the northern tip of the island is usually called "Uptown". The part of the island closest to Long Island is called the "East Side" and the part closer to the Hudson River is the "West Side". The two neighborhoods lying on either side of Central Park are called "Upper East Side" and "Upper West Side".

The numbered streets of Manhattan all run east-west beginning with First Street just above Greenwich Village, and extending all the way up to 218th Street at the far northern tip of Up-town. Avenues run north-south beginning with First Avenue on the East Side and extending to Twelfth Avenue along the Hudson River on the West Side. These numbered Avenues are interspersed with named Avenues such as Park Avenue, Lexington, Madison and Broadway. Broadway is a bit unusual as it starts out as a typical north-south avenue in the middle of the island downtown, but angles sharply to the west just below Central Park and continues on up the West Side to the top of the island.

Navigation in Manhattan is not difficult

Navigation in Manhattan is not difficult as long as you remember compass directions and use the proper terminology. Subways and Busses go "uptown" when heading north to the higher numbered streets and go "downtown" when heading south. They go to the "East Side" or the "West Side" when crossing the island. Building Numbers, especially on the avenues, often do not follow a logical pattern. When asking directions, always try to specify the nearest intersection of streets and avenues. For example: "On Broadway, near 42nd Street" or "near Third and fifty fourth".

Williamsburg Bridge

Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island are bedroom communities

Brooklyn is across the East River on the southwestern tip of Long Island. It is accessible via bridge or tunnel. This borough is nearly four times as large as Manhattan Island and has a population of about four million. It is one of the primary bedroom communities for New York City. Unlike Manhattan, there are few tall buildings in Brooklyn. Typically, the tree-lined streets are filled with brownstone townhouses and small apartment buildings. There are very few hotels in Brooklyn, but those few offer a quiet alternative to the noisy hectic streets of Manhattan. Coney Island Beach and Amusement park are located along the southern shore and John F. Kennedy Airport lies just east of Brooklyn.

Queens is north of Brooklyn on the tip of Long Island. It is also a residential community with many high-rise apartment complexes. LaGuardia airport, Shea Stadium and the crumbling ruins of the old World's Fair are located there. There are a few hotels near the airport. The Bronx is another mainly residential community almost due north of Manhattan on the mainland. The large and impressive Bronx Zoo is located there.

Times Square

Staten Island is due south of Manhattan across the main harbor basin. It is most easily reached via the Staten Island ferry from Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan. The ferry ride offers spectacular views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty and is absolutely free for all pedestrians. Staten Island has a small town atmosphere with many single-family homes.

Three airports serve New York City

There are three major airports near New York City. John F Kennedy (JFK) airport is on Long Island about 12 miles east of Manhattan. LaGuardia is in Queens about 6 miles from downtown and Newark airport is across the Hudson river in New Jersey about 12 miles to the southwest of the city. Ready access is available from each airport via taxi or bus. Public transportation is excellent in New York City. Busses, subway trains and taxis provide the most convenient means of transportation. New York City is one of the few cities in the USA with adequate train service. Commuter trains cover most of the nearby communities and neighboring states. Longer distance passenger trains travel the east coast corridor and go to many major cities across the country.

New York is the "city that never sleeps"

New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world. It is often called "the city that never sleeps." In fact, Times Square at midnight seems more vibrant and active than most other cities at noon. New York has many tourist attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations headquarters, the Empire State building and over 300 museums. It is renown for its wide variety of entertainments including the world famous Broadway theaters. There are over 30,000 restaurants in New York City plus countless bars and clubs. If you like big cities and lots of excitement, the Big Apple is a great place to visit.

Canada: ehh!

2008-08-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

British Columbia

The Land

British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province and one of North America's most mountainous regions. B.C. is bordered by the province of Alberta, the Yukon Territory and several U.S. states, including Alaska. Given its location, British Columbia is a gateway to the Pacific and Asia. Sometimes simply categorized as part of Canada's "West," the province is actually a distinct region both geographically and culturally.
The variety of its landscape is the main reason for B.C.'s distinctiveness: its 947 800 km2 offer remarkable topographical contrasts. Where the Pacific Ocean reaches the continent, it meets a chain of islands, large and small, running from north to south. Some of these islands are nestled in fiords carved in the majestic Coastal Mountains, which rise more than 2000 m above sea level.

To the east of the Coastal Mountains lies a rolling upland of forests, natural grasslands and lakes. Farther east, the Rocky Mountains (with peaks more than 4000 m high) separate B.C. from neighbouring Alberta. In the north, a small corner of the province is occupied by the Great Plains.

The province's climate equals its topography for variety. For example, the mild coastal region receives abundant precipitation - from 130 to 380 cm of rain a year - while the interior has a continental climate. Other parts of the province are almost desert-like, with very hot summers followed by very cold winters.

The History

The Aboriginal peoples of British Columbia developed a rich and complex culture. Because of the diversity of the Pacific coast - mild to cold climate, seashore to mountains - the tribes that settled in this area developed completely different cultures and languages.

The coastal inhabitants were experts at wood sculpture, as their totem polls attest even today. They were also famous for their skill and courage in whaling. As for their social system, it was marked by occasions such as the potlatch - a ceremony in which important gifts were given to guests - and by theatrical displays.

In 1774, the first Europeans, under the flag of Spain, visited what is now British Columbia. In contrast with eastern Canada, where the English and French were the two nationalities fighting over territory, Spain and Russia were the first countries to claim ownership of certain parts of British Columbia. In the 18th century, the Spanish claimed the west coast from Mexico to Vancouver Island. At the same time, the Russians were making an overlapping claim for control of the Pacific coast from Alaska to San Francisco.

In 1778, Captain James Cook of Great Britain became the first person to chart the region. The first permanent colony, in present-day Victoria, was established by the British in 1843.

When gold was discovered in the lower Fraser Valley in 1857, thousands of people came in search of instant wealth. To help maintain law and order, the British government established the colony of British Columbia the following year. In 1866, when the frenzy of the gold rush was over, the colony of Vancouver Island joined British Columbia.

The colony was cut off from the rest of British North America by thousands of kilometres and a mountain range. The promise of a rail link between the Pacific coast and the rest of Canada convinced British Columbia to join Confederation in 1871.

The People

The majority of B.C.'s inhabitants are of British origin, but the population is enriched by immigrants and descendants of immigrants of all nationalities. More than 100 000 British Columbians are descendants of the thousands of Chinese who took part in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 19th century. Today, Vancouver has North America's second-largest Chinese community. In addition, more than 60 000 of B.C. inhabitants are from India and over 16 000 from Japan. British Columbians of Asian heritage have contributed tremendously to the province's economic and cultural vitality.

Alberta

The Land

The westernmost of Canada's three Prairie provinces, Alberta lies between the 49th and 60th parallels, at virtually the same latitude as the United Kingdom. Alberta is 1217 km from north to south and between 293 and 650 km in width from west to east. Nearly equal in size to the state of Texas, the province covers an area of some 661 185 km2.

Roughly half of the southwestern section of the province is dominated by mountains and foothills - striking reminders of the glaciers that, over millions of years, formed, moved and receded in the area. Peaks of the Rocky Mountains located in Alberta range from 2130 to 3747 m in elevation.

The foothills, which form a gentle link between mountain and prairie landscapes, feature heavily forested areas and grasslands used for grazing cattle. Beneath their surface, the foothills contain some of the province's richest deposits of sour gas and coal.

