Different places to travel » UNESCO

Travel – Paramaribo – the most populated district of Suriname

Traveller — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:50:55 +0000

Paramaribo which is also known as Par’bo is the most populated district of Suriname. This district comes under the Surinamese East Coast and the coast is the urban part of the country which includes Paramaribo along with Albina and the Galibi Nature Reserve. Dutch is the official language of Suriname, with English being also widely spoken. In other languages, Sranang Tongo which is referred to as Taki-Taki, is the native language in French Guiana. Sarnami (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese, Chinese (Mandarin, Hakka and Cantonese) and Portuguese are other languages spoken in Paramaribo.
Paramaribo is the capital of the country, and is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its colonial buildings. The capital has some very attractive British, Dutch, French and Spanish colonial architecture styled buildings. There is a fort nearby known as the fort Zeelandia, which is actually a restored fort and it houses the Surinam Museum. There is a Roman Catholic cathedral that dates back to the 19th century and which is entirely made of wood. The Independence Square, the Presidential Palace with a palm garden and the lively waterfront, Palmentuin – a park and market districts are other attractions of the place.

Attractions of Paramaribo:
• The Mosque Keizerstraat: This is the headquarters of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam in Paramaribo in Suriname, “Surinaamse Islamitische Vereniging” (SIV). This is situated in the Keizerstraat which is adjacent to the Neveh Shalom Synagogue.
• The Neveh Shalom Synagogue: It is the only synagogue of the Ashkenazi community located in Suriname. This is made of wood and was built in between 1665-1671 but later rebuilt with brick. In 1735, it was known to be sold to Ashkenazim. The present synagogue on the Keizerstraat which is located on 82 lot was designed by architect J.F. Halfhide which was completed in 1842 or 1843.
• The Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral: This is a wooden Roman Catholic cathedral that is located in the center of the city of Paramaribo, Suriname. This is known to be the largest wooden building in South America, and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paramaribo. This cathedral was constructed in 1883 and it was earlier a theatre.
• Watersports: Colakreek is a recreation area that is about 50km (32 miles) to the south of Paramaribo. It contains numerous creeks having brown water, in the small savannah belt behind the coastal plains. Other than these, there are public pools in Poramaribo which are called Niew-Nickerie, Moengo and Groningen. In Jachthaven Ornamibo there are sailing facilities.
• Golf: There is an 18-hole golf course that is located about 5km (3 miles) from Paramaribo on the airport road.
• Galibi Nature Reserve: This is a nesting site for the giant leatherback turtles- Dermochelys coriacea. These are endangered sea turtles. These turtles nest from February and August which is peak season for more than 200 leatherbacks. Their eggs are known to hatch from July to September. Even green turtles- Chelonia mydas nest here along with Olive ridley turtles- Lepidochelys olivacea and hawksbill turtles- Eretmochelys imbricata. Eilanti Beach is the only beach where mass nesting aggregations occur in the Atlantic region. Christiannkondre and Langemankondre are the nearby Amerindian villages that can be visited and Carib Indian artwork is popular here. This reserve is on the edge of Marowiine River. This reserve is used by villagers for fishing, hunting, and plant collecting and small-scale agricultural activities.
• Brownsberg: This is a natural park that is located 130 km (90 mi) south of Paramaribo. The view is great over the Brokopondo Reservoir. It is a birdwatchers paradise and has about 650 birds, some of them rarely seen. The waterfall Irenevallen is very popular here, which about 10 m high. Witikreek is a stream at the foot of the Brownsberg.
• Fort Zeelandia: This is actually a restored fort and it houses the Surinam Museum.
• Kekemba Resort Paramaribo, Mangolaan: This resort is best for relaxing and swimming.
• There is a flea market that is open on Sundays which should be visited.
• Letitia Vriesdelaan: There is a flower expo at Letitia Vriesdelaan every other Sunday which is beautiful and must visit as different orchids, cacti, and other plants are for sale.
• Others: Royal Palm Gardens, Presidential Palace, Historical city center and Jodensavanne.

Best time to visit / climate:
The climate is Tropical and moderated by trade winds. There are 2 dry seasons which are from February to March and August to November. There are 2 rainy seasons from December to January and April to August. November is considered the hottest month so it is best to avoid this time.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Suriname:
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica (for holders of diplomatic and official passports only), Colombia (for holders of diplomatic and official passports only), Cuba (for holders of diplomatic and official passports only), Dominica, Philippines, Gambia, Guyana, Grenada, Hong Kong, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Monserrat, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela (for holders of diplomatic and official passports only), South Korea.

By plane:
From Amsterdam there are daily KLM flights. Surinam Airways serves flights from Amsterdam and various Caribbean destinations.
From the United States, airline service is available via Surinam Airways and Caribbean Airlines via Trinidad.
The Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, which was formerly called Zanderij International Airport, is the arrival point which is located 45 Kilometers south of Paramaribo from where one can take a taxi or bus.
There are weekly flights to Trinidad, Belem (Brazil), Cayenne (French Guiana) and Aruba.

By car: There is a road from Guyana to Suriname. There are mini buses from Georgetown to Suriname.

By bus: One can take a bus from Albina to Paramaribo.

By boat: There are small boats and small ferries between Albina (Suriname) and St. Laurent (French Guiana).

Getting around: One can take a boat or car to go around Suriname. There are charter boats too.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Tripadvisor Hotels
• Yahoo travel
• Hotelscombined
• http://www.torarica.com/

Blogs / Sites about Paramaribo:

• Travelpod
• Travelblog
• Travelpost
• Travelbuddy

Images and photos of Paramaribo:

• Infohub
• Picsearch
• Tripadvisor
• Caribbeanreviewofbooks
• Flickr

Buy these books to make your trip more enjoyable:

A Journey into Another World: Sojourn in Suriname	Paramaribo: Webster’s Timeline History, 1600 – 2007	Guyana, Guyane & Suriname (Footprint Focus)

Videos of Paramaribo from youtube:

Paramaribo, Suriname

Living in Suriname ( facts and tips from Suriname)

Suriname Paramaribo at night

Garden birds of Paramaribo, Suriname

suriname paramaribo a great city

Travel – Saint George (Bermuda) – the former capital of Bermuda

Traveller — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:21:37 +0000

Saint George, which is also called St. George’s parish is the former capital of Bermuda. It is the oldest such settlement, having been settled by the English in 1612. This is a historic Town, situated at the island of St. David’s across its harbor. Until 1815, this was the capital; later Hamilton took over as the capital of Bermuda. One of the features that makes Saint George attractive to tourists is that it looks the same as it was 250 years ago. It is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed during the 1990s. The old colonial streets and buildings are the same and the streets and alleys still carry those old fancy names like ‘Featherbed Alley’, ‘Old Maid’s Lane’ or ‘Needle and Thread Alley’.
King’s Square is the main square of the town and remains pretty original. It has a town hall, the Visitor’s Service Bureau and Ordinance Island to the south.
The main attractions of St. George are:
- St. Peter’s Church
- Bermuda National Trust Museum
- Tucker House Museum
- St. George’s Historical Society Museum
- Bermuda Heritage Museum
- Unfinished Church
- The Town Hall
- HMS Deliverance
- Water Street
- Somers Garden
- State House
- Bridge House
- The Old Rectory
As you can see from above, the town has many popular museums and other attractions:
- Bermudian Heritage Museum
- The Bermuda Perfumery
- Bridge House
- Fanny Fox’s Cottage
- Fort St. Catherine
- Heritage Centre
- King’s Square
- Major Donald H. Burns Memorial Park
- Old Rectory
- Old State House
- One Gun Alley
- Ordnance Island
- Queen’s Warehouse
- St. George’s Foundation
- St. George’s Historical Society & Museum
- St. Peter’s Church
- Stella Maris Church, Duke of Clarence Street
- Stewart Hall
- Somers Gardens
- Tiger Bay
- Town Hall
- Tucker House Museum
- Confederate Museum.

