Tour the World

Tour the World : New York City

New York City reigns as the ultimate tourist destination. In a single day, you can visit the place where George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president, attend a performance of the world famous New York City Ballet and escape the city’s chaos with a walk through Central Park.

Tour in Taj Mahal

An icon of India, Agra's Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who created the mausoleum in honor of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Since then, it has survived the rise and fall of empires and remains one of India’s most popular destinations.

Miami

Miami really has it all: a tropical climate, a glamorous, diverse population — and it was ranked one of the cleanest cities in America by Forbes magazine in 2008. Another interesting fact: Miami is one of the few major U.S. cities founded by a woman, Julia Tuttle.

São Paulo

Emperor Pedro I declared Brazil's independence from Portugal in the city of São Paolo in 1822. Since then, the city’s population has grown to more than 18 million, and includes one of the world’s largest Japanese communities outside of Japan.

Grand Canyon

With more than 5 million visitors each year, this World Heritage Site in Arizona is home to several major ecosystems, but only seven land crossings of the Colorado River for 750 miles. Navajo Bridge, above, is one of them.

Boston

The Puritans called it their “shining city on a hill.” Today, it’s known to many as the “Athens of America.” A city of firsts, Boston is home to the nation’s first public library, one of its first universities and its first subway system — not to mention Fenway Park.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Air-conditioned beaches, sailboat-silhouette d skyscrapers and islands shaped like palm trees: If you can imagine it, Dubai likely has it — or is building it. The Dubai Marina is the second largest man-made marina in the world, but it's working toward becoming its largest.

Provence

This carpet of purple finery provides more than just a pretty landscape. Lavender is used for cooking, cleaning, healing and a host of other things. You don’t have to travel to France to find world-class herbs; you can grow them in your own back yard. Still, it’s no wonder that celebrities, monarchs, epicures and plain old tourists flock to this part of France like moths to a light.

Death Valley

These majestic waves of sand span an area in California and Nevada known to have the lowest elevation in North America. But Death Valley is more than just desert and heat — it’s also home to the Devil’s Hole pupfish, a tiny fish that can be found only in a 92 degree Fahrenheit pool in this park.

London

The Tower Bridge is just one sight in a city full of attractions. This famous structure is a combination drawbridge, suspension bridge and museum. The bridge is raised around 1,000 times per year and was designed to match the Tower of London.

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria sits on the southern tip of the largest island off the Pacific Coast of North America. In a city known as the "City of Gardens," Butchart Gardens, above, is its crown jewel. You might be surprised to know that this world-class botanical garden is an exhausted limestone quarry.

Egypt

These massive statues guard the gates of the Luxor Temple, a tribute to Amon, king of the Egyptian gods. Egypt is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, and evidence of this long history can be found throughout its lands.

Bavaria

Bavarian King Ludwig II would come to be known as the “Fairy Tale King” for building this ornate castle, which has since become one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions. From high on its perch, the castle overlooks a part of Germany famous for its castles, mountains, forests — and beer.

Turkey

The name of this place — Travertine Pools — means “cotton castle” in Turkish. The pools are made of travertine, a kind of limestone deposited by evaporating water from the hot springs, and visitors have been coming to soak in them since at least 200 BC.

Spain

Legend has it that visitors should ring the bell and make a wish at the top of this 237-step climb. The Knights Templar are credited with building the small hermitage that sits at the top of these stairs, which overlook a section of the Basque Country’s rough, rocky coastline.

New Zealand

Astonishing beauty is one hallmark of New Zealand, and Milford Sound is no exception. You’re looking at one of the most remote areas of one of the most remote nations in the world. Notably, this country is a nuclear-free zone — no nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships may dock in its ports.

Thailand

Thailand is home to Buddhist temples, coral reefs and floating markets. King Rama IV ordered the construction of a 32-kilometer- long canal in 1866, which later became home to the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market. Foodies claim it’s the place to find the freshest produce around.

Alaska

Minerals stain the mountains with rainbow hues here in the Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park. Home to the highest mountain in North America, the park spans an area larger than Massachusetts. Much of it is inaccessible by road, so park rangers use dogsleds to patrol its wilds during the winter months.

