Travel

The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world with over 18000 islands. It is located east of the island Java.
Bali is one of the most beautiful islands in Asia surrounded by beautiful coral reefs spectacular landscapes with rivers and mountains and many rice terraces that can be found up to the peak of the volcanic mountains.
More than 3 million people live in this archipelago working and living in the true Asian spirit, most of them following religion called Hindu-Darma (a mix between budhism and hinduism).
The capital city of Bali is Denpasar and it is also the biggest city in Bali with a population of 300.000. The people here are extremely meticulous and well organized. Every activity is carefully planed and completed as fast as possible. No wonder that Indonesia is economically one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Some of the islands have mobile phone access and wireless internet.
Bali is a beautiful region not only thanks to the climate and the natural beauties but also for the splendid combination of 2 Asian religions, cultures thus creating a unique brand o people and splendid architecture that can be found here.
Hinduism spread to Bali between the VIII-XI th century when the nearby island of Java was lead by hinduists. In the XI th century Bali becomes part of Java. Between the 15 th and 16 th century islam is introduced to the people of Bali by muslim merchants. Many priest, teachers politicians flee to Bali the XVI th century when the Majapahit empire falls thus forming a unique mix between hinduist and budhist culture.
The Dutch are the first Europeans to come in contact with Bali in the year 1597. Durring the second world war the Japanese take over Indonesia and in 1950 Bali becomes part of the Republic of Indonesia.
Nowadays Bali is a select destination where tourists can go to admire beautiful architecture, splendid landscapes or just relax in the sun.
Popular places to visit are: The port of Padangbai where the Dutch first landed. Nowadays the port is the main hub for traveling to the other islands and it is filled with yachts and fishing ships. Near the village of Padangbai one of the most beautiful beaches in the world can be found.
The Hall of Justice (Kerta Gosa) is a beautiful and tipical building architurely painted in the specific style of the region.
Panelocan is a city situated near an active volcano called Batur. This is also a popular tourist destination.
Bali is a paradise that has witnessed extraordinary economical growth in the past years and an explosion in tourism. It is truly one of the marvels of Asia worth visiting as many times as possible.

Japan is about the size of Germany and has a population of aver 120 million. Although is has a huge population it has the lowest criminality rate in Asia. The country is covered almost entirely (about 80%) by mountains. It is a culturally rich country with unique architecture modern and old.

The capitol city is Tokyo and it is a very crowded city with a population of over 8.5 million. It is a beautiful city where modern architecture superbly combines with the old and gives tourist the unique cultural heritage of Japan.

Skyscrapers are in great numbers here and the city is divided in neighborhoods which seem cities themselves. Tokyo is also one of the cleanest cities in the world. Tourists can delight themselves by going to one of the many traditional restaurants or buying china, traditional clothing and many more items from one of the many shops here.

The Imperial Palace in the middle of the city is also a popular tourist attraction. The palace is surrounded.by beautiful gardens and is available for tourists only twice a year.
Yokohama port is a huge port with over 3 million people working there and tourists tours last more than an hour. Chinatown can also be found here where tourists can admire the luxurious neighborhood called Bluff where mostly foreign people live.

Tourists also visit the neighborhood called Ginza. This neighborhood is full of shops, clubs, restaurants and beautiful parks with big lakes where tourists can take relaxing boat rides. A large number of museums can also be found here where visitors can admire antique objects, old clothing and many more.

The old capital of Japan is Kyoto. This is traditional Japanese city. Historical buildings, old castles (Nijo from the XV th century), traditional food can be found everywhere in Kyoto. The most popular temples here are Kinkakuji and Sanjusangendo.

The sacred symbol of Japan is mount Fuji. This mountain is well known around the world for its perfectly symmetrical peaks and also the fact that its peaks are always covered in snow. The maximum altitude is 3775 m The mountain is considered by the Japanese people the home of the passed souls and also the home of the gods. The mountain belongs to the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park which is the biggest National Park in Japan. This area is an extraordinary place where tourists can take fishing and hunting trips, hiking trips or just come and enjoy the silence that gives the place its mystical aura.

Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles on the river with the same name. At first glance, Singapore looks like a modern city with the many skyscrapers and its New York like look at night but it is undoubtably a tipical Asian city, ancient Chinese, Indian and Malaezian traditions still being carefully preserved. These traditions and the modern aspect of the city give the Singapore its unique contrast.