The remainder of the province - approximately 90 percent of the land area - forms part of the interior plain of North America. The plains include the forested areas that dominate the northern part of the province and the vast stretches of northern muskeg that overlay much of Alberta's oil and gas deposits and oil sands.

Alberta has what is known as a continental climate. It is characterized by vivid seasonal contrasts in which long, cold winters are balanced by mild to hot summers and an unusually high number of sunny days, no matter what the season. Although cold air covers the whole province in winter, it is frequently replaced in the southwest by a mild wind, the "chinook," funneling through the mountains from the Pacific Ocean.

The History

The Aboriginal people, whose ancestors are thought to have crossed the Bering Sea from Asia thousands of years ago, were the first people to live in what is now Alberta. The Blackfoot, Blood, Piegan, Cree, Gros Ventre, Sarcee, Kootenay, Beaver and Slavey Indians, speaking a variety of Athapaskan and Algonkian languages, were the sole inhabitants of what was then a vast wilderness territory.

The early Albertans, particularly the woodland tribes of the central and northern regions, became valuable partners of the European fur traders who arrived in the 18th century. The first European explorer to reach what is now Alberta was Anthony Henday, in 1754.

Peter Pond, of the North West Company, established the first fur-trading post in the area in 1778. The Hudson's Bay Company gradually extended its control throughout a huge expanse of northern North America known as Rupert's Land and the North West Territory, including the region occupied by present-day Alberta. From that time, the region was fought over by the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, each of which built competing fur-trading posts. The rivalry ended only in 1821, when the two companies merged.

Expeditions led by Henry Youle Hind and John Palliser found parts of the region to have exceptionally good land for farming, especially the fertile belt north of the Palliser Triangle, a particularly arid zone. As a result of these findings, the British decided not to renew the license of the Hudson's Bay Company and, in 1870, the North West Territory was acquired by the Dominion of Canada and administered from the newly formed province of Manitoba.

New Foundland

The Land

Nestled into the northeast corner of North America, facing the North Atlantic, is Newfoundland, Canada's most easterly province. Lying between the 46th and 61st parallels, the province consists of two distinct geographical entities: Newfoundland and Labrador.

The island of Newfoundland, which forms the southern and eastern portion of the province, is a large triangular-shaped area of some 112 000 km2, while the province's total area is 405 720 km2. Located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, the island is about halfway between the centre of North America and the coast of western Europe. The island of Newfoundland is separated from the Canadian mainland by the Strait of Belle Isle in the north and by the wider Cabot Strait in the south. The mainland, Labrador, is bordered by northeastern Quebec. Approximately two and a half times as large as the island, it remains a vast, pristine wilderness, where the northern lights, or aurora borealis, flicker over the largest caribou herd in the world.

The province's coastline, stretching over more than 17 000 km, is varied and scenic with its bold headlands, deep fiords and countless small coves and offshore islands. The interiors of both Labrador and Newfoundland have a rolling, rugged topography, deeply etched by glacial activity and broken by lakes and swift-flowing rivers. Much of the island and southern and central Labrador is covered by a thick boreal forest of black spruce and balsam fir mixed with birch, tamarack and balsam poplar. Northern Labrador is largely devoid of forest and is marked by the spectacular Torngat Mountains, which rise abruptly from the sea to heights of up to 1676 m.

Newfoundland's climate can best be described as moderate and maritime. The island enjoys winters that are surprisingly mild by Canadian standards, though with a high rate of precipitation. Labrador, by comparison, has the cold winters and brief summers characteristic of the Canadian mid-North.

The History

The central region of the island of Newfoundland was once the home of the now extinct Beothuk Indians. The first Europeans to visit Newfoundland were Norsemen, who arrived in the late 10th century. (The Norse settlement at l'Anse aux Meadows was the world's first cultural discovery location to receive recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.) Other early visitors, the Basques, Portuguese, Spanish, British and French, staged fishing expeditions in the 16th century and probably even earlier.

In 1497, the Italian seafarer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) went to investigate what lay in the northern section of the western Atlantic. John Cabot landed on the island on June 24, 1497, on the feast of St. John the Baptist. Cabot called the new land "St. John's Isle" in honour of the saint and claimed it for Henry VII of England, his patron and employer.

Anglo-French colonial warfare shaped the history of Newfoundland during the 1600s and 1700s. France, already well-established on the mainland of Eastern Canada, began to make claims to parts of Newfoundland. In 1662, France established a fort and colony at Placentia, despite protests from British merchants and fishermen. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 ended a long period of raids and skirmishes by both nations and reconfirmed British sovereignty over Newfoundland and the fishing banks.

The people of Newfoundland were granted the right to vote for an elected assembly in 1832 and, after much debate, Newfoundland was given responsible government in 1855. In 1865, Newfoundland postponed the decision on whether to join the Dominion of Canada. Following World War II, the question of Newfoundland's future status became an issue once again. A public referendum was held on the subject in 1948; Newfoundlanders voted in favour of joining the Canadian Confederation. Newfoundland became Canada's newest province on March 31, 1949.

The People

The province's present population of approximately 574 000 is largely descended from settlers from southwestern England and southern Ireland who immigrated to Newfoundland in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The pattern of settlement was mainly determined by the fishing industry, a population distribution that has persisted to this day. The Avalon Peninsula and northeastern Newfoundland, the traditional base for the fisheries, continue to be the most heavily populated areas.

St. John's, the historic commercial centre and capital of the island, is the province's largest city, with a population of approximately 172 000. Other major centres are Grand Falls, Windsor and Corner Brook. The smaller communities - called outports - remain, nevertheless, a major element in Newfoundland society. The twin towns of Labrador City and Wabush, which together form the largest urban community of Labrador, are based on the iron-ore mining industries of the area.

In the early 1800s, disease and conflicts with settlers reduced the Beothuk Indians to extinction. There were, and still are, a relatively large number of Inuit concentrated in the coastal communities of northern Labrador.

India: Where Bollywood Starts

2008-08-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

BANGALORE - THE GARDEN CITY

The founding of present day Bangalore is attributed to the Magadi Chieftain, Kempe Gowda, who laid its foundations in 1537. According to local folklore the present name Bangalore, derives from 'Bendakalooru' or the town of boiled beans, a name given by Veera Ballala, a king of the Vijayanagar dynasty, who having lost his way in the forests was given a bowl of boiled beans by a kindly woman here. However that may be, the founding of the city is traced back to 1537 and it has seen the rule of the maharajas of Mysore mainly. One of the factors that has gone in to make Bangalore the fifth largest city in India today is its mild and healthy climate. A large number of people, many from outside the region have thus made the city their permanent home. Thus the city has a fairly large number of people who are retired from active life and others who are here for exclusive pleasure seeking.

Often termed as a garden city, Bangalore's climate has also drawn towards itself a large number of industries like the HAL and the Indian Telephone Industry and has become a premier manufacturing and commercial centre since the 1950s.

Amidst all this hectic activity, the city offers itself as an ideal base to explore the fascinating and culturally rich state of Karnataka. Visitors will find the ruins of the once powerful Vijayanagar empire, the sculpted wonders of Belur and Halebid, the awesome mausoleum of Bijapur and much more within easy reach. The city by itself offers extensive shopping opportunities, a rich fanfare of cuisine, hotels to suit all pockets and much cultural and other entertainment.

