Friday, May 7, 2010

3 Days in Bora Bora - Things to Do and See


Bora Bora is one of the most popular destinations in French Polynesia. A lush island paradise surrounded by barrier reefs, Bora Bora offers pristine, white sand beaches and a picturesque lagoon that has made the island one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world.

Part of the Leeward group of the Society Islands, Bora Bora is located roughly 200 kilometers from Papeete. The name Bora Bora was derived from the Tahitian word Pora Pora, which, roughly translated, means "First Born." A majority of the Bora Bora islanders speak both Tahitian and French, but tourists will not find difficulty in finding English-speaking locals.

Day 1 - Vaitape is the island's main tourist hub and this is where most offices and shops are located. Nestled on the Western part of the island, Vaitape offers a number of hotels, restaurants and resorts that can cater to any tourist's needs. Vaitape is conveniently located near the main channel of the island's lagoon and offers the best starting point for tourists wanting to explore the rest of the island. The best way to see the sights around Vaitape is by renting a bicycle from one of the many rental shops scattered about the area.

Tourists should definitely visit Hotel Bora Bora. This famous hotel offers a number of over water bungalows that are available for occupancy. Meals are delivered by boat, and hotel guests are guaranteed all the privacy they want as they stare into the sunset.

Day 2 - The local lagoon is one of the best Snorkeling and Diving spots in the world. Tourists can spend the day engaging in some of the many water sports that are offered in the lagoon. Those looking for an exciting Bora Bora experience can try Jet Skiing, Windsurfing, and Water Skiing, while those looking for a more relaxing experience can spend the day observing the local underwater fauna in specially designed observation boats.

Day 3 - After a day of fun in the water, tourists may want to explore some of the earthbound pleasures the island has to offer. They can go hiking and climbing in Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia, s twin peaks. There are also a number of establishments that offer 4x4 rentals that take tourists driving around the extinct volcanoes. Many picnic areas and observation decks also dot the area around the twin peaks where tourists can spend some quality time with their friends and families.

Three days is not nearly enough to see and experience all that Bora Bora has to offer, but this tropical island paradise offers some of the best weekend getaway packages in existence.

A Complete Travel Guide to Accra


Accra is the capital of Ghana and is located on the coast of western region of Africa. With the population of almost 2 million it's the most populous city in the country. Ga is the widely spoken language in the city but you can also see many people speaking Hausa, Twi and Ewe. However English is also spoken in urban area. Accra is the most famous city in Ghana because of its rich history and tourists' attractions.

Get in

Kotoka International Airport is the main gateways to get in the country and is located in the capital city, Accra. It operates with all international airlines which provide cheap Accra flights from America, Middle East, Africa and Europe. You can also use the same airport to get domestic flights to Kumasi and Tamale.

Get out

To get around the city you need to book SUV but advance booking is highly recommended. You can also hire a car but if you don't have knowledge about city's road network then you should hire a car with an expert driver. The urban area is quite developed but the fares can be increased if you leave to metro Accra.

If you love walking then walk in the streets of Accra by night is another good option available. Accra is safe enough to walk any time but watch out for high speeded car while walking. Taxi is the option that is always available for getting around. Two types of taxis are run in the city, Shared Taxi and Metered Taxi. The former type follows the fix routes and is shared by 4 to 5 passengers at a time. It charges fix rent per person. The later type has meter in them. They are expensive as compare to Shared taxi but you would feel more comfortable in metered taxi.

Tro Tro is another option available for traveling around. It is used a public transport and follows the famous routes. Several stops have been established, for the Tro Tro, throughout the city so you can access it from any stop.

Must see

Accra is filled with museums, parks, shopping markets, library, beaches and castle etc. National Museum is the perfect place to understand the rich history of Ghana and its past trends. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park offers you mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, the great leader of Ghana, who led the country towards independence. In addition to this, The national Archives of Ghana, The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Ghana's Central Library and Christiansburg Castle are must visit places.

Labadi beach is the most famous tourists spot in Accra. It's warm but fresh water make it the perfect place for swimming but strolling is another must do activity at Labadi beach.

Shopping

Shopping is the most exciting experience in the country. Makola market is the busiest market in the city that is full of fabric shops. Kaneshie market is another worth seeing market that offer a wide variety of traditional goods. National Cultural Center, Accra Mall, A&C Shopping Mall, Palace shopping Mall and Shaaba Shopping Mall are worth to be not missed.

Mount Tai


Introduction

Planning to go on a holiday to China? Just do not miss visiting one of the top 10 peaks, Mount Tai. It is also considered one of the "Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism". Sunrise, birth and renewal are synonymous to it. It is known to be the centre of religious activities with captivating relics and artworks too. Enchanting scenery and magnificent sunsets would surely sooth your heart. Missing Mount Tai traveling in China is surely not done.