Chinatown is the cultural center of the city and it is filled with temples and traditional restaurants. Here in the crowded streets, sight-seers, fortune tellers and worshipers are part of everyday life and they attract a large number of tourists. Tourist can find all sorts of genuine materials, spices, clothing and many more if they venture to little India or if they visit arab street.

Arab street is the muslin center of the city. This is the place tourists go for the many rose species, the floral essences, textile, hajis and Indonesian scarves. Here is also Singapores smallest masque Malabar Muslim Jama-ath and also the biggest and most visited mosque in the whole city Sultan Mosque. Traditional Indian restaurants can be found all over giving visitors the unique Indian gastronomical experience.

Jurong is the citys industrial center, but even here touristis can find places worth visiting. The most important would be Haw Par Villa, a popular theme park on Chinese mythology.
Another fact in Singapore is the cultural diversity. It is a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual city and being an important economical center many foreign people come here to. The population is made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. Although citizens of all races think of themselves as Singaporean,but there are still certain areas that are inhabited by specific ethnic groups. Each area has its own culture and so its own religion.

One of the world’s major oil refining and distribution centres, Singapore is also a major supplier of electronic components and a leader in shipbuilding and repairing. It has also become one of the most important financial centres of Asia, with more than 130 banks. Business dealings are facilitated by Singapore’s superb communications network which links the Republic to the rest of the world via satellite, 24-hour telegraph and telephone systems. Singapore’s strategic location, excellent facilities, fascinating cultural contrasts and tourist attractions contribute to its success as a one of the most popular destinations for business but also for cultural enrichment and fun.

Mongolia is a huge land three times the size of France located in northeast Asia bordering with China in the south and with Russia in the north. The territory has been far greater during the mongole expansion led by Ginghis Khan and Kublai Khan, which included up to the XX-th century an important part of Siberia and a region that is now located in China.
The countrys name is often associated with the lonely tuaregs wondering on the camels through the great Gobi desert, and the mercyles mongol riders galloping through the plains.
Mongolia is also known as the country of “blue sky” and is one of the highest countries as altitude, the average altitude being 1580 km.
The capital city of Mongolia is Ulan Bator situated along the river Tuul and surrounded by superb mountains. Although in most of Ulan Bator you can still see the former communist regimes scars, the city is in full economic development. Tourism is also flourishing because of the beauty of the area. Ulan Bator is situate between four mountains considered sacred: Chingeltei, Bayansurkh, Tsetseegum and Songino Khairkhan.
Other popular tourist destinations are the many monasteries here. One of the most beautiful is Amarbayasgalant Khiid. Few people get permission to enter the monastery, but those who do get to see the beautiful paintings, splendid arhitecture and the 30 monks living here isolated from the troubles of the world. The monastery was built by the manchurian king Kansu in 1737.
Khustain Nuruu National Park was established to protect the steppe regions and to protect the famous takhi horses, a true symbol of Mongolia, which became an indangered species recently because in the 60’s locals started hunting them for meat.
Khövsgöl Nuur, an alipine lake situated in the mountains is another popular pilgrimage place. It is the deepest lake in Asia and it is considered sacred. It is surrounded by 2000m high mountains and has water so clean you can drink. The place can be seen in its natural beauty whit all the green forests and wild life because as it is considered sacred and the locals never kill an animal or destroy nature in this palce. The place is huge, the total size of the lake being of 2760 square km.
The remains of the former capital that Ginghis Khan built at Karakorum in 1220 is also a popular tourist destination although most of it has been destroyed by the savage tribes along the years.
Gurvansaikhan is the most popular place in the Gobi desert. From here tourists can go visit the local tribes that still live in isolation, see the hundreds of species of birds here, leopards and wild camels and they can go on hiking trails in the superb surrounding mountains where ancient dinosaur remains can still be found.
Mongolia is just one of the many countries stagnated by the communist regime to evolve and show the world its beauties but it is quickly catching up and becoming an important country economically and many tourist now choose destinations here.

Previously known as Kampuchea, the kingdom of Cambodia is located in southeast Asia, on the Indochinese peninsula. The country is bordered on the northwest by Thailand southeast by Vietnam and to the southwest is the gulf of Thailand. Its capitol city is Phnom Penh and the population of the country is of 13 million inhabitants.