Some of the St George Bermuda Beaches
- Tobacco Bay, St. George Parish: It is a boulder-sheltered, shallow and warm-water beach and can be reached by foot from St. George square or are shuttles available. Nearby, there is a Fort St. Catherine that can be reached by foot. Rest rooms, food concession, beach rentals are available.
- Achilles Bay / St. Catherine’s Bay, Northeastern St. George Parish: This bay also can be reached on foot from St. George square and shuttles are readily available. This bay is just beside the Fort St. Catherine. Rest rooms, food concession nearby, beach rentals are also available on this beach.
- Clearwater Beach / Turtle Beach / Turtle Bay / Long Bay / Well Bay / Soldier Bay: This is near the east end of the airport in St. David’s. It is situated on a former US Air Base land that weas used for NASA tracking station at Cooper’s Island. Rest rooms, food concession and bar are available on the bay along with the Children’s playground.

Some St. George’s golf courses in the area:
- St. George Golf Course, St. George Parish, north of the Town of St. George.
- Tuckers Point Golf Course / Mid Ocean Golf Course, St. George Parish, near Tucker’s Town.
- Mid Ocean Golf Club Mid Ocean, an 18-hole golf course.

St George Bermuda Museums and Lighthouse:
- Bermuda National Trust Museum: This museum is situated at King’s Square. Bermuda National Trust Museum is one of the oldest stone buildings in Bermuda which depicts Bermuda’s role in America’s civil war.
- Bermuda Old State House: This house is the oldest building of Bermuda. This house held the parliament sessions of Bermuda until 1815 after which Hamilton became the capital and parliament moved there.
- St David’s Lighthouse Bermuda: This is at the highest point on the Eastern tip of the island. This lighthouse sends its beam 20 miles over the ocean.
- Carter House: This house is one of the oldest homes in Bermuda. It is made of stone and the old vernacular architecture of Bermuda is highlighted in this house.
- Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences: This institute was earlier known as the Bermuda Biological Station. This institute performs research operations on deep sea and coral reef behaviors.

Other attractions:
- St George Market Nights: This market is held on every Tuesday evening at 7p.m., held at Kings Square. There are displays of products, Gombey dancing, music and much more.
- Bermuda Perfumery: This is situated on Queen Street of St George. This is known to be the oldest and best perfume shop which also shows how scents are made. The perfumery is in an old farmhouse that was built around 250 years ago.
- Bermuda Railway Trail: This trail was dismantled after 17 years in 1948. It is now a public walking trail from St. George Town in the east end, through Pembroke Parish near the City of Hamilton and on toward Somerset Village in the west end. On the way one can find trestle houses, station houses and railway ties and views of the island and waters.
- St Peter’s Church: This is one of the oldest Anglican churches of the Western hemisphere.
- Bermuda Forts: There are large forts and smaller batteries on the island. They were built from 1612 to 1957. Almost 100 fortifications are built on this island. The larger ones are restored while some are on displays. Some can be reached by boat.

The forts in Bermuda are:
- Fort St. Catherine, St. George Parish: This is situated on the north-eastern tip of St. George Island. This fort of St. Catherine’s has collection of historic exhibits & artifacts. Its interior is well-preserved interior and is very popular here.
- Gates Fort, St. George Parish east (guarding Town Cut channel entrance)
- Alexandra Battery, St. George Parish east
- Fort George, St. George Parish (overlooking the Town of St. George)
- St. David’s Battery, St. George Parish east
- Martello Tower / Ferry Island Fort, St. George Parish west (at Ferry Reach)
- King’s Castle / Devonshire Redoubt / Landward Fort, St. George Parish south (on Castle Island, accessed via boat)

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit St. George parish is May-September. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream give it a quasi-tropical atmosphere. Overall, Bermuda has a mild, humid subtropical maritime climate and strong winds are common in winter. The hurricane season is from June to November. It is best to avoid this time of the year.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
Saint George is accessible directly from Hamilton by bus.
By plane: Bermuda International Airport is the airport operating in Bermuda, and is located in St. George’s parish which is beside Castle Harbor. This airport has daily flights from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington, together with less frequent flights from other US and Canadian cities. British Airways flies from London (Gatwick) to Bermuda.
By boat/yacht: The cruise ships operate from the ports of Baltimore, Boston, Bayonne, New York, Norfolk, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, and Philadelphia on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Get around: This parish’s locations in and around are walkable.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Restaurant
• Hotel
• http://www.experiencebermuda.com/
• Tripadvisor Hotel
• Frommers
• http://www.bermuda-online.org/seestgeo.htm

Blogs / Sites about Saint George (Bermuda):

• http://www.bermuda-online.org/seestgeo.htm
• http://bermudacruise.blogspot.com/
• Travelblog.org (Link 1, Link2)
• http://www.flexijourney.com/Saint_George_(Bermuda)

Images and photos of Saint George (Bermuda):

• Google Image Search
• Picturesofplaces
• pbase.com

Frommer’s Bermuda 2012	Moon Bermuda	Perfect Island Getaways from 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (Kindle Edition)

Videos of Saint George from videos:

St George, Bermuda

Fort St Catherine Bermuda, St Catherine’s Beach, Gates Bay

Ode to Tobacco Bay — St. George, Bermuda

St. George, Bermuda

St George’s Bermuda

Travel – Santo Domingo – the capital of the Dominican Republic

Traveller — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:30:59 +0000

Santo Domingo is the capital city and also the oldest European city of the Dominican Republic. This city finds itself on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was found by Christopher Columbus’s brother (named Bartolome Columbus) in 1496. It is the oldest settlement of the Americas. This city is rich in cultural heritage and historical background and touring it is a great option. It is known to be the Central America-Caribbean area’s most populated city and is the main economic and commercial center of this region.
This capital city is divided by Ozama River into two parts, the west and the east. The west is developed and east is historic and known as “Santo Domingo Oriental”. The official language of this place is Spanish. Some people speak both Spanish and English in tourist areas. Spanish is mixed with Few African and Arawakan words too in mostly rural areas.
Attractions of Santo Domingo:
• This is the Capital of the Republic. Its Cathedral and Castle are in the UNESCO world heritage sites. It is the colonial part that has an original charm. The first university and hospital came to existence in the New World in this city. It is a port city with casinos, shops, Plaza, discos and the Gallery of Modern Art and the National Theater.
• There is Los Tres Ojos de Agua which is a cave complex. It is also known as the three eyes of water because of the three turquoise lagoons on three levels of countless stalactites, stalagmites and lush tropical vegetation.
• Zona Colonial or Colonial Zone: This is in the capital city and to the west bank of the river. It is facing the Caribbean Sea. The other attractions here are the Calle El Conde, the Puerta de la Misericordia, the Catedral Santa María La Menor (Catedral Primada de América), and the Alcázar de Colón. This part of the city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.
• Gazcue: This is the city’s oldest neighborhood which is to the west of the Zona Colonial. This part of the city is filled with old Victorian houses and tree-lined streets.
• “El Malecon”: This is the city’s waterfront and along the Caribbean Sea. It has hotels, casinos, boulevards and monuments along the coast. This can be called a sea wall.
• Palacio Nacional: This is a national theatre that surrounds the Gazcue area. Along with this are the Museums in the Plaza de la Cultura, and the Palace of Fine Arts.
• Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte: This is a sports complex and was also used for the 2003 Pan American Games.
• Miradores: These are the parks situated in north, south, and east sections of the city.

