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Saturday 27 September 2014

Cerro San Cristóbal

Cerro San Cristóbal is a hill in northern Santiago with a beautiful view over the city and, on a clear day, the Andes. At the peak, there is a church and a 22 meter (72 feet) statue of the Virgin Mary. The summit can be reached by cable car or a long hike. Cerro San Cristóbal houses the Parque Metropolitano, Santiago’s largest public park. In the park there is also a botanical garden, zoo and two swimming pools.

Los Pingüinos Natural Monument

flickr/Sheep"R"Us

The largest penguin colonies in southern Chile, Los Pingüinos Natural Monument is home to more than 120,000 Magellanic penguins. Located on the small Magdalena Island, just one square kilometer and topped by a pretty red lighthouse, it lies 35km (22 miles) northeast of Punta Arenas. In September or October each year, the birds migrate back here and find their mate. By the end of March the penguins have returned to sea again.

Chiloé Island

flickr/mabahamo

Chiloé Island is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago in the Los Lagos Region and the second-largest island in South America after Tierra del Fuego. In part because of its physical isolation from the rest of Chile, Chiloé has a very special architecture and local culture. The Spanish who arrived in the 16th century, and Jesuit missionaries who followed, constructed hundreds of unique wooden churches in an attempt to bring Christianity to the archipelago. The result was a mixing of Catholicism and indigenous Chilean beliefs.

Valparaíso

flickr/lo.tangelini

Located on the Pacific coast of the central region of Chile, Valparaíso is known for its brightly colored houses, bohemian culture and beautiful seaside views. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy.

San Rafael Glacier

flickr/VinceHuang

Located within the Laguna San Rafael National Park, the San Rafael Glacier is a giant glacier that calves into the Laguna San Rafael. The glacier is accessible only by boat or plane. The journey by boat is a spectacle in itself, passing through the narrow channels of the isolated Aisén region. What you can see from the boat is in fact just the end of the glacier’s, which extends some 15km (9 miles) from its source.

Valle de la Luna

flickr/matt.hintsa

Valle de la Luna is located in the Atacama Desert. This breathtaking desert landscape is the result of centuries of winds and floods on the sand and stone of the region. The large sand dunes and stone formations mimic the surface of the moon, giving the region its name, which translates to “Valley of the Moon”.

Torres del Paine

flickr/ik_kil

Torres del Paine is a national park in the Extreme South region of Patagonian Chile and features mountains, lakes and glaciers. The centerpiece of the park are the three Towers of Paine, three spectacular granite peaks shaped by the forces of glacial ice. The highest peak is about 2,500 meters (8200 feet).

Pucon

flickr/urbatem2

Pucón is a small touristy town in the middle of the southern Lake District. The unrivaled location by a beautiful lake and imposing volcano makes it one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chile. Pucón offers a variety of sports and recreational activities including water skiing, snow skiing, white water rafting and kayaking, horseback riding, natural hot springs and climbing the Villarrica volcano.

Lauca National Park

flickr/Joseph A Ferris III

Lauca National Park is located in Chile’s far north, in the Andean range and is one of the top tourist attractions in Chile. The most spectacular feature in Lauca is the beautiful Lago Chungará, one of the world’s highest lakes. Looming over it is the impossibly perfect cone of Volcán Parinacota, a dormant volcano with a twin brother, Volcán Pomerape, just across the border with Bolivia.

Easter Island

flickr/jdelard

One of the most isolated islands on Earth, Easter Island is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Officially a territory of Chile, it lies thousands of miles off the coast roughly halfway to Tahiti. The island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people centuries ago. Not surprisingly, the well-publicized moai have overshadowed the island’s other tourist attractions. But Easter Island also offers some great diving and surfing as well as two volcanic craters and several sandy beaches.

Thursday 25 September 2014

LANGKAWI THE BEST MEMORIAL

Dataran LangKuah Jetty

One of Langkawi’s best known manmade attractions, Dataran Lang, also known as Eagle Square, is a 12 metre-tall sculpture of an eagle poised to take flight is displayed atop an elevated platform. Located at the southeast corner of Pulau Langkawi, Dataran Lang offers breathtaking views of Kuah Bay, as well as housing beautiful miniature fountains, terraces and bridges - an ideal place for snapping postcard-perfect holiday photos.

Langkawi Cable CarJalan Telaga Tujuh

Langkawi Cable Car takes visitors on a vertiginous 15-minute ride to the top of mount Mat Cincang, offering breathtaking views of lush rainforests, miniscule islands and crystalline turquoise-blue waters. After reaching the 708 metre-tall peak, visitors can enjoy the cool breeze, grab a quick bite, browse through tee-shirts and souvenirs, and of course take lots of photos on the observatory deck.

Underwater World LangkawiZon Pantai Cenang

Underwater World Langkawi is Malaysia’s largest aquarium, housing more than 500 species of animals and sea creatures including harbour seals, rockhopper penguins, sharks, as well as flamingos and mandarin ducks. Located at the southern end of Pantai Cenang, one of its highlights is the 15-metre, six million litre walk-through underwater tunnel tank, home to sharks, giant stingrays and green turtles.