The area that is present-day Cambodia came under Khmer rule in the year 600, when the region was at the center of a vast empire hindu that stretched over most of Southeast Asia. Buddhism was introduced in the 12th century during the rule of Jayavaram the VII-th. The kingdom, then known as Kambuja, fell into decline after Jayavaram’s reign and was nearly annihilated by Thai and Vietnamese invaders. Its power steadily diminished until 1863, when France colonized the region, unifying Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam into a single area known as French Indochina.

The extraordinary temples of Angkor are testimonies of the great civilization of Khamer. One of the most amazing structures in terms of arhitecture the world has ever seen is Angkor Wat, built between 879-1191 to honor the name of the Hindu god Vishnu. The Ta Prohm temple attracts visitors through the fact the thick roots of trees and have crossed the walls and are kept intact so as not to endanger the resistance of the structure.
Only 30 km away from the capital city of Phnom Penh, in Outdong lye the graves of the former Khamer kings on a hill with a spectacular view so the kings can admire the wonders they have accomplished.

The numerous budist temples amaze visitors with they’re splendid architecture. The most representative temple is Preah Vihear located in the mountains of Dangrek near the border with Thailand. This is a popular destination all year, but especially during the new year because of the numerous religious ceremonies.
The Royal Palace in the capital city is also a must see if you are ever in Cambodia. It is famous for its size and the so called “Silver Pogoda” which is made up out of more than 5000 slates of pure silver.

Nature loving people can travel from the capital city on an unforgettable boat trip on the river Tonle Sap to the biggest swamp area in southeast Asia, called Siem Reap. Cruises on one of the biggest rivers in the world, Mekong where the gentile fresh water dolphins swim by the boat to the tourists delight are also in high demand.
One of Cambodia’s relaxation points is found at Sihanoukville where the countrys only beach can be found. This is a popular place for scuba diving in the hot season.

Cambodia represents to most foreign people a place of tranquility, a place of meditation and inspiration. The budist monks living in temples and isolation are a true testimony of peoples ability to live simple lives without all the commotion and the problems of the modern world. Many tourists come to Cambodia to witness first hand the discipline and self control of the people living here.

The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of over 7000 islands (7107 islands) stretched to a length of 805 km located in the SE corner of Asia and separated from the mainland continent by the South China Sea. Only 7% of the many islands present here have a surface greather than 2 km and only one third have a name. The combined surface of the islands is around 300.000 square km of which the biggest are Luzon in the north (108.000 sq km) where the Philippines capital city, Manila, is located and Mindanao in the south (99.000 sq km). Only one third of the 7000 islands have a name most of them being uninhabited, making the destination even more exotic.
Most of the people living here are situated on 11 of the islands, the most whell known being Negros, Leyte, Samar, Palawan, Panay, Bohol, Leyte, Masbate, Mindoro, and Cebu.
The Philippines arhipelago is separated from Taiwan on the N by the Bashi Channel (forming part of the Luzon Strait) on the SW by the Balabac Strait and the Sibutu Passage (off the Sulu Archipelago). Bordering seas include the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean on the E, the Celebes Sea on the S, the Sulu Sea on the SW, and the South China Sea on the W. The Philippines has a total coastline of 36,289 km.
The warm tropical waters, the extraordinary marine life, the breath-taking landscape of islands and mountains are just some of the reasons why tourists choose this destination.

On the island of Samar tourists visit the beautiful city of Viriato which stretches along the coast. From here they can choose to do many fun and unforgettable activities such as visiting unpopulated islands, taking unique climbing routes in the nearby rocky mountains or just relax on the beautiful beaches.
In the city of Banaue you can still see the terraces built for the cultivation of rice 2000 years ago and the ingenious irrigation system invented by the primitive head-hunters, wooden tubes created from bamboo placed in the ground.

The National “Park of 100 Islands” is another popular tourist destination for the incredible beauty of the islands which have been strangely shapped by the water to the most unusual forms. The most popular islands are Quezon and “The Children’s Island”.

A unique fenomenon in the world is the so called “Chocolate Hills”. This was formed by the lava from numerous volcanic eruptions setteling down in many lairs along the years giving the hills a darkish brown color just like chocolate.

Perhaps one of the most exotic places in the Philippines is found on Mindano island. Here tourists can travel to Sebu lake located in the mountains at a hight of 300 meters where a completely isolated tribe lives called T’boli. Here hand-made original items can be purchased from the villagers.