Museums
• Museum of Alcázar
• Altar de la Patria
• Naval Museum of the Atarazanas
• Museum of the Casas Reales :This museum belongs to the colonial period
• Museum of Duarte: This museum depicts the history of the movement and struggle for independence of this place.
• Museum of Natural History
• Museum of Dominican Man
• World of Ambar Museum
• Museum of Modern Arts
• National Museum of History and Geography: This museum is of pre Columbian times and depicts Dominican history.

Parks and recreational areas
• Mirador Norte Park: This Park is in the north of the city and close to Villa Mella.
• Enriquillo Park
• Mirador Sur Park: This Park is situated in the southwest section of the city.
• Independencia Park: This Park is in Zona Colonial.
• Colón Park, located in Zona Colonial
• Las Praderas Metropolitan Park
• The Malecón
• Dr. Rafael Ma. Moscoso National Botanical Garden
• Dominican Republic National Zoo
• Barrio Chino (Chinatown)
• Parque Nuñez de Caceres

Malls and Plazas
• Acropolis Center Mall
• Bella Vista Mall
• Carrefour
• Diamond Mall
• IKEA
• Jumbo
• Malecon Center Mall
• Megacentro
• Plaza Central
• Plaza Lama
• Plaza Las Americas
• Plaza Naco
• Pola
• Sirena
• Sambil Santo Domingo Mall
• Agora Mall
• Blue Mall
• Galerias 360 Mall
• Sky Mall
• Megacentro

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit this place is January to March, as during June to October this island is subjected to severe storms as this island lies in the middle of hurricane belt. It is best to visit in the Tropical maritime which has seasonal temperature variation.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
By plane
The main airports of the Dominican Republic are
• (AZS) Samana, also known as “El Catey”, located between the towns of Nagua and Samana on the north coast
• (JBQ) “La Isabela” airport in Santo Domingo, for domestic flights and some flights from other Caribbean islands
• (LRM) La Romana on the south east coast
• (POP) Puerto Plata, also known as “Gregorio Luperon” on the north coast
• (PUJ) Punta Cana International in the east.
• (SDQ) Santo Domingo, also known as “Las Americas” on the south coast close to the capital city Santo Domingo
• (STI) Santiago also known as “Cibao International” in Santiago de los Caballeros which is the country’s second largest city.

From Europe: One can fly from Europe via Madrid (MAD) or Paris (CDG).
From US: One can fly from New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Philadelphia, San Juan, Atlanta or Charlotte.
One can take a taxi from the airport. Do not forget the tourist card on arrival that cost $10.

By car: In Santo Domingo, Cars may be rented through Hertz, Avis, Prestige Car Rentals and other agencies. Rentals are also available in other major cities. Take DR-1 connecting Santo Domingo and Santiago or DR-7 from just east of Santo Domingo north to near Sanchez. DR takes from east to the Samana peninsula or west along the northern coast.
By boat: Ferry services are available between Mayagüez in Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic.
Get around: One can go around using the bus service, ‘gua-guas’, domestic air flights, Cocotours- one of the Dominican Republic’s leading inbound tour operators or charter air services. Cocotours has offices in La Romana, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Samana.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Santo_Domingo#Eat
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Santo_Domingo#Sleep
• Yahoo travel
• Tripadvisor

Blogs / Sites about Santo Domingo:

• http://www.blogsantodomingo.com/
• Travelblog
• Travelpod
• LonelyPlanet

Images and photos of Santo Domingo:

• Google Images
• Tripadvisor
• Trekearth
• igougo

National Geographic Traveler: Dominican Republic	Dominican Republic & Haiti (Country Travel Guide)

Videos of Santa Domingo from youtube:

Santo Domingo

Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo City – Part 1

Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo City – part 2

Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo

Travel – San juan, the largest city of Puerto Rico

Traveller — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:22:22 +0000

San Juan is the largest city of Puerto Rico, it is also the capital and has an approximate population of 442,000. It is the oldest city and located in the north-east of Puerto Rico. San Juan has magnificent beaches, hotels, plazas, historic sites, museums, etc. The total land area is about 122 sq km and a water area of 29.11 sq miles. The best harbors of the Caribbean are housed in San Juan. San Juan is a Latin American city and has a Spanish based culture.
San Juan is a Latin American city with Spanish-based culture, mixed with African traditions and Taíno culture. The citizens of San Juan (called Sanjuaneros) are very festive, as on the rest of the island of Puerto Rico. San Juan has bars and discotheques all-around the city, from Old San Juan to even the southern part of the city that stay open to 3:00-4:00 AM. San Juan has become very modernized as of late, with its first Metro line (called Tren Urbano) and buses. Like most large cities, however, there is a small population of vagrants and beggars lining the streets.
San Juan is also the financial capital of Puerto Rico. There are facilities for petroleum and sugar refining, and pharmaceuticals. The official language of this island of San Juan is Spanish and English. Spanish being the mother tongue of the native living here.

The districts of San Juan are:
• Old San Juan: This is the historic part of San Juan. The most historic attractions, galleries, museums, and tourist traps fall into this part of the district.
• Puerta de Tierra: This is in the middle of Old San Juan and Condado. This is a large residential area.
• El Condado: This is a rich residential neighborhood. It is a beach resort of the city and has many hotels and restaurants.
• Isla Verde: This city is closest to the international airport and has beautiful beaches and parks.
• International Convention Center District: This has a fountain that plays both typical and classical music and has many restaurants and shopping centers.
• Hato Rey: This is a business center and has the main banks, the Plaza las Americas (a mall with over 300 stores), the Hiram Bithor Stadium, Roberto Clemente Colosseum and Coliseo de Puerto Rico.
• Rio Piedras: This houses the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico. This is a municipality.
• Santurce: This is also one of the historical parts of Puerto Rico and is a cultural capital. It has two art museums and a performing arts center.
• Miramar: This is near El Condado and has historical houses.