CHENNAI - CITY OF HOLY SERPENT

Chennai, the largest city in southern India located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, developed after 1639 when the British East India Company
established a fort and trading post at the small fishing village of Chennai.

Over the past three and a half centuries, the small fishing village has grown into a bustling metropolis which is especially known for its spaciousness which is lacking in other Indian cities, This characteristic is exemplified by the long esplanade called the Marina and which is lined by impressive buildings which remind the casual visitor of the long and inseparable association the city has had with the British.

Even elsewhere in the city, one cannot fail to notice the dominant British influences in the form of old cathedrals, buildings in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, wide tree lined avenues.

However, though the English legacy is undeniable, Chennai has continued to be a centre which has blended the foreign influence with the traditional Tamil-Hindu culture. As a city it continues to maintain the best of south Indian traditions. This is not surprising because the region was an important centre of Pallavan culture long before the British came here and the traces of which are to be found in the numerous old temple.

Thus, the unwary visitor will find Chennai more than just a gateway of South India. He shall find it a convenient base to peep into the varied aspects of traditional south Indian culture and life styles which inter- mingle with the modern city complete with its plush hotels and restaurants- offering a range of continental and typical, south Indian cuisine, long and uncrowded stretches of beaches, modern shopping centres which offer traditional handicrafts, textiles and much more peculiar to this part of India.

Besides the modern city itself, there are several interesting towns like Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram, each with a rich collection of ancient temples and an array of traditional handicrafts which are very much their own.

IMMORTAL CITY - DELHI
Sprawling on the banks of the river Yamuna, Delhi, the capital of India, typifies the soul of the country. In time the city conceals within its bosom annals of civilisations that flourished for more than three thousand years. Indraprastha, according to legends, the city founded by the Pandavas in the times of the epic Mahabharata (circa 1500 B.C.), was located near the Old Fort that stands on a large mound overlooking the river.

Since those early days many dynasties and rulers flourished on its regal soil. The legacy of that past survives in the many monuments left behind by the regents, each a chronicle of the glory of its time and an imprint of the character of the ruler. Today, the city is a curious blend of the modern and traditional, skyscrapers, beautiful gardens and wide tree-lined avenues perpetuate the Mughal passion of landscaping and architectural excellence. More important, however, Delhi blends within its folds the great cultural variety of India; an unceasing range of activity, a million ways of saying 'You are Welcome'.

Mumbai - The business hub of India

Mumbai a cluster of seven islands, derives its name from Mumbadevi, the patron goddess of the Koli fisher folk, its oldest inhabitants.

Once a Portuguese princess' dowry and later an adornment of neo-gothic British architecture, Mumbai today, is more than just a metropolis. It is infact an enigma of mud huts & sky- scrapers, age old traditions & high fashions, the industrialists' heaven & movie makers' hollywood.

A lovely natural harbour and winding creek set off the city of Mumbai from the long, narrow coast of Western India.

Mumbai pulsates with activity. It is a city that is disciplined by no time frame-neither by day nor night. Mumbai is also the country's financial powerhouse, the nation's industrial heartland, and its economic nerve centre. Dazzling shopping arcades, exciting sport activity, night clubs and discotheques, theatre and music, gourmet restaurants and interesting sightseeing - Mumbai offers the visitor a heady mix of all this and more.

AGRA FORT

Architectural wonder in stone

Within a radius of 3 kilometres, on the banks of the river Yamuna, rises the crescent-like Agra Fort. Designed and built by Akbar in 1565 A.D., the fort is surrounded by a 70 foot high wall. It houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including the Jahangiri Mahal, Diwan-i-khas, Diwan-i-Am and Moti Masjid.

The fort has four gates and is enclosed by a double barricaded wall of red sand stone. Many buildings were constructed within the fort of which very few remain till date. One of the most significant ones is the multistoreyed Jahangiri Mahal built by Akbar for his wife Jodha Bai.

The Mahal is reached through an impressive gateway and its inner courtyard consists of beautiful halls, profuse carvings on stone, exquisitely carved heavy brackets, piers and cross beams. Most of the panels in the eastern hall are decorated with the Persian styled stucco paintings in gold and blue. It is believed that a century later, most of the structure were dismantled by Shahjahan and were replaced with white marble pavilions covered with intricate inlay work. Of which the most prominent ones are - the Diwan-i-khas, the Mausam Burj and the Shaha Burj. Away from the waterfront he built the Moti Masjid and the Diwan-i-Am.

South Korea

2008-08-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Gyeongbokgung Palace




Address

Seoul, Jongno-gu, 1 Sejong-no



Type

Palaces/ Fortresses/ Gates



Inquiries

-Travel phone +82-2-1330 (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) -Administration Office +82-2-732-1931 (Korean) - +82-2-734-2457 (Korean)



Homepage

http://www.royalpalace.go.kr/ (English, Korean)

Introduction

Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” because it is located more toward the north, compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful and remains the grandest of all the five palaces.

The premises were destroyed by fire at the time of the Japan's occupation of Korea during 1592-1598. However, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms were later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun in the years of King Gojong (1852~1919) .

Remarkably, the most representative edifices of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion and Hyangwonjeong Pond are still relatively in tact. Woldae and the sculptures of Geunjeongjeon (The Royal Audience Chamber) represent the past sculpture art which was the trend back then.

The National Palace Museum of Korea is located south of Heungnyemun Gate, and the National Folk Museum is located east within Hyangwonjeong.

Jongmyo Royal Shrine




Address

Seoul, Jongno-gu, 1-2 Hunjeong-dong



Type

Monuments/ Historical Sites



Inquiries

-Travel phone +82-2-1330 (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) - +82-2-765-0195 (Basic English, Korean)



Homepage

http://jm.cha.go.kr/ (English, Korean)

Introduction

Jongmyo Royal Shrine is the primary place of worship for the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. It was built when the first King of the Joseon Dynasty, Lee Sung-Gye(1335-1408) founded the Joseon Dynasty. Jongmyo Royal Shrine is registered as World Cultural Heritage because the tradition and customs such as the memorial services and traditional music are very well preserved.
There is a trifurcated paths in front of the main gate of Jongmyo Royal Shrine. The middle path between the slightly raised roads is for the dead kings, the east road for the king and the west road for the prince. The road in the middle is connected to Jeongjeon, and the roads on both sides are linked to a room for preparing a memorial service after performing their ablutions. After properly preparing the body and mind, the king and the prince move to Jeonsacheong. Jeonsacheong is where foods for the memorial ceremony are prepared. With the yard in the center, the buildings of Jeonsacheong are square-shaped. The main building, Jeongjeon is where mortuary tablets of kings are preserved and memorial services are held. Only this place has maintained its tradition so far, even though enshrining successive kings was originally handed down from China. Jeongjeon has 19 rooms where each room worships each king. There is Gongshinjeon within a wall of Jeongjeon which enshrines the sincere lieges.
The music of Jongmyo Royal Shrine memorial services is produced by instruments, singing, and dances that date back from over 500 years ago. The melody is also handed down in the same as it once was during this time. This ceremony is the oldest complete ceremony in the world and is held on the first Sunday of May, yearly. It is a great chance to see the grandeur of a traditional ceremony.