Langkawi Sky BridgeJalan Telaga Tujuh

The Langkawi Sky Bridge, situated at the ‘end’ of the Langkawi Cable Car ride, is a 410ft-long curved pedestrian bridge above Mount Mat Cincang. Located 2,300ft above sea level, the Sky Bridge offers an exhilarating (sometimes terrifying) view of the surrounding rainforests and tiny islands surrounding Langkawi. Do note that The Langkawi Sky Bridge is currently under renovation and will be reopened in December 2014.

Langkawi Bird ParadiseJalan Ayer Hangat

Langkawi Bird Paradise, five-acre park situated along Jalan Ayer Hangat, is home to over 2,500 exotic birds from 150 species such as canaries, owls, eagles, toucans, hornbills and flamingos. The park also features a walk-in aviary with a 15m manmade waterfall. About ten minutes from Kuah, the complex is also known as the Taman Burung Langkawi or Langkawi Wildlife Park.Read More...

Langkawi Island Hopping TourPantai Tengah

The Langkawi Island Hopping Tour stops at Langkawi’s most illustrious islets, such as the verdant Pulau Singa Besar where guests can watch eagles soaring overhead, Pulau Dayang Bunting where guests can go for a swim in the island’s freshwater lake and finally, Basah Island – or Wet Rice Island where you can relax and soak up the sun and sea.

Telaga Tujuh WaterfallsGunung Mat Cincang

Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls is billed as Langkawi Island’s most wonderful natural attraction with locals claiming it to be the home of faeries. Set on Langkawi’s western headlands, its name means Seven Wells Waterfalls, referring to a series of seven connected natural pools fed by seven separate waterfalls in Mount Mat Cincang. Visitors can enjoy a dip in the cool water or brave the steep climb to the top of the waterfalls.

Taman Lagenda LangkawiKuah Jetty

Located beside the Kuah jetty, Taman Lagenda Langkawi is a beautifully landscaped folklore-themed park. The open-air ‘garden museum’ faces the Kuah waterfront and has a total of 17 colourful sculptures (with signboards in English) depicting Langkawi legends including legends of heroic giants, mythical birds, evil ogres and beautiful princesses.

Langkawi CrystalJalan Kisap, Kuah

Langkawi Crystal is a highly reputable crystal ware production company on Langkawi Island. Established in 1996, Langkawi Crystal is Malaysia’s only glass-blowing works which shuns the mass-production moulds of most major European producers. Travellers are welcomed to pay a visit to the factory and see how the individual crystal ware are produced and handcrafted to make it truly unique.
Opening Hours: Daily 09:00 – 18:00 Tel: +603 966 1555

Air Hangat VillageJalan Air Hangat

Air Hangat (also known as Ayer Hangat) Village is a modern cultural complex which houses several duty-free shopping stores as well as an on-site theatre restaurant serving local, Thai and Indonesian cuisine. The main attraction of Air Hangat Village, however, is an impressive three-tier fountain and a magnificent hand-carved river stone mural built around a natural saltwater hot spring; guests can enjoy a therapeutic dip in private Jacuzzis or a pampering foot reflexology massage here.
Opening Hours: Daily 09:00 – 18:00 Tel: +604 959 1357

5 TOP PLACE IN JORDAN

Best places to visit in Jordan: Our pick #1 - The rose city of Petra

The Rose City of Petra is the jewel in Jordan’s glittering archaeological crown, and is now one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Accessed on a walk through a narrow, deep and winding cleft in the rock that is known as the Siq, the end prize is the hidden valley where the Rose City of Petra lies. And the first sight to behold is the façade of Al-Kazneh – aka the Treasury of Petra. This rose red building actually served as a royal tomb, but got its name from the legend that pirates hid their treasure there. With a backstory like that and its amazing appearance its no surprise to learn that it was this building that served as the Holy Grail’s resting place In Indiana Jones and the last crusade.

In all, there are some 800 registered sites in Petra, including some 500 tombs. Just as fascinating as the rock–carved monuments are the strange rocks themselves. Sandstone shot with minerals burst into colour giving off blue, red, orange and green hues. Amongst the rocky and sometimes jagged scenery, it’s sometimes hard to know what is man–made and what is the result of pure nature

Best places to visit in Jordan: Our pick #2 - Wadi Rum Desert

A vast, silent landscape of ancient riverbeds, pastel-coloured stretches of sandy desert and amazing rock formations known as jebels which rise from the desert floor at Wadi Rum in the south of Jordan. Wadi Rum possesses unspoilt beauty forged by millions of years of geological formation, erosion and evolution. The region is also home to semi-nomadic Bedouin living in their great goat hair tents, tending their herds of sheep and goat and preserving a lifestyle that has been practised here in the Arabian desert for centuries. On visits to Wadi Rum, we take a 4x4 desert jeep ride through the heart of the stunning wadi, enjoy a traditional Jordanian grilled dinner and camp under the stars or in tents.