Attractions of San Juan:
• El Castillo San Felipe Del Morro “El Morro”: This is a citadel that dates back to sixteenth-century. It lies to the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is part of National Historic Site and is a World Heritage Site (declared by the United Nations in 1983).
• El Castillo de San Cristóbal: This is a Spanish fort that is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This fort was built to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. It is one of the National Historic Sites. It has a height of 150 feet and is on an area of 27 acres of land.
• Palacio de Santa Catalina: It is the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. This was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the San Juan harbor. It is also known as El Palacio de Santa Catalina or Palace of Santa Catalina which is also the oldest executive mansion in the New World. La Fortaleza is a World Heritage Site.
• El Catedral de San Juan Bautista: Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer’s tomb lies here which was built in the 1520′s. It was rebuilt in 1540 after being destroyed by a hurricane.
• Castillo de San Jerónimo: It is a fort that is known as Condado. This was known to defend from attacks in 1595.
• Iglesia de San Jose: This is a church and Monastery that dates back to 1523.
• Ayuntamiento or Alcaldia: This is also known as the City Hall.
• The municipal cemetery of Santa María Madgalena de Pazzis: This is a cemetery that is situated just outside the city walls.
• Fuerte San Geronimo: This is a fort that built to tighten defense within the city with a small museum housed inside.
• Centro de Bellas Artes: This is a fine arts centre in the Caribbean in 1981.
• Bacardi Rum Factory: This has a trolley and guided tour inside the factory.
• There are famous beaches in Condado and Isla Verde.
• Parks in San Juan: Central Park, Garfield, Munoz Rivera Park and Parque de las Palomas.
• The Casino of Puerto Rico which is a large building and The Teatro Tapia is the oldest theatre in the Western Hemisphere.
• San Juan National Historic Site: This place has the old and colonial portion and includes three fourths of the city wall and forts San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz, also called El Cañuelo, plus bastions, powder houses.
• Ateneo de Puerto Rico (museum), Casa del Libro, Cuartel de Ballaja, Felisa Rincón de Gautier Museum, La Princesa (former municipal jail, now a history museum), Museo del Niño (Children’s Museum), Museo Nuestras Raíces Africanas( Our African Roots Museum, Museo de Arte ( Museum of Art), The Pablo Casals Museum are other attractions of San juan.

Things to do:
• Surfing waves, golf course, sunbathing at the beach, tennis, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving, and horseback riding, windsurfing and parasailing are the different activities that the island of Puerto Rico offers.
• Golf: This Island has 15 championship golf courses from the San Juan metropolitan area.
• Snorkel and Scuba dive: These activities are the highlights of Puerto Rico’s Caribbean coasts, especially out of Fajardo. A guided diving and snorkeling tour will take one to the best sites of the activity.
• Bioluminescent Bays: The bays of Fajardo and Vieques are bioluminescent and have microscopic organisms that glow which is really beautiful to watch. One can go for kayaking or boating especially during the new moon to enjoy a clear view of the bay. Lajas is also a Bioluminescent bay that is famous as it is also equipped with kiosks and restaurants.
• Casinos: San Juan offers luxurious hotels and casinos that are similar to Los Vegas.

Best time to visit / climate:
San Juan has a tropical marine climate and has minimal seasonal variations. The climate is mild but has abundant rainfall in the north coast. June and November are usually the seasons of Hurricane. So avoid this time. Other than these months, one can visit the island anytime and enjoy all the activities of surfing, kayaking, beach walking, sun bathing, hiking etc.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Get around:
It is best to rent a car or take a taxi as the public transport system is not very good. A público is a shared taxi service that is another option that is cheap and best to go around the island. The “main” público station is in Río Piedras that is a suburb of San Juan and which are also known as colectivos and pisicorres.
There are ferries from San Juan and Fajardo to Cataño, Vieques Island and Culebra Island along with Mayaguez ferry travels between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Tren Urbano is a fully automated transit serving San Juan, Bayamón, and Guaynabo. Tren Urbano consists of 16 stations on a single line and is the reliable public transport.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Juan#Eat
• http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Juan#Sleep
• http://www.sanjuanhotelsltd.com/
• http://www.elsanjuanhotel.com/
• Tripadvisor

Blogs / Sites about San Juan:

• Travelpod
• http://www.sanjuanislander.com/blogs.shtml
• Lonely Planet
• http://sanjuansafaris.com/blog/

Images and photos of San Juan:

• Tripadvisor
• http://www.travel-images.com/puerto-rico.html
• Terragalleria
• igougo.com

Videos of San Juan from youtube:

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan Sail Away

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Walking and Driving around Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico – San Juan

Travel – Isla Verde – a tiny island in the district of Carolina of Puerto Rico

Traveller — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:43:34 +0000

Isla Verde is a tiny island in the district of Carolina of Puerto Rico. It is to the east of Santurce (which is beside Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport above the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge). This city is just outside the capital of Puerto Rico. Rio Piedras and Hato Rey are linked by this island. The island is 400 meters to the north of Punta Medio. It is actually the coastal area of Cangrejo Arriba. The island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, by San Juan to the east, by Sancturce in the south and by downtown Carolina to the east. There are many restaurants, hotels, casinos and discotheques housed on this island. This city has hotels and casinos along with the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport and Isla Verde club scene.
The official language of this island is Spanish and English. Spanish is the mother tongue of the native living here.

Attractions of Isla verde and around:
• Luis Muñoz Marín Airport: This Airport’s Local Name is Aeropuerto Internacional de Luis Muñoz Marín. It is the Caribbean’s large international airport and also the largest in Puerto Rico. It is situated to the east of San Juan which is in the suburb of Isla Verde. This airport has restaurants, communications areas, and VIP lounges. Flights from the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean serve this airport.
• Luis Muñoz Marín Park: This a famous park in Puerto Rico which has a biking trail, walking and jogging path. It is amidst several small lakes.
• Old San Juan: Its Local Name is San Juan Viejo; it is an old historic colonial city about 500 years old. In here, one can see Spanish colonial history blended with contemporary Puerto Rican culture. It is the second oldest city of America. It has more than 400 restored Spanish colonial buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Old City: This city was given the title of a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1983. It is located on a long narrow inlet at the northeast entrance to the San Juan Bay, Old San Juan that was founded in 1521. Gold mining was done here during 1508.
• Puerta de Tierra: This is a part of the colonial part of San Juan. Now it is a combination of commonwealth government buildings, residences and Navy and Coast Guard facilities.
• Río Piedras: This is the academic enclave of San Juan. It houses the University of Puerto Rico along with the district’s restaurants and cafés. This is also a shoppers spot with indoor and outdoor markets and bazaars. The Jardin Botanico and the Museo de Antropolgia, Hisotria Y Arte are the other attractions of this place.
• Santurce: This is the modern business dense district of Greater San Juan. The main shopping and Commercial Street here is The Avenida Ponce de León. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, The Habana club and great nightlife are all part of this district.
• El Castillo San Felipe Del Morro “El Morro”: This is a citadel that dates back to the sixteenth-century. It is located towards the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is part of National Historic Site and is a World Heritage Site, declared by the United Nations in 1983.
• El Castillo de San Cristóbal: This is a Spanish fort that is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This fort was built to protect against land based attacks on this city of San Juan. It is one of the National Historic Sites. It has a height of 150 feet and is built on an area of 27 acres of land.
• Palacio de Santa Catalina: The residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. This was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the San Juan harbor. It is also known as El Palacio de Santa Catalina or Palace of Santa Catalina which is also the oldest executive mansion in the New World. La Fortaleza is a World Heritage Site (UNESCO).
• El Catedral de San Juan Bautista: Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer’s tomb lies here which was built in the 1520′s. It was rebuilt in 1540 after being destroyed by a hurricane.
• Castillo de San Jerónimo: This fort was built in 1595 to defend from attacks.
• Iglesia de San Jose: This is a church and Monastery that dates back to 1523.
• Ayuntamiento or Alcaldia: This is also known as the City Hall.
• The municipal cemetery of Santa María Madgalena de Pazzis: This is a cemetery that is situated just outside the city walls.
• Fuerte San Geronimo: This is a fort that was built to tighten defense within the city with a small museum housed inside.
• Centro de Bellas Artes: This is a fine arts centre in the Caribbean in 1981.
• Bacardi Rum Factory: This has a trolley based guided tour inside the factory.
• Condado Beach: This beach is a one mile long stretch along the Atlantic Ocean and Laguna Condado. The line has many luxury hotels and facilities.
• The Casino of Puerto Rico is a large building and The Teatro Tapia is the oldest theatre in the Western Hemisphere.
• San Juan National Historic Site: This place has the old and the colonial portion and includes three fourths of the city wall and forts San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz, also called El Cañuelo, plus bastions, powder houses.