Seokguram Grotto (Mt. Tohamsan)

Seokguram Grotto (Mt.Tohamsan)




Address

Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Jinhyeon-dong



Type

Temples/ Religious Sites



Inquiries

-Travel Phone +82-54-1330 (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) -Bulguksa Temple Tourist Information Center +82-54-746-4747 (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese)

Introduction

Seokguram, located on Mt.Tohamsan, is the representative stone temple of Korea.

The official name of Seokguram, National Treasure No. 24, is Seokguram Seokgul. Designated as World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, it is an artificial stone temple made of granite. The construction started with Kim Dae-Seong (700~774) in 751 during the reign of King Gyeong-Deok (742~765) of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.~A.D. 935) and it was finished twenty-four years later in 774, during the reign of King Hye-Gong (765~780).

Seokguram is known to have been built with Bulguksa Temple. According to the history book Samgukyusa of the Goryeo Dynasty (the country that unified the Korean peninsula at the end of the Silla Dynasty, 918~1392), Kim Dae-Seong had built Bulguksa for the parents who were alive, and Seokguram for the parents of his former life.

Seokguram is an artificial stone temple made of granite, and is located on the eastern peak of Mt. Toham. Inside the round-shaped main hall, there are the Bonjon Statue, Bodhi-sattva and his disciples. Seokguram was built to preserve these statues. The Bonjon figure wearing a generous smile is seated on the stage engraved with lotus flower design. The rounded ceiling looks like a half-moon or a bow and has a lotus flower decorated cover on it. As the sunrise from this spot is so beautiful, many people climb the mountain at daybreak.

Asan Spavis




Address

Chungcheongnam-do, Asan-si, Eumbong-myeon, 288-6, Shinsu-ri



Type

Hot Springs/ Bath Houses/Spas/ Jjimjilbangs



Inquiries

-Travel Phone +82-41-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)



Homepage

http://www.spavis.co.kr/ (Korean)

Introduction

Spavis located in Asan is water park resort accommodating up to 3,000 people and contains both indoor and outdoor spa facilities. Through all seasons outdoor facilities offers open-air spa pool, while indoor facilities offer many health benefits such as 7-8 water physiotherapy facilities including the Bade Pool. Moreover, leisure facilities such as family pool, jasmine pool, cave pool, sauna, health promotion center and 35583 sq. ft. area of outdoor swimming pool are popular.

Oedolgae Rock




Address

Jeju-do, Seogwipo-si, Cheonji-dong



Type

Rare Animals/ Plants/Spectacular Cliffs & Rock Formations



Inquiries

-Travel phone +82-64-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) - +82-64-735-3543 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)



Homepage

http://cyber.jeju.go.kr (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese)

Introduction

Oedolgae sits not far from the shores of Sammaebong Seougwipo City. It is an amazing rock 10 meters in circumference and 20 meters in height and is also known as the Changgun Rock. It is surrounded by beautiful islands such as Bum Island, Sae Island and Seonnyu (fairy) Rock. Oedolgae was also a filming location in 2003 TV drama series, 'Daejangguem' where Hansangoong (Mee Kyung Yang) faced her death under a false accusation while being carried on Daejanggeum's(Young Ae Lee) back. Fantastic rocks of Oedolgae and fields of reeds in the extensive ranch is a perfect place to go trekking. The sunset of Bum Island, which can be seen from Oedolgae, has long been an essential stop for tourists going to Jeju Island.

Carribean: Now!! Watch out of the Pirates

2008-08-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

HAITI

Haiti, once one of the most popular vacation destinations in the Caribbean, is now one of the least-visited destinations due to its political instability and a lack of tourism infrastructure. The U.S. State Department maintains travel warnings to keep visitors aware of the potential dangers and American travelers should contact the U.S. Embassy upon arrival. A car with a driver or escorted day tours is advisable. For intrepid travelers intrigued by the country’s cultural offerings and natural beauty, Haiti offers fascinating castles, history, architecture, art, music and spiritual traditions.

Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The capital, Port-au-Prince, is located in the central region on the Gulf of Gonâve. Points of interest here include the Musée de Pantheon, Place des Héros, and the Basilica of Notre Dame. Inside the Musée Nationale is a treasure-trove of historical relics such as the pistol used by King Henri Christophe in 1820, which he used to end his life rather than face a coup. Visitors can also see an anchor allegedly salvaged from Christopher Columbus’ famous Santa Maria.

The Museum of Haitian Art features the nation’s famed art naïf paintings. Fine art galleries are located in Pétionville in the hills above the city, where most visitors choose to stay. This upscale district is home to international embassies, trendy restaurants, boutiques and nightclubs. The Barbancourt Rum Distillery is another popular attraction, in operation since 1765 and based in a hillside castle.

The northern peninsula is filled with forts and ruins to explore. The formidable Citadelle crowns the 3,000 foot Pic la Ferriere and in the valley sits Sans Souci, an elegant but ruined palace built in 1810. The two structures are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five additional forts overlook Cap-Haïtien harbor and the coastline. The southern peninsula’s high mountains and thundering waterfalls attract nature lovers. Visit Bassin Bleu, a triple waterfall with deep pools, and Pic de Macaya, a 7,700 foot mountain populated by rare orchids and birds. Étang Saumâtre, a blue saltwater lake, delights with more than 100 species of waterfowl plus flamingos and American crocodile.

AIRPORTS/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES: Airports: Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture. Port-au-Prince International Airport, located 5 miles from downtown. Local airports: Cap Haitien (northeast) and Port-de-Paix (northwest). Jacmel (southeast of Haiti Pignon, center of Haiti) . Jeremie (southwest or Grand Anse). Gateways/Flying Times: Miami-1.5 hours. Montreal-4 hours. New York-3 hours 20 minutes. Santo Domingo-40 minutes.

CLIMATE: Average daytime temperature 76-82 degrees F., with cooler nights. Rainy season from May to July and September to early December; 20-25 days of rain annually.

DINING: Restaurants available-Local. Fast food. Gourmet. International. Service charge -10% . Dress code is usually casual comfortable summer sportswear. Some hotels may require a jacket and tie.

LANGUAGE: French and Creole are the official languages. English and Spanish are also widely spoken.

NIGHTLIFE: Entertainment available includes-Discos. Dinner/Dances. Theaters. Casinos. Nightclubs. Cinemas. Live music.

SIGHTSEEING: In Port-au-Prince: The Cathedral of Port-au-Prince. The Cathedral of St. Trinity. Musee du Pantheon National, Place des Heros de l’Independence. ‘In Boutilliers (3000 ft) panoramic view of Port-au-Prince and the Bay of La Gonave’. In the Cote des Arcadins: Moulin sur Mer Museum. In Cap-Haitien: Citadelle LaFerriere. Palais Sans-Souci. Colonial Architecture. In Jacmel: Bassin Bleu. Manoir Alexandra. Colonial Architecture.Handicraft. La Petite Batterie.

CUBA

There are few more fascinating destinations in the Caribbean than its largest and most populous island, Cuba – not least because it has been a socialist republic since the 1959 revolution, when Fidel Castro seized power. This last remaining vestige of state socialism, 90 miles south of Key West, Florida, was once the last stronghold of Spanish power in the region.

Cuba’s rich artistic heritage ranges from pre-Columbian cultures to the splendors of Spanish colonialism and the internationally acclaimed art of today. It is also a place of great natural beauty, with three magnificent mountain ranges and fertile plains where sugar cane and tobacco grow. And it has some of the best beaches in the world.