History

Mount Tai has a great cultural and historical significance apt for visiting. You'll locate it at the north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong Province, China. Humans stepped first at Mount Tai in as back as Paleolithic Period and started settling in from neotholic period onwards. During Spring and Autumn Period, it lay on the boundaries of the States of Qi situated at the north and Lu at south. Even the name of the neighboring city, Tai'an refers the common saying, "If Mount Tai is stable, so is the entire country". It has been worshiped from 3,000 years from the time of Shang to Qing Dynasty.

Description and Why is it considered best for travelers

Mount Tai is considered to be the epitome of splendid Chinese culture and was also listed in the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO in 1987. It is considered to be pre-eminent among the top 10 mountains in China because it has been officially during the reign of Emperor Wu Di of Han Dynasty. Also as per the doctrine of five elements dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period, east holds the significance of birth and spring and so the Mount Tai standing at the eastern edge of Northern China Plain.

You'll be amazed to behold the natural beauty of the place which is commendable and outstanding in every respect. The deep valleys, lofty peaks, beautiful waterfalls etc. would surely make you prolong your stay and enjoy the blissful surroundings. Apart from the natural beauty Mount Tai has lots to offer the travelers as various historical relics, religious monuments, sunsets, waterfalls, the Four wonders etc. which are not to be missed at any cost once in China.

Must-see Scenes

You'll come across numerous interesting things to adore at Mount Tai. There is a lot over here for you to take as an unforgettable memory back home. The splendid views overlooking the Tai'an city and surrounding areas are wonderful. The tale-telling rocks, old fragrant pines and cypresses are enough to captivate anybody's senses. Never miss the four wonders of the mountain are Sunrises from the east, enigmatic sunsets, fluffy Clouds and the Golden Belt along the Yellow River. Be assured it's truly something divine.

Mountain Top Monasteries are also worth visiting to peep into the cultural heritage of China. You'll come across various carvings of prayers and meaningful phrases on the rocks which are quite interesting and knowledgeable. As you hike up the mountain see all the ancient altars, gates and archways and have a real feel of the place being one with it.

Make a visit to the Temple of God of Mount Tai, Dai Temple located at the foot of the Mount. It is said to be one of the complete and the most ancient building in the area. You may not even have enough time to visit and notice all 22 temples, 819 stone tables, 97 ruins, 1,018 cliff-side and stone inscriptions located here. The temples most visited are Azure Cloud Temple and the Divine Rock Temple. It is there fore called to the museum of china's cultural relics and artworks.

Travel Routes

You can accent to Mount Tai via four routes. You can take the East route full of various stone inscriptions, palaces and beautiful surroundings. To take this route you can start from Dai Temple covering Red Gate Palace, Hu Tian Pavilion etc. it may take you about 4 hours to reach the Mount taking this route with more than 6000 steps but is mostly chosen by the travelers.

You may also choose to take the West route made up of two parts. The first one starts from the highroad from the Heaven and Earth Square to Mid-heaven Gate. The other convenient part is the cable way which directly takes you to the Mount top. If you take the first route you may have a chance to visit various attractions as Heaven and Earth Square, Black Dragon Pool, Longevity Bridge etc.

If you wish to travel by bus you can take peach blossom ravine route. Take No.104 national highway and then setting off the bus for the cable car. And finally you are at the Mount within few minutes here onwards. Best time for this route is the spring and summer season as the route is filled with petals, blossoms and limpid steams making you feel in heaven. The last choice you can make is of Tianzhu Peak Route best suited to adventurers.

Seasons play an important role if you are in China and plan to visit Mount Tai. Sunrise and sunset times, density of clouds and glow of the place all depend upon the season you are here. Also the route choice differs upon the type of season. The best seasons surely are spring and summer seasons full of sun, flora and beautiful lush green areas.

Thailand Travel Guide


This Best Thailand Travel Guide combines useful information about Thailand in many aspects in order for travelers who wish to experience this country to have a brief view of the nation. The Guide will first explain about the country in general before describing what it has in each region so that travelers can decide where they want to go to make the most out of their trips.

One of the distinctive points about Thailand is the Thais. Many people know this nation as the Land of Smiles as the Thais are easy-going and always smiling. Thai people are normally kind, warm and welcoming to foreigners. Tourists can feel quite comfortable asking for directions or helps from Thai strangers during their trips. Some believe that this is the influence of Buddhism, which is the religion that approximately 90% of the population is believed in.

Besides the friendly people, the country has a great combination of unique culture, interesting long history, amazing cuisine and beautiful nature. As a result, Thailand has a vast variety of holiday destinations and activities for tourists to enjoy. Tourists can choose to experience many things in this territory from thick jungles, all-night parties, stunning beaches or something else that would appeal to everyone. Besides the tourist attractions, Thailand is also an excellent place to shop due to the incredibly low price items available. To make this article the easy and the best Thailand travel guide, the content in terms of attractions will be divided into regions, North, Central and South; due to the distinctive characteristics of each part of the country.