Best time to visit / climate:

Isla Verde has a tropical marine climate and has minimal seasonal variations. The climate is mild but has abundant rainfall in the north coast. June and November are usually the seasons of Hurricane. So avoid this time.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
US citizens do not need any visa since Puerto Rico is a US territory. A Picture ID should serve the purpose. For other citizens visa and supporting documents are required.
By plane: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is the main airport which is in Carolina, near San Juan. Aguadilla and Ponce also connects with flights like Jet Blue, Continental and Delta. There are direct flights from US. From airport taxi services are available.
By boat: The west coast city of Mayaguez and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic has ferry services available. From Fajardo to St. Thomas, there is a ferry. There are cruise ships that land in San Juan.
Getting around:
It is best to rent a car or take a taxi as the public transport system is not very good. A público is a shared taxi service that is another option that is cheap and best to go around the island. The “main” público station is in Río Piedras that is a suburb of San Juan and which are also known as colectivos and pisicorres.
There are ferries from San Juan and Fajardo to Cataño, Vieques Island and Culebra Island along with Mayaguez ferry travels between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Tren Urbano is a fully automated transit serving San Juan, Bayamón, and Guaynabo. Tren Urbano consists of 16 stations on a single line and is the reliable public transport.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Frommers.com
• Wikitravel.org
• http://www.sanjuanhotelsltd.com/
• Virtualtourist
• Hotels.com

Blogs / Sites about Isla Verde:

• Travelpod.com
• Travelblog.org
• http://10000birds.com/isla-verde-avifauna.htm
• http://www.islaverdevacations.com/

Images and photos of Isla Verde:

• Google Image Search
• Webshots
• Virtualtourist
• Tripadvisor

Videos of Isla Verde from Youtube:

Vacaciones en Puerto Rico ,Isla Verde Beach Part 1

ISLA VERDE

Beach in Isla Verde

Water Club Hotel on Isla Verde Beach, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Travel – Bermuda (Bahamas) – north of the Caribbean and along the Atlantic Ocean

Traveller — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:16:50 +0000

Bermuda is a British overseas territory and is self-governing territory of Bahamas. It is to the north of the Caribbean islands and along the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North America. It is to the east of North Carolina. This place is considered to be the last remains of the British colonial empire in North America. This is a 21-square mile spread tiny island.
There are 9 parishes of Bermuda are classified from east to west as:
- St. George’s Parish – This is located around the historic Town of St. George and the island of St. David’s across its harbor.
- Hamilton Parish – In this parish Crystal Caves and Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo are also located.
- Smith’s Parish – This is also a Home to Flatts Village, Spittle Pond Nature Preserve and Devil’s Hole Aquarium.
- Devonshire Parish – This parish is known to be the quietest of all.
- Pembroke Parish – the city of Hamilton is located in Pembroke Parish.
- Paget Parish – This parish also houses many resorts, Elbow Beach, Bermuda Botanical Gardens and Paget Marsh for bird watching.
- Warwick Parish – This parish has the Golf, horseback riding and the island’s best cliffs.
- Southampton Parish – The best beaches and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse are in this parish.
- Sandys Parish – The Royal Naval Dockyard fortress and shops, Somerset Village, Fort Scaur, Gilbert Nature Reserve and some fine beaches are housed in this parish.
Bermuda has one city and one town. The town municipalities are unincorporated and the cities in these municipalities are:
- Hamilton – This is the capital of Bermuda and is the only city.
- St. George – This is the old capital of Bermuda and the oldest surviving English New World town.
- Flatts Village – This village is the location of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
- Somerset Village – This village is on Somerset Island in Sandy’s Parish.
- Baileys Bay and Horseshoe Bay Beach are other destinations that are popular in Bermuda.
Bermuda consists of about 138 islands and islets which are on an east-west axis and linked by road bridges. Bermuda has low hills separated by a set of waterways. Bermuda is said to have formed through volcanic action. This is on the south sector of a coral ring that was submerged. Hence most of the beaches are on the southern shore of Bermuda.
Bermuda’s first settlements were English colonists. The first economy of Bermuda includes fruit and vegetable cultivation that used to supply the early American colonies. Bermuda has a convenient location between British Canada and Britain’s Caribbean. It is a stopover point for the British Royal Navy’s Atlantic fleet. There was a large US air base built on these islands during Second World War which was open until 1995.
Tourism is now an important part of Bermuda’s economy. Tourists come here for business or for tours. It is an offshore financial centre now.
Attractions of Bermuda:
- Town of St. George: This town is scenic and is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the oldest and a continually inhabited British settlement in the New World. This town has many small winding streets which depict typical British Colonial architecture with fountains, gardens and squares, cobbled streets and plazas.
- Bermuda Maritime Museum, Pender Rd., and Royal Naval Dockyard: One can go for 1/2 a day to go to the Royal Naval Dockyard. During the American Revolutionary War, the island had naval loses. This island had been the British Royal Navy which relocated the headquarters of its Atlantic Fleet here from 1812 to 1957. The tourist attractions include The old limestone storage buildings, fortress which were redeveloped by the Bermuda Government. There are shopping centers too.
- Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, 40 North Shore Road, Flatts Village: The centerpiece of the aquarium is a 140,000 gallon replica coral reef which is special and there are Over three hundred birds, reptiles and mammals and 200 species of fish housed in this centre.
- Crystal and Fantasy Caves, Wilkinson Avenue, and Bailey’s Bay: These are two quite different caves to explore and watch for.
- Spittal Pond: This pond was damaged by Hurricane Fabian in 2003. The damage is still being fixed.
- Devil’s Hole Aquarium, Harrington Sound Road, Hamilton: It is a small aquarium but one can look for reef fish and turtles with bait.
- Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, 40 Crow Lane, East Broadway, Pembroke: This is just outside Hamilton which takes to underwater expedition.
- Bermuda National Trust Museum known as the Globe Hotel
- Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, St Anne’s Road, and Southampton: This is one of the oldest cast iron structures in the world which was first lit on May 1st 1846. It has 180 steps to the observation deck surrounding the lamp which can be reached and it offers magnificent views of the island and the surrounding waters. There is also a tea room for drinks.