 

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Root Bridges of India turism in india

Root Bridges of India turism in india 

In the depths of northeastern India , in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren't built -- they're grown.



Grown from the roots of a rubber tree, the Khasis people of Cherapunjee use betel-tree trunks, sliced down the middle and hollowed out, to create "root-guidance systems." When they reach the other side of the river, they're allowed to take root in the soil. Given enough time a sturdy, living bridge is produced.

The root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, take ten to fifteen years to become fully functional, but they're extraordinarily strong. Some can support the weight of 50 or more people at once.
One of the most unique root structures of Cherrapunjee is known as the " Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge ." It consists of two bridges stacked one over the other!



Because the bridges are alive and still growing, they actually gain strength over time, and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunjee may be well over 500 years old.

But these are not the only bridges built from growing plants. Japan too, has its own form of living bridges.

These are The Vine Bridges of Iya Valley .......

One of Japan 's three "hidden" valleys, West Iya is home to the kind of misty gorges, clear rivers, and thatched roofs one imagines in the Japan of centuries ago. To get across the Iya River that runs through the rough valley terrain, bandits, warriors and refugees created a very special - if slightly unsteady - bridge made of vines.

This is a picture from the 1880s of one of the original vine bridges.

First, two Wisteria vines -- one of the strongest vines known -- were grown to extraordinary lengths from either side of the river. Once the vines had reached a sufficient length they were woven together with planking to create a pliable, durable and, most importantly, living piece of botanical engineering.


The bridges had no sides, and a Japanese historical source relates that the original vine bridges were so unstable, those attempting to cross them for the first time would often freeze in place, unable to go any farther.
Three of those vine bridges remain in Iya Valley . While some (though apparently not all) of the bridges have been reinforced with wire and side rails, they are still harrowing to cross. More than 140 feet long, with planks set six to eight inches apart and a drop of four-and-a-half stories down to the water, they are not for acrophobes.

Some people believe the existing vine bridges were first grown in the 12th century, which would make

them some of the oldest known examples of living architecture in the world.

Forts in Maharashtra

Forts in Maharashtra

Nowhere in the country would you encounter such a profusion of forts. And such variety. Sited on an island, as at Murud-Janjira or guarding the seas as at Bassein, or among the Sahyadri hills, as at Raigad, whose zig-zag walls and rounded bastions sit like a sceptre and crown amidst hills turned mauve.

Most of the forts in Maharashtra whether up in the hills or near the seas are associated with Shivaji --the great Maratha warrior and an equally great fort builder. Moreover, these forts were treated as mini-cities, such as Panhala, which is now a hill station. The concept of the fort-city was, however, not peculiar to Shivaji alone. The Portuguese who came to India as traders and missionaries, built within a century of their coming, Bassein, a garden city to rival many a European capital.

Pratapgarh

samadhi of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Sinhagad Fort

Alibaug

Rajgad

Raje

ShivSamadhi

purandar

Pratapgad

Lohgad

Janjira

Arnala

 

 

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Konark Sun Temple

Konark Sun Temple

Konark (or Konarak) is a small town in the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometres from Bhubaneswar.

Konark is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda), built in black granite by King Narasimhadeva. The temple is one of the most important Brahman sanctuaries, and is a world heritage site. It takes the form of the chariot of Surya, the sun god, and is heavily decorated with stone carving. The temple is now partly in ruins, and a collection of its sculptures is housed in the Sun Temple Museum, which is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: "here the language of stone surpasses the language of man". Konark is also home to an annual dance festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Orissa, odissi.

Konark beach is a popular tourist destination, though the waters are deceptively calm. Its main attraction lies in its views of the temple.

(click on the pictures to to view at high resolution)
Stone Work at Konark

Wheel of Konark

 

 

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World's Most Amazing Islands

Top 5 World's Most Amazing Islands

Check out these interesting Islands, very interesting info! Includes the Alcatraz Island, Easter Island, Sealand, Surtsey & the Gunkanjima!