A quarter of Cuba’s 11 million people live in and around Havana, which lays claim to being the most beautiful city in the Caribbean. Old Havana, with its square mile of colonial palaces, handsome plazas and charming cobbled alleys was, along with Mexico City and Lima, one of the three richest Spanish cities outside Spain. It has been designated by UNESCO as a city of world heritage.

Cuba has an easy-going, multi-racial population whose greatest enthusiasm is reserved for music. It is the home of the modern rumba, actually of African origin, the mamba, the cha-cha-cha and the salsa. Cuban jazz is also excellent. Wherever you go on the island, music will go with you.

Travel can be an adventure. Transport is cheap and convivial. Cuba is the only place on earth where hitchhiking is regulated by the state – in the nicest possible way. Each town has a hitch-hiking point manned by an official in yellow trousers who supervises the hitchers, registers their destinations and loads them on to any state or private car that happens to be heading in the right direction. Tourists are absolved from the obligation to take on hitch-hikers.

It's a great time to visit Cuba, if you can. It is a vibrant island with resorts and beaches, some extensive – and the fact that it does not always provide the fully-honed and polished version of modern-day tourism suits many of its visitors just fine.

CAYMAN ISLAND

Like three brilliant siblings, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman each have their own charms while sharing familial traits. A British Overseas Territory, the trio makes up a one of a kind vacation spot beloved by families, couples and watersport enthusiasts alike.

Grand Cayman’s capital, George Town, is a vibrant city center, housing unique historic sites, a renowned National Gallery and Cayman’s National Museum. The downtown area also boasts some of the Caribbean’s very best duty-free shopping. Travelers can choose from fine European fashions and top designer labels, artisanal crafts such as Caymanite jewelry, antiques and treasure coin jewelry.

The perfect family vacation destination, Grand Cayman is full of adventures. At Boatswain’s Beach, site of the renowned Cayman Turtle Farm, children and parents alike can enjoy a fully interactive marine park--home to more than 16,000 endangered green sea turtles, exciting shark exhibits and a fabulous snorkel lagoon. At Stingray City, families can touch and feed stingrays, while snorkeling over magnificent coral reefs filled with colorful tropical fish.

With dozens of world-class dining options and a host of luxury accommodations, Cayman is also the perfect setting for a destination wedding, honeymoon or romantic weekend getaway. Whether it be relaxing at Seven Mile Beach or experiencing exhilarating dives, Grand Cayman has it all.

If you’re looking for a remote retreat, Cayman Brac is only 45 minutes away. A nature lover’s paradise, this small island is lined with walking and hiking trails and is home to nearly 200 species of birds. Cayman Brac is also the site of the only dive-accessible Russian warship in the Western Hemisphere.

Little Cayman, just five miles from Cayman Brac, is the quintessential island escape. Fewer than 150 people live here year-round, and the bonefishing and diving are spectacular. There are more than 50 walls, wrecks and other dive sites teeming with tropical fish and coral. Bloody Bay Wall off Little Cayman and the Great Wall off North Cayman, draw divers from all over the world.

For some, Cayman is a diver’s dream offering clear waters, famous wrecks, and diverse aquatic life. For others, it’s a fun, educational and enriching family vacation. For others still, it’s the perfect romantic getaway. The Cayman Islands truly has something for everyone.

AIRPORTS/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES: Airports: (GCM) - Owen Roberts International Airport serves Grand Cayman. Gerrard Smith International Airport is on Cayman Brac. Edward Bodden Airstrip is on Little Cayman. Little Cayman has no customs or immigration, so no international flights stop there. Gateways/Flying Times: Atlanta - 2 hours 40 minutes. Kingston, Jamaica - 1 hour. Miami - 1 hour 20 minutes. Tampa - 1 hour 40 minutes. New York – 4 hours. Toronto, Canada – 4 hours. Charlotte - 2 hours 50 minutes. Newark - 4 hours 15 minutes. Montego Bay, Jamaica - 45 minutes.

CLIMATE: Average annual temperature, high-27.6 C/86.6 F: low-19 degrees C/66 degrees F.

DINING: Local. Caribbean. International. Gourmet. Chinese. Italian. Mexican. Southwestern USA. German. Indian. Thai. English pubs. Fast Food. Dress code is casual. 15% is standard for gratuities.

LANGUAGE: English.

NIGHTLIFE: Discos. Live Music. Nightclubs. Dinner/Dances. Cinemas. Theaters. Comedy Club. Café. Occasionally gospel concerts and concerts by top reggae, country and rock bands.

SIGHTSEEING: Grand Cayman - white sand beaches, dive and snorkel sites; Marine trips; Atlantis Submarine; SeaWorld Explorer Semi-Submarine; Nautilus Semi-Submersible Submarine; Jolly Roger cruise excursions; Turtle Farm; Conch Shell House; Hell in West Bay; Blow Holes in East End; Stingray City (snorkeling or diving) dept 4 to 12 ft; Tortuga Rum Factory; Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park; Mastic Trail; Pedro St. James; Rum Point; Stingray Brewery; Yacht Club; Britannia, the Links at Safehaven Golf courses. Butterfly Farm. Cayman Brac - Bluff; Caves; Honeymoon Cottage; Museum; NIM Things; Parrot Reserve; M/V Capt. Keith Tibbetts (diving or snorkeling site). Brac Nature Trails. Little Cayman - Booby Pond Nature Reserve; Museum; National Trust House and Bird Sanctuary; Owen Island; Point O’ Sand Beach; Salt Rocks Dock; Tarpon Lake; Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Marine Parks (diving and snorkeling sites).

JAMAICA

Jamaica is surely one of the Caribbean’s most iconic destinations. The scenery offers everything from fish-filled coral reefs and white-sand beaches to breathtaking waterfalls and cloud-shrouded rainforests. The music is infectious, and the people represent one of the most diverse populations in the Caribbean, drawing from African, Chinese, Indian, British and German heritage.

Jamaica is the Caribbean’s third largest island with six main tourist regions – Montego Bay, Negril, Mandeville and The South Coast, Kingston, Port Antonio and Ocho Rios. There are numerous tranquil places to visit: The 7,402 foot Blue Mountain Peak is a challenge to all serious island trekkers, and bird watching is increasingly popular with more than 200 native species, including at least 25 species that are endemic. Jamaica is also reputedly home to more than 3,000 species of flowering plants, some 720 of which are found nowhere else. Jamaica is rich with formal gardens, too, such as Hope Botanical Gardens, Shaw Park Gardens, Coyaba River Garden and the Cranbrook Flower Forest.

Ocho Rios is a prime port for cruise ships but also boasts a succession of bays and beaches. Most notable are Runaway Bay, and Discovery Bay. Just inland lies Dunn’s River Falls – a much photographed attraction. Montego Bay is a mecca for watersports lovers including sailing, scuba diving, jet skiing, parasailing, sport fishing and glass-bottom boat excursions. For shoppers, Gloucester Avenue (dubbed the "Hip Strip") is lined with duty-free shops, souvenir arcades, restaurants and bars. Negril became known in the 1960’s and 1970’s as an idyllic escape for the backpack crowd, and still enjoys a low-key demeanor. Perched on limestone bluffs, Negril’s West End is home to numerous small resorts snuggled into the craggy cliffs.

Visit the many plantation great houses such as Rose Hall and Greenwood Great House. Tour the rum distillery at Hampden Great House. Like many Caribbean islands with a sugar plantation heritage, Jamaica showcases numerous fine rums, including Appleton, which offers a top-shelf label of aged rums. Another favorite treat is Tia Maria, a coffee-flavored rum liqueur.