Things to do:
Bermuda has lovely pink sandy beaches:
- Horseshoe Bay Beach, Southampton Parish: This is a pink sand beach which is surrounded by rocky areas. This beach is suitable for snorkeling. It is most popular in Bermuda and cruises also stop here. Beach rentals, food, bathroom facilities are available on the beach. There are sea caves and tunnels that need to be looked for.
- Elbow Beach, Tribe Road #4, and Paget Parish: This is another beautiful pink sand beach that is between Coral Beach, Elbow Beach and Coco Reef hotels.
- Tobacco Bay, St. George Parish: It is a boulder-sheltered, shallow and a swarm-water beach and can be reached by foot from St. George square. There are shuttles available. There is nearby a Fort St. Catherine that can be reached by foot. Rest rooms, food concession, beach rentals are available.
- Achilles Bay / St. Catherine’s Bay, Northeastern St. George Parish: This bay also can be reached on foot from St. George square and shuttles are readily available. This bay is just beside the Fort St. Catherine. Rest rooms, food concession nearby, beach rentals are also available on this beach.
- Clearwater Beach / Turtle Beach / Turtle Bay / Long Bay / Well Bay / Soldier Bay: This is near the east end of the airport in St. David’s. It is situated on former US Air Base lands that were used for NASA tracking station at Cooper’s Island. Rest rooms, food concession and bar are available on the bay along with the Children’s playground.
- John Smith’s Bay Beach, Hamilton Parish: This is another nice pink sand beach.
- Shelly Bay, North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish: This bay has lots of shallow water. It also has a large playground ideal for families with small kids. It is not far from Flatts Village and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo are also nearby. This bay also has Restrooms, beach rentals, food concession.
- Chaplin Bay / Stonehole Bay / Warwick Long Bay, South Road, Warwick Parish: This is a very large beach but not popular like the other large beaches because of its steep sand slope, and strong undercurrent. Chaplin and Stone hole bays, along with Jonson’s Cove are very picturesque and made up of small and medium sized sandy inlets.
- Snorkel Park, Royal Naval Dockyard: This is a limestone tunnel through the keep’s wall which is on the beachfront and right for snorkeling or water sports. People from cruise ships enjoy this place.

Bermuda has several golf courses and driving ranges:
- St. George Golf Course, St. George Parish, north of the Town of St. George.
- Tuckers Point Golf Course / Mid Ocean Golf Course, St. George Parish, near Tucker’s Town.
- Ocean View Golf Course, Devonshire Parish on northern shore.
- Horizons Golf Course, Paget Parish south-west. (9 holes)
- Belmont Hills Golf Course, Warwick Parish east.
- Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club, Warwick Parish west.
- Fairmount Southampton Princess Golf Course, Southampton Parish east.
- Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton Parish west.
- Bermuda Golf Academy and Driving Range, Southampton Parish west.
Other explorable sites:
• Bermuda Railway Trail: This trail was dismantled after 17 years in 1948. It is now a public walking trail from St. George Town in the east end, through Pembroke Parish near the City of Hamilton and on toward Somerset Village in the west end. On the way one can find trestle houses, station houses and railway ties and views of the island and waters.
• Bermuda Forts: There are large forts and smaller batteries on the island. They were built from 1612 to 1957. Almost 100 fortifications are built on this island. The larger ones are restored while some are on displays. Some can be reached by boat. The forts in Bermuda are:
1. Fort St. Catherine , St. George Parish north (has displays and dioramas and replica Crown Jewels)
2. Gates Fort, St. George Parish east (guarding Town Cut channel entrance)
3. Alexandra Battery, St. George Parish east
4. Fort George, St. George Parish (overlooking the Town of St. George)
5. St. David’s Battery, St. George Parish east
6. Martello Tower / Ferry Island Fort, St. George Parish west (at Ferry Reach)
7. King’s Castle / Devonshire Redoubt / Landward Fort, St. George Parish south (on Castle Island, accessed via boat)
8. Fort Hamilton, Pembroke Parish (overlooking the City of Hamilton)
9. Whale Bay Battery, Southampton Parish west.
10. Fort Scaur, Sandys Parish (overlooking the waters of the Great Sound)
11. The Keep at the Dockyard, Sandys Parish (within the Maritime Museum)

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit Bermuda is from spring through to autumn. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream give it a quasi-tropical atmosphere. In overall, Bermuda has a mild, humid subtropical maritime climate and strong winds are common in winter. The hurricane season is from June to November. It is best to avoid this time of the year.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: Bermuda International Airport is the airport operating in Bermuda and is located in St. George’s parish which is beside to Castle Harbor. This airport has daily flights from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington, together with less frequent flights from other US and Canadian cities. British Airways flies from London (Gatwick) to Bermuda.
By boat/yacht: The cruise ships operate from the ports of Baltimore, Boston, Bayonne, New York, Norfolk, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, and Philadelphia on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Get around:
• Public transportation: There are bus services to Hamilton. There are passenger ferries too from Hamilton Harbor and the Great Sound, the Dockyard and St. George.
• Taxis: One can take a taxi too to go around. They charge by a meter.
• Cycle Rentals: One can rent a cycle. Car rentals are not available on the island but own cars are permitted.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bermuda#Eat
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bermuda#Sleep
• http://www.experiencebermuda.com/
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.bermuda4u.com/Hotels/bermuda_hotels_hotels.html

Blogs / Sites about Bermuda:

• http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/north-america/bermuda/
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-country/Bermuda/tpod.html
• http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Bermuda/
• http://www.blogcatalog.com/country/bermuda

Images and photos of Bermuda:

• Google Search
• http://www.imagesofbermuda.com/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g147255-Bermuda.html
• http://www.olympics.bm/bermudaimages.htm

Youtube videos:

Bahamas Cruise:

Nassau Bahamas Cruise:

Bahamas The Secrets THEY Don´t Want You to Know About

Tour Old Nassau – The Bahamas – History & Travel

Crystal Caves – Bermuda

Travel – Bellinzona – famous for its three medieval castles

Traveller — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:11:07 +0000

Bellinzona is in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is the capital city and is famous for its three medieval castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. These three castles are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This capital city includes the village of Artore and is on the east of the Ticino River, which is at the foot of the Alps. It is suurounded by Saint-Gotthard Massif. Many major alpine passes several key alpine passes, including the Nufenen, St. Gotthard, Lukmanier, San Bernardino and the Poebene meet and make Bellinzona a key trading centre.
The city of Bellinzona has approximately 17,000 inhabitants. This city is famous for its Carnival Rabadan and the local football team, AC Bellinzona. It is also known to be the most Italianate town of Switzerland. This city is located at the narrow part of the valley to the Alpine passes of St. Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lucomagno (Lukmanier). This is a gateway to Italy and key to the Alps, in north and south directions respectively.
The city is unique with its Italian-style theatre, squares, old houses in Lombardy town and courtyards. The patrician houses tell the history of the place and the place has many churches too. For shoppers, there is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto, every Saturday. This place boasts of the medieval architecture in the Alps. It was first ruled by Romans before it became a part of the Swiss federation. It is an ideal place for touring, for resorts etc. There are many resorts of Locarno, Ascona and Lugano. There are many valleys too to watch for like towards north, Leventina, Side valleys of Tessin, Bedretto valley and Blenio valley.
Among the three castles, The Castelgrande is situated on a rocky peak of the valley along with a series of fortified walls protecting the old city and connect to the Montebello, the second castle. The third castle (Sasso Corbaro) is located on an isolated rocky promontory south-east of the two other valleys.