5. ALCATRAZ ISLAND (USA): home to the first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast

Alcatraz Island (sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, The Rock) is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963, when it became a national recreation area. The first European to discover the island was Juan de Ayala in 1775, who charted the San Francisco Bay and named the island "La Isla de los Alcatraces", which means "Island of the Pelicans".

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought thousands of ships to San Francisco Bay, creating an urgent need for a navigational lighthouse. In response, Alcatraz lighthouse #1 was erected and lit in the summer of 1853. Because of its natural isolation in the middle of a bay, surrounded by cold water and strong sea currents, Alcatraz was soon considered by the U.S. Army as an ideal location for holding captives. Alcatraz was the Army's first long-term prison, and it was already beginning to build its reputation as a tough detention facility by exposing inmates to harsh conditions and iron fisted discipline. Due to rising operational costs because of its location, the Military Department decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and it was subsequently taken over by the Department of Justice and later became the famous federal prision and finally a recreation area.

4. EASTER ISLAND (Polynesian triangle, Chile): world heritage site and one of the most isolated inhabited islands in history

Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. It is 3,600 km (2,237 miles) west of continental Chile and 2,075 km (1,290 miles) east of Pitcairn. Nowdays, it is a Chilean-governed island, and is a world heritage site with much of the island protected by the Rapa Nui National Park.

First settled by a small party of Polynesians, Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on Earth, and for most of its history it was the most isolated inhabited territory on Earth. Its inhabitants the Rapanui have endured famines, epidemics, civil war, slave raids and colonialism; have seen their population crash on more than one occasion, and created a cultural legacy that has brought them fame out of all proportion to their numbers.

3. SEALAND (Principality): World's smallest island

The Principality of Sealand is an island and a micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former Maunsell Sea Fort located in the North Sea 10 km (six miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England, in what is claimed as territorial waters using a twelve-nautical-mile radius.

Since 1967, the installation has been occupied by associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former radio broadcaster and former British Army Major, who claims that it is a sovereign and independent state. Critics, as well as court rulings in the United States and in Germany, have claimed that Roughs Tower has always remained the property of the United Kingdom, a view that is disputed by the Bates family. The population of the facility rarely exceeds ten, and its habitable area is 550 m2 (5920 sq ft).
Sealand's claims to sovereignty and legitimacy are not recognised by any country, yet it is sometimes cited in debates as an interesting case study of how various principles of international law can be applied to a territorial dispute.

2. SURTSEY (Iceland): The emerging island

Off the coast of Iceland on the morning of 14 November 1963, the crew of a lone fishing trawler spotted an alarming sight. Off to the southwest of the Ísleifur II, a column of dark smoke was rising from the water. Concerned that it could be another boat on fire, the captain directed his vessel towards the scene. Once there, however, they found not a boat but a series of violent explosions producing ash. This was an unmistakable indication of a volcanic eruption taking place underwater, close to the surface. Very aware of the potential danger but eager to watch, the crew kept their boat nearby. It was indeed a remarkable event that they would witness a small part of over the course of that morning: the formation of a brand-new island.

Although now quite visible, the eruption lasted for much, much longer than the Ísleifur II would have been able to watch. After several days, the volcano had broken the water's surface, forming an island over 500 meters long and 45 meters tall. Even though the rough tides of the North Atlantic might have soon eroded the new island away, it was named Surtsey, meaning 'Surtur's island' - Surtur (or Surtr) being a fire giant of Norse mythology. The island proved to be tenacious, however. The eruption was ongoing and Surtsey increased in size more quickly than the ocean could wear it down. In the meantime two other nearby volcanic eruptions produced the beginnings of islands, but neither lasted very long. By April 1964, though, the most violent parts of the eruption were over and Surtsey remained.

1. GUNKANJIMA (Japan): the Ghost (and forbidden) Island

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island's most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan's first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island's most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan's first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.
In 1959, its population density was 835 people per hectare for the whole island, or 1,391 per hectare for the residential district, one of the highest population density ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima's mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it's called the Ghost Island. Travel to Hashima is currently prohibited.

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