AIRPORTS/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES: Airports: Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), 13 miles from Kingston. Sangster International Airport (MBJ), 2 miles from downtown Montego Bay. Sangster to: Ocho Rios 1.5 hours, Negril 1.5 hours. Manley to: Port Antonio 2 hours, South Coast 2.0 hrs. Gateways/Flying Times: From Baltimore-3 hours. Boston-3 hours 40 minutes. Chicago-3 hours 45 minutes. Dallas-3 hours 20 minutes. Los Angeles-5 hours 30 minutes. Miami-1hour 25 minutes. Montego Bay from Atlanta-2 hours 40 minutes. New Orleans-3 hours. New York-3 hours 20 minutes. Toronto-4 hours.

CLIMATE: Temperatures high/low-Summer 80/70-80 degrees F. Winter 80/70 degrees F. Annual average temperature is 82 degrees F. In the hills it’s cooler with an average temperature around 70 degrees F. In Kingston, humidity ranges from 63% in February to 75% in October. In Montego Bay, humidity ranges from 71 to 77%. Average rainfall is 77” annually. Approximate sunrise/sunset 0600/1900. For every 1000 feet in altitude the temperature drops 3.5 degrees F, so that the Blue Mountain Peak has an average annual temperature of 56 degrees F.

DINING: Local. Fast food. Gourmet. International. Tipping: 10-15%

LANGUAGE: The official language spoken is English. Patois, a mix of English and African, is also spoken.

NIGHTLIFE: Discos. Nightclubs. Dinner/Dances. Theaters. Live music. Cinemas.

ATTRACTIONS/SIGHTSEEING: Kingston: Bob Marley Museum. Bank of Jamaica Money Museum. Caymanas Park. Devon House. Emancipation Park. Fort Charles & The Maritime Museum, Port Royal. Hollywell. Hope Botanical Gardens. Institute of Jamaica. Liberty Hall. National Gallery of Art. National Heroes Park. Putt n’ Play. Rockfort Mineral Bat. Serenity Wildlife Park. Spanish Town's Historic District. Mandeville/South Coast: Appleton Rum Tour. Black River Safari Boat Tour. Cashoo Ostrich Park. Irie Safari. Lover’s Leap. Milk River Mineral Spa. YS Falls. Montego Bay: Animal Farm. Aquasol Theme Park. Bob Marley Experience. Braco Stables.
Chukka Blue Adventure Tours. Craydon In the Mountains. Doctor's Cave Bathing Club. John’s Hall Adventure Tour. Half Moon Equestrian Centre. Hilton High Day Tour. Luminous Lagoon/Glistening Waters. MoBay Undersea Tours. Outameni Experience. Rafting on the Martha Brae. Jamaica White Water Expedition. Rose Hall Great House. Negril: Royal Palm Reserve. Mayfield Falls. Rick’s Café. Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay: Blue Mountain Bicycle Tour. Chukka Cove Adventure Tours. Coyaba River Gardens. Cranbrook Flower Forest. Dolphin Cove. Dunn's River Falls. Firefly. Five Star Watersports. Green Grotto Caves. Harmony Hall. Heave-Ho Charters/Fun Cruises. Hooves Limited. Island Village. James Bond Beach. Ocho Rios Marine Park. Prospect Plantation. Reggae eXplosion. Shaw Park Gardens. Sting Ray City. Trails Plantation Rides. Walderswood Jerk Country Tour. White River Valley. Port Antonio: Blue Lagoon. Frenchman’s Cove. Castleton Gardens. Nonsuch Caves. Rio Grande Tours. Sommerset Falls. Reich Falls.

BAHAMAS

Approximately 700 islands, spread over nearly 100,000 square miles of ocean, constitute The Bahamas. The term Out Islands (or Family Islands) refer to all of the islands except New Providence, home to Nassau and Paradise Island, and Grand Bahama, home to Freeport/Lucaya. There are flights to all of the island centers from Nassau. It’s also possible to charter a plane, take a high-speed catamaran ferry, or hop aboard a chartered sailboat or motorboat.

Home to the Bahamas capital of Nassau and the resort development of Paradise Island, New Providence Island is the most visited Bahamian island, thanks to its international airport and busy cruise ship dock. Freeport/Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island is a popular destination offering excellent golf courses including ones designed by Dick Wilson, Joe Lee and Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Grand Bahama Island is the headquarters of UNEXSO, the Underwater Explorers Society, providing numerous scuba opportunities. The Lucayan National Park offers such birds as flamingos, red legged thrushes and the rare Bahama parrot. The largest of the Bahamas’ islands, Andros, boasts freshwater creeks, lakes, mangrove swamps, and miles of unspoilt beaches. The island boasts the second-largest reef in the Western Hemisphere and fishing for bonefish is the island’s biggest tourist industry. The Berry Islands, home to Chub Cay and Billfish capital of The Bahamas. Bimini is a popular destination for first-rate big-game fishing. Inagua is home to more than 80,000 flamingos and other exotic birds. Long Island is known for broad beaches on its west coast and rocky cliffs on the east.

Cat Island's deserted beaches make for a total getaway. The Abacos and their string of cays are known for their sheltered waters and easy boating. The Exumas have a lot to offer both above and below the surface of the water. At the north end lies the astounding Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. Great Exuma, in the south, is home to lodgings and restaurants and Stocking Island, with its untouched beaches separated by towering, rocky cliffs. Eleuthera is 100 miles long but just a few yards wide at some points. At the Glass Window Bridge, you can see the Bahama Bank on one side and the Atlantic on the other. Harbour Island offers good snorkeling and fishing on the bayside and is famous for a 3 mile pink sand beach.

AIRPORT/ GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES: Airport: Lynden Pindling International Airport - to Cable Beach - 10 minutes. To Downtown Nassau - 20 minutes. To Paradise Island - 30 minutes. Grand Bahama International Airport - to downtown - 5 minutes. To International Bazaar – 10 minutes. By Sea : Discovery Cruise Line - Operates a daily service between Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Grand Bahama Island. Imperial Majesty Cruise Line’s Regal Empress sails every two days between Ft. Lauderdale and Nassau. Gateways/Flying Times: To Nassau from London – 8 hours. Miami - 35 minutes. New York – 2.5 hours. San Francisco (via Miami) - 5 3/4 hours. Toronto – 3.5 hours.

CLIMATE: Average temperature - Summer: High 90, Low 78. Winter : High 75, Low 60. Average humidity 78. Average rainfall - Rain showers occur any time of the year, but rainy months are from May to October. Approximate sunrise - Summer: 0630 - 0700. Winter: 0630
- 0700. Approximate sunset - Summer: 2000. Winter: 1730.

DINING: Restaurants available - Local. American. Fast Food. Gourmet. Continental. French. Italian. Chinese. Japanese. Polynesian. Mexican. Caribbean. French. Greek. Mediterranean. Seafood. 15% service charge is usually added. Dress code is casual. Some restaurants may require slightly more formal attire.

NIGHTLIFE: Entertainment available includes - Nightclubs. Discos. Casinos. Cabarets. Theatre. Cinema. Live music. Native shows.