These are just some of the exotic places the make the Philippines one of the most exotic destinations on the planet where you can still see unaltered natural beauty.

The Great Chinese Wall, one of the great wonders of the world, lies like a huge dragon passing through dessert,plains and high mountains having a combined lenght of aproximately 6700 kilometers from the east to west of China. With a history of over 2000 years, some portions of the wall are now in ruins, while some have entirely disappeared.
Nobody knows exactly when contruction of the Great Chinese wall started, but it is believed that originally it was built with the purpose of defense against the tribes, during the Zhou Dynasty. Later between 770 and 476 B.C. it was perfected by the emperors Yan, Zhao and Qin for the same purpose of defense. Intialy the Great Wall was built in pieces as protection walls for each separate state and only during the Quin dynasty the emperor unified the wall after the unification of China to protect against the invading huns in the north. The wall was further lenghtened and strengthened during the next dynasties, especially during the Ming dynasty.

Being built in a long period of time, the great Chinese wall has many sections built from different materials. Before using bricks the Great Wall was built in large part from earth, stone and wood. Due to the fact that it took huge amounts of materials to build the wall, builders have tried to exploit local materials. In the mountains rock was the main material used, in the plains they used earth and in the desert they even used the poor vegetation they could find (sand reed) and bind it whith earth.

The Great Wall was built with the help of millions of people: during the Qin Dynasty, a period of 10 years 300000 people of general Meng Tian were used. Later during the Qi Dynasty a section of 450 km was built with the aid of 1.8 million people. Because of the extremely heavy labor many workers have found the end there, manny of them even being buried in the walls of the building. The emperor Qi found a very engenious and sadistic way to get more workers to the wall. He used convicts to build the wall and the rule was that if a convict died before his sentece expired a family memeber had to take his place until the sentence had been exausted. This gave the building supervisors the means to push convicts as hard as they wanted because if they commited suicide a family member was brought in they’re place. This draticaly reduced the criminality in China so many soldiers where also used tu build the wall.

The Wall was not only build as a protection agains the tribes but it was also designed that if atacked soldiers on the wall could signal troups garrisoned far away in a matter of minutes. The wall is mainly composed of passages, walls and observation towers located at key high points. If the wall was atacked a fire was lighted on top of the towers and soldiers where imediately dispatced to that point.
In the begining of the XIX th century the wall was abandonded until 1952 when it was declared by the Chinese government a historical monument.

Nowadays the Great Wall sufferes of excesive tourism and because of the lenght of the wall and lack of funds manny portions of the wall are completely ruined. The wall in a relatively natural condition can be seen at Simatai, 110 km northeast of Beijing. This part of the wall is still in its original state, not turned into a popular tourist attraction, due to distance and few transportation options.

Asia is the largest continent in the world stretching from NE Europe to the Pacific Ocean. The continent possesses the most geographical superlatives of any other continent. It has the highest average altitude of any other continent (960m), the longest mountain chain (Himalaya – 2,800 Km long), the highest peak (Mount Everest 8.848m), the highest plateau (Tibet, with an average altitude of over 4,500 - 5.000m) the island with the most active volcanoes ( Java or Djnava), the longest mountain glacier (Fedcenko in the Pamir - 77 km) the lowest point on land (- 154m in the Turfan Depression, Sinkiang province of China), the deepest lake in the world (Baikal 1.620m), the lowest sea level (the Dead Sea - 394m), the river which carries the largest quantity of alluvia (Huang He with over 900 million qubic meters of alluvial per year) and the largest forest of conifers. Also in Asia you can find the zone with the most rain per year (Cherrapunji,NE India ) and the place with the lowest temperature recorded (Oimiakon, Siberia, with -71 degrees C).

Asia has 47 states the most important beeing China, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the Fillipines. The major cities are Istanbul, Baghdad, Tehran, Ryadh would, Karaki, Madras, Delhi, Mombay (Bombay), Calcutta, Tokyo, Beijing, Taipei, Mannila, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, Shangai and Hong Kong.

In Asia some of the greatest civilizations in the world have developed. The Chinese where big investors of the premodern epoch (they discovered the gun powder, the compas and paper) and also this brilliant mongolian civilization built the only man made object which can be seen from outer space: The Great Chinese wall. It has an impressive architecture, and over 5000 km in length. The Persans were a great warrior civilization, present on the current territory of Iraq where you can still find ancient vestiges and ancient fortresses (Ur, Uruk, Babylon, Persepolis, Susa, Nineveh, Assur and also Jerichon in Israel).