Best places to visit in Jordan: Our pick #3 - Aqaba

Situated on the tip of the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aqaba, the laid-back resort of Aqaba is Jordan’s only gateway to the sea. Renowned for its pristine sandy beaches, clear waters and colourful reefs studded with marine life, Aqaba is just the ticket for sun, fun, diving, snorkelling and swimming. Its also a great place for watersports such as waterskiing, parasailing, jet-skiing and fishing and ideal for a spot of relaxation. Historically, Aqaba boasts sites dating back to 4,000 BC, including the recent discovery of possibly the world’s oldest church dating from the 3rd century AD, the remains of the medieval walled city of Ayla and a Mamluk fort.

Best places to visit in Jordan: Our pick #4 - The Dead Sea

The lowest point on the earth’s surface, the Dead Sea is a fascinating natural phenomena. Straddling the border between Israel and Jordan, the mineral content of this 75-km-long and 10-km-wide saltwater lake tops out at 33%, or about six times as salty as a normal ocean. This incredibly high salt content means the Dead Sea is extremely buoyant, making it impossible to sink or swim in - the only option is to bob around like a cork! It’s called the Dead Sea as nothing can live in it. There are no fish, seaweed or plants of any kind in or around the water. What you’ll see on the shores are clusters of white salt crystals. These salts are mineral salts, which is just like you find in the oceans of the world, only in extreme concentrations. Many believe that these salts have curative powers and therapeutic qualities, and so the Dead Sea is a great place to try out a spot of pampering in the local spas.

Best places to visit in Jordan: Our pick #5 - Roman ruins of Jerash

Second only to Petra in touristic appeal, the 2,000 year-old Graeco-Roman ruins of Jerash are recognised as one of the best-preserved member cities of the Decapolis, a confederation of 10 Graeco-Roman cities. When Emperor Hadrian paid a visit in 129 AD, the place was buzzing. The citizens threw up a Triumphal Arch for him which still stands today. Exemplifying the finesse of Roman urban life, the town boasts a hippodrome, the old sports field that once held 15,000 spectators, a stunning amphitheatre with amazing amplification abilities, the forum which gracefully links the main north-south axis of Jerash, a colonnaded street paved with original stones and the rut marks of chariots and a nymphaeum replete with ancient fountains trimmed with dolphins and various temples.

ISLAND OF SPAIN

La Gomera

flickr/Liamfm .

One of the smaller of the Canary Islands, La Gomera was the place from which Christopher Columbus started his voyages of discovery. The island can be reached by ferry from Tenerife and is a good place for walking holidays. It has excellent climate and a huge variety of unique plants and a beautiful forested area, rock outcroppings and waterfalls. The island is not developed for tourism, so there are not the crowds found on other islands.

Minorca

flickr/joseba m. arginzoniz martin

Minorca (also Menorca) is a less developed island and a good place for a beach holiday away from the crowds. It has more beaches than any other Spanish island, so there is a good chance visitors can find a secluded one to themselves. Along with the unspoiled scenery are prehistoric monuments which date from 1300 BC.

Fuerteventura

flickr/ahisgett

Fuerteventura is famous for its strong winds and is a popular place for kite surfing and wind surfing. Parts of the island are well developed for beach holidays and other places are untouched. It is also famous for its broad sand dunes and over 150 beaches. Corralejo, a town on the northern tip of the island, is considered to have the best beaches.

Lanzarote

flickr/Son of Groucho

Lanzarote has a stark volcanic landscape on a quarter of the island from a volcanic eruption in 1730, which is the Timanfaya National Park. The park has a bar and restaurant where the meat is cooked over underground heat. Other attractions are the Whales and Dolphins Museum and the Mirador del Rio a lookout point with a spectacular view.

La Palma

flickr/Tenisca

La Palma is called The Beautiful Island and is the closest to Morocco of the Canary islands. It has an international airport and ferries to Tenerife. La Palma has spectacular countryside and is also a good place for walking tours and hiking. The largest crater in the world is in the center of the island and guided hikes are available to the area. There are other paths to stunning volcanic scenery and forests.

Gran Canaria

flickr/El coleccionista de instantes

Gran Canaria has one of the largest cities in Spain. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is on the northeastern coast of the island and is a well-developed beach holiday destination. The island has many different types of landscapes including majestic sand dunes, mountains with biking trails, beaches and a densely populated underwater world. There are excellent diving spots, golf, surfing schools and hiking to the remarkable cave villages in the center of the island.

Tenerife

flickr/szeke

The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is well developed for tourism and a very popular beach holiday destination. It is renowned for it exciting nightlife and excellent dive sites. There are also many watersports available including surfing, wind surfing, parascending and jet-skiing. For those who love mountains, there are scenic drives along rocky cliffs and a cable car to the top of the highest peak in Spain. Hikers can also climb the mountain, but it is a challenging adventure.