The Top Events
• La Bacchica, wine festival (Sep – Sep )
• Chocodays – The chocolate week-end (Nov)

Place to see:
• Villa dei Cedri – It is a municipal art gallery which comprises of Swiss and Italian paintings dated back to late 19th and early 20th century. There is also focus on artists from the local area.
• Old Town – It is in the area around the Piazza Nosetto, Via del Teatro and Piazza del Governo. The Old Town is famous for the wealth of beautiful merchants’ houses, stone gateways, balconies with wrought iron railings and inn signs from the history. There is a big weekly market on the Piazza Nosetto, every Saturday. The city is unique with its Italian-style theatre, squares, old houses in Lombardy town and courtyards.
• Teatro Sociale – It is a building is in the typically Italian Classical style and the only theatre in Switzerland to have been preserved from the 19th century. It is said to be inspired by La Scala in Milan.
• Modern architecture in Bellinzona – In the castle, the Castelgrande, the architect Aurelio Galfetti has integrated a boldly designed restaurant. The Convento delle Agostiniane on the Monte Carasso has been converted into a modern training centre by the architect Luigi Snozzi.
• The three castles that have been part of UNESCO heritage sights.
• Castelgrande – This castle is part of the history and is the Old Castle in 14th and 15th centuries. This castle is made out of Castlegranade hill that is 150-200m in diameter and very steep on southern side. The insides of castle wall are now flat with many renovations and expansions. The castle grounds were once filled with buildings which were pulled down by the Dukes of Milan to have interior space. The walls, towers all were raised, extended and added. This castle has an elevator from foot to the top of the castle. It can also be reached by foot by climbing or from the streets of the city centre through the city wall.
• Montebello – Montebello is located of hilltop to the east of the town that is connected to Castlegranade. Montebello is known as the Small, New or Middle Castle in the 15th Century, as Schwyz Castle from 1506 and St. Martin’s Castle after 1818. It was also renovated and extended in 19th century. There is a dedicated chapel to Saint Michael. It has an Archaeological and Civic museum which was opened in 1974 in the tower. The museum is open from March to November. In the history section there are several capitals from the 15th Century and a rare 13th Century Baptismal font and collection of military arms along with drawings and sketches from several artists. The archaeology section includes items from 1400-1500 B.C. It also has a collection of ceramics, glassware, funeral urns, ornamental objects and jewellery in iron and bronze from around the canton.
• Sasso Corbaro – This castle is also known as Unterwalden Castle after 1506; Saint Barbara’s Castle after 1818 and is about 600m south-west of town on a rocky hill. This castle is not integrated to the other two with city walls. The first part of the castle was built in defense of the city to close a gap. It was built in 1478. It is open from March until November. This castle houses the Sala Emma Poglia built for Emma family. The room is typical with walnut panelling and suva, a stove for heating. It has temporary exhibits now.

How to get there:

By train: There are frequent trains from Milan to Lugano (takes 1 – 2 hours) and from Como (takes just over half an hour). All the major trains towards Zurich, Lugano, Chiasso, Locarno and Italy stop at Bellinzona. The train station in Lugano is situated above the city and you can either walk down towards the lake or take the funicular. The landscape between Chiasso – Lugano – Bellinzona is very beautiful, and the train goes very smooth and quiet.

By Road: The A2 and A13 motorways, as well as some main roads link to Bellinzona making it an important transitional node.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Bellinzona is early summer to mid summer. The visit to the three medieval castles, Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro, the walk around Old town, to look at art gallery, this time would be just right for anyone to enjoy.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Wikitravel (link)
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Virtualtourist (reviews and restaurants)
• Virtualtourist
• Booking.com
• Eurobookings
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/ticino/bellinzona.hotels.html
• http://www.a1tourism.com/switzerland/bellinzona.html

Blogs / Sites about Bellinzona:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Bellinzona
• Tripadvisor
• Virtualtourist
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Bellinzona/tpod.html
• http://www.oleole.com/switzerland/bellinzona/tlnf.html
• http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-Switzerland-Bellinzona
• http://realtravel.com/c-1449-23535-castle_vacations
• http://www.flexijourney.com/Bellinzona

Images and photos of Bellinzona;

• Google Search
• http://realtravel.com/dp-23535-0-bellinzona_photos
• Tripadvisor
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l16593-Bellinzona_photos.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/128365658HShdpO
• http://wiki.worldflicks.org/bellinzona.html
• http://www.fotopedia.com/en/Three_Castles_of_Bellinzona

Videos of Bellinzona (link)

Castello Grande- Bellinzona, Switzerland

Bellinzona, Switzerland

Bellinzona city (Switzerland)

Trip to Egypt – Landing in the city of Cairo and traveling through the city – the concept of tips and a stay at the Oasis Hotel in Giza – Part 1

Traveller — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:33:56 +0000

We were searching for a destination where we could have a family destination. It had many months since we met, and we were in different countries with a 8 hour flight gap between us. So, a lot of planning went into a common location, and the concept of traveling to Egypt to see the numerous important monuments over there was an important part of the planning. The trip was planned for around 8-9 days, and the challenge was about making the trip one that covers the major tourist destinations in Egypt, and yet the trip should not be one that attempts to run around the whole country without catching a breath of air (you know those trips, where the attempt is to capture everything that is there to see in the whole region, and where you end up more tired at the end of the trip than when you started the trip). Some of the places that we thought were important to see in the country were:
Cairo (Museums, Pyramid, Sphinx, etc)
Aswan (Enjoy Aswan) (High Dam, Abu Simbel, and unfinished obelisk)
Luxor (many temples, Valley of the Kings, etc)
Many temples between Aswan and Luxor on a cruise on the river Nile
Alexandria (Wikipedia)
Sharm-el-Sheikh
and there were many other locations in the country that were important, but these seemed the most significant from a tourist point of view. We had planned this trip for Feb, since that time worked out in terms of vacations, and hopefully, many of these locations would not be too hot. And of course, I am extremely fond of photography, so this seemed like a place where I could really get to enjoy on that front as well. Out of these, Alexandra proved a bit on the lower end in terms of priorities, and so, we dropped this from the list. Further, even though Sharm-el-Sheikh was fairly far away from Cairo, the planning was in terms of taking a vehicle for this journey. There were going to be young children with us for this journey as well, and we decided that getting a more comfortable trip in terms of guides and vehicles everywhere would be the good thing to do, rather than a backpacker journey (we are now all middle aged, and like our luxuries where possible).
And finally, the time came for the journey, we made sure that everything was in place, handed over the house to a caretaker for the 9-10 days we were going to be away, and off we went. The journey went fairly fine (as fine as long distance economy class journeys can be), and we were soon in Cairo International Airport. And this was where the first level of comfort was there, we were met by the local travel agency, Sakkara Travels, before the immigration, and we were guided from that point onwards.
Soon, we had collected our luggage from the Airport (the airport was fairly fine, the movement did not take too much time), and were bundled in the bus arranged by Sakkara to take us to our hotel. We had been booked into the Oasis Hotel located very close to Giza. This is a 4 star hotel located very close to the Pyramids in Giza, although this makes it atleast an hours distance from the airport. As a result, we ended up passing through the city of Cairo, and there were some areas where there was a good amount of traffic, but finally we made it.

Crowded streets of cairo – traffic can take some time to clear

Check-in in the hotel was fine, and we had some comfortable rooms, not very large or anything, but comfortable. The hotel has a lot of greenery inside, and seems to spend a lot of time on maintenance of the landscaped gardens.