Being an ancient continent of civilizations tourism is also high for most of the continent. The above mentioned fortresses enjoy a variety of tourism. As places of religious pilgrimage, Jerusalem is the pilgrimage place for Christians and Mecca for the Islamics.

The continent’s high altitude and also the mountains represent a worthy tourist destination. Hundreds of expeditions are beeign organized to the peeks of the tallest mountains to satisfy some people’s need to fight nature.

Other major tourist destinations are in China The Great Wall, in India the Taj Mahal, Israel and Uzbekistan for the numerous palaces and toumbs there.

As summer destinations, some of the most exclusive beaches and islands can be found in Asia. The popular Maldive islands, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates (DUBAI) are just some of the tourist destinations that enjoy year long sunshine. Culturaly apreciated Jappan and Thailand also recives a very large number of tourists anualy.

Cultural diversity, all the landscapes possibly imaginable, all the climate types trully make the bigest continent in the world a unique combination of destinations that surely captures the attention of all people willing to travel to extraordinary places.

The tallest sky-scraper in the world, the first underwater hotel, the biggest artificial islands of the planet, the place where 25% of the world’s cranes are concentrated. These are some of the records achieved or that will be achieved by a city that 15 years ago was surrounded by sand, an arid city with no personality.
Dubai is the dream of the billionaire petrol moguls aware that soon the oil tap will close, faraonic projects becoming a reality.
According to specialists Dubai’s oil reserves will be almost exhausted by the year 2010. The solution for a town situated in the middle of desert, free of other natural resources, seems to be tourism. A business venture that requires amounts of money only sheics and the billionaires have.

Dubai as a tourist attraction is the dream of Prince Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the president of Development and Investments Authority. His plan is one on the extent of available funds: attracting a number no less than 15 million tourists annually starting from the year 2010, the date on which is stipulated that the oil reserves of this state will be exhausted.

The sheics dream seems to be supported by figures. In 2007 Dubai attracted 6.45 million foreign tourists.
These are just some of the fabulous projects completed or nearing completion that you can find in Dubai:

The Burj al Arab
Burj al Arab is the tallest hotel in the world, with over 300 meters. It has also been called the world’s ”first 7 star hotel” containing luxury worthy of a sultan. Initial plans have started on the idea that the project will become what the Opera building is for Sydney or the Eiffel Tower for Paris. And they seem to have succeeded. Built on an artificial island, located approximately 200 meters from the coast, Burj Al Arab is among the most expensive hotels in the world, the cheapest apartment building is at 1000 dollars per night and the most expensive costs 30.000 dollars per night.

The World
The World represents another huge project being finalized. It is an artificially created chain of islands designed to simbolize the continents of the world. A real estate project in which customers can buy island properties bearing the name of the world’s countries.
The World consists of about 300 man-made islands, each having between 23 and 83 thousand square meters, separated by water surfaces between 50 and 2000 meters. The average price of properties will be of 25 million U.S. dollars, the entire cost of the project beeing estimated at 2.5 billion dollars. Among celebritatile who have already announced purchasing an island in the project which will be complete in 2008 include Rod Steward, Michael Schumacher and David Becham.

The Palm Jumeirah
Jumeirah is one of the largest artificial islands in the world, a real estate project developed near the coasts od Dubai by the same company that is building The World. It is the first island of a project which calls for the construction of three islands in the shape of a palm, Jumeriah beeing the smallest, the largest beeing the size of Paris. The three islands will add another 520 km in length to Dubais coastline.
Palm Jumeirah consists of a main island, representing the trunk of the palm, plus another 17 representing the fronds and finally round the island the crescent. The arhipelago lies on an area of approximately 25 square kilometers - about 800 football fields - and is connected to the city itself by a 300 meters long bridge.
Hydropolis
Hydropolis, self proclaimed “The first 10-star Hotel”,is a building located entirely below sea level. It is the most ambitious architectural project in Dubai, with costs estimated at over 500 million U.S. dollars.
Stretching on a surface of 10 hectares, Hydropolis will have over 220 apartments located at 20 meters bellow sea level. Virtually every room will have the marine life for a view. This project started construction in 2007 and the completion date is yet unknown.

These are just some of the mega projects of Dubai, whit new projects beeing anounced almost every month.