SIGHTSEEING: Abaco: Hope Town Light House. Wyannie Malone Museum. Albert Lowe Museum. Memorial Sculpture Garden. Exuma: Exuma Land and Sea Park. Stocking Island. Plantation ruins. Underwater caves. Eleuthera: Preacher’s Cave. Glass Window Bridge Ocean Hole. Harbour Island: Pink sand beaches. Grand Bahama: International Bazaar. Glass-bottom Boat. Port Lucaya. UNEXSO Dive Center. The Dolphin Experience. Lucayan National Park. East End Adventures. Kayak tours. Nassau: Straw Market. Bay Street. Pompey Museum. Pirates of Nassau. Horse and carriage rides. Government House. Historical Forts. Ardastra Gardens. The Fish Fry At Arawak Cay. Queen’s Staircase. Water Tower. Walking Tours. Discover Atlantis.

Japan: Kamikaze? Hait!!!

2008-08-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Mt.Fuji: The highest mountain in Japan with a beautiful cone shape. The center of mountain worship since ancient days.

Mt. Fuji is 3,776 meters high and is the highest mountain in Japan, situated in the southeast part of Yamanashi at the border of Shizuoka. With unrivaled magnificence and a beautiful cone shape, Mt. Fuji has often been selected as the subject of paintings and literature. It is the world-famous as a symbol of Japan.

At the foot of Mt. Fuji are Fuji-Goko (Fuji's Five Lakes), Aoki-ga-hara-jukai (a sea of trees that is dark even during the day), and Kitaguchi-Hongu Fuji-Sengen-jinja Shrine (which was constructed to calm the eruption of Mt. Fuji). The Fire Festival of Yoshida, held at the end of the summer as a ritual for closing the climbing season for Mt. Fuji, is one of the three most peculiar festivals in Japan.

Mt. Fuji has long been the center of mountain worship of ancient Japan. Today, it is a popular mountain to climb, and many people climb Mt. Fuji to watch the sunrise called Goraiko from the top. Access to the 5th station is well maintained, so you can go up to this point and thoroughly enjoy the magnificence of Mt. Fuji by just looking at the beautiful sight and its surrounding environment close at hand in all seasons without having to climb all the way to the top.

Kawazu Seven Waterfalls: An ancient mountain passage that was once the setting for a famous novel. Seven magnificent, aligned waterfalls.

Amagi-toge Pass is an old historical pass crossing a mountain about 820 meters above sea level at its peak. Located in the center of the Izu-hanto Peninsula, it leads through beautiful cedar and cypress trees to the main setting for the novel "Izu no Odoriko" (A Dancer in Izu) written by author Yasunari Kawabata, a Nobel Prize laureate.

Yugashima-onsen Hot Spring, located at the junction of the Kano-gawa and the Nekko-gawa rivers, is known as a calm and composed spa area which was cherished by many writers, including Yasunari Kawabata. The old passage through the mountain pass of Izu, embraced by rich, deep forests, still preserves the atmosphere of an older time. This is the site of the number one waterfall in the Izu district, Joren-no-taki, where you can enjoy the magnificent view of massive volumes of water cascading down from atop the soaring rock mountain.

The Kawazu-gawa River originates around Amagi-toge Pass and flows through the eastern part of the peninsula. There are seven waterfalls, known as the "Kawazu Nanadaru," located on the upper course of the river, where you can walk beside the stream along a well set out promenade designed to help visitors appreciate the series of waterfalls. From the uppermost going downstream, they are named: Kama-daru; Ebi-daru; Hebi-daru; Shokei-daru; Kani-daru; Deai-daru; and Oh-daru. The largest of all is Oh-daru, which is about 7 meters wide and 30 meters high.

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: Enjoy the beauty throughout the four seasons along one of Japan's best alpine sightseeing routes. The highlight of the route is the Kurobe Dam, the highest in Japan.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is an international mountain sightseeing route of some 90 kilometers long. The route goes across the 3,000-meter-high North Alpine mountains, the so-called "roof of Japan," and connects Toyama and Shinano Omachi. You can enjoy the panorama, from the fresh green of spring, to the red leaves of fall, to the new snow of winter, by taking a train, highland bus, trolley bus, cable car, and ropeway. Since the lines opened in June 1971, the Tateyama mountain area has been transformed from an isolated spot into one of the nation's best sightseeing areas, where a million guests visit every year.

Murodo-daira of Tateyama has one of the heaviest snows in the world, and the snow reaches about seven meters on average. In particular, the snow mantle at Otani, a five-minute walk from Murodo Station, sometimes gets more than 20 meters because of snowdrifts. The famous "Snow Walls" are formed by expelling this heavy snow, and the 500-meter-long area with such snow walls is open to sightseers from mid-April to late May.

The Kurobe Dam, built at the upper stream of the Kurobe-gawa River, an arched concrete dam of 186 meters high, is the highest in Japan and is higher than a 50-floor skyscraper. From the dam's observatory, you see a panorama view of the Tateyama Mountain Range and the North Alpine. Visitors can see the dynamic water discharge at the dam from 26 June to 15 October.

Himeji Castle: A prominent castle designated as a World Cultural Heritage. The castle resembles the shape of a heron with spread wings.

The Himeji Castle is located in Himeji City in the western Hyogo. It was constructed in the mid-14th century, and after a three-layer castle tower was built by the order of the man of power Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century, Ikeda Terumasa, a feudal lord of the castle rebuilt it further in the 17th century. Its figure was likened as a white heron spreading its wings, and thus called the Hakuro-jo, or White Heron Castle. It was designated as a national treasure in 1931, and as the World Cultural Heritage in 1993.

The Tenshukaku (castle tower) is the main structure and has 5 stories in appearance but 6 stories inside and a first basement. All structures are covered with white plaster unique to Japan. The roofs are covered with kawara tiles and white plaster is applied to the joints. The sturdy, magnificent structure and elegant appearance, as well as complex and tactical defense devices make the Himeji Castle the most prominent castle in Japan.

The Castle hosts the Himeji Castle Cherry Blossom Viewing Fair, cherry blossom viewing drum music performance and Princess Sen-hime Peony Festival in spring, Himeji Port Festival in summer, Moon Viewing Fair and Himeji All Japan Ceramics Market in autumn. Visitors never cease throughout the year. In the surrounding areas, there are a Japanese garden Koko-en, an affinity with the Castle, Otokoyama Sen-hime Tenmangu Shrine and Hyogo Historical Museum.

Indonesia: Bali? No it's not

2008-08-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2.

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.

Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island’s remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

There are presently almost 4,000 inhabitants living within the park spread out over four settlements (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, and Papagaran). All villages existed prior to 1980 before the area was declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1,169 people on Komodo, meaning that the local population had increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest population increase of the villages within the Park, mostly due to migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi. The number of buildings in Kampung Komodo has increased rapidly from 30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000. Papagaran village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078 people. As of 1999, Rinca’s population was 835, and Kerora's population was 185 people. The total population currently living in the Park is 3,267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area immediately surrounding the Park.

The average level of education in the villages of Komodo National Park is grade four of elementary school. There is an elementary school located in each of the villages, but new students are not recruited each year. On average, each village has four classes and four teachers. Most of the children from the small islands in the Kecamatan Komodo (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, Papagaran, Mesa) do not finish elementary school. Less than 10% of those which do graduate from elementary school will continue to high school since the major economic opportunity (fishing) does not require further education. Children must be sent to Labuan Bajo to attend high school, but this is rarely done in fishermen’s families.