Oasis Hotel in Giza in Egypt – the security at the entrance to the hotel

Oasis Hotel in Giza – the rocks arranged in a pattern

Oasis Hotel in Giza – View outside some of the rooms

Oasis Hotel in Giza in Egypt – Garden inside the hotel grounds

Oasis Hotel in Giza in cairo – a corridor in front of the rooms

Oasis Hotel in Giza – the swimming pool, very inviting

And then we encountered the question of tips. This is one of the points that really bothered us. Right at the beginning, when we got our travel itinerary, it was mentioned there that the concept of tips is almost like a compulsion, with the tips providing a comfort to the people employed in the travel industry who otherwise get low salaries. The same was mentioned by our travel managed from Sakkara, and the rate of the tips was supposed to be $6 per person per day for the days when you are on land, and $8 (American dollars) for the days when you are on the Nile cruise (3 days). For a group of 8 of us, on a 9 day trip, the amount of tips that we paid was itself a fairly large amount.
The next day we would do some local travel inside the city of Cairo, see the various places to see such as the Citadel, the mosque within it, and the famous local market known as ‘Khan el Khalili’.

Trip to Jaipur – the Amber Fort 11 km from Jaipur – a major tourist attraction, an imposing structure

Traveller — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:46:42 +0000

After visiting various tourist locations inside and near Jaipur such as Chokhi Dhani, City Palace, it was time to visit another incredible location for which Jaipur was famous, and this was the Amber Fort, located 11 KM outside Jaipur, and the former royal seat of the Kachhawa clan of Amber (before they decided to move to Jaipur). The fort is a magnificent structure, located at a high, and close to the Maota Lake. The Amber Fort was originally built by the Meenas in the name of Amba, the Mother Goddess. The current structure was built more than 400 years back, started by Raja Man Singh.
We reached the base of the Fort where there is a path to the top of the Hill on the original stone / concrete path. You can go on this path through either elephants that can be hired from the base or from jeeps (both of which can be hired at the base of the hill). From the path, there are a number of views such as the skyline of Jaipur, the extended walls of the Fort on the neighboring hills (which were the original city walls before the population moved to the current location).

Location of Amer Fort on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

If you are visiting the fort for the first time, it is recommended that you take a local guide; else, since not many of the buildings are marked, you will be at a loss to figure out what some of the older structures inside the Fort are. And there are a number of different palaces, halls, gardens, and other locations inside the Fort complex. Make sure that you do visit the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) inside the Fort.
The Fort is divided into 4 sections, with access to each of the sections from a central location through a staircase, or through a wide enough pathway. When you enter the Fort through the main gate, the first place you reach is the Jaleb Chowk, the main courtyard. Here, in the past, when a returning army would return to the city, they would be paraded in this Chowk. There is also a famous temple inside the Palace called the Kali Temple (with enormous silver lions). The fort is constructed of white and red sandstone.

View of elephant and mahout near the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Boundary wall on the hilltops near the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Ramparts of the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Musicians on the walls of the Amer Fort near the entrance

At one of the many gateways inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

View of the Diwan-i-Aam – the public audience hall inside the Amer Fort

An ambulance inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

View of the huge courtyard inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

People inside the Amber Fort – with some wonderfully carved buildings

View of a wonderfully carved doorway inside the Amber Fort in jaipur

View of canons outside a doorway inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

The board for Diwan-i-Aam inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

The hall between the pillars inside the Diwan-i-Aam the Amer Fort in Jaipur

The carved pillars inside the Amber Fort in the Jaipur

Cross section of pillars inside a hall in the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Carvings in the shape of a flower on the wall of the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Darkened view of a room with a view of the window inside the Amber Fort

View of a slightly older section of the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Overhead view of the garden inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

A windows lattice work inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

The outer edge of the walls in the Amber Fort in Jaipur

View of an entire housing community (town) viewed from the Amer Fort

View of one of the Halls inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Doorways in the wall inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur

Tourists inside one of the halls (between the pillars) in the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Security personnel inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Pigeons on the walls and windows inside the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Trees inside the courtyard in the Amer Fort in Jaipur

Enhance your travel to the Pink City by referring to these Amazon books:

Lonely Planet Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra	Jaipur, Rajasthan, India (Kindle)	Jaipur Walking Tour (Kindle)

Stonehenge – a mystical site in Great Britain, with a circle of massive stones (for an unknown reason)

Traveller — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:16:27 +0000

Brief summary:
For those people who love to enjoy monuments that seem to show a different period of history, they must visit STONEHENGE. Stonehenge is a site full of mystery, interest & imagination. When people think of Stonehenge, they come up with an iconic image of large standing stone surrounded by earthworks. The stoneworks are supposed to have been done in the Bronze Age, comprising burial mounds; having been erected in the time period of around 2500 BC. Now, Stonehenge finds prime place in the list of “world heritage sites”, having been added in 1986 by UNESCO. The surrounding land is now owned by the National trust, & the actual site of Stonehenge is owned by the British Government.
What does Stonehenge mean ? stoneHENGE- henge/cliff means a hanging or supported stone.

Description:
Stonehenge is a site about which there is still some lack of clarity as to the actual purposes, but there is talk of association with druids, as well as a relation with the worship of older deities; and there were alternative reasons as well, such as it being an astronomical observatory. Given the supposed existence of burial sites in the area, there is the concept that maybe Stonehenge was actually a burial site for people from the higher strata in society of that time.

Construction:
Stonehenge shows the large stones still placed, but there has been damage in the past. Some of the stones in the past were used for other construction such as for roads or for homes (and even from visitor contact in the present, as a result of which visitors were prohibited from contact with the stones in 1978). When the structure was built, it would have been a massive engineering effort, with a huge amount of manual labor having been needed to make it happen. It was constructed in 3 phases, with the first phase (approx 5000 years ago) being a bank and ditch arrangement (called as a henge) (and digging of the ditch would not have been an easy task, using wood and animal antlers). Even removal of the dirt taken out during digging would not have been an easy task.
The second phase (around 4000 years back) was the construction of the first stone circle (which can now be seen as the inner circle) ; these stones where the bluestones were carted in from the mountains 240 miles away (with no clear answer as to how these 4 ton stones were dragged from the mountains to the site through land and over water).
The third and final phase (as visible now) was the construction of the outer ring, using the much larger sarsen stones (weighing 50 tons each). These stones were got from a place that was only 20 miles away, but would have still required a huge amount of effort to get them from the mountains, since there was a high obstacle at one part of the journey. There was a hole made in the ground, the stone was slowly leveraged over the hole and then lowered over the hole with stones filling the bottom of the hole.
‘The Heel Stone’ this special stone lies just outside the main entrance. It is a rough stone, and is also known as “Friar’s heal” or “Sun stone”. When one stands within the Stonehenge, facing north east through the entrance towards the heel stone, one sees the sunrise above the stone at summer solstice. A simple explanation for the name HEEL might be that stone heels or, leans.

Myths:
Since there is no clarity as to the actual purpose of the stones, there are many stories dealing with the construction. What could be some of the reasons for the stones ?
First, there was the concept that the stones were constructed as part of some prayers for the Druids (but there are doubts regarding the timelines). Next, you bring in King Arthur, where, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the rocks of Stonehenge were healing rocks, called the ‘Giant’s dance”, brought from Africa to Ireland for their healing properties, wishing to erect a memorial to the around 3000 nobles, who died in battle with the Saxons & were buried at Salisbury. The stones of giant’s ring were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by giants.