As mentioned, each part of Thailand has different characteristics and cultures. To the north of Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai, you will find some beautiful mountain landscape with many orchid farms and elephant training camps which would give visitors some unique experience that hard to find elsewhere. Up To Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle area, travelers can visit the hill-tribe people that still have strong native culture and rituals. With the extremely different way of living for these hill tribes, travelers can experience another world on this same planet. In addition in this area, tourists can have a chance to see nice view of Me Kong river, one of the World's greatest rivers originated from Tibet area and divide Thailand territory from Laos. Moreover, if ones wish to enjoy camping in the greenish forests up the hills, this can also be done in the northern region due to plentiful of the green areas that still beautifully exist in this part of the land.

Next is the best Thailand Travel Guide in the central part of the country. In this part, there are still a lot of natural attractions in boundless national parks with some stunning waterfalls. Additionally, there are more of the ancient cities with the existed ruins in Ayutthaya and Sukhothai that can say a lot about the long history of the nation. Last but not least, the capital city, Bangkok, is also located in this region.

Finally for this best Thailand Travel Guide is the southern region, the slimmest and longest area of Thailand. This region is the land in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea so that beaches are the highlights of this area. Tourists are guaranteed to experience amazing beaches, stunning beautiful tropical islands and sparkling blue water. Moreover, many alternative western-standard accommodations are available from world-class hotels to backpacker places that can be matched with every taste and budget. Due to the existed beautiful reefs and underwater creatures, Scuba diving and snorkeling are normal activities visitors often choose to enjoy in this area.

There is a Thai joke saying that there are 3 seasons in Thailand: hot, hotter and hottest. Normally, most Thailand travel guides would say that the most recommended season to come to Thailand is during November to February as it is the least hot period, yet, the sun still shines beautifully. March to May is considered too hot as it is the hottest period, which could be less tolerable for visitors especially westerners. And as the rain would then arrive during June to October, it is considered as too wet in the monsoon season of Thailand. However, this Best Thailand Travel Guide would choose to also recommend travelers to consider this wet season because this would be less crowded time to visit many attractions such as well-known beaches, ancient cities or temples. The best thing is that during this time with occasional rains, travelers can pay for much less for air fares and accommodations. Well-known hotels can reduce their rates up to 50-60% so that visitors can enjoy superior facilities at minimal expenses.

Top 5 Destinations


The World Travel Guide provides all the information required regarding the various holiday destinations of the world. The purpose of this guide is to provide all the details about a travel destination and its specialties besides the facilities on offer to its guests.

The World Travel Guide is considered by many to be amongst the most crucial elements, if not the most crucial element in choosing a destination after viewing a similar alternative on the guide. You have all the stuff required to make a decision, the information such as travel connectivity, climate and the ideal time to visit the place are the best features of the guide.

The guide has all the major destinations of the world listed and provides you the best possible base to make the correct decision.

Let us visit the top 5 travel destinations on the World Travel Guide.

The Taj Mahal: The Taj Mahal is the pride of India. This UNESCO World Heritage site is located in the North Indian city of Agra. This marvelous marble structure is considered to be the jewel of Muslim art in the Indian sub-continent. The Taj Mahal provides the much needed foreign exchange earnings to India and it is estimated some 4 million visitors experience the beauty of the Taj annually.

Whitsunday Islands: These wonderful islands are part of Australia. The place is a spectacular sight to the human eye as imagine the thought of lovely rainforests and the spectacular coral reefs. Besides, the islands are famous the world over for their warm ocean waters, which are ideal for a dip.

Rio de Janeiro: If you are looking for an ideal beach holiday destination where the fun never seems to end, then you need to be in the marvelous Rio de Janeiro of Brazil. Rio is the known to many as the fun capital of the world. The place has all the facilities for you to have a rocking time and that is not all, Rio boasts of a vibrant night life, which goes way into the next days wee hours. Hence, if you were of the view the sunset marked the end of day, that is not true in this part of the world, as the sunset only marks the beginning of the day for the die-hard party freaks.

Majorca: Alternatively referred to as Mallorca, this beach holiday destination is an ideal Spanish holiday destination. Majorca is all about white sandy beaches and the perfect place to experience the point where the sun, sea and sand meet.

Miami: Miami is a wonderful travel destination in the US. The city has so much to offer its visitors and in order to experience the beauty of Miami in total you need to be there at least for a week. Some of the talking points of the city are the Miami Sky-lift, the Miami Art Museum, the Homestead Miami Speedway, the Dolphin Stadium and much more.

Those were the top 5 travel destinations of the world. Like the destinations mentioned above, there are thousands of other descriptions available on the World Travel Guide. Hence, it is recommended you please go through the World Travel Guide as it will only help you choose the correct place.