West Java

The enchanting land of Sunda stretches from the Sunda Strait in the West to the borders of Central Java in the east. The region is primarily mountainous, with rich green valleys hugging lofty volcanic peaks, many of which surround the capital of the province, Bandung. The history of West Java is a story of trade, spices, and the rise and fall of powerful kingdoms. In the late 1500’s the region was ruled from mighty Cirebon, which still survives as a sultanate today, although a shadow of its former glory. West Java was one of the first contact points in Indonesia for Indian traders and their cultural influences and it was here that the Dutch and British first set foot in the archipelago.

Bunaken Underwater National Park

Bunaken is one of the most spectacular spots for diving and admiring marine life. Other places nearby are also ranked among the favorites by locals and international tourists Located near Sulawesi or Celebes, Indonesia, Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen Island, Lembeh Strait are perfect destinations for amateur and professional divers.

Getting There

Where to Stay
Inns and hotels in Manado, or in Sulawesi Dive Quest on Bunaken island Liang beach, a small beach resort.

Moving Around
Explore the land on foot. Use a boat to move from one place to another.

Dining Guide
Various restaurants and cafes throughout Manado and the islands. Try their specialties: seafood and food made of coconuts!

Souvenir Tips
Sea-related products, such as items made of seashells, corals, etc.

Other Things to See or Do

Diving, swimming, snorkeling.
Walking around on the beach.
Sampling the tempting seafood cuisine.
Ornitologists and amateur bird-watchers might find visiting Tangkoko Dua Sudara Nature Reserve entertaining.

Travel Tips

Bring along your bathing suit, if you plan to swim. You can rent diving suits and equipments in Manado area, though. So no need to bring your own, unless you're a pro.
Join a tour if you'll be diving for the first time.

Germany: The Country of Panzer and "NAZI"

2008-08-20T20:16:00.001-07:00

Idyllic Route

The well-signposted Idyllic Route runs for 130 kilometres through an outstandingly beautiful holiday and recreation area, past forests, meadows, old mills and original remains or reconstructions of the limes, the boundary of the Roman empire. It leads through the Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Reserve, one of southern Germany's most delightful areas for walking. Steep, tree-clad slopes, wide-open plateaus, long valleys and dense mixed forests full of mysterious sounds all add to the charms of the nature reserve. There are also fields, pastureland, meadows and forests woven together like patchwork dotted with hamlets and farms. Other features to look out for are the orchid-filled meadows in the valleys, hillside orchards and pastures and dramatic rock formations in the forests of the steep Keuper escarpments.

The Idyllic Route is perfect for walking, cycling and discovering an area with thundering waterfalls and tranquil lakes suitable for swimming. Visitors can admire impressive waterwheels and historical mills on burbling streams, or follow in the footsteps of the Romans. There are fascinating museums, neatly kept villages and romantic little towns all along the route - perfect for whiling away the hours. Priceless collections at a string of castles and palaces reflect the artistic passions of their owners, past and present. This circular route is also suitable for a cycle tour of the Swabian Forest, though touring or mountain bikes are recommended.

Nymphenburg Palace & Park, Munich

The Bavarian elector Ferdinand was so delighted at the birth of a much longed-for heir to his throne that he gave his wife a piece of land. That was in 1663, and the Wittelsbach Electress Henriette Adelaide von Savoyen built herself a “borgo de la ninfe”, a small summer villa with a garden. This was the predecessor of Nymphenburg Palace. At the start of the 18th century the building was extended on both sides, with residential pavilions connected by galleries being added. The exterior was remodelled in the French style and the modest palace transformed into a large, elegant summer residence. Nymphenburg is regarded as a European masterpiece, combining architecture and landscape design in seldom-seen harmony. At the beginning of the 19th century the leading landscape gardener Friedrich Ludwig Sckell transformed the margins of the park into an English landscaped garden with meandering paths and picturesque effects.

Schönbusch Park, Aschaffenburg

Schönbusch Park in Aschaffenburg, Lower Franconia, is one of Germany's oldest classical landscaped gardens. Starting in 1775, under Friedrich Carl von Erthal, Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell transformed what was then a hunting ground into an English landscaped garden. The park boasts an abundance of plants, a temple to friendship, a philosopher's house, an orangery, the Nilkheim chapel, Nilkheim model farm, shepherds' houses and a little village. The neo-classical Schönbusch garden palace gives visitors an insight into 18th century royal living in ten rooms furnished in Louis XVI style.

Cologne Cathedral

A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, Cologne Cathedral is one of the finest church buildings in the Christian world. Gargantuan proportions and craftsmanship of unparalled quality have made the cathedral a defining example of the Gothic style.

The pinnacle of Gothic architecture
Cologne's mighty cathedral towers just a stone's throw from the banks of the Rhine. Modelled on a French design and built entirely in a high-Gothic style, it is Cologne's most famous landmark and one of the largest cathedrals in Germany. Its steep, vaulted ceilings are supported by more than one hundred pillars and light streams in through a multitude of stained-glass windows. The cathedral's most sacred treasure and the most important reliquary in the western world is the Shrine of the Three Magi, a magnificent gilded sarcophagus thought to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men. More than 500 steps lead up the south tower, which offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city.

Bamberg - UNESCO World Heritage Site

One thousand years of history have shaped the Franconian imperial and episcopal town of Bamberg, leaving behind many valuable architectural monuments such as medieval churches and baroque town houses. The magic of the past hangs like a veil over the town.

Magnificent architecture steeped in a thousand years of history
Bamberg's fascinating historical townscape has developed over more than a 1,000 years. At the centre of this world heritage town is the largest preserved old quarter in Europe. Around 2,400 listed buildings and the centuries-old garden quarter make up the town's unique cultural heritage. The façades of its buildings are richly decorated in fascinating detail with spectacular ornamentation.

Italy: New and Undiscovered

2008-08-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Castles of Trentino

Trentino: a land of mountains, of extraordinary views, of forests, of waterfalls and meadows. And a land of castles: where there reigns a distinctive atmosphere which you discern as soon as you go through the massive entrance of a recently restored manor house, walk through the lists where tournaments were once held and enter frescoed rooms where the shadows might cloak the presence of figures from distant legend; castles whose ruins, encountered unexpectedly on walks through the countryside, radiate mystery, their square stones bringing to life the shouts of soldiers who once guarded the walls, the loud cries of the grooms in the stables and the soft voices of the knights keeping a vigil in the castle chapel.

At the Foot of the Alps

Join us for an exciting new tour in Northern Italy: in the scenic Piedmont region, Valle d'Aosta, that is the smallest region of Italy and Lombardy including Lake Maggiore, Lake Como (towns of Como, Bellagio, Varenna, Mennagio) and the city of Milan.

In the Silence of the Nuraghi

This excursion leads us to Sardinia, a land of ancient civilizations which have left behind their Tomb of the Giants, their Domus de Janas (Houses of the Spirits) and the Nuraghi towers whose origins are lost in the mists of antiquity, a land of rocky coasts

and wild, untamed mountains, whose heritage has been jealously preserved in its traditions and folklore.

Tuscany: The Birthplace of Renaissance
Join us for an exciting new tour in Northern Tuscany: the landscape is marked by a vast range of features, from marble quarries to market gardens, and from mountain ranges and nature reserves to wonderful sandy beaches and medieval towns.

Again, please contact your, travel agency to find out more about Tuscany. Enjoy your stay at Italy.